Comparative Islamic Reform Philosophies in Muslim West Africa: A Societal Contextual Comparison of Shehu Danfodiyo 1754-1817 and Abubakar Gumi 1924-1992

Abstract

The bane of current reformism and revivalism among the Muslim societies is principally the emergence of pseudo Ulama without adequate or no spiritual and educational substance to support them in the discharge of their responsibility. Many have not gone through the required tutelage to prepare them on the task of guiding people or lack the spiritual armament which will tame their inner self to the principles of good deed-Salah: Taqwa, Ikhlas, and Mutaba’a. The effect of lack of such grounded knowledge and discipline among most Du’at– callers, and the so-called mujaddidun– reformers, is misleading their followers into extremism or compromise in religious practices. The Muslim World today is suffering from this experience and the solutions are being sought for, in order to free Muslims from shackles and bondage of incompetent and incapable activists and revivalists of Islamic faith. Under this premise therefore, this paper projects and appraises the spiritual and educational basis in the lives of two– reformers/revivalists in Nigeria: Shehu Usmanu Danfodiyo, 1754-1817, and Abubakar Mahmud Gummi, 1922-1992, whose engrained scholarship and spiritual aptitude made them exemplary reformers in the 19th and 20th century West Africa respectively. They were known as prolific writers, teachers, preachers and ascetic; the sterling qualities which made their renewal and reform not only successful but sustainable and violence free. The need to reinvent and relive their legacies will go along way in instilling transcendent and didactic spirits in the minds and thoughts of our contemporary reformers.