The Thoughts of Shaykh Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilorī (1917-1992) on Islam and Cultural Practices among Yoruba Muslims in Nigeria

Abstract

The practice of Islam in Yorubaland has posed serious challenges to many Muslims who find navigating between Islamic rules and Yoruba customary practices difficult. It has led many to Shirk (polytheism), Bid^cah (heretical innovation), and Takhlīṭ (syncretism) among others with perilous effects in Islam. Unfortunately, many Muslims are unaware of these but adopted a free attitude to Islam. Shaykh Adam is one of the foremost scholars whose views are sought and relied upon by either Yoruba Muslims in their practice of Islam or by researchers who intend an assessment of the practice of Islam in Yorubaland, thus the crux of this paper is to examine his views on selected areas that are paramount to ^caqīdah (creed) and the general practice of Islam. Historical and exegetical methods are adopted in achieving the objectives of this paper. The former enabled the paper to assess historical facts that are related to the personality that the paper focused on, while the exegetical allowed the interpretation of relevant texts to the discourse of the paper.  It is discovered that the interaction between Islam and culture in Yorubaland has necessitated both fine-tuning and abandonment of some customs. Social events like the naming ceremony, Islamic titles, and burial among others are fine-tuned, while magic, Ifa divination, bending or kneeling while greeting and a host of others are condemned and to be abandoned. The paper, therefore, concluded that Shaykh Adam remains a prominent personality whose views are driven by scholarship to liberate Muslims from the shackle of ignorance and perdition.