Brief History Of Uthman Dan Fodio SS3 Islamic Studies Lesson Note

Brief history of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo

 Sheikh Uthman was born in 1754 at a town called Maratta in what is now Niger Republic. He came from a family of learned Fulani Muslims who studied the Quran under famous scholars. His parents were Fulani and were also scholars. He started his early education under his parents.

He was brought up under the tutelage of his two righteous parents who gave him religious orientation. His Mother taught him recitation of the Qur’an while his Father taught him some elementary books in Fiqh and Tawheed. Later the Sheikh travelled to other places like Kebbi, Zamfara and Gobir where he studied with many Scholars. He acquired elementary education under his parents, he studied Arabic grammar under Shaikh Abdur-Rahman, Fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence under Muhammad Sambo, Tafsir under Sheikh Ahmad bn Muhammad and six canonical Hadith under Alhaji Muhammad ibn Raji etc.

Some of the Scholars included Sheikh Jibril bin Umar and Sheikh Ramadan. When he was 21, and still a student, he started teaching and preaching.

Sheikh Uthman’s students included his brother Abdullahi, his son Muhammad Bello and his daughter Asma’u. 

Sheikh Uthman preached Islam in Gobir, Zamfara and Kebbi. The Emir of Gobir Yunfa was not happy with the preaching of the Sheikh, He therefore attacked the settlements of the Sheikh’s followers, He also directed the Sheikh to leave his hometown of Degel. Later, the Sheikh made Hijrah to Gudu. It was at Gudu that Yunfa attacked the Sheikh and his followers. The people of the Sheikh defeated the Gobir army at the battle of Tabkin Kwatto. Subsequently, war broke out in Hausa land between the Sheikh and his followers, and the Hausa rulers. Alkalawa, the capital of Gobir, was defeated by the combined forces of Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. The Sokoto caliphate was established and the Sheikh became its first Sultan. 

 His contributions

1. Sheikh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo was the first African preacher to change the bad habits of the people with heart, tongue and hand.
2. He was the first African to establish a Nation whose rules of law were purely Islamic.
3. He graduated more than a hundred scholars and jurists Who qualified to be a ‘MUJTAHID’
4. He was a great Sufi (Ascetic) who trained the souls of people with different Adhkar and Aurad.
5. He established a Tariqah named At-Tarikatu Al- Fudiyyah which is a branch of At-Tarikat Al- Qadiriyyah.
6. He wrote more than a hundred books, the most popular ones among them are:

–  Ihyaus-Sunnah Wa Ikhmadut Bid’ah

–  Bayanu Wujubul-Hijrah

–  Nasihat Ahluz-Zaman

–  Hisnul-Afham Minjuyushil-Auham etc.

1. Shaikh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo was an erudite scholar, an eloquent poet, a versed jurist, a wise preacher, a pious leader, a cunning commander, a just emir, an effective and responsible statesman, a great Imam and above all a distinguished nation of unparalleled qualities.

 Qualities of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo

Sheikh Uthman was an outstanding scholar, he was a leader who led by example.

As a Muslim and scholar, he devoted himself to the service of Islam and humanity. He was a Sufi who sacrificed this world for the next one. When the King of Gobir gave presents to scholars during the Sallah celebration, Sheikh Uthman did not accept the presents because he was not looking for a monetary reward. 

He was a faithful Muslim who rendered selfless service to Islam. He led a Jihad which transformed Hausa land and unified Hausa states. As a scholar, Sheikh Uthman promoted learning in Hausa land and beyond. He wrote many books on diverse aspects of Islam.

Teaching and Preaching

Sheikh Uthman and His Brother Mallam Abdullahi became famous scholars. They read many books and wrote books themselves, in Arabic and in Fulfulde, about the religion of Islam. Sheikh Uthman called people to follow the true teachings of Islam and also called on the rulers not to commit injustices to their people, but to rule following the Shari’ah (Islamic moral and legal regulations). 

His son, Muhammad Bello, wrote of him: He surpassed all men in nobility of character. He was a charming friend. He was generous and truthful. He was modest. Men came in such crowds that there was no room to move. He showed them a smiling face and was kind and happy to be with them. He was patient and pitied Muslims. Sheikh Uthman and his family settled in Degel in Gobir, near where Sokoto is today, and a community formed around him of scholars, students and visitors who wanted to learn from him the true teachings of Islam. 

The Sheikh and his community preached and called on people to behave well and abandon drinking alcohol. He called on the Muslim rulers to rule by the Shari’ah, collect taxes lawfully and not imprison people illegally. He told the people of their rights under the Shari’ah and advised them to appeal to the Alkali in the courts if they did not get their rights. 

