The Role of the Ulama in Community Service: Alkali Usman Muhammad Daura, the late Grand Khadi of Katsina State, 1924-2004

Abstract

Researchers have scarcely studied the role of Muslim scholars and intellectuals in community service. This
paper examines the contributions of a prominent Muslim scholar and intellectual who had treble roles in
society, the Late Grand Khadi of Katsina State, Alhaji Usman Muhammad Daura, 1926-2004. He was an active
Muslim scholar who spent his lifetime teaching Islam and its various sciences in the traditional sense. He
equally served in public service as a judge, starting from a very humble beginning, crisscrossing all legal
positions to reach the upper echelon of the judicial profession as Grand Khadi. Those in the profession always
cherish his legacies in the judiciary. He was also an intellectual who committed a lot to community service in
various spheres, which is the focus of this paper. The paper is historical and based on oral interviews with the
family and close associates of the personality.