History

Key unit competence

Explain the origin of Islam, its role in the expansion of West African

empires and its impact

Introduction

Islam was founded by Muhammad Ibn Abdullah in Saudi Arabia in

622 ad. Islam is a monotheist religion and its followers are called

Muslims. This religion has five pillars: charity to the poor, fasting

during Ramadhan, making a pilgrimage to Mecca, praying five

times a day, and cleanliness.

Islam was spread in Asia before being imposed on the people of

North Africa by Arabs between 639 and 708 ad. From this region,

Islam spread to West Africa. Different methods were used to spread

Islam. These included the Trans Saharan Trade and jihads. The

spread of Islam was influenced by religious fanatics and commercial

traders.

In West Africa, jihads mainly aimed at purifying Islam and

converting the pagans. At the end of the jihads, immense regions

of West Africa were transformed into Muslim empires and were

ruled according to the Sharia. 

Links to other subjects

Migration in Geography, wars and conflicts in General Studies and

Communication Skills, commercial relations in Economics

Main points to be covered in this unit

࿤ Origin of Islam

࿤ Role of Islam in the expansion of empires of West Africa

࿤ Spread of Islamic civilisation and its effects

࿤ Causes and consequences of Jihad movements

࿤ Role of Islam in the expansion of empires in West Africa

࿤ Spread of Islamic civilisation and its effects

࿤ Causes of jihad movements

࿤ Examples of jihad leaders

࿤ Consequences of jihad movements

Birth of Islam and its Spread in West Africa

Activity 1

Carry out research on the origins of Islam and answer the

following questions. Present results of your findings to the class.

1. Locate on a map the two main cities of Medina and Mecca.

2. Explain the following terms: Islam and Muslim.

3. Who is the founder of Islam?

4. Describe the childhood of the founder of Islam.

Activity 2

Carry out research on the founding of Islam and answer the

following questions. Present the results of your findings to the

class.

1. Who was Khadijah?

2. Describe the main events in the founding of Islam.

3. Explain the following terms: Hegira, Kaaba and Caliph.

Activity 3

Carry out research on the Koran and pillars of faith and answer

the following questions. Present the results of your findings to

the class.

1. Explain each of the five pillars of Islam.

2. List down the other obligations of Muslims.

3. Explain the following terms; Koran, Sura.

4. Identify the role played by angel Gabriel in the founding of

Islam.

Activity 4

Carry out research on the spread of Islam and answer the

following questions. Present the results of your study to the

class.

1. Which methods did the followers of Muhammad use to

spread Islam?

2. List down the regions that were conquered by Muslims up

to the 15th century.

Activity 5

Examine the factors that favoured the Arabs in their conquests.

Present the results of your findings to the class.

Activity 6

Conduct research on the spread of Islam in West Africa. Present

the results of your findings to the class.

Activity 7

Conduct research on the first five methods that were used in

the spread of Islam in West Africa. Present the results of your

findings to the class.

Activity 8

Conduct research on the effects of the spread of Islam in West

Africa. Present the results of your findings to the class.

Origin of Islam

The religion of Islam started in Saudi Arabia in the Middle East

in 622 ad. The word Islam means the act of submitting, or giving

oneself over, to God (Allah); the followers of Islam are called

Muslims, which means believers.

Islam was founded by an Arab merchant named Muhammad Ibn

Abdullah. He came to be known as the Prophet of Allah or God.

Muhammad the founder of Islam

In 571 ad, a child named Muhammad was born to a poor widow

in Mecca. When he was six, his mother died and he went to live

with his poor uncle. He worked as a camel driver when he reached

his teens. At the age of 25, he married a rich 40 year old widow

named Khadijah, who ran a rich caravan.

According to Islam, the prophet Muhammad received many divine

revelations during his life. These revelations were written down and

together make up the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam.

Muhammad was very successful in the caravan business. Then

he became troubled by the drinking, gambling and corruption in

Mecca. He began to spend a lot of time alone in a cave on a hillside

outside the city. There, he thought and fasted and he decided that

all the Meccans had been led to evil by their belief in false gods. 

He concluded that there was only one God, Allah, the same God as

the God of the Jews and Christians.

