Darulfunun Institute

Institute for Development, Research and Initiatives (IDRIS)

Tag: Northern Nigeria

  • Digital Waqf for the Preservation and Dissemination of Arabic–Islamic Knowledge in Northern Nigeria: Opportunities, Shariah Governance, and a Sustainable Institutional Model

    » Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives

    Arabic–Islamic scholarship has played a significant role in the intellectual, religious, educational, and cultural development of Northern Nigeria. However, preserving this heritage and making it accessible to contemporary scholars, students, and underserved communities require sustainable institutional arrangements. Digital technology offers opportunities to preserve Arabic manuscripts, digitise classical Islamic texts, develop online Arabic-learning resources, and expand access to scholarly materials. Yet these activities require reliable financing, appropriate Shariah governance, copyright compliance, professional digital preservation, and accountability to donors and knowledge users. This study examines the potential of digital waqf as a sustainable mechanism for preserving and disseminating Arabic–Islamic knowledge in Northern Nigeria. It adopts a qualitative documentary and conceptual research design, drawing on scholarship on Islamic endowments, digital Islamic philanthropy, Arabic–Islamic education, and international guidelines on documentary heritage preservation. The analysis identifies five interconnected areas of opportunity: sustainable financing, manuscript preservation, open educational resources, inclusive knowledge access, and institutional collaboration. It also identifies challenges relating to trustee accountability, the protection of endowed assets, copyright, technological obsolescence, unreliable connectivity, and the limited availability of specialist skills. In response, the study proposes a Digital Waqf for Arabic–Islamic Knowledge Model built around Shariah-compliant financing, accountable trusteeship, professional digital preservation, responsible access, and continuous monitoring. The proposed model offers a framework for establishing digital knowledge endowments in partnership with universities, libraries, traditional Islamic learning institutions, scholars, and community organisations. As the study is based on documentary analysis rather than completed field interviews, the model remains conceptual and requires empirical validation in selected institutions across Northern Nigeria.

  • Islamic Ethics of Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation in Northern Nigeria: Reassessing Sulh, ‘Adl, and ‘Afw in Community-Based Peacebuilding

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    Reconciliation is widely regarded as an important pathway to sustainable peace, yet community-based peacebuilding faces a persistent ethical challenge: how can relationships be restored without overlooking injustice or weakening accountability for wrongdoing? This article examines the Islamic ethical principles of ?ul? (reconciliation and negotiated settlement), ?adl (justice), and ?afw (forgiveness or pardon) and considers their relevance to community-based peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria. Drawing on Qur’anic and hadith analysis, Islamic legal scholarship, restorative justice, conflict transformation theory, and published studies of local peace initiatives, the article investigates the relationship between reconciliation, justice, forgiveness, and accountability. It adopts a qualitative, interpretive, documentary design and critically analyses relevant scriptural passages, scholarly literature, institutional reports, and documented peacebuilding cases. The analysis identifies three interrelated propositions. First, ?ul? provides a religiously meaningful framework for negotiation and relationship repair, but its ethical legitimacy depends on the fairness and voluntariness of the settlement. Second, ?adl establishes a normative boundary against reconciliation that conceals serious wrongdoing, excludes victims, or reproduces unequal power relations. Third, ?afw can support healing and reintegration, but it should not be treated as a universal obligation imposed on injured parties or as an automatic substitute for legal and social accountability. The article proposes a Justice-Accountable Reconciliation Framework that connects voluntary dialogue, truth acknowledgment, proportionate accountability, victim participation, reparative action, and sustained monitoring. Its contribution lies in bringing Islamic ethical reasoning into direct dialogue with contemporary conflict transformation scholarship while identifying practical safeguards for community mediation. The framework remains conceptual and requires validation through field interviews and comparative case studies in Northern Nigeria.

  • Islamic Ethical Formation and Youth Vulnerability in Northern Nigeria: Examining the Relationship Between Religious Socialisation, Economic Exclusion, and Community Belonging

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    Islamic ethical formation plays an important role in shaping young people’s understanding of responsibility, lawful earning, solidarity, dignity, and community membership. In Northern Nigeria, however, these ethical commitments are negotiated within social environments characterised by uneven educational opportunities, economic insecurity, changing religious authority, and different forms of social exclusion. Existing discussions frequently examine Islamic moral education, youth unemployment, and violent extremism as separate issues, leaving insufficient attention to how young people themselves interpret religious teachings amid everyday economic and social pressures. This study examines the relationship between Islamic ethical formation, economic exclusion, and community belonging through a qualitative documentary and interpretive analysis of relevant scholarship, including ethnographic research on Qur’anic education in Northern Nigeria, studies of Islamic moral values among Nigerian youth, and recent research on religious education and violent conflict. The analysis identifies four interconnected themes: religious socialisation as a source of moral agency; economic exclusion as a challenge to dignity and responsible participation; community belonging as a potential source of support and recognition; and the importance of institutional credibility in shaping young people’s interpretations of religious teachings. The analysis suggests that Islamic ethical formation should not be understood as a simple protective or risk-producing factor. Its influence depends on how religious teachings are interpreted, how institutions practise the values they teach, and whether young people have meaningful opportunities to participate in social and economic life. The study contributes a proposed Ethical Formation–Inclusion–Belonging Framework for examining these relationships. It recommends participatory research involving young people, religious educators, families, and community organisations to test the framework empirically. The study does not claim that poverty or unemployment automatically leads to radicalisation; instead, it emphasises young people’s agency, the diversity of religious experiences, and the interaction between ethical commitments and structural conditions.

  • Exploring the Nexus between Islamic Household Management Principles and Home-Based Women Enterprises in Northern Nigeria

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    This study looks into how women-led home-based businesses in Northern Nigeria operate in regard to Islamic household management concepts. In particular, it looks at how female entrepreneurs incorporate important Islamic principles like ?adl (justice), i?tid?l/?isr?f avoidance (moderation), and barakah (blessing) into their household and microbusiness management. In many Northern Nigerian villages, women are increasingly working in small-scale jobs including food processing, crafts, and tailoring to help support their families. While Islamic teachings provide a thorough framework for striking a balance between economic endeavours and household responsibilities, little empirical study has examined how women who own micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) really implement these concepts in their dual roles. In Bauchi, Gombe, and Kaduna States, a purposive sample of twenty women running home-based MSMEs in a variety of trades participated in a qualitative multiple-case research. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and the examination of personal and professional documents were used to gather data. To find trends in the distribution of profits, time management, resource allocation, and social duties, thematic analysis was used. The results show that women entrepreneurs’ daily choices are greatly influenced by Islamic values. Participants established shared-storage practices in line with Islamic moderation, prioritized halal sourcing, and reduced waste through group purchases. Maintaining balance between work, religion, and childcare was made easier by planning work schedules around daily prayers. With a methodical allocation to home needs, business reinvestment, zakat responsibilities, and voluntary charity, profit distribution techniques also mirrored Islamic standards of fairness. The study comes to the conclusion that Islamic household management concepts offer a useful moral and practical framework that improves the long-term viability of women-owned businesses. In Northern Nigeria, strengthening these practices through women-focused support programs, faith-based business training, and community microfinance can further foster local economic development and family resilience.