Sheekh Daahir’s Mystic Powers

They call him Kitaab-dheere not because he hangs around long holy books. No, it is because of the depth of knowledge he acquired in the quarters of divinity. Sheekh Dahir is unrivalled in his translations of dreams, presentiments, auguries, and the obvious. That he uses his powers punitively is not because he wants to. He often says he would rather promote people to high offices and riches than make one of their siblings sick. But the people are ‘headstrong’. And they leave him with no option. Soofe, for instance. What was he doing in telling Sheikh Dahir, “if you were responsible for the coming of the rains this season, then me and you have nothing to talk about! You skipped my farm and I won’t give you a kilo of grain.” He said that, when the good Sheikh triumphantly told him he brought the rains. Greed got the better of him. He just wanted a pretext not to give the Shiekh his due.

And look how he was punished. Sheikh Dahir didn’t even use his favourite ‘Bara bisin la’ to stop his heart. He could have done that. Instead, he opted for ‘Al-qaarica’ which he says is literally ‘ta wax gar garaacda’ and he paralysed one-side of him. That will serve the purpose of dissuading potential rebels and any attempt at Iconoclasm. For it was the established norm that no one challenges the Sheikh.' Somaliland ', they call him as well. They say the two have much in common in the pursuit of recognition. But that is what they talk in under wraps. The last time he addressed a crowd, he said, “ Somaliland oo kale angia ha imoodina’. Recognition of my powers are sent from up. I don’t seek that from the hands of infidels.” Pity that people still call him that tag, after all the attempts to dispel the existence of a common denominator!

But the Sheikh is unlucky. Luciano Pavarotti would have sought apprenticeship from Sheekh Dahir [who prior to his beatification to ‘awliyo-hood’ was born Xaashi Madaxeey]; had he heard his voice when he let out the sublime Qasiido- in the company of four or so women who untiringly put foox into the fire. The aroma, the spirituality and the tranquillity is mirthful. As the Shiekh, tall and graceful, reclines on several pillows, the melody flows like milk from the breast of Gobaad to the metrical reception of the possessed women:
“Mandad yaaaaaaaaa
Awliyo Alaay
Mandad mandad
Awliyo Alaay
Mandad mandad
Yaa jalal anbiyaa
Yaa suufiyaal”

But Cali Mataan –the frail and sick old man living next to his house, neither accepted the Sheikh’s powers nor understood why the Shiekh threatened to smash his small house when there is a big Axmaaro liquor house next to his. That Sheikh Dahir does not object to the presence of that ungodly edifice lit lights of suspicion in the heart of the old man. Yet, he saw what happened to others who trusted their hunch and dared to speak out. And word was out Sheik Daahir has acquired new strong verses that will wipe out all the descendents of transgressors at one go. They say it is a hybrid of verses from Qulu-cawdu birabil falaq, wa shamsi, and the deadly Cama indha’la. He prays that gossip he made the other day about why Kitaaab-dheere wouldn’t fight the occupying Xabashi’s and evict them from the land through a combination of landslides and storms never reaches the pious man's ears. But who knows? Maybe he is perfecting his techniques for a devastating hit when he gets the green light from the Almighty? After all, who can fathom what is going on in the minds of ‘people of God’?

When Sheikh Dahir’s wife asked why he doesn’t take care of his own kids, while he promoted Ilma Cumar-Jabane (who he claims to have made them successful in their schools and gave them Ministerial positions); he replies that what she saw as an apparent lack of concern for his family is the defining feature of ‘awliyadda dhabta ah’. But Sheikh Dahir is angry of late. All kinds of blasphemies are being reported to him by his ‘quruumo’ mainly coming from kids who frequent Internet sites (which he calls Xoolo Shaydaan) and [advised against its use long ago] and from some self-declared ‘educated’ youngsters.

That is why tonight, he is working in high secrecy to come up with the deadliest weapon ever produced by an Awliyo. His mentor-Mo’alin Timoweyne will congratulate him from the grave. Fittingly, it was at that point when he heard the news that Iran is accused of developing nuclear weapon [he later learned it has the power to exterminate the human race from the face of earth] in underground tunnels. He laughed. They had no idea the one he is just to bring to being. "They better call me Iran ", he mused.