Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat (Jurisprudence for Muslim Minorities) and Its Applicability to Muslim Communities in South East Nigeria

This study examines the principles of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat, the jurisprudential framework developed for Muslim minority communities, and evaluates its applicability to the lived religious experiences of Muslim communities in South East Nigeria (Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states). Muslim minorities in the South East navigate complex religious, cultural, and social challenges for which classical jurisprudential formulations developed in Muslim-majority contexts may be inadequate. The study employs a qualitative exploratory design using document analysis of key Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat texts (particularly the works of Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Taha Jabir al-Alwani), alongside in-depth interviews with 25 Islamic scholars and 30 Muslim community leaders across the five states. Data are analysed using comparative jurisprudential analysis and interpretive phenomenological analysis. Findings reveal that several Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat principles, including facilitated rulings on workplace prayer, inter-faith coexistence, and halal food alternatives, are practically applicable and partially observed in South East Muslim communities. However, awareness of the framework as a distinct jurisprudential body is very limited even among local scholars. The study recommends the dissemination of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat scholarship in local Muslim community settings, training of South East Muslim scholars in minority jurisprudence, and the development of locally contextualised minority fiqh guidance materials. Keywords: Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat, Muslim minority jurisprudence, South East Nigeria, Islamic law, minority communities.