Uthman Bin Muhammad Bin Uthman Bin Salih Ibn Fodio

Uthman bin Muhammad bin uthman bin salih, Mujaddid, Al faqihi, al-maliki was born in Maratta in Gobir on 29th of Safar, 1168AH. (15th December 1754). He became known as usman dan Fodio (Usman the son of the learned). Fodio was a name given to his father by the populace. He first studied under his father who instructed him in the Qur’an. During his childhood his father settled in a place called Degel, some fifty miles away from north of Sokoto and it is here that Uthman bin Fodio lived most of his life. He also studied under Uthman bin Binduri. Sheik Jibril ibn Umar al Qadiri was also one of his teachers who had lots of influence on Uthman bin Fodio. Uthman bin Fodio began his active life as a teacher at the age of twenty. For the next twelve years he combined study with peripatetic teaching (travelling from one place to another on foot for the sake of preaching). He taught all those that came to him. He teaches people according to their understanding and in the language they understand. This made the people to love and respect him. In fact he became a natural leader in his community at Degel. He reformed Degel to a functioning Muslim community. The community consisted for at least sixty-two households (an averagely populated community at that time). He lived a very simple life. He avoided property, living without wealth or servants. He occasionally goes into seclusion for short period of time. Usman ibn Fodio was influential even at faraway lands which is due to the fact that many people come from far to learn from him and go back to their people to spread the knowledge they have acquired. Uthman ibn Fodio’s increasing popularity alarmed the rulers themselves and in 1202AH (1788) he was summoned by the Sultan of Gobir to go Magami where a meeting took place between Uthman ibn Fodio and the scholars of the Sultan. In this great meeting five agreements were reached. And they were: He is allowed to call people to Allah without any hindrance, none will be stopped from following him. That any man wearing turban should be treated with respect, that all prisoners should be freed and that the subject of the sultan should not be over burden with taxes. This agreement put Uthman bin Fodio and the Muslim community in a very strong position and enabled him to teach and also send his students far and wide to teach people, establishing true Islam wherever they went. However, this only lasted for ten years because the sultan of Nafada (newly elected) clamped down on the Muslim community. He issued the proclamation: that only Usman ibn Fodio was permitted to teach but not students, no son could be converted away from the religion of his father and finally no one was allowed to wear turban or veil. This marked the beginning of the jihad. Uthman ibn Fodio did not respond to the hostility but regarded it as a test from Allah and therefore he continued to teach.

When Yunfa, the son Nafada became the Sultan of Gobir, he tried to have Uthman ibn Fodio killed but was not successful and it was at this time that he wrote a book called Masa’il Muhimma (important questions). In it he explained the obligation of hijra and jihad for the muslims when they are endangered by the pagans. Under the threat of attack by the Gobirawa army, the muslims made hijra to the north-west, to a place called Gudu, it was here that he established a new muslim community. At Gudu the muslims suffered from all kind of things like extreme poverty, hunger and living in isolation. For six years Uthman ibn Fodio was constructing the structure of his ummah through encouraging, advising and teaching. Despite reluctance on the part of Uthman ibn Fodio, and his insistence that he was not going to be the leader (Khalifa) of the muslim ummah, Usman was formally elected as the ameer-al-muúmineen. The first battle took place at Tsuntuwa in December 1804. Due to lack of food supplies, war equipments and other factors the Muslim community lost the battle. The muslims lost about two thousand men of whom two hundred were hafiz of the Qurán. Uthman ibn Fodio encouraged the muslims by telling them that victory is not a way of knowing the truth. The truth is known through reason and knowledge. In 1805 around April a successful campaign against Kebbi was taken and a permanent base was established at Gwandu for the muslims. Other small towns of Mantakari and Konni were also captured. By 1806 Kano, Katsina, Daura and Zamfara have already accepted Uthman ibn Fodio as the caliph of the Muslim ummah. In 1807 the muslims met the full Gobirawa army led by the sultan at a place called Kwotto. The muslims were outnumbered and not well equipped to face the heavy Calvary of the enemies, but they were fighting for the sake of Allah and the establishment of Islam, after a fierce fight the Gobirawa were routed. This great success brought about prestige for the muslims and they were successful everywhere they go spreading Islam to the south and east. Finally, in 1808 Alkalawa, the capital of Gobir fell. Most of the inhabitants of Gobir accepted Islam and those who did not fled to the north. With this the resistance to the muslims was broken everywhere and the caliphate of Uthman ibn Fodio was firmly established in the land. Uthman bin Fodio appointed Amirs (governors) to all the provinces and further divided the Empire into the western province which was under the control of Abdullahi Gwandu (a brother to Uthman ibn Fodio) and the eastern province which was under the control of Muhammad Bello (son to Uthman ibn fodio). As for Uthman bin fodio he retired to his private life of teaching and instructing students at Sifawa, where he taught people for five years and then moved to the house his son built for him in Sokoto in 1815 where he continued to teach. Uthman ibn Fodio displayed

remarkable and outstanding behaviors toward the masses and even towards the scholars. At a point in time, he and Abdullah Gwandu disagreed on whether leaders should dress elegantly or modestly? Abdullahi said they should dress very modest and Uthman said no, they should dress elegantly. They also disagreed concerning music where Abdullahi said it is Haram and Uthman said it is halal. Despite all this Uthman treated Abdullahi with gentleness, love and care. In his teaching he never ventured into topics of no importance to the people but those that affect the immediate lives of the people. His school was very organized. He taught people that Knowledge involves going from one class to another. Every individual (common Man) must have a scholar that he follows. Every Student must follow one of the four school of thought through trying to understand the teaching of the school. A Scholar should also belong to one of the four school of thought until and when he reaches the status of a MUJTAHID (one who can exercise his independent reasoning), then he can be independent. He encouraged the education of females to the extent that some criticize him for teaching women. To this he replied that the Prophet (SAW) also used to teach women and therefore he was only following the sunnah. It is said that his life resembles that of the Prophet (SAW) so much that he also passed from this world to the final aboard at the age of sixty-three in 1817. The influence of this Scholar is still felt today. He modeled the Hausa Fulani society in such a manner that they lost almost all aspect of their culture and accepted Islamic cultures as theirs. Uthman ibn fodio is no doubt the most outstanding scholar in west Africa and his method of bringing about change is agreed to the bestand most effective.