Features
Festivals and human stomachs
Festivals are supposed to be an important part of our lives such that once in every year, every single soul in the capital is supposed to go back to his or her people to celebrate, drink fresh palm wine and crack grass- cutter bones.
But how many people think of going back to celebrate the festivals of their origin?
Perhaps if we had a Secretary for Festival Affairs with plenary powers to ensure that once in a year, everyone goes back to his grandfather’s village to celebrate the festival of his people, the importance of festivals might be more appreciated.
It is so sad to note that because of financial, mourning and ‘brokages,’ many don’t dare go back to their villages during annual leaves and festivals.
Festivals as we know are inseparable from our culture and as such, indissolubly linked with our roots.
Anyone who is therefore a hopeless ignoramus as far as the festivals of his people are concerned is in a cultural wilderness, lost and cannot be found. A search-party would be on a wild goose chase unless he himself retraces his steps to his origin to learn the ways of old.
Since most people have taken the capital of Sikaman as their hometown, many Anlos for instance do not know about Hogbetsotso, the northerners, bom and bred in Accra have never witnessed the Dambai festival; Oguaas forget the Fetu and the Ada’s, the Asafotufiam. Instead, every- one becomes well-acquainted with Homowo.
The very first time I joined the Gas to celebrate their Homowo festival was way back in 1973, I was a little kid. As I had many Ga friends, I was in high spirits. I took my time and consumed an unholy quantity of kpokpoi, the cherished traditional meal for the festival. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, but I was uninformed about the dosage.
It was getting close to midnight when I realised that kpokpoi was not only a very delicious festive dish, but also a rather powerful traditional purgative.
It took me some four hours to get through since it was a wake-keeping of commuting from my bedroom to the lavatory to cope with the frequency of my free bowels. The following year I was more cautious and took the right dosage.
Quite ironically, I have celebrated, or should I say, witnessed more Homowo festivals than the Yam Festival of my people. But that does not make me ignorant. We used to look forward to it every year and the most interesting aspect was the contests organised to select the most attractive, largest or weightiest “new” yam. It was a sort of beauty pageant where yams were the exuberant contestants.
Today, when my people are celebrating the Yam Festival back home, and I’m unable to go, I also celebrate mine quietly in the capital with my mother, brothers and sisters. We eat otor, yam slices, yam fufu and chicken soup, with yam-balls as dessert. We don’t have drumming and dancing, though.
Most festivals are celebrated following the harvest season in farming and fishing communities. The festivals are celebrated to praise and acknowledge the blessings of the gods for the bountiful harvests bestowed upon us mortals. With poor harvests therefore, the celebrations become lukewarm. Man must chop!
Traditional African societies have superstitious beliefs associated with folkways, norms and general manner of life. The celebration of festivals is therefore not entirely free from certain taboos and superstitions.
The reader would please, allow for a little digression. A child who grows in the capital of Sikaman knows nothing about the taboos associated with his origin. He, for instance, refuses to believe that some clans do not kill snakes just because it is their belief that a snake had something to do with the perpetration of their clan. Others do not eat corn because they believe one of their great chiefs was poisoned through a meal prepared from corn etc.
Other taboos are observed because the gods say they must be. There is a river god in Sikaman which forbids anyone going to the river at night with lantern.
A white man on tour who said he never believed that ‘superstitious nonsense’ since he was a devout Christian who had been fully baptised and receives communion regularly, defied the villagers and took a lantern to the riverside one night.
Of course, what he met at the place, I can’t quite describe. Fact is he himself could not even describe it because he had to do a fast sprint to escape the monster that pursued him. Since then, our Kwasi Broni friend has learnt to respect some of our dos and don’ts. I know he had quite a story to tell his countrymen when he went back, unless he wanted to stay here forever to do thorough research into African taboos.
It is a taboo to be seen eating newly harvested yam before the fetish priest performs the necessary rites that usher in the celebration of the Yam Festival at my area. This is to ensure that the gods taste of it before dwellers of the land take their turn.
I had occasion to talk to Togbi Teiku (V), Dufia of Matse Dzeve (not my hometown), known in private life as Mr Joshua Addo. The Yam Festival celebrated at his area, he says, are preceded by certain rites, which he cannot ignore irrespective of his Christian background and intellectual attainments.
He does not take alcohol, not even occasionally. But when it comes to performing the rites associated with the stool and the land during festivals, he must forget about his healthy conscious habits and let the palm wine descend his throat, enroute to the stomach.
Indeed, festivals have a meaning to our lives. However, receptive we might be to the impact of western culture, we must not forget that we have our own culture which we must enrich through the endeavour of going back from where we’ve run.
What would be the meaning of our lives as a clan, tribe or people when we cannot find time once every year to revel in festivity for the enjoyment of it, to meet old friends, and make more acquaintances, get used to our folklores and customs, and above all rejoice the blessings of good harvests and the like?
