Izzy Mo’s Blog

As you may know, there is a plan to select seven new wonders of the world.  The original seven wonders of the world were awesome, but only one, the Great Pyramids of Giza, remain in existance. 

I am happy and proud to report to you that out of the 21 nominees, 6 of them are located in Muslim countries and 3 of them are great examples of Islamic architecture.  Theyare follows:  The Alhambra, the Taj Mahal and the great and ancient city of Timbuktu, Mali!  The Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, Turkey is a nominee and while it has the typical Islamic dome and calligraphy, the building started off as a church.  It was converted into a mosque when Mehmet II (or Mehmet the Conquerer) captured Constantinople and now it serves as a cultural center.  The other two, the Pyramids of Giza (again) and the city of Petra, are located in Egypt and Jordan respectively. 

While Timbuktu, the Taj Mahal and the Alhambra are my obvious choices, there are some awesome monuments on this list.  You’ve got the Great Wall of China, the Kremlin of Russia and the Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico. This will be tough but please, please vote!  And since the International Museum of Muslim Cultures is promoting Timbuktu, you know I’m voting for it.  You’ve got 92 days to make up your mind so choose wisely! 

Salaam alaikum,

Well, we all know what happened and why I could finish up my little case study.  I would have liked to have done a nice entry on famous African Islamic cities and there are other notable Muslims of African descent doing some great things right now such as Amir Suleiman (slam poet supreme), Tayyibah Taylor (editor of Azizah Magazine), Anas Coburn (creator of the Remarkable Current label and musician) and Anzala Alozie (civil rights activist and lawyer).  But since March is crunch time, I did a summary of my work as listed below.  Hijab tip to Umm Zaid.

Shaykh Amadou Bamba–19th century Senegalese shaykh of the Qadriyya tariqa

Abdur Rahman Ibrahima–Fulani prince who was sold into slavery in Natchez, Mississippi. 

Imam Siraj Wahhaj–prolific Islamic speaker, American imam and first Muslim to give prayer before Congress.   

Sherman Jackson–hijab tip to Manrilla because he is the expert on Sherman Jackson, author of Islam and the Black American:  Looking Toward the Third Resurrection.  He is also the professor Arabic and Islamic Studies in the department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan.

Askia Muhammad Toure–great king of the empire of Songhai. 

Imam Zaid Shakir–American Islamic scholar and author of Scattered Pictures:  Memoirs of an American Muslim.  He’s also a lecturer and faculty member of the Zaytuna Institute.

Suleyman Nyang–Gambian Islamic scholar, writer and professor of African studies at Howard University. 

Mansa Musa–the Lion of Mali

Bahiyah Betty Shabazz–civil rights activist and widow of El-Hajj Malik as Shabazz

Nana Asma’u–daughter of Sokoto caliph Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio, educator, poet and Islamic scholar

Umar Tal–Tokolar scholar and mujahid who led a military expedition against to establish an empire that rivaled that of Sokoto. 

Yarrow Mamout–captured Muslim slave whose portrait was painted by American artist Charles William Peale

Idris Alooma–sultan of Bornu

Abubakari II–great African explorer, quite possibly the first African and Muslim to set foot in the “Americas” long before Christopher Columbus.  Half brother of Mansa Musa

Shaykh Hasaan Cisse and Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse–the former is the founder of the African American Islamic Institute and grandson of the latter.  The latter is a great revivalist of the Sunnah in recent Senegalese history

Lela Aboulela–Sudanese Muslima writer

Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio–spiritual giant of the Qadiriyya tariqa and caliph of the Sokoto caliphate

Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick–Islamic scholar and expert on the life of Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio.

Precious Rasheeda Muhammad–publisher of the Autobiography of Nicholas Said:  A Native of Bornu, Eastern Sudan, Central Africa, Islam in America conference organizer and creator the Journal of Islam in America press. 

El-Hajj Malik as-Shabazz–slain civil rights leader and American Muslim exemplar

Queen Amina–the warrior queen of Zaria (Nigeria)

NMAD

For 2/5/06: Imam Zaid Shakir

For 2/6/06: Sulayman Nyang

Continuing with

Notable Muslims of African Descent.

