Futuh al-Habasha
History book by Arab Faqih (16th century CE)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Futūh al-Habasha ("Conquest of the Abyssinia"), is the best-known work by the 16th-century Muslim writer Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān of Adal-era Harar.[1][2]
| Author | Arab Faqih |
|---|---|
| Original title | فتوح الحبشة |
| Language | Arabic |
| Subject | Islamic history, Conquests |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
Written in Arabic, the Futuh al-Habasha is a firsthand account of the Ethiopian-Adal war in the 1500s.[3] It details the conquests made by the Adal Sultanate in modern-day north, central and southern Ethiopia. It was written by Arab Faqih, a participant in the Adal army.[4]
The authors' informants who contributed to the collection of information for his work included Emir Hussain b. Abu Bakr al-Gaturi and Ahmad Din b. Khalad b. Hargaya Muhammad, among others.[5] According to linguist Giorgio Banti the Futuh al-Habasha is commonly associated with Harari literature.[6][7]
Author
Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān, known as ʿArab Faqīh ("the Arab Jurist"), was a Sufi scholar and jurist active during the Adal Sultanate era.[8]
Editions
A translation of Futūḥ al-Habasha in French was authored by René Basset (Paris, 1897).
The English edition was published by Tsehai Publishers & Distributors, translated by Paul Stenhouse and edited by Richard Pankhurst in 2003.[9]