THE COMING OF ISLAM INTO HAUSA

 

Introduction

This paper will attempt to define Hausa land, its belief system and how Islam is introduced and its impact on the lives of the people. Hausa land is an area of West Africa consisted of large states of Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Daura, Kabi (Kebbi), Rano and Garun Gabas and some other smaller states situated in the present day Northern Nigeria and Niger Republic. The land is roughly bounded by a line moving from Azben southwards to the North-eastern boundry of Jos High lands, then westwards to the great bend of the River Kaduna and runs North-west to the valley of Gulbin Kabi and then North-eastwards to Azben (Smith 1987). This was the area in which the majority of the people spoke Hausa as their first and only language and the cultural and social traits often associated with the Hausa people predominated. But since the fifteen century, the combined effect of the southward movements of the Hausa people and the coming of the Tuaregs, Fulani and Bare-Bari immigrants caused the development of two marches of Hausa land, the northern and eastern in which though the Hausa language continued to be the commonest language, it was no longer spoken as the first language by the majority of the inhabitants. (Mahdi 1987).

Prior to the introduction of Islam, Hausa people practiced the tropical African religion which involved belief in a high and distant god not actively connected with the everyday life of men, in addition, a great array of supernatural forces directly in touch with mankind and controlling its destiny. The high god of the Hausawa was Ubangiji, the nearer spirits iskoki and the maintenance of correct relations with the latter was the object of ritual. Communion with the spirits was partly achieved by sacrificial procedures carried out by family heads and also by “possessions”, spirits in possession of human beings are termed as bori; The bori is carried out by the Bokaye who were specially skilled in mysteries of the spirits and playing an important political role in the Hausa states (smith, 1987).

 

The Coming of Islam in Hausa Land

It is generally believed that, the date of the first appearance of a Muslim is not known. Hausa land seems to have lacked direct contact with North Africa prior to the 15th century A.D. it is indeed most likely that the earliest Islamic influences in Hausa land were of western rather than northern. Thus in both Kano and Katsina the spread of Islam is traditionally associated with the eastward migration into Hausa land of people called the Wangarawa (Smith, 1987).

However, it had been argued that, long before the coming of the Wangarawa Islam was in existence for centuries in Hausa land. A renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Nasiru Kabara said that even at the arrival of Malam Abdur-rahman Zaghaite (leader of the Wangarawa) he met with Malam Amadu (Wali mai Geza) who was then teaching the book of Mukhtassar (Ibrahim 1989). Again, Islam was introduced into Hausa land through Bornu. In Bornu Islam was believed to have been introduced since the time of caliph Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz who sent ten learned men to come and teach Tauhid. Furthermore, by 900 AD an Islamic scholar called Malam Wasami by the Barebari visited Njimi which further facilitated the growth of Islam and preached the gospel up to Hausa land. Thus the introduction of Islam in Hausa land pre-dated the coming of the Wangarawa (Mustapha 1982).

In the ancient city of Daura for example Islam might have been introduced earlier than the coming of the Wangarawa because according to the Bayajidda legend the people of the city were prevented fetching water from the only well unless on Fridays. Similarly, Friday in Islam is referred as the most sacred day: being a small Id-day (gathering for the Friday congregational prayers), the day Prophet Adam was created and ejected from the paradise; the day the world was created and the last day (Day of Judgment); the day which Prophet Abraham was saved from the fire.

Apart from the activities of the Islamic scholars from North Africa, the merchants through the Trans-saharan Trade also played great roles in the spread of Islam. Trans-sahara trade which now gave way to modern and more sophisticated forms of communication by air, roads and water enable the spread of Islam as globalization enables the spread of western forms of development. The trade routes and the terminus served as channels of spreading and exchange of good and ideas.

 

The Spread of Islam in Hausa Land

By the second half of the 15th Century, the spread of Islam in Hausa land recorded an overwhelming success. This was the period when leaders or kings started accepting the faith and championed its spread, this was facilitated by the influx of the Wangarawa immigrants into Hausa land between 1431-32 who were forced to migrate due to the uncompromised stance between Sheikh Al-maghili which he had taken against the connivance of the rulers of Tuwat, the most important trading terminus in southern Algeria linkiung Bilad al-Sudan with the Magrib and the jewish

merchant class, who were accused of manipulating the commercial activities in the area to the detriment of the Muslim people there (Kani 1997). By this period a new dynasty came to power in Katsina founded by Muhammadu Korau 1445-1495, the first ruler whom tradition claims as a muslim who employed the services of the Wangarawa migrants as Qadis in courts and Imams in the mosques.

