Adama ɓii Ardo Hassana (1786 – 1847), more commonly known as Modibbo Adama (''Modibbo'' meaning "learned man"), was a
Fulani
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...
scholar from the Yillaga (Yirlaɓe) clan. He led a
jihad
''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
into the region of Fombina (in modern-day
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
and
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
) and established the
emirate of Fombina, also known as Adamawa.
Modibbo Adama received a flag from
Shehu Usman dan Fodio to lead a jihad in ''Fombina'' ('southlands') during the
Sokoto revolution. Fombina later became one of the largest and most complex emirates in Usman's Sokoto Caliphate. It spanned about forty thousand square miles that covered parts of northeastern Nigeria, entire northern Cameroon and parts of Central African Republic.
Early life
Modibbo Adama was born in 1779 in Wuro Chekke, located in what is now
Adamawa state
Adamawa is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno State, Borno to the northwest, Gombe State, Gombe to the west, and Taraba State, Taraba to the southwest while its eas ...
. He was described as being "lean and of tall stature, his features sharp and somewhat disfigured by
small-pox, his nose slightly curved."
His father, Modibbo Hassana, held the position of Arɗo, a clan leader. Adama's upbringing was deeply rooted in
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, as his father, a Muslim, provided him with religious education until he was eleven years old. Recognizing the limitations of available Islamic education in the region, Adama was sent away to continue his studies and was accompanied by Hamman Song, a Bolaro of the Wolarɓe Fulɓe.
Under the tutelage of Shehu Muhammad Tahir in
Baghirmi, Adama's focus was primarily on studying the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
. He later moved to
Birnin Ngazargamo, the capital of the
Bornu empire Bornu may refer to:
* Bornu Empire, a historical state of West Africa
* Borno State, Nigeria
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