Signs from Allah: History, Science and Faith in Islam
100.Resistance and Reform -Uthman Dan Fuduye of Nigeria – Part 3
By Prof DrNazeer Ahmed
Concord, CA
ShehuUthman divided the science of tasawwuf into two parts: (1) Takhallaq or reformation of the inner self, and (2) Tahaqquq or knowledge of certainty. Reformation of the inner self precedes knowledge of certainty. It includes practice of the Shariah, remembrance of the Divine names and renunciation of those attributes that corrupt the soul, such as hatred, jealousy, undue anger and acquisitiveness. The Shaykh taught that Shariah and tasawwuf were both integral to the completion and fulfillment of an Islamic life. He considered iman, Islam and ihsan to be pre-requisites to any aspiration to Tahaqquq or knowledge of certainty.
ShehuUthman was a consummate scholar of jurisprudence. He took his rulings from Al Suyuti, the Maliki scholar of the Mamluke courts (circa 1500) whose influence radiated throughout North Africa and the Middle East in the succeeding centuries. Although the Shehu followed the Fiqh of Imam Malik bin Anas, he gave equal weight to the Fiqh of Imam Abu Haneefa, Imam Shafi’i and Imam Hanbal.
Struggle for a just social and political order was his motto. He strove for the establishment of an Islamic state wherein the Shariah was followed, taxes were fair and men and women were treated with justice and equity. In his book, Kitab al Farq, ShehuUthman outlines the differences between an Islamic government and an un-Islamic government. In the latter, the officials are corrupt, take bribes; the rulers are oppressive and impose extortionist taxes on a hapless population. By contrast, an Islamic government is just and fair wherein the dignity of man is honored and the honor of women is preserved. Uthman Dan Fuduye made Sokoto in northern Nigeria his capital and established the Caliphate of Sokoto. This Caliphate included most of what is today the Hausa-Fulani belt in Nigeria and extended into the neighboring state of Cameroon. Its area was approximately three times the area of the state of New York. ShehuUthman was an able administrator. He divided up the territories into four regions. His brother Abdullahi ruled the western region. His son and successor, Muhammed Bello, ruled the eastern region. His army commander, Ali Jedo, ran the northern region. The south was administered by one of his early followers. ShehuUthman himself governed from Sokoto as the religious leader and Shaykh.
The influence of ShaykhUthman Dan Fuduye was not confined to immediate areas under his control. His ideas radiated out and had a profound impact on the religious struggles in all of West Africa. One of his disciples, Shaykh Ahmed Lobo waged a jihad and established a kingdom in Macina (1827) on the upper reaches of the Niger River. Alhajj Omar, inspired by the example of ShehuUthman, waged a jihad in the Sene-Gambia region (1854-1864) that contained the advance of the French from the coast. AlmamiSamori established an Emirate in the Ivory Coast. To the east, the Caliphate of Kanem-Bornu was fashioned after the Caliphate in Sokoto. In northern Cameroon, the local Fulani people established the Emirate of Adamawa. The goal in all these struggles was to establish rule by Shariah, to ensure fair taxation and justice for all and to improve the moral and material wellbeing of the population. These revolutions increased trade, facilitated improved agricultural production and provided a great stimulus for scholarship and learning.
Great ideas are often compromised when they are implemented. The Shehu himself was less interested in politics and administration and was more focused on teaching and writing. Politics and administration were delegated to his son Muhammed Bello and his brother Abdullahi. Muhammed Bello and Abdullahi were scholars in their own right and were superb administrators. Bello took the title of EmirulMomineen and established a Caliphate in Sokoto, which lasted until the British conquests in 1903. ShehuUthman and Muhammed Bello were only partially successful in realizing their vision of establishing a just rule “enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.” The reason was the jealousies and rivalries among his followers who felt that they deserved to be rewarded for their efforts by high government appointments. The spiritual father of Uthman Dan Fuduye’s movement, Al Moghili, was against the idea of scholars seeking official posts. Apparently, the faith of Uthman Dan Fuduye’ was not shared by his immediate followers who were more interested in their personal wellbeing than in following the teachings of the great Al Moghili. Uprisings broke out in several parts of the far-flung Caliphate. Muhammed Bello had to wage successive campaigns to suppress these uprisings. Often, he had to compromise and reward some of the disgruntled chieftains by appointing them as chiefs and emirs. The Caliphate of Sokoto did not have a large, standing army to force its political will on the empire. Disputes had therefore to be settled by compromise. This lack of a standing fighting force took its toll when the British finally arrived on the scene with their cannons in the early part of the 20th century.
(The author is Director, World Organization for Resource Development and Education, Washington, DC; Director, American Institute of Islamic History and Culture, CA; Member, State Knowledge Commission, Bangalore; and Chairman, Delixus Group)
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