Understanding Islam:
Islam Today: Demographics
• There are an estimated 1.2 billion
Muslims worldwide
– Approximately 1/5th of the world's
population
– Growth without missionary efforts
• Where Do Muslims Live?
– Only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world
– 20% are found in Sub-Saharan Africa
– 30% in the South Asian region of Pakistan,
India and Bangladesh
– The world's largest single Muslim
community is in Indonesia
• The Top 9: 1) Indonesia, 2) Pakistan, 3)
Bangladesh, 4) India, 5) Turkey, 6) Iran, 7)
Egypt, 8) Nigeria, and 9) China
Two Main Braches of Islam
• There are two main branches of Islam today
• Sunni recognize the male heirs of the first 4 elected
(according to Muhammad's instruction) caliphs (or spiritual heads)
after Muhammad’s death
• Shiite recognize the decedents of only the 4th caliphs—Ali
(M’s son-in-law & cousin), the only true descendent of
Muhammad
•
In all other ways Sunni and Shiite are very similar
Understanding Muhammad
(Islam’s messenger of God):
His Life and Times
The Life of Muhammad:
The early years
• Muhammad was born in Mecca around the
year 570 (A city of western Saudi Arabia)
• Mecca was not a kind, friendly culture
• These tribes all worshiped many different
gods (polytheistic)
• Muhammad began working as a merchant
and was known for his trustworthiness
• Muhammad and Khadija (wife) had 4
daughters and 2 sons
Muhammad as a young man
• Gained a reputation as being honest and reliable – nicknamed
al- Amin, “the trustworthy.”
• Worked as a shepherd, then as in trade
• Began to work for the wealthy widow Khadija; they married (she
was 40 and he was 25).
•Began to contemplate the low level of
moral and social life in Mecca; felt great
sympathy for orphans, widows, outcasts
and the poor; critical especially of the
practice of burying infant daughters
alive.
•Became a highly disciplined spiritual
seeker (Denny, 51).
Mt. Hira – north of Mecca
Koran (or the Qur'an)
• Introduction
– God's revelations to
Muhammad
– Islam’s religious text
• The Creation of the Book
The sacred
text of Islam:
The Koran
• Organized into 114 chapters,
called suras.
• Written in Arabic; recited in
Arabic.
• Meccan suras and Medinan
suras
• Text is understood as offering
“guidance for the world” or “a
clear sign for those who can
understand.”
• Recitation, or revelation, of
what God plans to reveal to
humanity
The Five Pillars
• The believer worships God directly without the
intercession of priests or clergy or saints.
• The believer's duties are summed up in five simple
rules, the so-called Five Pillars of Islam:
• 1) Belief
• 2) Worship
– A) Worship God five times a day — at dawn, noon,
mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall.
– B) All males gather together on Friday for the noon
prayer and listen to a sermon by the leader of the
community.
The Five Pillars
• 3) Fasting
• 4) Almsgiving
• 5) Pilgrimage
African Civilizations
and the Spread of Islam
What is the geography of Africa?
How might this geography impact Africans?
African Regions
Pre-Islamic Africa
• Extremely diverse societies developed
• Political unity was difficult because of terrain
• Bantu: primary language spoken
• Oral traditions; very few written records
• Most communities are preliterate (lacking writing system)
• Animistic and polytheistic religions
•
•
•
•
Power of natural forces; ritual and worship
Dancing, drumming, divination, and sacrifice
Witchcraft; cosmology
Ancestors are called upon
• Economies vary by region
• N. Africa: Islamic trade routes and Mediterranean trade
• Sub-Saharan: agriculture; ironworking; tribes and herders
• Africans exchanged abundant raw materials (esp. salt) for
manufactured goods
Geography of Africa
Africa’s
geography
was very
diverse
& Africans
were lived
differently
based on
where
they lived
Geography of Africa
The Sahara is the
world’s largest desert
& acted as a barrier to
separate North Africa
from sub-Saharan Africa
Early Societies of Africa
Early societies of North
Africa were influenced by
Mediterranean cultures such
as the Phoenicians & Romans
By 750, North Africans were part
of the Islamic Empire, converted
to Islam, & shared Arabic culture
Early Societies of Africa
African societies
south of the
Sahara were
isolated &
missed out on
the cultural
diffusion of the
Classical Era
Influence of Islam in Africa
• 640-700: Muslims moved west from Arabia
across N. Africa to spread Islam
• Rapid conversions by Berbers (Saharan nomads)
• Spreads along pre-existing caravan routes
• Maghreb: NW Africa (W of Egypt); Islamized
• 11th-12th centuries: Almoravids and Almohads
(ultra-conservative Muslim Berbers) grow in
power
• Reformers: launch jihad (war to spread and protect
faith) against “lax” Muslims
• Almohads defeat Almoravids
• Almohad Caliphate: 1121-1269
• These groups are essential to the spread of Islam
throughout Africa.
