Project

Sufi Arabic Poetry among Tijaniyyah Scholars in Ilorin Emirate, Nigeria

Program

African Humanities Program Dissertation Fellowships

Department

Education

Abstract

Since inception, Ilorin Emirate has been a center of Islam with many Sufists. Due to inadequate knowledge, dearth of materials, and the difficult nature of the Sufi Arabic literature, Sufism suffers misunderstanding and neglect. Earlier works on Sufism in Ilorin are not holistic, instead concentrating on individuals and their works and further compounding this poor understanding. This project aims to correct this by study Sufism in a holistic and simplified way. It relies on interviews conducted among Sufists and non-Sufists using the ''General Analytical Method,” and includes histories of Sufism, the establishment of Ilorin Emirate, the development of Sufi literature, as well as contents as well Sufi poetry itself.