Born in Mogadishu, Somalia,[2] Abdirahman graduated from Tucson High School in 1995 and attended Pima Community College before transferring to the University of Arizona for his junior and senior years.

He was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame located in Tucson in 2019.

[3] At Arizona, Abdirahman was named the 1998 Pacific-10 Conference Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year.

[3] Abdirahman competed in five straight IAAF World Cross Country Championships between 2000 and 2004, with a best finishing place of 11th in 2002.

He also was the men's division champion of the Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, VA. His personal best time in the 10,000 meters is 27:16.99 minutes, achieved in June 2008 at Hayward Field during the Prefontaine Classic.