Examining a series of processes (Islamization, Arabization, Africanization) and case studies from North, West and East Africa, this book gives snapshots of Muslim societies in Africa over the last millennium. In contrast to traditions which suggest that Islam did not take root in Africa, author David Robinson shows the complex struggles of Muslims in the Muslim state of Morocco and in the Hausaland region of Nigeria. He portrays the ways in which Islam was practiced in the 'pagan' societies of Ashanti (Ghana) and Buganda (Uganda) and in the ostensibly Christian state of Ethiopia - beginning with the first emigration of Muslims from Mecca in 615 CE, well before the foundational hijra to Medina in 622. He concludes with chapters on the Mahdi and Khalifa of the Sudan and the Murid Sufi movement that originated in Senegal, and reflections in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001.
Captures the theoretical and actual dimension of social welfare in selected African Islamic countries. Describes State involvement in the post-colonial period, the roles of pious foundations, Sufi orders, and NGOs.
Bringing together cutting-edge research from a range of disciplines, this handbook argues that despite often being overlooked or treated as marginal, the study of Islam from an African context is integral to the broader Muslim world. Challenging the portrayal of African Muslims as passive recipients of religious impetuses arriving from the outside, this book shows how the continent has been a site for the development of rich Islamic scholarship and religious discourses. Over the course of the book, the contributors reflect on: The history and infrastructure of Islam in Africa Politics and Islamic reform Gender, youth, and everyday life for African Muslims New technologies, media, and popular culture. Written by leading scholars in the field, the contributions examine the connections between Islam and broader sociopolitical developments across the continent, demonstrating the important role of religion in the everyday lives of Africans. This book is an important and timely contribution to a subject that is often diffusely studied, and will be of interest to researchers across religious studies, African studies, politics, and sociology.
Political liberalization and economic reform, the weakening of the state, and increased global interconnections have all had profound effects on Muslim societies and the practice of Islam in Africa. The contributors to this volume investigate and illuminate the changes that have occurred in Africa, through detailed case studies.
The history of the Islamic faith in Africa spans 14 centuries. This book provides a detailed mapping of the cultural, political, geographic and religious past of Islam in a single volume. Intended as a reference and textbook, it does not assume prior knowledge of the subject.
Contesting Islam in Africa examines the experiences of "returnee" scholars, an emerging class of elites trained in Saudi and Egyptian theological universities, and their role in educational initiatives and the reconfiguration of Muslim identity in Ghana between 1920 and 2010. Based on oral interviews and significant archival work in Ghana and at the National Archives in London, the book addresses three questions: How did the returnee scholars conceptualize and rationalize local politics and Muslim life in a pluralistic society where Muslims are a minority? How did Ghana''s colonial and post-colonial governments react to the transnational spaces constructed by Muslims generally? And, given the returnee educational imperative, what has been the Saudi and Egyptian influence on the formulation of Muslim culture in Ghana? The book also explores the influence of local mallams, in particular Alhaji Yussif Soalihu (Afa Ajura), who was indefatigable as he almost single-handedly spread Wahhabism in Ghana. For any meaningful understanding of reform Islam and the "returnee" scholars in Ghana, its essential to appreciate the many facets of the life of Afa Ajura. The activities of Afa Ajura and his literate assistants created public controversy and sometimes led to open confrontation with religious adversaries, the Tijaniyya fraternity. These activities redefined intra-religious conflagration and turned Afa Ajura into a religious phenomenon. The many violent confrontations that ensued also attracted the attention of external actors not only interested in spreading reform Islam, but also interested in integrating Ghanaian Muslims into the wider world of Islam. This book argues that Salafism/Wahhabism was and in many ways remains a homegrown religious phenomenon that benefitted primarily from preexisting splits within the northern Ghanaian Muslim community. It also argues that transnational Salafism/Wahhabism and Middle Eastern and North African contact--especially through education and outreach programs--only provided the ideological justification and the grammar for reinterpreting the common good and for reconfiguring local social and political sensibilities. This book is part of the African World Series, edited by Toyin Falola, Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin. "The influence of Wahhabism in sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the least-investigated areas in African studies at a time when tensions, mistrust and religious conflicts have increased. By examining the role of the returnee ulama (Muslim scholars) and their organizations in creating new Muslim identities modeled on their Arab funders, in stark contrast to the Africanized versions of Islam practiced by their own parents, grandparents or relatives at home, the book promises to shed new light on the changing face of Islam in traditionally peaceful and tolerant Muslim societies of sub-Saharan Africa." -- Fallou Ngom, PhD., Associate Professor of Anthropology & Director of the African Language Program, African Studies Center, Boston University "The study of Islam in Africa has not attracted a lot of scholarly attention because the focus has tended to be on the colonial project in Africa. The great moment in the manuscript is when the author asks this question: ''How do we explain the intensity of these clashes - Muslim against Muslim - in a religiously plural country where Islam remains a minority religion?'' This is an important question because the tendency has been to see conflict between Muslims and non Muslims and yet this book promises to provide a totally different type of analysis. The manuscript provides insightful overview of some of the tensions in the past, by looking at conflicts that have occurred in the past. ... Using lucid and great narrative, analytical and interpretative style, the author takes on a rich array of issues that have not attracted a lot of attention in African history. It is a project that deploys primary and secondary sources in a remarkable manner. It will be a useful addition to literature on the spread of Islam in Africa. It is likely to have a great impact on our knowledge of Islam in West Africa in general and Ghana in particular." -- Maurice Amutabi, PhD, Associate Professor, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya "The author was able to connect the spread of Islamic education in line with the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine fueled by the return of graduates from the Islamic University of Medina and the influx of Islamic books that promote the Salafy ideology into Ghana and the decline of Tijaniyya in Ghana." -- Dauda Abubakar, African Studies Quarterly
Offers comparative historical, anthropological and legal perspectives on the ways in which French and British colonial administrations interacted with the diversity of Islamic legal schools, scholars, and practices in Africa.
Explores the stories of African Muslim slaves in the New World. The author argues that although Islam as brought by the Africans did not outlive the last slaves, "what they wrote on the sands of the plantations is a successful story of strength, resilience, courage, pride, and dignity." She discusses Christian Europeans, African Muslims, the Atlantic slave trade, literacy, revolts, and the Muslim legacy. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
