Aweis A Ali
Rev. Aweis Ali, PhD, is an outspoken African missiologist, poet, and paremiologist. He has an impressive work history, having previously worked with employers such as the Somali Government, EU, UNICEF, UNOSOM, and Samaritan's Purse. Aweis became a follower of Christ in 1986, thanks to the ministry of SIM.
Aweis is a student of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and is the first person to ever translate the Qur'an into English and Somali (with transliteration). His translations are set to be published by 2025. He is also the first Somali churchman to earn a ministry-related doctoral degree. Aweis is a multifaceted author, editor, lyricist, and hymnodist. He is a passionate advocate for ministering to nomadic pastoralists.
Aweis is a recognized expert on the persecuted church in the Muslim world, with a particular focus on the Somali Church. He has been ministering in the Muslim world for over 30 years and has lived and served in various world areas, including the Horn of Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and the United States.
Aweis completed his Bachelor of Theology degree at the Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, his Master of Divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi. Aweis’ PhD thesis is titled "Persecution of Christians and its Effect on Church Growth in Somalia."
Aweis is the Series Editor of "Maansada Masiixa" (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry) and the Editor in Chief of the Somali Bible Society Journal.
Aweis’ research interests include persecution of Christians, church history and church growth in the Muslim world, Waaqism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Somali Peninsula, global paremiology, and Somali poetry.
Dr. Aweis' published works include:
BOOKS as an author, editor or translator
1. Aasaaska Diinteenna (The Foundation of Our Faith)
2. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 1
3. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 2
4. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 3
5. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 4
6. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 5
7. Injiilka Shariifka Ah (The Noble Gospel)
8. Rag iyo Rabbi - Men and God: Somali Poetry on Peace
9. A Proverb is Worth a Thousand Words: A Paremiography From Around
the World.
10. Injiilka Sayid Ciise Masiix (The Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ)
11. Persecution of Christians and its Effect on Church Growth in Somalia
12. Understanding the Somali Church
13. Walking With Him: A Catechism for Growing Christians and Serious
Seekers
14. Codadka Iftiinka: Qasiiddooyin Eebbe Amaan Ah (Voices of the Light:
Somali Christian Hymns), Translator, Maandeeq Publishing, 2023.
15. Encounters with Christ: How 20 Muslims Became Disciples of Jesus.
Maandeeq Publishing, 2023.
ARTICLES
1. Dispelling the Myth: Martin Luther's Priesthood of all Believers, ARJESS
2. A Brief History of Christian Missions in Somalia, ARJESS
3. Thriving Under the Sword: How the Somali Church Overcomes the
Challenges of Persecution, SBS Journal
4. Courage in Our Conviction: A Conversation with Pastor Shafi'i, SBS
Journal.
5. Modrickers Ma Maqasheen? Have You Heard of the Modrickers? (A
poem). SBS Journal.
6. The Case for Denominationally Based Ministries Among Somalis, EMQ
7. The Blood of Christians is Seed: The 5th Gospel and the Growth of the
Church, SBS Journal
8. A Brief History of Judaism in the Somali Peninsula, SBS Journal
9. A Brief History of Christianity in the Somali Peninsula, SBS Journal
10. The Greatest Missionaries to the Somalis: The Heroes of 1881-1981, SBS
Journal
11. Ila Goco Groves: Reminisce about the Groves with me (A Poem), SBS
Journal.
12. Annalena Waa Aar (Annalena the Lioness): A Poem, SBS Journal
13. Jesus as the Good Camel Herder: The Somali Nomads as the Final
Frontier, EMQ
14. Steve Howard, 2016, Modern Muslims: A Book Review
African Studies Quarterly. Volume 17, Issue 3, November 2017
15. Reed, Barbara Keener, 2021, Standing on Holy Ground and Some not so
Holy: A Memoir: A Book Review, SBS Journal, 2022.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Aweis' biography, "Courage, Conviction & Character: The Biography of Dr. Aweis A. Ali," was released in December 2022.
The audio version of the biography is freely available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCheEJsHjU0
Contact Information:
Web: https://aweisali.com/
Twitter: @DrAweisAli
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
Aweis is a student of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and is the first person to ever translate the Qur'an into English and Somali (with transliteration). His translations are set to be published by 2025. He is also the first Somali churchman to earn a ministry-related doctoral degree. Aweis is a multifaceted author, editor, lyricist, and hymnodist. He is a passionate advocate for ministering to nomadic pastoralists.
