Silindiwe Zvingowanisei delivered her presentation titled "The interaction between Islam and African traditional religion in Zimbabwe" at the 2nd International Congress on Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa.

1. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ISLAM AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL
RELIGION IN ZIMBABWE
SILINDIWE ZVINGOWANISEI
Introduction
There is much truth in the dictum of the ancient Greek philosopher,
Democritus, that “nothing has sprung from nothing.” Islam is certainly no
exception to this rule. Thus, although Muhammad was claiming to be
introducing a new religion by obliterating all pre-Islamic ideas and ideals, in
reality he could not destroy all that was already in existence in Arabia. In this
connection P.K. Hitti rightly argues that “ideas are hard to kill and no one
person’s veto is strong enough to cancel the past.” Thus Islam assimilated or
preserved some of the socio-religious features of the Jahiliyah. Islam was
therefore, to some extent, influenced by the culture of pre-Islamic Arabia . On
the same note it can also be argued that when a new religion gets into any
country, it is often affected by the milieu in which it finds itself. This paper is an
investigation into the interaction between Islam and African Traditional Religion
in Zimbabwe. The central argument is that there is often mutual borrowing
between cultures if they have existed together for a sufficiently long time and
have been sufficiently exposed to each other through contiguity. This is what
happened with the advent of Islam in Zimbabwe.

2. • Definition of key terms
a) African Traditional Religion(s)
The study of African Traditional Religion(s) has been riddled by the perennial problem of
definition because of the three problematic terms that have been coined together.
i) African
Africa is a vast continent and there is no consensus on who and what qualifies to be classified as
African.
ii) Traditional
The term traditional has often been misconceived to mean old fashioned, uncivilized, ancient,
primitive or archaic. Thus African Traditional Religion has been viewed negatively. This has led
some scholars to suggest dropping the term while others have suggested redefining it. Awolalu
notes that it means indigenous, that which is aboriginal or fundamental and handed down from
generation to generation, upheld and practised by Africans, connecting the past and the present.
iii) Religion
Coming up with a universally acclaimed definition of religion has been a difficult task for scholars
more so in the African context where it is intertwined with culture. In this paper African
Traditional Religion refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the Shona people of Zimbabwe
before the arrival of Christianity and Islam and to which the Shona people still adhere.
b) Culture
This term is defined as the particular system of art, thought and customs of a society. However
religion and culture are intermingled.

3. c) Singular / Plural
There has been a raging singular / plural debate on African Traditional
Religion(s). Scholars are not agreed on whether one can talk of one traditional
religion or many traditional religions. O. Imasoje is of the view that Africa is
wide and no one cane be so presumptuous to claim to describe African
religions and worldviews in the singular. However, in this paper I subscribe to
Mugambi’s view that the recognition of diversity must not be used to overlook
the reality of the aspiration for a commonality and homogeneity in the Shona
experience. I therefore take the essence of Shona traditional religions as one,
despite the varieties in tribes, ethnicity and dialects because there are deep
underlying affinities running through these cultures.
d) Islam
The term Islam in the lexicon of the Arabs means “submission” to God. The
religion of Islam is the religion of submission to the will of Allah, the only
God who admits of no associates in the worship of Him. For the Muslims
Muhammad is the prophet and messenger of God and he is the seal of all the
prophets. Muhammad is not divine and so he is not worshipped. Islam is not
only a religion but a way of life, a system that encompasses the relationships of
the adherents to each other and to their society from the cradle to the grave.
The religion of Islam provides a strong bond that brings together Muslims
regardless of ace or nationality in a fellowship constructed upon faith in the
one God.

