IWO ONI KURANI, ILU AAFA: EVOLUTION, GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF

ISLAM IN IWOLAND

Siyan Oyeweso
Amusa Saheed Balogun

Introduction

S cholars have done extensive works on the introduction, development,

expansion and impact of Islam on the Yoruba. However, most of these
works are general studies on the Yoruba people as an ethnic group or a nation.
Due to this reason, there is still a wide research gap in the history and development
of Islam in specific Yoruba towns and cities particularly those cities which have
strong Islamic influences in contemporary time such as Iwo. This paper intends to
fill an important research vacuum by re-assessing the nature of the evolution,
growth and development of Islam and Islamic expansion in Iwo Kingdom, one of the
most important Islamic centres in contemporary Yorubaland.It is generally
acknowledged that the Yoruba are a very religious people. This claim is
substantiated by the fact that the three major religions in Nigeria today – Islam,
Christianity and African Traditional Religions are thriving well among the
contemporary Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria. Of all the six Yoruba states
in the Southwest of Nigeria, Osun State is second to none when we talk of Islam
and Islamic expansion. In the same vein, when we talk of Islam and Islamic
expansion in Osun State in particular and Yorubaland in general, Iwoland stands
out as the light and base of Islam. In fact, the town is one of the most Islamic cities
in Yorubaland today.

Iwo is a Yoruba town and one of the major cities in Osun State. It is about
one-hour drive from Ibadan, the headquarters of old Western Region and current
capital of Oyo State. The town occupies an area of 245 km 2 and it has a population
of 120,919 according to the 2006 Nigerian head count. Iwo is traditionally known
with such appellations as Iwo Olodo Oba i.e. Iwo - the Owners of Oba River; Iwo
Ateni Gbola Ateni Gbore i.e. Iwo – “One who spreads a mat to receive wealth and
goodies” and so on. The roots of all these appellations are traceable to the
traditions of origin and early history of the town.

Iwo, according to traditions, was founded by some Ife migrants in the 11 th

century AD. The leader of these migrants was one Adekola Telu, one of the princes
of Oduduwa in Ile-Ife who led his people out of Ife and settled first at a place called
Igbo-Orita, which is about three miles away from the present site of Iwo kingdom.
Telu was succeeded by Parin who moved from Igbo-Orita to a new settlement which
later became known as Iwo and became the first Oluwo of Iwo around the second
half of the 14th Century. The name “Iwo” has two probable origins. The first origin
traces the root of the word to Yoruba phrase “E wo o” meaning “Look at the
Parrots” which was the statement made by one of the ancestors of Iwo people
pointing to parrots which were symbols of the place where the people would be
settled according to the oracular message before dispersal from Ife. The second
origin traces the root of the word to another Yoruba sentence “A o maa wo o”
meaning “We shall wait and see” which was the statement made by some people at
the period of settling in the town based on their previous negative experiences in
the earlier settlements.
 It is not known when Iwo, a very typical Yoruba town, began to adopt Islamic
traditions and culture, but it is clear that it started to have Islamic connections
from the 18th century when Islam was introduced into the town. Today, Iwo is a
predominantly Muslim town with about 80.9 percent of its total population being
Muslim and with several Islamic societies, groups and associations as well as
prominent Muslims. The town is now known with such appellations as Iwo Oni
Kurani i.e. “Iwo - the owners of the Qur’an”; Iwo Ilu Aafa i.e. “Iwo - the town of
Muslim Scholars” or in Hausa: Iwo Garin-Malamai which means “Iwo the City of the
Learned Scholars” among others. Iwo has got these appellations due to the firm
establishment and implantation of Islam in the town.

Against this background, this chapter examines the growth, development

and expansion of Islam and Islamic societies in Iwoland from the earliest times to
date. The chapter is divided into six major parts. The first part introduces the
themes of the paper and provides a brief background to the origin and founding of
the town. The second part looks at the nature of introduction and expansion of
Islam in Iwo kingdom while the third part analyses the contributions of some
historic people associated with the development of Islam in Iwoland. The fourth
part of the paper provides a brief analysis of the growth and development of Islamic
Societies in Iwoland while the fifth part contains a brief assessment of some
selected prominent Iwo Muslims in contemporary time. The last part concludes the
chapter.

Introduction and Expansion of Islam in Iwo Kingdom

While it is not known precisely when Islam was introduced into Yorubaland,
it is absolutely clear that Islam predated the 1804 Fulani Jihad in Northern Nigeria
and the establishment of Ilorin Emirate in the 1820s. According to Samuel
Johnson in his seminal work on the Yoruba, a Nupe Muslim priest popularly
known as Baba Yigi was sent by a Muslim cleric called Baba Kewu to preach Islam
in Oyo during the reign of Alaafin Ajiboyede (1560-1570). Gbadamosi also mentions
one Arab Muslim cleric called Alufa Yigi who preached Islam in Oyo during the
reign of Alaafin Ajagbo (1650-1658). It is very much likely that Baba Yigi mentioned
by Johnson is the same person referred to as Alufa Yigi by Gbadamosi. What is also
plausible in the introduction of Islam into Yorubaland was that Islam had been
known and had already become a factor in Yorubaland before the end of the 18 th
century.

