While the religion of Islam continued to evolve to a more syncretic version which the Fulani war sought to expunge, the Maguzawa and their religion became a separate faction in the State. They purely adhered to the oldest form of paganism while the Hausa rulers of Kano and most of their followers practiced a syncretic form of Islam which included elements from paganism. For example, one of the fetish items venerated in Kano before the Jihad was a Quran covered in goat or cow skin called "Dirki".
While Islam continued to blend into a more syncretic form that the Fulani war aimed to eliminate, the Maguzawa maintained their distinct religious stance and the Hausa rulers of Kano along with most of their followers practiced a syncretic version of Islam incorporating elements from paganism. For instance, in Kano before the Jihad, one revered fetish item was a Quran wrapped in goat or cow skin known as "Dirki".