The Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Ustaz Teliat Yunus Ayilara, has issued a stern warning to Muslims, cautioning against participating in traditional Yorùbá rites for twin babies.
The seasoned Islamic scholar, in a public lecture, vehemently declared that such practices lead participants straight to hellfire.
Contrary to Yorùbá tradition, Ayilara asserted that twins are not considered special children in any way according to Islamic beliefs.
“They are children from Allah, not Òrìṣà as erroneously believed. They too are blessings like other children from Allah. They are not special in any ways,” he emphasized.
Ayilara urged believers not to indulge in special treatment for twins, including preparing unique meals (ẹ̀wà Ìbejì) for them.
He categorically denounced the act of turning twins into gods and deemed it forbidden in Islam. “Anyone who participates in the traditional rites or prepares or eats any special food (ẹ̀wà ìbejì) has committed shirk (idolatry), an unforgivable sin in Islam, leading to hellfire,” he warned.
Watch the full video of the sermon here.
Highlighting the misleading nature of Yorùbá traditions, Ayilara expressed concern that parents of twins are misled into various practices. These include carving sculptures for the twins, dancing around towns to collect money, and preparing ẹ̀wà ìbejì for the community. He vehemently stressed that all these traditional practices for twins are strictly prohibited in Islam.
Yorùbá believe in twins, known as “Ìbejì. The twins in Yorùbá culture are seen as a unique pair of children believed to bring joy and goodness to their families.
The traditional practice involves cooking a special bean dish known as “Ẹ̀wà Ìbejì” to celebrate and venerate twins.
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