THE CONTRIBUTION OF SIERRA LEONIAN (3)

THE CONTRIBUTION OF SIERRA LEONIAN

BRAZILIAN MUSLIM REPATRIATES TO NIGERIAN

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT (3)

By

Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi

Dept. of History

University of Lagos

MUSLIM SELF HELP EDUCATION EFFORTS:

The Government Muslim Schools lasted till 1926; and they were fore-runners of the independent self-help efforts by the Muslims to provide modern western education for themselves. In this regard, the role of the Ansar Ud Deen Society is the earliest and perhaps the most widespread and intensive in Nigeria. As the role of the Sierra Leonian Muslim returnees was very prominent in the Ansar Ud Deen, a little time would be taken here to focus attention on this issue.

From about the close of the nineteenth century, new challenges and demands were becoming evident in the society. First, the religion has spread so fast that numerical growth has far out stripped knowledge of the faith, the duty of religious instruction could no longer be safely left in the hands of the capable but few traditional ulema whose methods were not always above reproach. Secondly, the Christian missionaries, who had come into the scene, were actively propagating their religion, and, with all their resources, were challenging the hitherto almost undisputed supremacy of Islam. Above all, the tardy and suspicious attitude of Muslims towards western education was fast reducing the position of Islam to an untenable paradox of being numerically strong but weak, literate (in Arabic) yet ignorant in modern techniques, backward and conservative.

To meet these new challenges of the times, the Muslim community had to adopt fresh approaches and styles. At first, there were a number of organizations which were directed to specific but rather limited ends - literary and debating societies, library clubs reading groups and so on. But the scope and immensity of the problem demanded a more comprehensive and well-sustained approach. Thus a group of dynamic young men who, for the past few years had been conducting open air lectures on Islamic history and legacy, decided to inaugurate a new society to deal with the large and urgent problems facing the Muslim Community. So, on 21 December 1923, the Young Ansar-ud-Deen, as it was then called, was brought into existence.

A constitution had to be adopted to guide the newly-formed society. After series of revisions in 1924, 1925 and 1926, one was ultimately approved, and on 16 August, 1927 the Young Ansar-ud-Deen was formally incorporated under Land (Public Succession) Ordinance of 1924, having Messrs A.B. Lawal (President, Boonyamin Kasumu Gbajabiamila (Secretary) and A. S. Oriola as Trustees). The Society was declared as a non-sectarian and non-political Muslim organization whose "primary aim is the creation of a well-organized and efficient body for the service of Islam". Membership of the Society was open to all Muslims (men and women) who, after proper sponsorship by two members, are prepared to sign the Society's Declaration of Pledge. By this they undertook, to the end of their life, to lead "a sincere and steadfast Muslim life" and "to support the cause, aims and objects of the Society" under all circumstances. Under the constitution, the various objectives of the Society were neatly summarized under three major heading - Education; Reformation; and Propagation and Defense of Islam.

We can now ask three important but related questions on this issue. First, how far has the Society achieved its objectives in spite of the difficulties and problems that threatened the fulfillment of its goals? Secondly, what were the reasons behind their measure of achievement? And finally, what lessons, if any, can we draw from their experience?

In the prosecution of its laudable objectives;- the Society has, as it could be well imagined, experienced a lot of difficulties not least from within the Muslim community itself. Some Muslims came out first to charge the group for being sectarian, that is forming a part of the Jamatual Muslimin (Central Mosque) of Lagos. Later, when it was perceived that the society was developing an independent and impartial character, other people began to say that it was another partisan or ideological Muslim group. Understandably enough, that era in Lagos history was one of the conflict and dispute among the large Muslim population, and, with their involvement in the highly political issue of Eshughayi Eleko affairs, there would appear to be no end to their arguments and divisions on theological as well as political grounds. And it is no small credit to the Society that its founding fathers steered safely out of the dangerous currents and head rocks of Lagos Muslim antagonisms. For the Society weathered this and other forms of opposition, and showed itself as a truly all-Muslim party devoted to the pursuit of Muslim education, unity and welfare.

One concrete demonstration of this was shown clearly enough on the occasion of the turning of the first sod of the Alakoro School on Sunday, 16 September, 1929. All the various sections of Muslims population were duly invited, and the Acting Administrator of Lagos Colony, Mr. G. H. Findlay, declared himself thoroughly impressed as much by the educational program of the Society as by their efforts at unity and co-operation. "I am glad," he said, "to be here today and to associate myself with what the members of the Society have done. I am glad to see things like this going on in Lagos. That young men from different societies associate themselves to form this Society.,.. I am glad to see the four principal Imams sitting here today. This is a good sign... I rejoice with the society for their ability to get the four Imams together and the systematic way in which various ceremonies have been performed." This is only an illustration of the efforts which have been made by the society in its past 65 years to bring all shades of Muslim groups together. Indeed it is clearly one of the main achievements of the Society that it has remained a non-Sectarian and all-Muslim group.

