What role did Arab traders play in spreading Islam?
Between the eighth and ninth centuries, Arab traders and travelers, then African clerics, began to spread the religion along the eastern coast of Africa and to the western and central Sudan (literally, “Land of Black people”), stimulating the development of urban communities.
After the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, Islam started its expansion towards eastern regions through trade encouraged by the development of the maritime Silk Roads. Muslims were known to have a commercial talent notably encouraged by Islam, as well as excellent sailing skills.
What role did Arab merchants play in spreading Islam?
In East Africa, traders had spread Islam down the coast by the tenth century, and it gradually developed further in the following centuries. In the Sudan, south of Egypt, the population of Nubia gradually became Muslim during the fourteenth century, through immigration of Muslim Arab tribesmen.
What was the role of trade in the spread of Islam?
With full Muslim control of the western half of the Silk Road by mid-8th century, any long-distance exchange had to traverse Muslim lands, giving trade a central role in the further propagation of the religion. Muslim merchants carried the message of Islam wherever they traveled.
Trade and commerce played an important role in the early Islamic world. Large trade networks spanned much of the globe including faraway places like China, Africa, and Europe. Islamic leaders used taxes from wealthy merchants to build and maintain public works such as schools, hospitals, dams, and bridges.
How did Muslims conquer Arabia? - The Start of the Caliphate - Part1
How did Arab traders affect the Islamic world?
Arab traders first introduced Islam to the Swahili coast in the ninth century. Appreciating its religious value, the Swahili people also recognized that adopting their neighbor's religion would help their trading relationships as well, granting them new access to trade networks.
South Arabian merchants utilized the Incense Route to transport not only frankincense and myrrh but also spices, gold, ivory, pearls, precious stones, and textiles—all of which arrived at the local ports from Africa, India, and the Far East.
Islam spread through military conquest, trade, pilgrimage, and missionaries. Arab Muslim forces conquered vast territories and built imperial structures over time.
There are many reasons why Islam spread so quickly. First Mecca was connected to many global trade routes. Another important reason was their military conquered lots of territory. A third factor was the Muslims fair treatment of conquered peoples.
What was the role of traders in the spread of Islam in West Africa?
To reach West Africa, the religion of Islam joined the caravans of Amazigh traders. The Amazigh people were merchants who were a large part of the trans-Saharan trade. These caravans would cross the Sahara Desert to trade with the large, rich sub-Saharan empires, and they brought the religion with them.
Merchants are the people who do wholesale trading. In the Middle Ages, the role that the merchants took in the Arab Society is that, they were considered as a significant and respected group of people because they help in spreading Islam while they travel in their trade routes.
What economic role did merchants play for Muslims?
In conclusion, trade played a crucial role in the spread of Islam in Africa. It facilitated cultural and religious exchanges, promoted social equality and economic benefits, and led to the establishment of Islamic institutions and the development of a new language.
Trade and caravans were not exclusive to Mecca's people as many other Arabs also had Caravans and those on the Shores in the Gulf, Red Sea , Mediterranean and Indian Ocean had Ships and traded all across southern Europe and as far as India and China.
Textiles, gems, spices, animals and even religions were all exchanged along this vast expanse, starting around 1,000 B.C. and continuing for millennia. For much of this time, most Silk Road traders coming from western Eurasia were Muslim, and they brought their beliefs and rich culture to millions of people.
The Arabs land trade, which spanned from their hometown in south of Yemen has touched the trades in Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade particularly in which the modern historians coined in "Frankincense and myrrh" theory, which spread by them through camel caravans.
Berber (Amazigh) traders and merchants that traveled the sub-Saharan trade routes across Africa spread the teachings of Islam further inland as conquests across the Mediterranean coast solidified their established holdings. These Islamic merchants brought not just the religion but also the culture of Islam.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O'Leary in the book “Islam at the cross road” (Page 8): “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon ...
Adherents hold that Hinduism—one of the principal faiths in the modern world, with about one billion followers—is the world's oldest religion, with complete scriptural texts dating back 3,000 years.
In fact, Islam unified Arabia. Islam brought also hope (because Muhammad said to the Arabs that Allah will reward them if they believe in him) in a period of war. And, with the spread through trade and commerce( as the Watcher stated), this is why Islam spread so much and quickly.
In more than 15 ahadith found in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari, Sunnan of Imam Abu Dawwud, Jamii of Imam Tirmidhi and others, the prophet (saws) said Islam has a specific lifespan on earth, these Ahadith state Allah gave Islam 1500 years then relatively soon after this He would establish the Hour, we are now in the year ...
For Muslims the period of postnatal seclusion traditionally lasts 40 days. The religious rituals are performed on the 40th day and these include shaving the child's head, as a vaginal birth is considered unclean. This act permits, what is considered, the growth of 'new' and 'clean' hair [33].
Islam came to the Southeast Asia, first by the way of Muslim traders along the main trade-route between Asia and the Far East, then was further spread by Sufi orders and finally consolidated by the expansion of the territories of converted rulers and their communities.
