I intend to introduce here some of the women that helped in raising the man, fashioning his thinking, and actualizing his mission. I relied heavily on the work of Muhammad Sharif who in turn had relied on the writings of Waziri Junaidu.
Here goes…
1. Hauwa Ibn Muhammad Ibn Uthman Ibn Hamm: She was the revered mother of the great Sheikh. Most of the sheikh’s early education came from this woman. It is from this woman that he got his famed genealogical link to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). She was a direct descendant of the Prophet (SAW) and she comes from a very long line of scholars. Her great great grandfather was the very renowned scholar Muhammad Sanbo Ibn Maasiran. As a result of that, she turned out to be a very erudite scholar in her own right.

2. Inna Alfa: She was the stepmother of Sheikh Danfodio and the daughter of the very learned and acclaimed Malam Mudharagha. She comes from a line of very scholarly women. Her mother Jalle, was renowned for her scholarship in Islamic jurisprudence and so was her grandmother Faatu. Together with the sheikh’s mother Hauwa, they were his first teachers.

3. Sawdah Bint Fodio:
She was one of the Sheikh’s sisters. She married Mustafa Ibn Abdurrahman, the man who was later to become the leader of the scribes for the Sokoto Caliphate. The position of scribe was reserved for people of deep and vast learning because the job involves the archiving of texts and the production and reproduction of rare and needed books by the scholars. Sawdah, who was eminently qualified, became her husband’s assistant. They shared in all the responsibility of his office. This gave her access to books only the most learned of the scholars of the time had. She was known and respected for the depth of her learning throughout the empire. Her mother Juda, was learned in her own right and she came from a long line of Islamic jurists.

4. Inna Kebbi: She was the Sheikh’s paternal aunt. Her father was the learned Uthman Ibn Saalih. Inna Kebbi was responsible for teaching the women of her village various aspects of the Islamic sciences. She was the mother of eight children all of whom became accomplished scholars. Among them was the erudite and saintly wife of the Sheikh, Maymuma, who was the mother famous Nana Asma’u.
Nana

5. Aishatu Bint Muhammad Sa’d: She was a wife of the Sheikh. Abdulqadir Ibn Mustafa wrote about her in his work Salwat al-Ikhwan (in which he gave accounts of the elite sages and mystics around Sheikh Danfodio): “Among them was the female spiritual master Aishatu, the wife of Sheikh Uthman and mother of Muhammad Sanbo. She possessed an ample share of the traits of uprightness and spiritual excellence…she was known for her constant spiritual states and had reached the highest levels in asceticism, uprightness, piety, and complete spiritual struggle and discipline.” She had eight children, all who became like her, learned sages of high spiritual ranks. Among them were the famous Mo’Allah-yidi and Khadijatu.

6. Khadijatu Bint Uthman Ibn Fodio: She was the daughter of Danfodio from the above mentioned wife, Aishatu bint Muhammad Sa’d. She was among the daughters of the Sheikh that made the Hijra (migration) with him from Degel during the buildup for the Jihad. She was well-known for her spiritual rank, pleasing character, and the depth of her understanding in many diverse sciences. She was also an accomplished poet. Some of her favorite themes for her poems are; science of jurisprudence, piety, grammar, and Islamic history. She wrote in both Arabic and Fulfulde.

7. Nana Asma’u: I saved Nana Asmau for last because I simply didn’t know how to write about her in a blog post. There is just too much about her that needs to be stated that nothing short of a book can come close to doing justice to her ( and there are books written about her). But I’ll give it a shot and state some of her major accomplishments.
Asma’u established perhaps the first NGO in her part of the world. The ‘Yan Taru Movement which she established with the aim of educating and enlightening women was very successful. She tutored and mentored women from different towns and villages. Upon graduation these women became tutors and mentors of the women of their localities. She was also an accomplished poet and scholar. She left behind several poetry collections. Like her father, Sheikh Danfodio, she wrote in four languages. She was also a social activist and a very close confidant and adviser to Sultan Muhammad Bello.

There you have it…a cross-section of the women around the sheikh – mother, stepmother, aunt, sister, wife, daughters. Each of them (and the many others that weren’t mentioned) helped in their own way to making the man and his mission possible. Without these women, I believe strongly, there wouldn’t have been a Shehu. At least not in the way we have come to know and revere him.

usman dan fodio has a geneological link to our beloved prophet pbuh? i'm hearing this for the first time, op whats the proof for this?

