ABSTRACT
This study was designed to assess the impact of Islam on the
cultural practices of Nupe people. The study was therefore, focused on some
cultural practices in Nupe-Land in relation to the cultural behaviours of Nupe
people. It was observed that the Islamic literature of Nupe people have not
coverall the field of their cultural practices especially, the aspect of belief
and its relation to some cultural norms like Gboya (masquerade) and Ndaduma
(father Niger). It was also observed that there are some prints of cultural
practices observed along with Islamic teachings, e.g. belief in veneration of Jinn
(Jennu-Nupe:demon), spirits and practice of divination. Another problem
observed was the cultural practice of Nupe Muslim women marrying non-Muslims.
As a result, the study was intended to determine the impact of Islam on the
cultural practices of Nupe people. It was further aimed at positioning the
stand of Islam on some Nupe cultural practices against their lawfulness and
unlawfulness, and draw up recommendations that will ensure effectiveness in
carrying out their obligations or duties as Muslims. Survey design method was
adapted and applied for this study. Also, a proportional stratified sampling
method was used to secure a uniform sampling fraction (S.F) from stratum. As a
result, some Nupe urban and rural settlements were sampled from three states of
Nigerian Federation: Niger, Kwara and Kogi. A questionnaire was designed and
administered to 1,066 respondents randomly selected from the urban and rural
communities of the above named states. Five (5) null hypothesis and five (5)
research questions were formulated and analyzed. Forty two (42) items were
generated in the questionnaire using summative rating scale of 1 – 3 response
scale. The pie chart was used to determine the level of significance and the
relationship between variables at 100 %. The result revealed that Islam has
made a significant impact on the cultural practices of Nupe people in many
facets of their life and instilled in them the zeal to improve their general
religious affairs. The result further indicated that there is significance
difference between Islam and the cultural practices of Nupe people. However,
the research findings showed that there is lack of sufficient Knowledge of Tauhid(Unity
of God). Also, there is lack of sufficient Knowledge of Islamic teachings about
commercial laws and regulations. The findings further includes the reluctance
on the part of some Nupe Muslims to seek or search for authentic information
about Islamic teachings on certain issues such as Istikharah(means of
seeking solution from God regarding what one intends to do).
1.0 CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to
the Study
In the name of Allah, the Most
Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Creator, the
Sustainer and the Cherisher. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his house hold, his companions and those who follow
their steps till the day of reckoning.
Primarily, Nupe people are
predominantly Muslims with a few Christians. Although before the introduction
of Islam to Nupe people, they were followers of Traditional religion. That is,
before their contact with Islam, their prime religion was idol worshipping (Kutiji).
The practice remained dominant up till the time (15thc.) the Muslim merchants
from Mande in the North-west of Nigeria and from Hausa as well as Borno came to
Nupe land (Kin Nupe) through trade route.
According to Nadel (1942) Nupe
people have tremendous symbol in the history of black race. They live in the
heart of Nigeria in the low basin formed by the two River Niger and Kaduna. The
Nupe occupies a very significant position in Nigeria. It is one of the national
ethnic groups in Niger, Kwara and Kogi States of the Federation of Nigeria.
They could be found in Diaspora. This explains that Nupe people lived and
existed as a kingdom.They flourished in Central Nigeria, and their authority
and jurisdiction extended as far as Yagba, Bunu and Kakanda in the North.
Equally, they have their cultural practices traditionally observed. Such
cultural practices cut across their religious belief, socio-economic activities and administrative policies before
the penetration of Islam to the area. Nupe people have various names by which
they are referred to by various tribes in Nigeria. For example, they are called
Nufawa or Banufe by Hausa people, Abawa by the Gwari of Kuta and Anupeyi or
Nife by Gwari of Paiko. Other names by which they are called include,
Anufawalei by the Birnin Gwari people, Takpa (Tapa) by the Yoruba people,
Anupeciwayi by Ebe and Lapawa by Duma respectively. More interestingly, the
Nupe people address themselves as Nupechizhi (Singular, Nupe or Nupechi)
meaning Nupe people and „Za-Nupe (Nupe man, or even the Language they speak).
