Pre-Islaamic Somali beliefs (incipient research)

[Warsame101]

Prior to the advent of Islaam, Somalis alongside the Oromos and Afars worshipped a monotheistic Supreme deity that had several names, the oft used name being Waaq (cf. Oromo: Waaqa). Thus it can be rightfully claimed that Waaq was the Cushitic archaic word for God.

The controversial Ibn Arabi (d. 1240) writes:
In respect of the fact that the Truth (Al-Haqq) is the Speaker. He mentions Himself by names … These names themselves have names with us in the language of every speaker. In the Arabic language, the name by which He named Himself in respect of being the speaker is “Allaah”, in persian “Khuday,” in Habashi “Waaq” in the tongue of the Franks “Creator” and so on in every language…. (al-Futuhat al-Makiyya II 683.29)

وتركيب حروفها بحسب اللسان والمعنى الموجب للإسم معقول عند المخلوقين فيقول العربي يا الله للذي يقول له الفارسي أي خداي
ويقول له الرومي أيشا ويقول له الأرمني أي أصفاج ويناديه التركي أي تنكري ويناديه الأفرنجي أي كريطور ويقول له الحبشي واق (al-Futuhat al-Makiyya II 683.29)

Other names used are: Ebbe (often in the pronominal suffix Ebbahay ‘my God’) and Baall.

Ebbe stands for Father, Master or Lord whilst in the Oromo language it means grace; bless divine favour. The original root meaning is ebis or eba meaning to bless. Baall, although used as one of the names of God, does not have a meaning attached to it.

The etymological word of Waaq is ambiguous; it has its roots in the ancient Cushitic religion as well as Semitic languages. Waaq is mentioned in the Qu’ran on one occasion:

When we break it down, it is derived from the Arabic root word W(a)-Q(a)-Y(a) which means to ‘guard against’. Waqin in this context therefore means a guardian or a protector. When Allaah (Exalted is He) says in the Qur’aan: ” … ma laka mina Allaahi min waliyyin wala waqin” (Ar-Rad 13:37), it denotes that one will neither have a protector or a guardian/defender (Waqin) against Allaah. Allaah is al-Waqin (the Guardian).

Ancient Somalis believed that mankind were Waaq’s creatures subject to His Will and must live in constant fear of Him and praise Him always. They believed that Waaq stands at the centre of His universe as its Supreme Powers and Creator.

Several remote communities uninfluenced by Abrahamic religions have been documented where they follow a monotheistic religion akin to the Abrahamic religions save the obvious dissimilar names. There is a famous hadith (albeit classified as weak in terms of the number of prophets mentioned but the gist is solid as it is corroborated by (Surah an-Nahl 16:36)):

“From Aadam to me, Allaah sent a hundred and twenty-four thousand Prophets ,of whom three hundred and fifteen were messengers.” (Musnad Ahmed, 21257)

It is therefore a major possibility that Somalis – in the pre-Islaamic epoc – followed a monotheistic belief that they inherited from one of the many callers sent by Allaah to each community. Albeit the principal message has been perverted in due course as with every pre-Islaamic community, several aspects of the traditional monotheism has been unadulterated.

This general monotheistic attitude that the pre-Islaamic Somalis practiced facilitated the easy transfer from discarding their previous religion and adopting the Islaamic faith without any hurdles; as many of their perceptions of a Supreme deity; afterlife; good-and-bad spirits, etc, seemed to go hand-in-hand with the true religion (i.e. Islaam).

For instance, the ancient Somalis use to believe in jinns such as the ‘Saar’ which by means of special rites is incarnated in some persons or, vice versa, and is obliged to leave the body of one possessed.

Another jinns, indicated as ‘good spirits’ were Ayaan and Guul which in the pre-Islaamic Somali society were seen as minor protectors. Another interpretation given is that they were angels that acted as mediators between God and mankind. Ancient Somalis held the belief that the serpent was one of the main animals the spirits (jinns) might be incarnated. This is similar to the Islaamic belief that one particular type of the Jinn comes in the forms of serpents and dogs (Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/95).

Regarding the word Baall; Somalis until this day still seem to sing a formula to evoke Baall.

Eeho Heebaallow haaya waaye
Hoobaallayey Hoobaallayey
Hoobaallayey Hoobe
Ey hoobaallaayow HooBaall
Ey hoobaallaayow HooBaall
Hoo Baalley.

