Mustapha Adamu Animashaun
Encyclopedia
Mustapha Adamu Animashaun (1885–1968) was a prominent Lagos
Islamic leader in the first half of the twentieth century. He was also an author, fortune teller, publisher and political leader. He was involved in various progressive movements and controversial issues in the Islamic community in Lagos for most of the first half of the twentieth century, when the Muslims then constituted about half of the Lagos population. His major influence was also his master, a prominent Lagos Muslim, Idris Animashaun.
As a religious leader, he promoted the adoption of Western education
among Muslims and sought the enactment of a constitution
for the Lagos Central Mosque and the general Lagos Muslim community. However, the agitation for the latter led to some conflicts with fellow Muslims in Lagos.
. The name of his father was Usman, while his mother was the daughter of the Chief Imam
of Kano, Mallam Ibrahim. At the early age of eight, he lost his status as a freeman when he was captured as a slave, during a turbulent time in Kano. He was then sold to the palace
of the Emir
of Zazzau
and was trained by the emir's son. As a steward in the Emir's palace, he was afforded the opportunity to travel to a few Northern Nigerian cities, he also lived in Cairo
for five years. However, his search for freedom soon hit the rocks; while returning from Egypt
, he was captured again and re-sold as a slave to the Waziri
of Sokoto
. He later left the Islamic city of Sokoto for Ilorin
with a Sokoto man, Mallam Madugu. In Ilorin, he was sold to Alfa (cleric) Bello of Agbaji quarters, an Islamic center of renowned scholarship. While in Ilorin, he was raised and taught in the Islamic way; he also chose the name Adamu, a popular name at the time and was also quite popular among his peers. He was finally sold to his last master, Idris Animashaun, the head of a government Muslim school in Lagos. He enrolled in the Muslim school in 1896, where he was able to apply the Arabic and astrology knowledge he had learned in Egypt and Ilorin. His experience in the school was quite a success, he only spent two years in the school as he was already an astute and literate man well versed in Islamic knowledge which was the major vocal point of the Lagos Islamic School.
of the shop in 1912. During the same year, he was given a certificate of freedom and he became a freeman. He then followed his mentor's foot step and opened a shop in 1913, the shop specialized in selling Arabic books on Shitta street, Lagos. By the time, he had begun to assimilate into the elite
Muslim community of Lagos, due in part to the influence of Idris Animashaun. He married, the daughter of the Chief Imam of Lagos, the cleric Ibrahim.
business
in 1914. The business was involved in printing Islamic related posters and notices. He also used the business to print his version of a Nigerian almanac
. He used his astrology
knowledge to predict events for individual clients who came to his office, while he gained popularity as a fortune teller due in large part to his knowledge of the Arabic language
and astrology which was quite high in relation to many residents of Lagos. However, his style of prediction mostly used and extrapolated from world and local events and societal issues.
In 1918, he acquired the Lagos Central Times from Mr Davies. The Times was established three and a half years earlier. He bought the paper after negative news generated as a result of a crisis
in the Lagos Central Mosque
. The paper was later financed by the Muslim community
up to 1924. The Lagos crisis was between the Chief Imam, who had reneged on an earlier agreement to sign a constitution for the Lagos Muslim community while the members of the mosque, led by Animashaun had campaigned for rules and regulations for the central mosque. The crisis induced bad publicity for the Muslim community in the local press. To avail on what he felt was a propensity to inadequate reporting from the mainstream
Lagos press on the Muslim community. He bought and became for a short time, the editor of the newspaper. He was quite successful, as the newspaper grew rapidly in its early years. As the publisher of the newspaper, he began to use the medium for his personal views on many issues, including a controversial Islamic group, the Ahmadiyya
society. His influence among the community began to grow, so also did his opposition, including opposition from the Ahmadi's.
In 1937, he published a pamphlet
on the History of Islam in Lagos. The book detailed the history of Imams of the central mosque and became an authoritative source on the timeline of Imams in Lagos. The book also expanded on major developments in the Lagos community from 1770 to the 1920s.
, Nigerian politics and Islamic studies and established a Muslim training school
in Lagos. The school dealt mostly with literacy
, as primary subjects where Arabic and English language. This approach to spreading education was soon followed by the Ahmadiyya movement and the Ansaruddeen society. A desired goal of his was to educate Muslim children in order to be employed as clerical workers in the Colonial Service
.
, a district of the larger Lagos State
in the 1930s. He later became the Seriki of Mushin, (leader of Mushin Muslims) and was a founding member of the United Muslim Party in 1953.
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
Islamic leader in the first half of the twentieth century. He was also an author, fortune teller, publisher and political leader. He was involved in various progressive movements and controversial issues in the Islamic community in Lagos for most of the first half of the twentieth century, when the Muslims then constituted about half of the Lagos population. His major influence was also his master, a prominent Lagos Muslim, Idris Animashaun.
As a religious leader, he promoted the adoption of Western education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
among Muslims and sought the enactment of a constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
for the Lagos Central Mosque and the general Lagos Muslim community. However, the agitation for the latter led to some conflicts with fellow Muslims in Lagos.
