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Arabic Language in Multicultural Dynamism: Chronological Effects on Nigeria’S Heritage

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Arabic Language in Multicultural Dynamism: Chronological Effects on Nigeria’S Heritage Sociology Study, October 2014, Vol. 4, No. 10, 891‐901 D doi: 10.17265/2159‐5526/2014.10.007 DAVID PUBLISHING Arabic Language in Multicultural Dynamism: Chronological Effects on Nigeria’s Heritage Izzudeen Adetunjia Abstract Of such notice that researchers documented in their compendium about the spawn of Arabs and their language dwindled in mono‐cultural boundary for many memorable years. It is of the fact that the relevance of Arabic language is not only restricted to the people spoken it as their mother language. Thus, it is globally applauded due to its effective recognitions and relevancies in other cultures and all human strata. History shows that the place of Arabic language in multicultural society is very applausive, especially after the emergence of Islam, when Islam spread beyond its domain to other continents like Asia, Europe, Africa, America, etc. Apparently, the position of Arabic language in multicultural societies, especially Nigeria (has the largest African population) which has predominant ethnic groups, cultures, and more than 400 ethnic dialects, with over 1,850,000,000 population is given a warmly applausive recognization. The reason is that its entry into the country dated back to the seventh century of the Hijrah era in which Arabic had been used for religious, social, economic, and cultural purposes. Therefore, this paper is aiming to give an expository analysis of the relevance of Arabic language in multicultural societies, and take Nigeria as a case study. Keywords Arabic, multicultural, Nigeria, heritage From the time of inception, the effect of Arabic about the significance of Arabic in the world of language cannot be overemphasized in all human languages, as a standard language of communications, strata, even before the birth of Islam to Arabian which was later reformed and safeguarded by the Peninsula, its linguistic landscape and substance have virtue of Islam . Thus, the necessity to learn more of been functional and applausive. On this, Amidu Sanni the principle of linguistic prowess of Arabic language (2009) in his study asserted: beyond its narrow status becomes more complex. It is pertinent to state succinctly that Arabic language is the Until the third decade of the seventh century, Arabic was youngest of the Semitic group of language, other confined to the Arabian Peninsula, but with the introduction languages that fall in to this class include Hebrew, of Islam, the language began to have extensive influence far beyond Arabia; and with the Arabic Qur’an, the linguistic landscape of the world was set to change, at any new community that accepted the faith had a priori, to learn some aCrescent University, Nigeria Arabic. Since the Qur’an is inimitable and untranslatable. It has to be learnt in the original Arabic by every faithful, Correspondent Author: regardless of his mother tongue. (Amidu Sanni 2009: 2) Izzudeen Adetunji, Department of General and Islamic Studies, College of Social and Management Sciences, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria This pronouncement gives an incisive illustration E‐mail: [email protected] 892 Sociology Study 4(10) Tigre, Aramaic, Greez, etc. But marvelously, Arabic with the Hellenistic, the Holy Roman, and the outlives them all, because most of these languages have Hapsburg Empires, which promoted multiculturalism been declined and neglected, but few languages that out of the need to tolerate diversity of cultures, thrive at present in its primitive form as Syria, Hebrew, languages, and ethnicities (Adeyemi 2005: 6). etc. Hebrew being one of the Semitic family as suffered However, it is observed that “with so much prejudiced untold neglect for centuries before and after the position held by the Whites against the Blacks and appearance of prophet Isa known as Jesus Christ (peace Africans, we subscribe to the principle of be unto him), and during the days of Greek and Roman multiculturalism that projects equality of all cultures” power. (Wallace 1995: 12). Therefore, the neutral However, multiculturalism as a bone of conception multiculturalism that is free of bias is encouraged and has to do with the integration of people as a result of to be promoted in human societies. migration, commerce, displacement, conquest, etc., as Two main different and seemingly inconsistent the co-occurrence of various cultures in the same strategies have developed through different society. Therefore, one thing to be understood in this government policies and strategies. The first focuses paper is to investigate on how Arabic is survived its on interaction and communication between different way in multicultural societies, despite the severe cultures. Interactions of cultures provide opportunities menaces that obstructing its way in global world. for the cultural differences to communicate and interact to create multiculturalism. This approach is also often known as interculturalism. The second MULTICULTURALISM: AS