Coming Of Age Essay

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Recommended: The features of African traditional religion

The basis of this essay is to explore the differences in coming of age and marriage traditions between African indigenous religion and western Islamic religion. I will specifically study the traditions and practices of a tribe in Africa called Ashanti. On the other hand, I will also delve deeper into Islamic coming of age and marriage (and wedding) rituals based on its roots stemming from the Middle East and various parts of Northern Africa as well. The purpose of this assignment is to also gain a better understanding of both religions and traditions as entities of their own, as well as recognize their importance in the world we live in today. I have researched the parallels between both practices using scholarly articles, books, and websites to support my developed thesis. As a result, indigenous African religions and practices and Islam are more similar than one might believe, especially with the current influx of tribes adapting their beliefs to those of Islam. Overall, this research will dissect and interpret a couple of the most crucial and monumental events …show more content…

It is exciting because the individuals who are of age are believed to be at the same level of those that taught them for such a moment such as this. In particular, African indigenous religions and Islam have unique practices that uphold the coming of age ritual to a high caliber. In African religions, coming of age is a crucial practice to ensure that those who are moving forward into adulthood understand and follow the responsibilities that come with it. In Ghana, the Ashanti region takes their own coming of age rituals seriously to prove that the parents of those merging into adulthood have taught the children properly. With the Ashanti’s coming of age, however, it is focused more on females than the males. Since the tribes are matriarchal, girls are celebrated more widely. According to

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