In 610 ad, when he was about 39 years old, Muhammad had

a revelation or vision. In 613 he began to preach to the people

of Mecca, telling them that the only God was the all-powerful

Allah before whom all believers were equal. In 620, Muhammad

preached to a group of pilgrims from Yatrib. They invited him to

come to Yatrib and be their leader. 

The al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, holds the holiest

shrine of Islam, the Kaaba. As the birthplace of Islam’s founder,

the Prophet Muhammad, Mecca is considered as a holy city. It is

a pilgrimage point for Muslims worldwide, who are expected to

visit the city at least once in there life if they are able to do so.

During the summer of 622 several hundred of Muhammad’s

followers fled from Mecca to Yatrib. The year 622, called Anno

Hegira or “The year of the Flight”, became the first year of the

Muslim calendar. Yatrib became Medina al Munawara, the City of

the Prophet. From Medina, Muslims launched attacks on Meccan

caravans and defeated the Meccans in battle. Finally, in 630,

Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca where he destroyed the

idols in the Kaaba and dedicated the black stone to Allah.

Medina, in western Saudi Arabia, is a sacred city that only Muslims

are permitted to visit. The Prophet Muhammad took refuge in

Medina after fleeing Mecca in 622 ad, and the city’s numerous

mosques remain a destination for large numbers of Muslims on

their annual pilgrimage. The income derived from visiting pilgrims

forms the basis of Medina’s economy.

In 632 ad, after 10 years, Muhammad fell ill and died. He was

succeeded by a leader called Khalifa or Caliph, successor. The first

Khalifa was Abu Bakar, Muhammad’s father – in-law. The Khalifa ruled

from Medina. Mecca in Saudi Arabia became the holy city of Islam.

Koran and Pillars of faith

The heart of Islam is the Koran (Qur’an) or Muslim holy scriptures.

Muslims believe it was directly revealed to Muslims by Allah. The

Koran is written in Arabic, and consists of 114 chapter, called

Suras. Each chapter is divided into verses called Ayat (singular Aya

which means sign or proof). It contains stories, legends, philosophy,

and the advice given to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

This beautifully decorated page comes from a Qur’an of the late

8th Century or early 9th Century. Muslims believe that the Qur’an

is an infallible transcription of God’s message to Muhammad.

As the messenger of God and seal of the prophets, Muhammad

was charged with the responsibility of relaying this message to

all believers. Divided into 114 suras, or chapters, the Qur’an is

meant to be recited or chanted as part of Islamic worship.

The Koran identifies the basic beliefs of Islam and tells how good

Muslims should live. It describes the pillars of faith, or the five

duties all Muslims must fulfill.

1. The confession of faith (shahada), “There is no god but God,

Muhammad is the messenger of God, Allah” (La ilala illa Allah;

Muhammadun rasulu Allah).

2. To pray five times a day while facing Mecca at dawn, noon, late

afternoon, sunset and evening (salat).

3. To give charity to the poor (zakat)

4. To fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of

Ramadhan (sawm)

5. To do pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca two months after Ramadhan.

Every able bodied Muslim is obliged to make pilgrimage to

Mecca, at least once in their lifetime.

Spread of Islam

When Muhammad died in 632, his followers needed a new leader.

A group of Muslims chose a new leader whom they called Khalifa.

The first Khalifa was Abu Bakar and the next three Khalifas were

elected for life. They kept in close touch with the people and took

advice from their most trusted friends.

For this reason, they were called the Rightly Guided Caliphs. They

honoured Muhammad’s wish to carry the word of God to other people.

They did this by fighting jihads or holy wars, against infidels or non

believers. They sent Muslims warriors into Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Persia,

Egypt, North Africa and south Europe; and conquered them.

In the 7th and 8th centuries, the religion of Islam spread through

conversion and military conquest throughout the Middle East and

North Africa. By 733, just 100 years after the death of Muhammad,

the Islamic state stretched from India in the east to Spain in the

west.

Their conquest of Spain brought them into Europe. They advanced

into France where they were defeated at Tours in 732 by

Charlemagne, the king of the Franks.

In Spain, the Muslims established their own society at Cordoba and

Granada. But these communities were conquered by Christians in

1492.

