FOLKLORE IN ISLAMIC PREACHING: A STUDY OF SELECTED NARRATIVES USED BY SHEIKH MUHAMMADU KABIRU HARUNA GOMBE

ABSTRACT This study explores the literary and folkloric dimensions of Islamic preaching in Northern Nigeria through a close analysis of a selected narrative by Sheikh Muhammad Kabir Haruna Gombe. Responding to a long-standing scholarly gap that privileges theological and juridical concerns over the artistic and cultural value of scholars’ oral narratives, the research foregrounds the story’s narrative architecture, symbolic language, and socio-religious functions. Using purposive sampling, one representative story was audio-recorded during a sermon, transcribed verbatim in Hausa, and translated into English. A literary-folkloristic approach guided the analysis, combining textual, thematic, functional, and stylistic methods to examine plot structure, proverbs, metaphors, idioms, code-switching, and performance features. Findings reveal a deliberately layered narrative technique: a tripartite structure, formulaic openings, recurring character types, and patterned repetition that together enhance memorability, authority, and pedagogical clarity. The story operates on multiple levels — as moral and religious instruction, as a vehicle for communal identity and social ethics, and as mediation of complex theological concerns (notably divine justice and spiritual deception). Linguistic strategies such as localized idioms and code-switching sustain cultural authenticity while reinforcing religious authority. The study argues that Islamic folklore in Northern Nigeria is a dynamic, evolving medium that bridges tradition and modernity, especially when amplified by contemporary media. It recommends systematic documentation and archiving, integration of folkloric narratives into religious education, support for digital recording and translation initiatives, and further comparative and audience-reception studies to deepen understanding and preserve Hausa-Islamic oral heritage.