prospects of islamic studies in nigerian

E-Proceeding of the 2nd International Conference on Arabic Studies and Islamic Civilization, iCASiC2015 (e-ISBN 978-967-0792-02-6), 9-10 March 2015, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA. Organized by http://WorldConferences.net 718

PROSPECTS OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: A CASE STUDY OF UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA UNIVERSITY, KATSINA

Dikko Bature Darma1 [email protected]

Musa Ahmad Karkarku2

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

Islamic civilization has the longest history of foreign and perfect civilization on the West African scene. The influence of this civilization led to the establishment of many Islamic empires in the West African sub-region such as the Songhai empire, Mali empire, Old Ghana empire, Kanem Borno empire as well as the famous Sokoto Caliphate of Usman bin Fodio in the nineteenth century. Islamic studies was, thus, included in the curriculum of education in Nigeria at all levels. However, the curriculum of Islamic education in the Nigerian Universities is in dire need of improvement and modification because it is observed that some important areas of Islamic Studies are lacking in the current syllabus. Therefore, this paper is an overview of Islamic Studies in Umaru Musa Yar'adua University in Katsina State, Nigeria. Special attention is given to the need to re-design the syllabus such will have focus on the fundamental aspects of Islamic studies in order to enhance Al amru bil Ma'ruf wan Nahyu Anil Munkar (enjoining the Good and forbidden the evil), i.e. to inculcate the spirit of Da'wah in the students of Islamic studies for the reformation of today's society.

1. Introduction

This paper is an attempt to look at the need to modify and improve the curriculum of education of Islamic Studies in Nigerian Universities to go in line with the contemporary spirit of Islamic learning, scholarship and civilization i.e., specialization. The aim is to suggest designing a course curriculum for the undergraduate students of Islamic Studies at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, Nigeria. It is observed that the syllabus of Islamic studies taught in this university, at both degree and masters levels, has less concern for specialization, as such that little knowledge of Islam takes place at graduation. The courses are arranged in such a way that student turns out to be jack of all disciplines, but master of none. More so, other areas that are lacking in the syllabus include: principles/technics and methodology of Da’awa, inter-religious studies, religious ethics and values etc. This is without prejudice to the fact that there are pointers to some of these issues in some of the subjects, nevertheless, their scope is inadequate such that their impacts are hardly felt among students.

1 Dikko Bature Darma is a lecturer in the Department of Islamic Studies, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina,

Nigeria. He is also currently a PhD research candidate in the Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion,

International Islamic University, Malaysia.

2 Musa Ahmad Karkarku is an Associate Professor in the Department of Islamic Studies, Umaru Musa Yar’adu University,

Katsina and currently the serving Head of Department.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


The Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU), formerly Katsina State University was established by the Katsina State Government out of the desire to improve access to higher education for its citizenry. The law establishing the Katsina State University was passed by the Katsina State House of Assembly on 5th September 2006. The University commenced academic activities in January 2007 with three faculties (Education, Humanities & Natural and Applied Sciences), and 16 undergraduate programmes. The university will build upon existing academic strength, a total of 13 faculties, 76 departments and 236 academic programmes (undergraduate and postgraduate) at the end of its 25 year period of it’s academic phasing, which is divided into four years each.3 Therefore, two faculties were later added (Law and Social & Management Sciences), as well as site for some new faculties are currently under construction.

However, the Department of Islamic Studies with other departments such as Hausa, Arabic, English, French and History are in the Faculty of Humanities. In 2009 the department produced its’ first set of graduates who were only two students in number. Thereafter the number of graduates continue to increase progressively every year and by 2014 the department has produced a cumulative sum of more than 200 students.

With such so much interest in the study of Islamic Studies among Muslims in Katsina, it is pertinent to design a new study curriculum, keeping in line with the provision of NUC, that can be more useful than the inherited syllabus of General Islamic Studies that is currently in use.

