Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar has said the Sokoto caliphate edited and published over 3.2 million books written by past Islamic scholars of the caliphate and can be found across the country and the world.
He said the books were translated into English, Arabic, and Hausa from the 200 works written by the great scholars.
The Sultan made this revelation at the International Conference on the History of Islamic Learning and Scholarship in Africa, organised by the Centre for Research and Historical Documentation at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He explained that the leaders of the caliphate alone wrote over 300 literary works, including the works of Nana Asma’u, the daughter of Usman Danfodio, as well as some of his students like Abdulkadir Zul Mustapha and other eminent scholars.
He emphasised that the Sokoto caliphate was founded on knowledge, generated knowledge, and promoted knowledge.
Quoting the founder of the caliphate, Shaikh Usman Danfodio, the Sultan stated, “The finest qualities of a leader in particular and the people in general are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it, and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect.”
He said the works produced by the leaders of the caliphate covered a wide range of subjects, including Islamic sciences, such as tafsir Quran, sociology, economy, political science, and medicine.
He acknowledged that European imperialism had attempted to hide these treasures from them by excluding them from the curriculum of government schools and implementing other policies.
However, the Sultan affirmed their determination to bring out these intellectual works and resources, rendering them in languages that would allow the majority to access them.
He believed that exposing their heritage would not only help restore their identity and worth but also prepare them for the future.
Governor Uba Sani, in his remarks, recognised the Sokoto caliphate as a leading contributor of knowledge in Africa.
