Reciprocal Influence between Islam and Bantu Culture: The Baganda

ExperienceBeing a conference paper to be delivered at the 2ND CONGRESS ON “ISLAMIC CIVILISATION IN

SOUTHERN AFRICA” (DURBAN, 4-6 MARCH 2016)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umar Ahmad Kasule

The Baganda and Bantu

• Baganda are one of the major ethnic groups of the greater Bantu family that settled in the lake Victoria basin

• They followed the northernmost route of Bantu migration from Cameroon through the Congo and settled on the northern shores of Lake Victoria occupying the fertile lands thereof.

Map showing Bantu Migration pattern

The Baganda and Bantu cont’d

• They established a monarchical rule that survived for over 1000 years till 1962

• They were the first Bantu, ipso facto the first local ethnic group, to accept Islam from the Arab traders in the region

• Their centralized political organization was a significant factor in allowing Islamization process

The Baganda and Bantu cont’d

• The first Baganda Muslims enjoyed a favorable position in Buganda

• They even once had a Muslim king (Muteesa I) who made the first attempt to Islamize Baganda culture beginning with the royals

• Arrival of the Christian colonialists disadvantaged the early Muslim community in Buganda

Baganda/Islamic culture

• In this discussion culture should be understood from three broad dimensions namely:

1. As a linguistic expression

2. As an ontological expression

3. As a behavioral expression and (this is the core of our concern)

• Both cultures; the Baganda and the Islamic are known to be rich the above aspects

Baganda/Bantu linguistic expression

• The most obvious cultural dimension that defines Baganda as Bantu is linguistic,

• Their use of ‘ntu’ even in definition of themselves or things surrounding them or even ideas, is quite revealing e.g. the first Muganda was called Kintu, and the Baganda are also called “baana ba Kintu” children of Kintu and therefore “tuli bantu” we are people,

Linguistic expression cont’d

• It can be rightly argued that the term Bantuamong the Baganda is a short form of “Baanaba Kintu” where the other two terms “Baanaand ba…” are silenced into “Bantu”. Other expressions include:

• “abantu bonna” all mankind, “ebintu byaffe” our things, “ekintu ekikulu” the major idea, “obuntu bulamu” humaneness etc

Baganda ontological expression

• At the ontological dimension, the above linguistic expression puts the being of people (abantu) and all other things (ebintu) away and apart from Allah’s being

• This presupposes an acknowledgement of Allah as being one, without plurality and without likeness because all the Baganda terms that refer to God, Allah do not have “ntu” in them

Ontology Cont’d

• I have not yet come across a specific name for Allah nor a term that stands for his essence (dhat) among the Baganda

• Rather they refer to Allah by way of attributes such as “Katonda” the creator (al-khaaliqu), “liiso ddene” the ever seeing (al-baswiir), “Namugereka” the orginator (al-mubdi’u), “Ddunda” the maintainer (al-muqiit) e.t.c

Baganda Behavioral expression

• Baganda behavioral dimensions include: worship and prayer, economic practices, power and influence, aesthetics, individual and society relations, and technology

• Our concern is in aspects of death, funeral and marriage customs which actually cut across all the above dimensions

• Similar dimensions are also richly found in the Islamic tradition

The Baganda on death

• The Baganda understanding of death is expressed in no better terms than their proverbs such as:

1. “sekiriba kya ttaka: mpaawo atalikyambala” meaning; the garment of clay (i.e the grave):every body is obliged to put it on

2. “okufa si ngombo, nti eridiba” meaning: death is not a fashion (about which one may say) it will soon fall into disuse.

Baganda on death cont’d

3. “olumbe musolo: teruddukwa gyerukusangagy’owera” meaning; death is like tax: its inescapable, where you meet it: there you pay.

4. “olumbe terutta bumu” meaning death does not occur in one way.

• Those proverbs give meaning to death at the ontological level

Baganda on death Cont’d

• At the behavioral level, death is understood to be the physical and material separation of the dead from the living.