The Arabs were successful in their conquests for many reasons:

࿤ Islam, as their religion, united them.

࿤ They believed those who died while fighting infidels went to

paradise, which encouraged them to fight so hard.

࿤ The Arabs were fearless fighters and were led by strong leaders.

࿤ Their leaders planned and carried out surprise attacks on their

enemies.

࿤ They were skilled in fighting using camels and horses.

࿤ They promised protection to the people who surrendered without

a fight and allowed them to keep their land.

Spread of Islam in West Africa

Activity 9

Carry out research on the methods used to spread Islam in

West Africa. Present the results of your discussion to the class.

Activity 10

Analyse the first five effects of the spread of Islam in West

Africa. Present the results of your analysis to the class.

Activity 11

Analyse the last five effects of the spread of Islam in West

Africa. Present the results of your analysis to the class.

Activity 12

Carry out research on jihad movements in West Africa and

answer the following questions. Present the results of your

research to the class.

1. What is a jihad?

2. Which regions of West Africa experienced jihads?

3. Who were the main jihad leaders in West Africa?

4. Discuss the main causes of the jihad movements in West

Africa.

Activity 13

Examine the reasons why Uthman Dan Fodio declared a jihad in

Hausaland. Present the results of your study to the class.

Activity 14

Conduct research on the jihad movements in West Africa and

describe the course of the jihad fought by Uthman Dan Fodio

in Hausaland. Present the results of your findings to the class.

Activity 15

Conduct research on jihad movements in West Africa and

comment on the life of Al Hajj Umar before his jihads. Present

the results of your research to the class.

Activity 16

Conduct research on jihad movements in West Africa and

analyse the reasons that encouraged Al Hajj Umar to declare

a jihad on infidels in the Sudan. Present the results of your

research to the class.

Activity 17

Conduct research on the reasons for the success of jihads in

West Africa. Present the results of your findings to the class.

Activity 18

Carry out research on the consequences of jihads in West

Africa. Present the results of your findings to the class.

Islam started slowly in Arabia and later spread to other parts of

the world including the African continent. It first spread in North

Africa by about the 14th century. By 1850, it had spread to most parts of West Africa through the early trade contacts between the

Arabs and the Berbers and the Turkish occupation of North and

West Africa.

Methods used in the spread of Islam in West Africa

Islam spread in West Africa in the 19th century through both

peaceful means and by force (jihads). The following methods were

used:

࿤ Commercial activities: Trade between North Africa and West

Africa involved the Berbers who were Muslims. They converted

the West Africans to Islam. This trade is also known as the

Trans Saharan Trade. Sahara refers to Dar-Al-Islam, meaning

the country of Islam.

࿤ Migration: Due to hot climate, some communities from North

Africa and the Sahara migrated to western Sudan and the forest

region of West Africa e.g. the Berbers, the Wolof, the Serere and

the Fulani who were mainly Muslims. They integrated with the

people of West Africa who also joined Islam.

࿤ Muslim missionaries: Muslim fanatics came to West Africa

to convert people to Islam through preaching and building

mosques. For example, a Creole missionary Muhammad Shita

converted many people and built mosques in Freetown, Furah

Bay and Lagos.

࿤ Education: Muslim schools were built in West Africa and many

Arab scholars arrived to teach Islamic principles to the children

of West Africa who eventually converted to the faith.

࿤ Conversion of local leaders: Some African kings and chiefs who

joined Islam encouraged their subjects to convert. Those who

got interested in leadership joined Islam as a symbol of loyalty.

࿤ Jihads: Muslim fanatics declared a holy war in order to reform

Islam which was declining in the region e.g. the Fulani jihads in

Hausaland, Macina, Tukolar, and the Mandika Empire etc.

࿤ Prestige: Those who made pilgrimages to Mecca came back

with wealth, and new ideas. They were considered heroes in

their communities. This inspired others to convert in order to

enjoy such status.

࿤ Muslim solidarity: Islam was based on the simple theology of

brotherhood which won the admiration of other non-Muslims

who joined in order to be integrated into the society by sharing

the brotherhood in problems and happiness.

࿤ Similarity with African culture: Islam tolerated similar African

practices. It accepted polygamy, discourage immorality and it

also tolerated traditional African religion.

