An Historical Account of Islam Among the Silte of Dalocha Wereda

The preparation of this paper has its roots based on An Historical Account of Islam Among the Silte of Daloccha Wereda and the study would be to describe and analyze the history of Islam and discuss relevant features in the socio-cultural and political traditions that helped in the process of conversion Islam among Dalocha wereda. The study was conducted from qualitative research perspective; the data were presented in narrative forms based on the participants’ understanding and interpretation in addition to my own reflective analysis based on the voices of the participants and documentary evidences. The interview participants were including Sheikhs, Ustaz, and community elders (religious teachers). The participants were purposely selected using snowball sampling technique based on their knowledge, concern, roles, responsibility, willingness, and cooperativeness on a particular issue.The conclusions of my study bring out that Historical account of Islam in the Siltie of Dalocha area that is assumed to reach its climax during the expansion and hegemony of the Muslim Sultanates in the sixteenth century particularly during the reign of Imam Ahmed, the Sultanate of Adal. Whatever the date, Islam expanded well especially with the main contribution of Islamic scholars (Sheikhs) in the region and shaped the culture and history of Dalocha wereda. These Sheikhs had attended their education in different parts of Ethiopia mainly from Ifat (Dana) in North Eastern Shawa, Harla and Wällo (Seba) the present day of Dese.In the19th century the second period of Islam expanded well especially with the main contribution of Islamic scholars (Sheikhs) in the region shaped the culture and history of Siltie of Dalocha. The the movements of people from south-eastern Ethiopia contributed for the inter-mixing of various peoples and the genesis of the Dalocha and the expansion of Islam in its current form. The third period Historical account of Islam in Dalocha is after EPRDF took over the power in 1991 the establishment of Siltie Zone followed Islamic reform movements like Tablig, Selafiy and Intellectualist movement a great role the expansion of Islam the present Dalocha wereda. They used to play a leading role for the spreading of Islam by constructing madrasas for advanced Islamic teachings, and, in building new mosques here and there in Dalocha.