Gbosheye

The Trans-Saharan Trade route was the main part which connected North Africa with Sudan in the early and medieval time. They passed through a number of oases in the desert and terminated in the urban centers of Sudan.  The most famous trade routes included Taghaza (modern Algeria), which was linked to Gao and Timbuktu. Sigilmasa in Morocco was another one, which continued southwards to Awdaghast in Western Sahara and then unto ancient Ghana. Much further west was a Trans-Saharan trade route which linked the Kanem-Bornu region from Tripoli via Vezzan to Sijilmasa in North Africa. Therefore, the situation developed in which the Sanhaja of the Western Sahara, who provided guidance and protection to Muslim traders crossing the Sahara, came increasingly under the influence of Islam. It is probable that, by the 10th century, some of their leaders had themselves become Muslims. Moreover, West African merchants were also in contact with both the Sanhaja and Muslim merchants fro...

Accounts vary regarding Islam's initial contact with West Africa, with some suggesting the 7th century, while historians generally place it in the 8th century. In the first half of the 8th century, Islam started making its way through the Trans-Saharan trade routes from North to West Africa. After Arab conquerors overran Umayyad rulers, military expeditions and slave raids were organized into the Southern region of Morocco and as far south as the ancient boundaries of Ghana. One expedition not only returned with slaves but also brought back significant quantities of gold. The influx of gold prompted the Umayyad governor to seek ways to ensure continuous supplies from West Africa. To achieve this, AbdulRahman, the appointed Ifriqiyyah in 745 C.E, ordered fortifications along the trade routes from southern Morocco across the West Sahara to West Africa. The next stage in the early contact between West Africa and Islam involved Muslim merchants, mainly of Berber stock, vent...

The true factor of Islamization lies in the religion of Islam itself. Every Muslim is asked to carry the message of the Prophet to others. A prophetic tradition says, 'Preach about me, even if it's just one verse. Wherever the Muslims went, they took their religion and culture with them. The Arabic language was an important part of their religion, as the Qur'an was written in Arabic. There were long-distance trade routes running from. The Arabs traders and business men and some quite missionaries who had dedicated their life with the cause of Islam carried the message of Islam wherever they travel to. It's also true that wherever the Muslim conquest took place a large number of Muslims chose to settle down in newer places the period between 660 and 670 C.E was remarkable expansion of Islam further in to Africa along the Mediterranean coast Morocco came under Islam influence in 8th century and berbers began to join the Muslim armies. Islam spread in North Afr...