hajia

Believe it or not Maulud is now a big deal in KT. Bigger than the two Eids (Sallahs) combined. Yes, bigger, much bigger. What might be the cause of this? A little history is necessary here.

About two decades ago Izala (aka JIBWIS) came into being and it wasted no time in knocking off several activities and practices they deem un-Islamic. The list of such things is long and includes Wazifa, lehe, music, bowing down to greet parents, and of course celebrating the Maulud. Note that in Daura, Maulud had always been celebrated by way of Sallar Gani. In Katsina, Izala held sway somehow and people stuck to what they pontificated. Things broke loose however when the ban on music was scuttled by none other than the governor. Music was allowed during the marriage ceremony of his daughter. Many heaved a sigh of relief and quickly reverted to the old ways with vengeance. Musicians came out of hiding as invitations for performances tripled for all occasions.

But in no area was the response as massive as in Maulud celebrations. It started imperceptibly wth a few Islamic schools controlled by local Darika sect in Katsina but quickly spread to similar schools like a wild fire. Soon enough the Islamiyyas in rural areas were also brought to the fold. The celebration was carried out in sallah fashion and followed particular routes that converged at the central Mosque. Some were said to have converged at Kangiwa square.

This year’s main Maulud celebration took place on Sunday, April 8 and was essentially a long march by men, women, boys and girls from Polo ground. These people carried all sorts of musical instruments and chanted religious songs as they walked the odd 5 or so kilometres. They were organised in contingents based on their respective schools. And they wore different colourful costumes and displayed different musical insruments. I was amazed by the commitment of these people considering the fact that none of them received payment for the effort. Compare this with sallah for which millions are spent on the logistics and sundry payments to horsemen, musicians, performers, etc.

No doubt there is an organisation behind this even if it is not all that efficient in planning the marches. This adequately explains the different dates of the marches or celebrations. It also explains the different routes and different convergence points. And the biggest of all is the absence of a personality to greet the different contingents at the end of the march.

Without doubt Maulud is a crowd puller and in this regard it rivals Sallah in all respects. The sheer crowd and the entertaining marchers all combine to provide a carnival-like atmosphere. And people of all shades of religious beliefs loved that. The crowd that lined the routes looked happy and eagerly waited to see more and more groups passing by with their unique displays.

The state government must have been surprised at the popularity of the Maulud celebrations. The emirate council on the other hand must be sore at this new development and they may be thinking of ways to get a piece of the action. In a few years time we shall see what happens: whether the government comes in to regulate these Maulud marches for the good of everybody or the emirate council hijacks the celebrations in order to consolidate their hold on the people.

# posted by hajia @ 9:11 am