The Role of Muslim Scholars in Kwara Politics up to the Fourth Republic

Abstract

Man is both a religious and political animal.  Borne out of an in-depth thinking and observation of things in his environment, man came to the understanding, perhaps, through intuition, about the existence of a supernatural being who controls things that are beyond human comprehension.  Thus, he fashioned out ways of worshiping Him.  Man’s thought was later confirmed through revealed books which refined man’s ways of worship. As man increased in number and lived communally, there was the need to control human behaviour.  Thus, the art of governance evolved.  Both religion (traditional) and politics are the products of man’s physical and social environments.  The two, right from the outset, have continued to influence each other.  In matters of religion, politics is brought to bear and vice-versa.  Scholars of religious history are varied in opinion as to the relationship between religion and politics.  While some believe they are inseparable, there are some who believe that their marriage is that of inconvenience and therefore, they should be separated.  In spite of all this, the two concepts complement each other in all human societies.  In Islam, there is no distinction between religion and politics or all other aspects of life.  In fact, Islam has been described as a complete way of life.  This paper examines the influence of religion on the political activities championed by the Ulama class (Islamic scholars) of and in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. This paper avers that religion and politics are twin sisters that should not be separated.  Furthermore, it concludes that Ilorin’s Islamic scholars played significant roles in the establishment, nurturing, and sustenance of democracy in Kwara State in the Fourth Republic.