He wrote and preached on the rights of women and warned men against oppressing them. He advised the rulers to appoint learned and fearless judges, who would uphold the law. The Sheikh and his followers went on long preaching tours. Since they could not travel personally to all places, he wrote short books and poems in Fulfulde which were translated into Hausa. For those who could not read, songs were composed teaching about religion, called Wa’azi songs.  

 Suppression of the Sheikh Uthman’s Mission

After some years, when Sheikh Uthman’s fame had spread far and wide in the surrounding areas, a new ruler of Gobir became jealous of Sheikh Uthman’s influence. He made new laws forbidding people to change from paganism to Islam and forbidding Sheikh Uthman’s followers to preach. The good Muslims began to leave Gobir. The new ruler of Gobir died soon afterwards, but his son Yunfa continued his father’s persecution of the Muslims, even seeking to kill Sheikh Uthman on one occasion.

At last, open hostility broke out between the Chief of Gobir and the Sheikh Uthman’s community. The Chief sent a message to Sheikh Uthman, insisting that he should leave his community, take his family and go away. Sheikh Uthman replied: “I will not leave the Community but I will leave your country. ALLAH’S earth is wide” Thus began the Hijrah (Emigration) of Sheikh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo.

Sheikh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo, his family, and the whole community, then packed all their books and belongings on their cattle, horses and camels, together with the little grain they possessed, and in February 1804 they began their trek out of Gobir. They settled in Gudu, in Kebbe, about 60 miles away, and the other Muslims in Gobir also began to leave to join Sheikh Uthman and escape the persecutions of the Chief of Gobir.

The Gobirawa (people of Gobir) attacked the travellers and their families and robbed them of all their possessions.

The Jihad of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodiyo

The Chief of Gobir then declared war on Sheikh Uthman and his community. The

Muslims gave their promise of obedience to Sheikh Uthman as Commander of the Faithful (Sarkin Musulmi) and began to prepare the defences of the town and get ready for Jihad (a struggle to defend the faith against oppression). They were in a difficult situation. The Gobirawa had many fighters, horses and weapons. The Muslims had only about 20 horses, no shields and no heavy weapons, They relied chiefly on their bows and arrows. 

Mallam Abdullahi led the army out of Gudu and caught the Gobir army by surprise at a lake called Tabkin Kwatto. A great battle was fought and despite their greater numbers and equipment, the Gobir army was defeated and its remaining soldiers fled. There followed a series of battles as each side increased its number of recruits, and the Muslims lost many men in battle.

In 1805 the Gobir army attacked Sheikh Uthman’s army just outside Gwandu. Sheikh Uthman went out and preached to his people. He prayed for victory and inspired the people to fight with all their courage. The Gobirawa were defeated, and the tide of the war turned. From then on the Shehu’s followers, under the leadership of Mallam Abdullahi and the Shehu’s son Muhammad Bello, and later also of the other flag-bearers, went from success to success until after a few years the whole of Hausa land came under their rule, and some of the areas beyond it, from Gobir (where Yunfa the Chief of Gobir was killed) as far as Kano, Katsina, Adamawa, Bida and Ilorin.

Retirement to his studies

Sheikh Uthman settled finally in Sokoto, where he continued his studies and writing and gave directives to his followers on government, until his death in 1817 A.C. All his family were famous for their scholarship, including his daughter

Nana Asma’u was an educator, writer and poet. The graves of the Sheikh

Uthman and some of his family can still be seen in Sokoto at the Hubbare. Sheikh

Uthman was without doubt the greatest Muslim, Scholar and Reformer in West

Africa. The books in which he preached reform, purification of the religion from pagan practices and the supremacy of the law (Shari’ah) are still relevant today. Sheikh Uthman’s only intention was to preach in peace and persuade people to do right. It was the jealousy and love of the power of the rulers, such as Yunfa, which gave Sheikh Uthman and his followers no choice but to fight and defend themselves, and by the grace of ALLAH, they succeeded.

Lessons contained in his life

 From the life of Sheikh Uthman, there are many lessons to be learnt. Of first importance was his scholarship, which enabled him to perceive the difference between truth and falsehood, between the true social teachings of Islam and the unIslamic customs which the rulers and some of the people were practising.

Added to this was his care for the welfare of the common people, and his readiness to suffer discomfort to enlighten them about Islam and about their duties and rights as Muslims, to which he devoted his whole life.

Lastly, one must admire his faith, steadfastness and courage in refusing to abandon his mission and in standing firm against the military power of the oppressors.