Ahmad Taqi was born to Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Bilal[1] of Balballeti-Chirrati, a renowned Islamic scholar, traditionalist, historian, poet and community leader well known in the Harerghe Highlands.
The three studied, under different masters, the major streams of Islamic Education, which included Nahw (Classical Arabic), Tafseer (Qur'anic exegesis), Hadith, Sira (the traditions and life history of the Prophet), and other fields.
[2] When he reached the age of 20, Ahmad Taqi moved to Gelemso town with his aforementioned brother, Muttaqi Sheikh Muhammad Rashid.
Tadesse and Ahmad Taqi began to teach the people that they have rights equal to those of the landlords of the area, and that being Oromo is not a curse, but a virtue to love.
On his frequent travels to Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa (Finfine), he was met by famous Oromo nationalists like Baro Tumsa, Jarra Abba Gada, and Ali Birra.
Ahmed Taqi had previously helped Taddese Birru escape house arrest, bringing him to Addis Ababa by night.
At his stay in Addis Ababa, he met the activist Hassan Ibrahim (also known as Elemo Kiltu which was his nom de guerre), who had returned from Syria to launch an armed struggle against the government.
They fought against the guards of Mulatu Tegegn, a notorious landlord who was harassing his Oromo tenants for higher rental shares of produce.
As the Ethiopian armed forces were seizing power from Haile Selassie in a military junta (Derg), they sent an army led by General Getachew Shibeshi eastward.
The administrator of Harerghe, Colonel Zelleke Beyyene, then publicly vowed to destroy Gelemso if he could not kill Ahmad Taqi.
Ahmad Taqi was killed at noon, and Elemo assumed command, continuing to fight the government forces with his few men until sunset.
Theodros Mulatu, a well known Amharic novelist, used the movements led by Ahmad Taqi and Elemo for his book Akel-Dama, (the Bloody Land).
The Canadian-based Oromo singer Elemo Ali praised the martyrs of The Battle of Tiro in his album titled "Oromiyaa" which was released in 1992.