Arabic and Islamic Scholarship
Ilorin is a multi-ethnic Muslim community with a unique history and culture. It is also a scholarly community with a very rich and dynamic tradition of Islamic scholarship. The city is indeed widely acknowledged as Ilu Alfa (the city of Scholars) and a regional centre of Islamic learning and Arabic manuscript production. Ilorin's Arabic manuscript culture shared elements from ancient Arabic literary and calligraphic traditions from far and wide. Manual production of Arabic manuscripts (Mss) was one ofthe major aspects of the professional occupation of Ilorin 'ulama' (religious scholars) and an integral part of the traditional Arabic and Islamic education particularly the 'ilimi (higher) stage. Until the use of modern technology, the manual copying of Arabic Mmanuscript was so widespread in the emirate that it represented a major occupation and additional source of livelihood to several Ilorin families that become renowned for the art.