Aweis is a recognized expert on the persecuted church in the Muslim world, with a particular focus on the Somali Church. He has been ministering in the Muslim world for over 30 years and has lived and served in various world areas, including the Horn of Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and the United States.
Aweis completed his Bachelor of Theology degree at the Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, his Master of Divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi. Aweis’ PhD thesis is titled "Persecution of Christians and its Effect on Church Growth in Somalia."
Aweis is the Series Editor of "Maansada Masiixa" (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry) and the Editor in Chief of the Somali Bible Society Journal.
Aweis’ research interests include persecution of Christians, church history and church growth in the Muslim world, Waaqism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Somali Peninsula, global paremiology, and Somali poetry.
Dr. Aweis' published works include:
BOOKS as an author, editor or translator
1. Aasaaska Diinteenna (The Foundation of Our Faith)
2. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 1
3. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 2
4. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 3
5. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 4
6. Maansada Masiixa (Anthology of Somali Christian Poetry), Volume 5
7. Injiilka Shariifka Ah (The Noble Gospel)
8. Rag iyo Rabbi - Men and God: Somali Poetry on Peace
9. A Proverb is Worth a Thousand Words: A Paremiography From Around
the World.
10. Injiilka Sayid Ciise Masiix (The Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ)
11. Persecution of Christians and its Effect on Church Growth in Somalia
12. Understanding the Somali Church
13. Walking With Him: A Catechism for Growing Christians and Serious
Seekers
14. Codadka Iftiinka: Qasiiddooyin Eebbe Amaan Ah (Voices of the Light:
Somali Christian Hymns), Translator, Maandeeq Publishing, 2023.
15. Encounters with Christ: How 20 Muslims Became Disciples of Jesus.
Maandeeq Publishing, 2023.
ARTICLES
1. Dispelling the Myth: Martin Luther's Priesthood of all Believers, ARJESS
2. A Brief History of Christian Missions in Somalia, ARJESS
3. Thriving Under the Sword: How the Somali Church Overcomes the
Challenges of Persecution, SBS Journal
4. Courage in Our Conviction: A Conversation with Pastor Shafi'i, SBS
Journal.
5. Modrickers Ma Maqasheen? Have You Heard of the Modrickers? (A
poem). SBS Journal.
6. The Case for Denominationally Based Ministries Among Somalis, EMQ
7. The Blood of Christians is Seed: The 5th Gospel and the Growth of the
Church, SBS Journal
8. A Brief History of Judaism in the Somali Peninsula, SBS Journal
9. A Brief History of Christianity in the Somali Peninsula, SBS Journal
10. The Greatest Missionaries to the Somalis: The Heroes of 1881-1981, SBS
Journal
11. Ila Goco Groves: Reminisce about the Groves with me (A Poem), SBS
Journal.
12. Annalena Waa Aar (Annalena the Lioness): A Poem, SBS Journal
13. Jesus as the Good Camel Herder: The Somali Nomads as the Final
Frontier, EMQ
14. Steve Howard, 2016, Modern Muslims: A Book Review
African Studies Quarterly. Volume 17, Issue 3, November 2017
15. Reed, Barbara Keener, 2021, Standing on Holy Ground and Some not so
Holy: A Memoir: A Book Review, SBS Journal, 2022.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Aweis' biography, "Courage, Conviction & Character: The Biography of Dr. Aweis A. Ali," was released in December 2022.
The audio version of the biography is freely available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCheEJsHjU0
Contact Information:
Web: https://aweisali.com/
Twitter: @DrAweisAli
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
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was a small but fearless intellectual, was a modern Sufi movement that attempted to AfricanStudiesQuarterlyVolumeIssueNovember
httpafricaufleduasqvviapdf
restore what it considered the truly peaceful and egalitarian Islam. The author notes that
the attempted reformation of this movement was thwarted when their leader was executed for alleged apostasy at the age of seventy-six. He was hanged by the Sudanese regime led by dictator Gaafar Nimeiry in 1985. The Sudanese people rose up against ....
African Studies Quarterly | Volume 17, Issue 3|November 2017 http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v17/v17i3a5.pdf
BOOK REVIEWS | 104
restore what it considered the truly peaceful and egalitarian Islam. The author notes that the attempted reformation of this movement was thwarted when their leader was executed for alleged apostasy at the age of seventy-six. He was hanged by the Sudanese regime led by dictator Gaafar Nimeiry in 1985. The Sudanese people rose up against Nimeiry and deposed him four months later; Taha’s execution is thought to have contributed to the popular uprising that overthrew the military strongman.