Unfortunately, no one seem to actually know the meaning of these formulas, many tried to make sense of it or either suggest its origin. However, what is known is that some parts seem to be calling out to Baall as in Hey Baall (Oh God) or Hoo Baall (Take it Baall) perhaps suggesting an offering gesture though it is not precise known what is being offered. The ancient Hebrews (Bani Isreal) used Baall interchangeably with God until it was hijacked by the Canaanites (Phoenicians) so they distanced themselves from calling God using that name. It is not known if it is the same Baall as mentioned in the Glorious Qur’aan which is ‘Ba’al (with ‘ayn) (As-Saaffat 37:125): the pre-Islamic idol worshipped during Prophet Ilyas’ (Peace be upon him) period.

Several theophorous anthroponyms have been used in clan-names and are found amongst a selection of northern and southern Somali clans. They are: Yabaal, Yabaalle, Baalle, Baallow, Baall-Yiri and HoomBaalle.

For table 1 and 2 (clan-names that carry Waaq and Baall in their lineages) see:

http://www.somalimind.com/2012/08/pre-i ... i-beliefs/

[qoraxeey]

nice work

[Cirwaaq]

Waaq(dhawaaq) = calling, it is also the sound made by a Crow(considered a messenger bird)... To perform Waaq was to spread the message however as the old was abandoned later generations were misinformed that Waaq was an ancient deity rather then his message...


Baal = Wing or branch once again since birds and things that fly were revered the original use of Baal was in reference to the message not a deity. Just as a wing carries a bird in air Baal signified carrying the message of the ancient religion. HooBaal becomes = here carry, add Waaq = Carry the message

Abe arrived much later with the spread of christian influence as a result of trade with foreigners for Gee, ostrich feathers, Foox. The influence went as far as graves being marked with crosses at both ends. These graves were witnessed as late as 1855 when Richard Burton describes them in his book Jidali East of Ceerigabo. Abe or the father is Egyptian in origin and was later borrowed by Christianity.

The term Ilaah was in use in Northern Africa prior to Abrahamic faiths and it is more probable that it was African faiths that initially influenced the Middle-eastern temples. As Most of the Temples of the Arabian peninsula lay along a single route... From the Frankincense hills of Punt->thorugh the temples of Sheeba in Yemen, through Mecca onto Caanine(palastine) through the sania on to the egyptian temples of Laxur(where there is painting of the queens visit to puntland). The Frankincense Trade route predates Abrahamic religions as a result Somalis have been in direct contact with all pre-abrahamic faiths...

The influence along the trade route would have been bi-directional. This in a time when the coast of Yemen was a stone's throw from the somali coast and people swam across the gulf in air-filled goats skin floats...

[sadeboi]

You could you guys use sources, that would help a lot. Cirwaaq that's an interesting theory, lately I've been interested in learning about this. I think warsame is using the word baal i n context to our neighbors and relatively. Warsame hobaal has relations to the God of the preIslamic Arabs, I remember before all of this I heard in the movie "The Messenger" someone say to the Muslims, "say hoobal is your God" and I thought it seemed close to name in hoobaalay heeded song. Also the Somali poetry is started in that but has been changed hoyalaaye hoyaaley ...from hobalaaye hobaalaye.

[Cirwaaq]

You could you guys use sources, that would help a lot. Cirwaaq that's an interesting theory, lately I've been interested in learning about this. I think warsame is using the word baal i n context to our neighbors and relatively. Warsame hobaal has relations to the God of the preIslamic Arabs, I remember before all of this I heard in the movie "The Messenger" someone say to the Muslims, "say hoobal is your God" and I thought it seemed close to name in hoobaalay heeded song. Also the Somali poetry is started in that but has been changed hoyalaaye hoyaaley ...from hobalaaye hobaalaye.

There is little work down in truly understand pre-abrahamic faiths but if we are to go by what others write then:

According to ancient documents, the great Baal temple of Babylon consumed 2 and a half tons of Frankincense a year. The Frankincense trade was of immense importance in ancient times, peaking about 2000 years ago. Caravans grew to as many as 2 to 3 thousand camels in size

http://www.anandaapothecary.com/article ... cense.html

PUNT-Frankincense is at the heart and the common denominator of all Religions of Africa and Asia dating back thousands of years before Abraham(a.s).

[Sagaashan]

It is therefore a major possibility that Somalis – in the pre-Islaamic epoc – followed a monotheistic belief that they inherited from one of the many callers sent by Allaah to each community. Albeit the principal message has been perverted in due course as with every pre-Islaamic community, several aspects of the traditional monotheism has been unadulterated.