4. • The study of Islam in Africa
- It is imperative to begin by highlighting the study of Islam in Africa before exploring how it
has been studied in Zimbabwe.
- According to M. Haron, Islamic Studies is a social science discipline within the broader area
of African studies and as a sub-discipline of Religious studies in Africa.
- Islamic studies should be viewed as a discipline that is academically rigorous and one that
critically analyses Muslim communities in their respective regional settings and it should also
be viewed as a complete civilization.
- Another understanding of Islamic studies is that it covers every aspect of Islam, that is, it
deals with, among other matters, the cultural and religious, economic and political, social and
philosophical past and present regional and universal dimensions.
- The discipline of Islamic studies had its roots in Oriental studies and hence it was deeply
affected and scarred by Orientalist (European) scholarship for more than a century.
- In the late 20th century and early 21st century there emerged new Islamic studies programmes
at universities round the globe including Africa and an increasing number of researchers
entered the field and participated in interdisciplinary conferences and symposia.
- Haron further examines Islamic Studies scholarship in Southern Africa specifically focusing
on South Africa , Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana, and scholars such as E.C
Mandivenga (1991) , Tayob (1991), Shell (200) and Amra (2006). In my view, these scholars
provided a platform upon which other researchers can build.

5. Muslim communities in Zimbabwe
- There are three main Muslim communities in Zimbabwe today that is, the Indo-Pakistanis, the
African Muslims of Malawian extraction and the indigenous Varemba.
- The first Indian migrants to Southern Rhodesia arrived at the time of colonization.
- Some were part of the Pioneer column and were recruited in South Africa as cooks and
servants while others came as individual adventures from South Africa.
- The majority of the Indo-Pakistanis started coming to Zimbabwe after 1920 from the gujarat
province in India in response to economic opportunities created by European initiatives in
British held territories. They are mainly found in towns and cities.
- Another Muslim community in Zimbabwe comprises the Africans of Malawian extraction and
this is the largest single group to migrate to Zimbabwe.
- Among the many factors that caused Malawians to seek jobs in Zimbabwe were a number of
socio-economic and political factors prevailing in their own country.
- They are concentrated on mines and farms in particular and in urban areas in general.
- The third group of Muslims in Zimbabwe are the Varemba people.
- Their origins cannot be established with any certainty.
- D. Beach observes that Muslim Arabs from the East African Coast traded with the interior
and they intermarried with the Africans with whom they traded resulting in the spread of
Islam in Eastern and Central Africa.
- Today the Varemba inhabit the area around the Great Zimbabwe ruins and their tribal habits
and customs show evidence of Islamic influence for example, their clans bear Arabic names
and their sons are circumcised.

6. Relationship between African Traditional Religion and Islam
- My central observation in this paper is that the interaction between Islam and African
Traditional Religion in Zimbabwe has been largely marked by co-existence, tolerance and
accommodation.
- Islam has tolerated and accommodated African Traditional beliefs and practices as long as
they do not negate the basic dogma of Islam “There is no god but God (Allah).
- An African does not need to renounce his or her identity in order to become a Muslim as is
the case with Christianity.
- This makes Islam to have a wider appeal to the indigenous people of Zimbabwe.
- Islam is a way of life and it strives to adapt to other non-Arab cultures in order to create a
harmonious society.
- It is intended to be a universal, all-embracing, cross societal religion that can and should be
applicable globally.
- On the other hand African Traditional Religion in Zimbabwe has also been adaptable, tolerant
and accommodative of both Islam and Christianity.
- This tolerance has been called the “ecumenical element” of African Traditional Religion. This
enables Zimbabweans, for example, to have both Christian and Muslim members in the same
family.
- However, the question arising from the forgoing is to what extent a Zimbabwean actually is
totally a converted Muslim.
- This question will be answered later in the paper after I have discussed the actual encounter
between Islam and African Traditional Religion.

7. The encounter between Islam and African Traditional Religion
- Although there are areas where the two religions are irreconcilable,
for example, beer drinking, there are a series of factors that show a
degree of cultural and sociological proximity between them. In other
words there is much affinity between the two religions.
- Thus as Islam is being established in Zimbabwe, it is not without
accommodation to local custom and culture resulting in it being
Africanised.
- In this section I discuss how the two religions have influenced and
affected each other.
a) Belief in God
- One point of contact between Islam and African Traditional religion
is belief in God or the Supreme Being a phenomenon which has
been called practical monotheism.
- Muslims call him Allah and traditionalists call him Mwari.
- Both religions share the same attributes of God such as creator, and
sustainer of the universe, omnipotent, omniscient and all-present.

