From the seventh century to the mid-fourteenth hundreds, Arab merchants and missionaries and African priests began to spread Islam along the eastern coast of Africa. Among the first converts, the Sudanese merchants helped spread it west along the trans-Saharan trade routes. The spread of Islam over Africa did not happened all at once, but was spread slowly over the course of the next few centuries. Key figures like Mansa Musa and his brother increased its popularity by making pilgrimages and encouraging the building of mosques, as well as stimulating trade and connectivity over the regional trade routes. The gold and salt trade as well as the slave trade helped bring prosperity and development to much of Western Africa. The spread of Islam over the trans-Saharan trade routes lead to political, economic, religious, and aesthetic changes, as well as changes to tradition and customs. Historians have thought of three main reasons as to why Africans converted to Islam. Some, like merchants and travelers had economic motivation, many resonated with the spiritual message of Islam, and others admired Arabic influence. But no matter the reason, it was the major trade routes that connected West Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and the Mediterranean that helped facilitate this trade of goods and ideas, and assisted in the development of western African society.
One of the main reasons why Islam because so popular in Africa, was its ability to blend
and tolerate traditional African religion. The simplicity of its doctrine attracted many to convert, because it was easily adaptable. Traditional African practices included ancestor worship and owning sacred objects, and when Muslim clerics began making amulets with Qur’anic verses, they became a big hit with the locals. These clerics, called marabouts, founded many religious centers, attracting scholars from all over Africa. And upon the completion of their studies, these
scholars would go to their home and win over more converts. Converts would seriously observe the five pillars of Islam, delving further into the religion. Some of the more prominent marabouts are Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, a writer and architect, and Ibu Khadija al-Kumi, a Muslim missionary. The two met Mansa Musa upon his return from his pilgrimage to Mecca, and later settled in Mali, where they preached Islam. Al-Sahili became known from designing the Great Mosque of Timbuktu and a palace for Mansa Musa, after al-Sahili impressed him with an audience chamber that he built. There are many others worth mentioning, like Abd Rahman Jakhite, who built a mosque and presented the practice of Qur'an recital, or Abd al-Rahman al-Maghili, who built an Islamic school, and went on a trip to preach over Africa. Not only did these people aid in spiritual and educational growth by building schools are raising the overall literacy rate of he continent, but their actions initiated even more trade than before, now in knowledge and ideas. As most missionaries traveled over the trans-Saharan routes, this sparked a need for more trade in the surrounding areas. More trade meant more connections and more connections lead to rapidly spreading ideas. Islam sent a wave of cultural diffusion all through Africa, which in turn lead to the development of buildings, libraries, cultural and educational centers, mosques, and the society as a whole.
Islamic influence on aesthetic and architecture can be seen all through Africa. In capital cities like Ghana and Gao, the proximity of trade networks and merchant resulted in the building of mosques. Mansa Musa himself brought back al-Sahili, who is often credited for the creation of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style. Musa’s brother followed his path and encouraged the building of mosques and the development of cultural centers like Timbuktu. Not only was Timbuktu a cultural focus, it was located on crossroad of the trans-Saharan trade routes, and all major trade went through there. The Arab traders, with them brought their culture, religion and language, and it ended up mixing with the local traditions. Arabic vocabulary blended with the Bantu language and formed Swahili. The arabic architectural style blended with that of Africa into the Suda-Sahelian. Islamic influence can also be seen in art. Religious artworks were never as valued before the introduction of Islam. Muslim merchants brought the art of writing and record keeping. Creative writing and poetry were never popular before, so this new way of expression was quickly demanded. From there arose writers and historians, the famous architect al-Sahili was a poet himself. Things that came from the Arabs had a tendency to blend with the native culture, so when the Muslim traders brought with them rugs and cloths, new weaving techniques were incorporated into the traditional African ones. It also helped that Islam reinforced the African style of repeating geometric shapes and patterns
Alongside spiritual and aesthetic effects, the spread of Islam has political and economic benefits. Islam gained ground in West African through the conversion of rulers and courtiers, so these rulers had something in common that they didn’t have before. Islam surpassed family and clan ties, therefore unifying the continent as a result. Rulers like Mansa Musa and Askia Muhammad and others attempted to use Islam as a unifying force in their state, with various degrees of success. Muslim traders brought not only their religion, but administrative techniques, and soon many rulers adapted systems of justice and taxation that weren’t even seen in Africa beforehand. As these rules followed the five pillars of Islam and went on the hajj, they not only strengthened diplomatic relations, but were brought into contact with new technology like burnt brick or welding techniques, and ideas that weren’t yet available in Africa. Weapons and military advancements were brought back and mirrored. The pilgrimages of African rulers sparked an interest within its neighbors, and soon more merchants began pouring into Africa.
It is undoubtedly true that the spread of Islam and the trans-Saharan trade routes helped facilitated west African development, but to what extent? Around the 7-14th centuries the influence was more directly seen, from art and buildings, to political structure, to the minds of people themselves. Islam was a thing that, like many religions, worked itself into the heart of some people, but was used as a tool my others. It provided not only spiritual guidance to the people of Africa, but a communication tool, a unifier. The spread of Islam strengthened trade within and outside of Africa, providing more direct access to outside goods. And while all of these changes were really prominent seven centuries ago, what about now? African trade isn’t nearly as prominent worldwide, nor is it considered an advancing civilization as it once was, but reminders from the seventh century still stand. Mosques and works of architectural blending still stand to this day, and while half of the African population will tell you that they believe in amulets and spells, most faiths that are around today contain small bits and pieces of Islam. African culture was not completely changed after the introduction of Islam, its was modified to fit the new trend.