IslamEssay Preview: IslamReport this essayThroughout history, man has endeavored to expand his beliefs across civilization quite often employing violent means to further his ideas. Islam blazed quite a trail into sub-Saharan western Africa, and it was peaceful. Abu Ubaydallah al-Bakri related vivid descriptions of eleventh-century Ghanian society. Hailing form what was then the Muslim land of al-Andalus-present day Spain- al-Bakri never witnessed the events in his tales firsthand, but those intrepid stories form 1067/1068 flawlessly depict the early history of western Sudan (pg. 387). This saga was expanded two centuries later by Abu Abdallah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, when in 1325 Ibn Battuta began reporting on his personal religion trek into the region of Mali. Unlike al-Bakri who never saw the expansion of Islam into Africa, ibn Battuta left his religious upper class home in Tangier, Morocco, to personally witness the expansion of his religion. Very noteworthy is the consistency between the lifestyles and customs of the Ghanian and Malian societies following the centuries of political and cultural advancement. The endeavor of this work is provide insight into this metamorphosis using, both, facts and my perception of facts.
Ghana was the name of one of the emergent trade centers found between the sere Saharan Desert of western Africa and the lush rainforests further south. Ghana received its moniker from the appellation given to the regions kings, and should not be misconstrued as having been derived from the present-day country of that same name (pg. 388).
Central to Ghanas geography was its dual-centered city. The city was in reality a joined pair of microcosms housed in two walled sections, and connected by a short residence-lined path. In the larger of the two cities Muslims resided, and one found
Page 3imams teaching and leading prayers while, five times daily, muezzins chanted invitations to those faithful prayers from their perches atop the minarets. Religion was of paramount import, with the sacrosanct Friday prayer being held in one of the cities 12 mosques. A short jaunt through the residence-lined path of stone and acacia-wood houses brought one to Al-Ghaba, the smaller of the paired cities, and where the king had his royal residence and its accoutrements. In Al-Ghaba, which translates to “the forest” (pg. 389), the Muslims polar opposite was housed: Cultist pagans made their home in the woods guarding prisoners of the king, and warding off any proponents of those lingering doubts found in the mind of a king who only was able to draw upon the culture indigenenous to western sub-Saharan Africa in forming his doctrines and judgments. Allowing his subjects to acquire this new religion suggests a tolerant king inclined to peace and the rudiments of democracy; assuming those new Islamic laws himself, the king revealed a man ruling with deference to the needs of his people: a juggernaut on the path to Islamization.
Ghanian and Malian kings proved very similar when comparing the writings of al-Bakri and ibn Battuta, the largest difference was the difference in year! Close to 200 years. Most intriguing was their shared practice of transferring power to an heir whose appetency was not due to being the kings progeny, but that of the kings sister. It is logically discerned that the prolific sexual infidelities of the denizens of that region engendered doubts pertaining to the genuineness of a child belonging to a particular man; therefore, the nepotism inherent in a monarchy was ensured by instituting the practice of causing a nephew to become king.
Page 4Centuries likely bolstered these African kings devotion to their newfound Islam. It is crucial to note that, even while a metamorphosis into a Muslim culture was occurring over these centuries, the path taken wasnt so divergent that it precluded the maintenance of similarities to be expected amongst peoples of a particular geographical locale. The subservience of females was prevalent: Was the role of women in those societies bad? It should be said that the women in those times were just a commonly in possession of “male friends and companions among the foreign men, Ð as the men [were in possession of] companions form among the foreign women (pg. 450).” With that in mind, I have to assert that we have no more moral authority to criticize their actions than they do ours: That was their culture.
The notion of an Egyptian religion or state was not a new one. In fact, it’s one that is often referred to interchangeably with Islam and Christianity . The Egyptians, a religious people that was centered around a central leadership, came close to becoming the very core of a separate, separate, interlinked Western-derived religious philosophy that was based on the Old Testament and in turn was based upon the Quranic and Sinaitic sources, which were developed from the Sumerian. The name for the Egyptian religion is, in addition to the Arabic, Shulhan Muhattab (trans. Ritchet), a type of the Egyptian language, which is the official name of that country. In other words, we would, if we could, call it ‘Islamic’ according to the modern West.
At the time of Mughal rule in the north of Africa, and when their government is still relatively young to this day, we will call the “Mughal era” a “period of Islamization” where the Muslim population, having turned to Islam, began to be assimilated, which is similar to the situation being experienced today in the world today. The Islamic state was being built, and this is why both countries, like the European Union nations, are in their infancy while Western countries are developing and developing as well.
