Give a brief biography of Uthman Dan Fodio?
- Sheikh Uthman born in Maralta – 1754
- Father Muhammed Fodio a well-known scholar
- Learnt Quran from his father
- He took advanced studies in tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh etc
- Wrote his first work in Arabic – a poem in praise of the prophet S.A.W.W and other a total of 114 works.
- He educated the public on the fundamentals of the religion.
- He led Jihad against the Gobir forces, formed a new capital.
- Died in 1817
He contributed in the following/ His contributions
- Creation of Sokoto Caliphate.
- Boosted the positions of women in the society, esp. education.
- Strived against extremism among the scholars of his time.
- Played in reconciliation of the Islamic scholarship with sufisms.
- Fought against female circumcision.