Micheal Author 🪖 🇳🇬🇺🇲

Yoruba did not invent Ifa. They imported it. Before you let your emotions take over, calm yourself down. The original name of this system was ʿIlm al-Raml, The Science of Sand. It was developed by Black populations in Aswan and the Nile Valley long before it ever reached West Africa. The whole framework is pure binary mathematics. It uses a base of 16 figures that multiply out into 256 probabilities. This is what Yoruba people call the 256 Odu. If you want to know, go and read the historical manuscripts of North African scholars especially that of Shaykh Abdallah al-Zanati. He documented this binary science centuries ago. Every single one of the 16 primary Odu in Ifa has a direct Arabic mathematical equivalent in Zanati’s records. The figure the Arabs called Tariq is what the Yoruba call Ogbe. The figure they called Jama'a is what the Yoruba call Oyeku. The mathematical coding is identical. You cannot debate this. When ancient people migrated from the Nubian corridors and Arab Trans-Saharan trade routes opened up, Islamic scholars and merchants brought this architectural blueprint with them into West Africa. The Yoruba are genius custodians. They assimilated it brilliantly. They mapped this imported Arab-transmitted science onto their own indigenous cosmology, attributed it to Orunmila, and named it Ifa. But being a great preserver is not the same as being the originator. This is why you find the very same system everywhere along those migration routes. The Fon call it Fa. The Ewe call it Afa. In Madagascar it is Sikidy. The medieval Europeans even copied it and translated the Arabic name into Geomancy. If we have been quiet about this, it does not mean we do not know. History does not care about modern sentiments. By historical origin and transmission, Ifa is Esin Arabu. The blueprint came from Aswan and arrived through Arab corridors. Facts don’t lie. Allah knows best.

This was the Afenifere faction that almost destroyed the Yoruba politically in Nigeria. They wanted to hand over our political commonwealth and sovereignty to the Zikists, locking us into an almost endless cycle of political and economic subservience….Yoruba GenZ pls Think!!!

Even craze man know say peter obi na foolish man. A mad man more logical than the whole obidient movement

SO WHO STILL HAS THE POWER? Let us tell the truth: - In SPIRITUAL power, Ooni is ahead. Ife is the source. No Yoruba king can pray for Yoruba land without Ife. The world recognises Ife as the cradle. - In HISTORICAL POLITICAL power, Alaafin is ahead. Oyo was the empire. Oyo was the government. Oyo was the army. - In INTERNATIONAL power today, Ooni is ahead. Brazil, America, Canada, UNESCO world — Ooni has carried Yoruba name further in this democratic era. - In LOCAL POLITICAL power today, both are limited. Neither controls soldiers again. Both must now work through governors, presidents and the law. So superiority is a trap. Brotherhood is the power. Alaafin without Ooni is a body without spirit. Ooni without Alaafin is a spirit without a body. CONCLUSION My brothers and sisters, let us stop this fight. Yoruba kings should focus more on influence to protect Yoruba heritage, tradition and culture than fighting for superiority. We need: - Alaafin to protect Oyo history and Yoruba political dignity. - Ooni to protect Ife spirituality and Yoruba global identity. - Both to protect our language, our festivals, our Isese, our children from losing who they are. In October 2025, both kings met in Lagos and committed to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. That is the spirit we must keep. Let us respect one another. Ooni is our spiritual father. Alaafin is our historical king. Both are our pride. Yoruba does not need a supreme king fighting another supreme king. Yoruba needs two strong kings working as brothers to save one great nation. #Yoruba

