|
Ethiopia Local Character of Belief and Practice
Ethiopian Muslims are adherents of the dominant Sunni, or
orthodox, branch of Islam. Shia are not represented in
Ethiopia. The beliefs and practices of Ethiopian Muslims are
embodied in a more or less integrated amalgam of three
elements: the Islam of the Quran and the sharia, the worship
of saints and the rituals and organization of religious
orders, and the still-important remnant of pre-Islamic
patterns. Islam in the traditional sense is dominant only on
the Eritrean coast among Arab and Arab-influenced
populations and in Harer and a few other towns.
In general, the most important practices of the Islamic
faith, particularly regular prayer and fasting during the
month of Ramadan, are observed in urban centers rather than
in the smaller towns and villages and more among settled
peoples than among nomads. Records of the pilgrimage to
Mecca by Ethiopian Muslims are scarce.
Under Haile Selassie, Muslim communities could bring
matters of personal and family law and inheritance before
Islamic courts; many did so and probably continued to do so
under the revolutionary regime. However, many Muslims dealt
with such matters in terms of customary law. For example,
the Somali and other pastoralists tended not to follow the
requirement that daughters inherit half as much property as
sons, particularly when livestock was at issue. In parts of
Eritrea, the tendency to treat land as the corporate
property of a descent group (lineage or clan) precluded
following the Islamic principle of division of property
among one's heirs.
In Ethiopia's Muslim communities, as in neighboring Sudan
and Somalia, the faithful are associated with, but not
necessarily members of, specific orders. Nevertheless,
although formal and informal attachment to Sufi orders is
widespread, the emphasis is less on contemplative and
disciplined mysticism than on the powers of the founders and
other leaders of local branches of the orders. Most believe
that these persons possess extraordinary powers to intercede
with God and have the ability to promote the fertility of
women and cure illness. In many cases, these individuals are
recognized as saints. People visit their tombs to pray for
their help or their intercession with God.
Data as of 1991
|
