The Izala Movement in Nigeria: Its Split, Relationship to Sufis and Perception of Sharīʿa Re
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The Izala Movement in Nigeria: Its Split, Relationship to Sufis and Perception of Sharīʿa Re- Implementation A Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) at BIGSAS by Ramzi Ben Amara Research Area (A): Uncertainty, Innovation and the Quest for Order in Africa Supervisor: Dr. Franz Kogelmann June 2011 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. 2 Foreword ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Technical Note .................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 8 1 The Study ..................................................................................................................................... 13 2 Scope of literature ....................................................................................................................... 22 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 40 4 Theoretical framework ................................................................................................................ 45 4.1 Bourdieu applied to Izala .................................................................................................... 47 4.2 “Modes of Religiosity” theory .............................................................................................. 56 4.3 Religious Market Theory & Religious Movements .......................................................... 60 Chapter Two: Religious Landscape in Nigeria .................................................................. 67 1 Christianity in Nigeria .................................................................................................................. 67 2 History of Islam in Nigeria .......................................................................................................... 71 2.1 Sufi Brotherhoods ................................................................................................................ 75 2.1.1 The Qādiriyya ................................................................................................... 75 2.1.2 The Tijāniyya .................................................................................................... 78 2.2 The Indirect Rule .................................................................................................................. 81 2.3 English Law or Islamic Law ................................................................................................ 89 2.4 Islam in Nigeria during the postcolonial era ..................................................................... 95 2.5 The conflict between the Sufi Brotherhoods .................................................................. 102 2.6 Sheikh Abubakar Gumi and his struggle against Sufism ............................................. 109 2.6.1 Sheikh A. Gumi: his early life until 1972 .................................................... 111 2.6.2 Sheikh A. Gumi: from al-ʿaqīda al-ṣaḥīḥa (1972) to the establishment of Izala (1978) ............................................................................................................... 118 Chapter Three: Reform Islam versus Sufism .................................................................. 122 1 What is reform in “Nigerian” Islam? ........................................................................................ 125 2 Shiʿites in Nigeria ....................................................................................................................... 136 2 3 The JTI in Nigeria ...................................................................................................................... 138 4 From Maitatsine to Boko Haram - a coincidence or a continuation? ................................. 141 5 Salafiyya oriented groups ......................................................................................................... 147 Chapter Four: The Izala movement between success and failure .............................. 150 1 Sheikh Ismaila Idris and the Izala Question .......................................................................... 150 2 The J.I.B.W.I.S.: Formation of Izala Organization in 1978 .................................................. 157 2.1 One constitution and two factions or many constitutions of the same organization? ..................................................................................................................................................... 165 2.2 Structure of the Organization ........................................................................................... 178 2.2.1 The Council of ʿulamā' .................................................................................. 178 2.2.2 The Administration Council .......................................................................... 179 2.2.3 First Aid Group (FAG) ................................................................................... 180 2.2.4 Other Committees ......................................................................................... 181 2.3 Current leadership in Izala ................................................................................................ 185 2.3.1 The Jos branch of Izala ................................................................................ 186 2.3.2 The Kaduna branch of Izala ......................................................................... 190 3 Izala and Innovation .................................................................................................................. 196 3.1 Definition(s) of bidʿa ........................................................................................................... 196 3.2 The Discourse of Izala on bidʿa........................................................................................ 215 4 Izala and Wahhabism ............................................................................................................... 228 5 The Division of the Movement: One organization and two doctrines or two organizations and one doctrine? ........................................................................................................................ 242 5.1 Time of the division ............................................................................................................ 243 5.2 Reasons of the Division .................................................................................................... 250 5.3 The Izala “War of words” between Kaduna and Jos: “Two open letters to Sheikh Jingir vs. answers from Jos” ................................................................................................... 268 5.4 Attempts at reconciliation .................................................................................................. 284 Chapter Five: Sharīʿa Debate of 1999 .............................................................................. 291 1 Who implemented Sharīʿa? ...................................................................................................... 293 2 Proponents and opponents of the Sharīʿa-project ................................................................ 307 2.1 Proponents of Sharīʿa ........................................................................................................ 310 3 2.2 Opponents of the re-implementation of Islamic Law .................................................... 314 2.3 The Federal Government, the States, the ʿulamā', and grassroots’ positions on sharī‛a re-implementation ........................................................................................................ 323 3 Izala’s contribution to the re-implementation: initiators? ..................................................... 331 4 Izala, Sufis, and Sharī‛a-law: a chance for reconciliation? .................................................. 339 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 344 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 359 Abstract (English) ..................................................................................................................... 377 Abstract (German) .................................................................................................................... 379 4 Foreword I want to express my gratitude to all people who assisted me in my project at different stages and apologize to all those I did not mention here by name. First of all, I am very thankful to Prof. Dr. Ulrich Berner who encouraged me during my undergraduate, graduate and during the process of writing my PhD-Thesis. In the field of Religious Studies I learnt a lot from Prof. Berner and I am really lucky and happy for studying under him and working under his supervision. Without the assistance and unlimited patience of my supervisor Dr. Franz Kogelmann, this dissertation would not have been accomplished.