Interesting, Somalis had their own rasuul

to me a lot of these things seem to be stretching the truth to fit a story. For a moment I thought when he said waaq in the Quran that he was going to use nabi nuux's qowm who rebelled against the idea of leaving behind 'wadan, walaa yaquutha, wayacuuqa, wa nasraa.' I think we can squeeze this in there if we are insinuating that the hoballeyeey has some kind of deity connection

[Warsame101]

Cirwaaq, thanks for sharing.

I am more inclined to find out the source of your postulations.

You mentioned that Waaq was mistakenly identified as a deity by the pre-Islamic Cushite socities.

The Oromos, in this contempary age, still use Waaq to address God although the Somalis have dropped the name. I am not quite sure whether the Afars still employ it.

Ethnographers such as Cerulli and Ullendorff have affirmed this (based on first-hand accounts from the natives: Somalis and Ethiopians), although they touched briefly on the subject. I.M Lewis went in to a greater detail but it is still inconclusive.

I deliberately included the quote from Ibn 'Arabi the 13th century Sufi scholar who had a Habashi companion who referred God as Waaq. It is, insofar, the oldest reference to Waaq.

sadeboi, I have used sources where applicable. Like I have mentioned in the subject title, it is an incipient research, still in its infancy. Moreover, any written records that gives us a glimpse of the pre-Islamaic Somali society is virtually non-existent; hence why it is an under-researched topic.

The pre-Islaamic Arabian idol hubal is no the Baall that I am referring to. Many Christian orientalists have sought to forge a connection between these two names so as to denote that they are one and the same.The IA team refuted this allegation:

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/ ... hubal.html

(Haa)Baall ("The Lord"), which the ancient Hebrews used to mean God is not the same pre-Islaamic Arabian idol Hubal - it can also not be the pre-Islaamic idol mentioned in the Glorious Qur'aan (37:125) as it mentions Bacaal (with 'ayn).

[Cirwaaq]

If we examine religions practiced today:

- Islam - How many sects over 1433years
- Christainity - how many sects has it diverged into in 2000years
- Judaism - how many sects in some 4000years
- Hinduism - Began as an amalgamation of 100s of differing believes into the one, only one to have converged because multiple gods are allowed.

Baal and Waaq are labels that pre-date Judaism and from a faith with it's principle mode of transmission being oral. Asking modern believers what they believe is fraught with modern inclusion and influences of the many faiths they have neighbored over the course of time.

There is hope that archaeology may one day shed light on the matter. In the mean time we only have hearsay and with each subsequent generation that information becomes more corrupted. We can off-course extrapolate through language and culture.

An example - Dhanto-male dance with it's varying forms to a student of martial arts looks like a type of FORM. Forms are used in martial arts to pass on knowledge of fighting styles i.e Sword-form or lance-form or spear-form. Forms become a language to pass down from generation to generation the most perfect movements to employ a particular weapon... Children are shown the forms without holding weapons in their hands once they master the movements it is easy to incorporate a sword, lance, spear or axe. When i see the spinning activity in some dhanto it looks like martial arts forms.

Now nobody has ever told me there is an association between Dhanto and fighting training but it is easy to see the correlation. Language, culture and archaeological data analysis will brings us closer to the truth.

[Alphanumeric]

Keep up the great work fellas. Somali historians are something to cherish.

This is about as much as I can add:

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. (An-Nahl: 36)

[IRONm@N]

I thought that time when Somalis use to trade with Egyptians,they use to practice prophet's Moses (cs) religion.

[bareento]

Warsame thank u!
It didnt occur to me to make a link between the somali word Eebbe and the oromo word Eebba (or in the east Eeyba)
Thank u.

On the other hand I am truly saddened when u tried to link Waaq to arabic, as if everything should be linked to Arabic
....in order to get respectability.

B.

[CoolPoisons]

i think its Abdihutu ancestors who use to worship this

[Cirwaaq]

i think its Abdihutu ancestors who use to worship this

You are giving him legitimacy to begin claiming cabud-waaq and ceel-waaq

Careful of what you plant in his head!

[CoolPoisons]

i think its Abdihutu ancestors who use to worship this

You are giving him legitimacy to begin claiming cabud-waaq and ceel-waaq

Careful of what you plant in his head!

^^ let him claim, native americans still claim usa

[AbdiWahab252]

Interesting...

So who and what are Yaxye, Timacaade and Mooriif ?


Ciirwaq,

Ceelwaq belongs to Gharri, Murule and Degodie