Islam in the Empire of Mali
The influence of Islam
in Mali dates back to the 15th
century when Al-Bakri mentions the conversion of its ruler to Islam.
There was
a miserable period of drought which came to an end by offering Muslim
prayers
and ablutions. The Empire of Mali arose from the ruins of Ghana
Empire. There
are two important names in the history of Islam in Mali: Sundiata
(1230-1255)
and Mansa Musa (1312-1337). Sundiata is the founder of the Mali Empire
but was
a weak Muslim, since he practiced Islam with syncretic practices and was
highly
disliked by the scholars. Mansa Musa was, on the other hand, a devout
Muslim
and is considered to be the real architect of the Mali Empire. By the
time
Sundiata died in 1255, a large number of former dependencies of Ghana
also came under his power. After him came Mansa Uli (1255-1270) who had
made a
pilgrimage to Makkah.
Mansa (Emperor) Musa
came to power in 1312 and his fame
reached beyond the Sudan, North Africa and spread up to Europe. Mansa
Musa
ruled from 1312 to 1337 and in 1324-25 he made his famous pilgrimage to
Makkah
[Hajj]. When he returned from his pilgrimage, he brought with him a
large
number of Muslim scholars and architects who built five mosques for the
first
time with baked bricks. Thus Islam received its greatest boost during
Mansa
Musa’s reign. Many scholars agree that because of his attachment to
Islam,
Mansa Musa could introduce new ideas to his administration. The famous
traveller and scholar Ibn Batutah came to Mali during Mansa Sulaiman’s
reign
(1341-1360), and gives an excellent account of Mali’s government and its
economic prosperity - in fact, a legacy of Mansa Musa’s policy. Mansa
Musa’s
pilgrimage projected Mali’s enormous wealth and potentialities which
attracted
more and more Muslim traders and scholars. These Muslim scholars and
traders
contributed to the cultural and economic development of Mali. It was
during his reign that diplomatic relations were established with Tunis
and Egypt, and thus Mali began to appear on the map of the world.
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 scholars
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 Chief Justice and were known for their fearless opposition
to the rulers. In his lifetime, Sunni ‘Ali took measures against the scholars 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. He gave his
munificent
patronage to the scholars 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 Caliph of the
Western Sudan. On his return from Makkah in the year 1497, he proudly
used the title of
Al-Hajj.
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, 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.
KAMI SEKELUARGA MENGUCAPKAN BANYAK TERIMA KASIH ATAS BANTUANNYA MBAH , NOMOR YANG MBAH BERIKAN/ 4D SGP& HK SAYA DAPAT (350) JUTA ALHAMDULILLAH TEMBUS, SELURUH HUTANG2 SAYA SUDAH SAYA LUNAS DAN KAMI BISAH USAHA LAGI. JIKA ANDA INGIN SEPERTI SAYA HUB MBAH_PURO _085_342_734_904_ terima kasih.الالله صلى الله عليه وسلموعليكوتهله صلى الل
ReplyDeleteKAMI SEKELUARGA MENGUCAPKAN BANYAK TERIMA KASIH ATAS BANTUANNYA MBAH , NOMOR YANG MBAH BERIKAN/ 4D SGP& HK SAYA DAPAT (350) JUTA ALHAMDULILLAH TEMBUS, SELURUH HUTANG2 SAYA SUDAH SAYA LUNAS DAN KAMI BISAH USAHA LAGI. JIKA ANDA INGIN SEPERTI SAYA HUB MBAH_PURO _085_342_734_904_ terima kasih.الالله صلى الله عليه وسلموعليكوتهله صلى الل
KAMI SEKELUARGA MENGUCAPKAN BANYAK TERIMA KASIH ATAS BANTUANNYA MBAH , NOMOR YANG MBAH BERIKAN/ 4D SGP& HK SAYA DAPAT (350) JUTA ALHAMDULILLAH TEMBUS, SELURUH HUTANG2 SAYA SUDAH SAYA LUNAS DAN KAMI BISAH USAHA LAGI. JIKA ANDA INGIN SEPERTI SAYA HUB MBAH_PURO _085_342_734_904_ terima kasih.الالله صلى الله عليه وسلموعليكوتهله صلى الل