Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Greeting welcome to the podcast. My name is of Quran and teaching Quran, its REA D tertiary. My I'll be talking about, and reciters in Nigeria. I'll a brief history of and knowledge in particularly in isNorthern Nigeria. And some of you, then I'll talk about reciters touching on their, the last part, public space debate women's voices as part of between. Listen to my recitation
Speaker 1 00:01:44 Off. Yeah. As was mean
Speaker 0 00:03:10 Geographical this and been in it is geographically to Gulf guine divided roughly between its and minority of followers. Religion, Islam arrived the Northeast part of Nigeria in the 11th century. And later, particularly since the century throughs, the grew among states with a strong tendency fors and class precise, this historical sources available at that just like Islam itself. The study of the Quran was also predominantly their, of the ruling elite Islam gave the ruling elite an opportunity to become educated among the court thes whose roles included teaching the Royal children, the Quran and literacy skills while the adherence Islam by only the ruling during this period may explain why the Quran was only land by them. Another factor be the lack of adequate teachers, the arrival of the north African marked a new era of both convergent Islam and of Quran and the obligation of princesses aqui and governance for the of, and a handwritten copy of the Quran, which was the first of the Quran.
Speaker 0 00:05:25 That another important thing that Al really did was initiate the teaching system. This was a learning method and community system in which the community was supposed to work together towards achieving mutualness. And this system, Muslim children received free education and the sustenance of both the teachers and the students rested upon the community peoples graduated only when they had memorized. Theran write state its to be known and recognized for the study of the Quran. Prior to the, of the was a separate the empire of the dynasty T the came during the reign of king may Quran studies widely. It was claimed himself Quran in the centuries recognized studies in Western and students were encouraged study study without being educated. INO the students Goran scholarship was not considered to be top class. The S INO established, sang that Goran schools in that received students from various parts of the empire, both house and burns lived separately until jihad, which brought boths the newly founded in 18, the way for the establishment of the, the large Cali that became the largest south of the Sahara vast empire, which spanked across Northern Nigeria and of Cameroon and its institutional influence extended to and in of ma in the Symia Northern Ghana and char in central Africa.
Speaker 0 00:08:09 The was an important milestone, not only for the history and practice of Islam in Northern Nigeria and for the influence it exotic or neighboring west African states, but also for the memorization and recitation of the Quran and Islamic education in general, the female scholars of the Khali, the famous of them are as she is locally referred to. And has sisters played an important role in women, Islamic education Asma who died in 1864 and left more than 60 surviving works written in Arabic, taught Quran. Other began teaching in homeschool homeschool. She expanded, it took cover in all parts of the initiating a of female teachers known as the entire room who traveled throughout the mobilizing fellow woman to attend classes from this woman, a leader was chosen and assigned ly bound members of the Intel. Nevertheless, due to the concerns that this woman might suffer from a weak memory, the included young girls and the group became a combination of older women and young girls, the Carvan of the women traveled from village to village at various places during the night during the journey, the leader Jo of the group wore and honorary had a who had given her and led the journey by staying in the front on the way they sang the poem.
Speaker 0 00:10:33 A smile taught them who sounds was hard everywhere by the people, a woman with the loudest voice who had been given the house title of Zara rooster led the group in singing aloud. She may have been called Zara rather than that's he because of the sound of the cock, which S ever and cities signifying daybreak, sunrise, and light, the activities of the entire room will not have been possible without the overwhelming support of the, she would, you was a supporter of female education. He denounced women's education and wondered how a teacher could impart knowledge to his male student, but neglect his wife and daughters. So Ando to as centers of learning until the British invasion at the end of the 19th century, although initially not supported by the colonial office in London, the British high commissioner for the protector rate of Northern Nigeria attacked the, the, that if not, might the attacked with the claim slave of the Soto elephant at the turn of the 20th century, the entire movement soon also collapsed. This was also the beginning of a difficult transition for education, both for teachers and their students. The loss of support by the state and migration of G teaches were shattering, but it was more shattering for women's education with the rise of S only boys who time from had access to education. This period, I argue also marked the beginning of perceptions about the, of the voice in the public space, which also the way for a much more male dominated intellectual sphere
Speaker 0 00:13:14 Though, even though Eugene boyed has stressed the existence of the entire room, at least 1983, who were taken to be identical with N Z that some visitors and that some descendants of AMA students continue to teaching in Thema in tradition, like the case of Mo have said, yeah, Omar in her book, the latest activities in the 20th and early 21st century with regards to various forms of community services, its clear that the unique activity of the tower of educating large number of women by traveling throughout house land, singing points and taking knowledge to women in seclusion had disappeared.
