Durham E-Theses Abdullahi b. fodio as a Muslim jurist Gwandu, Abubaker Aliu How to cite: Gwandu, Abubaker Aliu (1977) Abdullahi b. fodio as a Muslim jurist, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8030/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 'ABDULLMI B» FODIO AS A MUSLIM JURIST BY Ab«bakar Aliu Gwandu The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Affts in the University of Durham foie' the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy« May« 1977, School of Oriental Studies Blvet Hill, Durham, i This work is a critical and objective study of *Abdiillahi as a Muslim jurists Chapter one deals with the background to ^Abdullahi's society and gives a brief acccxmt of the political* social, economic and religious conditions of the peoples of the Hauaa States in the 18th century.. Chapter two gives a brief account of *Abdullahi's life. It covers his education and preaching, and the part which he played in the Sokoto Jihad. It concludes with a brief sketch of his character. In chapter three we have tried to trace the personalities that most influenced *Abdullahi'8 thinking. It is hoped that a knowledge of these personalities would help to account for -Abdullah!'s views. Chapter four deals with 'Abdullahi's ideas on constitutional theory and government, and in particular his conception of the Caliphate and various departments of its administration. Chapter five deals with *Abdullahi's ideas on Islamic society and the vital role which he ascribed to religious revival in the process of social reform. It deals with his ideas on the significance of rituals and the relationships between the various sections of Islamic soci• ety, and his attitude towards non-conformists like rebels and aindlgs. It deals with *Abdullahi's ideas on the insti- tution of marriage, the upbringing of children, and the lawful and unlawful means of the acquisition of wealth. In chapter six we have attempted to make a critical assessment of *Abdullahi as a mujtahid or an independent Muslim jurist. We dealt first with the principles which guided him in formulating his opinions. While stressing his independent XX juristic approache we placed him as a mujtahid within the Malikl School of Law, We also shox-ied how his choice of 80u.rces extended to the three orthodox schools of law. XXX Table of Contents Abstract Table of Contents XXX Preface vi X Acknowledgements xii Transliteration Abbreviations XXV Texts and Notes Chapter One - -Abdullah! b« Fodio's Environment. Political, Social, Economic and Religious Conditions in the Hausa States in the Bighteenth Century 1 (a) Political Situation 1 (b) Social and Bconomic Life 9 (i) The Hausa People 9 (ii) The Fulani People 13 (c) Religious Life 21 Notes and Comments on Chapter One 29 Chapter Two »• The Life and Career of *Abdullahi b. Fodio. 36 (a) His Birth 36 (b) Family Background and Education 40 (c) Preaching 48 (d) Military Contribution 60 (e) *Abdullahi's Character 63 Notes and Comments on Chapter Two Chapter Three *Abdullahi'8 Ideas - Personalities that Influenced Him 70 Notes and Comments on Chapter Three 87 XV Chapter Four - *Abdullahi's Ideas on Islamic 93 Government (a) The Caliphate 93 (b) Wazlr or Minister 103 (c) Bmirs or Provincial Governors 106 (d) Qadi or Judge 110 (e) Muhtasib or Censor of Public Morals 113 Notes and Comments on Chapter Four 118 Chapter Five — *Abdullahi's Ideas on Islamic Society 122 (a) Religious Revival and Social Reform 122 (i) Pseudo-Scholars 125 (ii) Ordinary People 126 (iii) Non-Conformists and Rebels 127 (b) Rituals 131 (c) Social Relations 134 (i) Marriage 135 (ii) Up-bringing of Children 137 (iii) Lawful and Unlawful ways of Acquisition of Wealth (Halal and Haram) 140 (d) Minorities in Islamic Society 147 Notes and Comments on Chapter Five 156 Chapter Six ~ Abdullahi as a Mujtahid (Independent Jurist) 161 Ijtihad (Individual Legal Opinion) 161 (b) *Abdullahi's Methodology 165 (i) the Qur'an 165 (ii) Sunnah - Prophetic Traditions 167 (^^^) I jyna^ (Consensus of Muslim Scholars) 171 vl This work is intended as a critical study of *Abdullahi b« Fodio as a Muslim juristo Of the trio who formed the leadership of the Sokoto Jihad movement in 1804, *Abdullahi was the most widely misunderstood by his contemporaries. While he was rightly regarded as the jurist of the movement, many people failed to understand his views. Some people considered him as an extremist who was concerned with the literal meaning of the jgharl^ah and