Another important fact to stress in the introduction of Islam into Yorubaland

was that it took different nature from that of its introduction in Hausa and
Nupeland. Unlike in Hausa and Nupeland where the rulers first accepted Islam and
encouraged or compelled their followers to follow suit, the peasants were the first
set of people to accept Islam in most Yoruba kingdoms and where rulers accepted
first, its practice was nominal and not pronounced until the 19 th century when
some Yoruba kings became publicly associated with Islam. In fact, flourishing
Muslim communities were said to have been established in Yoruba kingdoms
before the members of the ruling classes began to embrace the religion after several
decades. As a matter of historical fact, Islam was first identified with the long
distance traders and commercial elite in Yorubaland popularly known as Parakoyi
who probably had come into contact with Islam outside Yorubaland particularly in
Northern Nigeria.
 Like in Yorubaland generally, it is not known precisely when Islam was
introduced into Iwo kingdom. Different oral accounts point to different periods as
the beginning of Islam in Iwo. Oral evidence among some Iwo indigenes traces the
evolution of Islam to the era of Oluwo Layilumi when an itinerant Muslim preacher
named Momodu visited Iwo and preached Islam. Another tradition suggests that
the evolution of Islam in Iwo can be traced to the reign of Oluwo Alawusa who
invited some Hausa Muslim traders from Ogbaagba via Iwo to come and help him
pray against disease epidemics facing his kingdom. These Hausa Muslim
missionary merchants obliged the king, came to Iwo, prayed against the epidemic
and settled among the people on the advice and hospitality of Oluwo Alawusa
(1673-1744). This event made the people nick-name him Alawusa meaning an
“Hausa’s friend”.

Another oral account among the Iwo people relates that Islam was probably
introduced to Iwo during the reign of Oluwo Ogunmakinde Ande who reigned
between 1744 and 1816. It was related that one Oluaji, the younger brother of
Oluwo Ande went on a long distance trade to Ikoyi near Ogbomosho and came into
contact with some itinerant Muslim preachers/clerics who had been summoned by
Onikoyi to pray for him against the Fulani invasions of his town. On getting back to
Iwo, Oluaji shared his experiences with Oluwo Ande and he immediately ordered
that these Muslim clerics be invited to Iwo to pray for him against incident of still-
born facing his marriage. These three Muslim scholars under their leader, Alfa
Uthman, arrived in Iwo and settled at Mogaji Oba compound. Among other things,
these clerics succeeded in converting Oluwo Ande to Islam, changing his name to
Idris, and building the first mosque in Iwo with Alfa Uthman as the first Imam. This
mosque was sited at Mogaji compound and it was the first mosque in Iwo. After a
while, the king’s wife became pregnant and was safely delivered of a baby boy who
was named Lamuye. The king also allowed the baby to be named according to
Islamic rites and he was given a Muslim name ‘Muhammed’ (corrupted to
Momodu). This boy was handed over to the Muslim scholars who gave him
thorough Islamic training and upbringing and he later became the Oluwo and one
of the most famous Muslim rulers in Iwo history.

What is deducible from the two oral accounts cited above is that the Hausa
itinerant Muslim merchant missionaries were the agents of the introduction of
Islam into Iwo. Second, the introduction of Islam into Iwo was a pre-19th century
phenomenon which predated the emergence of Oluwo Momodu Lamuye (1858-
1906). Third, Islam was first embraced by the ruling class in Iwo before the masses,
a pattern which it followed in the Northern part of Nigeria. Finally, it is deducible
from the accounts above that Islam was already known in Iwo and a Muslim
community established there before the emergence of Momodu Lamuye as Clark
wrote that he was impressed by the elaborate ways by which the Iwo Muslims
celebrated the 1856 Eid-el-Kabir (Ileya festival) when he visited the town during his
travels.

However, of particular importance in the history of Islam and Islamic

expansion in Iwo were the activities of Oluwo Momodu Lamuye, the most famous
Muslim ruler of Iwo kingdom between 1858 and 1906. He was a child of Oluwo
Ogunmakinde Ande who had been predicted by the Ifa Oracle before birth that he
would be a Muslim. This is why he was named Muhammed (corrupted to Momodu).
He succeeded his father as the Oluwo in 1858 after much ado about his Islamic
religious inclinations. He was the greatest Muslim ruler of Iwo in the 19 th century
and he contributed significantly to the firm establishment of Islam in Iwo. He was a
pious, practising, devout and dedicated Muslim who succeeded in converting many
of his chiefs and subjects to Islam. During his reign, he ensured that every
compound in Iwo had a mosque and prevented the European Christian
missionaries from achieving huge success in introducing Christianity to Iwo and its
people. Oba Momodu Lamuye is reputed for laying the solid foundation which
Islam enjoys in Iwo today.

Imamate and Growth of Arabic and Islamic Education in Iwoland

The Imamate is the single most important title or chieftaincy in Islam that is
traceable to the earliest period of Islam and that cuts across all geographical areas.
The word Imam is got from Arabic word Amama which literally means “front” or
“fore”. It is used in Islam universally to denote the person who leads the
congregational Muslim prayers whether daily (five daily prayers), weekly (Jumuah
prayers) or occasional prayers (Eid prayers). In other words, Imam is the leader of
the Muslim ritual prayers and head of the Muslim Community. In every part of the
world where there is Muslim Ummah i.e. Muslim community and mosque, whether
big or small, the position of an Imam is sacrosanct. Imam may be a household,
compound, township, state or even national Imam depending on the status of Islam
in such a country. For instance, in Nigeria, there are Aima (Plural form of Imam) in
virtually every street in Nigerian cities where mosques are located. There are also
community or township Imam usually known as Chief Imam in Yorubaland and
even state Imam, regional Imam (Like Imam Sheik Mustapha Ajisafe who is the
Imam of all Yoruba states including Edo and Delta states) and even National Imam
based at the National Mosque in Abuja.

