Aspects of Islamic Social Intellectual History In
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ASPECTS OF ISLAMIC SOCIAL INTELLECTUAL HISTORY IN HAUSALAND: 'uTHMAN IBN F~I,1774-1804 C.E. ' ~bdullahHakim Quick A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Department of ~istory,in the University of Toronto Wopyright by '~bdullahHakim Quick, 1995 National Library Biblioth&que nationale m*m of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services sewices bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 OttawaON K1AON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive pennettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fih, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L' auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des exttaits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent &re imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT TITLE: Aspects of Islamic Social Intellectual Historv in Hausaland: '~thmanibn FQcii, 1774-1804 C.E. AUTHOR: '~bdullahHakim Quick DEGREE: Ph.D. YEAR OF CONVOCATION: 1995 DEPARTMENT : History UNIVERSITY: University of Toronto The Sokoto Jihad of 1804 C.E. in Hausaland produced a powerful Islamic state. Its leaders and thinkers were Islamic scholars who communicated with each other in classical Arabic and produced an unprecedented number of writings never before witnessed in Hausaland. Many of these works are still in existence today. In an atmosphere of struggle and strife a type of intellectual renaissance occurred where scholarship was being widely disseminated and even women scholars were given authority and recognition. Despite these achievements very little attention has been paid to the intellectual history and social impact of the Sokoto Jihad and the resulting Caliphate. This thesis is intended to bring out aspects of the social, intellectual history of Hausaland in the eighteenth century and discuss the ideas produced by Shaykh YJthman ibn Fudi (the Shehu), leader of the Sokoto Jihad, to meet the challenges. An attempt has been made to look at some of the Shehu's major i. writings during the period of his intellectual life before che j ihad, 1774-1804 C.E. Part one, the Background, looks at the role of Islamic scholars in the development of Islam in Hausaland. It, then, delves into aspects of the social, political atmosphere, by looking at the local religious and political systems, some prominent customs, and the position of women in society. Finally, the Timbuktu system of Islamic scholarship, and the actual scholars who impacted on the Shehu are examined. Part two, the Analysis, is an in-depth look at the Shehu's comment on social and religious customs in such areas as: personal hygiene, childbirth, circumcision, sexuality, marital relations, the affairs of the mosque, medicine, and the supernatural. An attempt is made to re-analyze the Shehu's confrontation with extremist scholars, and to look at the advice he gave his students on innovations, self criticism, and Tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism) Finally, the Shehu's concept of the role and position of women in society and the dynamics of struggle in the development of an Islamic society are explored. ii. TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE, ABSTRACT, TABLE OF CONTENTS .......... i-iv. MAP. ........................ BEFORE v. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................. v. GLOSSARY .......................... vi. INTRODUCTION ........................ I PART ONE: THE BACKGROUND Chapter 1. THE ROLE OF THE ' ULAMA IN THE DEXTELOPMENT OF ISLAM IN HAUSALAND ...................... 13 The Early Development of Islam The Era of Instablility, Accomodation, and Islamic Growth (The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries) The Quietist Tradition 2. THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE SHEHU'S TIME: . 42 The Traditional Belief System The Relationship of the Rulers to the Ruled 3. THE BACKGROUND OF THE SHEW'S IDEAS AND WRITINGS - . 74 The Influences on the Shehurs Thought The Educational Background of the Shehu Travel, Study, and Preaching, 1774-1804 C.E The Shehurs Style of Writing iii. PART TWO : THE ANALY S I S Chapter 4. THE SHEHU'S COMMENT ON SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS IN HAUSALAND............ 96 On Reviving the Sunna and Destroying Innovations 5. THE SHEHU'S IDEAS ON FUNDAMENTAL ISLAMIC BELIEFS AND STANDARDS ....................... The Shehu's Confrontation with Extremist Scholars The Shehu's Guidance to Scholars and Students The Shehu's Concept of Islamic Mysticism 6. ASPECTS OF THE SHEHU'S CONCEPT OF ISLAMIC SOCIETY ... 