However, writers on Nupe people
like Nadel (1942) and Daryll (1970) have established that the Nupe people had
twelve (12) political settlements from the beginning: Bida, Doko, Essan, Ewu,
Tafyan, Yessa, Eda, Gaba, Nku, Nupeko, Kpanjuru and Towagi. These communities
were politically independent of one another. However, they were strongly linked
together economically with Idah in Igala land under the ruler ship of Attah of
Igala, to whom annual tributes from Nupe chiefs were paid. Notwithstanding, the
Nupe people generally are divided into various groups. In the submission of
Nadel (1970) they were divided by ethnic descent, tribal segmentation and
political alliance as well as by the cleaver age between urban and peasant
population. Again, they were divided by the barriers of social class. It is
interesting to note that despite the division, they were held together in the
kingdom (Nupe kingdom). This also made it possible for them to accommodate
themselves or even stick together in their daily affairs inspite of their religious affliation,
perception or understanding. It can further be added, that they are organized
into a number of closely related territorial groups of which Bini, Zam, Batachi
and Kede are the most important.
The historical evidences indicate
that the geography of the Nupe land made it imperative for the inhabitants of
the area to become mixed. It favoured the intermingling and exchange of ideas
of the communities in the area. These communities continue to share together
cultural and religious characteristics rooted in their similar geographical
environment. (Idris, 2005). This is clearly seen in the evolution of common
religious practices with which the Nupe cultures were and are still virtually
indistinguishable. Idris (2005) further admitted that the pre-Islamic and
pre-christian religious practices did not distinguish the Nupe people from
other neighbouring tribes e.g. Yorubas, and there was possibly no single
element of Nupe culture, which was shared by all Nupe groups and not also
shared by these neighbour groups. If one observes very keenly the practices of
some Nupe Muslims today, it shows that there are some prints or elements of the
cultural belief practiced along with Islam, e.g. the practice of Gboya (masquerade)
associated with gugu‟, Eba diviner (sorcery), Laba (labation) and Shasha (money
interest). It futher included the inter-religeous marriage among Nupe
people.That is, a Christian man marrying a Muslim woman just as a Muslim man
marrying a Christian woman. These type of practices the researcher supposes,
were element of cultural prints.
In pre-Islamic era the Nupe
traditional culture evolved centuries cutting across religious, social,
economic and political systems. Although Nupe had inter-social mingling with
other tribes/communities like Hausa, Yoruba and Gwari, yet they are still
firmly attached to their cultural beliefs and norms with very few adoptions.
The Nupe cultural practices however contained some aspects which were acceptable
to Islamic principles, and some which were unacceptable by Islam. It is said
that culture flows through the vein of society the way the blood flows through
arteries of the human body (Diamond and Muhammad, n.d.). This perhaps might be
the reason why some elements of cultural belief still influence the practices
of some Nupe Muslims as earlier mentioned.
By the late sixteenth (16th)
century as submitted by Idris (2005), Islam had been fairly established in the
whole of Nupe land and, Nupe Muslims have partly or wholly adapted themselves
to its teachings. Idris further hinted that by the seventeenth (17th) century,
the Nupe people had began to use titles associated with spread of Islam from
Hausa people, such as Ladan (the caller to Salat), Liman (one who leads in Salat),
Nayibi Liman (the deputy Imam), Nda Kitab (the Chief scribe or
Secretary-General), Sadeki (dowry), Aduwa (prayer or supplication), Balayi or
Musibah (calamity) etc. Around this period also, names of some Etsu Nupes
bearing Islamic names were identified. Examples of such Etsus include: Etsu
Mamman Waziri, Etsu Abdullahi, Etsu Aliyu, Etsu Ibrahim, Etsu Idrisa and Etsu
Malam Jibrilu, etc. On this note, Isa (1976) submitted that the first Etsu to
embrace Islam was Etsu Tafian; Mamman Gana, the Fourth Successor of Jegu from Kings of Bini Nupe. In
addition, Nadel (1942) submitted that Bida Nupe (the people of Bida) have
replaced many Nupe words by words adapted from Hausa and Arabic.e.gMagaji (the
Custodian), Mayaki (the war commander), andJagaba (leading commander) etc. The
historical account further indicated that in the early eighteenth (18th)
century, Islam saw acceleration in the spread through the policies of rulers
like Etsu Jibril (C. 1718-1746)
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