The Spread of Islam in West Africa

Trans-Saharan trade brought Islam to West Africa in the 8th century. Initially, Muslim traders and merchants lived alongside the non-Muslims of West Africa. Over time, however, Islam played a growing role in West African society.

Traders Bring Islam to Ghana

Between the years 639 and 708 C.E., Arab Muslims conquered North Africa, and before long, they wanted to bring West Africa into the Islamic world. But sending armies to conquer Ghana was not practical since Ghana was too far away and protected by the Sahara.

Islam first reached Ghana through Muslim traders and missionaries. The king of Ghana did not ​convert​ to Islam, nor did the majority of the people. However, the king did allow Muslims to establish settlements within his empire.

Many Muslim merchants and traders settled in Kumbi, the great market city of Ghana. Over time, a thriving Muslim community developed around the trans-Saharan trade with North Africa. The Muslims in Kumbi had 12 mosques and their own imam (spiritual leader). Scholars studied the Qur'an.

In the 11th century, Muslims from the north, the Almoravids, invaded West Africa. In 1076, they captured Kumbi. The Almoravids did not retain power for long in Ghana, but under their rule Islam became more widespread.

Islam in Mali

To the south of Ghana, the Mande also accepted Islam. Muslims showed ​tolerance​toward traditional religious practices, which helped Islam to spread. For example, West Africans continued to pray to the spirits of their ancestors.

In about 1240, the Mande conquered Kumbi. They took control of the trade routes to North Africa and built the empire of ​Mali​.

As in many other cultures, the early leaders of Mali accepted Islam in their own way and chose to follow specific teachings. In 1312, a new leader, ​Mansa Musa​, took over in Mali and became the first West African ruler to practice Islam devoutly.

Under Mansa Musa's rule, Mali became a major crossroads of the Islamic world. Muslim merchants, traders, and scholars from Egypt and North Africa came to Mali to conduct business or to settle.

Like other Muslims, Musa made a hajj, or pilgrimage, to the sacred city of Mecca in Arabia. The hajj was an enormous undertaking, covering some 3,000 miles. Officials and servants started preparing for the trip months before Musa left. As many as 80,000 people may have accompanied Musa on the hajj.

Musa reached Cairo, Egypt, in July 1324, after eight months of travel. A writer from Cairo described Musa's caravan as “a lavish display of power, wealth, and unprecedented by its size and pageantry.” Ahead of Musa arrived 500 slaves, each carrying a gold staff. He was followed by a caravan of up to 100 camels carrying 30,000 pounds of gold, along with food, clothing, and supplies.

In Cairo, Musa met the local sultan, or ruler. When Musa was asked to kneel before the sultan, he felt insulted since he was very proud of being the ruler of Mali. After Musa finally agreed to kneel, the sultan invited him to sit beside him as his equal.

After leaving Cairo, Musa traveled to Arabia to visit Mecca and Medina. When word spread that the king of Mali was visiting, people lined the streets to see him. Musa's wealth impressed the people and rulers of Arabia. He paid in gold for all the goods and services he received and gave expensive gifts to his hosts.

Because of Musa's hajj, Mali became known as an important kingdom. By 1375, Mali appeared on a European map of West Africa.

Islam in Songhai

One of the groups within Mali's empire was the ​Songhai​ people. In the 1460s, the great warrior Sunni Ali became the new ruler of the Songhai. He created a powerful army that enabled the Songhai to break away from Mali and, eventually, to conquer it.

The early Songhai rulers did not practice Islam as strictly. In the 1490s, Muslims in the Songhai empire rebelled. They placed Askia Mohammed Toure, a devout Muslim, on the throne. Toure established and enforced rigid controls to make sure Islam was practiced as he felt was proper. Additionally, he led a series of wars to convert non-Muslims to Islam.

Under his rule, the Songhai empire covered a territory about as large as western Europe.