During the 7th Century, Islam spread quickly through the Middle East and North Africa. During the 8th Century, the trans-Saharan trade brought Muslim merchants and traders to West Africa. Eventually both the kingdoms of Mali and Songhai accepted Islam. West Africans blended Islamic culture with their own traditions.
What are the impact of Islam in West Africa?
The religion developed and widened the trans-Saharan Caravan trade. The trade enriched the West African and the Muslim traders. Muslims from North Africa came in their numbers and settled in the commercial centres. This helped in the development of the cities such as Timbuctu, Gao, Jenne and Kano.
How did Islam spread to West Africa?
Following the conquest of North Africa by Muslim Arabs in the 7th century CE, Islam spread throughout West Africa via merchants, traders, scholars, and missionaries, that is largely through peaceful means whereby African rulers either tolerated the religion or converted to it themselves.
How did the spread of Islam affect Africa?
Islam has come to Africa by many methods and its spread has been impressive. … The historial impact of Islam upon trade, particularly in West Africa, greatly increased the wealth of African people and helped form many great African empires.
How did Islam influence Western civilization?
Western Europeans incorporated Muslim ideas on maths, science, medicine and astronomy into their own thinking and practises. The first hospital in Paris was founded by Louis IX after he came back from Crusade in 1260.
Which country has the most Muslims?
The largest Muslim population in a country is in Indonesia, a country home to 12.7% of the world’s Muslims, followed by Pakistan (11.0%), and India (10.9%).
What part of Africa was first introduced to Islam?
North Africa was first introduced to Islam because it was closest to the Middle East. Islam then spread to West Africa through the Sahara Desert.
When did West Africa convert to Islam?
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 embraced Islam. Islam then spread slowly in much of the continent through trade and preaching.
Was Islam forced in Africa?
Centuries before African Muslims were forced to colonial America, Islam made its way to West Africa through traders, merchant-scholars, and religious teachers.
What is the original religion of Africa?
The Story of Africa| BBC World Service. Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was still alive (he died in 632). Thus both religions have been on the continent of Africa for over 1,300 years.
Why did Islam spread in Africa?
According to Arab oral tradition, Islam first came to Africa with Muslim refugees fleeing persecution in the Arab peninsula. This was followed by a military invasion, some seven years after the death of the prophet Mohammed in 639, under the command of the Muslim Arab General, Amr ibn al-Asi.
What caused the rise of Islamic states?
The Muslim community spread through the Middle East through conquest, and the resulting growth of the Muslim state provided the ground in which the recently revealed faith could take root and flourish. The military conquest was inspired by religion, but it was also motivated by greed and politics.
What was the religion of Africa before Christianity?
OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa.
What Islam gave to world?
Among many instruments that arrived in Europe through the Middle East are the lute and the rahab, an ancestor of the violin. Modern musical scales are also said to derive from the Arabic alphabet. According to Hassani, the Prophet Mohammed popularized the use of the first toothbrush in around 600.
How did Islam influence literature?
In addition to works in Arabic, Muslims also fostered a thousand-year tradition of classical Persian poetry, ranging from short quatrains to long epics. With the spread of Islam to other regions, there has been a corresponding growth in literature in other languages, ranging from Swahili to Malay.
What has Islam contributed to the world?
Muslims were great explorers, travellers and merchants.
Helped by navigational instruments such as the astrolabe, men such as Ibn Battuta travelled across the known world, making extensive journeys to Africa, India, China and beyond.