History of islam in west africa pdf latitudes

History of islam in africa nehemia levtzion, randall l. Early spread of islam muhammad tried to convince the people of mecca of what he had learned from the revelations. A thriving trade developed, based on this goldsalt trade. Islam first came to west africa as a slow and peaceful process, spread by muslim traders and scholars. Aug 22, 2017 in this interview, we explore the early history of islam in west africa with professor ousmane kane, who has mapped out the networks of islamic learning in the region. From this perspective the 18th century was a period of degeneration and a prelude to european domination, symbolized by napoleon is conquest of egypt in 1798. The first converts in mali were traders who benefited from having a religious as well as a commercial connection to their.

Nazeer ahmed, phd africa, alone among the continents, has a majority muslim population. While the presence of islam in west africa dates back to eighth century, the spread of the faith in regions that are now the modern states of senegal, gambia, guinea, burkina faso, niger, mali and nigeria, was in actuality, a gradual and complex process. A people, language, kingdom, and empire in western sudan in west africa that was founded by sunni ali. Trade contributed to the spread of islamic culture and led to a growing. Diversity and tolerance in the islam of west africa this digital library contains archival and research materials that explore islamic practices in the west african countries of senegal and ghana. Choose from 500 different sets of west africa history islam western flashcards on quizlet. Muslim merchants, traders, and scholars from egypt and north africa came to mali to do business or to settle. Africa is the first region into which islam is carried by merchants rather than armies. At first, muslim traders and merchants lived side by side with the nonmuslims of west africa. This move became a crucial event in the history of islam and came to be known as hijra. Africa was the first continent, outside of arabia that islam spread into in the early 7th century. The history of islam in west africa can be explained in three stages, containment, mixing, and reform.

Muslim north, the territories above 25 degrees north latitude, you find north africa, egypt, the. Independent churches, and biblical ideas and customs. In writing about muslims in east africa, randall pouwels claims in the history of islam in africa, the spread of islam took place within a wider contextone of cultural influences and migrations. Islams presence in african history islams presence in african history dates back to the first phase of the prophet muhammads mission, when in 615 a. This book is not an attempt to write a history of west africa, but to show the way in which islam spread and moulded the history of the western sudan. Geography philosophy in the past ages was not merely an academic subject studied by specialists. Islam in africa has its roots in the origins of the faith, as ethiopia was a refuge for muslims who fled arabia during the time of islam s prophet muhammad b.

Indonesia, the philippines, west africa, east africa, sudan, and ethiopia. By tracing the origins of the christian faith in both north and subsaharan africa including, northcentral and west africa, this paper seeks to show that christianity has been in africa. Muslims crossed current djibouti and somalia to seek refuge in presentday eritrea and ethiopia during the hijrah arabic. Yet it is also possible to argue that the period of western. The western part of ssa the west african sahel, historically often called. Be sure to address what global processes affected it throughout that time. Western africa western africa the islamic revolution in the western sudan. The islamic revolutions of west africa on the frontiers of the islamic world david robinson february 2008 introduction it is difficult to know how to create comparability for the politics of islamic reform in subsaharan africa ssa. The history of islam in africa ohio university press. For the first time in a single volume, the history of islam in africa presents a detailed historic mapping of the cultural, political, geographic, and religious past of this significant presence on a continentwide scale. Western africa the islamic revolution in the western sudan. Funk and abdul aziz said abstract this article addresses one of the more vexing questions facing analysts of relations between the islamic world and the west. Islam entered west africa around the 11th century, and according to the oldest source concerning this, the muslim geographer alzuhri writing in 17, the people of ghana converted in 1076, most probably through a murabitun presence among them, even though their king was a nonmuslim. Narratives of conflict and conflict transformation nathan c.

West african jihadist movements in the light of history executive. Understanding islam, its history in ghana, and an effective. Islam in africa african studies oxford bibliographies. Spread of islam in west africa all parts the religion of. This book, which continues my studies of islam in africa, is primarily a phenomenological study of the religious life of west african muslims. Apr 10, 2016 dr rudolph bilal ware explains the key elements that led to the spread of islam in west africa. Islam reaches west africa, and a history of the islamic empire of ghana. The east african coast up to madagascar, egypt, nubia, abyssinia, the sudan, equatorial africa, the sahara, land of the niger, and west africa, all came within the range of their commercial, cultural, and religious activities. Africa, alone among the continents, has a majority muslim population. This means that everything in a muslims life is under gods control. Almost onethird of the worlds muslim population resides in this continent. France and islam in west africa, 18601960 in searchworks catalog. Under mansa musas rule, mali became a major crossroads of the islamic world.