Papers by Aweis A Ali
successes of the greatest missionaries to the Somalis. The one hundred years from 1881 to 1981 encompass the golden years of the Somali Church in terms of the quality and quantity of the converts who came to the Lord under the ministries of the Magnificent Four: The Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the Swedish Overseas Lutheran Church (SOLC), the Mennonite Mission (MM), and the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM). Any Somali Christian, whose name became well-known, even outside Christian circles, was saved under the ministries of these four organizations within the one hundred years stated above.
The French Catholic Mission (FCM), under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), opened a famous orphanage in Daymoole village, British Somaliland, in 1881.3 This orphanage, which was located near Berbera, is best remembered for contributing to the anger of the Somali Muslim scholar and freedom fighter, Sayid Muhammed Abdulle Hassan (7 April 1856 - 21 December 1920), who waged a relentless jihad against the British colonizers and their sympathizers. Hussein A. Bulhan writes that the Sayid's "wrath intensified when he met Somali boys converted to Christianity by missionaries who came and collaborated with the colonial
administration."
under the rule of Sharia Law. The church in Somalia has also proven many pundits wrong because of its resilience. Somali Muslims are regularly coming to the Lord despite the painful persecution awaiting them once they become disciples of Christ. Church historians and missiologists agree with Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, popularly known as Tertullian, (155 240) that persecution is the lifeline of the Church. The North African author and apologist popularized the belief that the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church. Not all persecuted Christians are martyred. In fact, most persecuted Christians walk away bruised and bloodied. Persecutors often target the leadership of the community of faith and Christian materials including the Scriptures. The idea that the sheep will scatter when the
shepherd is struck is a first century persecution strategy. This paper illustrates the direct relationship between the persecution of Christians and the growth of the Church. The Church describes persecution and martyrdom as the Fifth-Gospel. This Fifth Gospel is without a doubt a blessing in disguise.
Dorothy sustained stab wounds. Merlin was 33 when he was martyred. Dorothy died in 2010 at the age of 84. The schools the Groves pioneered in southern Somalia produced some of the finest Somali intellectuals and educators. Despite their brief ministry time in Somalia, the Groves left behind an everlasting legacy. Many Somali Muslims came to the Lord in Somalia through the ministry of the EMM. This success was realized during the heydays of their ministry from the 1950s to 1980s.
Adenite and Yemenite Jews. Some other Jews came from the Iberian Peninsula or even directly from modern-day Israel. The purpose of this paper is to document the often-ignored deep roots of Judaism in the Somali peninsula.
1. document the long history of Christianity in the Somali peninsula
2. encourage more research on Christianity among Somali people
3. enrich the literature reservoir of the Somali Church
Unbeknownst to many, Christianity reached at least the coastal areas of the land Somalis inhabit by the 7th century as attested to ancient graves and other traces. This fact alone should put to rest the famous Somali Muslim mantra that to be a Somali is to be a Muslim. Ali Abdirahman Hersi, a Somali scholar, wrote in 1977 that "it is difficult to conceive of any meaning in the term Somali itself without at the same time implying Islamic identity." Somalis are about 99% Muslim, and the tiny Christian minority in their midst faces intense persecution because of their Christian faith. Somali Muslims also fight over power, and resources and the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991 unleashed carnage and bloodbath. According to the Center for American Progress, up to "1.5 million people have died in Somalia's conflict or directly due to hunger since 1991."
was a small but fearless intellectual, was a modern Sufi movement that attempted to AfricanStudiesQuarterlyVolumeIssueNovember
httpafricaufleduasqvviapdf
restore what it considered the truly peaceful and egalitarian Islam. The author notes that
the attempted reformation of this movement was thwarted when their leader was executed for alleged apostasy at the age of seventy-six. He was hanged by the Sudanese regime led by dictator Gaafar Nimeiry in 1985. The Sudanese people rose up against ....
