One critical source of knowledge Islam is preaching which is carried out on a regular basis among Muslims in the study area. With preaching, believers get to understand the demands of the religion which enables them to carry out associated rites and rituals effectively. Yet there is evidence to show, to the contrary, that some aspects of Muslim practice of Islam in the area are not reflective of the teachings of Islam. There appears to be a disconnect between preaching and religious beliefs, practices and ways of life of Muslims. This raises the question of whether preachers, whose duty it is...

This work looks at the influence the Afa in Dagbon, the nature of this influence and how it affects peoples' attitude to life. Specifically, it tries to fathom what makes people seek the assistance of the Afa; whether it is nativity on their part or love for spiritual things or the presence of some compelling needs and anxieties confronting them. Of interest to the examination is an assessment of the trend of the Afa's patronage: whether it is rising or falling and reasons that could account for either trend. A related area of focus is the relationship between the Afa and the traditional...

The essay discusses, in brief, the ceremonies of naming (Islam and Traditional) as it is carried out among the Dagbamba of Northern Ghana. This is meant to highlight differences and similarities. A discussion of whether a Muslim can bear an indigenous Ghanaian name and still be a Muslim then follows and finally some selected indigenous names and their meanings are presented in a series of classifications.

This write-up deals with personal names and naming among the Dagbamba of Northern Ghana. It covers names of both cultures at stake in the area, i.e. traditional indigenous names and Islamic names. The first part takes up the examination of indigenous names whereas the second discusses Muslim names. In contemporary times, some indigenes have evolved a system where they combine both names in naming their babies, possibly in order not to lose touch with their indigenous culture in the midst of the dominant Islamic culture in the area. However, many others still clinch strictly to Islamic names...