Speaker 1 00:15:29 Uh I'm
Speaker 0 00:16:14 There are important developments that occurred in the eighties, the new actors and pushed Theran and education where the advent of in 1970 brought forth a new opportunity for women to learn religious education, especially during its early days. This brought about the emergence of Quran recitation as a form of cultural capital for women at the beginning, women were the recipients of the knowledge of re later became its ERs. The role women's education women's education, women schools, schools taught had Islamic history and Arabic language. The new movement first resistance by many local discovers who taught, who thought that it was IPRO for married woman to receive more education, many main, and some women rejected the idea and the notion of a woman sitting in a class taught by men, even though Iza has used the schools to teach and preach its fundamental message of to and rejection the main focus of the, the Islamic subject.
Speaker 0 00:17:56 So married insisted attending classes, despite theirs in to the married woman, Islamic schools gain acceptance and using its power Iza expanded and opened branches of the schools in various cities and villages throughout Nigeria women in the hijabs, working to schools became new visible markers of Islam everywhere. Iza did not restrict itself to only the married women schools, different forms of memorization schools soon emerged for both boys and girls. The faith schools became the new modern schools where children learn recitation. They operate in mornings, late afternoons or evenings lessons are held in school classrooms. And sometimes at the teacher's homes, many girls attend the morning schools. Students are taught a few verses of the daily and teaching is usually on one to one basis. First, the teacher recites a few times and the student repeats next, the student recites while the teacher listens and make corrections.
Speaker 0 00:19:25 And then the are memorized at Tom. Finally, the are rec the following morning to the teacher and the student receives new ones to memorize. However, so schools do not follow the above teaching method. Rather students are collectively taught a single chapter without regard for their individual. In some cases, memorization is not even required as emphasis ISD on. And the goal is the students have the ability to recite while observing this new schools and similar ones by and access to started teaching arabies developed in the house, align over the centuries, especially through a greater emphasis with Kara is the Arabic version of Kara. It has become a house award that is used to deny a person's reciting voice or the personal melody that individual reciters use while could be slow spaced withed with a is first melodic and stylish. The Arab melody, which are the recorded recitation of Egyptian reciters quickly gained popularity in Nigeria, which to a new in the history of recitation by the 1990s, the Egyptian.
Speaker 0 00:21:26 So that's the, with a medium temple and with a beaut voice to in Arabic before is and melodic one, the latter is more and more melodious. The recitation of Egyptian reciters such as their influence group tremendously. When the Quran schools decided to use their recorded recitation as pedagogical tools, their recording were used to helping students to learn how to properly Arabic from native Arabic speakers. In addition to the Egyptian reciters. So the Arabia reciters, we also used some of rec and just outing radio B also played important role radio, just so this were all happening before social media platforms took over girls, particularly from this change schools were for both boys and in the nineties as a young girl attending a school, Nigeria, I experienced this change firsthand. My new school introduced class. So listen, which we, we listen to Egyptian recitations was passive as the, the prominent recite is where it was a 30 minute session daily followed by tutor by our teachers, in which we, again listen to visitations by our teachers. And they listen to our individual recitations as well as well. The whole curriculum was developed by our local teachers and we never had any foreign.
Speaker 0 00:24:26 Our class was divided into groups based on students, ability to recite and memorize. My team was a group of seven peoples and I was the legal who were given a page to memorize daily and our teachers recited the page. First, we recite after them and then recite from memory the following day, apart from individual work with our teachers, that shared class was another opportunity to learn the we to reciters attenti with some of clearly them many young reciters abundant, their previous voices and developed new ones based on Ahaha was very popular, especially among the male students, many felt special connection with his style and referred to him as so that's my leader. It say it in Arabic. When one of us picked a reciter and modeled our voices on him, we'll gladly say, I copy the voice of, or I copy the voice of, and this included our teachers as well. Some became so good at improvising. This voices that they and exact copy of the original many female recite. I know also T imitation of originals, two famous ants in rec from this style of she and the is from who. So that's ANAM the prophet, other students, however, including myself that we were not very good imitators whenever we attempt to, we sounded strange. So we redirected our efforts and ended of developing our own personal style. But this personal styles, we are certainly influenced by other styles.
Speaker 1 00:27:42 One I who
Speaker 0 00:28:38 In 1986 were introduced. It was initiated by the office of the also known ASTO. So that's in organized into the public space and it's considered responsible for the increase in female reciters between six, the competitions are to public consist of male, female adults, and its inception. It was welcomed by Muslim groups in including is competition became an umbrella event that brought together Muslims from all the states of the Federation and various and non groups to compete in the memorization and Quran. Every year, invitations are sent to states. The competitions are district local government, state, and national contestant to attend the national competition. They must first win first place at all the various categories. Then they'll call the fight to represent their respective states. At the national level, I had represented my state several times at the national competitions competition spaces for female reciters to publicly display their skills and benefit from it.
