Islam in Kanem-Bornu Empire
Kanem-Bornu in the
13th century included the region
around Lake Chad, stretching as far north as Fezzan. Kanem today forms
the
northern part of the Republic of Chad. Islam was accepted for the first
time
by the Kanem ruler, Umme-Jilmi, who ruled between 1085-1097 C.E.,
through a
scholar named Muhammad B. Mani, credited for bringing Islam to
Kanem-Bornu. Umme-Jilmi
became a devout Muslim. He left on a pilgrimage but died in Egypt
before reaching Makkah. Al-Bakri also mentions that Umayyad refugees,
who had fled from Baghdad following plans to liquidate their dynasty at
the hands of the Abbasids, were
residing in Kanem [21, 22].
With the introduction
of Islam in Kanem, it became the
principal focus of Muslim influence in the central Sudan and relations
were
established with the Arab world in the Middle East and the Maghrib.
Umme’s son
Dunama I (1092-1150) also went on a pilgrimage and was crowned in Egypt,
while embarking at Suez for Makkah, during the third pilgrimage
journey. During the reign of
Dunama II (1221-1259), a Kanem embassy was established in Tunisia around
1257, as mentioned by the famous Andalusian historian Ibn Khaldun (d.
1406
C.E.). It was almost at the same time that a college and a hostel were
established in Cairo, named Madrasah Ibn Rashiq. Toward the end of the
13th
century, Kanem became a center of Islamic knowledge and famous teachers
came
from Mali to teach in Kanem. By the middle of the 13th century, Kanem
established diplomatic relations with Tuat (in the Algerian Sahara) and
with
the Hafsid state of Tunis at embassy level. The Kanem scholars and
poets could
write classical Arabic of a very high standard. We have evidence of
this in a
letter written by the Chief scribe of the Kanem court dating from 1391
to 1392.
The historian Ibn
Khaldun calls Dunama II as the ‘King
of Kanem and Lord of Bornu,’ because his empire had expanded as far as
Kano in the west and Wadai in the east. It is said that Dunama II
opened a Talisman (Munni
or Mune), considered sacred by his people, and thus brought a period of
hardship to his people. It was because of his enthusiasm for the
religion of
Islam that he committed this ‘abomination’ (perhaps the talisman was a
traditional symbol of divine (kingship) and alienated many of his
subjects).
In the late 14th century, a new capital of the Kanem
empire was established in Bornu at Nigazaragamu by ‘Ali b. Dunama, also called ‘Ali
Ghazi, who ruled during the period 1476 to 1503. This thriving capital
continued until 1811. ‘Ali revived Islam. He was keen on learning its
principles. He used to visit the chief Imam ‘Umar Masramba to learn more about
the Islamic legal system. He, by his own example, persuaded the nobility and
Chiefs to limit the number of their wives to only four.
The Islamization of Bornu dates from the time of Mai
Idris Alooma (1570-1602). We come to know about him through his chronicler,
Ahmad bin Fartuwa. In the 9th year of his reign, he went on a pilgrimage to
Makkah and built a hostel there for pilgrims from Bornu. He revived the
Islamic practices and made all and sundry follow them. He also set up Qadhis
courts to introduce Islamic laws in place of the traditional system of
customary law. He built a large number of brick mosques to replace the existing
ones, built with reeds.
In 1810 during the period of Mai Ahmad the glories of
the Empire of Bornu came to an end, but its importance, as a center of Islamic
learning, continued.
