Islamic Contract Law and Business Transactions in Sokoto State Markets: A Descriptive Study

Islamic contract law governs commercial transactions in Muslim communities through a set of foundational principles derived from the Quran, Sunnah, and classical jurisprudence that prohibit gharar (uncertainty), riba (interest), and maysir (gambling). In Sokoto State, where Islamic commercial practice coexists with secular Nigerian contract law, the degree to which market traders voluntarily apply Islamic transactional norms is an empirically open question. This study descriptively examines the awareness and application of Islamic contract principles among traders in Sokoto Central Market. A survey research methodology is applied to 280 traders selected through stratified random sampling across food, textile, and electronics trading zones. Questionnaire items assess knowledge of key Islamic contract doctrines (Ijab and Qabul, Bai', Musharaka, Mudaraba), frequency of Sharia-compliant practice in daily transactions, and attitudes toward formal dispute resolution. Descriptive statistics are computed using SPSS. Available literature from Nigerian Islamic commercial practice identifies informal compliance with Islamic trading ethics alongside widespread ignorance of formal doctrinal requirements. The Fiqh al-Muamalat (Islamic commercial jurisprudence) tradition provides the evaluative normative framework. Findings are expected to reveal partial compliance driven by religious habit rather than doctrinal knowledge. Recommendations address trader education through market-based Islamic commercial law workshops and integration of Fiqh al-Muamalat curricula into vocational training programmes in Sokoto State. Keywords: Islamic contract law, commercial transactions, Sokoto State, Fiqh al-Muamalat, market traders.