The development of Imamate in Iwo has almost the same history with the
development of Islam in the town. As indicated earlier, the position of Imam is
necessitated by the existence of a group of Muslims in any area. Therefore, when
the three Hausa itinerant preachers arrived in Iwo during the period when Islam
was introduced into the town, their leader, Alfa Uthman was appointed the first
Imam in Iwo land. However, since the indigenous people of Iwo had not been
converted to Islam at this point and none of them had attained Islamic knowledge,
Alfa Uthman became the Imam of the itinerant preachers. However, because Alfa
Uthman was not an indigene of Iwo, he is not usually recognised as the first Imam
of Iwo Muslim Community in the history of Islam in Iwo. He was only the Imam i.e.
leader of the three scholars who introduced Islam into Iwo.

In Iwo, the list of Imam from inception contains the names of indigenous Iwo
Muslim scholars who attained the position of Chief Imam of the town from the
earliest time till date. The table below provides the names of Aima in Iwo since
inception till date and their compound names:

List of Chief Imam in Iwoland up till Date

S/N Names of Imam Compounds

1. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Muhammad Adisa Ile Ikoyi, Isale Oba, Iwo

2. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Yunus Ile Ikoyi Isale Oba, Iwo

3. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Isiaq Ile Agbede

4. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Abdul Ganiy Ile Lemomu, Lakata, Oke

Odan, Isale Oba, Iwo
 5. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Akinlade Ile Akinlade, Molete, Iwo

6. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Sanusi Ile Ikoyi, Isale Oba, Iwo

7. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Sakariyah Abdul Ganiy Ile Imam Inatapere,

Morodo, Isale Oba Iwo

8. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Gbadamosi Ile Akinlade, Iwo

9. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Busari Ile Ikoyi, Isale Oba, Iwo

10. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Zubair Ile Momimi, Isale Oba,

Iwo

11. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Asafa Ile Lakata, Oke Odan,

Iwo

12. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Abdul Kareem Ile Gbetugbele, Isale

Oba, Iwo

13. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Asafa Ile Ikoyi, Isale Oba, Iwo

14. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Abdul Jabar Ile Akinlade, Molete, Iwo

15. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Mudathir Ile Iyalaje, Isale Oba, Iwo

16. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Solahu-Deen Omotokese Ile Omotokese, Molete,

Iwo

17. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Imran Ashir (1992-2002) Ile Imoru, Molete, Iwo

18. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Abdul Ganiy Keulere Ile-Alaye, Gidigbo, Iwo
(2003-2009)

19. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Imran Badru-Deen (Al- Ile Amin, Molete, Iwo
Ameeny) (2010-2011)

20. Alhaji Sheikh Imam Hashim Akinlade (2011- Ile-Akinlade, Iwo

Date)

Source: Sheikh Muslim Mukaddam Hussain Akinola, “Oruko Awon Imam

Agba Ile Iwo” (Private Paper)

The growth and development of Arabic and Islamic education are other
important aspects of Islamic expansion in Yorubaland in general and Iwo kingdom
in particular. In fact, the need to acquire Arabic literacy in the absence of any other
form of literacy was one of the factors which facilitated the rapid expansion of Islam
in West Africa. In the case of Iwo like every other place, Arabic education came
along with the introduction of Islam. This became necessary because the people
who are newly introduced to the religion of Islam must understand the ways to
worship and carry out their religious duties which are mostly carried out in Arabic
language. More importantly, the Qur’an which is the Holy Book of Islam is written
in Arabic and for the people to read, write and comprehend it, they must learn
Arabic language. This led to the development of Arabic and Islamic schools
(Madrasah) in Iwo which was the first form of education and literacy introduced to
Iwo. In other words, Arabic and Islamic education predated Western education in
Iwoland.

The events that led to the emergence of Arabic schools in Iwo, according to
traditions, featured a man named Gbade, who went on a trip and came across
some itinerant Hausa scholars who had established an Arabic School in Ogbaagba
during the reign of Oluwo Alawusa. When he came back to Iwo, he informed one of
the princes who decided to go and learn Arabic education in the Arabic school in
Ogbaagba. When the king heard this, he decided to invite the Hausa scholars to
come and establish an Arabic school in Iwo in order to ease the burden of his son
who travelled to Ogbaagba daily to acquire Arabic education. These scholars
obliged the king, came to Iwo and establish an Arabic school in the town where the
prince and other young people undertook Arabic and Quranic lessons. According to
some traditions, the first Arabic school established in Iwo was at Mogaji
Compound, Isale Oba, Iwo and the prince in question was Momodu Lamuye who
later became Oluwo after the death of his father who invited the scholars to
Iwoland.