Early life
Animashaun was born as a freeman in the ancient city of KanoKano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
. The name of his father was Usman, while his mother was the daughter of the Chief Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of Kano, Mallam Ibrahim. At the early age of eight, he lost his status as a freeman when he was captured as a slave, during a turbulent time in Kano. He was then sold to the palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
of the Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of Zazzau
Zazzau
The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate is a traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.As of 2010 the emir was Alhaji Muhammad Bello Idris.-Early Hausa kingdom:...
and was trained by the emir's son. As a steward in the Emir's palace, he was afforded the opportunity to travel to a few Northern Nigerian cities, he also lived in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
for five years. However, his search for freedom soon hit the rocks; while returning from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, he was captured again and re-sold as a slave to the Waziri
Wazir (tribe)
Wazirs or Waziris are a Pashtun tribe settled in the North Waziristan and South Waziristan agencies of Pakistan as well in the urban cities of Tank, F.R Bannu,i.e Domel and adjacent villages, Karachi and Lahore. Across the border, they can also be found in Paktia, Khost and Paktika provinces of...
of Sokoto
Sokoto
Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...
. He later left the Islamic city of Sokoto for Ilorin
Ilorin
Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. As of 2007 it had a population of 847,582.-History:Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450...
with a Sokoto man, Mallam Madugu. In Ilorin, he was sold to Alfa (cleric) Bello of Agbaji quarters, an Islamic center of renowned scholarship. While in Ilorin, he was raised and taught in the Islamic way; he also chose the name Adamu, a popular name at the time and was also quite popular among his peers. He was finally sold to his last master, Idris Animashaun, the head of a government Muslim school in Lagos. He enrolled in the Muslim school in 1896, where he was able to apply the Arabic and astrology knowledge he had learned in Egypt and Ilorin. His experience in the school was quite a success, he only spent two years in the school as he was already an astute and literate man well versed in Islamic knowledge which was the major vocal point of the Lagos Islamic School.
Shop manager
After completing his studies, he apprenticed under his tutor and master, Idris Animashaun as an assistant Shop keeper. He later became the managerManagement
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
of the shop in 1912. During the same year, he was given a certificate of freedom and he became a freeman. He then followed his mentor's foot step and opened a shop in 1913, the shop specialized in selling Arabic books on Shitta street, Lagos. By the time, he had begun to assimilate into the elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
Muslim community of Lagos, due in part to the influence of Idris Animashaun. He married, the daughter of the Chief Imam of Lagos, the cleric Ibrahim.
Publisher and Author
To complement the services offered in his store, he opened a small printingPrinting
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
in 1914. The business was involved in printing Islamic related posters and notices. He also used the business to print his version of a Nigerian almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
. He used his astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
knowledge to predict events for individual clients who came to his office, while he gained popularity as a fortune teller due in large part to his knowledge of the Arabic language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and astrology which was quite high in relation to many residents of Lagos. However, his style of prediction mostly used and extrapolated from world and local events and societal issues.
In 1918, he acquired the Lagos Central Times from Mr Davies. The Times was established three and a half years earlier. He bought the paper after negative news generated as a result of a crisis
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
in the Lagos Central Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. The paper was later financed by the Muslim community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
up to 1924. The Lagos crisis was between the Chief Imam, who had reneged on an earlier agreement to sign a constitution for the Lagos Muslim community while the members of the mosque, led by Animashaun had campaigned for rules and regulations for the central mosque. The crisis induced bad publicity for the Muslim community in the local press. To avail on what he felt was a propensity to inadequate reporting from the mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
Lagos press on the Muslim community. He bought and became for a short time, the editor of the newspaper. He was quite successful, as the newspaper grew rapidly in its early years. As the publisher of the newspaper, he began to use the medium for his personal views on many issues, including a controversial Islamic group, the Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
society. His influence among the community began to grow, so also did his opposition, including opposition from the Ahmadi's.
In 1937, he published a pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
on the History of Islam in Lagos. The book detailed the history of Imams of the central mosque and became an authoritative source on the timeline of Imams in Lagos. The book also expanded on major developments in the Lagos community from 1770 to the 1920s.
Promoting education
Animashaun was a well read man and he wanted to improve the educational facilities available to Muslims in Lagos. From most indications he was a bibliophile, and well versed in the rudimentary of economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Nigerian politics and Islamic studies and established a Muslim training school
Training school
For a juvenile correctional facility, see youth detention center-----A training school is an official designation, awarded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, to schools in England that provide exceptional facilities for in-service and work experience training of teachers...
in Lagos. The school dealt mostly with literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, as primary subjects where Arabic and English language. This approach to spreading education was soon followed by the Ahmadiyya movement and the Ansaruddeen society. A desired goal of his was to educate Muslim children in order to be employed as clerical workers in the Colonial Service
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
.
Later life
Animashaun left the heart of Lagos for MushinMushin
Mushin is a mental state into which very highly trained martial artists are said to enter during combat. They also practice this mental state during everyday activities. The term is shortened from mushin no shin , a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the...
, a district of the larger Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
in the 1930s. He later became the Seriki of Mushin, (leader of Mushin Muslims) and was a founding member of the United Muslim Party in 1953.