Al-Zaylaʽi
# Al-Zaylaʽi

Al-Zaylaʽi (ʽAbd al-Raḥman bin Aḥmad al-Zaylaʽi عبد الرحمن بن أحمد الزيلعي) ( 1820–1882) was a Somali scholar who played a crucial role in the spread of the Qadiriyyah Sufi order in Somalia and East Africa.

Born in the rural village of Kedilai northwest of Mogadishu, he studied elementary ilm under the supervision of the local Ulema, He later moved to Mogadishu, studying under Sheikh Isma'il b. Umar al-Maqdishi.

Al-Zayla'i traveled to various Islamic centers in the Horn of Africa. Upon returning to his home village, he established a community of pupils near Qolonqol, setting out to spread the Qadiriyyah order throughout the upper Shebelle region. This enhanced his reputation and also helped the order gain considerable success amongst the region's pastoralists, the religious elite, and the villagers of the interior.