Later, the indigenous Iwo youths trained by these itinerant scholars

graduated and began to establish Arabic training centres and schools (Madrasah
plural Madaris) in their compounds. The role of Ilorin scholars in the expansion of
Islam and Islamic education in Iwo and the neighbouring cities cannot be over-
emphasised. Some Iwo youths moved enmasse to Ilorin to undertake Arabic studies
and they returned to preach Islam, build mosques and establish Arabic schools.
That was how Arabic education began in Iwo and Madaris sprang up in different
quarters and compounds within the town particularly in the areas which first
accepted Islam in Isale Oba, Oke Odan and Molete areas like Ile Ikoyi, Ile Iyalaje, Ile
Akinlade, Ile Amin, Ile Imoru, Ile Omotokese, Ile Lakata and so on. Some of the
earliest Arabic schools in Iwoland are Mogaji’s School of Arabic and Islamic
Studies, Iyalalaje’s School of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Olurode’s School of Arabic
and Islamic School, Amin School of Arabic and Islamic Studies and Aroworeki
School of Arabic and Islamic Studies and a host of others. Today, Arabic and
Islamic schools in Iwo number more than a thousand and are of varying degrees of
sophistication. As we have local Arabic learning centres in all the nooks and
crannies of the town, we also have some which are not only modern but also
combine Arabic, Islamic and Western education. Examples of these are Amin
Arabic Training Centre and Shababul Islam Aroworeki which had become two of
the leading modern Arabic schools in Iwo since the 1960s. Some of the existing
modern Arabic and Islamic Schools in Iwo and their dates of establishment are
presented below:

Some Prominent Modern Arabic and Islamic Schools in Iwo and Dates of
their Establishment
S/ Arabic Schools Founders Dates of
N
Establishment

1. Islamic Youth Sheikh Muhally 1962

Centre, Aroworeki Adedimeji Aroworeki

2. Amin Arabic Training Sheikh Muhally 1963

Centre Badrudeen Amin

3. The School for the Sheikh Mudathir 1964

Propagation of Aliy Akanbi
Islamic Truth,
Ajiponbele

4. Islamic Civilisational Sheikh Hazim 1968

School, Imagbemi Kaelani Imagbemi

5. Islahud-Deen Arabic Sheikh Abdul Baaqi 1968

School Muhammad

6. Nurul-Islam Arabic Sheikh Khalefa 1970

School/Institute of Nurudeen al-Imam
Ahli Sunnah wal
Jamah of Nigeria

7. Islamic Cultural Sheikh Abdul Razak 1977

Centre (I.C.C.) Abdur-Rahaman

8. Islahud-Deen Sheikh Muslim 1974

Quranic School, Mukadam Husaen
Akinola

9. Olanrewaju Institute Alhaji Mikail 1988

of Arabic and Islamic Olanrewaju
Studies

10 Salmaniyyu Arabic Sheikh Abdul 1990

. Training Institute Hameed Salman

11 Bin Baz Shariah Sheikh Abdul 1991

. College Rasheed
Hudyahillah

12 Al-Hayyu Arabic and Sheikh Najmudeed 1991

. Islamic Girls’ Imran
Institute
 13 Al Huramaen School: 1996
. Umar and Aishat
Arabic and Islamic
Studies

14 Al-Fitrat Islamic Sheikh Abdul 1998

. Institute, Feesu Majeed Abdul
Jabaar

15 Ad-Da’watul Sheikh Ibraheem 2000

. Islamiyyah A.B. Muhammad
Association of
Nigeria’s Group of
Schools

Source: Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic
Training Centre, Iwo to the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies” (M.A.
Thesis, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan,
2005)

Islamic Societies and their Founders in Iwoland: A Brief Historical Analysis

The role of societies, groups and associations in religious spread cannot be

over-emphasised. They are the engine rooms of religious propagation and
expansion. Islamic religious groups are as old as the emergence of Islam as a
religion. In other words, Islamic societies emerged as soon as Islamic community
was established in Medinah in the 7th century A.D. By implication, it could be
inferred that the first set of Islamic societies which emerged in Medinah were the
Muhajirin and the Ansar. The Muhajirin were the people who migrated with Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina due to the persecution they suffered
from Meccan pagans. The Ansar were the group of people who welcomed and
accommodated Prophet Muhammad in Medina and facilitated the establishment of
the Muslim community and expansion of Islam in the town. Universally, the need
for proper propagation of a religion necessitates the formation of religious groups
and societies.

In contemporary Iwoland, there are many Islamic societies and groups. The
establishment of these societies, groups and associations date back to several
decades ago. While it is practically impossible to detail the history of Islamic
societies in Iwoland in this type of work, it is suffice to mention that some of the
prominent Islamic societies in Iwoland were founded as follows: Ansar-Ud-Deen
Society of Nigeria (1946); Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (1953); Islahud-Deen
Missionary Association of Nigeria (1955); Anwarul-Islam Society of Nigeria (1961)
and Islahud-Deen Society of Nigeria (1961). All these societies were actually
founded and headquartered in different Yoruba towns but only have their branches
in Iwo except the Islahud-Deen Missionary Association which was founded in Iwo.

The Ansar-Ud-Deen Society is the first and one of the most prominent
Islamic societies in Iwoland. It was not only the first Islamic society in Iwoland but
also the most prominent and visible of all Islamic societies of all times. It began in
Iwo in 1946 as a result of the influence of one Late Mofolorunsho Adiat Sanni
(popularly known as Baba Sanni) who was well-versed in Arabic language and
Western education. He understood the importance of societies in propagating
religion and also held that Western education can be acquired without losing one’s
Islamic religious faith. He joined forces with other like-minds such as Alhaji S.A.
Iromini, Alhaji A.M.A. Badrudeen, Alhaji H.O. Mustafa, Alhaji Awudeere, Alhaji
Sulayman Amin and Alhaji Raimi Alaago Bawa and others to form the society.
However, Late Baba Sanni was said to have pulled out of the proposed society as a
result of the disagreement on the name to be given to the new society. Therefore,
when the society was finally formed, Baba Sanni was no longer one of the founders.
He had opted out and moved to found Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Iwo, the name
he preferred for the new society which was rejected by other pioneers. The founders
and pioneers of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria in Iwo were Alhaji S.A.
Iromini and Alhaji A.M.A Badrudeen.

