How Islam Came to the Hausa People

Oral history of the Hausa

FADEL history unit A-1

For upper middle and

secondary students

In the name of Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful, and may the peace of Allah be upon Muhammad, after whom there is no prophet. This is the history of the Hausa nation. It has been familiar to everyone from the time of their grandfathers and grandmothers, and is a thing which has been handed down from the malamai (learned men) and the elders. Any account other than this one is not authentic. If a questioner ask of you, Where did the Hausa people have their origin?" say, "Truly their origin was the Barebari and Northerners." And this is the account of how this came to pass.

The king of Bornu had a horse with a golden horn. This horse did not neigh just at any time, but only on Fridays. If it neighed you would say it was a tornado. It was hidden away in a house. Now the king had a son. He (the son) continually gave him who looked after the horse money and robes in order that he might persuade him to bring his horse out, and they should come, and he should mate the horse with his mare.

Now the king had previously said that whoever was seen with a foal from this horse at his house, he would have his throat cut. The mare gave birth, and nothing happened until the colt grew up. One day the king's horse neighed, and the young horse answered. And the king said, "At whoever's house they see it, let that person be killed, and do not let him be brought before me." Then the councilors scattered to make search in the town for the young horse. And they came to the house of the king's son, and behold as it were the king's horse with its golden horn. Then the councilors said, "The king has said we must take you."

Then the king's son lifted his sword. He cut down two men, and the remainder scattered. Then he saddled up the young horse and rode off. The king ordered he should be seized and brought before him. The whole town mounted their horses and followed him. They did not catch up with him. He had gone his way.

The king's son went on and eventually dismounted in the country of Daura. He saw the daughter of the king of Daura. She ruled the town. He stayed near her. And one day she said she wanted him in marriage and he too said he loved her. So they married. The king's daughter bore a child, a son. She weaned it. She was again with child and bore a girl. And that was the origin of the Hausa nation.

The Barebari and Daura people were their ancestors. But the Muslim religion, as far as that is concerned, from Bornu it came. Hausas and Barebari and whatever races you can name in the West were at first in early times pagans. Then the malamai (scribes) said that this is what happened: There was a certain man in Bornu from among the children of their royal house; his name was Dalama. When he came to the throne he was called Mainadinama, the meaning of that is, "a chief more powerful than any other." He had heard about Islam before he succeeded to the kingdom. After he had reigned for some months, he sent a messenger to the Caliph. Now at this time Abubakari-Sidiku, the blessing of Allah be upon him, he was Caliph. Behold the name of his envoy whom he sent, his name was Gujalo. At the time when the envoy came he found the Caliph's attention occupied with a war. He said nothing to the envoy. All he said was, "Remain here." Then he did not again remember his words because his mind was so occupied with words of the war of the father of the twins. The messenger remained there till the messenger died.

After three months and a few days then the Caliph Abubakari Sidiku he too died. After some months Umaru Ibunuhutabi was set up. He was the caliph after Abubakari Sidiku. Then he called to mind the report of the envoy and his death. Then they held a consultation, they his friends who remained. They joined their heads about the question of sending an envoy to Bornu. Amaru Ibunulasi was sent with manuscripts of the Qur'an. It was said the writing of Abdulahi the son of Umaru the Caliph, and turbans and a sword and spears and shields and the kingly fez and such things and plates; all these were presents from the Caliph to Mainadinama. When the envoy drew near he sent someone to acquaint them of the news of his coming.

The king of Bornu and his men mounted their horses and met him afar off. When he (the envoy) entered his town, then they bound the turban on him He was established in his right to the kingdom, and given the name of the king of Bornu. The king gave him everything he was told to give him, because of the presents which the envoy had brought for him. He lived among them. He instructed the people of Bornu in the creed of Allah and the names of His messengers, may the salvation and trust of Allah be assured to them. They continued to honor him, to the extreme that honor could be carried. They sought a blessing by eating the remains of his meals and his food and from the spot he set his feet. Half of them were seeking blessing from the mucus from his nose and his spittle by rubbing it on their persons. They were climbing the roofs in order to see him. They also sought blessing by touching his robes and his slippers and his whip, until it was even said they looked for a blessing from his beasts, and the remains of their fodder and their dung.

