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This is pro-Islam evangelicism at its best brother. I am sure you were not even pretending to be "impartial" in this post.
"Finally, nearly all of the early slaves brought to the Americas were
Muslim (First 150 Years). Secondly, all of the written reports we have
during slavery were by the Muslims, because they were the only ones who
could write!" - Ansari Mustafa
You mean those Africans stolen from the "Muslim regions" of West Africa were Muslims and they were around 10% of the entire slave population in the United States. You also mean some of those Arabic renditions were subject to translation by European scholars because Europeans were familiar with Arabic whereas Europeans did not start studying indigenous West African writing systems until circa 1850-60 so they assumed that our philology was completely oral.
I suppose you conveniently forgot to mention the Adinkra philosophical
writing system that existed in the West African region now known as Ghana
before Arabic arrived as well. The Europeans and the Arabs had no
understanding of how our writing systems were embedded into our clothing,
and artwork, conveying meaning all the time, not just in the form of
script. Many of the Africans taken from Central Africa that ended up in
South America were not Muslim. *********
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I have worked over the years intermittingly with the
www.Timbuktueducationalfoundation.org which can verify this
information. There is also an excellent book by Professor Sylvianne
Diouf called "The Servants of Allah", which chronicles in great
details the occurrences during the slavery period. These sources
plus the contemporary writings of Leo Africanus, Al-Idrissi, and Ibn
Khaldun appear to be much more credible than the European writers
suggested by brother Felix.
Here is an excerpt from Professor Doi, who you can find by simply
googling "West Africa Islam"..
Finally, nearly all of the early slaves brought to the Americas were
Muslim (First 150 Years). Secondly, all of the written reports we
have during slavery were by the Muslims, because they were the only
ones who could write!
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"When he calls one of his subjects to
an audience, the man removes his clothes and puts on worn-out
garments and replaces his turban with a dirty skull-cap. Then he
enters raising his garments and pantaloons halfway up his shins
and comes forward in a submissive and humble way and strikes the
ground high with his elbows. He then stands like one bowing in
prayer listening to the Sultan's words. When one of them addresses
the Sultan and the Sultan replies, the man removes the garments
from his back and puts dust on his head and back like one washing
with water."
These traditional practices continued
along with Islamic ones. Some of the pagan practices were also
observed with the Islamic worship. Worship of the local cults and
shrines and belief in the local taboos continued in spite of the
fact that Islam made enormous progress in the hinter-land of the
Western Sudan. Al-Maghilli reports that girls customarily went
naked until the time of their marriage, in the city of Jenne in
the 15th century, although Islam was firmly rooted in the area by
that time. In Hausa land, too, we hear of such practices, as late
as the 19th century, when Shehu 'Uthman Dan Fodio launched his
jihad to revive and revitalize Islam. We come to know about some
pagan customs through the writings of the Shehu, such as covering
the head with dust and prostration before the ruler. The
monotheistic teachings of Islam frown upon prostrating before any
one except one God and considers it as polytheism (shirk).
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Islam in the Empire of Songhay
Islam began to spread in the Empire of
Songhay some time in the 11th century when the ruling Za or Dia
dynasty first accepted it. It was a prosperous region because of
its booming trade with Gao. By the 13th century it had come under
the dominion of the Mali Empire but had freed itself by the end of
the 14th century when the dynasty was renamed Sunni. The frontier
of Songhay now expanded and in the 15th century, under the
leadership of Sunni 'Ali, who ruled between 1464-1492, the most
important towns of the Western Sudan came under the Songhay
Empire. The great cities of Islamic learning like Timbuktu
and Jenne came under his power between 1471-1476.
Sunni 'Ali's was a nominal Muslim who
used Islam to his ends. He even persecuted Muslim scholars and
practiced local cults and magic. When the famous scholar Al-Maghilli
called him a pagan, he punished him too. The belief in cults and
magic was, however, not something new in Songhay. It existed in
other parts of West Africa until the time the revivalist movements
gained momentum in the 18th century. It is said of Sunni 'Ali that
he tried to compromise between paganism and Islam although he
prayed and fasted. The 'ulama called it merely a mockery.
Sunni 'Ali's syncretism was soon
challenged by the Muslim elites and scholars in Timbuktu, which
was then a center of Islamic learning and civilization. The famous
family of Agit, of the Berber scholars, had the post of the Grand
Qadhi (Chief Justice) and were known for their fearless opposition
to the rulers. In his lifetime, Sunni 'Ali took measures against
the 'ulama of Timbuktu (in 1469 and in 1486). But on his death,
the situation completely changed: Islam and Muslim scholars
triumphed. Muhammad Toure (Towri), a military commander asked
Sunni 'Ali's successor, Sunni Barou, to appear before the public
and make an open confession of his faith in Islam. When Barou
refused to do so, Muhammad Toure ousted him and established a new
dynasty in his own name, called the Askiya dynasty. Sunni 'Ali may
be compared with Sundiata of Mali, and Askiya Muhammad Toure with
Mansa Musa, a champion of the cause of Islam.
On his coming to power, he established
Islamic law and arranged a large number of Muslims to be trained
as judges (Qadhis) to interpret Canon Law. He gave his munificient
patronage to the 'ulama and gave them large pieces of land as
gifts. He became a great friend of the famous scholar Muhammad Al-Maghilli.
It was because of his patronage that eminent Muslim scholars were
attracted to Timbuktu, which became a great seat of learning in
the 16th century. Timbuktu has the credit of establishing the
first Muslim University called Sankore University in West Africa;
its name is commemorated until today in Ibadan University where a
staff residential area has been named as Sankore Avenue.
Like Mansa Musa of Mali, Askia Muhammad Toure went on a pilgrimage and thus came into close contact with Muslim scholars and rulers in the Arab countries. In Makkah, the King accorded him great respect; he was turbanned. The King gave him a sword and the title of the Khalifa of the Western Sudan. On his return from Makkah in the year 1497, he proudly used the title of Al-Hajj [20].
Askia took such a keen interest in the
Islamic legal system that he asked a number of questions on
Islamic theology from his friend Muhammad al-Maghilli. Al-Maghilli
answered his questions in detail which Askia circulated in the
Songhay empire. Some of the questions were about the fundamental
structure of the faith, such as 'who is a true Muslim?' and "who
is a pagan?" When we read Shehu 'Uthman Dan Fodio's works on
jihad, we can see some of his arguments quoted on the authority of
Al-Maghilli. In other words, Al-Maghilli's detailed discussions of
the issues raised by Askiya Muhammad played a great role in
influencing Shehu's jihad.
After Askiya Muhammad Toure, the
empire began to crumble into pieces. He was deposed by his sons
who had shared power with him since there was no fixed law of
succession to the throne. During the period of 60
years(1528-1591), eight Askias came to power one after another. At
last, in 1591 Songhay fell in the hands of the Moors and the
glories of Timbuktu began to decline.
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