Within the first ten years of its existence in Iwo, the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society
contributed immensely to the expansion of Islam in the town. For example, the
Society began to conduct its own Jumat prayer in Iwo on 20 April 1962 behind its
first Imam Alhaji Azani Akekewula with the permission of the Chief Imam of Iwo,
Alhaji Akinlade. Also in the area of provision of Western education to Muslim
children and youths, the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society played a significant role. For
instance, in 1953, the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society established a Kindergarten School in
Iwo and by 1955, the Society had a total of nine primary schools in Iwo at different
places in Iwo such as Araromi, Agbogbo, Akinfenwa, Alagbo, Ayedire, Abanikanda,
Telemu-Asamu Olaoluwa, all in Iwoland. More significantly, the Ansar-Ud-Deen
Society established the Ansar-Ud-Deen Grammar School in Iwo in 1982.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission is another prominent Islamic society in Iwo.

It was established in Iwo in 1949 by Late Pa Mofolorunsho Adiat Sanni. He was a
civil servant and an indigene of Iwo. After he retired from the civil service in 1948,
he relocated to Iwo and strove to put the Ahmadiyya Iwo Mission on sound footing.
The society built its mosque at Idi Omo, Iwo in 1950 and its first resident Missioner
was Alfa Ibrahim Kazeem. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission was very strong in Iwo
that the then Amir, Maulana N.M. Saifi used to visit Iwo constantly to give public
lectures before he later left Nigeria in 1964. Baba Sanni passed away in 1975 after
laying a very solid foundation for the society. Other pioneers and early members of
Iwo Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission between 1949 and 1975 included Alfa Ameen from
Ede, Alfa Abdul Ganiyy (who was later transferred to Zaria Mission) and Alfa
Ghazali (an indigene of Iwo who was later moved to Ibadan Mission). The
Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission has continued to contribute immensely to the
expansion of Islam in Iwo since 1949.
 More significantly, Islahud-Deen Missionary Association of Nigeria is another
important Islamic society in Iwo. A major unique feature of this society is that it
was founded in Iwo by an Iwo Muslim scholar and has its world headquarters in
the town. The Islahud-Deen Missionary Association of Nigeria was founded in 1955
by Alhaji Sheikh Abdul Baaqi Muhammad, the most prominent, influential and
greatest Muslim scholar of Iwo of the present century. In collaboration with some
other people, particularly Alhaji Usamot Kuta, and all his students at the Islahud-
Deen Training Centre, Iwo, Sheikh Baaqi, as he is fondly called by his admirers,
established the society for the propagation of Islam and within a few years, the
society had become a strong platform for Islamic da’wah (Islamic evangelism) in
Yorubaland. The primary aim of the association was to encourage Muslims to act
strictly in accordance with the dictates of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Before the
death of the founder in 2011, the Islahud-Deen Missionary Association has
established branches across several cities in Nigeria and in countries like Benin
Republic, Togo, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.

One of the major achievements and contributions of this association to the

development of Islam in Iwo was its resuscitation and adoption of Islamic Legal
Code (Shariah) as a means of settling issues among its members with significant
achievements. It must be emphasized that Iwo was one of the few Yoruba kingdoms
which had adopted the use of Shariah from earliest period of Islam’s introduction
in the town. It was the British colonization of Nigeria and imposition of Western
legal system on Nigeria that led to the stoppage of Shariah application in Iwo. An
evidence of the early practice of this legal code is the existence of a compound in
contemporary Iwo called Ile Alkali meaning “The Compound of the Islamic Judge”.
This shows that this compound produced the Islamic Judge for Shariah application
during the pre-colonial period in Iwo”. It was this moribund Shariah legal code that
the Islahud-Deen Missionary Association under late Sheikh Baaqi resuscitated in
the town and implemented among its members. Some of the prominent leaders of
this association were Sheikh Muslim Mukaddam Husain, Alhaji Abdul Wahab
Animashaun and Alfa Abdul Bashiru Imam Oloogun Iwo and others.

Apart from the afore-mentioned Islamic societies in Iwoland, there are other
Islamic societies in Iwoland in the contemporary time. While we cannot mention all
of them here, some of them deserve our mention: Nasrul-Lahi-il-Fathi Society
(NASFAT), Al-Fatihul-Quareeb Islamic Society (Quareeb), Ahmadiya Muslim Jama’at,
Zumuratul Muminina, Federation of Muslim Women Society (FOMWAN),
Hababudeen Society, Tijaniyat Movement, Quadiriyat Movement, Al-Hadabiya
Movement, Tableegh Movement, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN),
Deenul-Haq Society, Young Muslim Brothers & Sisters of Nigeria (YOUMBAS),
Ibadur-Rahaman Society, Islamic Redeemers, and a host of others too numerous to
mention here. It is important to stress that all these societies have common
objectives which are aimed at propagating and promoting Islam and Islamic
religious practices and their establishment was prompted mainly by the need to
respond to aggressive Christian evangelism of the late 19 th and 20th centuries. The
achievements of these societies include spread and expansion of Islam and
establishment of Arabic/Islamic schools as well as schools for the acquisition of
Western education.

