A mass of people have been streaming to this shrine to perform the rite from all corners of the country. The journey to the place is called Muudaa. The stream of people fills the Daandii Muudaa, a highway that takes to the Shrine. Some of them are from distant corner of the country.
They walk a month or more to take part in the ceremony. In addition to the people from the Zone, visitors from Arsi, Haraghe, Shewa, Jimma, Ilubabor, Wollo and Borana and many other parts of the country make a really long journey to the place. Most of them walk on foot though they have horses and mules to ride.
The pilgrims do not come to the place empty hand. Almost all of them carry some items for sacrifice. The occasion has spiritual and cultural aspects. For most, it is spiritual whereas it could be cultural for visitors.
Bale specifically Madda Walaabuu is believed to be origin of the Oromo. The Zone has other historical and natural significances as well. SofOmer cave is another significant place. It is the longest cave in the world. It has similarity with Dire Shiek Hussein. Sof Omer is also another fellow decent missionary who had lived at the same era with Shiek Hussein.
It is from this place that Oromo first emerged. Thus, the history of the Oromo is traced back to Madda Walaabuu. Thus, the Oromos everywhere in the country have a strong attachment with this place. It is the original habitat of the Oromos.
Hasan Bulbuli, Oromo History Expert, told The Ethiopian Herald that Sheik Hussein or Nur Hussein had been a benevolent, virtuous, and religious missionary who lived in Bale around 1300 A.D. Nur Hussein, a comrade of Sof Omar, another prominent religious disciple of the same era, is credited for introducing and spreading Islam in the region. Sof Omer is another devoted influential missionary to arrive to Bale.
Hassan said that the holy sites possess profound cultural significance to demonstrate outstanding universal values from two basic perspectives. They have aesthetic values that are manifested in the architectural features of Dire Sheik Hussien mosques, shrines and other groups of buildings as well as associated other structural elements in the walled settlement of this impressive Islamic cultural property.
The Expert added that the site has exceptional social values by providing a multitude of living cultural services. It is a place of pilgrimage, a center and school of Islamic thoughts, a sacred place of ritual practices, ancestral cults, and indigenous traditional beliefs. All these factors demonstrate the uniqueness of the site and justify the outstanding universal values that the site should deserve.
He mentioned the two reports about Sheik Hussein’s ancestry including those that claim he was born in Saudi Arabia. Others suggest, his grandfather, Sayyid Abdallah, emigrated from Saudi Arabia in the way of Somalia sometime before the 12th century. According to this account, Nur Hussein, the youngest of Sheik Ibrahim’s three sons, was born and raised in Bale making him a second-generation immigrant.
Other sources claim, Sheik Hussein came as a missionary to the area 300 years ago to convert Oromos to Islam. Modern historians can help piece together the genealogy as well as history of Nur Hussein and Islam in the region, as to him.
Despite the discrepancies, the legends, deeds and countless miracles performed by Sheik Hussein as recounted by his followers show, Nur Hussein was an influential personality whose story touched the lives of those who have embraced his fellowship, said the Doctor.
Since his death, songs have been written to honor him. In fact, a distinct genre of hymn called Baaroo, recited both in his honor and as a prayer, has evolved. Today, a religious cult of sort exists around his life and deeds. It is difficult to enumerate the number of Sheik Hussein’s followers but his cult remained dominant among many similar practices in the region, as to the expert.
Nur Hussein’s legacy has left an unmistakable imprint on the lives and spirituality of the Oromo. For generations, it is believed, God has come through and through for those who have made the long and often treacherous journey braving mountains and the desert. Twice yearly, pilgrims from far-flung places flock to Dire Sheik Hussein.
Dr. Riyad Mohammed, Oromo History Expert, on his part said, Waaqefannaa was the main religion in the area before arrival of missionaries such as Sheik Hussein and SofUmer. The pilgrimage, Muudaa, was also once an Oromo religious voyage. Thus, the event is a hybrid of the local pre-existing ceremony and the missionaries’ religion.
Dire Sheik Hussein is located in the Bale zone of Oromia region, southeastern Ethiopia. Among many other things, Bale is home to a range of mountains that pivot the Bale Mountains National Park including Mount Tullu Dimtu, the second highest mountain in Ethiopia which is 4,377 meters, mentioned the experts.
The Ethiopian Herald November9, 2019
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
