The History of Islam in Africa: A Historical Overview

The East Coast of Africa has had links with various cultures and civilizations over the centuries. In the Valley of the Queens in Upper Egypt, the tomb of the famous Egyptian queen Hatshepsut reveals reliefs from 2,000 BC, showing the Egyptians trading with the Land of Punt, which at that time included Eritrea, Somalia, and Yemen, and acknowledged its high degree of civilization. The Romans called it Azania.

Muslim Africans: A Past of which to speak

Christopher Columbus, the infamous Spanish explorer, is credited with “discovering” North America. Of course, “discover” implies that the territory Columbus landed on in 1492 had never been explored before, was devoid of any civilization, and the people devoid of any sophistication. This is simply not true.

Before Columbus even stepped onto his boat, Native Americans had 2000 separate languages, a distinctive array of religions, a system of interaction with nature and other human beings. By 1492, the entire northern third of North America was already occupied, and hence already “discovered” by these hunting-gathering societies.

West African Mosque Architecture: A Brief Introduction

Is there such a thing as a stereotypical mosque? Are all mosques necessarily characterized by a minaret, a dome, and arches? Are all mosques decorated with mosaics or stucco? From North Africa to India, these elements are the defining features of mosque architecture. Nevertheless, it should be noted that Islam reached these lands largely by conquest, and this meant that the know-how of mosque building was wholly imported. In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as China and Southeast Asia, the entry of Islam was more gradual and was transmitted by merchants and traders. I would argue that this partly explains why the mosque architecture of these regions conforms less explicitly to the norms of what has become the blueprint of the mosque.

The Spread of Islam in West Africa: Containment, Mixing, and Reform from the Eighth to the Twentieth Century

While the presence of Islam in West Africa dates back to eighth century, the spread of t he faith in r egions tha t are now the modern states of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Nigeria, was in actuality, a gra dual and complex process. Much of what we know about the early his tory of West A frica comes from medieval accounts written by A rab and North African geogr aphers and historians. Specialists have used several models to explain why Afri cans converted to Islam. S ome emphasize economic moti vations, others highlight the draw of Islam’s spiritual message, and a numbe r stress the pres- tige and influence of Arabic literacy in facilit ating state building. While the motivations of early conversio ns remain unclear, it is appar ent t hat t he earl y presence of Islam in West Africa was linked to trade and commerce with North Africa. Trade between West Africa and the Mediterranean predated Islam, however, North African Muslims intensified the Trans-Saharan trade. North African traders were major actors in introducing Islam into West Africa. Several major trade routes connecte d Africa be low the Sahara with the Mediterranean Middle East, such a s Sijilmasa to Awdaghust and Ghadames to Gao. The Sahe l, the ecological transition zone between the Sahara dese rt and forest zone which spans the Afri can continent, was an intense point of contact between North Africa and commu- nities south of the Sahara. In West Africa, the three gre at medieval empires of Ghana, Mali, and t he S onghay devel- oped in Sahel. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Political Islam in West Africa and the Sahel

S INCE 9/11, defense of the homeland has become a particularly urgent issue for U.S. military planners. Consequently, foreign policy has shifted to address a new array of challenges to U.S. interests. Among the requirements of the new security environment is a deeper understanding of the global network of terrorist organizations inspired by or directly affi liated with Al Qaeda. There are at least three serious threats to U.S. security interests in West Africa and the Sahel. In order of priority, these are— CLICK TO CONTINUE READING

Spread of Islam in West Africa

Muslim geographers and historians have provided excellent records of Muslim rulers and peoples in Africa.  Among them are Al-Khwarzimi, Ibn Munabbah, Al-Masudi, Al-Bakri, Abul Fida, Yaqut, Ibn Batutah, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Fadlallah al-'Umari, Mahmud al-Kati, Ibn al Mukhtar and Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di.  Islam reached the Savannah region in the 8th Century C.E., the date the written history of West Africa begins.  Islam was accepted as early as 850 C.E.  by the Dya'ogo dynasty of the Kingdom of Tekur.  They were the first Negro people who accepted Islam.  Trade and commerce paved the way for the introduction of new elements of material culture, and made possible the intellectual development which naturally followed the introduction and spread of literacy.