history-snippets

[history-snippets]

Karatu cikin littafin “Gwarzon Afirka Kuma Masaninta: Shehu Usman Danfodiyo” na Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri

A yayin da ake ci gaba da bukatar fahimtar tarihin Addini da al'adun Yammacin Afirka, musamman daga ciki da wajen yankin, Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri ya datse tsawon dubban kilomitoci domin cike wannan gibi a cikin littafinsa mai suna "Gwarzon Afirka Kuma Masaninta: Shehu Usman Xanfodiyo" wanda ya rubuta a kan fitaccen malamin Musulunci a yammacin Afirka, wato Xanfodiyo.

Wannan maqala ta yi nuni da irin rawar da Danfodiyo ya taka a fagen siyasa, gudanarwa, kudi, soji, da kuma fagen addini kamar yadda marubuci dan kasar Qatar Ali Al-Hajri ya nuna. Manufar ita ce amfanuwa da masu karatu da daqunan karatu na Larabawa da na duniya baki daya da wani mutumi da ya yi tasiri mai girma a nahiyar Afirka, musamman a yammacin nahiyar.

A cikin littafin, Al-Hajri ya zayyana tarihin Danfodiyo da yadda yayi tasiri a kan dukkan bangarori da suka shafi siyasa, gudanarwa, kudi, soja, kimiyya da addini na zamanin da lokutan da suka biyo baya. Wannan wani abu ne da ba kasafai ake samunsa ba a cikin dukkan littafai da nassoshi da suka yi bayani kan wannan zamani, domin mafi yawan littafai da ake samu a fagen ilimi kawai suna gabatar da wani bangare na musamman ne ba tare da la'akari da sauran bangarorin ba. Wannan na daya daga cikin dalilan da suka sanya littafin Ali Ghanem ya zama babban abin magana kan rayuwar Shehu Danfodiyo da nasarorin da ya samu a rayuwarsa.

Wannan littafi ya qara samun muhimmanci domin yana daga cikin littafan da suka yi bayani dalla-dalla kan rayuwar Shehun a matsayin wanda ya kafa daula da aka ganin shine irinsa na farko a tarihin Musulunci na yammacin Afirka (1219-1321 AH/1804-1903 AD), wanda ya taso daga yammacin Nijar a yamma zuwa kan iyakokin Borno da ke gabas, da kuma kudu da Sahara. 'Ya'yansa da almajiransa sun yi mulki tsawon karni guda, har zuwa faxuwar Daular a hannun turawan Ingila a karni na ashirin.

Dangane da abin da littafin ya kunsa, marubucin ya raba shi zuwa babi hudu. Babi na farko ya kawo cikakken tarihin Shehu Danfodiyo, wanda ya fara da asalinsa da haihuwarsa da tarbiyyarsa, ya koma ga matansa da ‘ya’yansa, da siffofinsa har zuwa mutuwarsa, tare da kammala rayuwarsa da aqidarsa na addini, da kuma maganganun wasu malamai game da shi.

 Babi na biyu ya tattauna ne kan yunkurin Shehu Danfodiyo na kawo sauyi da matakan da ya bi, musamman wayar da kan al’umma wajen yada saqonsa, da mu’amalarsa da sarakuna, da kafa qungiyar, da faxan da yayi tsakaninsa da masarautun qasar Hausa, da kuma yadda da’awarsa ta ci gaba da yaduwa. A babi na uku na littafin, Dr. Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri ya yi nazari kan gagarumin kokarin da Shehu Usmanu Danfodiyo ya yi wajen samar da tsarin gudanar da mulki, yana mai nuni da tsarin halifanci da abubuwan da ke tattare da shi, da suka hada da ka’idar shura, tushen tsarin gwamnati, ma’aikatu, da kuma masarautu. Ya kuma tabo tsarin gudanar da mulki da ya hada da raba kasar zuwa jihohi da yankuna.

Al-Hajri ya kuma tabo tsarin kudi da Shehu Danfodiyo ya kafa kamar yadda shari'ar Musulunci ta tanada, wanda ya kunshi tattalin albarkatun kasa da abubuwan da ake kashewa. Ya kuma tattauna kan tsarin shari’a da suka hada da bangaren sulhu, da tantance korafe-korafe, da hukumar Hisbah. Dakta Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri ya kammala wannan babi mai ban sha'awa kuma mai matukar muhimmanci inda ya yi nazari a kan tsarin soja da tsaro musamman sojoji da shugabanninsu da sassansu daban-daban da kuma 'yan sanda da ayyukansu.

