The first significant interaction between Africa and Islam occurred when a group of Muhammad's early disciples sought refuge from persecution in Mecca. They crossed the Red Sea and were granted asylum by the Christian Kingdom of Aksum, located in present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia. This event, known as the first Hijrah, took place in Rajab 8 BH, or May 614 CE¹.
The first mosque in Africa, the Mosque of the Companions, was reportedly built by these Muslim refugees in the Eritrean city of Massawa. This mosque is notable for having two Qiblahs (directions of prayer), one facing Jerusalem and the other facing Mecca, reflecting the change in orientation that occurred during the Prophet's lifetime¹.
Following this initial contact, Islam continued to spread across the continent through trade routes and the efforts of Muslim clerics and traders. The Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded in 670 CE in Tunisia by the Arab general Uqba Ibn Nafi, is another early example of Islamic architecture in Africa and is considered the oldest mosque in Northwest Africa¹.
The spread of Islam in Africa was a complex and adaptive process, influenced by a variety of factors including trade, migration, and the conversion of local rulers and elites. It led to the establishment of Islamic states and societies, some of which became centers of learning and culture, such as Timbuktu¹²..
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/21/2024
(1) Islam in Africa - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Africa.
(2) Trade and the Spread of Islam in Africa | Essay | The Metropolitan .... https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tsis/hd_tsis.htm.
(3) The Story of Africa| BBC World Service. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section7.shtml.
(4) EARLY CONTACT OF ISLAM WITH AFRICA - fctemis.org. https://fctemis.org/notes/7912_y8dim-bk1x1.pdf.
(5) How was Islam spread in Africa? - IslamQA. https://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/18654/how-was-islam-spread-in-africa/.
(6) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Africa.