A Drummer's Testament
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Christianity and Islam; types of Muslims; Naa Zanjina and the introduction of Islam; the benefits of Islam; obligations of faith; prayer; the role of maalams; types of Muslims; areas of Muslim concentration in Dagbon; Muslim elders
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Supplementary material
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Contents outline and links by paragraph
Introduction: religious divisions in Dagbon
- 1. many Dagbamba are Muslims; typical Dagbamba follow the gods; Christians are separate and more presence in South and Asante
- 2. Prophet Muhammad more important than Prophet Issa; no trust of Christians but no argument
- 3. Christian presence in Dagbon is increasing with typical non-Muslim Dagbamba in villages
- 4. Muslim religion is increasing more; many young people learning to read Arabic
- 5. Muslim religion has many talks; differences compared to drumming talks
- 6. Muslim preachings have differences; Muslim groups; rely on Holy Qur'an and Hadith
How the Muslim religion came to Dagbon
- 7. Naa Gbewaa not Muslim; list of chiefs who followed the gods; Naa Zanjina brought the Muslim religion
- 8. first Muslims came during Naa Tutuɣri's time; Wangara and Arab maalams were at Larabanga
- 9. during Naa Zanjina's time, Hausa maalams were in Mossi and Mamprusi; drummers show that Naa Zanjina traveled to Hausa land and learned to pray
- 10. Islam attained significant presence under Naa Zanjina; Hausa maalams
Benefits of the Muslim religion
- 11. the Holy Qur'an; Lahilori: Muslim teachings on correct living
- 12. the Muslim way of marrying and bringing a woman to one's house
- 13. the naming day of a child; gathering of friends and families; role of maalams
- 14. the Ramadan fasting
- 15. the pilgrimage to Mecca; some children attend university in Muslim countries
- 16. the Muslim way of performing funerals with prayers
- 17. slaughtering of animals
- 18. giving alms and having pity for others
- 19. the respect of Naa Zanjina for bringing Islam to Dagbon
- 20. the benefits of Islam are uncountable; chieftaincy, marriage, slaughtering animals, not to eat pork or to drink, not to sacrifice to the buɣa, not to commit adultery
- 21. Islam and maalams have role in many aspects of life
Learning to read
- 22. a Muslim must be aware of God role in everything; should fear God by not doing bad things
- 23. learning to read; Arabic school
- 24. send children to a maalam to learn to read Arabic; difficult to older person to study and learn
Maalams' work
- 25. one who becomes learned in reading can become a maalam; benefits and gets respect
- 26. praying is the work of maalams; prayers support and help people; maalams give advice
- 27. maalams whose prayers are effective get followers and earnings; what makes a good maalam
Differences among Muslims
- 28. long-term Muslim families; mainly Hausa maalams' families; wives stay in house
- 29. prayer is more important than reading
- 30. someone who prays can know Muslim religion more than someone who reads
- 31. no restrictions on entering Islam or learning to pray; no separation like Dagbamba occupations; anyone can join
Prayer
- 32. should clean oneself before praying; preparing one's heart to pray
- 33. the five prayers during the day; their names in Dagbon; also sit and add other prayers
- 34. Zumma: the Friday prayers
- 35. festival prayers after Ramadan fast
- 36. general prayers; importance of praying with others
Islam in Dagbon
- 37. Dagbamba pray more than other groups in Ghana; difficult to know if more Dagbamba pray or follow the gods
- 38. classifying Dagbamba Muslims: those who pray, those who read; those who have full faith; those who pray outnumber those who can read
- 39. Nanton, Savelugu, Kumbungu: prayers are more than readers; only few typical Dagbamba
Muslim towns and towns where many follow the gods of the land
- 40. some Dagbamba who pray to gods of the land and family gods also pray Muslim prayers; not included as Muslims
- 41. some towns have both those who pray and those who sacrifice to buɣa and baɣyuya; example: Tolon
- 42. Tolon, Tampion, Galiwe, Karaga, Gushegu are god-towns; Tamale, Kumbungu, Savelugu, Nanton are Muslim towns
- 43. in eastern Dagbon, many Konkombas who don't pray; prayers are in the town and villagers are for the gods; Sunson, Gushegu, Piong, Sakpiegu, Demon, Kunkon
- 44. Yelizoli townspeople pray, villagers are Konkombas; same with Korli and Wariboggo
- 45. Kpatinga, Yamolkaraga, Gaa have more prayers
- 46. Yendi townspeople pray; villagers are Konkombas and Kambonsi; not many Kambonsi pray, except in Diari
- 47. Mion and its villages Kpabiya and Guunsi pray more; Sang and Salankpang pray; Zakpalisi prayers are fewer in number; Jimli and Tijo are for buɣa; Tugu has more who pray
- 48. Tamale has more people who pray, but nearby villages are for the gods
- 49. Nanton, Ziong, and Nantonkurugu people pray and many read
- 50. Voggo and Jegbo pray, but not Kasuliyili; Lungbunga people pray; Diari people pray
Muslim elders and their origins and roles
- 51. many Muslim elders; Limam, Naayimi, and Yɛri-Naa in many towns; Kamshe-Naa is senior, at Kamshegu; under Kamshe-Naa are Walga-Naa and Yidan Chim
- 52. Yendi Muslim elders: Yendi Limam, Yidan Kambara, Ʒeemoli, Yidan Moli, Yidan Korimoli, Yidan Tahamoli, Maalam Albarka, Yidan Asachia, Mandaha-Naa, Yidan Kaafa, Yidan Kaama
- 53. Yɛri-Naa bathes dead bodies
- 54. maalams from different places: Kambara-Naa are Wangaras but originally Arabs; also Mossis
- 55. most Muslim elders are Hausas; Kambara's house and Mandaha-Naa are Wangaras; Yidan Moli, Ʒeemoli, Korimoli, Tahamoli are Mossis; Kamshe-Naa and others are Hausas
- 56. Kamshe-Naa and starting of Kamshegu; senior Muslim elder
- 57. people traveled in olden days; Naa Zanjina himself traveled; Hausa maalams the main influence
Conclusion
- 58. transition to the talk of the pilgrimage to Mecca
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Proverbs and Sayings
Our everything is inside the Muslim religion.