࿤ Oppression from African leaders: People from the Hausa states

faced a lot of oppression and brutality from their leaders. They

decided to join the jihad movements, hence they voluntarily

accepted Islam faith.

Effects of the spread of Islam in West Africa

The spread of Islam affected West Africa as follows:

࿤ The rulers who undertook pilgrimages to Mecca brought with

them technology and scholars from the Muslim world. These

influenced and changed the political, economic and social life

in West Africa.

࿤ Many people abandoned their traditional ways and adopted

Islamic practices such as attending Juma prayers, fasting and

pilgrimages to Mecca.

࿤ Islam introduced literacy as well as Islamic education; for

example, Arabic language and scripts were taught. As a result

the cities of the Niger became great centres of learning, e.g.

Timbuktu University.

࿤ Islam helped to unite empires with different tribes, culture,

language and customs. Different ethnic groups united under one

religion.

࿤ The leaders employed educated Muslims such as secretaries,

administrators and judges. These were conversant with Arabic

writing and reading.

࿤ The coming of Islam increased and strengthened trade links

between West and North Africa; the Arab World and Europe.

࿤ Islam gave rise to the growth of small states which developed

into large empires which used the Islamic system of government

and laws.

࿤ The Sharia was law introduced into West African states.

࿤ It discouraged slave trade among Muslims in West African states

though in western Sudan it encouraged slavery.

࿤ It affected African culture by eroding African traditional cultural

practices like taking alcohol, taming dogs, etc. So many Africans

abandoned their traditional ways.

Jihad Movements in West Africa

A jihad is an Islamic religious movement or a holy war that is

fought by fanatic Muslims against those who do not believe in their

faith. It aims at spreading, purifying and strengthening Islam.

The 19th century saw a wave of jihads or Islamic movements in

northern Sudan. Although, the causes were religious, they had a

mixture of political, economic and intellectual causes.

The first jihads in West Africa took place in Guinea in Futa Jallon in

1720s. They were led by Ibrahim Musa. In the 1770s there was

yet another jihad in Senegal in Futa Toro led by Sulayman Bal. In

1808, Uthman Dan Fadio started holy wars in the Hausa states

(Daura, Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Rano, Gobir and Hiram). Other West

African jihadists were Seku Ahmadu of Macina, Al Hajj Umar of

Tukolor and Ahmed Bello.

Causes of Jihads in West Africa

࿤ To purify Islam: After the decline of Mali and Songhai, there

was a decline in Islam in western Sudan. Islam was mixed with

pagan practices. Therefore, there was a need to revive Islam.

࿤ To stop unfair judgments in courts of law: There was a lot of

corruption and bribery in the courts which were against the

teaching of Islam.

࿤ Local political competition: The Fulani were discriminated.

The Fulani leaders of the jihads aimed at overthrowing the

government of the Hausa people and to establish a government

favourable to their people.

࿤ Widespread belief in the Mahdi (Saviour): According to the

Muslims, a Madhi was supposed to emerge during the 13th

century of the Islamic calendar. This started from 1785 to 1882.

࿤ To overthrow pagan governments: The jihadists wanted to

establish governments based on Islamic rule. Strict Muslims in

West Africa could not tolerate rule by pagans. Muslims were also

forced to go to war against fellow Muslims which was contrary

to Islamic practice.

࿤ To spread Islam: This was aimed at the people who had resisted

conversion to Islam. Thus they would be forced to join Islam.

࿤ Desire to spread Islamic education: Through the conversion of

pagans who were against Islamic education, the jihadists hoped

to build an ideal Islamic society through education. 

࿤ Overtaxation: Governments in western Sudan imposed heavy

taxes on the Fulani town merchants while the Fulani pastoralists

or nomads were opposed to the heavy taxation.

࿤ Methods used to collect taxes: The tax collectors were harsh.

They whiped and imprisoned the people who failed to pay.

Some of the property was confiscated. This is why the people

welcomed Islam.

࿤ Defence of African independence: The West Africans joined

jihads in order to protect their independence and fight against

slave trade. This was because according to Sharia, no Muslim is

supposed to enslave or sell another Muslim.

