Nakhawila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 32,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Medina, Wadi al-Fara | |
| Languages | |
| Hejazi Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Twelver Shi'a Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ismailis of Najran - Persians |
The Nakhawila (Arabic: النخاولة) are a community of indigenous Hijazi Twelver Shias who have traditionally resided in and around the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, numbering around 32,000—although no official or certain figures are available.[2]
The origin of the name Nakhawila (singular: nakhwali)[3] is unclear; however, it is most likely derived from the Arabic word nakhl, nakhla or nakhil (date palm) because the Nakhawila community is said to have worked in the palm groves around Medina.[4] The word is believed to have been first used during the Ottoman rule of Hejaz and was first recorded by Abu Salim al-Ayyashi during his 1662-63 stay in Medina.[5]
In modern Saudi Arabia the Nakhawila are officially known as al-nakhliyūn or al-nakhliya (singular: nakhli).[3]
Origins
The origin of the Nakhawila is unclear.[6] Most members of the Nakhawila community claim descent from native Medinan Arab tribes such as the Khazraj or Hashemites, while others are claimed to be descended from black African slaves said to have been freed by Hasan ibn Ali and ordered to work on his farms. Other beliefs include that they are the descendants of African slaves, that they came from eastern Arabia, Iran[6] or are from among the remnants of the Shiites of post-Fatimid Egypt.[7]