CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
5.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
This study is about the roles of the Ulamāh (Islamic scholars) in Islamic reform in Ghana. The concept of Islāh (Islamic reform) has gone through scholarly and religious discourses with different interpretations from diverse individuals depending on the context in which it is used. Muzaffar Chandra, for instance, opines that, Islamic reform deals with the sort of determined or assiduous efforts towards re-establishing good Islamic values, and practices, as well as imparting the totality of Islamic ethos and social order based on the Qur’ān and the Sunnah,1 into the lives of Muslims regardless of their geographical location or ideological differences.2 Cheryl Benard on the other hand is of the view that, the current endeavor to reform Islam chiefly depends on orthodox practices that the non-Muslims criticise and see them to be of no relevance in modern times.3
Convincingly, the term Islāh (Islamic Reform) is used largely in Islamic discourse to mean restoring the original form by making changes for the better. In other words, to bring into a better state or improvements through changes or by removing faults or abuse.4 Islamic reform, in the context of this thesis, refers to promoting an ideal Islamic orientation and
1 The word Sunnah in Arabic means a way or path be it good or bad. The scholars of Hadith view Sunnah as a general name that entails the totality of what has been related from the Prophet ranging from his speech/ sayings, actions, approvals and his moral attributes.
2 Chandra Muzaffar, “Malaysia: Islamic Resurgence and the Question of Development,” Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 1, no. 1 (1986): 57-75.
3 Cheryl Benard, Civil Democratic Islam, Partners, Resources, and Strategies, (Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2003), 49.
4 Mohamed Abubakr Al-Musleh, “Al-Ghazālī as an Islamic Reformer (Muslih): An Evaluative Study of the Attempts of the Imam Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī at Islamic Reform (Islāh).” Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Theology & Religion, School of Historical Studies, The University of Birmingham, 2007. 31.
the upsurge of Islamic consciousness within the Muslim society through the roles or activities of the Ulamāh (scholars) in the form of Da’wah (missionary work).
The attempt to create an ideal Islamic environment through peaceful means is the core principle upon which the Muslim Ummah (Community) is built. The Qur’ān (3:110) depicts the Muslim Ummah as the best community ever raised on the surface of the earth, because it enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong.
Ibrahim Abu-Rabi asserts that, the present era is one of intellectual and religious creativity in Islamic history.5 This claim is not different from the Ghanaian context. This is because there has been significant changes for some time now in the Ghanaian Muslim experiences through Muslim movements such as the Tijāniyyah and the Salafi movements.6
The Qur’ān (12:108) enjoins upon its adherents to convey the message of Islam across the length and breadth of the world. It is in light of this that Muslim intellectuals shoulder this responsibility of conveying the message through intellectual discourses given in seminars, symposia, public lectures, and publications. The aim is to revive and rejuvenate the Islamic ethos. The manifestation of this revitalization can be seen in Muslims especially those within the secular spheres. They are influenced by these Islamic reforms based on the grounds of imitating the Prophet in every aspect of their lives. This is because the Qur’ān (33:21) encourages all those who believe in Allah and the Last Day to live lives that are in conformity with the conduct of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). Buttressing this claim, Chandra argues that Muslims, who are influenced by this Islamic principles, demonstrate
5 Abu-Rabi’ Ibrahim M., “Islamic resurgence and the ‘problematic of tradition’ in the modern Arab world: The contemporary academic debate,” Islamic Studies 34, no. 1 (1995): 43-66.
6 Yunus Dumbe, Islamic Revivalism in Contemporary Ghana (Stockholm: Sodertorn University, 2013), 8.
some traits such as growing of beards, segregating of the sexes, the use of Qur’ānic phrase or terminologies like Inshaa Allaah (if Allah wills) in their daily conversations, among others as emulating the exemplary conduct of the Prophet and his predecessors.7 Despite this progress, Muslims in Ghana are still faced with challenges.
It is against this background that this research is conducted to investigate among many others the reforms put in place by the Ulamāh (Islamic scholars) to address the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah which hinder the progress of ideal Islamic society in Ghana.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, Islam is the second largest religion in Ghana with a population of 4,345,723 representing 17.6 percent of Ghana’s population.8 Within the last two decades, the Muslim community has experienced tremendous progress in all spheres of life including a paradigm shift from the conservative traditionalists’ way of reform9 to a reformist traditionalists orientation.10 The roles played by the Ulamāh (Islamic scholars) in this direction cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately,
7 Chandra Muzaffar, “Malaysia: Islamic Resurgence and the Question of Development,” Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 1, no. 1 (1986): 57-75.
8Ghana Statistical Service- 2010 Population & Housing Census: Summary Report of final Results. May, 2012, 40.
9 Conservative traditionalists according to Cheryl Benard (2003:4) are of the view that, Islamic law and traditions should be strictly followed without any reservations, even if they are incompatible with modern day’s values. Hence, they fully detest change or reform. They again see the need for those in authority to help in facilitating and implementing these principles. Even so, they do not use or advocate violence.
10 Reformist traditionalists according to Cheryl Benard (2003:5-6) are of the view that, for Islam to continue to remain enticing and pleasing to people of all ages, it has to be ready to admit “some concessions in the literal application of orthodoxy” that are perceived dubious. They deliberate on reforms, but are very cautious in effecting change since they do not want to lose the Islamic values and principles, but instead, to conserve these Islamic principles. Nonetheless, both conservative traditionalist and reformist traditionalist as argued by Bernard derive their guidance from the Islamic sources namely, the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, Islamic laws, Fatwas (A legal ruling or a formal pronouncement on a doctrinal or legal matter by an Islamic scholar or a group of scholars), and the religious opinions of highly recognized scholars. The point of divergence is that, the reformist traditionalist seeks to be creative by critically reexamining the established principles in order to develop a new and systematic alternative interpretations.
notwithstanding this reformist traditionalist’s way of reform, the Muslim Ummah is still confronted with a lot of challenges. Howevers, the Qur’ān (11:17) informed us that, no nation will be destroyed if its people carry out reform activities. These reform activities are carried by the Ulamāh as the Prophet is reported to have said that, Allah will raise at the end of every Century a person who will renew this religion of Islam.11 This is primarily what stimulated the researcher’s ardent desire to critically investigate and document the religious activities of these selected Ulamāh, and the roles played by them in the process of Islamic reform through the promotion of Islamic principles. Their successes in addressing the challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah in order to reshape the mentality of the youth is also worth investigating. This will enhance the peaceful atmosphere Ghanaians are currently enjoying.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The central research question to guide this study is:
What are the contemporary challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah in Ghana? The following are sub-questions to help answer the question above.
- What roles do the selected Ulamāh play in addressing contemporary challenges of the Muslim Ummah?
- How do the selected Ulamāh (scholars) perceive the dynamics of reform among the different religious groups?
- To what extent is the reform of the selected Ulamāh contributing to peaceful co- existence in the development of Islam in Ghana?
11 Sunan Abu Dawood Vol. 4, Book of Trials and Fierce Battles, Hadith 4278.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aims and the objectives of the study are to:
- Gather and analyse the views of the selected Ulamāh on the subject matter under discussion.
- Analyse the concept of Islamic reform in Ghana
- Give a biographical data of the selected Ulamāh.
- Highlight the religious activities of these Ulamāh in the development of Islam in Ghana.
- Outline their responses to extremism in Islamic reform.
