Author(s):
Dr. Mikail Adebisi Folorunsho, mikail.folorunsho.uniosun.edu.ng drmikfol@gmail.com,

Abstract: The need to build a united country has been one of the hotly debated issues among Nigerians. Islam as a religion compels unity among Muslims and it is hoped that Nigeria can leverage on the unity amongst the ʾUmmah to achieve the desired national unity. Of the proponents of unity amongst the ʾUmmah was Shaykh Adam Abdullah ʾAl – ʾIlūrī (1917 – 1992); an erudite twentieth century Nigerian Arabic scholar who was honoured by Egyptian Government of Hosni Mubarak with First Class Gold Merit Award in recognition of his enormous contributions to Arabic and Islamic scholarship. Significant sections of one of his works, ʾAl – Islām ʾal – Yawm wa ghadan fī Nayjiriya were devoted to unification of the ʾUmmah. Contentious issues like tribal discrimination in Nigeria, selection of Imam, Muslim women, Friday prayers and sufism were adequately addressed in the work. This paper examined the issues raised as well as the suggestions provided by the Shaykh in the work. The paper discovered that the viewpoints of ʾAl – ʾIlūrī could serve as a veritable tool in our attempt to achieve a lasting unity amongst Nigerians