The Islamic state became the most widespread and pervasive way for a Muslim population in the world over several decades. During this period the Muslim population increased, growing with it along the whole Arab and Western axis towards the Middle East; this process began about 2000 years prior to the Islamic conquest of Mecca, an expansion that was initiated when the Muslim population of the world was just around 1.3 million. As one scientist put it, this “Islamic” era in the West was “much more successful for the Muslim population than the East” (pg. 1334). It is not the end either of Islam, but that of the West: “The Muslim expansion of Western civilization in the West was mainly led by the West until the establishment of the United Nations in 1956, which finally brought an end to the conflict between the powers of the two.” The Western-oriented West also continued to grow, and the Muslim rulers in the Muslim lands (in the West) sought to maintain this trend towards the Muslim world and hence was able to establish a state in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In response to this increasing Muslim population in the West, Islam started to take over one of its most important pillars of its religion: the Egyptian creed. There was no such entity as the Egyptian belief in the importance of God, and as such, Islam was the most popular and accepted religion amongst the Egyptian people.
Today, when most of the world is divided (by geography and geography alone) it is quite possible to see the emergence of a truly secular Islam. In countries like the Middle East and North Africa, Islam is not even recognized as a traditional religion by the government of any one country. It is simply thought of by those who are ignorant of the nature of Islam, and it’s usually thought of as either a foreign or native religion in some of the most religiously influenced of cultures. By this way
The most prevalent story depicting the introduction of Islam into west sub-Saharan Africa is the tale from Malal, whose king came to be known as al-musulmani: ” the Muslim” in English (pg. 390). It is told that the kingdom of al-musulmani was fraught with the strife of droughts and dwindling cattle herds for many consecutive years. In seemingly ignoring the supplications f the people of Malal, their higher power appeared to be a failure. A royal guest of the king enunciated that the route to assuaging these calamities was to believe in God and accept the laws of Islam. This chosen path was advantageous and preferable to continued onslaught. Simultaneous with the kings heartfelt prayers to the God of Islam came “an abundant rain…upon them (pg. 390).” the story of how al-musulmani came to be so known is oft-told as the pioneer event in the Islamization
” of Malal’s rise and fall, the end of the era, and the beginning of the Muslim transition from bondage to freedom. This story contains a vivid, in the light of the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, and has the same importance to our times as was described. However, such stories are often made by those who know no religion or who wish to avoid preaching the Koran or the truth of Islam to those on the outside. The story of al-musulmani is similar in its emphasis to “slavery.” This event began as a small rebellion among men, not by a popular declaration, but by a specific act of aggression. It was the “rebellion” that began in February or March of 1833 when the king of Malal was deposed and the town was captured. After two year long warfare and four months of siege, the king finally agreed to end slavery, but he also had the support of the Muslim king, Aiman bin Abi Hye, who had a son with the title of King of the Franks (5th C.). After the king had agreed to end slavery, he met Aiman in one of the most dangerous situations of his lives. Aiman was an accomplished gambler, a wealthy merchant who owned an extensive portfolio of assets. But he was also a warrior. Under the command of a renowned military advisor, he managed to build a formidable fortress. But before he could mount that fortress, a fierce fire broke out, and by the time it cooled, it was too late. As it lay broken apart, the Muslims retreated to another part of Malal, along with their own land. In a short time, the battle that would become known as al-musulmani occurred, with the Muslim army winning the fortress. But to the surprise of many, Aiman was captured, his sons were executed, and the battle raged on ever-widening. In the following several years, thousands of prisoners were taken from the town that had been captured. Soon the Christians returned to the town, along with their cattle. This led to the establishment of a Christian administration in the town. These are the events which became known as the “Militarist Wars” and today in the 19th century ⍬ that are known as the Jihad on Slaves. The story of al-musulmani is similar in its emphasis to “the rebellion” that became known as the “Rebellion” that ceased as a small rebellion of Muslims.
The Battle of Badriyya: an important event in the history of Islam is the Battle of Badriyya. It marks the beginning of the new age and the beginning of a new Islam. Since the beginning all Muslims living between the two countries were brought up in a peaceful way, including Christians in the West and Jews in East, by the Prophet ﷺ. All Muslims from all three nations went to the battle on the streets of their homes and towns. During that campaign, Christians who were also Muslims died, with the Muslims returning to their homes only to find that many dead persons had not been able to attend. During the Battle of Badriyya, Muslims of all persuasions gathered together to fight along with Christians, Muslims of all persuasions, in