This lesson explains the gradual spread of islam into west africa. Most orders in west africa emphasize the role of a spiritual guide, marabout or possessing supernatural power, regarded as an africanization of islam. Muslim societies are more humane than portrayed in the west, while western societies often fail to live up to their liberal mythology. During muhammads lifetime a group of muslims escaped meccan persecution 615 by fleeing to ethiopia, where the negus king gave them protection. Islam has a large presence in north africa, the horn of africa, the swahili coast, and much of west. It spreads down the wellestablished trade routes of the east coast, in which the coastal towns of the red sea the very heart of islam play a major part. And so, while islam became prominent in the north, west and east, it did not grow larger than a minority. The berbers were early converts to islam and islam spread along those preexisting trade routes between north and west africa.

Dickson university of ghana the research being carried out falls into four main categories. It was estimated in 2002 that muslims constitute 45% of the population of africa. Key lessons from the history of islam in west africa youtube. Introduction of islam in africa contributed by prof. In west africa, these movements were in the same direction, from north to south, as that taken by islam. The history of the islamic faith on the continent of africa spans fourteen centuries. Hausaland before the advent of islam hausaland, lying mainly in the nigerian savannah, has featured prominently in the history of west africa. Islam spread to west africa through trade between arabberbers and west african empires over land, and came to the east through trade between arabia and the swahili coast over water. Since africa sits below the arabian peninsula, islam spread from the north downward. The moroccan occupation of the niger bend in 1591 meant that the domination of the western sudan by mande or mandeinspired empiresghana, mali, songhaiwhich had persisted for at least five centuries, was at last ended. Islam is also now spreading across the sahara desert into west africa, carried by merchants and missionaries, although at his date the great bulk of the population remain pagans. He demonstrates how french understanding of islam in west africa evolved from the shortterm, and often contradictory, policies associated with the period of military expansion, through a period of intense suspicion and fear of panislamic movements, to a widelyheld consensus that islam in africa was quite distinct from the islam of the arab. Spread of islam in africa javad haghnavaz department of islamic thoughts faculty, jolfa branch, islamic azad university, jolfa, iran abstract. How can we speak about deeply divisive cultural and.

At its height in the sixteenth century, the muslim songhai empire stretched from the atlantic to the land of the hausa and was a major player in the transsaharan trade. My special aim has been to try to assess what has been the result of the impact of islam, the way it influences african society, and, conversely, the way the african community moulds the islam it receives. Bringing together two dozen leading scholars, this comprehensive work treats the. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. On the other hand, in east africa, where islam came from the arabian peninsula, muslims followed the shafli school of law that prevailed in arabia. Islamic world islamic history from 1683 to the present. West africa and sudan have various sufi orders regarded skeptically by the more doctrinally strict branches of islam in the middle east. Islam means submission in arabic and a muslim is a person who submits his life to the way and authority of allah. The development and spread of islamic cultures article. Generally islam in africa often adapted to african cultural contexts and belief systems forming africas own orthodoxies. They feared he would upset the established social and political order. However, since the growing popularity of islam jeopardized muhammads and his disciples lives, the entire community moved from mecca to medina circa 622 ce.

The occupants of these areas had been nomadic tribes for a very long time. Citizens of muslim countries may be more vulnerable to their governments and political. Trade and geography in the economic origins and spread of islam. The early journeys across the sahara were done in stages. Along the coast of africa islam spread among the berbers, who joined the muslim community and almost immediately drove north across the mediterranean into europe. Transsaharan trade brought islam to west africa in the 8th century. They were the first negro people who accepted islam.

Almost onethird of the worlds muslim population resides today in the continent. Towards the end of the abbasid caliphate, the formerly vast and united islamic empire became fragmented and decentralized. Research in the history of religions in west africa. The king negus welcomed them and converted to islam shortly after. In this interview, we explore the early history of islam in west africa with professor ousmane kane, who has mapped out the networks of islamic learning in the region. The history of islam in africa is almost as old as islam itself, stretching back to the 7th century. Traders bring islam to ghana between the years 639 and 708 c. Remember, although tribes or regions may share the same pantheon of gods, they tend. See more exclusive videos and seminars from the lamppost education initiative by becoming a lamppost.

It changed the peoples views of their rulers, and in some people, even the way they viewed the world. Over time, however, islam played a growing role in west african society. Imam ali is killed, bringing to an end the rule of the four righteous caliphs. Islam in africa is often adapted to local cultural contexts and belief systems, thereby forming the continents own orthodoxies.

Learn west africa history islam western with free interactive flashcards. Major themes islam and the west muslims frontline pbs. Below, mustafa briggs lists 11 books that highlight different aspects of this deeprooted tradition, the achievements at times even existence of which are often overlooked. Africa was the first continent into which islam spread from southwest asia, during the early 7th century ce. Islam, like any religion, is facing challenges to evolve and adjust to modernity and in particular to the economic and cultural power of a dominant west.

