Beggary in Yorubaland: An Islamic Theological Analysis of Syncretic Practices in Almsgiving

Abstract

Beggary constitutes a persistent socio-economic phenomenon in Yorubaland, where religious beliefs, economic vulnerability, and indigenous cultural practices intersect, particularly within Muslim communities. Despite Islam’s normative teachings on dignity, lawful livelihood, and regulated almsgiving, beggary in the region is often sustained by syncretic practices that contradict Islamic theology, raising concerns about their spiritual legitimacy and socioeconomic consequences. This study adopts a qualitative research design, combining Islamic textual analysis with field-based data derived from direct observations and semi-structured interviews with Muslim clerics, beggars, and community leaders across selected urban centres in Yorubaland. The findings reveal clear theological contradictions between Islamic doctrines on charity and reliance on God and the syncretic rituals employed by beggars for protection, spiritual fortification, and donor persuasion; they further show that these practices reinforce dependency, distort religious understanding, and complicate the socio-economic conditions of beggars. The study concludes that addressing beggary in Muslim contexts requires a renewed commitment to authentic Islamic teachings on charity, the rejection of superstitious practices, and the development of ethically grounded and socially responsive welfare interventions, offering practical insights for religious leaders, policymakers, and social development practitioners.