By: Our Staff WriterA
Ijebu Ode, Nigeria — The recent Islamic burial of Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona, GCON, the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, has reignited a continent-wide conversation about the conformity of traditional ruler burials with Islamic teachings. The event, hailed as historic, legally significant, and spiritually profound, is now being viewed by Islamic scholars, jurists, and community leaders as a model for Muslim monarchs across Nigeria and beyond.
Oba Adetona, who passed away on July 14, 2025, was laid to rest in full accordance with Islamic rites, in a swift, dignified, and Shari’ah-compliant janazah led by the Chief Imam of Ijebu Ode. The funeral was free from traditionalist interference, ancestral rituals, or cultural customs that contradict Islamic teachings. This was made possible not merely by personal conviction, but by a legal reform he initiated during his lifetime.
In 2020, the late monarch sponsored a bill in Ogun State that became law in 2022, formally known as the Obas, Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council Law. A landmark provision in Section 55 of the law granted traditional rulers the legal right to choose burial rites aligned with their religious faith—be it Islam, Christianity, or traditional belief systems. This bold legislation criminalized forced adherence to pagan funeral customs, banned mutilation of the body, cannibalistic rites, and unapproved rituals during the burial of monarchs.
The implementation of this law during Oba Adetona’s own burial was widely seen as the culmination of a lifelong effort to protect and preserve Islamic burial integrity. Many now believe it sets a new benchmark for Muslim traditional rulers across West Africa.
An Islamic Turning Point
Scholars have lauded Oba Adetona’s action as both visionary and necessary in the face of a lingering problem in Muslim-majority regions of Africa—namely, the dominance of cultural or animist traditions over Islamic funeral obligations, especially in the burial of traditional rulers.
Islamic burial (janazah) is rooted in simplicity, dignity, and promptness. Delays, grand processions, use of ornate caskets, secret society rituals, and invocation of ancestors or spirits are seen as contradictions to the Prophetic tradition. Yet, such customs remain prevalent in the burial of emirs, sultans, chiefs, and obas across parts of Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin—despite many of these monarchs being professed Muslims.
“It is not enough for a king to claim Islam in life but be buried in contradiction to it in death,” said Sheikh Abdul Lateef Olanrewaju, an Islamic legal consultant in Lagos. “Oba Adetona understood this and took steps that ensured his burial would be a reaffirmation of Tawheed, not a relapse into shirk-based customs.”
Cultural Pressure vs. Religious Conviction
Observers note that Islamic funeral principles are often sacrificed at the altar of cultural continuity, especially in societies where traditional royal institutions are powerful and influential. Families of deceased rulers often find themselves under immense pressure to allow customary rituals—some of which have pre-Islamic or animist roots—to take precedence over Islamic injunctions.
This clash is not new. But what makes Oba Adetona’s case exceptional is that he did not merely reject the traditionalist practices privately—he created a legal shield to protect his Islamic conviction publicly, ensuring future monarchs who follow the path of Islam can be buried accordingly without social or political backlash.
The burial has been described by many as a da‘wah event in itself—broadcast live and showing millions the simplicity and sanctity of the Islamic way of death. The law’s implementation was enforced by state authorities and security agencies, ensuring peace and respect throughout the process.
Reforming the Status Quo
Across Nigeria and parts of West Africa, Islamic groups are now renewing calls for other states to adopt similar legislation. In Ghana’s Dagbon region, for example, scholars and reform-minded chiefs are quietly pushing for a review of funeral customs for Muslim rulers.
According to Dr. Halimatu Bature, a sociologist and specialist in Islamic legal pluralism, “Oba Adetona has given Muslim traditional rulers something priceless—legal precedence and moral clarity. What’s needed now is replication.”
Yet challenges remain. Many traditional councils continue to hold tightly to syncretic customs, viewing any deviation as betrayal of ancestral heritage. The path forward, experts say, lies in sustained public education, intergenerational dialogue, and firm but respectful assertion of Islamic principles by royal families themselves.
A Lasting Islamic Statement
For many Muslims, Oba Adetona’s burial was more than a moment of personal conviction—it was a collective awakening. In his final act, he demonstrated that Islam and royal dignity are not mutually exclusive—that a monarch can live in honor and die in ikhlas. Quoting a well-known prophetic hadith, a scholar in Ibadan remarked:
“The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Indeed, you will be resurrected in the manner in which you died.’ (Sahih Muslim). Oba Adetona chose to meet his Lord as a believer—without compromise.”
His legal reform, bold in its vision and meticulous in its design, now stands as a blueprint for Muslim monarchs across the continent. It offers an Islamic model for leadership that doesn’t end at the throne—but continues at the grave.
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