History
Islam in Africa
From the first refuge to Timbuktu
4 min, Intro
Islam reached Africa before it reached Madinah. Around 615 the first Muslim refugees crossed to Abyssinia. Over the centuries it spread along trade routes, and West African empires like Mali became centres of wealth and learning.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
Islam reaches Africa before it reaches Madinah. Around 615 the first Muslim refugees find safety with a Christian king in Abyssinia. Over the centuries it spreads with traders and scholars, across the desert and across the Indian Ocean. West African empires like Mali become centres of wealth and learning, and Timbuktu a city of scholars.
The first refuge
Around 615, Muslims in Makkah were being persecuted. Where could they go? The Prophet ﷺ sent a group to Abyssinia, in today's Ethiopia and Eritrea. It was ruled by a just Christian king, the Najashi.
Quraysh sent envoys to bring them back. Then Ja'far ibn Abi Talib recited the opening of surah Maryam, about Mary and the birth of John and Jesus.
The sources say the king wept, and refused to give them up. The first refuge of Islam was a Christian kingdom in Africa.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مَرۡيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتۡ مِنۡ أَهۡلِهَا مَكَانࣱا شَرۡقِيࣱّا ١٦
16 And mention in the Book [the story of] Mary when she withdrew from her family to a place towards the east.
Islam's first refuge was a Christian African king, the Najashi of Abyssinia.
Along trade routes
North Africa came under Muslim rule within a century of the Prophet. South of the Sahara, the story was different. There, Islam spread mostly through merchants and scholars.
The caravans crossed the desert with gold and salt. With them went books, teachers and Islam.
On the east coast, the route was the sea. Swahili cities such as Kilwa, Mombasa and Zanzibar became Muslim through trade across the Indian Ocean. The Swahili language itself is full of Arabic words.
South of the Sahara, traders and teachers, not armies, carried Islam.
Mansa Musa and Timbuktu
In 1324 Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire, set out on the pilgrimage to Makkah with a huge caravan. Arab historians recorded what happened in Cairo. He spent and gave away so much gold there that its value fell for years.
He came home with scholars and an architect, and built mosques such as the Djinguereyber in Timbuktu.
Timbuktu became famous for learning. Families kept manuscripts on law, astronomy, medicine and poetry. Hundreds of thousands survive.
In 2012 librarians smuggled many of them to safety from armed militants.
In 2012, Timbuktu's librarians smuggled many of its manuscripts to safety from armed militants.