• Why is Islam attractive?
• Egalitarian; reinforced kings’ authority; equal
footing politically/religiously/economically with
Arabs
Almoravids
1040-1147
How did early people in Sub-Saharan Africa live?
Characteristics of Sub-Saharan Africa
■ While the societies of sub-Saharan Africa
were diverse, they shared some similarities:
–Most societies lived in farming villages in
family-based clans
–Few societies had
written languages;
Histories were
shared orally by
storytellers (griots)
–Made iron tools
Characteristics of Africa
■Sub-Saharan people
were polytheistic:
–Practiced animism,
a religion in which
spirits exist
in nature &
play a role
in daily life
“Stateless” Societies
• Many small African communities are politically organized in this
way
• There are authoritarian and centralized empires, however
• Lack concentration of power and authority
• Authority and power normally exercised by a ruler and court
is held by a council or families or community
• Not a “fulltime job”
• Weakness of stateless societies
• No organization to collect taxes  no effective militaries
• No consensus  Difficult to resist external pressures
• No undertaking of large building projects
• Internal problems could be resolved by allowing dissidents to
leave and establish new villages
The Bantu Migration
Over the course of
4,000 years, Bantu
peoples of central
Africa migrated south
in search of farmland
These Bantu migrations
helped spread new farming
& ironworking techniques
What factors shaped the culture of East Africa?
East Africa
■ The societies of East African participated
in the Indian Ocean trade network & were
shaped by cultural diffusion:
–The kingdom of
Aksum trade with
Persia, India,
Arabia, & Rome;
Aksum became a
Christian kingdom
Axum Church
Swahili Coast of East Africa
• Islamized trading ports along coast by 13th c.
• Most merchants converted; financial
motivation
• Ibn Battuta: Islamic scholar/writer who visits
these cities; refers to them as Muslim cities
• Swahili language (Bantu + Arabic) emerged
in urbanized trading ports
• Syncretism: merging of different cultures
• Swahili civilization = set of commercial citystates stretching along the East African coast
• Kilwa, Mogadishu, Mombasa: large citystate and trading centers along coast
• Each city-state was politically independent
with its own king
• Sharp class distinctions in each city-state: big
gap between the merchant elite class and the
commoners
East Africa
■ Arab merchants
introduced Islam to
East African trade cities
–The mix of African &
Arab cultures led to a
new Swahili language
–Towns had mosques
& were ruled by a
Muslim sultan
–But many people
kept their traditional
religious beliefs
KILWA
• Located on East African Coast
• Independent City-State - not part
of kingdom
• Monopolized (controlled) gold
trade with interior
• Model drawing of Palace of Kilwa
- Palace was destroyed by the
Portuguese in early 16th century
•
•
•
•
Swahili Culture:
Islamic & African culture blended
Swahili language
Beautiful
mosques
Hail Mary in Swahili
What factors shaped the culture of West Africa?
West African Kingdoms
• Grasslands Kingdoms = West African Kingdoms= Sudanic States =
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
• Sahel Grasslands: transition zone between Sahara Desert and
savannahs to the south
• Point of exchange between North and Sub-Saharan Africa;
important region of trade once gold is found
West Africa
■ West Africa was
were shaped by
the trans-Saharan
trade network:
–West Africans
had large
deposits of gold,
but lacked salt
–The gold-salt
trade connected
North & West
Africa
West Africa
■ The gold-salt trade
increased cultural
diffusion with
Muslim merchants:
–Islam was
introduced in
West Africa &
slowed gained
converts
–Many Africans
blended Islam
with animism or
never converted
West African Kingdoms
• Islam reinforced ideas of kingship and
power: “royal cult”
• Joining Islam gives rulers prestige and
associates them with other great Muslim
leaders
• Majority of population never
converted; retain their
polytheism/animism
• Rulers were more concerned about
political benefits of Islam than conversion
• Trade gold and salt
• Mali, Ghana and Songhai
• Combine Islamic religion/culture with local
practices
• Each incorporates the previous kingdom;
bigger than last
• Each will exert power over subordinate
communities through taxes, tribute, and
military support
West Africa
■ The gold-salt trade led
to wealth & empires
in West Africa
–By 800, Ghana
became an empire
by taxing merchants,
building a large
army, & conquering
surrounding people
–Ghana kings served
as religious leaders,
judges, & generals
Ghana Empire
400? – 1076
• 1st great West African
empire
• Trade salt and gold
• 10th c: rulers convert to
Islam while common
people remain loyal to
polytheism
• 11th c.: political height
• Almoravid armies
invaded Ghana in 1076
West Africa
■ The kings who ruled
Mali after Sundiata
converted to Islam
■ The most important
king was Mansa Musa:
–He built a 100,000
man army to keep
control over Mali
–He divided Mali into
provinces ruled by
appointed governors
Mali Empire
(1230-1600)
th
• Broke away from Ghana in 13 c.
