The Progenies Of Hadhramout

Abu Zayd 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun al-Hadhrami; Osama Bin Ladin; Mari­ bin Amude Alkatiri, the present Prime Minister of presently troubled East Timor; and many other more notable World personalities - have one thing in common: they are all descendants of Hadrami migrants; from Hadhramaut. Many reasons have been given for the 'Hadhrami Diaspora' but the best I can think of is that of the: Hadhrami trader, who often like Sindbad the sailor, risked his life and capital to set sail upon the sea and to go about the islands of South East Asia buying and selling. Hadharims, just like and love traveling and exploring! The further and the more unknown - the better.

The Arabs from Hadramaut have been migratory from time immemorial; and they have traveled and migrated not only to South East Asia, but to almost every corner of the World: North Africa, the Horn of Africa, East Africa, Central and Southern Africa, India, the Far East and Europe - all have large Hadrami migrants or their descendants. And in the recent last few years, many too, have migrated to the Americas.

Always humble, simple and deeply religious, the Hadharim still are - so fiercely proud of their origin and culture, that at times it borders on arrogance. The Hadarim......, cherish a very strong sense of Arab identity, which seems to overlap considerably with Islamic identity. In the Islamized world of Southeast Asia, Arab and Islamic identity are generally perceived to be synonymous. The Arab tends to be seen as representing the ideal Muslim. It is this universal popular perception of Arab identity in the region that makes it both potent and dynamic. The same can be said of Hadharims in Eastern Africa; where too, the Hadhrami identity, seems to be synonymous with Islam.

It is mainly the Hadhramis who introduced and spread Islam to most parts of Eastern Africa, South and South East Asia; and the Far East. And this, only in the last few centuries. Hadharims spread far and wide and would always choose to settle down in these far regions and inter-marry with the indigenous people of that area, who have become Muslims.

Hadharims are renowned for their extensive knowledge on Islam and for their strong business acumen; and many International scholars and businessmen of note, are of Hadhrami origin. Today, Hadarims - not only have a strong, solid presence in Yemen; but, in the neighboring countries of the Arabian Peninsular too; and do still too, have a strong presence in some of the remotest parts of the World: Eastern Africa and South East Asia - in particular.

References:

 
The History Of The Gulf
Hadhrami Traders
Arab and native intermarriage in Southeast Asia
Yemeni Hadhramis in South East Asia
The Arabs in Southeast Asia
The Hadrami Awakening
Hadhrami migration
Black African and Arab intermarriage in East Africa

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