Spread Of Islam In Western Africa Essay

Louis Reagler

Professor J. Tague

Pre-Colonial Africa HIST 131/ BLST 171

24 February 2023

The Spread of Islam in Western Africa

The spread of Islam throughout Western Africa was one of the most important factors in shaping and changing the political, social, and economic states of every country it touched. It introduced new laws, dress codes, social norms, and ideals. It brought in a new written language and brought many scholars in to spread the Islamic faith and their knowledge. While it facilitated the creation of many written records, it also influenced the spoken stories passed down, like the Epic of Sundiata. The Islam religion was introduced to the Continent(Africa) through the integration of first merchants and then scholars traveling

By establishing Soumaoro as the direct antithesis of Islam, the story sets Sundiata and his created nation as the force of Islam coming to bring Islam to the people. While it is never directly confirmed that Sundiata is Islamic, several influences can be used to show how Islam influenced him. When Sundiata traveled from Wagadou to Mema, he traveled with a group of merchants who “told him many things,” including “countries beyond Ghana… the Hejaz, cradle of Islam… Alexander the great.” They also set up Soumarou as the villain and explain how he attacks trade caravans. This is important for several reasons. The first one is that trade and traders are held in high esteem in Islam due to the prophet Muhammed having been a traveling merchant. This holds some symbolic meaning for Sundiata getting introduced to Islam. It again reinforces the evilness of Soumarou as he attacks merchants, which is an evil crime. The most important part of the Merchants is that by learning about leaders like Alexander the Great and about Islam itself, they influence his ruling style to be more receptive to Islam. When Sundiata defeats

communities, and cultures. This is because of the wealth, people, and customs it brought in. One of the biggest changes that Islam created was its influx of knowledge and teaching into the areas it was brought into. Mali is described as the “first that embraced the law of Mahumet,” and there were many “temples, priests, and proffessours” with the professors only teaching in the temples themselves. Timbuktu was described as having many “doctors, iudes, priests, and other learned men.” Many of these professors and educated people came to spread the word of Islam and thus only taught at the temples. This started the dissemination of the knowledge that these Islamic scholars had gathered from around the world in Africa.The wisdom that doctors, priests, and other educated people bring can really raise the quality of living for many of the people in a Muslim country, and this is why cities were some of the first places Islam spread to. Another benefit of Islam is that it raised the literacy rate of people in Western Africa. Some areas would even put chains on Children until they learn “the sublime Qur’an by heart.” Since the Quran is written in Arabic, it is reasonable to assume that to be able to learn the Quran; they must know Arabic. This knowledge of Arabic allowed for much more of their culture and customs to be recorded. Another important import of Islam is the ”religion and law of Muhammed.” This divine law affected