2. Brief History of Islamic Learning in Katsina

The present day Katsina state in Northern Nigeria is the merger of the two historic Kingdoms of Katsina and Daura which are regarded as the ancient centers of culture, history and civilization in Hausaland.4 Katsina is the heart of Hausa states bounded in the east by Kano and Jigawa states, in the west by Sokoto and Zamfara states, in the south by Kasar Zazzau and in the north by Maradi, Niger Republic. The State passed through gradual transformation from a fetish centered parochial community to, at one time, an important commercial centre with a complex political structure and a well established tradition of Islamic learning that have put it in a significant position in the history of Hausaland.5

Islam as a way of life had become a subject of studies with remarkable successes in Katsina since around 1349 and 1389, though outside the formal university settings. This happened as a result of the activities of individual Muslim scholars who came to settle in the area6. In other words, as an autonomous corporation of students and teachers totally dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, the ‘university’ has been in existence in Katsina under the name of ‘madrasas’ or makarantun ilmi’ from the middle ages to date.

3 For more information see, http://www.nairaland.com/1515424/umaru-musa-yar-adua-university

4The legend of Bayajidda associated with ancient Daura city and the place of Katsina as an important commercial center

during trans Saharan trade have been acknowledge in many historical writings, such as those that have been cited in this

work, justify this fact.

5 U.M. Bugaje, “Some Reflections on the Development of Islamic learning in Katsina” in I.A. Tsiga and A.U. Adamu (eds)

Islam and the History of Learning in Katsina, Spectrum Books Limited, Ibadan, 1992, P.77

6 Wangarawa were a group of scholars that, in history, came from Mali in their way to Makkah and started islamisation

process in Hausaland.


According to Kani, by the 14th century, Islam was already made a state religion in Katsina Kingdom. It can be argued that, if one considers how Ibrahim Sura (c. 1495), the immediate successor of the King of Katsina Muhammadu Korau got in touch with Jalal al-din al-Suyuti in far away Cairo asking for his fatwa, and al-Maghili’s (d. 1503) visit and sojourn in Katsina which provided him with an opportunity to serve as teacher, a Qadi and a Mufti are some few evidence to prove this claim.7 Subsequent upon this development, Islamic culture became deeply entrenched in the Katsina Kingdom, which made it to acquire reputation for Islamic learning during the reign of Jan-Hazzo Bakki (1618-48).8

Sheikh Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Abdul-Karim b. Muhammad al-Maghili (d. 1503) obviously, exerted a strong overwhelming influence upon the people and the history of Katsina during his brief sojourn in the Kingdom. For it was al-Maghili who seemed to have solved for the government of Katsina the problem of the application of the Shari’a in a multi-religious community. He seemed to have succeeded in establishing effective machinery for the administration of justice and left behind Ayd Ahmed, one of his most able disciples to head this system as Qadi of Katsina after he has moved to Kano. While in Katsina, al-Maghili prompted the building of the Gobarau Mosque9 which served as an educational centre that later developed into a kind of university in the same fashion as Sonkore Mosque in Timbuktu.10

Another scholarly figure that had made impact in the growth of Islamic institution in Katsina was Abdurrahman al-Suyuti (d.1503). Unlike al-Maghili, there was no concrete evidence to support that al-Suyuti had ever stayed in Katsina. But his letter to Ibrahim Sura is one example of the role he played in strengthening machineries of Islamic institutions in the state.11 However, this can be ascertained when one considers that many of as-Suyuti’s writings, especially, Tafsir Jalalayn still receives wider circulation among scholars and public audience among ordinary people in Katsina.

More renowned scholars came to Katsina in those periods from some of the kingdoms of Bilad al-Sudan like Timbuktu, and many of them were appointed the position of Qadi in the Kingdom, and they are reported to have had a very big gatherings of students who are totally dedicated to the course of knowledge and its pursuit. Prominent among these Sheikhs of madrasas was Umar b. Aqit who sojourned in both Katsina and Kano before he return, back home, to Timbuktu. Another notable scholar who visited Katsina was popularly known as Ayd Ahmed. The decendants of this scholar still form the majority of judges in Katsina to this day. Makhluf b. Salih al-Bilbali was another jurist from Timbuktu area who stayed in Katsina and later became a Qadi. He was reported to have committed the whole of Sahih Bukhari to memory.12

7 A.M. Kani, “The Place of Katsina in the Intellectual History of Bilad Al-Sudan up to 1800”, in A.I Tsiga and A.U Adamu

(eds), Islam and the History of learning in Katsina, Spectrum Books Ltd, Ibadan, 2007,P.27. See also, Bugaje, Op. cit, P.79.