• Economy: agriculture and gold trade
• Traders spread beyond W Africa
• Very wealthy empire
• Islamized state in 13th c. when rulers
convert
• Mosques built; public prayers
• Founder: Sundiata (dies 1260)
• “Lion Prince”
• Divides society into clans with different jobs
• Peace created through loyalty; crimes
severely punished
• Credited with Malinke expansion and
creation of unified state with each tribe
having a representative at court
• Heavily defended empire
Mali Empire
(1230-1600)
• Jenne and Timbuktu
• Major cities of commercial
exchange
• Scholars, artisans, merchants
• Mosques, libraries,
universities
• Mostly agricultural; polygamy
allowed because of Islamic
beliefs and for the ability to
have children work
• Irrigation along Niger River
Mansa Musa was a
devout Muslim & went on
a hajj to Mecca in 1324
Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa passed out gold nuggets
to the people he met along the way
Mansa Musa: Malinke Ruler
• Second ruler of Mali
• 1324: Hajj to Mecca
• Aligns himself with Islamic rulers
• Brings back scholars, architects,
artists
• Ishak al-Sahili: architect who
builds great Mosque of Jenne
• Inadvertently devastates
economies he enters as he passes
out gold and spends it
• Symbol of existence of wealthy,
sophisticated empires in Africa
• Estimated wealth: $400 billion
45
West Africa
■ When he returned
from Mecca, Mansa
Musa built mosques
throughout Mali,
including Timbuktu
–This trade city
attracted scholars,
doctors, religious
leaders
–It had a university &
became an important
center for learning
West Africa
■ When he returned
from Mecca, Mansa
Musa built mosques
throughout Mali,
including Timbuktu
–This trade city
attracted scholars,
doctors, religious
leaders
–It had a university &
became an important
center for learning
West Africa
■ After Mansa Musa,
Mali declined & was
replaced by Songhai
–Kings gained control
of trade cities along
the gold-salt routes
–Songhai grew into
the largest of the
West African empires
–Its fall in 1591 ended
a 1,000 year era of
empires in West Africa
Songhai Empire
(1464-1591)
• Independent from Mali in 1370s
• Prospered as a trading state and
military power.
• Founded by Sunni Ali (1464-1492)
• Great military leader; extended rule
over the entire Niger River valley.
• Rulers practice Islam; people
maintain polytheism
• Muslims are merchants (wealthy);
become elite
• Songhai remained dominant until
defeated by Moroccans in 1591 for
practicing a lax form of Islam
Influence of Islam
in West African Kingdoms
• Islam provided universal faith, sense of community, and a
strong political/legal system.
• Royal Cult: rulers reinforced authority through Muslim
ideology; spiritual and political leader
• Many who are exposed to Islam do not convert but remain
practitioners of their indigenous religion
• Many Sudanic societies were matrilineal.
• Hesitancy over conversion to Islam since it restricted
women more than these societies did
• Islam supports interregional trade
• Slavery and slave trade grew in prominence (7 million traded)
• Slave trade has existed since Classical period; Islam helps
globalize it
• Majority of Africa, even after introduction of Islam, will
remain in isolation and not connected to larger networks
Global Connections
• Spread of Islam brought large areas of Africa
into the global community through
increasing contact from 700-1500 CE.
• Specifically, Sudanic states and East
Africa
• However, most of Africa evolved in regions
free of Islamic contact (Central + Southern
Africa).
• Organized their lives in stateless societies.
• While no universal empires and religions
develop in Africa, Christianity and Islam
impact the region through political,
economic, and cultural development.
• Reality is there are more written records in
regions affected by Islam; knowledge is not
even