JESUS LOVES MUSLIMS TOO – UNDERSTANDING ISLAM FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 002 –The Spread of Islam into Africa
LESSONS OBJECTIVE
To correct negative stereotypes about Muslims
To better understand Islam and its origins
To appreciate positive aspects of the Islamic religion and culture
To Foster meaningful harmonious relationships between Muslims and Christians
To challenge Christians to break religious and cultural barriers and reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.
SPREAD BY CONQUEST
Islam grew very fast after Mohammed’s victory over Mecca in A.D. 630. Arab tribes continued to pledge allegiance to the new religion.
Khalid ibn Walid’s army army secured Iraq from the Persians and Syria from the Christians. He took advantage of the constant conflict between the Persians and the Christians over the control of the significant city of Jerusalem and the profitable trade routes.
General Amar led his army westward conquering the Maghrib (the West) and bringing Egypt under Islamic rule.
Umar dismissed His General Khalid for committing atrocities against Non-Muslims and also continued to expand his influence. Damascus, Alexandria, Ctesiphon, and Mosul all came under Islam during his leadership.
Umar captured Jerusalem by A.D. 639, he promised freedom of worship and protection for Christians.
During his rule, Islam expanded east to the border of Iran and Afghanistan and to the west into North Africa.
Khalifa Umar treated Christians fairly because the Quran called them “People of the Book”. Hence he allowed Christians to practice their religion and keep their church buildings. He assured them of military protection, however he classified them as second class citizens (dhimmis), levied a head tax on them (jiziya) and forbade from proselytizing.
THE RULE OF THE UMAYYADS
Under Uthman’s rule, the influence of Islam expanded further west into North Africa and East to the Border of India.
During the next Khalifa Ali’s reign expansion was limited since Uthman had been assassinated causing instability and rebellions.
When the Umayyad Dynasty took the helm its leaders embarked once again on expanding their area of influence.
In the late seventh century general Uqba bin Nafi launched military campaigns into North Africa. The Berber tribes resisted him as they had also resisted the Romans, Vandals and the Christian Byzantines.
General Uqba finally defeated the Berber and advanced into Tunisia. Later the Umayyads moved into Algeria and Morrocco.
In A.D. 711 with a mixed army of Berbers and Arabs under the leadership of Tarik , Muslims forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded Spain, successfully planting Islam in the country and in Europe.
By 725 A.D. the first Arabs crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and invaded the territory of the Franks, but were repealed by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732 A.D.
In a period of 100 years Islam had eastward into beyond Persia into what is modern Russian Turkmenistan, had reached the Indus and the western frontiers of China and into north and parts of central Africa.
The Islamic Umayyad dynasty had established a vast domain that they had conquered in just 100 years after Prophet Mohammed’s death.
A major change occurred in 750 A.D. When the Abbasids, overthrew the Umayyads. This new empire included the territory of the previous Islamic empire except Spain. It shifted its imperial capital from Damascus to Baghdad.
The Umayyad continued to rule Spain from the Spanish city of Cordova.
North Africa remained under the control of military commanders (amirs) who were loyal and answerable to the new Islamic rulers in Baghdad.
REASONS FOR SUCCECCFUL ISLAMIC CONQUESTS
In a relatively short period Islam had amazingly conquered a vast part of the world. The Islamic empire extended from Spain in the west to Central Asia and Afghanistan in the East .
It is important to note that North Africa had come under the influence of the Christian Church. Churches existed especially among the Berbers of Morocco, Algeria, Mali and Niger.
One of the early church fathers was a Berber from North Africa – the now famous St. Augustine.
Christians of North Africa were subject to the Byzantine Empire whose capital was in Constantinople, Turkey.
The Byzantines despised the North African Christians and treated them as second class citizens. In addition, they levied a heavy head tax on them and even branded many of these Christians as heretics because of doctrinal differences.
What were the reasons for this success?
Some of the local Christians found Islam appealing for several reasons.
Financial: – Muslims levied a head tax that was far less than that levied by the Byzantines.
Cultural: -The Muslims culture was more acceptable than the Byzantine culture.
Huamansitic: – Islam offered human works by which a person could feel self-satisfied, but the Church offered only grace.
Intellectual: – Islam offered a creed that was easy to understand. By contrast, the Church was still debating the mystery of the trinity.
Political: – The local Christians saw the Byzantines as foreign occupiers who cared little about North Africans. They saw Muslims as Arabs neighbors who could identify with their social environment.
Today most of the Churches in North Africa have been replaced with mosques.
Exchange of Goods also accounted for the spread of Islam. As Africans and Arabs engaged in trade and in the process Islam was spread. Commercial centers in Morocco, Algeria and on the East African Coast in Mombasa, Lamu and Zanzibar also facilitated the spread of Islam.
The Muslim traders easily integrated into the African society ,by marrying into the ruling class and importing their religion to the African community. They infused Islamic thinking and practice into the family so that eventually Islam influenced the local African community.
When the Muslims traders established themselves in the local African community they brought in a Muslim scholar who taught the community to read and write hence promoting literacy. Of course the basic text book was the Quran enabling them promote Islam as the communities became literate.
Arabic language therefore greatly influenced and developed the Hausa, Swahili and Jula languages.
These trade languages provided a common bond between the Arab and the African people, and with the language of Arabs came the religion of Islam.
LESSONS OBJECTIVE
To correct negative stereotypes about Muslims
To better understand Islam and its origins
To appreciate positive aspects of the Islamic religion and culture
To Foster meaningful harmonious relationships between Muslims and Christians
To challenge Christians to break religious and cultural barriers and reach out to their Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.
Primary SOURCE : – Muslim Ministry in the African Context by Harry Morin.