Historical Overview of the Socio-Religious Activities during the Month of Ramadan in Ilorin in the 20th Century

Abstract

Ramadan as one of the pillars of Islam played pivotal roles in the socioreligious life of Muslims. It is an interesting culture and way of life of Muslims because of the variety of socio-religious practices that make the month historic. Ilorin being a Muslim stronghold welcomes Ramadan with joyous mood because of the numerous socio-religious activities and the economic impacts of the month on the residents of Ilorin as a whole. Ramadan in Ilorin in the 20th century was full of activities starting from the preparations for its arrival with the middle-age pupils building symbolic mosques, washing or buying new food serving plates by women. The sighting of the crescent and commencement of Ramadan was announced by the Emir of Ilorin through his servants by beating royal drum and trumpet round the city, signifying the Emir’s authority to start fasting. This paper examines the various socio-religious activities of Muslims in Ilorin during the month of Ramadan in the 20th century with emphasis on socio-religious activities in the morning, evening and night. It will also examine the economic impacts of Ramadan in Ilorin. The method of research and information gathering used are secondary source and primary source mostly derived from interviews conducted with Islamic clerics, old and young men and women in Ilorin community.