• The dead continue living in a spiritual realm, for the soul is immortal

• The Baganda burry the body (omulambo) and not the person (omuntu)

Baganda on death Cont’d

• The living dead (though in a spiritual form) are always remembered e.g. mourning, installing an heir, omuzimu, etc

• The Baganda believe in life after death though not in terms of jannah and naar, they believe in happiness and sadness of the righteous and the evil respectively in the hereafter

Baganda on funeral

• The Baganda burry their dead as a communal ritual. Nobody buries a person alone or with his/her family only without raising suspicion

• They wash the dead body before burial

• They shroud the body in special bark-cloth

• They burry the dead without property for they believe the spiritual world is incorporeal

Baganda on funeral cont’d

• They mourn their dead for a given time depending on the closeness of the deceased to a particular living person

• During the mourning period particular conduct is expected to be observed especially by children and spouse e.g. no sexual intercourse, no working, wearing “amafuvu”

Baganda on funeral cont’d

• The climax of Baganda’s behavior towards the dead are the last funeral rites

• They are meant to end the mourning period

• Baganda Muslims have brought this within Islamic practice

• They recite the Qur’an overnight, pray for the dead, give sermons about righteousness and invoke Allah’s mercy and blessings on the dead

Baganda on funeral cont’d

• Though last funeral rights is culturally more common among Baganda, non-Baganda Muslims in Uganda have adopted the practice e.g Basoga and Banyoro

• Even non-Bantu communities such as the Nubians who are Sudanic or Nilo-Saharans have with time adopted this practice

• This is a Bantu influence on Islam

Baganda on funeral cont’d

• Islam, however has influenced the Baganda more than the Baganda have influenced it

• Mulambuzi claimed “ traditional religions have to a larger extent influenced the current shape of both religions. There are more traces of traditional religious practices in these religions than traces of Christianity and Islam in Baganda old beliefs and practices” (Mulambuzi, 1997:76)

• This is inaccurate and exaggerated

Baganda on funeral

• Islam has massively influenced the Baganda practices on burial and funeral rites

• The Baganda no longer use bark-cloth to shroud their dead they use white sheets

• They no longer wash their dead with banana fiber, they use water mixed with perfume

• They sing tahliil hymes when taking their dead for burial

Baganda on funeral

• They bury their dead facing the qibla at Mecca

• Women don’t mix with other mourners and so they don’t approach the grave during burial

• The last funeral rites are imported into Islam eliminating that which is contrary to the religion

• The Qur’an has taken center stage in respect of funeral proceedings as well as remembrance of the dead

The Baganda on Marriage

• Baganda marry for three reasons:

1. Morality

2. Sex, initiation (manhood and not womanhood)

3. Procreation

• Virgins are celebrated and rewarded

• Promiscuity is punishable and condemned

• Inability to produce children can lead to dissolution of a marriage

Baganda on marriage cont’d

• Baganda boys and girls are prepared for marriage

• More attention is given to the girls than to boys

• Girls preparation ranges from body modification to appropriate conduct as a wife

• The paternal aunties and maternal uncles do the training of girls and boys respectively

Baganda marriage cont’d

• The premarital training of both presupposes virginity by the age of marriage (morality)

• The man or boy pays the girls’ family when asking for the girl’s hand

• Once the payment is done the girl acquires a new family where she will start new life (mother of children)

Baganda marriage cont’d

• It’s the responsibility of the man to provide for the family

• It’s the wife’s duty to carry out household chores

• Both share in the provision of food, which they cultivate together

• Husband is the owner of the family and all property

Baganda marriage cont’d

• Baganda men are polygamous

• Many women are considered a source of labour (compare with prophetic hadith where a man complained of little means and prophet advised him to marry a second wife)

• The larger the family the more the prestige of a man in society

Conclusion

• Islam has immensely influenced the Baganda or Bantu culture

• The Baganda too influenced Islamic practices such as the reading of the Qur’an

• What many scholars some times refer to as Islamization of indigenous culture could be understood as Africanization of Islam and hence the reciprocal process

The End

Thank you