Festivals are also useful to non-resident citizens of every locality. It affords the city dweller the opportunity to ascertain the true condition prevailling in their rural communities so that when the Town Development Committee comes out to say that non-resident females must contribute GH¢1,000 and their male counterparts GH¢1,500 for development projects, they cannot grumble.
You certainly wouldn’t complain because after a heavy festive meal you will sooner or later need the services of a KVIP since you cannot carry the stuff in your stomach back to a city water-closet.
And when you realise that there is no KVIP around, except for a dangerous-looking pit-laterine that had been constructed half a century ago, you’ll understand that if you do not contribute the specified amount you may not be able to retire to the village to spend your pension days, when it is due.
This article was first published
on Saturday August 25, 1990
Features
The Prophet part 5
In the course of giving ‘directions,’ Osofo Antubam asked two women to wait till he finished with those in the queue. He had quietly suggested that he needed to spend time with them in order to detect the exact source of their problems, and they had also indicated their willingness to spend more time with him. He had one main objective in mind.
Mary and Suzzie had proven to be hugely helpful to him, but they had failed to help in the one most important area – the bedroom. He didn’t want to make the mistake of spending another night alone, and he wanted an alternative arrangement, just in case the girls disappointed him again. His action proved to be very wise, a few minutes later.
“Osofo, we have finished. The total figure today for the offering, tithes and consultations is GH¢5, 200. We want to add them to yesterday’s money and pay it into the account, after you have taken what you need for your personal and church expenses.”
“I have already taken some money from the consultation fees, so please pay it all into the account. I will see you at the house, won’t I?’‘Osofo’, Suzzie replied, ‘I wish you could go with us to the bank. If you could introduce yourself briefly to the Manager, we would then pay the money into the bank and give the receipts to you.” “Don’t worry, ladies.
Just go to the bank and see to on it, and call me. Let me know when you are coming to the house.” The ladies agreed and left. “Well then’, Suzzie said, ‘how much did we make today?” “Let me see” “Mary replied. “GH₵ 600.”
“Good. Now let’s pay his money into the account and go home. Did you see those ladies who stayed behind? I think the Osofo will be having them for desert after eating our food. “I saw it clearly. And did you notice that he wants us to call him when we are leaving for his house.”
“Mary, I told you that very soon the ladies will be fighting over him. He may keep us on for some time, but eventually he will sack us when he realises that we have no intention of sleeping with him.
“Now,” Osofo Antubam addressed Maame Lydia, “what I want you to do is to go home and get a few things to spend the night at the mission house. I will spend time to get to the bottom of this problem.
I assure you that from tomorrow, you will see a complete change in your business, and you will also notice that you will look radiant, and everyone will notice you for the beautiful woman you are.”
“I thank you, Osofo. I believe you. I know you will help me.” “Take this for taxi in and out. Call me when you are leaving home, and I will give you the directions to the mission house.”
“Now, he said to Abena Grace, ‘let’s go to the mission house. Today, we will solve the problems permanently. From tomorrow, there will be a new Abena Grace, prosperous and beautiful.”
“Amen, Osofo, thank you so much,” Abena replied as they walked to the roadside to join the waiting taxi. “It’s almost seven,” Suzzie said to Mary. Let’s call him. Mary called, and Osofo Antubam answered. “Osofo, the account was opened this afternoon.
We paid the money in. We have all the documents here. When shall we bring them?” “Er, Mary, why don’t you bring them early tomorrow morning? If you can’t get here by five in the morning, then let’s meet at the church.”
“Okay then, Osofo, I think we’ll meet you at church.” “I told you Mary,” Suzzy said. “He must be busy enjoying his desert. We will have another plan ready by tomorrow.” “How long are we going to be in this business, Suzie? When do we stop?” Don’t be silly, Mary.
Have you got enough money to set up your salon? As for me, I need money to pay the rent advance on a shop in a good location, some money to buy some stuff to stock the shop, and some cash to keep for personal expenses.
The rate at which we are going, we could be okay in about two weeks. A couple of rich men can come any time to consult him, and that could solve our problem quickly. Have patience, Mary. We’ll be okay very soon. And don’t worry about the wife or concubine business.
I have already told you that I will never allow this fake pastor to even kiss any of us.” ‘Osofo,” Maame Lydia said as they waited for a taxi, “when do I see you again? I can come tomorrow if you want.”
“Let’s talk after the service tomorrow. I will try to find some time’. He hailed a taxi, paid the fare and ushered her in. Within a few minutes of entering his room, Abena Grace knocked, and Antubam ushered her in.
He poured a drink for the two of them. Make yourself comfortable, Lydia. We will have an enjoyable evening, and at the same time, you will see the end of your problems.
The whispers woke him up. It’s getting to time, they seemed to be saying. The radio people will come today. Get ready to go with them. You can start in Koforidua, then Kumasi, then Accra.
