HAQIQAT AL-IMAN WA AL-ISLAM
(The Reality of Iman and Islam) by Shehu Uthman ibn Fodio
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his companions all together.
This book, Ḥaqīqat al-Īmān wa al-Islām (The Reality of Faith and Islam), by the Mujaddid and Imām Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī (may Allah have mercy on him), is considered one of the foundational works of the period of his religious revival in the Western Sudan region during the 12th Hijri century [the 18th century CE]. The Shehu wrote it in an early stage of his revivalist movement, before he reached the rank of ijtihād (independent legal reasoning) in the sciences of Tawḥīd (monotheism) and Fiqh (jurisprudence).
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī was born in a period when the Western Sudan region, northern Nigeria and adjacent areas, suffered from the widespread proliferation of religious innovations (bid‘a) and superstitions, weakness in religious knowledge, and the dominance of tribal and kingdom leaders who did not adhere to the rulings of Islam. Therefore, the Shehu launched his revivalist movement, which combined preaching, education, and jihad, with the goal of establishing an Islamic state that applied the Sharia.
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī (1754–1817 CE) is considered one of the most prominent Islamic reformers (mujaddidūn) of Islam in central Bilad al-Sudan (the Western Sudan region) during a critical stage of its history. His movement was revivalist, jihadist, and educational, emerging in response to deteriorating conditions characterized by:
1. The widespread proliferation of religious innovations (bid‘a) and superstitions: where pure Islam had mixed with pagan practices and tribal customs, with the spread of tomb and tree worship, and the prevalence of magic.
2. Weakness in religious knowledge: alongside a scarcity of practicing scholars and the dominance of corrupt scholars who supported unjust rulers or participated in spreading innovations.
3. Political fragmentation and social injustice: The region was divided into warring kingdoms and emirates, such as Hausa, Bornu, and Fulani, where the weak suffered from the oppression of rulers and tribes, alongside the spread of un-Islamic slavery and unjust taxes.
4. External threat and intellectual challenge: The region was in contact with various intellectual currents, while remnants of pagan beliefs persisted, and some deviant Sufi ideas became common.
The book deals in detail with the reality of faith (īmān) and Islam as conveyed in the Book (Quran) and the Sunna. It emphasizes that faith is the firm, heartfelt conviction (taṣdīq qalbī jāzim) in what the Messengerﷺ brought of the essential principles of the religion, coupled with the declaration of the Two Testimonies of Faith (shahādatayn). The Shehu cited a number of Quranic verses and prophetic traditions to show that faith includes belief in Allah, His Angels, His Heavenly Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and Divine decree (al-qadar), its good and its bad.
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī, may Allah have mercy on him, begins his book by praising Allah and sending blessings upon His Messenger, then clarifies that his purpose is to explain the reality of faith and Islam as conveyed in the revelation. He argued for the reality of faith with noble Quranic verses, such as the saying of Allah ta`ala: “The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers.” [2: 285], and the famous prophetic traditions of Gabriel in which the Prophetﷺ explained faith as: “To believe in Allah, His Angels, His Heavenly Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in Divine decree, its good and its bad.”
The Shehu then moved to elaborate on a fundamental issue: what causes a Muslim to be declared a disbeliever (kāfir) and what does not? He established that the foundational principles of faith and Islam known necessarily from the religion (al-ma‘lūm min al-dīn bi al-ḍarūra), which are known to both the learned and the common people, are those the denial of which constitutes disbelief, such as denying the obligation of prayer (ṣalāh) or the prohibition of adultery (zinā) and alcohol (khamr). He cited the sayings of Imams from the established schools, such as al-Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ, al-Nawawī, and al-Ghazālī, to affirm these important parameters, including:
1) That whoever denies something necessarily known from the religion is a disbeliever, unless they are a recent convert to Islam or grew up in a remote, isolated area.
2) A warning against hastiness in declaring takfīr (excommunication), especially in matters of legitimate scholarly disagreement (ikhtilāf) where there is no definitive text (naṣṣ qāṭi‘), or which require rational inquiry (naẓar) and deduction (istidlāl). The Shehu emphasized that disagreement among Ahl al-Qiblah (i.e., mainstream Sunnis) on issues like the divine attributes (ṣifāt) and others does not necessitate declaring each other disbelievers.
3) Distinguishing between those whose statements take them outside the foundational principles of Ahl al-Qiblah, like the philosophers (falāsifah) who deny physical resurrection (al-ba‘th al-jismānī), for they are disbelievers, and those who remain within the framework of Ahl al-Sunnah while falling into some innovations or errors of interpretation.
4) That faith, in its essence, is “heartfelt conviction” (al-taṣdīq al-qalbī) that is certain and resolute, and that uttering the Two Testimonies is a condition for the worldly legal ruling and for outwardly being described as a believer, but the core (al-aṣl) is what is in the heart. The Shehu argued this with evidence from the Quran and Sunna, such as the verse: “Allah has written faith within their hearts.” [58: 22].