8. b) Belief in other subsidiary powers and spirits.
- Another factor which has made Islam to be popular in Zimbabwe is its recognition of the
multiplicity of mystical power.
- As long as God’s preeminence is not compromised, the Quran provides scriptural warrant for
the existence of a host of subsidiary powers and spirits such as angels, jinns and devils.
- On the other hand the Shona believe in different types of spirits with God at the apex and
these include ancestral, tribal, clan, territorial and national spirits.
- As long as traditional beliefs can be adjusted in such a way that they fall into place within a
Muslim schema, in which the absoluteness of Allah remains unquestioned, Islam does not ask
its new adherents to abandon their accustomed confidence in all their mystical powers.
c) Muslim Theology.
- Muslim Theology is equally tolerant in its attitude towards divination, magic, witchcraft and
sorcery all of which are part and parcel of African Traditional Religion and culture.
- However, it condemns the illegitimate use of the last two but it does not question their
efficacy.
- The Quran fully approves magical procedures that are directed towards legitimate ends such
as cure of disease, prevention and curtailment of misfortunes and the assurance of prosperity
and success something which is also found in traditional religion.
- I.M. Lewis notes that in witchcraft, oracles and magic, Islamic ideas share a large measure of
agreement with those of traditional religion.

9. d) Wearing of charms and amulets
- In traditional religion they use charms and amulets such as chivhuno, chifumuro, and
madumwa for protection against evil spirits. This traditional practice was also adopted by the
Muslims.
- However the Muslim charms and amulets do not contain medicine but contain quranic verses.
- Both Muslims and traditionalists believe that charms and amulets have power to protect
against witchcraft and sorcery.
e) Ritual and Ceremonies
- The area of rituals is one that the provisions of the Sharia tend to make their readiest and most
profound impact among the Shona in Zimbabwe.
- Rites of passage such as circumcision, marriage and death are usually most quickly absorbed
though they may undergo considerable modification and reinterpretation.
(i) Circumcision
- Such accommodation is probably best seen with the Muslim rite of circumcision which is also
widely practiced in traditional religion and is known as kumurundu in Shona.
- Today the Zimbabwean government has adopted male circumcision and Muslims have been
part of the team that is helping to concientize the people about the merits of circumcision.
(ii) Marriage
- In marriage we find diverse accommodations between traditional and Muslim practice.
- Muslims in Zimbabwe adapt Islamic marriage practices to the traditional requirements , for
example, lobola is given to the bridal parents and not to the bride as is the case in Islam
where the bride receives the dowry.

10. - On the other hand Muslims in Zimbabwe readily adopt appropriate Islamic ceremonial
especially the wedding feast (walima) and combine it with traditional rituals (mutimba).
(iii) Death
- The same applies to the funeral ritual where Muslims in Zimbabwe adapt Islamic practices to
the traditional requirements.
- The distinctive Muslim traits such as the ritual washing of the corpse to the accompaniment of
prayer, the incensing of the body, the use of a bier to carry the corpse to the grave, the
standard type and orientation of the grave towards Mecca to mention a few, are practised by
Muslims in Zimbabwe.
- However they variously combine them with indigenous burial ritual.
f) The status of women
- With regard to the status of women there is much affinity between traditional religion and
Islam.
- In both religions women are treated as minors
- Men are in control of women who have to be submissive to them.
g) Ummah
- Unlike western culture which is individualistic, both Islam and traditional religion are
communalistic.
- In Islam the community of believers is called the ummah and every Muslim has to identify
with this community.
- Life in traditional Zimbabwe is also based on communalism with practices such as humwe
(togetherness) to demonstrate this.
- The extended family system is also found in both Islam and traditional religion as opposed to
the nuclear family system found in western culture.

11. h) Family Law
- There has also been much interaction between the Islamic sharia law and
customary law in Zimbabwe.
- Here, because of the limited size of the study, I will only focus on family law.
- This is because in both religions the family plays a central role as the basic unit of
society.
(i) Marriage
- Having discussed marriage as a ritual elsewhere in this paper, suffice it here to say
that in both religions marriage is not only a legal contract between two individuals
but between two families.
- In Islam the preferred marriage is between two Muslims and within the extended
family.
- The same concept is also found in Shona culture and is referred to as kuroorana
vekumatongo (to marry within the proximity).
(ii) Polygamy
- Polygamy is also one of the Muslim practices which makes Islam to have the
greatest appeal among the Shona people in Zimbabwe
- The Quran permits a man to marry up to four wives provided he can love them
equally (4:2).
- Polygamy is also sanctioned by customary law in Zimbabwe though there is no
limit on the number of wives one can marry.