Apart from the afore-mentioned Islamic societies which have their branches
in Iwoland, there are some Islamic societies which are actually founded and
headquartered in Iwo worldwide. Two of such societies are Tadhamuni Muslimeen
Organisation (TMO) formerly known as Jama’at Izharul-Haq established in Iwo in
1986 and the famous Jama’at Ta’awunil Muslimeen which was established by some
Iwo Muslim youths under the leadership of Sheikh Dahood Imran Molaasan in
1992. Arguably, Jama’at Ta’awunu is the most famous contemporary Islamic
society in Iwoland today and has a lot of achievements such as establishment of a
group of schools (Nursery, Primary and Secondary), Clinics and Maternities, Arabic
schools, Islamic centres and business ventures within and outside Iwoland.

Perhaps, one of the most important events in the development of Islamic

societies in Iwoland in contemporary period was the establishment of the Iwo
Muslim Union (Ajo Isokan Musulumi Iwo) in April 1988. The Iwo Muslim Union is
the Umbrella Muslim Organisation and the Central Islamic Body in Iwoland and it
was chaired by the Late Shaykh Abdul Razak Abdur Rahaman. It comprises all
Muslim Societies in Iwoland and the late Sheikh Abdul Baaqi Muhammad was
instrumental to its establishment. The aims and objectives of the Union as spelt
out are to bring an end to disunity and opposition among the Muslims in Iwoland
so that they would live in harmony; resisting religious oppression in educational
institutions; provision of Western education for Muslim children without losing
their religion; enlightenment of Muslims and principally to embark on printing and
publishing of Islamic tracts to educate Muslim on their religious, economic and
political affairs.

Today, Iwo Muslim Union, in collaboration with other Islamic societies, is in

the forefront of Islamic propagation in Iwoland with significant achievements. All
Islamic societies, particularly Muslim youth associations, have made, and are still
making steady progress in further implantation and entrenchment of Islam in Iwo
and its environs.

Prominent Iwo Muslims and the Expansion of Islam in Contemporary Iwoland

If compared with other Yoruba towns in Southwestern Nigeria, Iwo ranks

among the first three most Islamised towns. The other two most Islamised towns in
Yorubaland are Epe and Lagos. The town not only has a considerable number of
mosques, Arabic and Islamic schools but also has a very significant percentage of
Muslim population. In fact, the indigenes and residents of Iwo are predominantly
Muslims numbering more than 80 percent. Apart from this, Iwo also parades many
Muslim sons and daughters who have contributed immensely to the expansion of
Islam in Iwoland in particular and Nigeria as a whole. The impressive status of
Islam in Iwo today was as a result of the efforts of some individuals. These people
who had made significant contributions to the development of Islam in Iwoland can
be catgorised into three – traditional rulers, Islamic scholars, Imam and missioners
as well as wealthy people, political and commercial elite.
 A study of Islam in Iwo reveals that some traditional rulers (Oluwo)
contributed significantly to the entrenchment of Islam in Iwoland. Among the
traditional rulers of Iwo whose names featured prominently in the history of Islam
in the town are Oluwo Alawusa, Oluwo Ogunmakinde Ande, Oluwo Momodu
Lamuye, Oluwo Sunmonu Oshunwo, Oluwo Sanni Abimbola, Oluwo Saidu
Adubiran, Oluwo Shittu, Oluwo Rufai Ajani and Oluwo Ashiru Olatunbosun Tadese
II, the incumbent Oluwo of Iwo. All these rulers of Iwo were not only practising
Muslims but also used their positions to advance the cause of Islam in the town.
Below is the comprehensive list of Oluwo since inception up to date with rulers
connected with Islamic history in the kingdom in bold:

Iwo King List, Earliest Times to Date

OBALORAN ILE-IFE TO OGUNDIGBARO IGBO-ORITA

1. Adekola Telu
2. Ajerohumu
3. Oganfenumodi
4. Ajikanmu
C. 1.300 To 1415

1. Oba Olumade Paarin C. 1415 – C.1505

2. Oba Olayilumi Oyinbo-Ade C. 1505 – C.1541

3. Oba Adegun-Odo C. 1550 – C.1610

4. Oba Olufate Gbaase C. 1610 – C.1673

5. Oba Adekanbi Alawusa C. 1673 – C.1744

6. Oba Ogunmakinde Ande C. 1744 – C.1816

7. Oba Muhamed Lamuye C. 1816 – C.1906

8. Oba Sunmonu Osunwo C. 1906 – C.1909

9. Oba Abimbola Lamuye C. 1909 – C.1929

10.Oba Seidu Adubiaran C. 1929 – C.1930

11.Oba Abanikanda Lamuye C. 1930 – C.1939

12. Oba Kosiru Ayinde C. 1939 – C.1949

13.Oba Adegoroye Ajayi C. 1952 – C.1957

14.Oba Samuel Abimbola C. 1957 – C. 1982

 15. Oba Ashiru Tadese C. 1992 To Date

Source: 2012 Fieldwork conducted by Prof. Siyan Oyeweso, the editor of this
book (emphasis on Oluwo whose names are connected with Islamic
introduction and expansion mine)

