Ababda tribe

The Ababda (Arabic: العبابدة, romanized: al-ʿabābdah or Arabic: عبّادي, romanized: ʿabbādī) are an arabized Beja tribe in eastern Egypt and Sudan. Historically, most were nomads living in the area between the Nile and the Red Sea, from Qena to Berber on the Nile and from Halayeb to Hurghada on the Red Sea. The Ababda are considered to be a Beja subtribe. Most Ababda now speak Arabic and claim descent from Kawahla while also considering themselves Beja. The Ababda have a total population of over 250,000 people.

Tribal Origin

Ababda tribal origin narratives identify them as the descendants of an alleged common ancestor by the name of Abad. Abad is said to be a descendant of Kahil, the common ancestor of the Kawahla and the Ababda claim that Kahil was a descendant of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Claims of descent from Selman of the Banu Hilal have also been heard through Ababda in Shendi during the 19th century. other Beja like the Bishareen and the Amarar claim Kahili descent through their tribal ancestors, Bishar and Amar respectively, though the Amarar claim that Kahil was a descendant of Walid ibn al-Mughira, not Zubayr ibn al-Awwam.

The Ababda may have formed through an Arab-Beja alliance, similar to the alliance between the Rabia and the Hedareb in the late ninth century

Despite the Arab genealogy there is nothing pointing to an Arab origin of the Ababda, The Ababda are virtually indistinguishable from the Bishareen and the rest of the Beja except through language.