In the last piece, we started off with some of the absurdities in Isese Worship the new Yoruba nationalists want to drag us to, or make the sensible ones in the society remain quiet over.
Yes their plot is to make it 'live and let's live' on the least, on the mantra of freedom of religion most of human legal contraptions claim to ensure.
For the umpteenth time, the Muslims have never forced the Isese worshipers to Islam neither have they inhibited them from their worship. However the Muslims have the right of counselling their fellow Muslims about prevailing idolatry practices in the society.
It is however the Isese worshippers who are trying to make everyone comply to its Oro and Egungun restrictions, and saying the Muslims among the Yorubas must first pay allegiance to Isese before anything. This is an affront on Islam and everything it stands upon.
Isese worship embodies a lot of esoteric worldviews that make the society tread in fear and trepidation.
We doubt which government laws will allow some people trade in parts of their fellow human beings.
The last time we checked, those human laws, with their obvious limitations, still proscribe associating oneself to a secret society. Eye, Aiye, Buckaneer fraternities, etc, are all outlawed in the country. No doubt that those cult groups make use of Isese methods in their modus operandi.
Ogboni cult is one of those Yoruba secret cult groups that is deep seated in Isese worship. This cult is the most dreaded in any given Yoruba society where Isese is in vogue. It is believed that many highly placed people belong to this cult. So. It is an African Freemasonry group of a sort.
It is believed that if an ogboni member dies, his people have special burial rites they would carry out for him after everyone is gone. They often sever such person's head in that ritual, as said.
Oro cult is another secret society among the Yorùbás under the auspices of fueled Isese.
This Oro cult is the type that in which its devotees affect the peace of the town when being observed.
During the event, there used to be Isede (restriction of movements) especially for women and kids. They say it is a taboo for women to see it. Those who defy this order are often dealt with in a brutal way. Human disappearances is not a strange thing during Oro Festival. The matter is so saddening such that these Oro people are difficult to apprehend. The security people dread them too.
Several governments have tried to curtail their excesses through legislations but to no serious effect. Ogun State is an example. Oro cults thrive in the state unabated. There were reports of Oro people attacking the Muslims in their mosques at Ipokia area of Ogun State. Similar attacks occurred at Ile Ife some months ago.
Ekinmogun celebrations in Ondo Town is one of those Isese aberrations we are talking about here. It used to be a week long event that draws the indigenes from far and wide. Usually a fanfare of show of several magical acts, and a lot of slaughters of dogs for Ogun, the god of iron.
The Yorubas believe that Ogun is the god that takes care of all the iron and steel of this world. It is a merciless god. A god that has water at home but uses blood for his bath, had cloths but uses palm fronds as cover!
Most of human sacrifices the Yorubas do are for Ogun. You will see public transport drivers swearing by Ogun. They say 'May Ogun kill him if he is lying'. Quite unfortunate that many unsuspecting Muslims engage in such acts thinking it is normal.
If you trade in iron, the ogun worshippers would always invite you to worship ogun for the progress in your job, and to avert accident for you. Many people always succumb to this threat.
Aje - god of trading - is another god most Yorubas swear with. You will hear them say, 'Aje Å„ gbá»Ì', 'Aje o gbé wa o', 'Aje owa o.' A subconscious act of polytheism many Muslims are guilty of today.
There is also a Sango, their god of thunder. Some people worship him and believe he can harm their adversaries when they invoke him. He was once an Aláà fin of Oyo who commited a suicide. He Oya - the godess of River Niger - was his wife.
The period of Egungun festivals is that period Yorubas live in fear. Egungun versus Egungun clashes used to be very bloody. You would recall Egungun festival was temporarily banned in Ibadan this year after clashes between these people brought fear to that axis of Ibadan where it is celebrated.
Alapansapa and Oloolu are examples of Egunguns of Ibadan that turn the city upside down. There is this tradition that Alapansapa must beat Olubadan (King of Ibadan) with Atori three times in his palace for the peace to reign in Ibadan! We hope the practice has stopped.
It is a taboo for women to sight many of these Egunguns. Women who defy that are usually severely punished.
The Egunguns are believed to be the spirits of the departed souls. They call them ara á»rùn kà n-kà n-ki.
The Agemo festival of Ìjẹ̀bú is another traditional aberration not to talk of Eyo Festival in Isale Eko (Lagos Island).
The standpoint of Islam is that all these practices are against its tenets. Muslims who partake in them are not Muslims even if they still attend the masjid or go on hajj.
The foundation of one's Islam is the absolute belief in Laa ilaa ha illa Allaah (that there is none worthy of true worship except Allaah). If that foundation is faulty other parts are faulty. This is the Islam of some people in Yorùbáland today. Talk Muslim by name, we are in the majority, but by substance we are in the minority. May Allaah safeguard us.
Yes many people will not openly partake in these kufr acts but they let them slide by and they are most often carried away by the fanfare associated with them.
Yorubaland is a fertile ground for Islam to grow. Alhamdulillah the structures are there. Masaajid are here and there but the problem lies in what these masaajid are churning out of the correct message of Islam. The message of Tawheed is still lacking in many of the masaajid.
One of the problems of Islam in Yorùbáland has been those who ascribe themselves to Islamic knowledge but who are practically like the Isese worshippers or their partners in crime.
The next and final is going to address that Inshaa Allaah.
