Lateef Abbas

Ideals and Realities of Imamship Practices in Yorubaland of Nigeria Lateef Abbas

Islam is a religion and a way of life for the Muslims. It consists of worship of the creator and goodness to others to ensure a just society for all. Salat is a very important duty in Islam as it distinguishes Muslims from others. It is an institution of the Muslim congregation in a locality with the imam as the head and mosque as his office. There are divine rules and regulations guiding the administration of the mosque, just as there are qualifications and qualities for the appointment of the imam. They are: adequate knowledge, honesty, justice and selflessness among others. In yorubaland, there was total compliance by Imams with the Islamic requirements at inception. With the expansion of Islam in the region, and the availability of more scholars, Imamship became more attractive and respectable. People seek for it using all means possible. In some places, Imamship is by heredity while in others, Imam is selected from a single family. In some areas, the king is the selecting and approving authority and in most cases, he appoints his loyalists without consideration for qualification and quality. In some places like Ibadan, there are two lines to Imamship.