Muhammad Bukhari Bin Uthman
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Muhammad Bukhari bin Uthman (; 1785–1840) was an Islamic scholar and a noted poet who was the first Emir of Tambawel. Bukhari was an important military commander who participated in and led several military campaigns during the
jihad of Usman dan Fodio The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Usma ...
.


Early life

Muhammad Bukhari was born in
Degel Degel is a town in northern Nigeria. Once a part of the Hausa city-state of Gobir, Degel is particularly noted for being the home of Fulani Islamic reformer Usman dan Fodio from 1774 to 1804. Dan Fodio built a large following in the area until, ...
, a small town in the Hausa kingdom of
Gobir Gobir (Demonym: ''Gobirawa'') was a traditional state in what is now Nigeria. Founded by the Hausa in the 12th century, Gobir was one of the seven original kingdoms of Hausaland, and continued under Hausa rule for nearly 700 years. Its capital ...
. His father
Usman dan Fodio Shehu Usman dan Fodio (; full name; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817). (Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Saalih ibn Haarun ibn Muhammad Ghurdu ibn Muhammad Jubba ibn Muhammad Sambo ibn Maysiran ibn Ayyub ibn Buba Baba ibn Musa Jokolli ibn ...
was a noted Islamic scholar and preacher from the
Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...
clan of
Torodbe The Torodbe; singular Torodo (also called Turudiyya, Banu Toro, Takrur, Toronkawa) were Muslim Toucouleur people, Toucouleur clerics and theocratic monarchs who preached and reigned in Futa Toro, a region located in the north of present-day Senega ...
. His mother Aisha came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship. Bukhari studied under his father, and his uncle,
Abdullahi Abdullahi (also spelled Abdollahi and Abdillahi) is a male given name also common as a surname. It is a variation of the Arabic language, Arabic personal name Abdullah (name), Abdullah. The variant ''Abdullahi'' is most common in Nigeria, Saudi A ...
. Because he was raised in Abdullahi's house, Bukhari dedicated much of his life to his uncle. Among his other teachers was al-Mustafa bin Muhammad al-Turudi, a scribe for Usman, and the father of the Sokoto scholar Abd al-Qadir dan Tafa.


