This paper explores the literary characteristics of the Nigerian maqāmāt, which are inspired by t... more This paper explores the literary characteristics of the Nigerian maqāmāt, which are inspired by the classical Arabic prototypes. Nigerian Arabic writers have actively embraced the maqāma genre since the early 21 st century, producing various collections that consciously or unconsciously emulate the classical models. Throughout their maqāmas, Nigerian writers recalibrate the features of the genre by showcasing the influence of their primary model, al-Ḥarīrī's Maqāmāt (446-516/1054-1122). Through techniques such as allusion, borrowing, continuation, and more, these works raise important themes of originality, literary emulation, competition, and homage, thereby highlighting the impact of classical Arabic heritage on contemporary Arabic writing. In this paper, the analysis of these emulating features is complemented by textual examples from four recently published maqāma collections in Nigeria, which are compared to their classical prototypes.
النور: مجلة دولية للدراسات العربية والإسلامية, 2022
أدى الشعر أدوارا لا يستهان بها في المجتمع الإسلامي عبر العصور والأقطار، ولا سيما في عصر صدر الإسل... more أدى الشعر أدوارا لا يستهان بها في المجتمع الإسلامي عبر العصور والأقطار، ولا سيما في عصر صدر الإسلام. وكانت هذه الأدوار - ما بين السياسية والاجتماعية والدينية والعلمية والأدبية – حلولا لبعض ما يواجه المجتمع من المشكلات. وقد سجلت لنا كتب التاريخ والسيرة كلّ هذه الأدوار وحققت لنا أن المجتمع النبوي مجتمعا مثاليا إن اقتدي به. لكن في أشعار صدر الإسلام صور لهذا المجتمع الطوباوي تنعكس منظرا داخليا في أحوال المجتمع. ففي أشعار الذين عرفناهم بلقب شعراء الرسول ﷺ: حسان بن ثابت الأنصاري وكعب بن مالك الأنصاري وعبد الله بن رواحة وغيرهم - رضي الله عنهم – ما يعرض الظروف المثالية الطوباوية التي تميز به المجتمع النبوي. فقد عرض هذه المقالة أشعار هؤلاء الشعراء من حيث خصائصه الاجتماعية وقراءته قراءة نقدية تطبيقية مع التحليل. واستنبطت المقالة ما تكمن في هذه الأشعار من حلول قد تكون أدوية للمشكلات الاجتماعية المواجهة للعالم اليوم، وذلك إن استخدمت وطبقت على الوجه الصحيح.
Abstract: The role of poems in documenting the ideals of the Islamic societies across and time and space is important in understanding the intricacies of the societal problems today. History has shown that the utopian nature of the Islamic Prophetic society in the first centuries of Islam can serve as a perfect model for our current dispensation. However, the ideal Islamic society of the Prophet Muhammad was more perfectly depicted in the poems of such figures as the Prophet’s poets: Ḥassān bn. Thābit al-Anṣarī, Kaʿb bn Mālik al-Anṣarī, and ʿAbdullah bn Rawāḥa among others. Through their poems, they present the ideal features and the true picture of the Prophetic society in a way that project the society as a utopian one, following the model of which can solve a lot of societal problems. This study brings to the fore those issues of a utopian society by analyzing their poems and showcasing their socio-cultural important for the societal growth.
al-Ijtihād: Journal of the Integration of Knowledge and Development, 2016
This work examines 'democracy' as a theme in a Nigerian Arabic play. Democrary, in the case of Ni... more This work examines 'democracy' as a theme in a Nigerian Arabic play. Democrary, in the case of Nigeria, takes different dimensions in view of the fact that Nigeria is presently a democratic state but majority of whose citizens are not actually enjoying the so-called 'dividend of democracy'. This pathetic situation has attracted scholastic attention of all and sundry striving in the cause of finding a lasting solution to it. The work, therefore, engages the democratic yearnings of the country and its practicability through the creative opinions registered by Zakariyau Idrees-Oboh Oseni in his play titled al-Ṭabaqah al-'Ulyā (The Upper Class). Using analytical and critical methods, it has been discovered that the playwright exemplifies his own ideal democracy as a model for Nigeria to follow.