8 J.S Tramingham, “A History of Islam in West Africa” Oxford University press, London, 1962,P.136.

9 Gobarau mosque was part of the ancient buildings in Katsina city located at Gobarau. The mosque was attached to a tall

tower that was said to had been the highest building at Katsina. It was believed to have been built more than 500 years ago.

Beside being the central mosque, it also served as the most important centre of learning in Katsina city. The Gobarau

mosque was indeed a university that was famous far and wide in the middle ages. See, Katsina state NIFEST ‘97 produced

by Katsina State History and Culture Bureau.

10 U.M. Bugaje, Op. cit, P.79.

11 A.M. Kani, The Place of Katsina in the Intellectual History of Bilad-al-Sudan upto 1800, Op. cit, P.27-28

12 A.M. Kani,“The Place of Katsina in the Intellectual History of Bilad-al-Sudan up to 1800”, Op. Cit, P.28. and M.N.

Katsina, A Discourse on the Intellectual Legacies of Some Pre-Jihad Muslim Scholars of Katsina, A.I. Tsiga and A.U.

Adamu (eds) Op. Cit, P.36.


By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Katsina along with the entire Hausa states had been Islamized and that meant Islamisation of people’s way of life. The socio-economic, political, judicial and educational systems of life were all organized in line with the teachings of Islam. In Katsina schools were built and scholars came from all parts of the world busy imparting knowledge which transformed the city into a notable centre of learning.13 Therefore, by the beginning of the 19th century Katsina already began to produced scholars of international reputes whose contribution to scholarship can as well be relevant to the contemporary generation of Muslims.14 They include Muhammad bin Masani Al-Kashinawi, Muhammad Al-Kashinawi bin Sabbagh (Dan Marina), Muhammad bin Muhammad Al-Fulani Al-Kashnawi etc.

However, by the turn of the 20th century, such unparallel favour and strength that Islamic tradition of learning enjoyed in Katsina, and the entire Hausaland had fallen under the physical and psychological attack of colonial and neo-colonial forces - which brought a complete new system to replace Islamic system - after the overthrow of the Sokoto caliphate by the British imperial forces in 1908.

Nevertheless, the first method of introducing the so-called secular subjects into Arabic and Islamic institutions was used in Katsina College (established in 1921) when in 1930 it broadened its curriculum by introducing science and other conventional subjects. This method also led to the conversion of the then Northern Provinces Law School which was meant for the training of Qadis to the School of Arabic Studies in 1947. In the School, English and Arithmetic were taught in addition to other Arabic subjects. This method assisted in the production of junior primary school teachers and it admitted students of ‘ilmi schools who had never attended any conventional primary school. The opportunity created by this method paved way for the students to pursue their education up to university level in London, Cairo, Khartoum and Libya.15

The role that Islamic studies played in Katsina today has to be the same as in the past. However, the Islamic studies of today is only one aspect of study out of many subjects in the conventional university system. Notwithstanding, its spirit can be re-invigorated to bring some changes as soon as possible. Far more significant is the variance from its past roles in Katsina which characterizes the academic tasks of Islamic department of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University today.

3. Undergraduate Courses of Islamic Studies at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University

The establishment of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University is a turning point in the history of the ancient city of Katsina which already has an outstanding reputation for learning, scholarship and a developed intellectual tradition from the middle ages to the contemporary times.

More over, in a country like Nigeria where Islam is the way of life for the larger proportion of its citizens, where there is a teeming population of non-Muslims whose duty to understand the message of Islam rest on the shoulders of those who are learned in the discipline; competence in its’ study becomes significant, if not necessary. The aims and objectives of the current curriculum of Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic in Nigerian Universities is stated as follows:

i) To acquaint the student with the broad outlines of Islam as a religion and as a way of life.

