A Study of Hausa Language Use in Islamic Preaching (Wa’azi) in Gombe State

Islamic preaching, known in Hausa as wa'azi, represents one of the most influential domains of public Hausa language use in northern Nigeria, combining religious instruction, moral exhortation, and social commentary in a format that reaches mass audiences through mosques, cassette recordings, and digital platforms. This study examines the characteristics of Hausa language use in wa'azi preaching in Gombe State, analysing the linguistic registers, rhetorical structures, and communicative strategies employed by preachers. A descriptive discourse analysis design was applied to a corpus of 18 recorded wa'azi sessions by prominent preachers in Gombe metropolis, transcribed and analysed for register features, code-switching patterns, persuasive devices, and thematic content. Audience reception was assessed through interviews with 60 mosque attendees. Findings reveal that effective Hausa preachers in Gombe employ a consistently accessible but rhetorically elevated register that draws on classical Hausa and Arabised vocabulary for religious concepts while using colloquial expressions for social commentary and illustrative anecdotes. Code-switching into Arabic is used strategically at moments of Quranic citation and religious authority claim. Audience members identify accessibility of language, relevance of social content, and emotional engagement as the key qualities of well-regarded wa'azi. The study recommends that Islamic preaching be studied systematically as a domain of Hausa language use in university curricula and that recordings of influential preachers be archived for linguistic and cultural research. Keywords: Hausa wa'azi, Islamic preaching, Gombe, Discourse analysis, Religious language.