An important pre-occupation of the Society has been the prevailing ignorance and misconception of Islam especially among the general run of believers. And ever since its inception, it has devoted not a little of its time and energy towards the elevation of the standard of Islamic knowledge among all Muslims. Toward this end, a number of well-planned strategies were adopted and pursued with energy and perseverance. The popular open air lectures were improved by engaging the services of knowledgeable and eloquent preachers, among whom, to mention only a few, Messrs A. K. Ekemode, M. A. Okunu and Imam M.A. Gbajabiamila were probably the most famous. Similarly, the important religious occasions such as Lailat al Qadar (The Special Night on which the first verses of the Quran were revealed), and the Maolud al Nabiyi (the Prophet's birthday) became occasions for the proper dissemination of religious knowledge. But perhaps most distinctive for the Ansar-Ud-Deen was the program of adult evening classes which were started and have continued till today. Under this program, the teachers following a carefully-drawn scheme of instruction, grounded their mature "pupils" in tafsir, theology, history and the familiar subjects of Muslim study. And Ansar-Ud-Deen would spare no pains to obtain, where necessary, capable expatriate staff such as Umar Savage and Mr. Najar.

It is a particularly remarkable feature of this massive training program that women and children were not left out. Like their Christian counterparts, but unlike any other indigenous Muslim organization at the time, separate classes were initiated for them. The result was tremendous. Apart from a rise in the general awakening to the tenets and beauties of the religion, the Muslim community as a whole benefited from the stream of well informed and knowledgeable men too be found within the fold of the Ansar-Ud-Deen. And above all, there was the distinctive touch which the Ansar-Ud-Deen gave to the conduct of a number of socio-religious ceremonies. Such rites as child-naming, marriage and funeral, have been little more than leisurely and ill-organized affairs conducted by the resourceful Ulema with considerable embellishments and digressions; but they became, in the hands of the able Ansar-Ud-Deen, organized and decent ceremonies. Proper regulations were drawn out on lines that were at once of strict Islamic orthodoxy and at the same time acceptable to Muslims with "modern" inclinations. Like true reformers, they have, at no little pains, emerged with well-set out procedures for those ceremonies on a pattern reminiscent of the Common Prayer Book.

The whole question of the position of women soon came to the fore in the early "30s. After one or two activities had been staged by the womenfolk, the issue of the position of women not only in the organization but also in the general Society was raised. The issue was referred to its Mission Board which consisting of educated men and theologians (Afa) was formerly called the Council of Ulema, and was later referred to as the "Ecclesiastical Court of the Society". In its brief and explicit report the Board affirmed "the many privileges which women enjoy under the benign provisions of Islam, and declared its support for the policy of a program for the emancipation of women." In consonance with this decision, the Board in 1931 ruled against the seclusion of women after proving "substantively and without leaving any vestige for doubt that seclusion for women is not of Islamic birth; it is, like many others of its kind, a custom long in vogue many centuries before the advent of our Holy Prophet and had through sheer ignorance been incorporated with the noble doctrines of that Prophet."

Quite logically then, considerable attention was given to female activities in the Ansar-Ud-Deen. At all functions, they were encouraged not to lag behind, and special classes and activities were laid out for them. An Alasalatu Union was founded very early by leading female members such as Madam Ashimawu Ayorinde (1st Iya Adini), and Madam Safuratu Adetoun. Because of the popularity of their activities, the Union increased in membership, becoming an indispensable feature of Ansar-Ud-Deen organization. (This Union was later formed in other places). As a result the interest shown by a member of their teaching staff, the lady members of the Ansar-Ud-Deen benefited for many years, in the Adult education classes in Yoruba and English. This privilege was later extended to Muslim women of other Muslim organizations in Lagos. The Ansar-Ud-Deen school kept open for both boys and girls, and a special scheme was mounted to train Muslims at Queen's College to become teachers in Ansar-Ud-Deen School. Thus the Ansar-Ud-Deen has been properly regarded as one of foremost Muslim pioneers of the education and emancipation of women in Nigeria today.