13 Tijjani Lawal Ingawa, “The Period C. 11th to 18th centuries of the History of Learning in Katsina, in A.I Tsiga and A.U

Adamu (eds), Islam and the History of learning in Katsina, Spectrum Books Ltd, Ibadan, 2007,P. 8

14 Bugaje, P.79.

15


ii) To prepare the student to understand Islam as a culture and civilization.

iii) To present Islam to the student as it is in its original sources of the prophets particularly the Qur’an and Sunnah.

iv) To sustain rigorous academic research into all issues affecting contemporary Muslim communities with focus on Nigeria.

v) To place Islam in the context of other world religious traditions, especially those that are relevant to Nigeria.

vi) To prepare the student who will progress to postgraduate level with intellectual capabilities and imaginative thoughts.

vii) To produce graduates that would adequately fit into establishments of administration, Islamic legal departments, teaching at various levels, and the Foreign Service.

One can observe form the above first objective which about acquainting student with a “broad outline” about Islam as a religion and a way of life, dealt away with aspects of specialization. Whereas mastery of learning is an essential pre-requisite to da’wah. Because as a pre-requisite to Islamic da’wah, is a working knowledge. The content of the current syllabus in the department of Islamic studies of UMYUK includes the followings:

LIST OF COURSES

Level 100 First Semesters

S/N OLD CODE NEW CODE COURSE TITLE C/HRS STATUS

1 ISL1211 ISL 1211 Early history of Islam 2 Core

2 ISL 1212 ISL 1203 Studies on Qur’an 2 Core

3 ISL 1213 ISL 1213 Studies on Hadith 2 Core

4 ISL 1114 ISL 1101 Basic Arabic 1 Comp. Elect.

5 ISL 1215 ISL 1215 Origin and Development of Tafsir 2 Elective

6 ISL 1216 ISL 1205 Selected Topics from the Qur’an I 2 Elective

7 ISL 1217 ISL 1217 General Introduction to Islam 2 Elective

8 ISL 1411 GSP 1411 Use of English 2 Core


200 Level First Semester


1 ISL 1221 ISL 1202 Tawhid 2 Core

2 ISL 1222 ISL 1222 Basis of Islamic Thought and Civilization

2 Core

3 ISL 1223 ISL 1204 Introduction to Qur’an 2 Core.

4 ISL 1124 ISL 1124 Basic Arabic II 1 Core

5 ISL1225 ISL 1206 Islamic Art and Architecture 2 Elective

6 ISL 1226 ISL 1226 Islam in West Africa 2 Elective


1 ISL 2211 ISL 2211 History of Khulafa 2 Core

2 ISL 2212 ISL 2201 Textual Studies on Qur’an II 2 Core

3 ISL 2213 ISL 2213 Ibadat 2 Core

4 ISL 2114 ISL 2103 Basic Arabic III 1 Comp. Elect.

5 GSP 2211 GSP 2211 Peace, Conflict and Resolution 2 Core

6 ISL 2215 ISL 2215 Comparative Studies of Religions 2 Elective

7 ISL 2216 ISL 2205 Sirah and Maghazi Literature 2 Elective

8 ISL 2217 ISL 2217 Islamic Constitution Law 2 Elective


Level 200 Second Semester

Level 300 First Semester


1 ISL 2221 ISL 2202 Sources and Development of Islamic law

2

Core

2 ISL 2222 ISL 2222 Ilm al-Kalam 2 Core

3 ISL 2223 ISL 2204 History of Umayyad and Abbasid 2 Core

4 ISL 2124 ISL 2124 Basic Arabic IV 1 Comp. Elect.

5 GSP 2222 GSP2222 History of Scientific Ideas 2 Core

6 GSP 2223 GSP 2223 Environmental Health 2 Core

7 ISL 2225 ISL 2206 Orientalism and Islamic Studies 2 Elective

8 ISL 2226 ISL 2226 Textual Studies on Qur’an and Hadith 2 Elective


1 ISL 3211 ISL 3211 Islam in Africa 2 Core

2 ISL 3212 ISL 3201 Islamic Law of Mu’amalat 2 Core

3 ISL 3213 ISL 3213 Islamic Family Law 2 Core

4 ISL 3214 ISL 3203 Studies on Qur’an II 2 Core

5 ISL 3215 ISL 3215 Islamic Political Thought 2 Elective

6 ISL 3216 ISL 3305 Advanced Stud. of Islamic Theology 3 Elective

7 ISL 3217 ISL 3217 Research Methods of

Muslim Scholars

2 Elective