Now he wrote manuscripts for them in the writing of his own hand, the blessed one. He lived amid such works up to the very end of his sojourn and this went on till he was informed that, "Other owners of another land are behind you and are wishing for the Islamic religion. If they see you they would follow you." He did not give this report credence until he had sent one whose name is unknown to spy out the land. The spy went and traveled over Hausa-land. He made secret inquiries; he heard they were praising the Muslim faith and that they wished for it. He returned and gave Amaru Ibunulasi the news. Amaru Ibunulasi told his people. He said they must go and preach the Muslim religion. They agreed. Then he made preparations. He sent Abdulkarimu-Mukaila to Kano. About three hundred men, Arabs, followed him. When Abdulkarimu was near to the people of Kano then he sent one to inform them. The messenger came and said, "Tell them the envoy of the envoy has come."

When he came to them he told them what message he had been sent with. They believed him; they received the thing which he had brought. Now at this time Kano was an enclosed town but not a walled town, the name of the man at Kano was Muhamadu Dajakara at the time when Abdulkarimu alighted amongst them. Abdulkarimu wrote them books in the writing of his own hand, the blessed one, because he had not come to them bringing books from Amaru Ibunulasi. And thus it has come to be reported that every one who wished to be able to write well let him set out towards Bornu and remain there till he had learned to write and then return home. But Abdulkarimu continued to instruct them in the laws of Allah and the commands of the law until they made inquiries about things which were not to be found in Arabia. He did not know what answer to give them. Then he said to them to leave the matter open till he returned to Arabia. Among the things they were asking about were panthers, and civet cats, and rats, and servals, and tiger cats, and such like, whether clean or unclean.

He lived with them many months and every day instructed them well in the Qur'an and the Traditions. At length he was informed, "There is another town near this town, it is called Katsina, should the people of the town see you they would believe you and him who sent you." When he heard them speak thus, then he made ready. He set out himself to go to the town. When they got news of his coming, then they met him afar off. When he alighted among them he taught them about what he had come to instruct them in. He instructed one who was to write books for them. It was said, speaking of him, he did not write the Qur'an with his own hand, and because of this the Kano people surpass the Katsina in their knowledge of the Qur'an till today. Then, after the completion of his work at Katsina, he went back, going to Kano, and remained there a short time. Then when he thought of returning to Bornu he said to them, "Shortly I shall return to you with the answer to what you were asking about." Then he rose up and went away.

But many among his people did not follow him, only a few among them followed him. The rest remained and continued to perform great deeds in Kano. Their descendants are found and known in Kano until today, some people called them seraphs (angels), but surely they were not seraphs, they were just Arabs. Of a truth Abdulkarimu had set up a judge in Kano, and one to lead in prayers, and one to slaughter livestock, and one who was to instruct the youths in the Qur'an, and one to call them to prayer. He made lawful for them that which Allah had made lawful, and forbade that which Allah had forbidden. When he returned to go to Amaru Ibunulasi he gave him an account of what they had asked him about. And Amaru Ibunulasi was silent on the subject till he returned to the Caliph and then he sent an answer to it after six months had elapsed. He made lawful for them half of it; half he made unlawful. But Abdulkarimu did not return to Bornu after his return to their (Abdulkarimu's) town or to Kano. Thus also Amaru Ibunulasi, but he ruled over Egypt after his return home.

