Sheikh Hussein (saint)
Encyclopedia
Sheikh Hussein was a 13th century missionary from the Red Sea
coast, now honored as a saint, who lived in Ethiopia
. He is credited with introducing Islam
to the Sidamo
people living in the area at the time, and is said to have performed many miracles. A number of these miracles have been recorded in a hagiography
published in Cairo in the 1920s, entitled Rabi` al-Qulub. He gave his name to the village of Sheikh Hussein
, now within the homelands of the Oromo
people and is popular destination of approximately 50,000 pilgrims from Moslem Ethiopia twice a year during the Muslim months of Hajj
and Rabi' al-Awwal
. The first pilgrimage in February-March is to celebrate his birth, the second in August-September to commemorate his death. The pilgrims traditionally carry cleft sticks known as "Oulle Sheikh Hussein", which are too small to serve as walking sticks and are not utilized for any practical purpose. Once they arrive at the shrine, the pilgrims take their turns entering the saint's tomb by crawling through a small doorway.
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
coast, now honored as a saint, who lived in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He is credited with introducing Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to the Sidamo
Sidama people
The Sidama people of southern Ethiopia are an ethnic group whose homeland is in the Sidama Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. They number 2,966,474 of whom 149,480 are urban inhabitants, the fifth most populous nation in Ethiopia...
people living in the area at the time, and is said to have performed many miracles. A number of these miracles have been recorded in a hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
published in Cairo in the 1920s, entitled Rabi` al-Qulub. He gave his name to the village of Sheikh Hussein
Sheikh Hussein
Sheikh Hussein is a village in south-eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Bale Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation of 1386 meters above sea level...
, now within the homelands of the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
people and is popular destination of approximately 50,000 pilgrims from Moslem Ethiopia twice a year during the Muslim months of Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
and Rabi' al-Awwal
Rabi' al-awwal
Rabi' al-awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims around the world celebrate Mawlid - the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believe the exact date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth of this month, whereas Shi'a Muslims believe...
. The first pilgrimage in February-March is to celebrate his birth, the second in August-September to commemorate his death. The pilgrims traditionally carry cleft sticks known as "Oulle Sheikh Hussein", which are too small to serve as walking sticks and are not utilized for any practical purpose. Once they arrive at the shrine, the pilgrims take their turns entering the saint's tomb by crawling through a small doorway.