Islamization did change societies in west africa in many ways and affected the daily life. He affirms that in the rest of the continent, one can only speak of the use of the sacred arabic language as the most visible sign of islamization. Trade with islamic practicing africans occurred both pre and post islamization but, the fundamentals of akan culture has stayed the same due to. After the berbers islamisation, the religion spread into the western sudan from the closing decades of the tenth century. Unlike christianity, islam is not a just a religion or a mass of doctrines or beliefs and rituals, but rather a complete way of life or civilization. This paper was submitted to my ancient and precolonial africa class at carleton university ottawa, canada on november 26, 2012.
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. 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. Examines the processes of islamization, arabization, and africanization in the muslim societies of. The influence of islamic values and ideas on indigenous african. First, islam spread into the regions west of the niger bend senegambia, mali, then into chad region and finally into hausaland. The islamization of bornu dates from the time of mai idris. In 705 this region became a province of the muslim empire then ruled from damascus by the umayyad caliphs 661750. The course will examine processes of islamization and the emergence of local muslim cultures, contemporary issues, and will expose students to the diversity of islam in africa. Islamization of the west latest breaking news, pictures, videos, and special reports from the economic times. The following two parts present overviews of islamic history in west africa and the sudanic zone, and in subequatorial africa. The africans consider the impact of colonization on them to be perhaps the most important factor in understanding the present condition of the african continent and of the african.
The contest for northern mali by derek henry flood reports 6 a profile of aqaps upper echelon. The history of islam in east africa stretches back to around ce. Trade with islamic practicing africans occurred both pre and post islamization but, the fundamentals of akan culture has stayed the same due to the rejection of islamization. Islam had a great impact on the people and states of western sudan and for that matter west africa in general. The many cultures and ethnicities that made up west africa maintained their native languages and some cultural traditions while adopting new islam induced practices. This book examines a series of processes islamization, arabization, africanization and case studies from the muslim societies of africa over the last thousand years. West africa into sahara from at least 9th c west africa across sahara north africa into egypt, middle east systems often intersected.
Based on extensive fieldwork in villages across southern mali formerly french sudan and on archival research in west africa and france, the book draws a detailed new portrait of grassroots, multigenerational processes of islamization in french sudan while also deepening our understanding of the impact and unintended consequences of colonialism. Deterring domestic terrorists in west requires figuring out the true motivation. Pdf west african anthropology carries the burden of a chasm between what is considered. Impacts of islam in east africa case study template. Spread of islam in west africa all parts the religion. West africa trade islam first came to west africa as a slow and peaceful process, spread by muslim traders and scholars. Islam reached the savannah region in the 8th century c. A second wave of islamization of the western sudan occurred. Spencer trimingham, a history of islam in west africa, 233. While muslim immigrants from west africa are arriving in the united states at unprecedented rates, few recognize their islamic activity. Yoruba and ancient near eastern history, the present article argues that yoruba traditions of provenance, claiming immigration from the near east, are basically correct. Islam gained momentum during the 10th century in west africa with the start of the almoravid dynasty movement on the senegal river and as rulers and kings.
The islamic revolutions of west africa on the frontiers. The history of the islamic faith on the continent of africa spans fourteen centuries. During its prosperous phase, islam spread to north africa, where a total islamization and arabization took place, and the coastal areas of east africa, where a new synthesis of the persoarabic. The akans rejected the islamization process that took place in west africa and maintained a purely and authentic ancient west africanakan culture.
According to islamic history, 16th century migration of holymen and muslim scholars from north africa and upper egypt as well as arabia resulted into a significant islamization of the region. Origin of the yoruba and the lost tribes of israel dierk lange abstract. The western part of ssa the west african sahel, historically often called. On the basis of comparative studies between the dynastic tradition of the. Kevin macdonald complaining about an influential mexican jew and he asked me if id okay publishing it in his webzine, with a little editing. Born in mecca on the arabian peninsula at the beginning of the seventh century, islam had, by 1100, ceased to be an exclusively arab religion. Among them are alkhwarzimi, ibn munabbah, almasudi, albakri, abul fida, yaqut, ibn batutah, ibn khaldun, ibn fadlallah alumari, mahmud alkati, ibn al mukhtar and abd alrahman alsadi. Pearson islam in the bilad alsudan to 1800 nehemia levtzion the juula and the expansion of islam into the. While the presence of islam in west africa dates back to eighth century, the. 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. Islamization affected the governmental organization and many of their laws and policies. The impact of the expansion of islam in north and west. In beyond timbuktu kane argues convincingly that the study of the literary tradition that developed in west africa in arabic language, but also in local languages using the arabic script a literature known as ajami, is necessary not only in order to reconstitute the different aspects of the intellectual history of the region, but also to shed light on current issues facing modern west. Tunisia 2014 international religious freedom report pdf.
