Sayyid Abdallah is the author of the famous homiletic poem, Al Inkishafi. Hardly anything is known of his life; though he is remembered as a theologian and poet.  He lived sometime between the years 1720 – 1820 in the Lamu Archipelago.  He is also the author of the Takhmis ya Liongo (Harries 1962:188).  His kinsman, Sayyid al-Mansab, b. 1828-29 in Lamu (d. 1922), is the author of several extant poems.  Hichens (1939:9-16) discusses in detail other relatives of his who composed poetry.  Harries, based on Hichens’ analysis of the poem, gives a synopsis of what is known (1962:86-88).

Poems

Al Inkishafi

Naapa kwa Mungu