This is a coinage of our 2 holy books- The Holy Quran and the Bible. There are many other Holy Books, but those 2 books are the prominent ones in our country.
In Islam, the infidels or Kuffr are those who do not subscribe to the tenets of Islamic faith. Christians are not regarded by the Holy Quran and Islam as infidels even though they don’t subscribe to the tenets of Islam. They are referred to as ” polytheists” because of their belief in Trinity.
Kuffr are the infidels because they do not believe in the existence of Allah and his prophets. Also, they do not believe in the day of judgement. They are what we know in common parlance as Pagans.
We also have the “Munafeqeen” who are even worse than the infidels. They are pretenders and or impostors who profess to believe in Allah and the Prophets whereas their conducts and behaviours are exactly opposite of what they profess.
Speaking for myself , pagans and atheists are not the same.
Nigerian Muslims and Christians are fond of referring to non-practitioners of their faiths as pagans and those they majorly referred to as pagans and infidels in Nigeria are our traditional worshippers. Our various traditional religions as far as I am concerned are not neither pagans nor infidels, but they are adherents of whatever they believe in.
We Africans have serious problems and they are complex problems. How can we allow foreign religions to subjugate and subvert our own religions to the extent that they have been blacklisted and labelled as idol worshippers and infidels. We worshipped and served God ( Eledumare) before the introduction of Islam and Christianity into Nigeria. The only difference is that our modes of worshipping God is different from theirs.
We as Africans always feel inferior because same way that we were tricked and or indoctrinated to throw our traditional religions was the same manner we are doing away with our identities,languages, food, clothing and many other things that we are noted for or associated with. So sad and unfortunate.
I will use the story of Prophet Ibraheem (PBOH) or Abraham to drive home my point.
Prophet Ibraheem or Abraham is described by both Islam and Christianity as the Father of faith because he redeemed his pledge to Allah or God that if God should give him a Son , he would offer the Son as a sacrifice to God or Allah. He kept that vow he made with Allah or God. He tried to slaughter his Son in obedience to Allah or God but it was said that Allah or God was pleased with his absolute faith and loyalty that He produced a live ram in replacement of his Son. The Son was thus saved and the ram was slaughtered in replacement.
Let’s converse that story of Prophet Ibraheem or Abraham with that of the Ile-Ife heroine, Moremi who bravely undertook to rescue her people from the Ugbo marauders who were regularly invading Ile -Ife then and were always looting the town and also took them as slaves.
Before Moremi surrendered herself as captive of the Ugbo marauders, she went to River Esinmirin and vowed or pledged with the god or goddess of Esinmirin that if she should make her mission successful, she would give Esinmirin whatever it may ask of her.
Esinmirin told her that her mission would be successful, but that she must offer as sacrifice to it anything that first came out from her home to wellcome her on the way.
When she returned from Ugboland after a very successful mission, her only Son who had been bedridden since she left for Ugboland suddenly and mysteriously became well and rushed out to wellcome her mother on hearing of her heroic return.
Moremi felt very sad ,but in keeping faith with her vow or pledge to Esinmirin, she took her only child, the Son to Esinmirin river and threw her into the river in fulfilment of her pledge or vow.
I want very sound Muslims and Christians to please enlighten and educate me on the difference between the stories of Prophet Ibraheem or Abraham and that of Moremi.
Why will history applauded Prophet Ibraheem or Abraham as a Believer and another history will adjudge Moremi as a pagan or infidel?
The second question that I need enlightenment on is – What was or is the religion of Prophet Ibraheem or Abraham that His God will demand for slaughtering of human being as offering?
Thanks.
Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo Esq. is the Asiwaju of Ita-Ege and Idi-Aro, Ward 5 of Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.
He’s a former Attorney General of Oyo state. Reach him via +234 8181 5858 48 ( WhatsApp only) or E-mail: adebayoojo90@gmail.com
