Abstract:
The Hausa word Almajir
i
(
Plural
A
l
majir
a
i
) is derived from the
Arabic Almajir
i
(
Plural
Almuhajirun) which means one of the
comp
anions of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.
W) who
accompanied hi
m from
Mecca to Medinah during his Hijira (Migration). The Arabic word Al
-
muhajir, therefore had a sp
ecial religious connotation in the early period
in Islam. It meant a scholar who migrated from his home to another
community in search of knowledge. Up to date a pupil
undergoing
Islamic Religious training is called Almajiri in the Hausa language, hence
the Almajiri system of education. The schools are found mostly in the
Northern parts of Nigeria with just a few in the southern part of the
country.