Life

Bukhari was one of the eight commanders of the Sokoto jihad. He participated in campaigns in the southern region of the
Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...
, including
Nupe Nupe or NUPE may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language * Nupe River, in the Huánuco Region, Peru * Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in the Uni ...
, alongside his cousin Muhammad Wani, Abdullahi's son. He was also actively involved in the
Gwandu Gwandu, also called Gando, is a town and emirate in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The seat of government for the emirate and district of this name is in Birnin Kebbi, which is the capital of Kebbi State and was capital of the historical Kingdom of Kebb ...
campaigns, aimed at pacifying the region. In 1805, Bukhari joined Abdullahi's forces in a campaign against the Hausa kingdom of Kebbi. After the fall of
Birnin-Kebbi Birnin Kebbi is a city located in Northwestern Nigeria It is the capital city of Kebbi State and headquarters of the Gwandu Emirate. As at 2007 the city had an estimated population of 125,594 people. Kebbi is mostly a Hausa and Fulani state, wit ...
, the Sarkin Kebbi,
Muhammadu Hodi Muhammadu is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Muhammadu Abali Ibn Muhammadu Idrissa (born 1956), 13th Emir of the Fika Emirate * Muhammadu Abdullahi Wase (1948–1996), Nigerian military administrator * Muhammadu Aminu (died 197 ...
, fled the capital. However, in 1816, Hodi mounted a fierce resistance against the Caliphate from his strongholds in Kimba, Augi, and
Argungu Argungu is a city in Nigeria's Kebbi State, situated on the Sokoto River. As of 2007 Argungu had an estimated population of 47,064. The city is the seat of the Argungu Emirate, a traditional state. The city is a major agricultural center for t ...
, which ultimately ended in 1826 when he was killed by Bukhari. After the jihad was won in 1808, Usman dan Fodio appointed his brother Abdullahi to govern the western and southern regions of the Caliphate. Abdullahi tasked Bukhari with overseeing the southern territories of his emirate. Around this period, Bukhari founded the fief of Tambawel which grew to become the main stronghold in the southern regions of the Caliphate, second only to Gwandu. However, the importance of the fief diminished during the reign of Caliph
Abu Bakr Atiku Abu Bakr Atiku (; 1782–1842) was the third Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, reigning from October 1837 until November 1842. Early years Abu Bakr Atiku dan Shehu was born to the second wife of Usman dan Fodio in 1782. He was involved, as were al ...
(1837–1842). Starting in 1812, Bukhari was also tasked with administering
Nupe Nupe or NUPE may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language * Nupe River, in the Huánuco Region, Peru * Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in the Uni ...
after Abdullahi retired from government affairs. In January 1818, a fierce revolt broke out in Kalambaina, a town near Gwandu. The rebels were followers of
Abd al-Salam Abd al-Salam () is a male Muslim honorific or given name, built on the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Salam''. The name means "servant of the All-peaceable", ''as-Salam'' being one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give rise to the Mu ...
, who had also rebelled against the Caliphate a month earlier. The Kalambaina revolt lasted two years until a combined force led by Caliph Muhammad Bello, Atiku, Bukhari, and Wani successfully captured the town. The victory at Kalambaina reunited Gwandu and Sokoto, who had experienced slight hostilities after Abdullahi was passed over in favour of Bello to succeed Usman as
Sarkin Musulmi The sultan of Sokoto is the hereditary leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, a Sunni Muslim community in West Africa. The position may also be referred to as the 'Sokoto Caliph' or the "Commander of the Faithful" (''Amir-ul-Momineen'' in Arabic or ''Lami ...
in 1817. In 1836, the emirate of Ilorin faced an attack from a combined force of Oyo and
Borgu Borgu is a region and former country split between north-west Nigeria and the northern Republic of Benin. It was partitioned between British Empire, Great Britain and France by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. People of Borgu are known as B ...
. Bukhari, alongside his brother Muhammad Sambo, led an army consisting of forces from both Sokoto and Gwandu to aid in the defense of Ilorin. Although the Oyo-Borgu forces initially pushed Bukhari's army back to Ilorin, their morale collapsed after the Sarkin Borgu, alongside several other important Oyo and Borgu figures, was killed in battle, allowing the Sokoto-Gwandu forces to successfully defend the city. The conflict also led to the death of the last
Alaafin of Oyo Oyo, Oyo State, is the seat of the line of the rulers of Oyo. Their territory, a constituent rump state, is located in what is now Nigeria. Since the 1900 political absorption into Southern Nigeria of the kingdom that it once served as a metro ...
, leading to the eventual fall of the Yoruba empire. Following the death of Bello in 1837, there was no clear successor as he refused to name one. Bukhari and his older brother Abu Bakr Atiku were the leading candidates. After much deliberation, the Council of Electors chose Atiku as the new Caliph. Despite Bukhari's distinguished military record (particularly his successes in Ilorin the previous year), and his reputation as a poet, he was passed over. Some suggest this was due to his ''
ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
'' poems, while others believe it was because he had suffered a leg injury after falling from his horse, breaking his leg at the critical juncture, making him unfit for office.


Writings

Bukhari was a noted scholar and poet who wrote in
classical Arabic Classical Arabic or Quranic Arabic () is the standardized literary form of Arabic used from the 7th century and throughout the Middle Ages, most notably in Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid literary texts such as poetry, e ...
. Today, twenty of his ''qasa'id'' survive and are preserved around Nigeria. He was also known for his controversial ''
ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
'' poems.{{Rp, page=364


References

1784 births 1840 deaths Dan Fodio family Nigerian city founders Nigerian scholars Nigerian Arabic-language writers Nigerian Arabic-language poets Nigerian Fula people 19th-century Nigerian writers Sons of caliphs Uthman, Muhammad Bukhari bin