12. (iii) Divorce
- In both Islam and traditional religion a man has a unilateral right to divorce his
wife.
- On the other hand it is not easy for a woman in the two religions to divorce her
husband.
- In Islam the most common form of divorce is a man’s repudiation (talaq) of his
wife simply by declaring “I divorce you”.
- In traditional religion a man gives his wife a token of divorce (normally in the form
of a one dollar coin) referred to as gupuro to terminate the relationship.
- However in both religions, ideally, divorce is a last resort, discouraged rather than
encouraged.
(iv)Inheritance
- The sharia law gives rights of inheritance to wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and
grandmothers of the deceased.
- On the other hand customary law in Zimbabwe keeps inheritance within the male
line (patrilineal).
- Thus in traditional culture, women are excluded from inheritance, which passes in
its entirety to the nearest male relative of the deceased on whom they were totally
dependent.
- On this aspect Muslims in Zimbabwe generally adopt the traditional practice.

13. Total or Partial Conversion
- Elsewhere in this paper I asked a question which I now seek to answer here. The
question is to what extent a Zimbabwean actually is totally a converted Muslim.
From our discussions and observations in this paper, it is clear that Zimbabweans
do not totally convert to Islam.
- I argue that many Zimbabweans simply adopt the external trappings of Islam but
are never converted in mind, heart and soul and essentially remain embedded in
African Traditional Religion.
- Zimbabweans are therefore syncretistic.
The call for interreligious dialogue between Islam and African traditional Religion
for sustainable development in Zimbabwe.
- It is an undisputed truism that over 80% of the world’s population confess to a
certain active religion and that there is a relationship between religion and
development.
- Yet from the start ideas about development overlooked the role of religion pushing
it away from the public into the private arena.

14. - However since the late 1970s there has been a growing recognition that
economic development alone has not and cannot provide the kind of results
that the international financial institutions and development agencies have
predicted.
- In this paper I therefore argue that religion should be partnered with
development for developing countries, Zimbabwe included, to realize
effective sustainable development.
- Religion cannot be separated from the secular world in which it is lived.
- But development can only take place where there is peace and security.
- Yet in Africa, religion has become a hindrance to instead of a facilitator of
development as it is found at the centre of conflict as evidenced by the
activities by groups such as Boko Haram and Alshabab.
- In Zimbabwe Muslims constitute 3% of the population, 22% are
traditionalists and 75% are Christians.
- Having discussed the affinity and generally cordial relationship between
Islam and traditional religion in Zimbabwe, I suggest that the two religions
should utilize this as a platform to engage in interfaith dialogue for
sustainable development of the nation in an environment of peace and
security.

15. - Interreligious dialogue would avert religiously motivated conflicts such as those
which we are witnessing in some parts of Africa such as Nigeria, Central and East
Africa.
- After this engagement, I further suggest that policy makers in Zimbabwe should
integrate religious leaders in policy making.
- Last but not least, I suggest that international development institutions like the
World Bank and IMF should co-opt religious actors in Zimbabwe to implement
their vision of “ a world free of poverty”.
Conclusion
Islam and African traditional Religion have interacted for a long time in Zimbabwe.
The paper has argued that there has been mutual borrowing between the Islamic and
traditional religions and cultures. It has shown that the interaction between Islam and
traditional religion in Zimbabwe has been largely marked by co-existence, tolerance
and accommodation. This paper has discussed many contact points between Islam and
traditional religion and this has facilitated dialogue resulting in Islam taking on an
African flavour. It further argued that Zimbabweans do not totally convert to Islam but
remain syncretistic. The paper has therefore called for the need for Islam and African
Traditional Religion to take advantage of the contact points to engage in interfaith
dialogue for the creation of an environment of peace and security which is a pre-
requisite for sustainable development in Zimbabwe.