His association with the muslim clerics is said to have consolidated his political base and allowed to exercise a considerable control over his domain. The other two leaders that followed him Ibrahim Sura (1495-9) and Ali (1498-1524) continued on the same way of propagating Islam in the state.

Sarki Ibrahim in particular ordered construction of mosques in all the villages under his domain. The clearly Islamic character of the new Katsina was again demonstrated by the visit of the celebrated North-African scholar Sheikh Muhammad Al-Maghili in the mid 1490s, by the settlement of the Qadi Aida Ahmad of Tazakht (1529-30) in the city after a long study tour of mecca and cairo and the visit of Makhlif al-Balbali (1533-4) (Ajayi and crowther, 1978).

Similarly, Kano at this time became under the rularship of Muhammadu Rumfa (1463-99) under whom the effective Islamisation of Kano took place. However, according to the Kano Chronicle the Islamic impulses in Kano is attributed to the reign of Sarki Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya (1349-85). Moreso, the migration of Wangarawa intensified the spread of Islam during the reign of Muhammadu Rumfa. The immigration of Wangarawa under charismatic leadership of Abdur-rahman Zaghaite began from 1431 (Ajayi and crowder 1978). Between 1491 -2 Almaghili was in correspondence with Muhammadu Rumfa and shortly afterwards visited Kano and wrote a small treatise on government for him (the obligation of the princes). At some times between 1504-1518 Abdur-rahman Suqqain and Makhluf al-Balbali (who taught in Katsina) taught in Kano. The teaching activities of these scholars mark the emergence of Kano as a muslim city; its “conversion” is symbolized by the cutting down of the sacred tree, an event which both Kano Chronicle and Wangarawa sources attributed to the reign of Muhammad Rumfa, (Ajayi and Crowder 1978).

Similarly, Sarki kisoki did alot in the spread of Islam in Kano. During his time alot of books on Islamic education, literature, Hadith, jurisprudence, Islamic history were brought to Kano.

Another figure that contributed immensely to the spread of Islam in Hausa land was

Muhammad Rabo (1503-30) of Zaria. He accepted the religion and spread it in the state. The Islamic immigrants were also seen in Zaria teaching people Islamic religion. Zaria became a stronghold and centre of Islamic learning.

 

Conclusion

The introduction of Islam in Hausa land has greatly impacted on the lives, languages, culture, religion and many other sectors of Hausa land. It has changed the life of the people from superficial beliefs to a more universal belief system. Islam came along with literacy and literature; this made it possible for the Hausa people to become literate for a long time. This Islamic knowledge helped the people in writing their history and the history of other places. A good example of this is in the writings of the Kano chronicle which were written in Arabic. The introduction of Islam into Hausa land also connected the Hausa people with the outside world of the North Africa, Middle East and Europe.

 

 

Bibliography

Adamu, M (1978): The Hausa factor in West African history, Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press.

 

Ajayi, J,F & Crowder, M (eds) (1976): History of West Africa Vol. I, London: Longman.

 

Ibrahim, M.S (1989). Tarihin Ajamin Hausa kafin Jihadi. A seminar paper presented

to the Center for the study of Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Kano.

 

Kani, M.A: (1997). The place of Katsina in the intellectual history of Bilad-al-sudanup to 1800 in Tsiga, I.A & Adamu, A.U Islam and the History of Learning in Katsina, Ibadan: spectrum Books Limited.

 

Mustapha, A.A: (1982). A new interpretation of the History of Islam in Kanem Borno. A paper Presented at departmental seminar Department of Islamic Studies, B.U.K 15th March, 1982.

 

Smith, A. (1987): A little new light-selected Historical Writings, Zaria: Gaskiya corporation Limited.

 

Usman, Y.B & Alkasim Abba (2000): The misrepresentation of Nigeria, Zaria: centre for Democracy development research and training.