The History of Islam in Africa

The History of Islam in Africa is the first book to approach the role of Islam in Africa on a continent-wide basis. Until now more emphasis has been put on Islam in West Africa than any other region. The 24 contributors to the book, who all have impeccable credentials, have focused on the historical, cultural, and environmental factors which influenced diverse, local forms of Islam. This diversity has produced widely varied religious meanings, beliefs, and practices that have molded African communities which at the same time adapted Islam to its new settings.
In the fourteen centuries since the introduction of Islam, Muslims have played important roles in Africa's development. Muslims were important in the process of state-building, in creating commercial networks between parts of the continent, in introducing literacy (which saw Muslim become scribes in charge of state records), as well as in exchanges of inter-state diplomacy within Africa and beyond.
The book is divided into four sections: Gateways to Africa (Egypt and the Maghrib from the north and the Indian Ocean from the east), West Africa and the Sudan, Eastern and Southern Africa, and General Themes. The latter section includes Islamic law, Muslim women in African history, Islamic education, Sufi brotherhoods, and Islamic art, literature and music.