Among the great facts in the history of west africa prior to the age of european penetration has been the propagation of islam and the way it has changed african societies. Africa was the first continent into which islam spread from southwest asia, during the early 7th. At the same time, part of west africa lacked salt vital to human survival. As islam spread across the arabian peninsula and later across north africa and the middle east, it had an aggregating effect. West african civilization continues to advance, and other kingdoms have appeared beside ghana, notably songhai and mali. Tunisia 2014 international religious freedom report pdf. We discuss intellectual history, the curricula of madrasas and a day in the life of a 16thcentury student in sankore. Spread of islam in west africa timeline timetoast timelines.

It was home to its greatest historian, ibn khaldun and the birthplace of its bestknown traveler, ibn batuta. Spread of islam in west africa all parts the religion. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles. Merchants, moving in camel caravans across the desert, picked up large blocks of salt on their journey, to exchange for gold.

The histom1 ofls1am il1 africa ohio university press. In doing so, it discusses the influence of the berbers and the transsaharan. Margari hill, stanford university january 2009 available in pdf format 1. The factors responsible for the spread of islam in west africa proceedings of 72nd the ires international conference, mecca, saudi arabia, 23rd24th june 2017 64 presence of muslims long ago.

Islam and the west as john indicated, this is a sort of homecoming, and in respect to this particular topic, it is more than that, because five years ago ljubo and lisl invited me to give a talk at this conference, while it was still at lake bled, on the subject of the roots of islamist ideology. In doing so, it discusses the influence of the berbers and the transsaharan caravan trade of the saharan region. The history of modern islam has often been explained in terms of the impact of the west. While this was a shortlived encounter, muslims eventually left a. Islam reached the savannah region in the 8th century c.

General history of africa, iii unesco digital library. West african rulers gain political protection from arabs and economic power, rich, tolerant culture developed quran study, timbuktu, traders attend. Islam in africa, the development of the muslim religion on the african continent. He became the first west african ruler to practice islam devoutly. In 12, a new leader, mansa musa, took over in mali. Sierra leones unique history, especially in the development and consolidation of british colonialism in west africa, has made it an important site of historical investigation since the 1950s. Almost onethird of the worlds muslim population resides in the continent. Pouwels published by ohio university press levtzion, nehemia and randall l. The spread of islam in africa began in the 7th and 8th cent.

The cultural distance between the west and islam is narrower than westerners think. They were polytheistic and reaped all the political problems associated with polytheism. The songhai kings were pushed southeast into their original homeland of dendi, farther. Islam gained momentum during the 10th century in west africa with the start of the.

Chapter 08 african civilizations and the spread of islam. Teachers guide muslims teacher center frontline pbs. Trace and analyze the changes and continuities in the environments of two of the regions of the world from 8000 bce to present. Impact of islam on west africa islam impacted west africa in many ways. Diversity and tolerance in the islam of west africa aodl. The famous scholar ibn munabbah wrote as early as 738 c. Religious institutions became more defined during this period as state power waned. Ideas were exchanged, such as islamic beliefs, as well as goods. In west africa, the three great medieval empires of ghana, mali, and the songhay developed in sahel. The history of islam in africa and accounts of how the religion spread. Different societies in africa have generally appropriated islam in both more inclusive ways, or in the more radical ways, as with the almoravid movement in the maghreb and sahara. In this article, i focus on the historiography of islam in west africa while also reflecting upon and assessing existing scholarship in the broader field of the study of islam in africa. This work, the krio of west africa, focuses on the muslims in the sierra. Mar 31, 2000 the history of the islamic faith on the continent of africa spans fourteen centuries.

The krio of west africa islam, culture, creolization, and colonialism in the nineteenth century by gibril r. Impact of islam on west africa 1750 essay bartleby. Many people were impressed by verses of the quran and converted to islam out of their free will. A muslim is also someone who can repeat the shahada, which is a declaration of faith, and understands and believes it. Many different groups ruled areas previously held by the abbasids.

The islamic revolution in the western sudan dominance of tuareg and amazigh tribes. Islam has protected other religions and avoided fascism, racism, and genocide. The african continent received far more attention from the muslims than from their predecessors. Africa gave the islamic world its first muezzin, bilal ibn rabah. Spread of islam in west africa islam reached the savannah region in the 8th century c. How islam spread into subsaharan region of west africa, and the great civilizations it established there, taking its inhabitants out of paganism to the worship of one god. The islamic revolutions of west africa on the frontiers of. List of books and articles about islam in africa online. Other aspects stayed the same, like the beliefs of the pagan people and how they lived. Arrival of islam land conquered and reconquered by phoenicians, greeks, romans, vandals cyrene and carthage became huge trading centers.