Therefore, the time was right for a revolution that only needed

someone to start it. This was provided by the arrival of men filled

with religious zeal and reformist ideas and with the ability to lead

and organise. For example, Uthman Dan Fodio, Al Hajji Umar,

Seku Ahmadu among others. 

Uthman Dan Fodio

The first jihad in western Sudan took place in Hausaland in 1804.

This jihad was led by Uthman Dan Fodio. He was a Fulani and a

scholar. He was born in 1754 at Martha in Gobir.

He received Islamic education from various teachers but finally he

ended up in Agades under the famous Islamic teacher Jibril Ibn

Umar. At the age of 20, he started his career as a writer and teacher

in Senegal. From here, he started missionary tours in Hausaland,

especially Zamfara, Kebbi and Daura.

In his preaching and writing, he attacked all unreligious tendencies.

He condemned corrupt and unjust governments, and illegal

taxation. He insisted on complete acceptance of the spiritual and

moral values of Islam.

He soon mobilised a large number of followers. Most of these

believed that he was the Mahdi or the saviour. His fame attracted

the administration of Sultan Bawa, the leader of Gobir. He was

employed as the tutor of the Sultan’s son. All these increased

Fodio’s influence.Because of this influence, he successfully negotiated with Sultan

Bawa of Gobir to release all Muslim prisoners. He also requested

the king to grant freedom of worship and also exempt Muslims

from un-Islamic taxes.

Unfortunately, Bawa was succeeded by Sultan Nafata and later

Yunfa who did not support Uthman Dan Fodio. Because of Uthman’s

growing influence, Yunfa arranged the assassination of Fodio but

he managed to escape.

Along with his brother Abdullah and son Mohammed Bello, Fodio

escaped to Gudu outside Gobir.

At Gudu, many Fulani tribesmen joined him and he was elected

commander of the faithful, Amir Al Munimin. He then, declared a

jihad on the non believers in 1804 and confronted Yunfa’s army.

After a prolonged fight, Yunfa’s army was defeated and he was

killed at Akolawa. Serious resistance against Fodio’s army collapsed

in 1809. Immediately, Fodio declared the Sokoto Caliphate and he

became the undisputed caliph.

Once the conquest period was over, Fodio returned to his work of

writing books since he was basically an Islamic scholar.

He divided the empire between his son and his brother. Mohammed

Bello his son was in charge of the eastern region and Abdullah

his brother the western region. Fodio died in 1817 and his son

Mohammed Bello was recognised as the caliph of the Sokoto

Caliphate. 

Al Hajj Umar was born in 1794 in Futa Toro. His father was a

Tukolor scholar. Umar belonged to the Tijaniyya brotherhood and

his first teacher was Abd Al Karim. Umar was also a disciple of

Uthman Dan Fodio.

In 1825, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The Tijani authorities

were impressed with the works of Umar and he was appointed

the Khalifa or religious leader of the Tijaniyya in western Sudan

in 1831. He was charged with the duty of reviving and spreading

Islam in the region.

While away, he was impressed by the reformist ideas of the day.

He witnessed Mohammed Ali’s revolution in Egypt. He also spent

sometime in Bornu, Sokoto.

In Sokoto, he was impressed by the leadership possibilities opened

by jihad. He married the daughters of both Alkanem of Bornu and

Mohammed of Sokoto.

He witnessed the expansion and spread of Islam through a jihad.

He was also convinced that the revival and purification and spread

of Islam would be possible through embracing Tijaniyya ideas.

In 1838, he returned home with even greater inspiration and

determination to purify and spread Islam.

He settled at a place called Fouta Djalon. From here he made

extensive tours, teaching, preaching and converting.

In his book “Rinah”, he attacked evil and illegal tendencies. He

condemned mixed Islam. He appealed to the masses, assuring

them of favoured treatment on the day of judgement as members

of the Tijaniyya. His teachings were well received by the ordinary

persons. These had been alienated by the Quadiriyya. His fame as

a scholar and teacher attracted a large following. He was regarded

as the Mujahidin (soldiers fighting in support of their strong Muslim

beliefs).

His growing fame and influence alarmed the Quadiriyya scholars

and Fouta Djalon political authorities. In 1851, he fled to Dinguiray.