African Studies Quarterly | Volume 17, Issue 3|November 2017 http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v17/v17i3a5.pdf
BOOK REVIEWS | 104
restore what it considered the truly peaceful and egalitarian Islam. The author notes that the attempted reformation of this movement was thwarted when their leader was executed for alleged apostasy at the age of seventy-six. He was hanged by the Sudanese regime led by dictator Gaafar Nimeiry in 1985. The Sudanese people rose up against Nimeiry and deposed him four months later; Taha’s execution is thought to have contributed to the popular uprising that overthrew the military strongman.
successes of the greatest missionaries to the Somalis. The one hundred years from 1881 to 1981 encompass the golden years of the Somali Church in terms of the quality and quantity of the converts who came to the Lord under the ministries of the Magnificent Four: The Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the Swedish Overseas Lutheran Church (SOLC), the Mennonite Mission (MM), and the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM). Any Somali Christian, whose name became well-known, even outside Christian circles, was saved under the ministries of these four organizations within the one hundred years stated above.
The French Catholic Mission (FCM), under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), opened a famous orphanage in Daymoole village, British Somaliland, in 1881.3 This orphanage, which was located near Berbera, is best remembered for contributing to the anger of the Somali Muslim scholar and freedom fighter, Sayid Muhammed Abdulle Hassan (7 April 1856 - 21 December 1920), who waged a relentless jihad against the British colonizers and their sympathizers. Hussein A. Bulhan writes that the Sayid's "wrath intensified when he met Somali boys converted to Christianity by missionaries who came and collaborated with the colonial
administration."
under the rule of Sharia Law. The church in Somalia has also proven many pundits wrong because of its resilience. Somali Muslims are regularly coming to the Lord despite the painful persecution awaiting them once they become disciples of Christ. Church historians and missiologists agree with Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, popularly known as Tertullian, (155 240) that persecution is the lifeline of the Church. The North African author and apologist popularized the belief that the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church. Not all persecuted Christians are martyred. In fact, most persecuted Christians walk away bruised and bloodied. Persecutors often target the leadership of the community of faith and Christian materials including the Scriptures. The idea that the sheep will scatter when the
shepherd is struck is a first century persecution strategy. This paper illustrates the direct relationship between the persecution of Christians and the growth of the Church. The Church describes persecution and martyrdom as the Fifth-Gospel. This Fifth Gospel is without a doubt a blessing in disguise.
Dorothy sustained stab wounds. Merlin was 33 when he was martyred. Dorothy died in 2010 at the age of 84. The schools the Groves pioneered in southern Somalia produced some of the finest Somali intellectuals and educators. Despite their brief ministry time in Somalia, the Groves left behind an everlasting legacy. Many Somali Muslims came to the Lord in Somalia through the ministry of the EMM. This success was realized during the heydays of their ministry from the 1950s to 1980s.
Adenite and Yemenite Jews. Some other Jews came from the Iberian Peninsula or even directly from modern-day Israel. The purpose of this paper is to document the often-ignored deep roots of Judaism in the Somali peninsula.
1. document the long history of Christianity in the Somali peninsula
2. encourage more research on Christianity among Somali people
3. enrich the literature reservoir of the Somali Church
Unbeknownst to many, Christianity reached at least the coastal areas of the land Somalis inhabit by the 7th century as attested to ancient graves and other traces. This fact alone should put to rest the famous Somali Muslim mantra that to be a Somali is to be a Muslim. Ali Abdirahman Hersi, a Somali scholar, wrote in 1977 that "it is difficult to conceive of any meaning in the term Somali itself without at the same time implying Islamic identity." Somalis are about 99% Muslim, and the tiny Christian minority in their midst faces intense persecution because of their Christian faith. Somali Muslims also fight over power, and resources and the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991 unleashed carnage and bloodbath. According to the Center for American Progress, up to "1.5 million people have died in Somalia's conflict or directly due to hunger since 1991."
The Somali Bible Society Journal is biannual open access Journal of the Somali Bible Society.
most significant Big Three are the Roman Catholics, the Sudan Interior Mission
(SIM), and the Mennonite Mission. The Swedish Overseas Lutheran Church (SOLC) is also one of the earliest pioneers in Somalia. The SOLC set up a mission base in Kismayo, southern Somalia, in 1896 and eventually expanded its mission work to Jilib, Mugaambo and Jamaame, all in southern Somalia.
While al Shabab is a force for evil all the time, when it comes to their treatment of the Somali Christians, the Somali clan system is often beneficial to the church. Somali Christians who hail from major clans often receive the traditional clan protection bestowed upon all members in their home turf whether they are saints or sinners.
