Sufism, Sects and Intra-Muslim Conflicts in Nigeria, 1804-1979
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/cis.v2i1.79Keywords:
Sufism, Nigeria, Intra-Muslim ConflictAbstract
This paper analyses the major areas of discord among the Nigerian Muslims from 1804 to 1979. It further defines and distinguishes between what Sufi orders are and what sects stands for according to the primary sources of Islamic law. The Intra-Muslim conflict in Nigeria within the scope of this paper can be divided into three parts. The first is the period of consolidation and intellectual awareness, between 1804 to the later part of the nineteenth century. It shows how the three Jihad leaders, namely Sheikh Usman bin Fodio [d.1817], his son Muhammad Bello [d.1837], and his brother Abdullahi, displayed their wealth of knowledge and experiences in the true understanding of Islam. The second could be referred to as the period of struggle for supremacy. This was the time when the two dominant Sufi orders in Nigeria (Qadiriyya and Tijaniyya) struggled to restore their position as well as to acquire more Muslim members into their groups. The third period commenced in the late ’70s with the emergence of a group popularly known as Izalatul-Bid'a wa-iqamatus Sunnah [Movement for the removal of innovation and establishment of the tradition]. The period witnessed a major change from intellectual disagreement in the past to incessant hostility.
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