Islam in Africa

Introduction

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the rise of Islam in Africa. Islam came to Africa mainly through trade and conquest. In the Currently, Africa has the second largest Muslim population world, second only to that of South Asia, and continues to attract more believers. This paper discusses the factors contributing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism in post-independence in two countries of Africa. This paper also discusses the ways through which the Muslim fundamentalists had an effect on politics and gender relations in Africa.

Discussion

Kobischanov tried to find an explanation for the wide spread of Islam in Africa: first, many features of the Muslim religion are similar to traditional African cults (such as polygamy, the comparative simplicity of the service, ease of formal entry into the religious community, the simplicity of the religious hierarchy, etc. Second, Islam is not only a religion, but religious and political ideology that contains many regulations that have not been properly developed in the traditional African cults. Thirdly, Islam stands for the Africans, not as a Euro-American, but as the Afro-Asian religion-political ideology. Fourthly, many Africans who have some education started to belong to the great civilization of Islam, because of its greater international prestige than African culture. In this regard, it is observed that Islam as a way of life is strictly regulated by the Shariah, and the relatively small differentials in different Muslim countries, is rather complicated for "assimilation" in sub-Saharan Africa. Islam demands from African to convert from its customs and habits (e.g. eating meat of some animals, alcoholic beverages, freedom of relations between the sexes, etc.) while retaining many others (circumcision, polygamy, dowry, etc.). However, the commission five times daily prayers, fasting Ramadan and ritually hygienic requirements attracted the Africans. Sharia in Africa is an effective means of social regulation. Both Christianity and Islam in the new Africa have specific features. Development of African forms of Islamic syncretism occurred unevenly and in different historical periods.

The first waves of migrants were relatively informal movements. Egyptians and Arabs tried to conquer new formally Nubia between the years 641 and 651 A.D., but failed. However, the process of spreading Islam through immigration continued, facilitated by a certified agreement known as Treaty of Bakt. This recognized the independence of the Nubians, and at the same time allowing that the people of Egypt and Nubia to travel freely between both countries. The treaty remained in effect for 600 years. Finally, in 1276 AD, Egypt was successful in invade and conquer the northern part of the ancient Nubian Empire.

The construction of identities in West African societies is based on different types of belongings. Many erroneously think of West African identity in terms of tribes. The notion of a tribe as constituting a group of people sharing a common ancestor, having a single chief, and practicing a unitary set of unchanging customs and traditions greatly reflects the way Africans and tribes to which they belong have been imagined by the West (Southall ...