Islam and Africa

by Prof. A. Rahman I. Doi

[The famous Arab historian Ibn Khaldun says that the name Ifriqiya was given after Ifriqos bin Qais bin Saifi, one of the Kings of Yemen. To Al-Bakri, the boundries of Ifriqiya were Barga on the East and Tangier on the West, which means that in addition to the Africa proper of the Romans, it included Tripolitania, Numidia and Mauritania. Today, by the use of the word Ifiriqiya or Africa, the Arabs as well as non-Arabs mean the entire continent of Africa which includes North Africa (including the Maghrib), East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and South Africa. It was significant that the first shelter of early Muslims was in Africa (Abyssinia, 615 CE). By the time Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began his mission, the Egyptians and Syrians had partially severed their active link with the Roman Empire.
When the Arab conquest began in 647 CE, the Exarch Gregory had already denounced allegiance to Constantinople and had proclaimed himself as an Emperor. In Egypt, the native Copts were instructed by their bishop in Alexandria to offer no resistance to the Arab Muslims marching toward Egypt. The first serious attempt to expand Islam in Africa is credited to 'Uqabah (Okba) b. Nafi, who is revered to this day as the founder of Muslim Africa. In most of the areas conquered, the former religions of those areas, whether Christianity, zoroastrianism, Judaism or indigenous cults, continued to survive, without generally any oppression for centuries after the conquest by Muslim armies. Thus even in those areas where political authority was in the hands of Muslims owing allegiance to the central power of the Caliphate in Damascus or Baghdad, the actual Islamization of the population was generally a fairly slow process of absorption.
Islam spread in North Africa with remarkable speed, and by the year 732 C.E., which marked the first centennial of Muhammed's death, his followers were the masters of an empire greater than that of Rome at its Zenith, an empire extending from the Bay of Biscay to the Indus and the confines of China and from the Aral Sea to the lower contracts of the Nile. The name of the Prophet, as Messenger of God along with the name of God [Allah] was being called out five times a day from thousands of minarets scattered all over North Africa, South-Western Europe, and Western and Central Asia.]

The Old Ifriqiya (Africa) and its Boundaries

The Arabs call Africa Ifriqiya. They gave this name to the Eastern part of Barbary [1], and called the western part of Barbary the Maghrib, the name used until today [2]. The Romans called it Africa after the destruction of Carthage. They included Barbary in it and later called the whole continent as Africa. Al Bakri interprets the word Ifriqiya as the Queen of Heaven [3]. Al-Masudi holds another view that the name Ifriqiya is given after the name of Ifrigos bin Abraha bin al-Raish who built the town of Ifriqiya in the Berber country [4]. The famous Arab historian Ibn Khaldun says that the name Ifriqiya was given after Ifriqos bin Qais bin Saifi, one of the Kings of Yemen [5]. Some other historians hold that it comes from the name of Ifriq, son of Quatura, the second wife of the Patriarch [Prophet Abraham, pbuh]. Ibn al-Shabbat says that the name is derived from the Arabic word Bariq meaning 'Clear,' because "in Africa there are no clouds in the sky" [6].

Leo Africanus suggests that Ifriqiya comes from the Arabic word Farawa which means 'to divide' since the Mediterranean divides Africa from Europe while the Nile separates it from Asia. Second, Africa lies between the East and the West. Ibn Abi Dinar [7] also gives the same interpretation. But to Al-Bakri, Ibn Khaldun, and Leo Africanus, the word Ifriqiya did not mean the entire continent of Africa as we know it today. To Al-Bakri, the boundries of Ifriqiya were Barga on the East and Tangier on the West, which means that in addition to the Africa proper of the Romans, it included Tripolitania, Numidia and Mauritania. Leo Africanus, distinguished the Numidia from Ifriqiya, like Al-Idrisi, Ibn Khaldun called Ifriqiya the central and the northern part of Tunisia. Until the 17th century, scholars understand the land of Qairawan. Today, by the use of the word Ifiriqiya or Africa, the Arabs as well as non-Arabs mean the entire continent of Africa which includes North Africa (including the Maghrib), East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and South Africa.

Islam and Africa

Prophet Muhammad, who was born in 571 C.E., preached the message of Islam until his death in 632 C.E. The early contact of Islam with Africa began during the lifetime of the Prophet. He taught the Oneness of God and abolition of priesthood. The Quaraishites - the priestly class of the Arabs - began to persecute him and his early followers. When their oppression went beyond limits, the Prophet advised the Muslims to migrate and seek shelter in some other part of the world. Acting on his advice, the first batch of Muslims migrated to Abyssinia and sought refuge with Negus, a Christian king of Abyssinia in the year 615 C.E. It was significant that the first shelter of early Muslims was in Africa, and their host who stood firm with them was also an African.

Ibn Hisham has given a vivid picture of these first Muslim-Arab refugees in the court of Negus who were followed by their oppressors, the Quraishites, even up to Abyssinia and wanted to take them back to Arabia. In spite of the appeal of the Quraishite delegation, Negus did not leave the Muslims in the hands of their enemies; on the contrary, he asked Ja'far bin Abi Talib, one of the emigrants, to explain why they had fled Makkah. Ja'far reply has been recorded by Ibn Hisham in the following words:

"We were the Jahilliya (ignorant) people, worshipping idols, and violating peace, with a strong man among us always devouring the weak. Such was our state until God Allah sent to us a messenger from amongst ourselves whose ancestry is known to us, and whose veracity, fidelity and purity we recognise. It was the Prophet who summoned us to God in order to profess him as One and worship Him alone, discarding whatever stones and idols we and our forefathers worshipped instead of God. He, moreover, commanded us to be truthful in our talks, to render to others what is due for them, to stand by our families and to refrain from doing wrong and shedding blood. He forbade committing fornication, bearing false witness, depriving the Orphan of his legitimate right and speaking ill of chaste women. He enjoined on us worship of God alone, associating with Him no other and practice fasting."[8]