Speaker 0 00:30:25 Not only spiritually, but also worldly benefits, many girls and young women began joining the competitions, the adults that take the study of the core and very seriously, they commit themselves to ING and reciting it in private to they also recite in public, not only during competitions, but group readings, gatherings, and various functions in turn, they get empowered through the competitions, through converting their reation skills into different forms of capital, such as social, economic, symbolic, and mobility capitals. For instance, every site I, I interviewed in two, just moved into a new in neighborhood. Warehouses cost, millions of Nara had won six cars in different competitions, even though she keeps only one in her compound, everything in her house was new and everything seemed to have been one at various competitions. I app start to tell me which items in a house to which replied in with a there is that not just there of has six hatch pilgrimage packages, refrigerators, washing machines, television sets, seas sets of furniture, kitchen suits, books, and a lot of cash.
Speaker 0 00:32:26 While she did not tell me the total amount of money she got. She did mention that she had one hundreds of thousands of naira, many times public recitation also give female. Reciters a form of what I call symbolic capital after winning national, the overall winners of Quran are called to podium for what we call in the Nigerian English, the Toban ceremony. So the Toban is a word used as a, in Nigerian English with no equivalent in English and can be understood as something between coronation and in that the recit to as Mon, but not the title of, for men, for women that's ma and memorization ISD on as part of the ceremony, we out on the podium, female winners address in beautiful Royals. Usually the first ladies in the states where the national or the Royal of the ceremony, it's Chan loud law, the event is also broadcast on various television radio and social media outlets.
Speaker 0 00:34:16 Women's publicity empowers them through getting mobility and social advantages. It also leads to debates a of female voice a is Arabic and nakedness, genital organs, private parts genitalia well has used to of the body of a male female child, or even slave that be exposed to those who not see it in the Quran appears. And in different context from privates to times of privacy and spaces of vulnerability, several S to a, in terms of ING a man from looking at the of another man and a woman from looking at the, of another woman in my work a, of the voice as vocal nudity of vocalness. I use it to refer to the perception of the female voice as part of who as something that is not supposed to be based on and religious, the public presence of in society has always been an object of for tension, concern and dispute, not only in religious context, but also in nonreligious ones in Northern Nigeria, the female voice is cultural taken as a major of your woman's dignity, femininity, and marriage suitability by how she speaks. And to whom on the one hand, a woman who talks loudly in public spaces like is considered on and like Inn. On the other hand, according to the, of femininity, a girl is expected to learn how to speak softly slowly and in a lower femini voice, Toto, her voice be culturalizing. And of course, so when she moves to Marial home earlier, I have talked about how the Muslim group education, however, in 19 seven, they withdrew from that and ban its female members from participating.
Speaker 0 00:37:13 This brought the debate on nudity to the, although the reasons is, were not restricted to the position of the female voice. The popular argument, which resonates with many Muslims is that the female voice is a and should not be publicized. Another reason for seeing the female voice a is that women are not allowed to participate in the Saudi international at which invariably Excel in the religious sphere. We are first is of voice in religious activities. That is for instance, and the second is rising perception of the voice as part of a woman's nudity does not explicitly the voice to be part of a woman's horror, never addressing the wives of the prophet or 33 32, those refer to their female voices. It is this virus. This has formed the basis of varying and conflicting understandings on the legal position of the female voice in the public space.
Speaker 0 00:38:47 The says, oh, wives of the prophet, you are not like any other woman. If you keep your duty to Allah, then be not soft in speech, less he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable manner. Those who argue that the female voices are concentrate on the phrase P meaning do not be soft in speech while those who argue, women are allow to use their voices concentrate on the last meaning, speak in an honorable manner. Although scholars have this agreed on whether a female's voice is a they're unanimous on a number of things. One they're unanimous the female voice a when she speaks or deceptive voice and two, they unanimous third. It is forbidden Haram for seductive voice presence and three, the voice becomes infatuation.
Speaker 0 00:40:17 So that's of their understanding. And because either when Emma listens to the voice with the intention of seeking, or when a woman speech in tempt, or however the scholars have either left several questions or agreed what exactly is seduction in the voice and is the female voice inherently, and who determines the seduction? Is it the female that speaks or is it listeners and how it'll be that se occurred? So in general, and to many female reciters, despite this understandings continue to recite publicly in various avenues, not mixed gender, but also during different and publicized, especially media. We have come to the end of the episode. And I wanna conclude again with my repetition. Thank you for listening.
Speaker 1 00:43:14 Um, me rugby and in now, um,