Let us judge by IMPACT, not by TITLE. 1. THE IMPACT OF OONI OF IFE — OBA ADEYEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI Ooni holds Ile-Ife, the spiritual home of the Yoruba. In tradition, Ife is where the world was created, where Oduduwa descended. That is not politics. That is identity. His impact in today’s society: a) Spiritual Leadership - Custodian of Olojo Festival, the festival of the Black race, which brings Yoruba from all over the world home to Ife every year. - Voice for Isese practitioners who were for years demonised and silenced. b) International Relationship / Diaspora - In 2023, he went to Brazil, met President Lula da Silva in Brasilia, and addressed the Brazilian Parliament to inaugurate the first-ever National Orisa Day in Brazil. - He presented a Certificate of Yoruba Territory to the Quilombola community in Brazil, making it the first city outside Africa to receive that title. - That was not just a visit. That was Yoruba religion getting recognition in a foreign parliament. - He has also been honoured in Brampton, Canada and celebrated in the US with the ÀṢÉ10 festival for his 10th coronation anniversary, uniting Yoruba in America, Caribbean and Africa. c) Policy Influence in Government - He is Permanent Chairman of Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council. - He is Chairman, Board of Trustees of the World Orisha Congress (WOOCON), working with the Federal Government through NICO to make Nigeria the centre of global Orisha tourism. - He has pushed for Yoruba culture to be treated as national asset, not fetish. d) Youth, Peace and Unity - Known as youth-friendly king, he has consistently preached peace, unity and one Yoruba family, even when provoked. When Alaafin issued a 48-hour ultimatum over the Okanlomo title in August 2025, Ooni instructed his palace to ignore it and leave it to public opinion. 2. THE IMPACT OF ALAAFIN OF OYO — OBA ABIMBOLA OWOADE I Alaafin holds Oyo, the political heart of the Yoruba. In history, the Old Oyo Empire was one of the most powerful empires in West Africa. Alaafin was the political head. That history is real and cannot be erased. His impact in today’s society: a) Historical / Political Leadership - Custodian of Oyo Empire history, the empire that spread Yoruba civilisation, administration, military organisation and diplomacy across West Africa from the 14th to 18th century. - His stool represents political power, not just spiritual power. b) Cultural Revival - He has announced the maiden Oyo Empire Day, December 17-19, 2026, to bring together all communities historically connected to the Oyo Empire, to preserve heritage and promote unity. - He has been vocal about Yoruba history being taught correctly, not distorted. c) Policy Influence in Government - Alaafin is a major voice in Oyo State traditional politics. Even after the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law 2025 removed his stool as permanent chairman, his voice still shapes debate in Oyo. - He has insisted that no one can confer a title covering the whole of Yorubaland without regard for history and law — that was the basis of his objection to the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title. d) Development of Oyo - His message has been consistent: “When Oyo succeeds, the Yoruba in their entirety get honoured.” - He is pushing Oyo as a centre for cultural tourism, just as Ife is a centre for spiritual tourism. #YorubaUnite #Ooni #Alaafin #IleIfe #OyoEmpire

WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE YORUBA RACE? OONI OR ALAAFIN? LET US SETTLE IT. This is the oldest debate in Yorubaland, and both sides are right — but they are right about different kinds of power. Ooni sits in Ile-Ife, Osun State — Arole Oduduwa. Alaafin sits in Oyo, Oyo State — Iku Baba Yeye. One is the SOURCE. One is the EMPIRE. WHY PEOPLE SAY ALAAFIN IS THE HEAD: Because of IMPERIAL HISTORY. From the 14th to the 18th century, Oyo was the biggest, strongest, most organised empire in Yorubaland. Army. Cavalry. Bashorun. Oyo Mesi. Trade routes. Guns. Horses. When Oyo sneezed, all Yorubaland caught cold. Oyo conquered and influenced others. Many Obas in Ilesa, Ondo, Ekiti, Ijebu, Egbado, even Dahomey, either paid tribute to Oyo or got their beaded crown through Oyo's approval. So in people's minds: Alaafin = the one who makes kings. Oyo also controlled the ECONOMY. Kola. Horses. Trade. Later, guns. Whoever controls trade controls power. And when the British came, they found Oyo's government easy to use. They made Alaafin a powerful Native Authority. That colonial boost made many believe Alaafin is supreme. In short: People think Alaafin is head because OYO WAS THE GOVERNMENT. That is true. But that is only HALF the truth. WHY PEOPLE SAY OONI IS THE HEAD: Because of ORIGIN HISTORY. Every Yoruba creation story starts in Ile-Ife. Oduduwa in Ile-Ife. Creation in Ile-Ife. Oranmiyan was born in Ile-Ife, then LEFT Ile-Ife to found Oyo. The son cannot be greater than the father. Ooni is Arole Oduduwa — the direct inheritor of Oduduwa's throne. Even Alaafin traces his lineage to Oranmiyan, son of Oduduwa from Ile-Ife. You cannot be greater than your source. In the old system: IFE CROWNS, OYO RULES. The Ooni blesses the Ida Oranmiyan — the Sword of Oranmiyan. The Alaafin receives spiritual authority from Ife on coronation. That is why even when Oyo was militarily stronger, Oyo NEVER attacked Ife. You don't fight your source. It is taboo. And spirituality lives in Ife. Ifa was revealed in Ife. Orunmila lived in Ife. Obatala, Ogun, Osun, Sango — root shrines in Ife. The Ooni is custodian for ALL Yoruba worldwide — Nigeria, Brazil, Cuba, USA, Trinidad. Alaafin may command an army, but Ooni commands the ancestors. In short: People think Ooni is head because ILE-IFE IS THE ORIGIN. That is also true. That is the OTHER HALF of the truth. SO WHAT IS THE CORRECT CONCLUSION? OONI OF IFE = SPIRITUAL HEAD OF THE YORUBA RACE. Head of origin, tradition, Ifa, Orisa, and spiritual unity. ALAAFIN OF OYO = ADMINISTRATIVE / POLITICAL HEAD OF THE YORUBA RACE. Head of empire, governance, diplomacy, and political organisation. One is the FATHER. One is the ELDER SON WHO BECAME A KING. A father does not compete with his son. A son does not disrespect his father. If Ooni tries to be Alaafin, he loses his spiritual power. If Alaafin tries to be Ooni, he loses his historical legitimacy. What Yoruba needs now is NOT a fight for who is number 1. Yoruba needs: Ooni to unite us spiritually. Alaafin to organise us politically. Both to respect themselves and work TOGETHER IN HARMONY for the progress of the Yoruba race. Ife is the ROOT. Oyo is the BRANCH. A tree needs both to stand. When the spiritual head and the administrative head work together, NO ONE can bring down Yoruba civilization. I am not Yoruba by accident. I am Yoruba by the grace of Olodumare. Let us stop dividing our fathers. Let us honour both thrones. #OoniOfIfe #AlaafinOfOyo #YorubaCivilization #IleIfe #Oyo #Oduduwa #Oranmiyan