As we Dagbamba call the name of God in everything we do, that is why we who are following the Muslim religion do our everything inside it.
It is good that you know there is God, and you will fear God.
What a child will learn easily, for an old person to learn it is difficult.
When an old man enters Arabic school, when he wants to read, thoughts will come into his heart.
The learning of an old person is difficult.
As for a child, the only thing worrying him is to eat and be satisfied.
If somebody learns work and doesn't learn it well, he doesn't gain from it. But the one who learns his work well, whatever work he is doing will be benefiting him. That is the way of the whole world.
It is someone who prays who is called a Muslim,
The Holy Qur'an is like the foundation of a house, and so it is good when you are following the Muslim religion and you know how to read the Holy Qur'an.
God says that we should beg Him; and He says again that if we beg Him, He will give us.
God only wants the prayers, and that is how it is.
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Dagbani words and other search terms
- Muslim elders
- Asachia, Yidan Asachia
- Kambara-Naa, Yidan Kambara
- Kamshe-Naa
- Korimoli, Yidan Korimoli
- Limam
- Maalam Albarka
- Mandaha-Naa
- Naayimi
- Tahamoli, Yidan Tahamoli
- Walga-Naa
- Yeri-Naa (Yɛri-Naa)
- Yendi Limam
- Yidan Chim
- Yidan Kaafa
- Yidan Kaama
- Yidan Moli
- Zohe Limam
- Zheemoli (Ʒeemoli)
- Muslim terms
- adiini munaafichi
- afa, alifa, afanima
- Ahmadiyya
- Alhaji
- Allah Akubaru
- al-mumin
- Awuzu
- Azafari
- chefira (chɛfira)
- Eid'
- Iddi
- Ishai
- Lahilori
- Lahisari
- maalam, maalams
- Magarbi
- moli
- mori
- mumin
- Munchiri
- Naafila
- Naawunyerba (Naawunyɛrba)
- Subaai
- walga
- yizibli
- Zumma
- Chiefs of Yendi
- Naa Briguyomda
- Naa Darizhegu (Naa Dariʒɛɣu)
- Naa Daturli
- Naa Dimani
- Naa Gbewaa
- Naa Luro
- Naa Nagalogu (Naa Naɣalɔɣu)
- Naa Ninmitooni (Naa Niŋmitooni)
- Naa Nyagsi (Naa Nyaɣsi)
- Naa Shitobu (Naa Shitɔbu)
- Naa Siglinitobu (Naa Siɣlinitobu)
- Naa Tutugri (Naa Tutuɣri)
- Naa Yenzoo
- Naa Zagli (Naa Zaɣli)
- Naa Zanjina
- Naa Zolgu (Naa Zɔlgu)
- Naa Zulandi
- Naa Zunzon (Naa Zunzoŋ)
- Yaa-Naa
- Chiefs and titled persons
- Asantehene
- Demon-Naa
- Gushe-Naa
- Kamo-Naa
- Kari-Naa (Karaga-Naa)
- Korli-Naa
- Kumbun-Naa
- Mamprugulana
- Mionlana
- Nanton-Naa
- Pionglana
- Sabali Yeri-Naa (Sabali Yɛri-Naa)
- Sampahi-Naa
- Sunson-Naa
- Tolon-Naa
- Wulana
- Yelizolilana
- Names and people
- Abukari Moro
- Diari Kamo-Naa Kalim
- Holy Prophet Muhammad
- Holy Qur'an
- Kissmal (Ibrahim Hussein)
- Prophet Ibrahim
- Prophet Issa
- Sang Sampahi-Naa Ibrahim (Alhassan)
- Miscellaneous terms
- amaliya
- awusa
- bagyuli, bagyuya (baɣyuli, baɣyuya)
- boligu
- bugli, buga (buɣli, buɣa)
- cedi
- chim
- Chimsi
- Dagbani
- Damba
- houseshrines
- jinwarba
- Kambonsi
- pong (pɔŋ)
- pesewa, pesewas
- Ramadan
- sapashini
- tindana
- walga
- zabla
- Towns and places
- Bimbila
- Boligunawusaa
- Dagbon
- Damongo
- Demon
- Diari
- Gaa
- Galiwe
- Gushegu
- Guunsi
- Jegbo
- Jimli
- Kakpaguyili
- Kamshegu
- Karaga
- Kasuliyili
- Korli
- Kpabiya
- Kpatinga
- Kumasi
- Kumbungu
- Kunkon
- Larabanga
- Lungbunga
- Mion
- Nanton
- Nantonkurugu
- Piong
- Sabali
- Sakpiegu
- Salankpang
- Savelugu
- Sunson
- Tampion
- Tijo
- Tolon
- Tugu
- Voggo
- Wariboggo
- Yaan' Dabari
- Yamolkaraga
- Yelizoli
- Yendi
- Yong Dagbooshe
- Yong Dakpemayili
- Zakpalisi
- Ziong
- Cultural groups
- Ashanti, Ashantis
- Dagbamba
- Gonja
- Hausa, Hausas
- Konkomba, Konkombas
- Larabawa, Larabansi
- Mamprusi, Mamprusis
- Mossi, Mossis
- Wangara, Wangaras