I'm also hearing that for the first time. Proof pls

He was not a great sheikh!


Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

Dont you know that dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?


Dont you know that dan fodio is a direct descendant of Fulani cattle herders from Futa Djlon? And not some imaginery prophet muhammad link.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village heads on the borders of Niger Republic while the colonist descendants of foreign cow herds are ammassing the wealth of Nigeria whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?


Why is it that some muslims have this habit of supporting evil in all forms , even if its against their own people?

Why is it that some muslims take pride in reasoning like sheeple and zombie?

Nice piece op...jazakallah khairan

IndianBwoy:
He was not a great sheikh!


Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

Dont you know that dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?


Dont you know that dan fodio is a direct descendant of Fulani cattle herders from Futa Djlon? And not some imaginery prophet muhammad link.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village heads on the borders of Niger Republic while the colonist descendants of foreign cow herds are ammassing the wealth of Nigeria whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?


Why is it that some muslims have this habit of supporting evil in all forms , even if its against their own people?

Why is it that some muslims take pride in reasoning like sheeple and zombie?

He is crying a again

IndianBwoy:
He was not a great sheikh!


Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

Dont you know that dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?


Dont you know that dan fodio is a direct descendant of Fulani cattle herders from Futa Djlon? And not some imaginery prophet muhammad link.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village heads on the borders of Niger Republic while the colonist descendants of foreign cow herds are ammassing the wealth of Nigeria whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?


Why is it that some muslims have this habit of supporting evil in all forms , even if its against their own people?

Why is it that some muslims take pride in reasoning like sheeple and zombie?

What concerns an Indian with Hausa culture?
why take Panadol for another man's headache?
The Hausa have never complained and you are here spewing nonsense over something that is none of your biz.

carinmom:


What concerns an Indian with Hausa culture?
why take Panadol for another man's headache?
The Hausa have never complained and you are here spewing nonsense over something that is none of your biz.

That is none of your business. I will take headache for whomsoever I please.

You would not have said the same if I was here defending muslims or Fulanis.


Do you represent the entire Hausa nation? And also the Igbos , Yorubas, Adamawans, Middle Belters etc who lost their lives to the Fulani rampage?

OP
dey there dey deceive yourself
*yinmu*

IndianBwoy:


That is none of your business. I will take headache for whomsoever I please.

You would not have said the same if I was here defending muslims or Fulanis.


Do you represent the entire Hausa nation? And also the Igbos , Yorubas, Adamawans, Middle Belters etc who lost their lives to the Fulani rampage?

pls take a chill pill before your bp rises

IndianBwoy:


[s]That is none of your business. I will take headache for whomsoever I please.

You would not have said the same if I was here defending muslims or Fulanis.


Do you represent the entire Hausa nation? And also the Igbos , Yorubas, Adamawans, Middle Belters etc who lost their lives to the Fulani rampage?[/s]

later on when you are attacked, you'l cry foul, uncircumcised fool

Allahu akber.

Dan was the first boko haram

Dan was the first boko haram

.

IndianBwoy:
He was not a great sheikh!

dumbas$

Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

you will have to prove that he was an oppressor

dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?

you will have to prove that he sold slaves.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

Thank GOD he did, we saw the light of islam through him.

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village head, whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

strict laws you say? no wonder you have high level of crime rate in india, especially rape, your religion shields rapists, whats more barbaric than that?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?

such an empty point, uncircumcised fool

Beautiful OP.
Mallam Abdullahi dan Fodio (1761-1829) wrote that as far as he remember, his first teachers were women. His mother Hauwa and grandmother Maymuna.
It says a lot about the importance given to education by these great men.

IndianBwoy:
He was not a great sheikh!


Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

Dont you know that dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?

What does jihad mean? did your ancestors not kill and pilage and enslave? it was the 1800s dumbo, everyone was guilty of that.

Dont you know that dan fodio is a direct descendant of Fulani cattle herders from Futa Djlon? And not some imaginery prophet muhammad link.

No one has ever linked him to the prophet, this is the first im hearing of this.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

lol! if by that you mean the empire of selfish kings and oppressors who the hausa peasants helped the fulas chase out, then i fail to see your point. besides, his jihad united the divided hausa states. was that not a good thing?

