The Darod (Somali language: Darood, or Daarood) is a Somali clan. The Arabic name of the Darod clan is Banu Dawud (بني داوود). In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," compounding the two words daar (compound) and ood (place enclosed by wall, trees, woods, fence, etc). The Darod population lives throughout northeastern, the Jubba River valley, and southwestern Somalia, northern Kenya, and Ethiopia's Somali Region (particularly the Ogaden area).



History
Some Darod clan members claim to be descendants of Muhammad ibn Aqil, the son of Aqeel ibn Abi Talib. Aqeel ibn Abu Talib was second of four sons of Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who was the uncle and protector of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad who was head of the Banu Hashim. They have a strong tribal relationship with the other Hashemites. According to tradition, Muhammad ibn Aqil's descendant Abdirahman Isma'il Jabarti, a sheikh of the Qadiriyyah Order, arrived in northeastern Somalia in either the 10th or 11th centuries AD, where he took the daughter of a local Somali chief as his wife.[1] The Darod were supporters of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi during his 16th century conquest of Ethiopia, especially the Harti and Marehan sub-clans, who fought at the Battle of Shimbra Kure.[2]


Demographics
Some sources, including the Canadian Report of the Somalia Commission of Inquiry, indicate that the Darod is the largest Somali clan.[3][4] The CIA and Human Rights Watch, however, indicate that Hawiye is the largest Somali clan.[5][6] The CIA indicates that the Darod make up 40% of the Somalis in Ethiopia and Kenya.