Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio and the Revival
of Islam in Hausaland - 7

[Preamble]   [The Milieu ]   [Birth, Studies & Career ]    [The Phase of Teaching and Public Da'awah ]   [Phase of Organising and Planning ]   [Phase of Hijra and Jihad ]   [Phase of Victory and Establishment of Caliphate ]   [Shaykh Uthman's Contribution & Ideas ]  [Impact of the Shaykh Beyond the Sokoto Caliphate ]  [Concluding Remarks ]  Phase of Victory and Establishment of the Caliphate Having fought and won the jihad, the Jama’a under the leadership of Shaykh Uthman found themselves in command of a large territory of over 50,000 square miles standing on the ruins of the warring Hausa states. It must have been everybody’s relief that never again the citizens of these warring states have to worry about the insecurity that had affected both education and commerce for the best part of two centuries. But that was certainly not enough, the society needed to be reorganised, rehabilitated and reconstructed from the devastation of the jihad which had been on for some five years or so. So as the dust of the jihad was settling what engaged the leadership of the Jama’a was how exactly the new state was to be run, the principle had been spelt out in the earlier writings of the jihad leaders Shaykh Uthman and his brother Abdullahi in particular. These principles needed to be elaborated on and more importantly lived in the real practical world. So extensive consultations started among the scholars especially the ahl hal wal aqd, the shura committee members, many of whom had been military commanders during the years of the jihad. First a new capital, Sokoto, was created and built in due course. The new polity was divided into two and each put under the command of Abdullahi and Muhammad Bello who had proved his abilities during the jihad and had emerged very popular with the Jama’a. These consultations were often followed by spate of debate which was conducted verbally as well as in writing. The debate centred on the question of the implementation of the Islamic order the Jama’a fought to install. Muhammad Bello, who had matured as a scholar now joined in this debate and contributed a number of books. The debate was open and rigorous and though they did not always agree, they always managed to concede to Shaykh Uthman even if grudgingly. It was their credit that even as they felt free to differ on certain issues they never lost their composure or decorum and above all the sense of responsibility to guide the Jama’a in translating the ideals they fought for in to reality. In doing so not only did they maintain their unity and solidarity but they wrote on end leaving behind an astonishing body of literature for posterity. The fact that they did not quarrel over power and positions but preoccupied their minds with the implementation of the Islamic order must have contributed to their success. Shaykh Uthman himself did not stay long in Sokoto, having appointed his two most able assistants to deal with the routine administration, he left to Sifawa not far from the capital from where he supervised what was happening but more importantly where he continued to teach, reflect on the problems of the new state and to write more books and generate more ideas. Here at Sifawa Shaykh Uthman remained until he died in 1817. Shaykh Uthman died with out appointing a successor, perhaps believing that a machinery was already in place to take care of that and it was not for him to chose for the Jama’a who would lead them after him. Sources are not agreed how it worked out, but Bello was chosen as the Amir al-mu’minin and the Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate. Bello was more than qualified, he was born amidst itinerant da’wah, as the movement was taking shape, he grew up with movement, matured with it and led several campaigns, often representing his father and above all earned himself the admiration and respect of members of the Jama’a. A scholar in his own right who had the benefit of the best education the movement had to offer and having read some 20,000 books in the process, Bello had all that it took to lead the Caliphate. As it turned out, it was a good choice, he was a visionary who built the Caliphate, politically and economically, as his works in politics and political economy, external relations with neighbouring states clearly show. The Caliphate itself continued in one piece until it fell prey to European imperialism early this century, when the bulk came under British rule and today forms the northern states of Nigeria, and other parts which fell under the French forms part of Cameroon, Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Burkina Faso. Despite six decades of British colonisation, the Sokoto Caliphate remains an inspiration of Muslims in Nigeria and as its rich heritage is discovered Muslims are turning to it as an alternative to the borrowed alien European models. Many are nursing the hope that as the Sokoto Caliphate solved the decadence and tyranny of the Hausaland two centuries ago so will it inspire a change that will bring an end to the contemporary corrupt political culture of Nigeria today.