Level 400 First Semester


1 ISL 3221 ISL 3202 Studies on Hadith 2 Core

2 ISL 3222 ISL 3222 Textual Studies on Qur’an and Hadith II

2 Core

3 ISL 3223 ISL 3204 Tasawwuf 2 Core

4 ISL 3224 ISL 3224 Revivalism and Revivalist Movement 2 Core

5 ISL 3225 ISL 3206 Advanced Studies of Qur’an 2 Elective

6 ISL 3226 ISL 3226 Advanced Studies on Hadith 2 Elective

7 ISL 3227 ISL 3208 Islamic Moral Philosophy 2 Elective

8 ISL 3228 ISL 3228 Research Methods 2 Comp. Elective


1 ISL 4211 ISL 4211 Islam in Nigeria 2 Core

2 ISL 4212 ISL 4301 Islamic law of Inheritance 3 Core

3 ISL 4213 ISL 4213 Islamic law of Wasiyyah and waqf 2 Core

4 ISL 4214 ISL 4203 Advanced Studies of Qur’an III 2 Core

5 ISL 4215 ISL 4215 Usul al Fiqh 2 Elective

6 ISL 4216 ISL 4205 Islam and the West 2 Elective

7 ISL 4217 ISL 4217 Islam in Kanen Bornu 2 Elective



4. Analyzing Content of the syllabus

In Nigeria there are many institutions awarding degree in Islamic Studies, however, almost everywhere the programme is centered on general knowledge of Islam without specialization. The lack of option for specialization in Islamic Studies in Nigerian universities affects the quality of graduate of this important discipline. Therefore, at least for the Islamic Studies students of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University the idea of separating the general courses into respective disciplines may be useful. In this way a student can persue one area of study, at the same time he is together with other students of different specialization in the same department. It all depends on the area he chooses and the courses that he will be guided to take by the department through the level coordinator. Until the department metamorphosed into a full faculty, introduced different new areas of studies, and established a tradition of scholarship, it must depend in its teaching on an established syllabus for every course to guarantee attainment of the required knowledge on the part of the student. From the List of Courses for Islamic studies undergraduate student presented above, there contain some distinct areas of Islamic studies that can be classified as follows: Qur’an and Hadith Studies; Fiqh and Usul- al Fiqh; Islamic Theology, Thought & Civilization.


1 ISL 4221 ISL 4204 Advanced Studies on Hadith II 2 Core

2 ISL 4222 ISL 4222 Textual Studies on Qur’an & Hadith II 2 Core

3 ISL 4223 ISL 4206 Sokoto Caliphate Literature 2 Core

4 ISL 4224 ISL 4224 Contribution of West African Scholars to Islam

2 Core

5 ISL 4225 ISL 4208 Islamic Education 2 Elective

6 ISL 4226 ISL 4226 Islamic Interpretation of History 2 Elective

7 ISL 4227 ISL 4202 Advanced Studies of Muslim Law 2 Elective

8 ISL 4228 ISL 4228 Islamic Literature in Vernacular 2 Elective

9 ISL 4629 ISL 4600 Project 6 Compulsory


Part 1: Qur’an & Hadith Studies

Courses on Qur’an & Hadith

Level 100 (a) ISL 1203: Studies on the Qur’an (2 credits)

(b) ISL 1205: Selected Topics from the Qur’an I

Level 100 ISL 1213: Studies on the Hadith (2 Credits)

Level 100 ISL 1223: Introduction to Qur’an (2 credits)

Level 200 ISL 2201: Textual Studies of the Qur’an II (2 Credits)

Level 200 ISL 2226: Textual Studies on Qur’an and Hadith (2 credits)

Level 300 (a) ISL 3203: Studies on the Qur’an I

(b) ISL 3202: Studies on Hadith

(c) ISL 3222: Textual Studies of the Qur’an and Hadith II (2 Credits)

(d) ISL 3206: Advanced Studies of the Qur’an (2 Credits)

(e) ISL 3226: Advanced Studies of Hadith (2 credits)

Level 400 (a) ISL 44203: Advanced Studies on the Qur’an III (2 credits)

(b) ISL 4222: Textual Studies on Qur’an and Hadith (2 Credit)

