Yoruba Ethic effect in Islam

*Chaff in the Grain: Fetish-Islam and the Yoruba Nation.*

Spotting the light of the world, Yoruba society is full of people with religious enthusiasm and tolerance. This was the society I grew up where being a Muslim or not doesn't matter to anyone. No wonder south-western Nigeria is free from religious clashes.

As a child, my curiosity was how Islam and the Traditionalist I watched in the Nollywood comes very close in practice. I could neither make a clear distinction nor to comprehend the relationship. All I knew was the two had a common feature of Magic or let me say fetishism.

All attempts to conceptualize my curiosity about Islam at an early age only landed me in more confusion. My social studies teacher mentioned only 3 religions, Islam, Christian, and Traditional. But Islam and the traditional religion look too much alike to my young brain.

Over time, I understood my guess was right, Islam in Yoruba society is completely synonymous with the polytheistic religion of the Yoruba ancestry. Whoever lives in a Yoruba society will perfectly understand the image I am painting.

Islam religious leaders (Alfa), at this point, are known and rated with respect to their mystical strength. I watched them hunt down lizards and toads, bunt them in pots with leaves to make different charms. They are familiar with spells than the pages of the Quran.

Our parents visit them in times of distress, they make different amulets, charms, and concoctions. Had our parents knew the Alfa's are lost, they wouldn't have followed them. This was the Islam must of us grew up with before the Light eventually shine on us.

Before Islam and Christianity came through, Yorubas by heritage are idols worshiper. Those who embrace Islam only stopped bowing before idols, but never stop the use of charm. Among them are those who became Alfa, they still make use of their old fetish ways. They perform magic and instead of giving the credit to the Idols, they rather give it to Allah.

The presence of the Sufi(mystical Islamist), fetishism became grounded, mix up with the entire Islam, like chaff in the grain, the separation became difficult. In Somalia, and most African countries, Sufism was a common practice, hence the complexity of the menace of fetishism. Possibly the traders that brought Islam to Nigeria were Sufist.

It was easy for Alfas to exhibit sorcery, because the Quran was written in Arabic, and the meaning is whatever they say it is. Very few had the knowledge.

Fast forward to the 1990s, Muslims from here had traveled to Saudi Arabi, Egypt, Iran to learn Arabic and Islamic Studies, their return brought the light of Salafism and Wahabism. They (henceforth I'll refer to the Arab returnee as scholars) started the crusade of Tawheed (monotheism) and how fetishism can excommunicate a person from Islam. The Scholars were faced with two major problems.

*The People:* The Yorubas find the true Islam strange, "how do you say we should only pray to God, and leave out charm", " how do you say we should remove the charm at the entrance, and only say Ayatul-Quraiy to protect our household?" It was new, the Islam they knew tolerated the marriage of charms and the Quran.

*The Alfas:* They see the scholars as competitors or business spoiler, most of them knew what they brought is the truth, but it will cut off their source of likelihood if they consent. The scholars kept saying when you have problems, call Allah by your self, you need not see any Alfa.

The battle over supremacy was another tough one, the inferiority complex of the Alfas made them reject the scholar view, you don’t just rubbish our legacy because you studied abroad.

Also, before the presence of the scholar, the Alfas had used their initiative to formulate rulings in Islam (maybe because of the limited knowledge), the scholars were threats to their Validity as they had come with Quran and hadith that answers all questions.

Conclusively, My aim is to cut out the sinew between Islam and Fetishism. Islam in it's original and true form has nothing to do with magic and charms. The following Quranic verses and hadith will emphasize this fact.

1. "Verily, Allah forgives not the sin of setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that. And whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far from the path." (4:116)

_Those who worship Osun Osogbo believe it can protect them from evil and bring good to them, same as using charm. Believing what you hang at your doorstep for protection is setting up partners from Allah. Protection Only comes from Allah. The believe that charm you put in your shop beings consumer is setting up partners with Allah, Blessing only Come from Allah_

2. "If you join others in worship with Allah, then surely all your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers." (39:65)

_The verse was directed to prophet Muhammad, he is the greatest of all mankind, the best Muslim. Yet Allah told him iworshiphipss anything besides Allah, all his good deed will be vain, and be among losers._ _This verse simply emphasis that, if you die using charm, doing jazz, calling jinns, irrespective how much your good deed, you'll be among the losers._

3. [Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, spells, amulets, and charms are acts of idolatry.” Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3883. Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

Everything I have been saying is only trying to tell you even if those making charm for you are your Alfas, it doesn't justify a thing.

I can spend an entire day over the phone or in-person if you seek further certification. It worth the time, because fetishism will lead to no other place but hell.

Fetishism is not part of our religion, it will lead you to nowhere except hell. The first verse I quoted established that; Allah might forgive your other sins even if you die without seeking forgiveness. But shirk (polytheism and fetishism) will never be forgiven.

4. “It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to pray for the forgiveness of unbelievers even though they may be near of kin after it has become clear that they are people of hell-fire.” [Qur’an, 9: 113].

This verse is to notify you, if you die, disbelieving in the monotheism of Islam, and we're sure you have died fetish (using charm and all). It becomes impermissible to pray for you after your death.

Whenever you're in discomfort, and the pressure is so much that peers, re,latives or parents are coming with the ideas of how to see some Alfas or Babalawo🤨. Or bringing some stuff for you to use. Remember the promise you made to your Lord every time you recite Surat-Al-Fatihah 1:5

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

*"It is You we worship and (only) You we ask for help."*

Allah knows best.