At the same time, muslim seamen from egypt and arabia established commercial centers along the red sea and africas east coast. His work should interest students and scholars of african and west african history, islam and religious studies. Colonialism and the african experience chapter 4 introduction colonization of africa by european countries was a monumental milestone in the development of africa. East african muslims are mostly shafiites and some. How europe underdeveloped africa abahlali basemjondolo. The swahili language remains central to many east african muslims, hence the occasionally heard phrase, swahili islam. 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. Chapter five islamic challenges in african christianity. A well researched and written narrative and analysis, islamization from below lives up to its promise of bringing new insight to the process by which islam has become the majority religious practice of significant areas of west africa. Indeed, the new faith showed the capacity to win over and assimilate ethnic elements of the most diverse origins, fusing them into a single cultural and religious community. North africa north africa from the arab conquest to 1830. North africa from the arab conquest to 1830 britannica.
Doc impact of islam in western africa prior to 1500 a. The history of islam in africa ohio university press. Radicalization of islam or islamization of radicalism. The empires of kanembornu and hausafulani land description. These nomads con tributed to the islamization and arabization of the sudan and north africa. Orthodox and radical islam are the scourge of humanity. A thematic treatment of muslim africa discussing both the islamization of africa and the africanization of islam, followed by case studies on ethiopia, ghana, morocco, nigeria, senegal, the sudan, and uganda. The islamization of w africa began when the ancient kingdom of ghana c. Because islam spread to west africa from north africa, muslims there fol. In the 11th century, muslims from the north, the almoravids, invaded west africa. Margari hill, stanford university january 2009 available in pdf format 1. The spread of islam in west africa after the berbers islamisation, the religion spread into the western sudan from the closing decades of the tenth century. Between islamization and feature article secession.
Trade between west africa and the mediterranean predated islam, however, north african muslims intensified the transsaharan trade. The akans rejected the islamization process that took place in west africa and maintained a purely and authentic ancient west african akan culture. An islamist fighter from the movement for unity and jihad in west africa in the city of gao on july 16, 2012. Africa, being the original home of man, was a major. The islamization in west and south of the funj empire continued through migration and trade links. The orientalist stereotypes many westerners consume about islam prevent them from understanding the complex ways these muslims negotiate their religious, racial, and ethnic identities. Bringing together two dozen leading scholars, this comprehensive work treats the. In the muslim tradition, this event is known as the first hijrah, or migration twentythree muslims migrated to abyssinia. The impact of the expansion of islam in north and west africa essays the islamization of africa started around the seventh century with the military conquests in egypt led by arabic armies and spread over the western part of the continent during the next five hundred years, reaching morocco. Islam in africa african studies oxford bibliographies.
After the arabs completed the conquest of egypt in 642, they started to raid the berber amazigh territory to its west, which they called bilad almaghrib lands of the west or simply the maghrib. While the motivations of early conversions remain unclear, it is apparent that the early presence of islam in west africa was linked to trade and commerce with north africa. Every continent independently participated in the early epochs of the extension of mans control over his environment which means in effect that every continent can point to a period of economic development. The presence of islam in africa can be traced to the 7th century ce, when in rajab 8 bh, or may 614 ce, muhammad advised a number of his early disciples, who were facing persecution by the polytheistic inhabitants of the mecca, to seek refuge across the red sea in axum. Islamization of the west blogs, comments and archive news on. Islamization of west africa said that following the sacking of awdaghust, the almoravids went on to conquer the pagan state itself, ancient ghana, in 1076 and establish an islamic state islam came to west africa by the sword conquest that never was. Muslim societies in african history by meaganmcdermott issuu.
Islam in africa, the development of the muslim religion on the african continent. The famous scholar ibn munabbah wrote as early as 738 c. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Includes bibliographical references and index introduction. Muslim geographers and historians have provided excellent records of muslim rulers and peoples in africa. Africa was the first continent into which islam spread from southwest asia, during the early. Until the mid20th century, it remained largely confined to the coast and closely bound up with the history of the swahili towns situated on it. Today, most west african muslims in the us belong to the wolof. In the eleventh century, arab nomads drove southward from egypt to the sudan and westward across north africa. Pdf islam and west african anthropology researchgate.