Now the remainder of the towns were coming in, half of them to Kano in order to know about the new religion, and half also to Katsina, until the creed filled all Hausa-land. Now the Kibi country, speaking of them, they refused to adopt the Muslim religion. They continued in their paganism. They persisted in it. Their kings, these were their names, Barbarma, Argoji, Tabariu, Zartai, Gobari, Dadafani, Katami, Bardo, Kudamdam, Sharia, Badoji, Karfu, Darka, Gunba, Katatar, Tamu. All these refused the Islamic creed after its advent into the land of the Hausas. Then at the time when Zaidu came to the throne he became a Muslim and those who were with him. The Kabi country became Muslim up to the time of Bata-Musa. These were the kings of Kabi under the Muslim regime. The first of them was Zaidu, then Muhamadu, Namakata, Sulaimana, Hisrikoma, Abdulahi, Dunbaki, Alia, Usmanu, Chisgari, Barbarmanaba, Muwashi, Muhamadu-Karfi, Bata-Musa. After them Fumu ruled. He turned Islam into paganism. These were they who became pagans. The first of them was Fumu, then Kautai, Gunba, Sakana-Murtamu, Kanta, Rataini, Gaiwa, Gado, Masu, Chi-da-gora, Gaban-gari, Maikebe, Marshakoki, Lazimu, Mashirana, Makata. These were they who all continued in paganism. At the time when Kanta ruled he revived the Islamic religion and inquired of the learned men the contents of their books. He established the faith in his time and in that of them who followed him, till the whole of the Kabi country became Muslim. These were their names, Kantahu, Gofe, Dauda, Hamidu, Sulaimana, Malu, Ishaka, Muhamadu-Nashawi, Amuru, MuhamaduKabe, Kantanabaiwa, Muhamadu-Shifaya, Hamidu. All these continued in the Muslim faith.

When Barbarma became king he changed the Muslim religion and became a pagan. Paganism lasted up to the time of Hudu. He was the one Usmanu dan Fodio made war against. He drove him out.

Teacher's Guide

It is important for Muslim children to know the history of their people. Too often the history called 'Muslim history' is actually the more limited history of the Muslim Middle East. Many Muslim children however have closer links to the Muslims of Africa or Indonesia or Uzbekistan. The reading for this unit shows the early and intimate link between the peoples of the western Sudan ( 'Sudan' means south of the Sahara Desert, not the modern nation of that name), and the early Caliphate in Arabia.

This reading can be used in many ways, including the following:

1. "How Islam came to the Hausa People" is an primary source. Students can examine it to see how it differs from secondary sources. It is also a recently discovered source, and as such, other secondary Islamic history sources may not have included it. It can be an exciting project to compare this reading with an other secondary source which talks about when and how Islam came to West Africa.

2. This reading is 'oral history'. Until very recently non Africans tended to relegate all oral history as legend and story telling. In fact the source of the present reading is a book of African folklore (A Treasury of African Folklore by Harold Courlander, 1996.) The argument is that since the telling of the history may vary slightly from one malam (learned man) to another, then none of the history can be relied upon to be accurate.

Advanced students could write a publishable comparison of why they believe this to be a true history of the Hausa people. This could also be a class project with the teacher guiding the students to make the following points:

a. Although pronounced slightly different, the names of the historically verifiable Muslim Arabs, and their activities match what is said in this oral history (Umaru Hutabi is Umar Al Khattab, who did become caliph after the death of Abubakari Sidiku (Abu Bakr Sidiq). Amaru Ibunulasi is Amr Ibn Al As, who became the Governor of Egypt.

b. A falsified history would tend to glorify the history tellers. Contrary to this, 'How Islam came..' reports faithfully that Caliph Abu Bakr ignored their envoy (for a good reason, but it could be interpreted as an insult). It also reports that it was these Muslim Arabs who introduced reading and writing to their people. It reports that the person who was sent by the Caliph

was not the most important person of the area. He was not the caliph, nor the caliph's son for example.

3. The current position of secular Afro-centric professors is that Islam is an alien religion, imposed on the Africans by armies of Arabs. Students could locate this argument on websites and/or in books being used on college campuses, and compare it with the information in "How Islam came to the Hausa people".

4. Geography - Students should be asked to locate the following on a map of ancient Africa, and on a current political map.

a. Bornu

b. Kano

c. Katsina

5. Discuss what a legend is versus what is history. Then evaluate the two parts of this oral history (pre-Islam, and Islam). What elements indicate that the first part is either history and/or legend? Are there any elements in the second part that indicate it is legend rather than history?

6. Caliph Umar sent Muslims to give dawaa to the Hausa people. Discuss what they did to give dawaa. What was Abdulkarimu's response when people asked him questions concerning Islam that he didn't know the answers to?

7. Who is Usmanu dan Fodio? Why does the history end with him? When did he live? Students should be able to find information about dan Fodio on the internet, and in books written by Muslims about African history to the present time.