Vol. 4, No. 2 January (2026)

The rapid emergence and adoption of crypto currency as a digital financial
instrument has sparked significant debate among scholars, particularly
within the context of Islamic finance. This paper provides an overview of the
usage of crypto currency through the lens of Shari‘ah principles, examining
its permissibility and alignment with core Islamic legal and ethical
frameworks. This paper aims to analyze the currency in the Shari’ah
because the protection of wealth is one of the objectives of Shari’ah, most
important aspect related to crypto currency as well the divergent opinions
surrounding the legitimacy and otherwise of transacting with crypto
currency through the existing literatures and the fatawa of the Islamic
scholars. It explored and as well shade light on the nature, advent, categories
and peculiarities of the crypto currency. The findings of the study would
benefit the Muslim investors and users of the crypto currency as well the
Islamic banking and finance sector to either accept or reject it. The paper
recommends that there is need for the Islamic institutions and scholars to
come up with unanimous position on the crypto currency transactions basing
their position on an in-depth analysis of Sharia injunctions over the subject
matter.

The Almajiri system, a traditional Quranic education system in Northern Nigeria, faces
significant challenges. Poverty, lack of basic facilities, and insecurity plague the system, making
it vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist groups. This study examines the socio-economic
challenges facing the Almajiri system and their contribution to insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
Using a qualitative approach, the study conducted interviews and focus group discussions with
Almajiri students, teachers, and community leaders. Existing literature on the Almajiri system of
education was also reviewed. The research reveals that the Almajiri system of education faces
numerous challenges, including poverty, inadequate facilities, and exploitation by terrorist
groups who recruit young boys. The study's findings suggest that the government's efforts to
address these challenges have been insufficient. To address this, the study recommends
providing basic facilities, infrastructure, and economic support to the Almajiri system of
education. Collaboration with stakeholders to address the root causes of insecurity is also
necessary. Alternative education and vocational training programs should be established for
Almajiri students. In conclusion, the Almajiri system of education requires comprehensive
reform to address its socio-economic challenges and mitigate its contribution to insecurity in
Northern Nigeria. The government and stakeholders must work together to provide support and
resources to the system. By doing so, the welfare of Almajiri students can be improved, and the
system can fulfill its purpose of providing Quranic education effectively.

The proportion of the populace living in family units with poverty has been on the
decrease globally but in Nigeria it remains alarming. This study investigated the
impact of financial literacy on poverty reduction in Dadin Kowa Town, Doguwa
Local Government Area, Kano State to explore the effect of financial literacy in the
reduction of situational and generational poverty. The study applied cross
sectional data collected from 200 households in Dadin Kowa Town using
convenience sample technique. Probit model was used in the study with
consumption and standard of living deprivation index as measures of situational
and generational poverties respectively. The outcome of the Probit estimation
revealed that probability of situational poverty reduction increases with financial
literacy but probability of generational poverty reduction decrease with financial
literacy. Based on the outcome the study concluded that financial literacy has a
positive significant effect in the odds of situational poverty reduction with a
negative significant effect in the odds of generational poverty reduction, all things
being equal. The study recommended that government and institutions of learning
should intensify effort to promote the level of households’ financial education.

This article explores the interaction between cultural universals and Islamic rites among the
Yoruba of Nigeria and the Akan of Ghana. Both groups are historically rich in cultural practices
such as kingship, kinship, marriage, naming, funerals, and inheritance—traditions that predate
Islam but continue to shape the lives of Muslims today. Using a comparative and
interdisciplinary approach, the study analyzes how these cultural universals are accommodated,
reinterpreted, or contested within Islamic frameworks. The concept of ʿurf (custom) in Islamic
jurisprudence provides a legal and theological lens for assessing the legitimacy of cultural
adaptation. The analysis distinguishes between inculturation, in which culture enriches Islamic
rites without doctrinal compromise, and syncretism, in which cultural practices undermine
orthodoxy. The findings reveal that Yoruba Muslims more easily integrate their patrilineal and
hierarchical systems into Islamic law, while Akan Muslims face sharper tensions due to
matrilineal inheritance and strong traditions of ancestor veneration. Reformist movements
critique many cultural practices as bid’ah (innovation), whereas Sufi traditions accommodate
cultural forms within Islamic spirituality. The article concludes that Islam in West Africa
demonstrates remarkable flexibility, as it not only adeptly integrates indigenous cultural
universals into the faith, but also uphold universal norms. The Yoruba and Akan experiences
prove that Islam in Africa is not a foreign transplant but a living faith deeply intertwined with
cultural identity, a conclusion consistent with recent studies on lived Islam and cultural
contextualization in West Africa (Busari, 2024a; Nolte, 2022).