its outward observances. Some saw him as a sufi who was so engrossed with his ascetic pursuits that he had no time for normal earthly matters, while others regarded him as an idealist who had little regard for the realities of life. Some accused him of being too strict and narrow-minded ;, while yet others complained that he was too liberal and generous in his attitude towards the opponents of the Sokoto Jihad. •Rith all these conflicting views on "Abdullahi, I felt that there iras a great need for an objective study, with a view to establishing the basis of *AbduHahi»s ideas, and to identifying what unifying factors, if any, underlie them. This, it is hoped, will help to clear much misconception and misunderstanding concerning ^Abdullahi's personality and his ideas. Moreover, *Abdullahi was the most senior leader in the Sokoto Jihad movement after Shehu *Uthman. He was one of the intellectual and military leaders of the movement. In order to assess the part which he played in the jihad move• ment » it is necessary to understand the principles which guided him in his juristic approach. While scholars have shown considerable interest in Shehu "Uthman b» Fodio, who was the overall leader of the Sokoto .jLihad movements little has been written on *Abdullahi, As f©r as I know, the only serious work which has been written oa ^Abdullahi is a thesis by P. Do Ayagere entitled '"The Life and Works of * Abdullahi b, Fudi". However, this is a general work dealing primarily with *Abdullahi's life, and does not attempt to make a serious study of *Abdullahi as 8. jurists There is o therefore, a great need for a full and comprehensive work on ^Abdullahi as a jurist. I hope that my present work will contribute towards satisfying this aeed, I have dealt with *Abdullahi's ideas in three stages: First, I have tried to establish the historical events leading to the Sokoto Jihad movement, I gave a brief account of ^Abdullahi's own education and intellectual background. We have discovered that his sources stemmed frois the four orthodox Schools of Law and included both jurists and sufis. This explains ^Abdullahi's wide and comprehensive juristic approach, and why his fiqh was tem• pered to a great degree by sufism. In calling upon those in authority to follow the well-known and recognized views of their own Malik'i School, he was prompted not by parti• sanship to a particular School of Law, but by the practical need to establish and maintain uniformity in the adminis• tration of justices Second, I have dealt with *Abdullahi*s ideas on some important aspects of the g.harx^ah. Since Islamic juris• prudence covers the whole field of rituals and social relations, it is not possible in a work like this to deal vxi: T.'jith all the subjects which it coverg^, I have* thereforeo selected some important representative areas, which, I hope, will serve to illustrate "Abdullahi's views. Finally e. I have tried to make an objective assessment of ^Abdullahi as an independent jurist, I discussed the principles which guided him in the formulation of his views. These principles are basically identified with the Malikl School of Law, To this extent» he was a mujtahid within the Malikx School of Law, But in his works,, *Abdullahi always tried to distinguish between the ordinary people and the intellectuals, Whenever he addressed the latter, he did not confine himself to any one School of Law, This issued from his genuine belief and conviction that all the orthodox Schools of Law are equally valid and legitimate. It is important to understand this in order to appreciate ^Abdullahi's juristic contribution. My research on *Abdullahi included a period of fieldwork which lasted for ten months from July 1974 to May 1975, in vjhich I visited many towns and villages in Nigeria and con• sulted all available sources in the National Archives, Kaduna, the Arewa House, Kadusaa, the Department of Antiquities, Jos, the University Library, Ibadans the Sokoto Divisional Library (, the ^Abdullahi Gwandu Library and the Shahuci Judicial School Library, I had special access to the manus• cripts in the private collections of the Marafa of Sokoto, al-Hljj Ahmad Dan-Baba, the Wazir of Sokoto, al-Hajj Junaid» al-Hajj Jibrll Gwandu, M, Yusuf of Bunza, the Imam of Raha and many other 9cholars« While I think that I have exhausted all the available material, more material relevant to the Sokoto Jihad movement XX may still be discovered for further research in the future.