MUSLIM WOMEN IN NIGERIA. THE POSITION OF FOMWAN AND LESSONS FROM ISLAMIC MALAYSIA

ABSTRACT

Islam preceded Christianity in the entity now called Nigeria by 300 years (Fafunwa, 1982, p. 70). Islam was brought by the Berbers of North Africa to the West African country around the early centuries of its advent in Arabia and was already flourishing well by the eleventh century. By the time the Mali Empire began to decline, it was to Nigeria especially the Northern part, such as Kano, Katsina and Zaria that many of its scholars went to settled. The Yoruba in Southern Nigeria still refer to Islam as “esin Imale” meaning the religion of Mali (Abdul, 1982, p. 121). Islam was brought by the Berbers of North Africa to the West African country around the early centuries of its advent in Arabia and was already flourishing well by the eleventh century. The late M.O.A. Abdul, the first Nigerian Professor of Islamic studies, explained that at the time the Mali Empire began to decline, it was to Nigeria especially the Northern part, such as Kano, Katsina, Zaria and Yoruba Land that many of its scholars went to settle. Hence the Yoruba in Southwestern Nigeria still refer to Islam as “esin Imale” meaning the religion of Mali (Ibid). It was however not until 1550 that Islam had a strong footing in Yoruba land. According to S. Johnson, it was around that time that a Muslim cleric, Baba-kewu reprimanded the Alaafin of Oyo for killing some of his subjects because of the death of his son. The King was then compelled to apologize before the people (Johson, 1976, p. 164). The action of the cleric must have been the result of a strong Muslim presence and influence, hence, J. O. Awolalu established that by 1840, Islam was fully entrenched in Yoruba land and some Muslim communities were already flourishing (Awolalu. 1979, p. 184). A key factor that brought about this influence was the conversions of many of the kings in Western Sudan to Islam.