Shahari, Jibbali

The Shahari or Jibbali are the mountain people of Dhofar in southern Oman. Their language, Jibbali or Shehri (al-Shahriyya in Arabic; 'Jibbali' means 'of the mountain'), is one of the Modern South Arabian languages, a branch of Semitic that was spoken in southern Arabia before Arabic and that Arabic speakers cannot understand. Speakers call themselves Śḥɛrí or Əḥklí. The Shahra (Al-Shahri) are held to be Dhofar's original inhabitants, and the Qara (Al-Hakli), who gave their name to the Qara mountains above Salalah, dominated the range before Omani rule. The Barahama, the Al-Mashaikh and some Batahira also speak Jibbali. The language has western, central and eastern dialects and a fourth variety on Al-Hallaniyah in the Khuriya Muriya islands. It has no written tradition; speaker estimates run from 30,000 to about 120,000, depending on who is counted. The mountain tribes were the backbone of the Dhofar rebellion of 1965-1975 and later of the firqat militias that fought for the sultan.

The Jibbali are traditionally semi-nomadic herders of cattle, camels and goats, unusual in Arabia for their cattle. During the khareef monsoon (June-September) the Dhofar escarpment turns green, and herds move between the misty meadows and the dry plateau behind. Homes were round stone huts with thatched roofs, and clothes were dyed with indigo; both are now rare. Older customs included refusing to eat chicken or eggs and rules that women should not touch a cow's udder. Poetry and chanted song are the main oral art and the main way the language is passed on: in 2025 Salalah poets still performed Jibbali verse for that purpose, and a Jibbali dictionary of some 125,000 words is being prepared. Foods include maqdeed (dried meat), mishkak skewers, fish with rice, and milk and ghee from the herds. Most families now live in Salalah, Taqah or Mirbat, while older men stay with the herds in the mountains.

The Jibbali are Sunni Muslims of the Shafi'i school, like the rest of Dhofar, not Ibadis like northern Oman and the ruling family. Mosque prayer, Ramadan and the Eids are universal. Older observers recorded pre-Islamic customs, including food taboos and reports of prayer facing the sun, and Joshua Project notes that they 'retain a few traditional, animistic beliefs'. These survive as folk practice among the older generation, such as herbal remedies for people and animals and protection against the evil eye. Young people raised in town are more orthodox and more Arabic-speaking than their grandparents.

No Scripture has been published in Jibbali; Joshua Project reports that a translation has started. There is no JESUS Film, no Global Recordings audio and no Scripture Earth listing. The language has no standard script. All Jibbali read Arabic, so Arabic Bibles and media can reach the literate, but not in their heart language. No believers are known.