Deals with the developments after colonialism in West Africa, the result of Arab nationalism on West African politics, the roles of Israelis in helping to develop the new states, and the politics of OPEC and the rise of Islamic fanaticism.

Muslims beyond the Arab World explores the vibrant tradition of writing African languages using the modified Arabic script ('Ajami) alongside the rise of the Muridiyya Sufi order in Senegal. The book demonstrates how the development of the 'Ajami literary tradition is entwined with the flourishing of the Muridiyya into one of sub-Saharan Africa's most powerful and dynamic Sufi organizations. It offers a close reading of the rich hagiographic and didactic written, recited, and chanted 'Ajami texts of the Muridiyya, works largely unknown to scholars. The texts describe the life and Sufi odyssey of the order's founder, Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba Mbakke (1853-1927), his conflicts with local rulers and Muslim clerics and the French colonial administration, and the traditions and teachings he championed that permanently shaped the identity and behaviors of his followers. Fallou Ngom evaluates prevailing representations of the Muridiyya movement and offers alternative perspectives. He demonstrates how the Mur'ds used their written, recited, and chanted 'Ajami materials as an effective mass communication tool in conveying to the masses Bamba's poignant odyssey, doctrine, the virtues he stood for and cultivated among his followers-self-esteem, self-reliance, strong faith, work ethic, pursuit of excellence, determination, nonviolence, and optimism in the face of adversity-without the knowledge of the French colonial administration and many academics. Muslims beyond the Arab World argues that this is the source of the resilience, appeal, and expansion of Muridiyya, which has fascinated observers since its inception in 1883.

The impact of Islam in sub-Saharan West Africa has been profound, but has been experienced very differently at different times and places. In these articles Professor Levtzion explores the varying patterns of Islamization as Islam spread south, its influence in social and economic terms as well as religious, and its role in the processes of state formation, and has developed a new approach to the historiography of the desert-sahel interface. Particular studies focus on the contrasts between rural and urban Islam and the roles of merchants and clerics, and on the Islamic revolutions of the 18th century. Others cast new light on trans-Saharan traffic, from the Jewish traders of Sijilmasa in the 10th century, to the relations between Mamluk Egypt and West Africa in the 16th. A final set of articles concentrates on the Arabic sources, both internal and external, which are fundamental for the history of the region.

Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa

First published in 1979, this first of three volumes examines the many means and figures through which Islam was cultivated in West Africa over a prolonged period. It combines the work from eminent scholars in the field, most of which have travelled widely in the historic region of Western Sudan. This book will be of interest to those studying Islamic and West African history.

Renowned for its madrassas and archives of rare Arabic manuscripts, Timbuktu is famous as a great center of Muslim learning from Islam’s Golden Age. Yet Timbuktu is not unique. It was one among many scholarly centers to exist in precolonial West Africa. Beyond Timbuktu charts the rise of Muslim learning in West Africa from the beginning of Islam to the present day, examining the shifting contexts that have influenced the production and dissemination of Islamic knowledge—and shaped the sometimes conflicting interpretations of Muslim intellectuals—over the course of centuries. Highlighting the significant breadth and versatility of the Muslim intellectual tradition in sub-Saharan Africa, Ousmane Kane corrects lingering misconceptions in both the West and the Middle East that Africa’s Muslim heritage represents a minor thread in Islam’s larger tapestry. West African Muslims have never been isolated. To the contrary, their connection with Muslims worldwide is robust and longstanding. The Sahara was not an insuperable barrier but a bridge that allowed the Arabo-Berbers of the North to sustain relations with West African Muslims through trade, diplomacy, and intellectual and spiritual exchange. The West African tradition of Islamic learning has grown in tandem with the spread of Arabic literacy, making Arabic the most widely spoken language in Africa today. In the postcolonial period, dramatic transformations in West African education, together with the rise of media technologies and the ever-evolving public roles of African Muslim intellectuals, continue to spread knowledge of Islam throughout the continent.

First Published in 1979. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.