The Impact of Islam on the Pre and Post Natal Rituals of a Child among the Yorubas of Nigeria

Abstract

The Yoruba people on whose language, education and culture the influence of Islam is noted occupy a total of six out of thirty-six states, which make up the geo-political entity of Nigeria. They are equally found in large numbers in the Republic of Benin, Coted’vore, Togo and are found in smaller numbers in Sierra Leone, Ghana and almost other countries in West Africa. They speak a language known as Yoruba. In Yorubaland, there are noticeable three major religious groups namely; Traditional religion, Islam and Christianity. The Traditional religion has been in existence with the Yoruba from time immemorial. Meanwhile, the Yoruba of the South-Western Nigeria have been well researched into but the impact of Islam, which was introduced in the 17th century, out of this vast attention has, however, been very scanty in spite of the fact that the religion is of a dominant feature in every facet of the people’s life and culture. It is within this context that the examination of the Yoruba cultural way of child naming as affected by the wind of Islam in Yorubaland, will be investigated. The methodology for this work is descriptive. The research indicates that Islam has influenced Yoruba people in many ways. Some of these influences include: linguistics, educational, political, economic and social. In the case of child naming, for instance, there are Islamic influences before, during and after birth. The work concludes by establishing the presence of Islamic impact on the cultural way of child naming in Yorubaland.