A Contextual Analysis of Sacred Qādiriyyah Sufi Paintings in Kano, Nigeria

• Main Author: Nadir A. Nasidi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ISCA, University of Oxford 2020-10-01
• Series: Vestiges: Traces of Record
• Subjects: sacré; soufism; peintures; context; sacred; qādiriyyah; sufi; paintings; kano, nigeria
• Online Access: http://www.vestiges-journal.info/2020/pdf/nasidi_2020.pdf

Despite the well-known prohibition of figurative representations by Muslims world-wide, some figurative art forms are still accepted by many Muslims. Thus, images of Angels, saints and other religious figures form part of the artistic repertoire of many Islamic sects, or orders. Indeed most followers of the Sufi order give some religious signification and connotations to such paintings, which invariably transform their status from the profane to the sacred. Such paintings however, are placed within certain socio-political contexts. In this regard, this paper attempts a contextual analysis of selected Qādiriyyah Sufi paintings in Kano. Though largely built on oral sources, this paper shows that Sufi paintings play an important role in explaining some socio-political contexts of Kano religious space.