Awareness and Practice of Islamic Financial Ethics Among Muslim Market Traders in Kano Municipal

This study explores the level of awareness and practice of Islamic financial ethics among Muslim market traders in Kano Municipal Local Government Area, Kano State, North West Nigeria. Commercial activities in Kano's markets, among the largest in West Africa, involve complex transactional relationships that may or may not align with Islamic financial principles such as the prohibition of Riba (usury), Gharar (uncertainty), and Tadlis (deception). The study employs a descriptive survey design and administers questionnaires to 300 Muslim traders randomly selected from Kurmi Market and Singer Market. Data were analysed using frequency tables, percentages, and chi-square tests. Findings indicate moderate awareness of Islamic financial ethics, with traders demonstrating stronger adherence to anti-deception principles than to rules around interest and speculative transactions. Younger and less formally educated traders showed lower compliance levels. The study recommends targeted market-based Islamic finance enlightenment campaigns, collaboration between Kano State Zakat and Endowment Commission and market associations, and the introduction of Islamic business ethics modules in vocational and adult education programmes. This research provides empirical insights into the everyday application of Islamic economic principles in one of Nigeria's most commercially active cities. Keywords: Islamic financial ethics, market traders, Riba, Kano Municipal, commercial practice.