Islam Among The Menji Community In Ghana

Abstract

The folk wisdom says, ‘the nation which forgets its history is forced to repeat the same mistakes’. Islam got enhanced in Menji after the resettlement of some Muslims from Begho when the city was collapsed. Most literature traced the origins, spread and development of Islam in modern Ghana to Begho. Some gaps have been identified in the literary works reviewed. Since the Menji Muslims started practising Islam, what has been the influence of the religion on the socio-cultural lives of the Muslims? Thus, the study was set to explore the history and influence of Islam in Menji Community. Therefore, the design used for this research was a historical research based on conceptual framework of Tarikh. In selecting the sample for the interview, this study made use of the purposive sampling in order to select people who could respond appropriately to the questionnaires. These sampling procedures have been a conduit to relevant information on the history and influence of Islam in the study area. Different groups of people were purposively and randomly selected. These included Muslim Chiefs, Queen Mothers Linguists, ʼaʼimah, ᶜUlamāh, women and men groups, Youth groups and practitioners of African Indigenous Religion. The key findings from the research showed that the Ligbi ethnic group in the study area dominates the Muslim population in Menji. The Ligbi (Banda) forms an integral part of the Mande speaking ethnic groups. Also, the study revealed that Menji was one of communities established after the collapse of ancient Begho, a Muslim trade centre in the Bono Region of Ghana. From time immemorial, Islam has remained the predominant religion in the community. The Muslims in Menji have kept the faith and practice of Islam unwavering. The overall influence of Islam on Menji Muslims has been tremendous in terms of religious and socio-cultural lives. Key among the recommendations made was for Muslim parents to change their attitude towards secular education and provide their wards with secular education. This will enable them compete favourably for employment and other opportunities in the present-day-society. The study concludes that Muslim scholars should take up their Islamic duty of propagating the faith through logical and peaceful means and do so in conformity with new technologies. This is because Islam is a religion, if presented well and constantly through the right channels it will enhance the faith of the adherents and win the hearts of many non-Muslims.