HISTORY OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN JIMMA FROM 1830 TO 2007

Abstract

The history of Islamic education in Jimma has been neglected for a long period of time. Few studies done by some scholars on the history of Islam in Gibe states including Jimma tried to show Jimma as center of Islamic studies. Therefore based on the available historical sources from oral and written, this study discusses the major and important points in the history of Jimma related to the religion of Islam from the year 1830 up to 2007. The necessary information was gathered using open ended interview and observation. The participants were selected based on their knowledge, roles, responsibility and willingness on a particular issue. The study was conducted using qualitative research methodology and presented in historical forms based on the participants understanding and interpretation in addition to my own reflective analysis based on the oral and written evidences. The Islamic education in Jimma has long history, according to different historical sources, it was started in 1830s with the coming of the first great alim named Sheikh Abdulhakim into the area and the conversion of Abba Jifar I. Sheikh Abdulhakim had started teaching the children of nobility (since at his early coming, Islam was the religion of king and nobility) at around his house, nearest to the palace. After some years he began to teach all children in and around Jiren and the communities living there. Gradually with the help of local rulers his teaching center was able to produce local learned Muslims and distributed them in all Qoros of the kingdom. The local rulers also had invited many ulama from different parts of the country and sheltered them by establishing the centers of Islamic education in different Qoros of Jimma kingdom and Islamic education become expanded and reached the vast peoples of the area.