Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān

Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān, most commonly known as Arab Faqīh, was an Adalite writer from the port of Jizan. Best known for writing the chronicle "Futuh al-Habasha", a first hand account of the Ethiopian-Adal war in the sixteenth century.

Biography

Arab Faqih was a citizen of the Adal Sultanate and a religious Sufi. He is believed to be of Yemeni descent according to most scholars. Arab Faqih was a companion of Šams ad-Din ‘Ali bin 'Umar aš-Šādili al-Qarši al-Yemeni who according to French linguist René Basset established coffee drinking into Arabia.
His surname in the Harari language was 'Arab Faqih,' which translates to "the Arab Jurist," a name suggesting Arab Yemeni roots. However, Enrico Cerulli argues that he was likely of Harari descent who became proficient in Arabic, thus earning that name.
He used to document his work in Jizan, Yemen.
Linguist Giorgio Banti states it is noteworthy that his name Arab Faqīh is constructed using Arabic vocabulary while adhering to Harari grammatical rules.
Arab Faqih is notable for writing the "Futuh al-Habasha" which details the sixteenth century war between Adal and Abyssinia from the point of view of Harar residents.