“Noble morality”: the 18th Ḥadīth of Imam An-Nawawi’s collection as a strategy for change in Nigeria

Abstract

Change is a constant variable in any society. Nigerians of recent have been inundated with the change mantra most especially in the political terrain. The reason is not far from the fact that the country is currently undergoing unprecedented turbulence which requires urgent attention for the populace to be ready for the change. The paper addressed the wrong perception among masses that consider the idea of "change" as meaning change from one ruling party to another in government only instead of a more comprehensive outlook of change which entails people in government changing their attitudes for better. This paper proposes a strategy for change in Nigeria from an Islamic perspective. The methodology is analytical in nature drawing evidence primarily from the Ḥadīth (sayings of Prophet Muhammad), Qur‘ān and Sīrah (Islamic history). This serves as a strong theoretical basis for the strategy for change and the expected result. The paper suggests that noble morality as enjoined in the 18th Ḥadīth of An-Nawawi presents the best strategy for change in Nigeria. The Ḥadīth encourages fear of God wherever one finds oneself, to follow-up an evil deed with a good one, and to behave good-naturedly towards people. These will lead to a positive effect in one‘s relation with the Divine, to oneself, as well as to others. This study concludes that a good strategy for change is to focus on individual transformation for better. In other words, all hands from top to bottom must be on deck to attain the desired change in the country.

Keywords: Morality, Hadith, An-Nawawi, Change, Nigeria