Islam in Hausa-Fulani land
There is a well-known
Hausa legend concerning the origin
of the Hausa state, attributed to Bayajida (Bayazid) who came from Begh
to
settle down in Kanem-Bornu. The ruling Mai of Bornu of that time (we do
not
have any information about the time) welcomed Bayajida and gave his
daughter in
marriage to him but at the same time robbed him of his numerous
followers. He
fled from the Mai with his wife and came to Gaya Mai Kano and asked the
goldsmith of Kano to make a sword for him. The story tells us that
Bayajida
helped the people of Kano by killing a supernatural snake which had
prevented
them from drawing water from a well. It is said that the queen, named
Daura,
married him in appreciation of his service to the people. Bayajida got a
son
named Bawo from Daura. Bawo, himself, had seven sons: Biran, Dcura,
Katsina, Zaria, Kano, Rano and Gebir, who became the founders of the
Hausa states. Whatever may be
the merit of this story, it tries to explain how Hausa language and
culture
spread throughout the northern states of Nigeria.
Islam came to Hausaland in early 14th century. About 40
Wangarawa graders are said to have brought Islam with them during the reign of ‘Ali
Yaji who ruled Kano during the years 1349-1385. A mosque was built and a muedthin
(one who calls to prayer) was appointed to give adthan (call to prayer) and a judge
was named to give religious decisions. During the reign of a ruler named,
Yaqub (1452-1463), one Fulani migrated to Kano and introduced books on Islamic Jurisprudence.
By the time Muhammad Rumfa came into power (1453-1499), Islam was firmly rooted
in Kano. In his reign Muslim scholars came to Kano; some scholars also came
from Timbuktu to teach and preach Islam.
Muhammad Rumfa
consulted Muslim scholars on the affairs
of government. It was he who had asked the famous Muslim theologian
Al-Maghilli to write a book on Islamic government during the latter’s
visit to Kano in the 15th century. The book is a celebrated masterpiece
and is called The Obligation
of the Princes. Al-Maghilli later went to Katsina, which had become a seat
of learning in the 15th century. Most of the pilgrims from Makkah would go to
Katsina. Scholars from the Sankore University of Timbuktu also visited the
city and brought with them books on divinity and etymology. In the 13th
century, Katsina produced native scholars like Muhammadu Dan Marina and
Muhammadu Dan Masina (d. 1667) whose works are available even today.
The literature of Shehu ‘Uthman Dan Fodio, his brother,
Abdullahi, and his son Muhammad Bello speaks of the syncretic practices of the
Hausa Fulanis at the end of the 18th century. The movement of ‘Uthman Dan
Fodio in 1904 was introduced as a revivalist movement in Islam to remove
syncretic practices, and what Shehu called Bid’at al-Shaytaniyya or Devilish Innovations.
The spread of Islam in Africa is owing to many factors,
historical, geographical and psychological, as well as its resulting
distribution of Muslim communities, some of which we have tried to outline. Ever
since its first appearance in Africa, Islam has continued to grow. The scholars
there have been Africans right from the time of its spread. Islam has become
an African religion and has influenced her people in diverse ways
KAMI SEKELUARGA MENGUCAPKAN BANYAK TERIMA KASIH ATAS BANTUANNYA MBAH , NOMOR YANG MBAH BERIKAN/ 4D SGP& HK SAYA DAPAT (350) JUTA ALHAMDULILLAH TEMBUS, SELURUH HUTANG2 SAYA SUDAH SAYA LUNAS DAN KAMI BISAH USAHA LAGI. JIKA ANDA INGIN SEPERTI SAYA HUB MBAH_PURO _085_342_734_904_ terima kasih.الالله صلى الله عليه وسلموعليكوتهله صلى الل
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KAMI SEKELUARGA MENGUCAPKAN BANYAK TERIMA KASIH ATAS BANTUANNYA MBAH , NOMOR YANG MBAH BERIKAN/ 4D SGP& HK SAYA DAPAT (350) JUTA ALHAMDULILLAH TEMBUS, SELURUH HUTANG2 SAYA SUDAH SAYA LUNAS DAN KAMI BISAH USAHA LAGI. JIKA ANDA INGIN SEPERTI SAYA HUB MBAH_PURO _085_342_734_904_ terima kasih.الالله صلى الله عليه وسلموعليكوتهله صلى الل