Isaaq Reer Sheekh Isxaaq بنو إسحاق | |
---|---|
Somali clan | |
Ethnicity | Somali |
Location | Somaliland Somalia Ethiopia Djibouti Saudi Arabia[1] |
Descended from | Sheikh Ishaaq bin Ahmed |
Population | 3-4 million[2] |
Branches | Habr Magaadle:
Habr Habuusheed: |
Language | Somali Arabic |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
The Isaaq (Somali: Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, Arabic: بنو إسحاق, Banu Ishaq) is a major Somali clan.[3] It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory.
The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend to have descended from Sheikh Ishaaq bin Ahmed, an Islamic scholar who purportedly traveled to Somaliland in the 12th or 13th century and married two women; one from the local Dir clan. and the other from the neighboring Harari people.[4] He is said to have sired eight sons who are the common ancestors of the clans of the Isaaq clan-family. He remained in Maydh until his death.[5]
isaaq noble.