The Yoruba Muslims and the Credence in Reincarnation: An Orthodox Intrusion

Authors

  • Ismail Adaramola Abdul Azeez Director School of Politics and Economics International Sulaimon University
  • Amidu Adinoyi Jimoh Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies Kogi State University Anyigba

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v2i10.5833

Keywords:

Reincarnation, Judgment Day, Yoruba Muslims, Dogma, Africa

Abstract

Everybody knows that death is the unescapable end of man. What waves the mind of many, consciously or otherwise, is the question of what happens to man when he breaths his last breath.  While some are of the opinion that after death comes judgment; a determent of whether one goes to eternal blissful domains, or into everlasting tenant; depending on whether he had lived piously or otherwise, while on earth. Another school of thought opines that the soul of the dead will reincarnate by taking abode in a new physical body, born as a new baby and live another normal life, whereby he/she has the opportunity to correct his/her wrong actions in the previous incarnation. While some are of the opinion that when the soul has gathered wisdom, knowledge and understanding through several incarnations, it becomes one with the creator; others believe that reincarnation is a continuous process without neither beginning nor an ending. The Yoruba of South-Western Nigeria, like most other Africans, believes that humans reincarnate in order to re-choose their destiny and fulfill their life ambitions which they had no chance to achieve in a previous incarnation. An examination of some Yoruba traditional songs about death and what follows, show that they believe in 'a day of reckoning' and the continuum of the life cycle. Reincarnation, generally speaking, is always thought of, and discussed as a religious phenomenon, most probably because it borders on the super-natural; an issue to which only God; the creative force, has the totally correct answer

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References

J.B Long; “Reincarnation” (eds.) in the Encyclopedia of Religion, vol. 12, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, London, pp.265-269.

I.C Onyewuencyi: African Beliefs in Reincarnation; A Philosophical Reappraisal, Snaap Press Ltd. Enugu, 1960, pp. ix-x

E.B Idowu African Traditional Religion, London, S.C.M Press, 1973, p.187.

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U.S Al-Ashqar: ‘Alamu ‘I-Jinn wa ‘Sh-Shayatin Maktabatu ‘I-Falah, Kuwait, 1984, p.109.

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When we got this information, we made inquiries in order to determine the correctness or otherwise of the information. We were thus conducted on 5-10-2001 to a house in Adeola Street, Aguda, Logos, where the boy lived with his grandfather, Baba Ewe Nla many residents of this area testified to the correctness of the information.

Awolalu and Dopamu: Op. Cit., p.271.

Ibid., pp.271.

Ibid., pp.272-273.

J.O Awolalu, Op. Cit., p.59.

Information obtained from Mr. Daniel Oguntota-Laguda of the Department of Religious (CRS Unit), Lagos State University (7/01/2002).

D. Oguntola- Laguda: Religion, Man and Society (2nd Ed.), Free Enterprise Publishers, Ikeja, 2001, p.137.

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K.M Islam: The Spectacle of Death Including Glimpse of life Beyond the Grave, Hasbunallah Printing & Publishing House, Ofa, 1999, p.93.

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Resurrection implies two fundamental things.

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Wahid Abdul Salam Bali: Wiqayat? Insan mina ‘I-Jinn wa ‘Sh Shayatin, Dar al-Bashir, Cairo, 1409 A.H, pp.24-29.

See: A.A.B Philips, Op. Cit., pp.31.

A Hadith teaching the prayer to be said when entering the toilet shows that the Jinns are of male and female sexes. The hadith is reported by’Anas and transmitted by both Bukhari and Muslim. See Wahid Abdul Salam Bali: Op. Cit., p.29.

Majority of scholars are of the opinion that an inter-marriage between man and Jinn is illegal. There are, however those who see it as only detestable. Yet, some others are of the view that it is permissible. See Badru ‘d Din Ash-Shibli: Ghara’ib wa ‘aja ‘ibu ‘I-Jinn wa Shayatin, Daru ‘r Riyadh, Cairo, 1982, pp.100-102 &106.

The hadith is reported by ibn Mas’ud and transmitted by ‘Ahmed and Muslim. See Ibid, p.39.

Ibrahim Adham: As-Shir, Dar Basha’iri ‘I-Islamiyyah, Beirut, 1998, pp.129-137.

See A.Y Ali, Op.Cit., (nt.4306), p.1249.

U.S al-Ashqar: Op.Cit., p.109.

Ibn Taymiyyah: Jami’u Rasa’il (nd.np), 194-195.

U.S Al-Ashqar, Op.Cit., p.1-12.

J.B Login: Op. Cit., p.265.

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Published

2023-10-30

How to Cite

Ismail Adaramola Abdul Azeez, & Amidu Adinoyi Jimoh. (2023). The Yoruba Muslims and the Credence in Reincarnation: An Orthodox Intrusion . International Journal of Integrative Sciences, 2(10), 1491–1500. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v2i10.5833