JIHAD: THE HOLY WAR OF 1804 IN NIGERIA.

 JIHAD: THE HOLY WAR OF 1804 IN NIGERIA.

Jihad means a holy war. A war fought in the name of Allah by His followers to spread Islam. Jihad is regarded as the sixth pillar of Islam (Confession of Faith, Prayer, Solat, Fasting, Zakat and Pilgrimage). And this is being backed up or supported in the holy Quran Chapter 2 verses 190-191 which gives room for the Muslims to wage war against their enemies in order to get rid of hostility and aggression. The place which is under the control of Islam and whose populace are Muslims is called Idar- al-Islam. While a place which is not under the administration of Islam is called Idar-al-hab. 

The historic and historical jihad that happened in Nigeria was recorded to have started in June 1804 in Gobir and spread till 1812 was led or instigated by a pious brilliant generous revolutionary reformer and Islamic scholar in person of Usman dan Fodio. The history of the jihad would be incomplete without giving a brief history about the instigator of the revolutionary event, Usman Dan Fodio. Usman Dan Fodio was born in December 15, 1754 in a remote village of Maratta in the Hausa-speaking city-state of Gobir in what is today Northern Nigeria. He was taught how to read and write Arabic by his father, Muhammed Fodiye who was also an Islamic scholar from Toronkawa clan an emigrant from Futo-Toro in Senegal in the 15th century. He also studied law, theology and philosophy in Agadez in what is today Niger Republic under the radical Islamic scholar Jibril Ibn Umar who was exiled from Agadez because of his revolutionary teaching on Islam. And he was also taught by Uthman Bindim.

After completing his studies, in the year 1774 he went back to Gobir and began to preach Islam to the people who at that time mixed paganism with Islam in Gobir and Zamfara. In 1787 and 1792 he met Bawa the sultan of Gobir with whom he made some concessions with such as: to preach without molestation, nobody who responded to his call will be prevented from joining his community, all men wearing hijab should be treated with respect, to release political prisoners and relieve taxation including his own freedom to propagate Islam without fear of intimidation.

Throughout the 1780’s and 1790’s Usman’s reputation increased as did the size and the importance of the community that looked to him for religious and political leadership. His popularity as an intelligent and brilliant Islamic scholar attracted many youths to Degel for learning and spiritual counselling under him. Particularly closely associated with him were his younger brother, Abdullah, who was one of his pupils and his son Muhammad Bello, both distinguished teachers and writers.  From 1794 to 1795 during his stay in Degel, the new ruler of Gobir , Nafata felt threaten and adopted a hostile attitude to Usman and his community.  Nafata initiated or made hostile measures against Usman and his followers by forbidding the wearing of their distinctive dress. 

In 1802 Yunfa the successor of Nafata was more hostile and sent Usman from Degel. This was regarded as hijra which happened to prophet Muhammed (S.A.W) when he was being persecuted in Mecca and ran away to Yathrib (Mecca) in July 622 AD. In the year 1803, Sheik Usman and hundreds of his followers migrated to Gudu which was 30 miles (40km) to the North West where he continued to propagate Islam. 

The breakdown, when it finally occurred, tuned on a confused incident in which Usman supporters forcibly freed Muslim prisoners taken by a Gobir military expedition. While at Gudu Usman declared a holy war (jihad) against King Yunfa of Gobir and his people as he felt their way of life did not correspond with the teaching of Islam. In 1804, Usman formally declared a holy war on the whole of Hausa land and many people volunteered to join his army. Yunfa and his forces were defeated in the Battle of Tabkin Kwotto in June.   The remote village of Sokoto was made as the headquarters of the Usman army in 1804 to1805 which later became the capital of the Sokoto Caliphate later in the future.  In 1808 the war spread to Kano, Katsina and Daura. In 1809, Sokoto was made the permanent capital of the Fulani Empire under the Sokoto Caliphate.       

Uthman retired from battle in 1811 and returned to teaching and writing but his armies continued their conquest. He wrote two manifestoes the Wathiquat al-Sudan and the Kitab-al-Farq in which stated the religious and social objective of the jihad. In 1812, the jihad in Zaria continued and extended their operation to Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gwandu until 1815. But they recorded failure in Kanem Bornu but succeeded in capturing Nupe and Yoruba land. 

The religious revolution united the Hausa states under Islamic law and in 1812, led to the establishment of an empire called the Sokoto Caliphate composed of emirates and sub emirates many of which were built on the sites of previous Hausa-states. The Sokoto Caliphate became the most powerful economic and political system of the region during the 19th century and contributed profoundly to the islamization of Northern Nigeria.

His Islamic religious empire included most of what is now northern Nigeria and parts of Niger as well as northern Cameroon. The holy war inspired a series of holy wars throughout West Africa at the time and Islam became the dominant faith among the people of West Africa.  

In 1837, the Sokoto Caliphate, with an estimated population  of over 20 million people, had become the most populous empire in west Africa. The caliphate existed until it was conquered by the British colonial forces in 1903. Sheik Usman Dan Fodio died on April 20, 1817.     

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