[2] During the reign of Emir Ahmad Ibn Abu Bakr the European explorer Richard Burton would visit Harar in 1855 and described Khalil as the leading religious figure in the city.
The other Harari scholar being Kabir Yonis and Shaykh Jami of Somali descent were also highly regarded.
One of which being to try and reduce the tribal conflict along the trade route between Harar and Berbera which was damaging livelihoods and causing unnecessary death.
[4] This led Sheikh Madar and his companions to found the Big Commune (Jama’a weyne) of Little Harar (Hargeisa) in circa 1860.
Sheikh Madar also started sorghum plantations in the vicinity of the town to maintain self-sufficiency as well as taking care of the sick and elderly inhabitants of the growing settlement.