Ramadan 1447 AH Day 2: Uncovering Their Cover-ups

Yoruba Muslims Must Stand Firm Against Misguided Calls to Break from the Sultanate

The KnowIslam Project has observed alarming calls by certain Yoruba traditional practitioners urging Yoruba Muslims to abandon the authority of the Sultan and “stay on their own.” While framed as a push for cultural independence, these calls ignore the historical reality of persistent attempts to marginalize and undermine the Muslim community in Yoruba land.

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman, Islamic scholar and public speaker, emphasized the danger of such narratives:

“Those who fought your daughters over the use of Hijab in schools, kicked against Sukuk, called your religion Esin Imole, called you fools because you do not venerate their idols cannot claim asking you to disregard is from a place of love. Do not let fools fool you!”

This statement reflects decades of experience where Yoruba Muslims have faced societal and institutional resistance simply for practicing Islam. Historical incidents include:

Hijab Controversies in Schools: Muslim girls have been repeatedly targeted and denied the right to wear hijab in public schools, facing ridicule and discrimination for adhering to Islamic modesty.
Economic Exclusion: Proposals like the rejection of Islamic financial instruments such as Sukuk have often been pushed by opponents who insist on traditional religious frameworks, limiting Muslims’ economic participation.
Cultural Misrepresentation: Islam has repeatedly been disparaged as Esin Imole (“worship of a false deity”) by some Yoruba traditionalists, undermining the faith and its adherents, while idol worship is celebrated as culture.
Social Ridicule and Marginalization: Muslims who uphold Islamic principles have been called “fools” for refusing to participate in idol veneration, showing a pattern of intolerance that questions the sincerity of calls to “break away” from the Sultanate.

The Quran warns about the intentions of disbelievers toward the faithful:

“And do not think those who disbelieve are causing you any good; rather, they desire harm for you.”
— Surah Al-Imran [3:110]

Indeed, those who have historically opposed Yoruba Muslims’ rights cannot claim that their call for separation comes from love or concern.

Islam, however, teaches that unity among Muslims is paramount, transcending tribe, region, or social status:

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
— Surah Al-Hujurat [49:13]

The Sultanate has long been a unifying institution for Yoruba Muslims, guiding religious practice, education, and community development. Disregarding this established leadership in favor of ad hoc alternatives threatens community cohesion, faith, and the dignity of the Muslim ummah.

Yoruba Muslims are therefore urged to:

Remain steadfast in faith – practice Islam without succumbing to pressure from groups whose actions have historically opposed the religion.
Respect legitimate Islamic authority – recognize the Sultanate as a stabilizing and guiding force within the community.
Reject divisive narratives – critically evaluate calls to break away from trusted leadership that come from individuals or groups with a history of marginalizing Muslims.
Embrace Muslim unity – uphold the Quranic principle that piety, not tribe or culture, determines honor in the sight of Allah.

The KnowIslam Project reaffirms its mission to educate, empower, and unify Muslim communities in Nigeria and beyond. We encourage Yoruba Muslims to rise above historical attempts to intimidate or mislead, preserving faith, dignity, and unity in the face of divisive pressures.

Unity, knowledge, and faith are the strongest shields against those who seek to fool us under the guise of “love.”

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman for Knowislam Project
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