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī then moved on to discuss the issue of “rational inquiry” (al-naẓar) and “emulation” (al-taqlīd) in the fundamentals of religion (uṣūl al-dīn). He concluded that the rational inquiry obligatory upon every legally responsible person (mukallaf) is not the complex theological reasoning of the scholastic theologians (mutakallimūn). Rather, it is reflection upon the cosmic and innate signs that point to the Creator, as in the answer of the Bedouin (al-a‘rābī) when asked: “How did you know your Lord?” He said: “The camel’s dropping (al-bu‘rah) points to the camel (al-ba‘īr), and footprints point to a journey. So, a sky with constellations, an earth with pathways, and seas with waves, do they not point to the Subtle, the All-Aware (al-Laṭīf al-Khabīr)?” As for the detailed examination of evidence and refutation of doubts, that is a collective obligation (farḍ kifāyah) upon those qualified for it.
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī also discussed the issue of takfīr and warned against declaring as disbelievers Muslims who have not departed from the foundational principles of the religion known by necessity. He affirmed that disagreement in matters of scholarly interpretation (masā’il ijtihādiyyah) does not necessitate takfīr. The Shehu mentioned that faith is a light (nūr) which Allah casts into the heart, and not merely abstract theoretical knowledge.
The Shehu emphasized the obligation of adhering to what the predecessors (al-salaf) unanimously agreed upon, and prohibited delving into the differences of opinion within the Umma before acquiring deep knowledge and keeping the company of scholars, warning that this leads to misguidance and division. He, may Allah have mercy on him, issued a strong warning against delving into the differences of the Umma and immersing oneself in them before seeking correct religious knowledge and keeping the company of pious, insightful scholars. The Shehu saw this as a major gateway to division and misguidance, and urged holding fast to what the righteous predecessors unanimously agreed upon.
Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī then mentioned the means to solidify faith and strengthen the heart, which are: reflecting on the Quran, following the Sunna, emulating the righteous predecessors, and having fearful awareness of Allah (taqwā). He warned against occupying oneself with non-beneficial sciences like ancient philosophy (falsafah) and astrology (‘ilm al-falak) in its ancient form, and against extensively studying the schools of thought of opposing groups.
In the conclusion of the book, the Shehu summarized the practical benefits, including:
1) Not declaring as disbelievers those who have not departed from the foundational principles of Ahl al-Qiblah.
2) That faith is a light which Allah casts into the heart.
3) That the obligatory rational inquiry is the kind of reflection upon cosmic signs accessible to the common people.
4) The danger of delving into differences before being properly qualified.
5) The obligation of adhering to the community of Muslims and avoiding declaring takfīr based on whim (hawā).
6) That whoever denies something necessarily known from the religion is a disbeliever.
This book, the Ḥaqīqat al-Īmān wa al-Islām (The Reality of Faith and Islam), was part of his foundational efforts to correct beliefs and unify ranks, paving the way for the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate (Dawlat al-Khilāfah al-Sūkūṭiyyah), which he later founded. The Shehu’s writings represented a response to creedal and jurisprudential deviations and an affirmation of the methodology of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah, in an environment where Islam had become mixed with local customs and pagan ideas.
In this atmosphere, Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī wrote this book and others, like the Iḥyā’ al-Sunnah wa Ikhmād al-Bid‘a, as an intellectual and creedal foundation for his movement. The features of this context can be seen in his book through:
1) Emphasis on pure monotheism (al-tawḥīd al-khāliṣ) and rejection of shirk (polytheism): which suited an environment where both hidden and blatant shirk had spread.
2) Warning against reckless takfir: indicating the existence of takfiri tendencies or severe sectarian conflicts that could fragment the society he sought to unify.
3) Consolidating the concept of ‘Ahl al-Qiblah’ and adherence to the community: to create a unifying identity for Muslims in the face of political and tribal fragmentation.
4) Calling for adherence to the Sunna and avoiding innovations: which is the core of his reform project against alien heretical practices.
5) Reconciling religious knowledge with simple reason: by clarifying that the essence of faith is clear and can be grasped by the common person (al-‘āmmī), thereby broadening the base for the call (da‘wah).
This book, the Ḥaqīqat al-Īmān wa al-Islām (The Reality of Faith and Islam), with its clear, moderate methodology, served as the foundational document that prepared minds and hearts for the next step in Shehu Uthman’s tajdid, which was Jihad to establish the Sokoto Caliphate (1803–1903 CE), which implemented Islamic law, revived knowledge, and spread Islam throughout the region.
Thus, the book was a necessary creedal theorization that preceded political and military application, and it is a model of comprehensive reform that began with correcting beliefs and purifying conceptions.
Thus, this text represented a fundamental building block in the history of Islamic thought and reform in the central Bilad al-Sudan, reflecting the Mujaddid’s awareness of the needs of his era and the concerns of his nation, coupled with sound knowledge and a balanced, traditional methodology. This book, the Ḥaqīqat al-Īmān wa al-Islām (The Reality of Faith and Islam), is an important document for understanding the creedal and reformist methodology of Shehu ‘Uthmān ibn Fūdī, who represented a turning point in the history of Islam in West Africa, where he founded a state focused on education, preaching, and the application of Sharia, leaving behind a scholarly and propagational heritage that remains influential to this day.
Shaykh Muhammad Shareef ibn Farid
Friday, 29 Jumada al-Thani, 1447 AH
[19 December 2025 CE]
Bamako, Mali the Blessed
And may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his companions abundantly.
