The Ba 'Alawi sadah (Arabic: السادة آل باعلوي) are a Hadhrami family and social group originating in Hadhramawt in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. They trace their lineage to al-Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa ar-Rumi, a descendent of al-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq born in 260H, who emigrated from Basra to Hadhramaut[1] in 320H to avoid sectarian violence. This includes the invasion of the Qaramite forces into the Abbasid Caliphate.
The Ba'Alawi tariqa is a sufi order named after and closely tied to the Ba'Alawi family.
Imam al-Muhajir was also concerned about the growing tide of influence of Shi'ism among the al-Husaini Sayyids in Basra. His hijra took this into account.
Imam al-Muhajir's grandson Alawi was the first Sayyid to be born in Hadhramaut, and the only one of Imam al-Muhajir's descendants to produce a continued line; the lineages of Imam al-Muhajir's other grandsons, Basri and Jadid, were cut off after several generations. Accordingly, Imam Al-Muhajir's descendants in Hadhramaut hold the name Ba'Alawi ("descendants of Alawi").
The Ba'Alawi Sadah have since been living in Hadhramaut in Southern Yemen, maintaining the Sunni Creed in the fiqh school of Shafii.
It was only around 1600AD they began to migrate [1] in large numbers out of Hadhramaut across all over the globe, often to practice da'wah (Islamic missionary work).. Among their areas of destination include northern states of Western India of like Ahmadabad and Surat, also the Malabar coasts. Their travels had also brought them to the South East Asias. The House of Jamalullail of Perlis is descended from the Ba'Alawi. Habib Salih of Lamu, Kenya was also descended from the Ba 'Alawi.
![[1]](http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/6217/peta20hijrah20bani20alari0.png){kind=link}