In the second category are prominent Muslim scholars, Imam and Islamic religious
leaders who equally contributed significantly to the development of Islam in
Iwoland. All the past and present Chief Imam (mentioned above), quarter and
compound Imam (Imam Ratibi) and other scholars of note in Iwoland belong to this
category of people. In this list are such people (non-Chief Imam) of modern period
as Alhaji S.A. Iromini and Baba Sanni, two of the founders of Ansar-Ud-Deen
Society in Iwoland; Alhaji Ahmad Muhaliyy Akanbi Badrudeen (the founder of Amin
Arabic Training Centre, Iwo and founder of National Council of Arabic School
Proprietors), H.O. Mustapha, Alhaji Awudeere, Sulayman Amin and Raimi Alaago
Bawa and so on who founded the “Egbe Omo Kewu Amin”. Other prominent
Muslim personalities of this era were Alhaji T.A. Iromini, Alhaji Adedimeji
Aroworeki, Alhaji Yunusa Idi Oke, Salimonu Iyalaje and Alhaji L.A.B. Katayeyanjue,
a great grandson of Oluwo Adekanbi Alawusa, who impacted greatly on Islamic
culture in Iwo and such other towns as Ode-Omu, Gbogan, Ikire, Apomu, Ibadan,
Ejirin, Ijede and Epe. Of particular importance among Islamic scholars in Iwo was
Sheikh Abdul Baaqi Muhammad, the Founder of Islahud-Deen Missionary
Association and Islahud-Deen Arabic School, Iwo. These people were at the
forefront of the establishment of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society beginning from the mid-
1940s.

In the contemporary time, some prominent Iwo Muslim scholars have also
written their names in gold when we talk of the expansion of Islam in Iwoland.
Among these are Alhaji Muhaliyy Adedimeji (founder of Shabab Islamic and Arabic
School), Alhaji Abdul Razak (founder of Thaqafiyyat Arabic and Islamic School,
Iwo), Alhaji Azani Akekewula (Imam of Ansar-Ud-Deen Mosque Iwo between 1962-
1984) and Alhaji Bilal Alimi Opeolopin (the current Imam of Ansar-Ud-Deen
Mosque, Iwo) and a host of others. As a matter of fact, several Iwo Muslims have
distinguished themselves in the propagation of Islam in different places within and
outside Iwoland and even beyond the shores of Nigeria. For instance, Alhaji Abdul
Waheed Ariyo, an Islamic Singer and Amir Shuarah of Nigeria (President of Islamic
Musicians Association of Nigeria) hails from Iwo. Other Iwo-born scholars also hold
positions of Imam, missioners, Amir, presidents and leaders of Islamic associations
in different parts of Nigeria. For instance, the current Chief Imam of Ansar-Ud-
Deen Society in Ile-Ife, Alhaji Abdul Hamid Misbaudeen is an indigene of Iwo. Such
examples abound in several other towns in Nigeria.

Apart from the categories of traditional rulers and Islamic scholars, several
political, social and economic elite of Iwo origin have also made landmark
contribution to the development of Islam in Iwoland. Some of these include Baba
Amoo Olowe, Aminu Iyalaje, Alasi Oweyo, Agbera Oriolowo, Nafiu Abulapa, Oseni
Atanda and so on. These were elites of the 1940s and 1950s in Iwo who witnessed
and made generous donations during the 1953/1954 Maulid Nabiyyi celebration of
Ansar-Ud-Deen at the front of the palace of Oluwo. The proceedings from the
occasion were used to establish the Ansar-Ud-Deen primary School, Araromi, Iwo
in 1953/1954.

Iwo community also parades a number of Muslim educated, political and

economic elite who are making waves in all sectors of the Nigerian national life and
who are also positively affecting the life of Islam in Iwo in particular and Nigeria as
a whole. Prominent among these people are Chief Abiola Ogundokun (Businessman
and Politician), Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Salinsile (Businessman), Alhaji Aremu
Otunba (Businessman), Alhaji Samo (Lagos and Iwo-based Businessman), Alhaji
Abdul Hamid Kulukulu (Cow Dealer); Alhaji Rasheed Idris Magaji (Steel Rolling
Company, Iwo) and Alhaji Liadi Tella (Of the National Hajj Commission and former
Chairman of Osun State Pilgrim Welfare Board) and a host of others too numerous
to mention here.

Perhaps, one of the most prominent Iwo Muslim political elite of the present
age is Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the current Secretary to the Government of the State
of Osun. He has, no doubt, contributed immensely to the development of Islam in
Iwoland in modern times. He is not a religious bigot but a true and dedicated
Muslim who does not discriminate on religious, ethnic or tribal affiliations.

Conclusion

This chapter has provided a brief re-assessment of the nature of introduction,

growth and development of Islam and Islamic religious activities in Iwoland. It is
found out in the chapter that Iwo is one of the most Islamised towns in
contemporary Yorubaland and that this is due to the pioneering role of some
traditional rulers and Islamic scholars of Iwo town who strove day and night to
ensure that Islam was firmly entrenched in the town. The chapter also gave a brief
account of the emergence of Islamic societies and associations in Iwoland and their
contributions to the spread and expansion of Islam and welfare of Muslims in
Iwoland. Another important aspect of the chapter is that it identified some Iwo
Muslim traditional, economic and political elite who have contributed to the
development of Islam in Iwo from inception up till today. The chapter concludes on
the note that the challenge before Iwo Muslim Community today is how to raise the
banners and frontiers of Islam in Iwo beyond the level attained by the pioneers of
Islam in the town and their immediate successors.
Notes and References

Gbadamosi, T.G.O., The Growth of Islam among the Yoruba (London: Longman, 1980);
Balogun, S.A., “Islam of Islam up to 1800” in Ikime, O., (ed.), Groundwork of Nigerian History
(Ibadan: Heinemann, 1980); Lawuyi, O.B., “Islam, Economy and Political Identity: An Insight
into Religious Identifications of the Yoruba” Ife: Annals of the Institute of Cultural Studies,
No. 6 (1995); Gbadamosi, T.G.O. and Junaid, M.O., “Islamic Culture and Development of
Nigeria” in Osuntokun, Akinjide and Olukoju, Ayodeji, (eds.), Nigerian Peoples and Cultures
(Lagos: Davidson Press, 1997).