You will soon be too busy for the daily services. Change from daily to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You will be in demand all over the nation. Very soon, others will be jealous of your success.
Antubam nodded in appreciation. It’s getting interesting, he told himself. Very interesting. “Osofo, did you hear some strange noises like voices?” Abena Grace asked. “Voices? Maybe you were dreaming, Abena.
Now, why don’t you get closer to me and forget about voices in your dreams?” She didn’t mention the subject again, but she was very certain that some strange voices were speaking in the room.
And she noticed that Osofo Antubam was listening intently and nodding. She needed solutions to her problems urgently, and her friend Yaa Takyiwaa had told her about this new pastor who was doing wonders, and urged her to seek his assistance.
She agreed to go to his home because she thought that would help her get the solutions quicker. But even though she had never encountered them before, she had heard stories about dwarfs who provided all manner of spiritual solutions to people who helped them.
And she knew that in the long run, the results were disastrous. No, she decided. She will not have anything more to do with a pastor who employed dwarfs. “Osofo, I want to go home before my parents wake up.”
By Ekow de Heer
Features
‘Allahu As-Samad’ (Part 2)
Excellence of Tawakkul (Complete reliance on Allah)
In an ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad. It is narrated by Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA):
“If you were to rely upon Allah with reliance due to Him, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return with their bellies full.”
(Tirmidhi, Hadith 2344; Ibn Majah, Hadith 4164)
This hadith beautifully illustrates the concept of tawakkul (reliance on Allah). It emphasises that true reliance on Allah, coupled with taking necessary actions (as the birds do by leaving their nests in search of food), and ensures that Allah will fulfill our needs.
Interdependence among Humans
Although Allah is As-Samad and entirely independent, He created human beings to rely on one another as part of His divine wisdom. This interdependence fosters relationships and builds communities. Allah says:
“And We have created you in pairs.” (Qur’an 78:8).
The Prophet likened the believers to a single body, saying:
“The believers, in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, are just like one body. When one part of the body suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.” (Bukhari, Hadith 6011; Muslim, Hadith 2586).
Teaching the Concept of As-Samad to Our Children
To inculcate the concept of As-Samad in the lives of our children, we must start with education, role modeling, and active engagement:
•Teach Through the Qur’an and Sunnah: Introduce Surah Al-Ikhlas to children early on, explaining the meanings of As-Samad. Share relevant stories from the Qur’an and hadith that illustrate Allah’s independence and mercy.
•Encourage Dua and Reliance on Allah: Teach children to seek Allah’s help in all matters, big or small. Reinforce that Allah is the one who provides, protects, and guides.
•Foster Gratitude and Tawakkul: Instill a sense of gratitude for Allah’s blessings and reliance on Him during challenges. Encourage children to say, “Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel” (Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs) (Qur’an 3:173).
•Model Interdependence: Demonstrate how reliance on Allah does not negate collaboration with others. For example, encourage teamwork, sharing, and helping others while emphasizing that Allah is the ultimate provider.
Leveraging Strengths to Build Society
Allah has created each individual with unique strengths and abilities. It is our responsibility to recognise these gifts and use them to benefit others. Allah commands:
“Help one another in acts of righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.” (Qur’an 5:2).
The Prophet said:
“The best of people are those who bring the most benefit to others.” (Tabarani, Hadith 8597).
Islam’s Call to Unity and Compassion
Islam is a religion that promotes unity, love, and compassion. Allah commands believers to maintain unity and avoid division:
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.” (Qur’an 3:103).
The Prophet emphasized the importance of caring for others:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari, Hadith 13; Muslim, Hadith 45).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the concept of As-Samad teaches us to recognise Allah’s perfection, independence, and sufficiency. As believers, we must:
• Acknowledge our dependence on Allah and place our absolute trust in Him.
• Teach and inculcate the concept of As-Samad into the lives of our children, fostering reliance on Allah and gratitude for His blessings.
• Recognise the interdependence among humans and actively support one another in righteousness.
• Promote unity, compassion, and generosity within our communities.
Allah and His Angels send Salaat and Salaam upon His Nabiyi, Oh Ye who believe, send the blessing upon the Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.).
May Allah guide us to embody the meanings of As-Samad in our lives, strengthen our reliance on Him, and bless our families with faith and understanding. Ameen.
References
1. Qur’an 112:1-4
2. Qur’an 10:3
3. Qur’an 31:26
4. Qur’an 35:15. Qur’an 65:3. Qur’an 78:8. Qur’an 5:2. Qur’an 3:103
5. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Al-Ikhlas
6. Muslim, Hadith 2577
7. Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516
8. Bukhari, Hadith 4684
9. Tabarani, Hadith 8597
10. Bukhari, Hadith 6011
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, 1BN – Michel Camp