Undoubtedly, it is the educational program of the Society that has arrested popular attention. Its record here has been truly impressive both in its scale and significance. Shortly after its incorporation, the Society launched a bold Education Program for which it raised an appeal of £5,000. Within a relatively short period, the target was exceeded, and the Alakoro School was begun on parcel of land reclaimed from marshes and swamps. A number of primary schools were later opened at Badagry, Ondo, Kabba and Owo divisions. But so urgent and large were the demands, that a fresh plan had to be mounted. At about 1943 began the Ten-Year Educational Program under which there would be a 5 new Primary Schools, 1-Elementary Teacher Training Center, and above all, one secondary school for Muslim boys and girls. The program cost around £ 50,000. But such was the performance of the Society that about a decade later, the bold program of the 40's had really become Lilliputian by the side of its gigantic achievements. For, the close of the '50s, the Society had built over 200 primary schools, 18 secondary modern schools, 3 secondary grammar schools including one for girls and 3teacher training colleges. By 1971, its post-primary institutions alone numbered 14 (excluding modern schools) all scattered over the Nigeria Federation. Many scholarship have been awarded up to University level tenable in Nigeria, Ghana, Arab countries and Europe. As properly remarked by a keen Muslim observer who urges his anonymity, where indeed would the Muslims be today winning the educational effort of the Ansar-Ud-Deen.

Today, the achievements of the Ansar-Ud-Deen are solid and substantial. For in addition to its education of men and women, its propagation of the cause of unity and religious instruction, it has built up a network of 100 branches having a membership countable in thousands, and enjoying the respect and goodwill of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Muslim Unity and Reform:

Also prominent was the leadership role of the Brazilians in the emergence of the Jamat Islamiyya. Founded in Lagos in 1944 by Senor Abu Bakr Tao Agusto, the Jamat Islamiyya has valiantly through the years stood for Muslim unity and reform. More about the founder Chief Imam Agusto himself was a lawyer and an apostle of Muslim unity and reform. First with some friends, he founded a Literary and Debating Society, specifically to improve their knowledge of Islam. Through subscribing to the Islamic Review they heard of the Ahmadiyyah Movement in Islam and not surprisingly, he was instrumental in bringing the Movement to Nigeria and was its first Chairman until spotting some doctrinal deviations in the movement, he left the organization and subsequently founded the Islamic Society of Nigeria. Orthodox Islam, ostensibly of the Maliki School had features which in our hero's view ought to be changed. Islam was generally regarded as the religion of the uneducated, conservative as well as reactionary element in Society. Practicing the religion which priced education (Had the Prophet himself (not enjoined us by saying "seek ye knowledge even unto China"), the men were content with learning the Quran by role and if they went to the Missionary Schools they were promptly converted to Christianity by proselytizing and subtler pressures, like finding an educated wife! The women were discriminated against; then material pursuits let them drop out easily from the Koranic schools and excluded them almost entirely from the western schools. Although they might not be many in purdah, they were excluded from worshipping in the mosques and going to jamat and Eid Prayers. The KHUTBAT in these two latter prayers were intoned in Arabic and were thus converted in to rituals, incomprehensible to the majority of worshippers whereas they were meant to be well-understood admonitions to the Faithful. Is it any wonder that Muslims were regarded as largely ignorant and reactionary sections of the community with whom any aspiring young man would rather not associate himself? The mission of Lawal Basil Agusto was to change all this during his life time. He tackled the provision of Western education first by founding the first Muslim Grammar School in Lagos which flourished until it was phased out by a new Colonial Regulation; later his society founded a Primary School.

In this way he provided opportunities for gaining western education in Muslim schools which yielded dividend until in recent times when the Government took over all voluntary agency schools with predictable consequences in the determination of moral and religious education. From the early examples boys and girls now go to school at all levels and many a distinguished Muslim personality of both sexes now feature in our Society.

Many of the innovations which the Islamic Society of Nigeria introduced form 1924 and since it became the Jamat-uI-Islamiyyah of Nigeria in 1944, have now become commonplace in our Muslim circles; women now go to pray in Mosques in their own sections, and take pan in practically all religious occasions on essentially equal footing with their male counterparts. Our hero pioneered these changes himself and he saw them happening in his life time. Undoubtedly the Jamat-uI-Islamiyyah of which he was first Chairman and then the Chief Imam until his return to Allah in 1971 is his great memorial. Judged by that alone, he is a legendary figure of his time; for he founded and nurtured a Moslem Jamat to which many distinguished Muslim personalities male and female are found to belong and through its membership and other institutions like it which has sprang up throughout Nigeria. Muslim men and women cannot hold their heads erect and feel in no way inferior to their Christian counterparts.