IFA: YORUBA ORIGIN OR ARAB IMPORT? LET'S SETTLE IT You are confusing similarity with origin. Yes, Ilm al-Raml uses 16 figures and 256 combinations. Ifa also uses 16 + 256 Odu. That is a shared binary math, not proof of copying. Al-Zanati was Berber, not Arab from Aswan. And the earliest clear Arabic geomancy texts are 9th century CE. There is no manuscript showing Arabs brought it to Yorubaland. The figures look similar, but the content is not. Geomancy = short interpretation. Ifa Odu = thousands of verses, stories, medicine, sacrifice, and a whole cosmology around Olodumare, Orunmila, Ori and Iwa Pele. Sikidy in Madagascar was clearly influenced by Arabic geomancy. Ifa is debated by scholars - shared ancestor, parallel development, or limited exchange. No scholar has proven "Yoruba imported it from Arabs." And your own example defeats you. You said Fon call it Fa, Ewe call it Afa. Why do Fon, Ewe and Ga all point back to Ile-Ife? Ga oral tradition, recorded by historians Kilson and Quaye, says Ga came from Ile-Ife. In 2022, Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II went to Ile-Ife himself and reaffirmed it before the Ooni. Fon oral tradition also says they mixed with Yoruba Gedevi on Abomey plateau. Ewe tradition says they left Ile-Ife through Ketu. So Ile-Ife was the centre everyone was moving OUT of - not a place importing its religion from Arab caravans. Ifa is not Esin Arabu. It has no Quran, no Islamic cosmology. If similarity = origin, then Arabic geomancy is also Esin Africa, because al-Zanati was Berber and the figures predate Arab manuscripts.

This Ifa thing is kinda dicey sha. Igbos too get same divination system called Afa, i no know who copied who but how dem take resemble with the ones outside nigeria is not what is unclear to me. Ifa and Afa both get 16 odus and 256

Hi @grok, following this interesting conversation, can you give me an in-depth background on Ifá? What exactly is it, what are its connections to Arab history, if any, and how could Arab knowledge have reached Yorubaland?

You don't need to abuse me. Just bring facts. I said İfa was imported, you are crashing out. It's the pure truth. Do you people know Reverend Samuel Johnson? He is the most respected pioneer of documented Yoruba history. In his book titled: “The History of the Yorubas,” he explicitly documented how this system entered Yorubaland. He recorded that Ifa was introduced by a blind man named Setilu. Setilu was a man from the Nupe country, what the Yoruba call the Tapa people. He was practicing this imported Arab sand divination, ʿIlm al-Raml. He migrated into Yorubaland and brought this mathematical science with him. The early Yoruba priests and indigenous custodians saw the mathematical precision of his divination. They took Setilu's imported Arab science, translated the Arabic concepts into the Yoruba language, and wove it into the indigenous Orunmila cosmology to make it their own. Some of you are arguing that only the language is different. The real question is who translated from who? The flow of history only goes in one direction. The 16 binary figures and the 256 probabilities were already documented in Arabic manuscripts by North African scholars centuries before they became Yoruba oral tradition. The Arabs and the people of the Nile Valley did not travel down to Yorubaland to learn sand divination and then take it back up North. That is geographically and historically backwards. The blueprint came down into West Africa. The Yoruba received it and translated it. Changing the name of an imported Arab science to fit your local language does not make you the originator. It makes you a brilliant translator and preserver. Bring your dates, your migration routes, and your historical manuscripts. If you cannot counter Samuel Johnson and the historical Arabic manuscripts with hard evidence, sit down and learn.