Part II: Law & Jurisprudence

Courses on Fiqh & Usul al-Fiqh

Level 100 ISL 1215: Origin and Development of Tafsir

Level 100 ISL 1217: General Introduction to Islam

Level 200 ISL 2213: Islamic Rituals (2 Credits)

Level 200 ISL 2202: The Sources and Development of Islamic Law (2 Credits)

ISL 2217: Islamic Constitutional Law (2 credits)

Level 300 (a) ISL 3201: Islamic Law of Mu’amalat (2 credits)

(b) ISL 3213: Islamic Family Law (2 credits)

(c) ISL 3217: The Research Methods of Muslim Law Scholars (2 credits)

(d) ISL 4202: Advanced Studies of Muslim Law (3 credits)

Level 400 (a) ISL 4301: Islamic Law of Inheritance (2 credits)


(b) ISL 4213: Laws of Wasiyyah and Wagf (3 credits)

Level 400 ISL 4215: Islamic Principles of Jurisprudence (2 credits)

Part III: Islamic Theology, Thought & civilization

Courses on Islamic Theology, Thought and Civilization

Level 100 ISL 1211: Early History of Islam from Jahiliyyah to the Death of Prophet (2 credits)

Level 100 ISL 1222: The Basic of Islamic Thought and Civilization ( 2 credit)

Level 100 ISL 1225 Islamic Art and Architecture (2 credits)

Level 100 ISL 1226: Islam in West Africa (2 credits)

Level 100 ISL 1202: Ilm al-Tawhid (2 credits)

Level 200 ISL 2211: History of Islam from al-Khulafa al-Rashidun to the fall of Umayya dynasty (2 credits)

Level 200 ISL 2204: History of Ummayyad and Abbasid (2 credits)

Level 200 ISL 2206: Orientalism and Islamic Studies (2 credits)

Level 200 ISL 2222: Ilm al-Kalam and the development of Muslim Firaq (1 credit)

Level 200 ISL 2205: Sirah and Maghazi Literature (2 credits)

Level 300: ISL 2215: Comparative Studies of Religion (2 credits)

Level 300 ISL 3204: Tasawwuf

Level 300 ISL 3211: Islam in Africa (2 credits)

Level 300 ISL 3215: Islamic Political Thought and Movements (2 credits)

Level 300 ISL 3305: Advanced Studies of Islamic Theology (2 credits)

Level 300 ISL 3224: Revivalism and Revivalist Movement (2 credits)

Level 300 ISL 3227: Moral Philosophy in Islam (2 credits)

Level 400 (a) ISL 4211: Islam in Nigeria (2 credits)

(b) ISL 4217: Islam in Kanem-Borno (2 credits)

(c) ISL 4206: Sokoto Caliphate Literature (2 credits)

(d) ISL 4226: Islamic Interpretation of History with Special Reference to Ibn Khaldun (2 credits)

(e) ISL 4205: Islam and the West (2 credits)

(f) ISL 4208: Islamic Education (3 credits )


(g) ISL 4228: Islamic Literature in Vernacular (3 credits)

(h) ISL 4224: The contributions of West African Scholars to Islam (2 credits)

ISL 3228: Research Methods (2 credits) is a compulsory elective course for all UG three hundred level students which gives them a general guidelines for conducting academic researches for B.A projects.

ISL 419: Research Project (6 credits) Special Honours students are expected in Level four to carry out a research project and write a dissertation of reasonable length on a topic related to Islamic Studies and approved by the Department. Hence, the need for the department to emphasize writing project s within the scope of students’ areas of specialization.

