Nana Asma'u Fodio – the poetic
historian
by Muhammad Talha
Amin Baruah
Nana Asma’u Fodio(1793–1864) was a pioneering Nigerian
scholar, poet, and teacher who championed women’s education during the Sokoto
Caliphate (in modern day Nigeria). She became famous for her deep knowledge of
Islamic scholarship, her poetry in multiple languages (Arabic, Hausa,
Fulfulde), and her leadership in social reform. Nana Asma’u established the Yan
Taru movement, training women educators who traveled to rural communities to
teach girls and women about religion, literacy, and practical skills. Let us
discuss her life journey.
Nana Asma'u Fodio was born in the year 1793 in Degel, in
North western Sokoto, along with her twin brother Hassan Fodio. She was the
22nd child of Usman Dan Fodio and Maimuna. Usman Dan Fodio was the founder of
the Sokoto Caliphate. He founded the caliphate along with his brother Abdullahi
Dan Fodio and his first son Muhammad Bello. Her father was a great scholar
which had inspired Asma'u to become a scholar herself. Her mother died when she
was about 2 years old. After a few years, Asma'u had started doing home
schooling.
By this time, Sultan Yunfa ascended to the Gobir's throne
and due to his hatred for Usman, he decided to attack Usman and his followers.
Upon learning Yunfa's plans, Usman was proclaimed Amir ul Mumineen (commander
of faithful) by his followers. A long run of battles popularly known as the
'Fulani wars' began on 21st of February 1804. Notably the Gobir kings were
irreligious 'muslims', hence they saw Usman as a threat to their kingship.
Fulani wars was part of Usman's jihad (holy war) against the Gobir kings for
being irreligious and to promote Islam in its purest form within the layman.
Usman was successful and established the Sokoto Caliphate (or Sokoto empire) in
1809, serving as its first caliph. By then, Asma'u had completed her religious
education and had become a scholar (basically a Sufi from the Qadiriyya order).
She was a scholar of the highest order who devoted her life to religious
studies, she wrote philosophical works and preached the path of righteousness
to the people. Her aim was to transmit the knowledge of God and help adherents
of Islam to learn about God. She was also a Hafiza (memorizer of the Quran). In
1817, when Usman died, Asma'u had collected the documents of her father in
order to preserve his history.
Some of Asmau's works are 'Tanbih al Ghafilin', which she
wrote in 1820 in order to teach people morality, punishment and rewards. In
1829, when Abdullahi Dan Fodio (Asma'u's uncle) died, Asma'u wrote an elegy (a
type of poem which is written in grief of a person's loss) on Abdullahi which
she titled 'Sonnore Abdullahi'. She later wrote 'Sunago' in 1830, which is a
list of the Surahs (chapters) of the Quran. In 1831, she translated her
father's work 'Tabbat Hakkika'. In 1834, she wrote 'Wa'azu i Fulfulde' (a
warning) and 'Mimsitare' (prayer for forgiveness). In 1836, the battle of
Gawakuke occured, Asma'u wrote the poem describing the event the same year. The
poem was her very first poem and it was titled 'Gawakuke Famarde'. In 1837,
Muhammad Bello (the Sokoto caliph) died, Asma'u who was his sister and
counsellor, mourned his death by writing two elegies on Bello which were titled
'Marthiya Bello' and 'Sonnore Bello'. She also collected documents on Muhammad
Bello as well as collected his works. She wrote 'Tindinore' which was a history
of Usman Dan Fodio and Muhammad Bello. She also wrote a book called 'Tawassuli'
which was the translation of Muhammad Bello's book called 'Kitab al Nasiha'. In
1838, she wrote 'Gikko Bello' which was about the character of Muhammad Bello.
The same year, Asma'u's sister died, she wrote an elegy on her sister titled
'Sonnore Mo'Inna'. She also translated 'Sunago' the same year. In 1839, she
wrote 'Sonnore Buhari' which was an elegy she wrote to mourn her brother's
death. She wrote 'Kiran Ahmada' in praise of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], 'Tabshir
al Ikhwan' describing the comfort while reading the Quran, 'Filitago' which was
an account of Sokoto Jihad. In 1840, Asma'u wrote 'Kowini e Shehu' which was an
account about the followers of Usman Dan Fodio. In 1843, Asma'u wrote another
poem in praise of the prophet, titled 'Mantore Arande'. In 1844, she wrote
'Temedde' describing the victory of the Sokoto Caliphate over a region of the
Gobirs, and wrote an elegy on her neighbor titled 'Alhinin Mutuwar Halima'.
Gidado who was the grand vizier of the Sokoto caliphate and the husband of
Asma'u died in 1850, they warried in the year 1807 when she was a 14 year old
girl. Asma'u wrote an elegy on her husband titled 'Sonnore Gidado'. In between
1855-56, Asma'u wrote some elegies titled 'Sonnore Bingel', 'Sonnore Mustafa'
and 'Sonnore Na'Inna'. She also wrote 'Moyta Moyaki' against the Gobir chief
and also translated her father's poem, titled it 'Mantore de dabre'. She
continued to write until her death in 1864, her last work being 'Bi Yalli'
which was written to condemn a certain kinsman.
Asma'u had introduced home schooling for providing necessary
religious Education to women. Asma'u trained some women and started the Yan
Taru movement, which was to educate muslims without any gender discrimination
in the field of religion. These disciples of Asma'u shared history of sufi
women and the battles that Muslims fought, as well as they discussed Seerah
(Prophet Muhammad PBUH's biography). Asma'u's mission was to unify the diverse
society through her religious philosophy. She had become the fact of women
empowerment very quickly.
Her elegies, poems and books serve as important sources for
the reconstruction of the history of the Sokoto caliphate and the society of
that period. Asma'u herself remains as a legendary figure who elevated women
education in Nigerian society. Today in Northern Nigeria, Islamic women's
organisations, schools and meeting halls are commonly named after her. She
re-entered the debate on the role of women in Islam in the 20th century, as her
legacy has been carried by Islamic scholars and immigrants to Europe and its
academic debates.
References :
1. Social Welfare in Muslim Societies in Africa, by Holger
Weiss, page 178
2. One Woman's Jihad, by Beverly B. Mack & Jean Boyd,
page 1-12
3. Boko Haram: Nigeria's Islamist Insurgency, by Virginia
Comolli, page 15
4. The Sokoto Caliphate, by Murray Last, page Iix
5. The Caliph's Sister, by Jean Boyd, page 3-6, 142-147
6. Canadian Journal of African Studies, Volume 19 (2), page
283
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