A babi na hudu kuma na karshe, ya yi tsokaci kan kokarin Shehu Danfodiyo, musamman rawar da ya taka wajen bunkasa al’adun Musulunci, da kuma ilimi, koyarwa da yada harshen larabci, da ilmantar da mata. Ya kuma bayyana gagarumar gudunmawa da nasarorin da ya samu wajen rubuta fagagen ilimi da kimiyya daban-daban.

A ƙarshe, wannan ɗan taƙaitaccen zagaya da aka yi na littafin “Gwarzon Afirka Kuma Masaninta: Shehu Usman Danfodiyo” ta bayyana cewa Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri ya yi ƙoƙari sosai wajen tsara wannan littafi, tare da bayar da bayanai masu ƙima da cikakkun bayanai game da halayen Shehu Danfodiyo. Ya kuma nuna hazaka wajen ba da labarin nasarorin da ya samu a kowane mataki, musamman na siyasa, addini, gudanarwa, kudi, soja, da kimiyya. Ba makawa hakan ne ya sanya wannan littafi ya zama mai mahimmanci a game da rayuwar Danfodiyo da kuma zamanin da ya rayu a cikinsa.

Ya kamata a lura da cewa, wannan littafi na daya daga cikin jerin rubuce-rubuce da Dr. Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri ya yi, wanda ta hanyar wannan gagarumin aikin bincike da ya yi, ya yi kokarin tono tsagwaron gudummawa da al'adun Musulunci, da kuma bayyana irin rawar da ma'abota wannan al'adar ke takawa wajen gina tunanin dan Adam, tun daga mafi nisa na duniya daga gabas zuwa yamma. Sauran ayyukansa da aka buga a kusan a lokaci xaya da wannan ya mayar da hankali kan Almanzor (Al-hajeb Al-Mansur) kasar Andalus (Spaniya a yau) na karni na 10 wanda a matsayinsa na ma’aikacin Khalifancin Umayyawa na Cordoba kuma na hannun damar Halifa Hisham na biyu, ya mulki yankin Iberia a qarqashin mulkin Musulunci.

Shakka babu, Danfodiyo, ya kawo sauyi ta hanyar sabunta tunani, al'adu, da kawo ci gaba ba kawai a Najeriya ba har ma da yammacin Afirka baki daya, kuma Al-Hajri, a kokarin da ya yi, ya samu nasarar zayyano waxannan ababe a cikin littafinsa da ya zuwa yanzu aka fassara shi zuwa manyan harsunan Afirka, musamman Hausa da Fulatanci.

[history-snippets]

[history-snippets]

The African Legend and Scholar: Sheikh Othman bin Fodi” by Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri – A review

This article highlights the pioneering role of Ibn Fodi in the political, administrative, financial, military, scientific, and religious fields as recollected by the Qatari writer Ali Al-Hajri. The aim is to avail readers and the Arab and international libraries alike with a figure who remains obscure in the Arab world despite his significant influence on the African continent in general and West Africa in particular.

This book is imperative in that it presents, within its covers, the most outstanding figure in the political history of West Africa whose reformative footprints are still evident in the cultural and religion landscape of the region.

In the book, Al-Hajri has dexterously depicted a pivotal phase in the history of Ibn Fodi on all ramifications, covering various political, administrative, financial, military, scientific, and religious aspects of the period. This is a rare find in all the books and references that have dealt with this period and this figure in general, as most available references in the academic arena only present a specific aspect without considering the other aspects. This is one of the reasons that has made the book a leading reference on the life of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio and his achievements on all levels.

This book is all the more important as it is among the few books that have detailed the life of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio as the founder of an empire considered the first of its kind in the Islamic history of western Africa (1219-1321 AH/1804-1903 AD), extending from western Niger in the west to the borders of Borno in the east, and south to Adamawa in northern Cameroon, and to the outskirts of the Sahara Desert in the north. His sons and disciples ruled the state for a century, until it fell to British occupation at the beginning of the twentieth century.

As for the content of the book, the author divided it into four chapters. The first chapter presents a detailed biography of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio, beginning with his lineage, birth, upbringing, and education, moving on to his wives and children, his characteristics and death, and concluding with his religious life and beliefs, as well as the statements of some scholars about him.

 The second chapter discusses the reform movement of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio and the stages it went through, particularly his outreach to spread his message, his interactions with kings, the formation of the group, the military confrontation between him and the Hausa kingdoms, and the movement's expansionist conquests. In the third chapter of the book, Dr. Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri examines the substantial efforts made by Sheikh Othman bin Fodio in establishing systems of governance and administration, referring to the caliphate system and its implications, including the principle of shura, the foundation of the system of government, the ministry, and the emirate. He also discusses the administrative system, including the division of the country into states and regions, in addition to the eastern and western divisions.