Qasiiddooyinka buuggan ku jira waxaa intooda badan la daabacay 1993 waxaana lagu daabacay Nairobi, Kenya. Waxaa qasiiddooyinkaas daabacay English Press waxaana loo daabacay Codka Nolosha Cusub. Qasiiddooyinkan iyo kuwo kale oo qiima badanba waxaa laga heli karaa mareegta Nolosha Cusub, Nolosha Cusub. Qasiiddooyinkan waxaa alifay halkaraanno Soomaaliyeed oo caan ka ah kiniisadda Soomaaliyeed sida Aadan Jimaacle Faarax. Qofka keliya ee qasiiddoyahanka ah ee aan Soomaaliga ahayni waa H. Warren Modricker (1907 - 1998) oo ka mid ah aabbayaasha kiniisadda Soomaaliyeed. Ma sahlana in la turjumo suugaan sideedaba waayo waxaa lumaya in badan oo ka mid ah nuxurka iyo macaanka maansadaas. In luqad kale lagu turjumo maanso waxay u dhigantaa cusbo la dhaqay oo kale oo tiro iyo tayaba hoos u dhac ku yimaad. Si kastaba ha ahaatee waxaan sameeyay dadaal intii aan awooday. Sida ka muuqata buuggan, uma turjumin qasiiddooyinkan si toos ah (literal) balse waxaan u turjumay si macnaha dhowrta (dynamic).
ENGLISH:
Most of the hymns in this book were first published in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1993 by English Press. They were published for Codka Nolosha Cusub (Voice of the New Life). These and many other valuable hymns are available at the Nolosha Cusub website, Nolosha Cusub. The hymns were composed by talented Somali hymnists recognized in the Somali church. These hymnographers include Aadan Jimcaale Faarax. The only non-Somali hymnist in this book is H. Warren Modricker (1907 - 1998), who is one of the fathers of the Somali church. Translating poetry is not easy because it loses its rhyme and beauty. Translating poetry is akin to washing salt, compromising its quality and quantity. However, I have done my best. As you can see in the book, the translation is not literal but dynamic.
Qasiiddooyinka buuggan ku jira waxaa intooda badan la daabacay 1993 waxaana lagu daabacay Nairobi, Kenya. Waxaa qasiiddooyinkaas daabacay English Press waxaana loo daabacay Codka Nolosha Cusub. Qasiiddooyinkan iyo kuwo kale oo qiima badanba waxaa laga heli karaa mareegta Nolosha Cusub, Nolosha Cusub. Qasiiddooyinkan waxaa alifay halkaraanno Soomaaliyeed oo caan ka ah kiniisadda Soomaaliyeed sida Aadan Jimaacle Faarax. Qofka keliya ee qasiiddoyahanka ah ee aan Soomaaliga ahayni waa H. Warren Modricker (1907 - 1998) oo ka mid ah aabbayaasha kiniisadda Soomaaliyeed. Ma sahlana in la turjumo suugaan sideedaba waayo waxaa lumaya in badan oo ka mid ah nuxurka iyo macaanka maansadaas. In luqad kale lagu turjumo maanso waxay u dhigantaa cusbo la dhaqay oo kale oo tiro iyo tayaba hoos u dhac ku yimaad. Si kastaba ha ahaatee waxaan sameeyay dadaal intii aan awooday. Sida ka muuqata buuggan, uma turjumin qasiiddooyinkan si toos ah (literal) balse waxaan u turjumay si macnaha dhowrta (dynamic).
ENGLISH:
Most of the hymns in this book were first published in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1993 by English Press. They were published for Codka Nolosha Cusub (Voice of the New Life). These and many other valuable hymns are available at the Nolosha Cusub website, Nolosha Cusub. The hymns were composed by talented Somali hymnists recognized in the Somali church. These hymnographers include Aadan Jimcaale Faarax. The only non-Somali hymnist in this book is H. Warren Modricker (1907 - 1998), who is one of the fathers of the Somali church. Translating poetry is not easy because it loses its rhyme and beauty. Translating poetry is akin to washing salt, compromising its quality and quantity. However, I have done my best. As you can see in the book, the translation is not literal but dynamic.
This Somali translation of the New Testament is dedicated to the memory of Aadan Jim’aale Faarah and Warren and Dorothy Modricker. The Modrickers helped Aadan and his Somali team translate the Bible into Somali during the 1960s and 70s. Aadan’s translation of the Bible was the first ever complete Bible into the Somali language.