I have emphasized this point in one of my recent articles. See Amusa Saheed Balogun,
“Syncretism in Yoruba Islamic Practices: A Study of the Resilience of Yoruba Culture” in Alao,
Akin, (ed.), Politics, Culture and Development in Nigeria: A Festschrift for Gabriel Olatunde
Babawale (Lagos: Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), 2011), pp.165-
184

Oyeweso, Siyan, Eminent Yoruba Muslims of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries (Ibadan: Rex
Charles and Connel, 1999), p.37

See “Iwo, Nigeria” available online at wikipedia-the free encyclopedia www.wikipedia.org

(Accessed on 26/03/2012

See A.G. Adebayo, “Origin and Development of Iwo to 1960” (B.A. Long Essay, Department
of History, University of Ife, 1979), p.2

Ibid.

Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic Training Centre, Iwo to
the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies” (M.A. Thesis, Department of Arabic and
Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, 2005)

Johnson, S., The History of the Yorubas from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the
British Protectorate (Lagos: CMS Bookshops, 1960), pp. 162-164

Gbadamosi, T.G.O., The Growth of Islam among the Yoruba (London: Longman, 1978)

El-Masri, F.H., “Islam in Ibadan” in Lloyd, P.C., Mabogunje, A.L. and Awe, A.B., (eds.), The
City of Ibadan (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967).

Balogun, S.A., “History of Islam up to 1800” in Ikime, O., (ed.), Groundwork of Nigerian
History (Ibadan: Heinemann, 1980), p.20
Ibid.

I.B. Akinyele, Iwe Itan Ibadan ati Agbegbe Re (Ibadan: Board Publication, 1981), p.290

I.O. Wale-Akinyemi, “Ansar-Ud-Deen Society in Iwo” (NCE Long Essay, Department of

Religious Studies, Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa, 1983), p.6

For details, see Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic Training
Centre, Iwo to the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies”, pp.8-11

Ibid., pp.13-14

J.A. Atanda, (ed.), W.H. Clarke, Travels and Explorations in Yorubaland, 1854-1858 (Ibadan:
University of Ibadan Press, 1975), pp.97-98

For details on the contributions of Oluwo Momodu Lamuye to the development of Islam in
Iwo, see Oyeweso, Siyan, Eminent Yoruba Muslims of the 19 th and Early 20th Century, pp.34-
46

Ibid., p.34. See also Government of Oyo State, Iwo: Oyo State Town Series (Ibadan: Ministry
of Information, 1977), p.1

His name is conspicuously missing in the List of Imam of Iwo as compiled by both Sheikh
Muslim Mukaddam Hussain Akinola, “Oruko Awon Imam Agba Ile Iwo” and Qasim Abdul
Quadri and Tawadiu Adeoye, “Islam ni Ilu Iwo”.

See William, H. Lewis, “Islam: A Rising Tide in Tropical Africa”, The Review of Politics, 19, No.
4 (1957), p. 454

Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic Training Centre, Iwo to
the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies”, p.13

Ibid., p.14

Ibid., p.15

I.O. Wale-Akinyemi, “Ansar-Din Society in Iwo”, p.10

Ibid.,p.11

Ibid.

T.G.O. Gbadamosi, A Chronology of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, 1923-2009 (Lagos:

Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, nd), pp.327-328
 See “The Spread of Ahmadiyyat in Nigeria: Early Period: Iwo Mission” available online at
http://www.ahmadiyyang.org (Accessed on May 29, 2012)

Kabir Alabi Garba and Tunji Omofoye, “Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Baaqi Muhammed, passes on
at 95” The Guardian, Tuesday July 26, 2011

For details on the applications of Shariah by the Islahud-Deen Missionary Association, A.K.
Makinde, “The Institution of Shariah in Oyo and Osun States, 1890-2005” (Unpublished
Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan, 2007)

Qasim Abdul Quadri and Tawadiu Adeoye, “Islam ni Ilu Iwo” Al-Hudah Yoruba Publication
(nd), p.3

Muslim Mukaddam Hussain Akinola, “Oruko Awon Imam Agba Ile Iwo” (A Private Paper)

Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic Training Centre, Iwo to
the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies”, p.21

For some details on the activities and achievements of Jamat Taawunil Islam Movement of
Nigeria, see the official website at http://www.taawunuonline.net

Akibu Azeez Oyesola, “The Role and Contributions of Amin Arabic Training Centre, Iwo to
the Development of Arabic and Islamic Studies”, p.22

Ibid., p.6

For details, See Mukaddam Husaeni Akinola, “Itan Die Nipa Igbesi Aye Oluko Agba Shaikh
A.B. Muhammad” (A Private Paper, 2004)

I.O. Wale-Akinyemi, “Ansar-Ud-Deen Society in Iwo”, p.14

Oral Interview with Alhaji Sheikh Abdul Hamid Misbaudeen, an indigene of Iwo and Chief
Imam/Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Ile-Ife Branch (21/05/2012)