Seeing through reason has been the characteristic of Muslims over the years. This indeed contribu... more Seeing through reason has been the characteristic of Muslims over the years. This indeed contributed immensely to their philosophical thinking even before the medieval ages. Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity) provide a further testimony to this fact. Despite the overbearing influence of the society and the environment, Ikhwān al-Ṣafā philosophically designed the right values to lead their lives in line with their unique inclinations and aspirations. Therefore, in attempt to dissect medieval Islamic contribution to philosophy, this paper examines the historical background of Ikhwān al-Ṣafā, their real identity and their philosophical thoughts as contained in their epistles. Using descriptive method of research, the paper also studies their modus operandi and the influence of their philosophical thoughts enshrined in the Rasa"il on the later generations.
Zumrat al-Mu’minīn (the Believers’ Group), also known as Makondoro, is a group of conservative Ar... more Zumrat al-Mu’minīn (the Believers’ Group), also known as Makondoro, is a group of conservative Arabic-Islamic scholars in Yorubaland, a region in Western Nigeria. When studying, teaching, and professing their Arabic and Islamic knowledge, they utilize a pedagogical method of discipleship that links students with their teachers and shapes their learning. They have devised strategies to retain this method, such as creating epistemological networks that have earned them authority in Yorubaland since the middle of the twentieth century. Although modernization has held sway in Arabic-Islamic education of the region post-independence, the Makondoro maintain and preserve their ways. Drawing on ethnographic research, participant observation, and personal interactions with scholars and students of the Makondoro, this article seeks to understand their pedagogical dynamics in the last fifty years when they came into prominence in major cities of Western Nigeria.
إن للغة العربية أهمية لا تنكر فى مجتمع إسلامي من مثل نيجيريا، بلدة لها شهرتها الفائقة من بين دول ... more إن للغة العربية أهمية لا تنكر فى مجتمع إسلامي من مثل نيجيريا، بلدة لها شهرتها الفائقة من بين دول غرب افريقيا. وكانت لهذه اللغة شهرة وجلاء فى المجتمع النيجيري حتى لم تكد الحكومة الوطنية النيجيرية تنازع مكانتها المرموقة السامية، فلذلك تهتمّ بشئونها وإن كان على رغم أنفها. ازدهرت العربية فى البلدة منذ بدايتها فى القرن الحادى عشر إلى هذا الوقت على الرغم من الازعاجات التى تواجهها من هنا وهناك على مر الدهور. والأبعاد التى اتخذتها اللغة العربية وهي على سبيلها إلى الازدهار تعتمد على تيّارين أساسيّين، لكلّ واحد منهما عوامل تخصّه وتؤيّده. وأوّل هذين التيارين هو الازدهار العادي وأهمّ عامله هو الدّين الإسلامي الذى يلازم هذه اللغة ويستخدمها فى جميع أعماله وحركاته. والثانى هو الازدهار التعليمي الذى يعبّر عن حالة تعليم اللغة العربية لغرض علمي خالص. والذى يهدف هذا العمل إلى البحث عنه هو تعليم اللغة العربية فى المدارس النظامية الحكومية من حيث تطوّرها منذ البداية فى القرن العشرين وكيفية اهتمام الحكومة والمواطنون بها والمعوّقات التى تواجهها عبر العصور وحالتها فى الوقت الحاضر. فبواسطة المنهج التاريخي عرض البحث بداية اللغة العربية والسّياسة التى تعلّقت بهذه الابتدائية. واصل البحث بالكلام عن حاضر اللغة العربية حيث عبّر عن كون اللّغة العربية فى تلك المدارس الحكومية لغة فى طبقة سفلى. وفى الختام، تنبّأ البحث عما سيكون مستقبل هذه اللغة فى المدارس الحكومية خاصة ومدارس نيجيريا عامة، وقدّم بعض اقترحات وتوصيات التى ستكون معونة للغة العربية على أن يكون لها ازدهار وتطوّر وحيويّة قوية بين لغات أخرى فى نيجيريا.
