Brief History of Nigerian Muslim Scholars – JSS3 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Nigerian Muslim scholars are learned men and women who taught Islamic knowledge, built schools, wrote books and guided their communities as Islam spread across Nigeria.

• Examples: Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, Muhammad Bello, Nana Asma’u, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi and Dr. Aisha Lemu.
• Early history: Islam reached northern Nigeria around the 11th century, through traders and travellers from North Africa.
• Today: the tradition of scholarship continues in schools, mosques and universities.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Name at least five Nigerian Muslim scholars and say where each one worked.
2. Describe the work of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate.
3. Explain the contribution of Nana Asma’u to women’s education.
4. State the main contributions of Nigerian Muslim scholars to society.
5. List the types of Islamic schools and centres of learning in Nigeria today.

What are the key terms in this topic?

These six terms appear often when we study Nigerian Muslim scholars.

Who were the early Muslim scholars in northern Nigeria?

The early scholars of the north were Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, his son Muhammad Bello and his brother Abdullahi dan Fodio.

Sheikh Usman dan Fodio (1754-1817)

• Birth: he was born in Gobir, in the area of present-day Sokoto State.
• Work: he travelled to many villages teaching people about Islam.
• Concern: many people who called themselves Muslims were not following true Islamic teaching.
• Jihad of 1804: he led a movement to create a society that followed Islam properly.
• Result: the Sokoto Caliphate, which became the largest Islamic state in West Africa.
• Writings: he wrote more than 100 works in Arabic, Fulfulde and Hausa on law, government, education and Muslim behaviour.
• Belief: everyone, including women, should be educated.

Muhammad Bello (1781-1837)

• Family: he was the son of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio.
• Office: he became Sultan of Sokoto after his father’s death and led the Caliphate.
• Writings: he wrote on Islam, medicine, history and good government.
• Education: he built schools and libraries and spread knowledge across the Caliphate.
• Character: he was known to be fair and wise in his decisions.

Abdullahi dan Fodio (1766-1828)

• Family: he was the brother of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio.
• Role: he supported his brother during the jihad.
• Writings: he wrote on Islamic law, Arabic grammar and poetry.
• Knowledge: he was known for his deep knowledge of the Quran and Hadith.
• Government: he helped govern the western part of the Caliphate under Islamic principles.

Who was Nana Asma’u?

Nana Asma’u (1793-1864) was the daughter of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, and she was a poet, teacher and scholar.

• Languages: she spoke four languages: Arabic, Fulfulde, Hausa and Tamacheq.
• Jajis: she trained a group of women teachers, called “jajis”, who travelled to villages to teach women about Islam.
• Belief: men and women should both be educated.
• Impact: she helped many women learn their religion when women’s education was rare.
• Legacy: her poems and writings are still studied today.

Who were the scholars in Yorubaland (southwestern Nigeria)?

Two well-known scholars in Yorubaland are Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilori and Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello.

Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilori (1917-1992)

• Origin: he was born in Ilorin.
• School: in 1952 he founded the Markaz Arabic and Islamic Training Centre in Agege, Lagos.
• Students: the school has trained many scholars, teachers and leaders.
• Writings: he wrote many books on Islam, the Arabic language and Nigerian history.
• Outlook: he wanted Muslims to learn both their religion and modern knowledge.
• Unity: he urged different Muslim groups to work together and be active citizens.

Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello

• Region: he is a well-known scholar in Yorubaland.
• Teaching: he stresses following the Quran and Sunnah.
• Style: he explains Islamic teaching in ways that are easy to understand.
• Students: he has trained many students who became scholars and teachers.

Who are the scholars in northern Nigeria in the modern era?

Three leading modern scholars of the north are Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Al-Husseini.

Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi (1922-1992)

• Birth: he was born in Gumi, in present-day Zamfara State.
• Office: he became Grand Khadi of Northern Nigeria.
• Translation: he translated the Holy Quran into Hausa so more people could understand it.
• Teaching: he urged Muslims to follow the Quran and Sunnah directly. His teaching inspired the Izala movement.
• Radio: he answered people’s questions about Islam on radio, which reached many ordinary people.

Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi (1927-2023)

• Origin: he was born in Bauchi State and studied under many teachers.
• Known for: his knowledge of the Quran and Hadith.
• Ramadan tafsir: each year he explained the Quran in public sessions during Ramadan, and people travelled from far to listen.
• Students: he trained many students in recitation and understanding of the Quran.
• Leadership: he was a leader in the Tijaniyyah Sufi order.
• Peace: he promoted peace and understanding among religious groups.

Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Al-Husseini (born 1939)

• Base: he is a scholar from Maiduguri, Borno State.
• Fields: Islamic law, spirituality and the Arabic language.
• Writings: he has written many books.
• School: he leads a large Islamic school in Maiduguri whose students have become scholars.

Who are the modern female scholars?

Two modern women scholars in this lesson are Hajiya Bilkisu and Dr. Aisha Lemu.

Hajiya Bilkisu

• Cause: she worked to improve women’s rights within Islam.
• Organisation: she worked with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), which supports Muslim women’s education and healthcare.
• Writings: she wrote books and articles on the rights Islam gives women.
• Impact: she helped women understand their religion and stand up for their rights.

Dr. Aisha Lemu (1940-2019)

• Origin: she was born in Britain, became a Muslim and settled in Nigeria after marrying Sheikh Ahmed Lemu.
• Writings: she wrote many books on Islam for children and adults, in clear, simple language.
• Institution: she started the Islamic Education Trust to improve Islamic education in Nigeria.

Who are the scholars in the table below?

This table summarises the scholars in this lesson.

What are the contributions of Nigerian Muslim scholars?

Nigerian Muslim scholars contributed to education, literature, translation, social reform, peace building and women’s education.

1. Education: they built schools, wrote textbooks and trained teachers.
2. Literature: they wrote books in Arabic, Hausa, Fulfulde, Yoruba, English and other languages.
3. Translation: they translated the Quran and other Islamic texts into local languages.
4. Social reform: they worked to improve society according to Islamic principles.
5. Peace building: many promoted peace between religious and ethnic groups.
6. Women’s education: some made sure women had access to Islamic knowledge.

What are the types of Islamic schools and centres of learning in Nigeria today?

There are four main types: Quranic schools, Islamiyya and modern Islamic schools, Islamic universities and research centres.

• Traditional Quranic schools: pupils learn to recite and memorise the Quran under a teacher, as in the tsangaya system of the north.
• Islamiyya and modern Islamic schools: they teach Islamic knowledge, and many also teach subjects such as mathematics, science and English.
• Islamic universities: examples are Fountain University, Osogbo, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, and Crescent University, Abeokuta.
• Research centres: scholars study Islamic history and teaching there.

Why do Nigerian Muslim scholars matter today?

Their work preserved and spread Islamic knowledge in Nigeria for hundreds of years.

• Foundation: modern scholars build on schools, books and ideas left by earlier scholars.
• Local setting: they explained Islamic teaching in Nigerian languages and conditions.
• Understanding: studying them helps us understand Islam in Nigeria and respect their service to society.

Evaluation

1. Who founded the Sokoto Caliphate, and in which year did the jihad begin?
2. Name the four languages spoken by Nana Asma’u.
3. What was the work of the “jajis”?
4. Which scholar translated the Holy Quran into Hausa?
5. List four contributions of Nigerian Muslim scholars to society.

Assignment

Choose any two Nigerian Muslim scholars from this lesson. For each one, write four sentences on where the scholar worked and what the scholar contributed to Islamic education.