190 The Issue of Women in Society The Dynamics of Struggle in the Development of Islamic Society GENERALCONCLUSION. .................... 220 SELECTEDBIBLIOGRAPHY ................... 225 c. 2600 -1800: Widening horizons States of the Sudan and Guinea in the 18th century Peter B. Clarke, West Africa and Islam, 97. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -ABU Ahmadu Be110 University -BUK Bayero University, Kano BSOAS Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies -CAD Centre for Arabic Documentation, Ibadan -CIS Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Sokoto BIFAN Bulletin de 1'Institut Fondamental (formerly Francais) dfAfrique Noire IJAS International Journal of African Historical Studies JAH Journal of African Historv JHSN Journal of the Historical Society of Niaeria MS Manuscript -NAK National Archives, Kaduna NHRS Northern History Research Scheme ODU Journal of West African Studies RBCAD Research Bulletin of the Centre for Arabic Documentation SHB Sokoto History Bureau GLOSSARY Adhan. Muslim call to prayer. Ajami. Non-Arabic language written in Arabic characters. AlKXi. The Hausa form of the word, al-Qadi (Arabic), judge. Almmi. 1rnEi.m Amir. Ruler or commander. Amirate. Emirate, kingdom. al-'Amr bi'l-martif wa al-nahy 'an al-munkar. Commanding the good and prohibiting evil. '~qida.Creed, fundamentals of faith. '~qiqa.Naming ceremony after birth. Attajirai. (Hausa) Wealthy business people. ~wliyZi'. Muslim saints, especially in Sufism. Bayt al-mal, Central treasury house. Basmalah. Invocation: "In the name of Allah". ~ay'a.Pledge of allegiance. id' a. Innovation in religion. Birni (plural: birane) . (Hausa) Walled city. Boka . (Hausa) Spirit medium. Bori . (Hausa) Spirit possession. Dinars and dirhams. Units of currency in the Middle East. DurGs . Lessons. Faqih. Scholar of Islamic jurisprudence. FSsiq. A disobedient person, sinner. Fatwa- Legal opinion. Fiqh. Islamic jurisprudence. Fulfulde. Language of the Fulbe. Gari (plural: gararuwa) (Hausa). Town. Habe, A term in Fulfulde to describe non-Fulbe. HadTth. Saying or tradition of the Prophet Muhammad. Haj j . Pilgrimage to Makkah. Haqiqa. Sufi term for the inner reality. Harm. Prohibited al-earth. Farming. Hijra. Migration, or turning from evil in an Islamic sense- Iblis. The proper name of the Devil in Islamic literature. 'ld. Festival. IhsZin. Righteousness. Ij aza. A teaching permit . Ijma' . Consensus of scholars. Ijtihad. The process of arriving at scholarly religious decision based on established law and firm reasoning. '11m al-kala. Speculative theology. Inna. (Hausa) Mother. Iska (plural, Iskoki) . A Hausa word for air or wind meaning spirit. ~amb'a.Community Jangali. (Hausa) Cattle tax. Jangare. City of the Jinn in Hausa belief. Jinn. Spirits, in the Islamic belief. Jizya. Islamic Poll tax. vii. Juhhal. Ignorant people. Kabbe. Oral teaching of tawhid based on the Fulfulde translation of the treatise, al-'~aidaal-Suqhra by Shaykh al-Sanusi (d. 1488) . Kabbenkoobe. Advocates of the doctrines of Kabbe. Kahin (plural: kuhhan). Wizard, soothsayer. Kalima Shahada. The testimony of faith in Islam. Kasar Hausa. Hausaland. Khilafa: Caliphate. Kibr. Pride. Kharijites. An extreme sect of early Islam that formed during the Caliphate of '~liibn Abi Talib. Kufr. Disbelief. Kulle (Purdah). The seclusion of women. Kurdin Gari . (Hausa) Pre-j ihad tax taken from male adults in Hausaland. Kurdin Salla. (Hausa) Pre-jihad tax paid to the ruler during the -' Id festival. Madhab (plural: madhahib) . School of Islamic jurisprudence. Magajiya- (Hausa) Senior woman of the royal household. Mallam (plural: mallamai) . (Hausa) Learned person. Maliki. From the teachings of Imam Malik ibn Anas. ~asjid.Mosque, Muslim house of worship. Masu Sarauta. (Hausa) Ruling class. Mul&mna. Learning through apprenticeship and actual living experiences with the teacher. dl-Muwalat. Allegiance, clientage. Mutakallimfin, The scholars who concentrate on speculative theology. viii. Nikah. Marriage. Purdah. Seclusion of women, Qabila. Clan Q8dI. Judge al-Qira'a. Reading or diligence in learning. Rumada. (Hausa) Slave villages. ~iya'.Showing off or engaging in worship to be seen by others. al-Safar. Travel. Salaf or al-Salaf al-Salih. The preceeding scholars. Salah. Prayer. Sarki (plural: sarakuna) . (Hausa) Ruler or king. ~hafi'i. From tne teachings of In- al-~hafi' i. Shahada. Testimony of faith. Sihr. magic. Silsila. Chain of authority. Sultan. Ruler Sunna. Tradition, way or method of the Prophet Muhammad. Tafsir. Quranic exegesis. Tajdid. Revival. Takabbur. Arrogance. Takfir. hathemetization or accusing