The New Testament in Somali
Published as Injiilka Sayid Ciise Masiix
(The Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ)
All the poems in this book were composed (except for one) from 1994-1995. The poetry was composed in Somali and promptly translated by the poet into English. The United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) invited Somali poets to help pacify their country with poetry on peace and reconciliation. I was one of five Somali poets selected by the Media Department of UNOSOM. Other selected poets included Mohamed Ali Kaariye and Mohamed Ga’al Haayow, who are prominent Somali literary giants. The many poems composed by these five poets and disseminated by UNOSOM throughout Somalia were a popular staple.
SOMALI:
Maansada buuggan dhex ceegaagta waxaa la curiyay dhammaantood (mid mooyee) 1994-1995. Dabcan af-Soomaali ayaa lagu curiyay suugaantan waxaana durba u turjumay af Ingiriis gabyaaga. Howlgalkii Qaramada Midoobay ee rejo soo celinta Soomaaliya (UNOSOM) ayaa ku martiqaaday suugaanlayda Soomaaliyeed in ay hab tixeed uga qayb qaataan nabadaynta dalka. Suugaanlay badan ayaa dalbaday in ay ololahaas ku nabadaynta suugaanta ka mid noqdaan balse waxaan ka mid ahaa tiro maansooleey Soomaaliyeed oo shan ahaa oo Waaxdii Saxaafadda ee UNOSOM ay dooratay.
Masiixiyiinta Soomaaliyeed waxaa ka buuxa kuwo uu Eebbe hibo weyn u siiyay curinta suugaanta. Maansoolaydaas qaar ka mid ah ayaa lagu garanayaa qasiiddooyin magac iyo miisaan leh oo ay horay u allifeen. Eebbe ayaan uga mahadnaqayaa ragga iyo dumarka curiyay maansooyinka buuggan dhex ceegaaga; waa hubaal in Kiniisadda Soomaaliyeed ay uga tageen dhaxal la taaban karo.
The Noble Gospel: A Poetic Somali Translation of the Gospel According to Matthew, is a poetic rendition of the Gospel According to Matthew. This is the first translation of its kind ever in the Somali language.
"The British explorer, Richard Francis Burton, described the Somalis as a “nation of poets.” We praise the Lord for the fact that Somali Christians have united to use their poetic gifts for the Glory of God. The poems in this book are relevant in facilitating the Great Commission and in nurturing the souls of the disciples of Christ."
The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 220 respondents who included Christian clergy, Christian lay leaders, Christian elders, Christian lay members, and Muslims was selected using nonprobability sampling methods, namely purposive and convenience sampling methods. Data was collected using open-ended questionnaires. Content and construct validity were ascertained by incorporating the experts’ opinions, consisting of university supervisors and examiners. The researcher, after pretesting the questionnaire in the pilot survey in a city code-named L0, conducted reliability testing using interrater reliability testing since the questionnaire had many open-ended questions. After carrying out the study in three cities code-named L1, L2 and L3, the results so obtained being predominantly qualitative were analysed using Microsoft Excel and Maxqda 2020. The quantitative results were analysed using SPSS 26. Based on the findings of the study, the null hypothesis of this research which states that persecution of Christians is not related to the numerical growth of the targeted Church in Somalia was rejected. On the contrary, the results of the study proved that persecution contributes to the numerical growth of the Church in Somalia.
The findings of the study indicated that the church in Somali is a Creative Access Christian (CAC) model with no expatriate and non-Somali membership. The study further indicated that the period between 1994 and 1996 was the period when the church experienced the greatest persecution (65%); and there was evidence that this persecution led to a period of sustained growth, as reported by 6.7% of believers who reported coming to faith between 1900 and 2000; 26.3% between 2000 and 2010, and 67.5% of respondents who were believers for less than ten years. The data collected suggest that an understanding of extreme persecution, martyrdom, and the way in which those events gave birth to their community of faith is a foundational part of the identity and the collective memory of the Somali CAC believing community. The research recommendations are that the Somali Church must live a Christ-like life, facilitate an effective interfaith dialogue, harness the provisions of the clan system, and have a good relationship with the government. The study recommends the use of interfaith dialogue (IFD) to create an IFD movement of all people in Somalia. This IFD incorporates active nonviolence with inclusivity which reduces exclusivity of the Muslim majority allowing religious pluralism in the context of IFD. This study will therefore contribute to the understanding of the relationship between persecution and church growth in the Somali context.