How Islamic Thought Shapes Socio-Political Dynamics: Navigating Ethical Leadership, Community Development, and Contemporary Challenges in Northern Nigeria

This article examines how Islamic ethical thought shapes socio-political life in Northern Nigeria. It argues that crises of governance, insecurity, inequality, and mistrust cannot be explained through institutional or economic factors alone, but must also be understood through the moral vocabularies communities use to judge leadership and imagine social repair. Based on fieldwork in Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Borno between July 2023 and February 2024, the study draws on 50 semi-structured interviews and five focus group discussions with religious scholars, community leaders, youth activists, women's cooperative members, and other stakeholders. The findings show that Islamic ethical leadership operates not only through doctrines such as maqāṣid al-sharīʿa, zakāt, and waqf, but also through lived values of trust, truthfulness, restraint, and service. The article argues that īmān and ʿilm together can support community resilience, although their impact is often constrained by insecurity, politicisation, weak institutions, and unequal access to knowledge.