Challenges Facing Muslim Widows and Divorcees in Sokoto State: An Islamic Perspective

Sokoto State, located in northwestern Nigeria, is a predominantly Muslim society whose religious, legal, and cultural life has been profoundly shaped by Islam, particularly following the nineteenth-century reform movement led by Shaykh Uthman bn Fodiyo, which sought to eradicate un-Islamic practices and restore society to the principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah (Last, 1967; Hiskett, 1973). Despite this strong Islamic heritage, Muslim widows and divorcees in Sokoto State continue to face persistent social, economic, and psychological challenges, largely driven by the survival of pre-Islamic customs, entrenched socio-cultural practices, and weak institutional support systems. Widows are often subjected to excessive mourning rituals, denial of rightful inheritance, social isolation, and coercive remarriage, while divorcees frequently experience abandonment, lack of child support, financial insecurity, stigma, and erosion of social networks. These lived realities stand in clear contradiction to Islamic injunctions that emphasize justice, dignity, maintenance, and protection for women, as articulated in the Qurʾān, particularly in Sūrat al-Nisāʾ and Sūrat al-Baqarah, and elaborated in classical Sunni juristic literature. Drawing on the normative frameworks of Islamic law and ethics, this study examines the challenges facing widows and divorcees in Sokoto State by clarifying their legal status and rights concerning ʿiddah, maintenance, inheritance, and remarriage, as articulated by leading Sunni fuqahāʾ such as Ibn Qudāmah, al-Nawawī, and Ibn Rushd, and as synthesized in al-Mawsūʿah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah (Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī; al-Nawawī, alMajmūʿ; Ibn Rushd, Bidāyat al-Mujtahid; Ministry of Awqaf, Kuwait). Employing a qualitative and doctrinal approach, the paper also engages interdisciplinary empirical studies to highlight the psychological, social, and economic vulnerabilities of widows and divorcees, including depression, anxiety, poverty, social isolation, and diminished self-worth (Jacobs, 1997; Goodkin et al., 2002; Amato, 2000; Smock, 1994). The findings reveal a persistent gap between Islamic normative ideals and contemporary practices in Sokoto State. The paper therefore advocates for responsive, institution-based, and community-driven interventions grounded in Islamic principles of justice (ʿadl), compassion (raḥmah), and social solidarity (takāful), positioning Islamic social policy as a viable framework for safeguarding dignity, promoting well-being, and fostering holistic human development among widows and divorcees in Sokoto State and Nigeria at large.