The Arabic Grammarians and Centers of Wällo: Biographical Data and Reflections

Abstract

Arabic has a strong presence in the Ethiopian past and present despite limited publicity.  Ethiopia is one among the best centers of Arabic scholarship though the current trend shows an alarming decline both in quantity and quality of classical Arabic education in the country. In fact, there is compensation in the wider public presence of communication and reading skills in Arabic especially in major cities. We have very little, near to none, research productions on the issue of Arabic in Ethiopia though the language has a historical, liturgical and communication significance in the Ethiopian landscape. The present paper gives a humble biographical data of Arabic agents in the past history of the country giving at least a list of Arabic traditional learning centers namely the identity of the great Arabic grammarians of Ethiopia who taught the language in the near past. The current reality of Arabic is also given some emphasis by sighting important learning centers of the language in a selected region (Wällo) known for its Arabic scholarship as a case study. The study follows a qualitative methodology and  bases on personal observation of the researcher (himself a product of local Arabic scholarship),  data obtained from  one very important unpublished Arabic manuscript and another published work by famous local Arabic and Islamic scholars of Ethiopia as well as oral data furnished by notable Muslim scholars. The study is made from manuscript study background and does not qualify as a sociological study with relevant methodological framework in the field.