What religious criticisms did Usman dan Fodio make of the Hausa rulers?

Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Fulani scholar and reformer, leveled significant religious criticisms against the Hausa rulers of his time. His primary grievances centered on the following points:

• Syncretism: He criticized the Hausa rulers for allowing the practice of Islam to be mixed with aspects of traditional, non-Islamic religions.12
• Incomplete Observance of Sharia: He argued that the rulers failed to implement Islamic law (the Sharia) in full, which he viewed as a departure from true faith.12
• Religious Corruption: He characterized the Hausa kings as being little more than pagans, viewing their governance as unjust and contrary to the requirements of a devout Muslim state.3

These criticisms formed the ideological foundation for his jihad, which he launched in 1804 to overthrow these rulers and establish a new, strictly governed Muslim state, the Fulani empire.41