Sufi brotherhoods and reform movements

In Hausaland, Islam has been lived mostly through the Sufi orders. The Qadiriyya became the order of the Sokoto leaders, and the Tijaniyya, which spread strongly in the 20th century, gained a large following in Kano. Their gatherings, devotional poetry and processions are part of ordinary religious life.

From the late 20th century, reformist movements criticized both the orders and the survival of older customs. The best known in Nigeria is Izala (founded in 1978 in Jos by the followers of the scholar Abubakar Gumi), which preaches a stricter return to scripture. Debates between orders and reformists are lively, and they shape politics, education and even what is said on the radio.

Salamone adds a sociological observation: how closely any individual follows Islamic norms varies with wealth and power. The more status a person has, the stricter the public observance tends to be. This helps explain why the same community can contain strict scholars, relaxed traders and people who still consult the spirits.