Paper short abstract:

Using interviews, this paper investigate the producers and the users of cultural artefacts on Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass, it will explore how Sheikh Inyass has become a cultural figure in a unique form of Islamic fandom in Kano.

Paper long abstract:

Merchandizing Islam: Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass and Fandom Popular Culture in Kano

Abstract

This paper will investigate the complex interplay between religion and popular culture in Muslim northern Nigeria. It will offer insight into the evolving landscape of Islamic expressions in Kano, an epicenter of activities of Islamic Sufism in northern Nigeria. The study will investigate how a renowned charismatic leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass has become a cultural figure in a unique form of Islamic fandom that has emerged among the adherents of Tijjaniyya sect in Kano.

Appropriating Richard Johnson’s notion of ‘circuit of culture’ which lay emphasis on the understanding of the cultural production process, the artefacts produced, and the ways those artefacts are used; the paper will involve interviews with the producers, which will shed light on the underlying motives for production; while interviews with users will explore how the user fused religious reverence into popular culture, and how it has given them a unique sense of identity within the Muslim community.

The research will delve into the multifaceted dimensions of this fandom culture through which Sheikh Inyass's image have been merchandized and appropriated, and how they have transformed into symbols of religious devotion and identity.

Finally, while serving as a lens through which the evolving dynamics of religion in a contemporary Islamic society will be understood, it will also demonstrate how religious figures like Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass can transcend their roles as religious leaders to become cultural icons.

Key words: Popular Culture, Fandom, Religion, Devotion, Sheikh Ibrahim Inyass