Here, he established an armed camp with his faithful disciples as

well as students attracted from West Africa. These were mainly

from the lower classes.

He equipped the army with European weapons bought from the

coastal towns of West Africa. He even established a workshop of

gun smiths who could repair guns. At a later stage, Al Hajj Umar

was able to manufacture some of these arms, thus supplying his

army.

In 1852, Umar declared a holy war on infidels in the Sudan. In

1854, he conquered the Wangara states. By 1857, he was ready

to attack the Bambara of Segu. Nevertheless, this brought him into

conflict with the Muslim state of Massina.

After this, Umar diverted his attention against French imperialists.

This was a mistake that he would regret later. By 1863, the Tukolor

Empire extended from Futa Djalon to Timbuktu.

In February 1863, Al Hajj Umar was killed in the famous Massina

uprising. This was spear-headed by the Quadiriyya leaders who

were opposed to his Tijaniyya principles. But the empire under his

eldest son and successor Ahmadi Bin Sheikh, survived till it was

over-run by the French in 1893.

Umar strengthened Islam expanded the borders of the Tukolar

Empire, and promoted Islamic literacy. For example, he set up new

centres of Islamic education in western Sudan.

Lastly, in his efforts he made the Tijaniyya sect more popular than

the Quadiriyya. Today, the Tijaniyya is more dominant in West

Africa.

Success of Jihads in West Africa

The jihad leaders succeeded in their holy wars due to the

following factors:

࿤ Disunity among non-Islamic states in West Africa against fanatic

Muslims.

࿤ Jihad movement in West Africa enjoyed good leadership.

࿤ These jihads were led by elites who had very convincing rhetoric

or persuasive speech that won then big numbers of followers.

࿤ The possession of fire arms by the jihadists.

࿤ The hope to gain economic achievements. The non-Muslims

who were poor supported the jihads with hope of raiding for

wealth.

Consequences of Jihads in West Africa

࿤ The jihads led to closer contacts with the outside world. This was

true with Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. In fact a pilgrimage

made by Al Hajji Umar to Mecca in 1825 further exposed the

Sudan to the outside world.

࿤ They led to the spread and revival of Islamic culture for example

the way of dressing with items such as the veil, the turban and

the daily prayers and the hijja.

࿤ Literate Muslim officials were employed by kings and emperors

as clerks, secretaries, judges, auditors, inspectors and teachers.

This strengthened Islamic way of life.

࿤ Large and powerful Islamic states were formed under Muslim

rulers like Uthman Dan Fodio of Sokoto, Muhammad Bello of

Sokoto, Seku Ahmad of Macina, Al Hajji Umar of Tokolar and Al

Kanemi of Dinguiray.

࿤ They caused clashes and conflicts between the pagans and the

Muslims. For example there was enslavement of non-Muslims as

permitted by the Koran. This led to tribal wars and antagonism.

࿤ Strong states emerged to resist European infiltration. Jihads

united the masses and their leaders against French colonialists.

࿤ A centralised system of administration was introduced and

managed according to the Koran.

࿤ There was the stabilisation and efficient management of the

economy in the Islamic states. They abolished unlawful taxes

and levied taxes as stipulated in the holy Koran.

࿤ They led to the decline of the African traditional religions. This

is because leaders of traditional religion and people who refused

to change to Islam were executed.

࿤ The jihads, checked the spread of Christianity in West Africa.

This is because the Christian Missionaries were not allowed to

enter Muslim lands.

Islam is a monotheist religion that was founded by Mohammed in

Saudi Arabia in 622 ad. After his return to Mecca from Medina,

Mohammed was occupied with the spread of Islam within the

neighboring countries. After his death, his successors called caliphs

continued to expand Islam and conquered almost the whole part

of the Middle East.

With the occupation and conversion of the Ottomans or Turks,

Islam had found the dynamic people who contributed later to its

expansion to North Africa and Europe.

Once Islam was adopted by North Africans namely the Berbers, it

then spread to West Africa through firstly, the Trans Saharan Trade

and secondly, the jihad movements. The jihads aimed at purifying

Islam, stopping unfair judgments in courts of law, spreading

Islamic education, overthrowing pagan governments. The main

jihad leaders were Uthman Dan Fadio in the Hausa States, Seku

Ahmadu of Macina, Al Hajj Umar of Tukolor and Ahmed Bello.

