The old people in the Yoruba Lands named this Sallah- ILEYA (Ile ti ya or ile Oya), ilé (“house”) + yá (“to be ready”), literally “It Is Time To Go Home”.
The Hausa called it Sallah leyya. From my little knowledge of Hausa language, it was a borrowed language from the Yorubas. Hausa also called it Babban Sallah, meaning Odun nla in Yoruba and in English Language Big Sallah.
My objective here is to look at the great wisdom behind the name given by the old people of yesteryears in the Yoruba Lands also adopted by the Hausas, may Allah be pleased with them all.
The name simply advised that where ever you are, when it is time for this Sallah, GO HOME.
TO DO WHAT?
Our old people knew that people of the same lineage and family scattered all over the land in search of livelihood and Allah’s bounties. They then fashioned out a wake up call to bring you back together at least once in a year, during this Sallah, where ever you are, COME HOME.
With the absence of telephone then, they were indeed far away from one another.
Sallah therefore gives opportunity to unite members of same family that have lost contact in the past one year.
WHAT IS THE WISDOM BEHIND COMING TOGETHER
When members of same family meet during Sallah, it will be easy to see who is battling with poverty among them, hence, provides opportunity to others to offer help.
Among members of same family, to feed and send children for education is herculean, coming together in Sallah provides opportunity to have general and private meetings with the purpose of sharing and understanding one’s challenges and problems and to offer assistance as required by the Shariah laws of blood ties.
Unfortunately, the wisdom of coming together is lost among Muslim families. Some don’t even think of going home at all because he is scared of real or imaginary witches in his village.
Some successful members of the family stay at GRA with their clean-skin looking children with bikinis, slaughtering cows and rams while his elder brothers/sisters and uncles cannot afford small goats for Sallah.
The wisdom of coming together is lost.
Our Prophet, may Allah be pleased withbhim was reported to have said in a hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik that The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Whoever is pleased to have his provision expanded and his life span extended, then he should keep good relations with his family.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1961, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2557.
I hereby call Muslims to always find time to do ILEYA at ILE and to pay attention and be sensitive to the conditions of his kinsmen and offer assistance to the best of his capability. This is humanity, this is Islam.
May Allah spare our lives to witness the Eid, provide for us, abundant halal provisions and give us the understanding and ability to share.
Eid ul-Adha is called Tabaski or Tobaski in Senegal, the Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau.
Peoplesmind
©️Aray