A CONCEPT centers on diversity and cultural uniqueness. Cultural Multiculturalism is the cultural diversity of isolation can protect the uniqueness of the local communities and the policies that promote this culture of a nation or area and also contribute to global diversity. As a descriptive term, multiculturalism is cultural diversity (Marsh 1997: 121-122). A common the simple fact of cultural diversity and the aspect of many policies following the second demographic make-up of a specific place, sometimes approach is that they avoid presenting any specific at the organizational level, e.g., schools, businesses, ethnic, religious, or cultural community values as neighborhoods, cities, or nations. In a prescriptive central (Cotter 2011: 13). term, multiculturalism encourages ideologies and policies that promote this diversity or its ARABIC LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA: THE institutionalization. In this sense, multiculturalism is a JOURNEY SO FAR society “at ease with the rich tapestry of human life and the desire amongst people to express their own It is an undisputable fact to acknowledge the view of identity in the manner they see fit” (Bloor 2010: 272). professor John Hunwick while describing the role Multicultural ideologies or policies vary widely, played by Arabic in West Africa and other part of ranging from the advocacy of equal respect to the Africa over the past millennium just like the role various cultures in a society, to a policy of promoting played by Latin in Europe in the medieval era. the maintenance of cultural diversity, to policies in Hunwick elucidates that Latin was a native language which people of various ethnic and religious groups of the Roman who had occupied Jerusalem, and many are addressed by the authorities as defined by the areas of Europe who had adopted Christianity. Those group they belong to (Harper 2011: 50). converted Christian had to learn how to read Latin in The historical origin of multiculturalism is linked order to follow up on their religion. Many Europeans Adetunji 893 who did so then learned the language well enough to Nigeria is traceable when Islam reached the country be able to do their own writings for the first time in in the eleventh century through the merchant Latin (Hunwick 2006: 53). It was in the same vein that routes and regular contact of the Arab scholars from in Africa, especially in Nigeria that anybody embraced Sudan, Turkey, Morocco, etc., with the Nigerians Islam has to learn Arabic for religious factor and also Ulamah (scholars), and with traders during that for well understand the basis of the language as the period. This made the influence of Arabic language only literacy in Nigeria until the arrival of Christianity more effective in the intellectual and cultural in the nineteenth century was in Arabic. With this heritage of the people of Shuwa Arab in the old assertions, Professor Oloyede formulates it as “Arabic Kanem-Bornu Empire—Nigeria at the end of the as the Latin of Nigeria” (Oloyede 2012: 2). However, eleventh century C.E. (Fafunwa 1992: 52-53). Thus, what befell Latin as a defunct language cannot befall Islam empowered Arabic language to be secured Arabic because it is the language of the Muslims’ because Islam goes to any place along with its own Scripture, a fact attested by the Qur’an itself: “A book form of education (Balogun et al. 1981: 1). It is whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur’an in recorded that the first Arabic school as well as the Arabic for people who know” (Suratu Fusilat, Verse 3) first Quranic school established in Nigeria was Arabic is the language in which Salat (Muslim prayer) during the time when Kanem Ummu Julmi of the old is performed five times daily in all parts of the world. Borno Empire accepted Islam, his passion for Hence, the history of Arabic literacy in all Muslim education prompted him to establish the first Quranic communities is always traceable to the advent of Islam school in his palace as a way of promulgating the in such communities (Fafunwa 1974: 68). The teaching of Islam which was attended by all and influence of Arabic language among the Muslims in sundry of Muslims’ children but in an informal setting the world is very great because of its religious cosmos. in which the students would sit in the front of the Arabic which its original abode was the Arabian teacher on the mat and receive their education. Peninsula expanded to North Africa in the seventh Ummul Julmi’s effort in establishing the Quranic century AD. It is an undisputable fact that there was a schools was applausive by the people of his time, commercial link between North Africa and West which led to the emergence of many Quranic schools African kingdoms like Ghana, Gao, and Timbuktu. later by many reputable leaders, scholars, and jurists, Others were Kanem-Borno, Kano, and Katsina, which such as Jubril bn Umar, Muhammad Sambo, Uthman altogether with some other areas in the region, later bn Fodio, his brother Abdullahi bn Fodio, and many got demarcated away from Biladu-Sudan (now West scholars who contributed immensely to the Africa) under the name of Nigeria (Niger area).
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