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village heads on the borders of Niger Republic while the colonist descendants of foreign cow herds are ammassing the wealth of Nigeria whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

DAURA, the original and true hausa state and kingdom, is still ruled by HRH Sarki Umar Faruk, descendant of bayajidda and a true hausa man. there are various powerful kingdoms in nigeria still led by hausas, what do you mean by small villages?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?

hausa civilization according to the kano chronicles began around the 7th to 10th century, fulas were present as setllers even early as the 12th century. Dan fodio is one of those settlers, who grew up in hausa land.

Why is it that some muslims have this habit of supporting evil in all forms , even if its against their own people?

Evil? the only evil i see here is a shameless indian trying to divide and stir up sentiments amongst people that have lived together peacefully for hundreds of years.

Why is it that some muslims take pride in reasoning like sheeple and zombie?

oooh shuut up you indian bufffooon. go worship a pig or a cow or something and stay the fvck out of our affairs.

Usman Dan Fodio (Rahimahullah).

May Almighty Allah bless his soul, grant him peace in the grave, protect his works and make him among the dwellers of Paradise.

Ameen.

Anything who talk ill about Sheikh Fodio deserves no reply, he is only being ignorant and we can only pray for such person's guidance.

He was not a great sheikh!


Why is it that Africans have this habit of worshipping their oppressors?

Dont you know that dan fodio was an oppressor, jihadist and slave trader?


Dont you know that dan fodio is a direct descendant of Fulani cattle herders from Futa Djlon? And not some imaginery prophet muhammad link.

Dont you know that Dan Fodio destroyed the great HAUSA NIGERIAN EMPIRE and culture?

Dont you know that the REAL Hausa rulers are languishing in exile as small village heads on the borders of Niger Republic while the colonist descendants of foreign cow herds are ammassing the wealth of Nigeria whilst imposing strict barbaric laws in the North?

Dont you know that Dan Fodio was the cause of savage Fulani marauders gaining entry into Nigeria and wrecking the lives of millions of Nigerians to date?


Why is it that some muslims have this habit of supporting evil in all forms , even if its against their own people?



YOU TALK AS IF THERE WAS SOMETHING OR SOMEWHERE CALLED NIGERIA THEN.
YOU BETTER LEARN, YOUR HATRED FOR GREAT PERSONS MAKE YOU A DWARF YOU ARE!
Why is it that some muslims take pride in reasoning like sheeple and zombie?

People should read Dan Fodio's writings before maligning him on social media.
He was not a human rights activist but he's not the oppressor that people portray him to be.
I even read some folks saying that Dan Fodio attacked Benin Empire, which tells you how crazy these discussions can be.
I consider all these slanderings/accusations as testimony of his impact on Nigeria, and particularly on popular culture. Were the other precolonial states in Nigeria established on a "We are cool, Let's build a state guys!" rationale.
States are not built by "peacey-lovey" politics. Charles Tllly tells us the ability to wage war is fundamental in the creation of new polities ("War makes states and states make war".
Have you ever wondered why there wasn't a popular revolt against Dan Fodio?
Abeg leave oga Shehu Degel alone

masha Allah... may Allah grant us pious daughters, wives, mothers, relatives and cause us to die upon eeman... aameen

WeissMaganti:

What does jihad mean? did your ancestors not kill and pilage and enslave? it was the 1800s dumbo, everyone was guilty of that.

No they didnt. And DEIFINITELY not in the name of religion.

Eitherways we must not celebrate criminals whether its my ancestors or yours.

No one has ever linked him to the prophet, this is the first im hearing of this.

Kindly read the article. Where connections have been postulated.

lol! if by that you mean the empire of selfish kings and oppressors who the hausa peasants helped the fulas chase out, then i fail to see your point. besides, his jihad united the divided hausa states. was that not a good thing?

Stop your wikipedia nonsense. Go read the works of actual scholars. Btw the Hausa states were united though ruling separately similar to todays Fulani kingdoms. They were all descendants of a common progenitor. Also Sarkin Yunfa gained the help of adjacent Hausa states prior to losing the battle against the Fulanim . There is also a story of trrachery and deceit attached. Kindly read up.

No sane person will support a foreigner to displace his own tribes rulers. Thats dumb way to reason.