The spread of Islam to West Africa led to the spread and revival

of Islamic culture. Other effects include, the decline of African

traditional religions, the creation of a new order of administration

known as a centralised system of administration and administration

in accordance to the requirement of Koran, large and powerful

political states were formed as Islamic were.

Glossary

Antagonism: the relations between opposing principles,

forces or factors, e.g. the inherent antagonism

of capitalism and socialism

Bribery: the practice of offering something (usually

money) in order to gain an illicit advantage

Creole: of or relating to a language that arises from

contact between two other languages and has

features of both or a person whose parents

have different races

Elitism: the attitude that society should be governed by

an elite group of individuals

Enslavement: the act of making slaves of your captives or the

state of being a slave

Gunsmith: someone who makes or repairs guns

Hegira: the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in

622 which marked the beginning of the Muslim

era; the Muslim calendar begins in that year

Infidel: a person who does not acknowledge your god

Retrieving: get or get back; recover the use of or go for and

bring back

Tutor: a person who gives private instruction

Zeal: excessive fervour to do something or accomplish

some end

Revision questions

A. Multiple Choice Questions

1. The following are the pillars of Islam except:

a) Confession of faith (shahada

b) Praying five times a day at down, noon, late afternoon,

sunset and evening; they pray facing Mecca (salat)

c) Giving charity to the poor (zakat)

d) Fasting from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of

Ramadhan (sawm)

e) Fighting a jihad war 

2. The following are Hausa States except:

a) Daura,

b) Kano,

c) Katsina,

d) Zaria,

e) Bornu

3. The success of Jihads in West Africa was due to the following

factors:

a) Disunity among non-Islamic States in West Africa against

fanatic Muslims

b) Jihad movement in West Africa enjoyed good leadership;

c) These jihads were led by elites who had very convincing

rhetoric or persuasive speech that won then big numbers

of followers

d) The possession of fire arms by the jihadists

e) All of them.

4. The causes of jihads in West Africa are the following

a) To purify Islam

b) Methods used to collect taxes

c) Defence of African independence

d) Over taxation

e) Methods used to collect taxes

f) All of them

5. The Arabs were successful in their conquests for many reasons

except the following:

a) They believed those who fought infidels went to paradise,

which encouraged fighting.

b) The Arabs were fearless fighters and were led by strong

leaders.

c) Their leaders planned and carried out attacks on their

enemies completely by surprise.

d) They were skilled in fighting using camels and horses.

e) They ensured the protection to the people who gave in

without a fight and allowed them to keep their land.

f) The possession of nuclear bombs.

B. Fill in the Blanks:

1. In 610 ad, when he was about 39 years old, Muhammad had

a revelation or__________.

2. The Muslims call their God with the name of __________.

3. In Saudi Arabia, the holiest shrine of Islam is called __________.

4. Finally, in 630, Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca;

where he destroyed the idols in the Kaaba and dedicated the

black stone to__________.

5. The first Khalifa was Abu Bakar, Muhammad’s __________.

6. Jihads were launched to stop unfair judgments in courts of law.

These courts were full of __________and __________ which

were against the teaching of Islam.

7. Uthman Dan Fodio went on missionary tours through out

Hausaland especially __________, __________and __________.

C. Answer True or False

1. Islam has five pillars including fighting a holy, a jihad war

against infidels.

2. Eating pork is not forbidden by Islam Religion.

3. The successors of Muhammad have the title of caliph.

4. Only two jihad leaders existed in West Africa.

5. Yatrib was the former name of Medina.

6. In West Africa two brotherhoods were in a great antagonism:

Quadiriyya and Tijaniyya.

Open questions

1. Describe the birth and spread of Islam.

2. Account for the means used in the spread of Islam in West

Africa.

3. Analyse the factors for the success of jihadists in West Africa.

4. Examine the causes of the outbreak of the jihad movements in

West Africa.

5. Evaluate the achievements of the jihad leaders: Uthman Dan

Fodio and Al Hajj Umar.

6. Examine the effects of the jihad movements in West Africa.