Ilorin as a Beacon of Learning and Culture in West Africa, 2014
This paper examines the socio-religious features showcased in the plays of Abdul-Ganiyy Adebayo A... more This paper examines the socio-religious features showcased in the plays of Abdul-Ganiyy Adebayo Alabi. The plays are Qad ghārat al-Nujūm (2005), al-Mutāba‘ah (2012) and al-Ittiḥād (2012). As generally observed, religion is, most of the time, identified as one of the major factors that dictate the social condition of a given society. Therefore, the work also
investigates to what extent the plays take to the social norms of the playwright’s present ambience without jeopardizing its religious beliefs and practices and/or, probably, otherwise. Issues relating to socio-cultural features in the plays are also thrashed out. It finally moves from there to explore how the plays actually capture the real socio-religious and cultural situation in the Nigerian society in general and in Ilorin in particular, an exploration that will later avail us of important solutions to some of the problems embedded therein.
This paper explores the literary characteristics of the Nigerian maqāmāt, which are inspired by t... more This paper explores the literary characteristics of the Nigerian maqāmāt, which are inspired by the classical Arabic prototypes. Nigerian Arabic writers have actively embraced the maqāma genre since the early 21 st century, producing various collections that consciously or unconsciously emulate the classical models. Throughout their maqāmas, Nigerian writers recalibrate the features of the genre by showcasing the influence of their primary model, al-Ḥarīrī's Maqāmāt (446-516/1054-1122). Through techniques such as allusion, borrowing, continuation, and more, these works raise important themes of originality, literary emulation, competition, and homage, thereby highlighting the impact of classical Arabic heritage on contemporary Arabic writing. In this paper, the analysis of these emulating features is complemented by textual examples from four recently published maqāma collections in Nigeria, which are compared to their classical prototypes.
النور: مجلة دولية للدراسات العربية والإسلامية, 2022
أدى الشعر أدوارا لا يستهان بها في المجتمع الإسلامي عبر العصور والأقطار، ولا سيما في عصر صدر الإسل... more أدى الشعر أدوارا لا يستهان بها في المجتمع الإسلامي عبر العصور والأقطار، ولا سيما في عصر صدر الإسلام. وكانت هذه الأدوار - ما بين السياسية والاجتماعية والدينية والعلمية والأدبية – حلولا لبعض ما يواجه المجتمع من المشكلات. وقد سجلت لنا كتب التاريخ والسيرة كلّ هذه الأدوار وحققت لنا أن المجتمع النبوي مجتمعا مثاليا إن اقتدي به. لكن في أشعار صدر الإسلام صور لهذا المجتمع الطوباوي تنعكس منظرا داخليا في أحوال المجتمع. ففي أشعار الذين عرفناهم بلقب شعراء الرسول ﷺ: حسان بن ثابت الأنصاري وكعب بن مالك الأنصاري وعبد الله بن رواحة وغيرهم - رضي الله عنهم – ما يعرض الظروف المثالية الطوباوية التي تميز به المجتمع النبوي. فقد عرض هذه المقالة أشعار هؤلاء الشعراء من حيث خصائصه الاجتماعية وقراءته قراءة نقدية تطبيقية مع التحليل. واستنبطت المقالة ما تكمن في هذه الأشعار من حلول قد تكون أدوية للمشكلات الاجتماعية المواجهة للعالم اليوم، وذلك إن استخدمت وطبقت على الوجه الصحيح.
Abstract: The role of poems in documenting the ideals of the Islamic societies across and time and space is important in understanding the intricacies of the societal problems today. History has shown that the utopian nature of the Islamic Prophetic society in the first centuries of Islam can serve as a perfect model for our current dispensation. However, the ideal Islamic society of the Prophet Muhammad was more perfectly depicted in the poems of such figures as the Prophet’s poets: Ḥassān bn. Thābit al-Anṣarī, Kaʿb bn Mālik al-Anṣarī, and ʿAbdullah bn Rawāḥa among others. Through their poems, they present the ideal features and the true picture of the Prophetic society in a way that project the society as a utopian one, following the model of which can solve a lot of societal problems. This study brings to the fore those issues of a utopian society by analyzing their poems and showcasing their socio-cultural important for the societal growth.