DAURA, the original and true hausa state and kingdom, is still ruled by HRH Sarki Umar Faruk, descendant of bayajidda and a true hausa man. there are various powerful kingdoms in nigeria still led by hausas, what do you mean by small villages?

Im glad to know you follow PAGAN9JA's works but remember he himself is a Hausa Pagan Traditionalist. Not a muslim.

Daura and Argungu are the last strongholds. The rest of the rulers from important states like Kano etc. Were exiled to Abuja and mostly to Niger republic where they still preserve Hausa religious elements and customs.

hausa civilization according to the kano chronicles began around the 7th to 10th century, fulas were present as setllers even early as the 12th century. Dan fodio is one of those settlers, who grew up in hausa land.

Dan fodios roots lie in Futa Djlon. The Fulani are not settled people but nomads. Nomads are not indigenous.

Evil? the only evil i see here is a shameless indian trying to divide and stir up sentiments amongst people that have lived together peacefully for hundreds of years.

Kindly watch your words you boko haram/taliban savage.
I have seen enough peaceful lies everyday on the news.

oooh shuut up you indian bufffooon. go worship a pig or a cow or something and stay the fvck out of our affairs.

I will report you. Im not the type who makes fun of people who worshipand kisses black stones etc. So i will just do as Nairaland asked and report you for abusing me.

lexiconkabir:
usman dan fodio has a geneological link to our beloved prophet pbuh? i'm hearing this for the first time, op whats the proof for this?

ok... will confirm and get back to you

IndianBwoy:



No they didnt. And DEIFINITELY not in the name of religion.

Eitherways we must not celebrate criminals whether its my ancestors or yours.

LOOOOL! for religion or not, your ancestors were war mongers. and they sucked at it btw, how else could mahmud ghazni invade them SEVENTEEN times without losing.

we shouldnt celebrate criminals regardless of ethnicities then why should we celebrate the criminal hausa rulers?

Kindly read the article. Where connections have been postulated.

and now im telling you no one holds that as an established belief.

Stop your wikipedia nonsense. Go read the works of actual scholars. Btw the Hausa states were united though ruling separately similar to todays Fulani kingdoms. They were all descendants of a common progenitor. Also Sarkin Yunfa gained the help of adjacent Hausa states prior to losing the battle against the Fulanim . There is also a story of trrachery and deceit attached. Kindly read up.

LOL! Yunfa did not! part of why he lost! and i would love to hear about these actual scholars? an example maybe? when hausa kingdoms were even fighting and waging wars against each other? thats what you call unity? you truly are the dum.best indian ive ever met and trust me i have met a lot!

No sane person will support a foreigner to displace his own tribes rulers. Thats dumb way to reason.

and only an im.becile like yourself will support injustice, just because they are of your ethnicity.

Im glad to know you follow PAGAN9JA's works but remember he himself is a Hausa Pagan Traditionalist. Not a muslim.

loool! see now i know youre clueless. That mor.on who was making all sorts of noise, cant even speak hausa, he was questioned and it turns out hes probably not even hausa. see, hes just another saboteur like yourself.

Daura and Argungu are the last strongholds. The rest of the rulers from important states like Kano etc. Were exiled to Abuja and mostly to Niger republic where they still preserve Hausa religious elements and customs.

NOOOO! they preserve few elements but incase you didnt know, these kings were muslims long before bil foduyes invasionand they still are!!! i am from kano, and we have no sentiments, we love our king. see these kings cant even speak fulfulde, promote and live the hausa culture and language. We hold no sentiments against them.

Dan fodios roots lie in Futa Djlon. The Fulani are not settled people but nomads. Nomads are not indigenous.

well a lot of them settled. and speaking of roots, most nigerian ethnicities have different roots, why are there hausas in sudan and other countries in african for instance? Almost everyone settled somewhere.

Kindly watch your words you boko haram/taliban savage.
I have seen enough peaceful lies everyday on the news.

then go and better your own country and savage people first before you come here and spew shiit about topics you know nothing about.

I will report you. Im not the type who makes fun of people who worshipand kisses black stones etc. So i will just do as Nairaland asked and report you for abusing me.

Id much rather do that than worship a PIG or a COW. Loool! the stupidity of some people knows no bounds. And to think youre savage people actually kill muslims for eating sweet delicious cow is shameful. raci.st indian plonker! FOH!

mdnazy:
ok... will confirm and get back to you

ok...