Muhammad Bukhari bin Uthman

Muhammad Bukhari bin al-Shaikh Uthman (; 1785–1840) was an Islamic scholar and a noted poet who was the first Emir of Tambawel. Bukhari was an important military commander who participated in and led several military campaigns during the jihad of Usman dan Fodio.

Early life Muhammad Bukhari was born in Degel, a small town in the Hausa kingdom of Gobir. His father Usman dan Fodio was a noted Islamic scholar and preacher from the Fulani clan of Torodbe. His mother Aisha came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship. Bukhari studied under his father, and his uncle, Abdullahi. Because he was raised in Abdullahi's house, Bukhari dedicated much of his life to his uncle. Among his other teachers was al-Mustafa bin Muhammad al-Turudi, a scribe for Usman, and the father of the Sokoto scholar Abd al-Qadir dan Tafa.

Life

Bukhari was one of the eight commanders of the Sokoto jihad. He participated in campaigns in the southern region of the Sokoto Caliphate, including Nupe, alongside his cousin Muhammad Wani, Abdullahi's son. He also campaigned in Talata Mafara, Katsina, Yauri and Kotonkoro.

In January 1818, a fierce revolt broke out in Kalambaina, a town near Gwandu. The rebels were followers of Abd al-Salam, who had also rebelled against the Caliphate a month earlier. The Kalambaina revolt lasted two years until a combined force led by Caliph Muhammad Bello, Atiku, Bukhari, and Wani successfully captured the town. The victory at Kalambaina reunited Gwandu and Sokoto, who had experienced slight hostilities after Abdullahi was passed over in favour of Bello to succeed Usman as Sarkin Musulmi in 1817. The conflict also led to the death of the last Alaafin of Oyo, leading to the eventual fall of the Yoruba empire.

Following the death of Bello in 1837, there was no clear successor as he refused to name one. Bukhari and his older brother Abu Bakr Atiku were the leading candidates. After much deliberation, the Council of Electors chose Atiku as the new Caliph. Despite Bukhari's distinguished military record (particularly his successes in Ilorin the previous year), and his reputation as a poet, he was passed over. Some suggest this was due to his ghazal poems, while others believe it was because he had suffered a leg injury after falling from his horse, breaking his leg at the critical juncture, making him unfit for office.

Bukhari died in 1840.