al-Ijtihād: Journal of the Integration of Knowledge and Development, 2016
This work examines 'democracy' as a theme in a Nigerian Arabic play. Democrary, in the case of Ni... more This work examines 'democracy' as a theme in a Nigerian Arabic play. Democrary, in the case of Nigeria, takes different dimensions in view of the fact that Nigeria is presently a democratic state but majority of whose citizens are not actually enjoying the so-called 'dividend of democracy'. This pathetic situation has attracted scholastic attention of all and sundry striving in the cause of finding a lasting solution to it. The work, therefore, engages the democratic yearnings of the country and its practicability through the creative opinions registered by Zakariyau Idrees-Oboh Oseni in his play titled al-Ṭabaqah al-'Ulyā (The Upper Class). Using analytical and critical methods, it has been discovered that the playwright exemplifies his own ideal democracy as a model for Nigeria to follow.
Seeing through reason has been the characteristic of Muslims over the years. This indeed contribu... more Seeing through reason has been the characteristic of Muslims over the years. This indeed contributed immensely to their philosophical thinking even before the medieval ages. Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity) provide a further testimony to this fact. Despite the overbearing influence of the society and the environment, Ikhwān al-Ṣafā philosophically designed the right values to lead their lives in line with their unique inclinations and aspirations. Therefore, in attempt to dissect medieval Islamic contribution to philosophy, this paper examines the historical background of Ikhwān al-Ṣafā, their real identity and their philosophical thoughts as contained in their epistles. Using descriptive method of research, the paper also studies their modus operandi and the influence of their philosophical thoughts enshrined in the Rasa"il on the later generations.
Zumrat al-Mu’minīn (the Believers’ Group), also known as Makondoro, is a group of conservative Ar... more Zumrat al-Mu’minīn (the Believers’ Group), also known as Makondoro, is a group of conservative Arabic-Islamic scholars in Yorubaland, a region in Western Nigeria. When studying, teaching, and professing their Arabic and Islamic knowledge, they utilize a pedagogical method of discipleship that links students with their teachers and shapes their learning. They have devised strategies to retain this method, such as creating epistemological networks that have earned them authority in Yorubaland since the middle of the twentieth century. Although modernization has held sway in Arabic-Islamic education of the region post-independence, the Makondoro maintain and preserve their ways. Drawing on ethnographic research, participant observation, and personal interactions with scholars and students of the Makondoro, this article seeks to understand their pedagogical dynamics in the last fifty years when they came into prominence in major cities of Western Nigeria.
إن للغة العربية أهمية لا تنكر فى مجتمع إسلامي من مثل نيجيريا، بلدة لها شهرتها الفائقة من بين دول ... more إن للغة العربية أهمية لا تنكر فى مجتمع إسلامي من مثل نيجيريا، بلدة لها شهرتها الفائقة من بين دول غرب افريقيا. وكانت لهذه اللغة شهرة وجلاء فى المجتمع النيجيري حتى لم تكد الحكومة الوطنية النيجيرية تنازع مكانتها المرموقة السامية، فلذلك تهتمّ بشئونها وإن كان على رغم أنفها. ازدهرت العربية فى البلدة منذ بدايتها فى القرن الحادى عشر إلى هذا الوقت على الرغم من الازعاجات التى تواجهها من هنا وهناك على مر الدهور. والأبعاد التى اتخذتها اللغة العربية وهي على سبيلها إلى الازدهار تعتمد على تيّارين أساسيّين، لكلّ واحد منهما عوامل تخصّه وتؤيّده. وأوّل هذين التيارين هو الازدهار العادي وأهمّ عامله هو الدّين الإسلامي الذى يلازم هذه اللغة ويستخدمها فى جميع أعماله وحركاته. والثانى هو الازدهار التعليمي الذى يعبّر عن حالة تعليم اللغة العربية لغرض علمي خالص. والذى يهدف هذا العمل إلى البحث عنه هو تعليم اللغة العربية فى المدارس النظامية الحكومية من حيث تطوّرها منذ البداية فى القرن العشرين وكيفية اهتمام الحكومة والمواطنون بها والمعوّقات التى تواجهها عبر العصور وحالتها فى الوقت الحاضر. فبواسطة المنهج التاريخي عرض البحث بداية اللغة العربية والسّياسة التى تعلّقت بهذه الابتدائية. واصل البحث بالكلام عن حاضر اللغة العربية حيث عبّر عن كون اللّغة العربية فى تلك المدارس الحكومية لغة فى طبقة سفلى. وفى الختام، تنبّأ البحث عما سيكون مستقبل هذه اللغة فى المدارس الحكومية خاصة ومدارس نيجيريا عامة، وقدّم بعض اقترحات وتوصيات التى ستكون معونة للغة العربية على أن يكون لها ازدهار وتطوّر وحيويّة قوية بين لغات أخرى فى نيجيريا.
