THE JUDICIARY UNDER THE SOKOTO CALIPHATE WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE VIEWS OF ABDULLAHI b. FODIO

The Sokoto Jihad leaders following the footsteps of earlier jurists not only advocated for a strong and free judiciary but insisted that in its operation the Islamic ideal of Maslahah (public interests) must be the guiding principle. Abdullahi, the jurist, the ideologue and the scholar discussed, particularly, in his Diya al-Hukkam, the importance of the judiciary, the qualifications of the judges and the other officials, the laws and procedure on which to operate and finally the occasions under which the demand for siyasa can warrant disregard of the rigid application of the law to achieve the desired overall welfare of the society.