5. The Need for Improvement and Modification:

According to the the above list of courses from the department, in the first year students of Islamic Studies must register at least 14 core credit units in the department. Like most academic settings, students are introduced to the general courses in level one, hence, there is no need for specialization at this level. It shows that, the first three courses in semester 1 as well as the first two of semester II level one hundred are introductory courses to some specific disciplines, hence they are very useful. However, it is suggested that, two more essential courses of Islamic studies (introductions to Fiqh and Usul al Fiqh) need to be introduced to replace Basic Arabic and Introduction to Qur’an which is a mere repetition of ISL 1203. As for Basic Arabic, according to the NUC reviewed Benchmark for Minimum Academic Standard (2007), it is a non-credit compulsory course which all students without Arabic background at least ‘O’ Level must register for and pass before proceeding to the courses in Level II.16 The course is designed to prepare students to face the challenge of reading the primary sources of Islamic Studies and to face the challenge of writing in Arabic in the course of their study career. However, the department has decided to include it in the list of courses to be registered and persue by students throughout their academic career. The resultant effect of this reduces the load of Islamic studies’ courses the student can register at one and two hundred levels, as well as produces laxity on the part of student when they realize that they are only required to pass it at whatever level of their studies. Therefore, in the opinion of this writer, it is better to leave Basic Arabic a non-credit compulsory course, thereby no student will be allowed to proceed to the course in two hundred level without passing the Basic Arabic Course.

Similarly, we can observe that, in the second year students take at least 14 credit units in Islamic studies (12 credit units without Basic Arabic). Here, it is suggested that, the choice of students’ courses should be spread proportionately among the above classified areas of specialization i.e., one course each weighing two credits e.g in Qur’an (ISL 2201), Hadith (ISL 2226), Fiqh (ISL 2213), Usul (ISL 2202), Theology (ISL 2222), and History (ISL 2211). The result of final examination will be the one to determine which area of specialization, among the three classifications above, a student would persue. When this is achieved, in three and four hundred levels a student must take all the courses related to his area of specialization before he can fill in the remaining gap with courses from other two parts.

16 National Universities Commission, Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard for Undergraduate Programmes in

Nigerian Universities, Arts, April 2007, Pp. 105.


However, it is worth mentioning that, there are some changes effected in the syllabus by the department that need to be reversed so as to be able to achieve the above goal. For instance, ISL 1205: Selected Topics from the Qur’an I a course which deals with special studies of current issues and urgent problems in light with the Qur’anic injunctions, but appears in 100 level courses. The course is originally a 3 credits Unit of four hundred level. However, it is reduced to level 100 at 2 credits (elective). Similarly, it is one case or the other with the rest of the courses written in italics. Virtually, all of them have been reduced to two credits or even one (against the provision of NUC) in order to accommodate more courses. And most of them are electives for even Special Honour students, in spite of their significance. However, with this new development of focusing on one area, they can be restored to their original status that will make their teaching in appropriate time at a wider scope. Other courses that are part of the curriculum but have not been included in the syllabus like of the department like Advanced Studies of the Creed of Ahl al-Sunnah (3 credits) and Heretical Movements according to Islam (3 credits) etc., will find a place.

6. Conclusion

All the above argument is relative and does not claim to be absolute. In other words, the paper does not claim to design a new curriculum, but only to point at some areas that are lacking and to stress the need for change. Therefore, going by these suggestions, the students will tend to have a better knowledge of Islam and its spirit that will eventually enhance and facilitate the process of Islamic da’wah that is lacking among the contemporary students of Islamic studies. I therefore want to suggest further research on this issue at Masters or PhD level so as to come out with a better design of the syllabus of Islamic studies in the Nigerian universities.

References

Fafunwa, A.B. (2004), History of Education in Nigeria. Ibadan: NPS Educational Publishers.

Hogben, S.J. and Kirk Greene. (1966), The Emirates of Northern Nigeria, London Oxford University Press.

Kitab ila Ma’arifal Umural Kashina (KMUK) copy (in Arabic) in Palmer paper in the Nigerian National Museum, Jos. (M.S. 372 K 61).

Lugga, S.A. (2004), The Great Province. Katsina: Gidan Lugga Press.

Oloyede, I. (2012), “Arabic and Islamic Studies in Nigerian Universities: Trends, Development and Challenges” Being a paper presented at the University of Ibadan on the occasion of the formal opening of the 2012 International Conference on Arabic/Islamic Studies in Nigeria (11th – 13th April, 2012) to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Palmer, H. R., History of Katsina, N.N.A.K/S.N.P/17/8k 2076 (Mimeo) N.D.

Tsiga, I.A. and Adamu, A.U (1997), Islam and the History of Learning in Katsina. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited.

Usman, Y.B.(1981), The Transformation of Katsina 1400-1883. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press.

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