Abstract:
This paper examines the Maguzawa conception of life after death in the light of nineteenth-century literature produced by scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate. The study focuses particularly on the writings of Shaykh Uthman bn Foduye and his principal lieutenants, especially his brother, Shaykh ʿAbdullāhi b. Fodio, and his son, Sultan Muḥammad Bello. Their writings provide valuable accounts of the religious beliefs and practices prevalent in Hausaland during the period, including those of the Maguzawa and nominal Muslims. The study demonstrates that some communities and individuals questioned or denied the reality of resurrection and the Hereafter. It further argues that the limited or absent conception of resurrection and the Day of Judgement within aspects of Hausa traditional religious beliefs contributed to such perceptions. Against this background, the paper examines the Islamic conception of life after death as articulated in the Qur’an, authentic Prophetic traditions, and the writings of the Sokoto Jihad scholars. From an Islamic perspective, the Hereafter encompasses interconnected stages, including life in the grave (hayat al-barzakiyyah), resurrection and judgement, and the eternal life that follows judgement. The study adopts a qualitative analytical approach, using relevant Qur’anic verses, authentic Prophetic traditions, and selected works of the Sokoto Jihad scholars as primary sources, complemented by relevant secondary literature. The paper concludes that the Sokoto scholars regarded belief in resurrection, accountability, and the Hereafter as fundamental elements of Islamic faith and as essential to understanding human existence and moral responsibility.
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.57233/djfafais.2026.v22i02.017
author/Adamu Musa Kotorkoshi
journal/Degel 22(2) | October 2026 |
