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Sunni and Shia Muslim and Christian encounters in northern Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2022

Musa Ibrahim Open the ORCID record for Musa Ibrahim [Opens in a new window]
Musa Ibrahim*
Affiliation:
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana/University of Florida Center for African Studies, Gainesville, USA/University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article analyses how the circulation of ideas and hybrid rituals between Shia Muslims and Christians reveals a much more intentional political process whereby minority religious groups consciously create shared experiences and a sense of commonality in the face of political marginalization in northern Nigeria. One example is the Shia invention of Jesus’s Mawlid (Jesus’s birthday), which they perform in a different way from the conventional Christmas but that is attended by some Christians. Also, some Christians participate in the annual celebration of Mawlid al-Nabiy (the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday), organized by Shias. Despite the adherents of the two religions participating in mixed religious practices, they continue to see themselves separately as Muslims and Christians. Reactions to these hybrid rituals impact relationships among the mainline Sunni groups. Sufis (Tijanis and Qadiris), who were previously united in the face of the anti-Sufi reform movement (Izala), now diverge over how to respond to Shia Islam. While they disagree with Shias intellectually, not everyone supports the attacks against Shias by Salafi activists. These dynamics add to the understanding that the concept of ‘tolerance’ is not sophisticated enough to capture all forms of religious coexistence in Nigeria.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article analyse comment la circulation des idées et des rituels hybrides entre musulmans chiites et chrétiens révèle un processus politique bien plus intentionnel par lequel des groupes religieux minoritaires créent de manière consciente des expériences partagées et un sens de communauté face à la marginalisation politique dans le nord du Nigeria. Un exemple en est l’invention chiite de l’anniversaire (mawlid) de Jésus, qui se célèbre différemment du Noël conventionnel mais auquel participent certains chrétiens. Certains chrétiens participent également à la fête d’anniversaire du prophète Mahomet (mawlid al-nabiy), organisée par les chiites. Bien que participant à des pratiques religieuses mixtes, les adeptes de ces deux religions se considèrent toujours séparément comme musulmans et chrétiens. Les réactions à ces rituels hybrides ont un impact sur les relations au sein des groupes sunnites traditionnels. Les soufis (des ordres Qadiriyya et Tidjaniyya), autrefois unis face au mouvement de réforme anti-soufi (Izala), divergent désormais sur la manière de réagir à l’islam chiite. Ils sont en désaccord intellectuellement avec les chiites, mais ils ne soutiennent pas tous les attaques contre les chiites par les activistes salafistes. Ces dynamiques contribuent à comprendre que le concept de « tolérance » n’est pas assez sophistiqué pour saisir toutes les formes de coexistence religieuse au Nigeria.

Type
Islam and Muslim cultures in Nigeria
Information
Africa , Volume 92 , Issue 5 , November 2022 , pp. 678 - 698
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International African Institute

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