He played a very prominent role in the campaigns of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi by bringing one of the largest armies to aid the Imam in Jihad.
Ahmed Girri Bin Hussein was the chieftain of Yabarray, thus leading the entirety of the Habr Maqdi.
To the Somalis must be added the Harla who, under the name of Harla now consider themselves a fraction of Issa but are distinguished from the Somalis.”[1][9]The famous Futuh Al-Habasha manuscript was written during the 16th century by Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʻAbd al-Qādir ʻArabfaqīh, who was present during the rise and fall of the Adal Sultanate as well as the actual jihad.
Before the Conquest of Abyssinia, the Imam began sending messengers to every tribe in the vicinity of Harar and its surrounding areas.
After the Yabaray accepted the imams call to jihad, Ahmed Girri recruited members from his tribe and united them.
The first tribe to arrive in Harar was the Habar Maqdi with their leader Ahmed Girri, who brought one of the largest armies numbering 2000 soldiers, consisting of a confederacy of Yabarray and Bartire.
Arab Faqih details: “The first of the tribes to arrive to the imam was Habr Maqdi with their leader and chieftain Ahmad Girri bin Husain, the Somali.
He gave them gifts of apparel, and provisions, and treated them graciously, garbing their chieftain Ahmad Girri in particularly exquisite clothing.”[17]He also notes how the imam was extremely elated at the fact that the Habar Maqdi clan accepted the call to Jihad.