Islam in Africa: the cards as text

History. Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review.

1. Card 1

   Before Madinah, Africa sheltered the first Muslim refugees.

2. Card 2

   The first refuge

   Around 615, persecuted in Makkah, a group of early Muslims fled to the Christian king of Abyssinia, the Najashi. He heard the Qur'an's verses on Maryam, wept, and refused to hand them over.

3. Card 3

   Qur'an 19:16

   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.

4. Card 4

   Lesson: Islam's first refuge was a Christian African king, the Najashi of Abyssinia.

5. Card 5

   Along trade routes

   Over the centuries, Islam spread south of the Sahara mostly through traders and scholars, not armies. Camel caravans crossed the desert carrying gold, salt, books and faith. On the east coast, the Swahili cities grew Muslim through Indian Ocean trade.

6. Card 6

   Lesson: South of the Sahara, traders and teachers, not armies, carried Islam.

7. Card 7

   Mansa Musa and Timbuktu

   Mansa Musa of Mali made the Hajj in 1324 with so much gold that its price fell in Cairo. He brought back scholars and architects. Timbuktu became a city of scholars. Hundreds of thousands of its manuscripts survive.

8. Card 8

   Lesson: In 2012, Timbuktu's librarians smuggled many of its manuscripts to safety from armed militants.

9. Card 9

   Reflect: Where did the first Muslim refugees go?

   Answer: Abyssinia, to a Christian king. Abyssinia, where the Christian king, the Najashi, protected them.

10. Card 10

    The end of Islam in Africa.

Read the full sheet or swipe the cards.