Abuja, August 05: Nigeria is unique because it has the largest concentration of Muslims and Christians living together in the world and it is also the most populous country in Africa.
Islam found its way to Nigeria about two centuries ago, starting from the north of the country, and was brought by Arab and Muslim merchants who came not only for business purposes, but also for spreading the word of Allah.
Islam was the first religion to penetrate Nigeria, — Africa’s most populous nation — in that when Christianity was brought to the country by the British colonizers, Islam was already being practiced in the country.
From the north, Islam then spread to the south of the country, and now it is spreading to all the other parts. It was from the south that Christianity found its way into Nigeria.
Outbursts of religious violence are not unknown to Nigeria. Riots and violence between Muslims and Christians have claimed over 2,000 lives between September 2001 and 2008.
Nigeria’s population is now in the region of 140 million, with Muslims accounting for over 60 percent of the population), with Christianity and animism followers making up the rest of the population. Nigeria has one of the largest communities of Muslims anywhere in the world.
There are 333 tribes in Nigeria, the most prominent being the Hausa, said to be the largest tribe in Africa, and they are mainly concentrated in the northern part of the country and some of the neighboring countries of the north. The Hausa are followed by the Yorubas, who are mainly concentrated in the south of the country, and the Ibos in the east. Each of the tribes has its own customs and traditions, just like tribes in the rest of the world.
Christian missionaries have intensified their efforts in trying to Christianize the Muslims, taking advantage of the economic weakness of the Muslims and helping them improve their conditions by extending a helping hand to them. The result is that many Muslims now are only Muslims nominally, and they no longer see the difference between the two religious faiths.
However, the Muslim activists are trying to counter the Christianization efforts by the missionaries by educating the Muslims on the various aspects of Islam. By the Grace of Allah, their efforts are paying off, despite the paucity of their resources.
Eight out of the 14 Nigerian presidents, since independence, were Muslims. Close to two-thirds of members of the Nigerian Parliament are Muslims. Most Muslim scholars believe the first challenge facing the Ummah in Nigeria is lack of the leadership and unity.
Some argue that the community is also ravaged by poverty and ignorance, all of which must be addressed by the Muslims to truly convert their size into influence.
The establishment of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) in 1955 was to achieve unity among the Ummah, but the organization itself does not have visible national leadership.
Fifty years after its establishment, its founding members (some of them are now strong politicians) and affiliates gathered in 2005 to raise funds for its national secretariat.
–Courtsey: IINA