Ilorin as a Beacon of Learning and Culture in West Africa, 2014
This paper examines the socio-religious features showcased in the plays of Abdul-Ganiyy Adebayo A... more This paper examines the socio-religious features showcased in the plays of Abdul-Ganiyy Adebayo Alabi. The plays are Qad ghārat al-Nujūm (2005), al-Mutāba‘ah (2012) and al-Ittiḥād (2012). As generally observed, religion is, most of the time, identified as one of the major factors that dictate the social condition of a given society. Therefore, the work also
investigates to what extent the plays take to the social norms of the playwright’s present ambience without jeopardizing its religious beliefs and practices and/or, probably, otherwise. Issues relating to socio-cultural features in the plays are also thrashed out. It finally moves from there to explore how the plays actually capture the real socio-religious and cultural situation in the Nigerian society in general and in Ilorin in particular, an exploration that will later avail us of important solutions to some of the problems embedded therein.
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Abstract: The role of poems in documenting the ideals of the Islamic societies across and time and space is important in understanding the intricacies of the societal problems today. History has shown that the utopian nature of the Islamic Prophetic society in the first centuries of Islam can serve as a perfect model for our current dispensation. However, the ideal Islamic society of the Prophet Muhammad was more perfectly depicted in the poems of such figures as the Prophet’s poets: Ḥassān bn. Thābit al-Anṣarī, Kaʿb bn Mālik al-Anṣarī, and ʿAbdullah bn Rawāḥa among others. Through their poems, they present the ideal features and the true picture of the Prophetic society in a way that project the society as a utopian one, following the model of which can solve a lot of societal problems. This study brings to the fore those issues of a utopian society by analyzing their poems and showcasing their socio-cultural important for the societal growth.
investigates to what extent the plays take to the social norms of the playwright’s present ambience without jeopardizing its religious beliefs and practices and/or, probably, otherwise. Issues relating to socio-cultural features in the plays are also thrashed out. It finally moves from there to explore how the plays actually capture the real socio-religious and cultural situation in the Nigerian society in general and in Ilorin in particular, an exploration that will later avail us of important solutions to some of the problems embedded therein.
Abstract: The role of poems in documenting the ideals of the Islamic societies across and time and space is important in understanding the intricacies of the societal problems today. History has shown that the utopian nature of the Islamic Prophetic society in the first centuries of Islam can serve as a perfect model for our current dispensation. However, the ideal Islamic society of the Prophet Muhammad was more perfectly depicted in the poems of such figures as the Prophet’s poets: Ḥassān bn. Thābit al-Anṣarī, Kaʿb bn Mālik al-Anṣarī, and ʿAbdullah bn Rawāḥa among others. Through their poems, they present the ideal features and the true picture of the Prophetic society in a way that project the society as a utopian one, following the model of which can solve a lot of societal problems. This study brings to the fore those issues of a utopian society by analyzing their poems and showcasing their socio-cultural important for the societal growth.
investigates to what extent the plays take to the social norms of the playwright’s present ambience without jeopardizing its religious beliefs and practices and/or, probably, otherwise. Issues relating to socio-cultural features in the plays are also thrashed out. It finally moves from there to explore how the plays actually capture the real socio-religious and cultural situation in the Nigerian society in general and in Ilorin in particular, an exploration that will later avail us of important solutions to some of the problems embedded therein.