Abstract:
As Nigeria Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS) celebrates the 40th anniversary of its academic activities that took off from the city of Ibadan, this study investigated the historical evolution of Islam and its Jurisprudence in the City, which served as the political capital of Yorubaland, southwestern Nigeria. The growth of Islamic literary works and the role of Muslim scholars in the development of Islamic jurisprudence in the city were examined. Applying content analysis technique, the study revealed that Maliki Islamic Jurisprudence has been deeply rooted in Yorubaland for over two centuries, as a great number of learned men among the indigenes have emerged. Similarly, the study discovered that poems and other literary genres productions of Maliki produced by Ibadan ᶜulamā have addressed some socio political and religious issues in the area. The study further revealed that a colossal number of classical books of Islamic jurisprudence have been written by scores of scholars and jurists in the area. Based on our findings, the study recommended, among other things, that educational agencies and corporate organisations should strive to publish the manuscripts written by notable Ibadan jurists such as Alfa Okekoto, Imam Sodiq Folorunso, Alfa Rufai Oke Are, and Alfa Sanusi Alaka, with the aim of incorporating their literary works into the curriculum of Senior Islamic Secondary Schools in Nigeria. This, in our opinion, will not only bring the content of those valuable works to the greater limelight but will also go a long way in correcting the long-standing problems of spiritual and moral decadence facing the teeming youths in both government and private institutions.