ABSTRACT
The history of Islam in West Africa is linked to its proliferation through North African economic and scholarly exchanges whose impacts are inescapable even in contemporary times. After 1000 AD, Islam was integrated into the political and cultural systems of West African societies. This chapter examines the growth of Islam before the nineteenth century by exploring its rise among the notable West African empires (e.g., Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, etc). Its adoption and adaptation brought many advantages to the people (e.g., trade and literacy) as well as attempts at Islamic dominance through the jihads. Furthermore, the incorporation of Islam into the culture and societies of West Africa influenced changes in the values, philosophies, and epistemologies of the people. Though many integration processes were relatively without conflict, this chapter also reflects on the realities that conflicting ideas between native religions and beliefs and those of Islam caused friction among and between groups.