Al-Hajri also touches on the financial systems established by Sheikh Othman bin Fodio in accordance with Islamic law, which encompass the state's resources and expenditures. He also discusses the judicial system, including the judiciary, the examination of grievances, and the Hisbah. Dr. Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri concluded this fascinating and extremely important chapter by examining the military and security system, particularly the army, its leadership, and its various divisions, as well as the police and their functions.

In the fourth and final chapter, he addressed the scholarly efforts of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio, particularly his role in promoting cultural prosperity, his efforts in education, in teaching and spreading the Arabic language, and in educating women. He also highlighted his significant contributions and achievements in authoring various fields of knowledge and science.

In conclusion, this brief tour of the book "The Legend of Africa and Its World: Sheikh Othman bin Fodio" reveals that Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri has put forth great effort in compiling this book, providing valuable and detailed information about the personality of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio. He has also been able to skilfully cover his achievements on all levels, particularly political, administrative, financial, military, scientific, and religious. This makes this book an indispensable reference regarding the life of Sheikh Othman bin Fodio and the period in which he lived.

It is worth noting that this book is one of a series by Dr. Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri, who, through his massive research project, attempts to unearth the treasures of Islamic cultural heritage and highlight the pioneering role of this culture's members in the edifice of human thought, from the furthest reaches of the globe in the east to the west. His other work which was published almost at the same time as this focused on Almanzor (Al-hajeb Al-Mansur) of the 10th century Islamic Spain who as the chancellor of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba and chamberlain for Caliph Hisham II, effectively the ruler of Islamic Iberia.

There is doubt that Sheikh Othman bin Fodio, effected a renewed thought, culture, and development not just in Nigeria bu the entire West Africa, and Al-Hajri, in his great efforts, was able to track them in this book which has so far been translated into major African languages, particularly Hausa and Fulani.

[history-snippets]

Great!!

“The African Legend and Scholar: Sheikh Othman bin Fodi” by Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri

Amidst a growing thirst for the history of West African Religion and culture, especially in the Arab world, Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri cut across thousands of miles to fill this knowledge void in his groundbreaking book titled “The African Legend and Scholar: Sheikh Othman bin Fodi” written on the most prominent Islamic figure in West Africa Othman bin Fodi.

The Qatari writer, aided by his skill in narrating historical events, gave a meticulous account of the life of Sheikh Othman bin Fodi for readers who have little or no knowledge about this personality, delving through his impacts in the intellectual, cultural, political and social spheres which are still evident particularly in Nigeria and West Africa in General.

Out of Al-Hajri’s belief that “the history of the African continent - with the exception of North Africa - is still one of the things that are historically still unknown to Muslims in the Arab world,” he brought the personality of this political and religious figure closer to the distant Arab world. The author’s ability to unearth information from primary sources in the course of writing the book is outrightly praiseworthy.

From teaching to establishing one of the greatest kingdoms in West Africa, Othman bin Fodi is truly the legend of Africa. Despite the fact the African continent has produced various kingdoms, scholars, thinkers, and leaders, the history of Bin Fodi, as written by Al-Hajri, will surely leave the reader admiring the unmatched accomplishments of this legend in all aspects of life.

[history-snippets]

“The African Legend and Scholar: Sheikh Othman bin Fodi” by Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri

Amidst a growing thirst for the history of West African Religion and culture, especially in the Arab world, Ali bin Ghanem Al-Hajri cut across thousands of miles to fill this knowledge void in his groundbreaking book titled “The African Legend and Scholar: Sheikh Othman bin Fodi” written on the most prominent Islamic figure in West Africa Othman bin Fodi.

The Qatari writer, aided by his skill in narrating historical events, gave a meticulous account of the life of Sheikh Othman bin Fodi for readers who have little or no knowledge about this personality, delving through his impacts in the intellectual, cultural, political and social spheres which are still evident particularly in Nigeria and West Africa in General.

Out of Al-Hajri’s belief that “the history of the African continent - with the exception of North Africa - is still one of the things that are historically still unknown to Muslims in the Arab world,” he brought the personality of this political and religious figure closer to the distant Arab world. The author’s ability to unearth information from primary sources in the course of writing the book is outrightly praiseworthy.

From teaching to establishing one of the greatest kingdoms in West Africa, Othman bin Fodi is truly the legend of Africa. Despite the fact the African continent has produced various kingdoms, scholars, thinkers, and leaders, the history of Bin Fodi, as written by Al-Hajri, will surely leave the reader admiring the unmatched accomplishments of this legend in all aspects of life.