Empirical Analysis of Legal Literacy in Islamic Law Among Muslim Youth in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria

Legal literacy in Islamic law among young Muslims is a prerequisite for effective rights exercise, civic engagement, and prevention of victimisation in contexts where Islamic legal norms govern family, commercial, and public life. In Adamawa State, where conflict and educational disruption have affected youth education quality, the state of Islamic legal literacy among Muslim youth between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five deserves empirical investigation. This study empirically assesses Islamic legal literacy levels among Muslim youth in Adamawa State. A cross-sectional survey methodology is applied to 320 Muslim youth selected through stratified random sampling across Yola, Mubi, and Gombi local government areas. A validated Islamic Legal Literacy Scale measuring knowledge across five domains (family law rights, commercial law principles, criminal law provisions, Zakat obligations, and procedural rights) is administered. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and regression analysis are computed in SPSS. Available Islamic legal education literature from North East Nigeria identifies conflict-related school disruption, reliance on informal Quranic school learning, and absence of formal Islamic law curricula at secondary level as the primary literacy gap drivers. The theory of legal consciousness and the Islamic educational obligation of Talab al-Ilm (seeking knowledge) provide the analytical framework. Findings are expected to reveal domain-specific literacy gaps most severe in commercial law and procedural rights. Recommendations address secondary school Islamic law curricula, mosque-based legal literacy programmes, and accessible Islamic legal information platforms targeted at Adamawa youth. Keywords: Islamic legal literacy, Muslim youth, Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, legal education.