I’ve given you guys a shaykh, a Fulani prince captured into slavery, and a celebrated American imam.

How’s about a Muslima warrior queen?

Queen Amina of Zazzua

Note: I don’t want to get into the latest controversy over Black History Month in America. I know that Black history or any minority’s history for that matter shouldn’t be celebrated just once a month. It all falls under the title of human history and we should be happy and proud when human beings do great things. But until that shining day comes when there’s no seperate categories such as “women’s studies” or “Latino American history,” this will have to do. Besides, maybe these small efforts will work towards the acceptance of these genres as a part of human history.

:::Izzy Mo getting off soapbox:::

But I would love to get your thoughts about this series I’m doing. I can’t want until March for Women’s History Month. What do you guys think?

Okay

We’ve covered a shaykh, a Fulani prince and now an American imam.

Siraj Wahhaj

Okay, if I can pull this off, I will try to write about Muslims of African descent and our impact in the Muslim world and the “New World.” When Latino History month rolls around, I need to do the same thing and I may just pick a month for White Muslims. Latino and Caucasian Muslims are a growing population and there definitely needs to be more academic work done on this subject. But since it’s February (don’t ask me my opinions about BHM, please) I’m sticking to Africa. It’s for my own benefit since I don’t know enough about the subject. These entries will be on the 3rd Resurrection blog and the first entry is the great Senegalese Shaykh Amadou Bamba.

Timbuktu: Mali, Africa

Originally published in Iqra! New Orleans first Islamic newspaper.

By Kelly Izdihar Crosby

On the Northwestern region of Africa lays the fabled nation of Mali that once had at its center a thriving metropolis called Timbuktu. The International Museum of Muslim Cultures is presenting an exhibit called Legacy of Timbuktu where it explores one of the most vibrant and creative periods of African history. This current exhibition was brought to the American Muslim community in conjunction with the Malian Association for Action Research and Development (MAARD, a nongovernmental organization), the Mamma Haidara Library in Timbuktu, Mali and the Timbuktu Educational Foundation of California. Through the use of film, art, architectural replicas, portraiture and music; the visitor is taken back to one of Africa’s most powerful cultural dynasties.

All that remains of present day Timubuktu's glorious past is the city’s small population of merchants, artisans and traders. But in ancient times it was inhabited by people from a famous African empire later known as Songhai. In the 19th century, nomad peoples known as the Taureg established its market center. The famous historian and world traveler Ibn Battuta visited the city to find the wearers of the face veil as the Taureg have a custom of wrapping their blue turbans around their head and face. But when the Songhai captured Timbuktu in 1468, it was the start of its golden age as an empire.

Between 1494 and 1529, Timbuktu was ruled by Songhai king named Askia Muhammad. After rebelling against the monarchy and gaining power for himself, he ascended to the throne and went on a prolonged pilgrimage to Mecca which became legendary for its opulence and ostentation. After his return, he made it his mission to change Timbuktu from an African state to Islamic kingdom.

The center piece of the exhibit displays the numerous transcripts saved from this historical period. The recovered transcripts deal in all subjects of interest: religion, science, art and literature. Though many of the texts were written in Arabic, there are many written in traditional African languages and Hebrew. The most monumental challenge to established academia is that these manuscripts prove that Africa was not a culture solely based on oral tradition. Many Africans were educated, highly literate and responsible for penning many great pieces of literature.Much of this is due to Askia Muhammad’s establishment of Quranic universities. He was able to draw Islamic scholars into Timbuktu with the promise of grant funding, prime real estate and high governmental positions. King Muhammad favored having scholars serve in all departments of the empire: agriculture, justice, finance and many others. His method of administration was very similar to the governments of today, which have cabinet ministers for each department.

To this day, Timbuktu is a repository for Arabic manuscripts, such as a history of Sudan (Tarik-as-Sudan) written by religious scholar Abdur-Rahman Said in the 1600s. In the 19th century, after various conquests and infighting among rulers, the city had lost its former power. But it still remains a vibrant cultural center for artisans who specialize in weaving, pottery, leather crafts and metal work.

During the months between March and June, caravan traders sell their wares in the market where salt from the Teodeni mines and dates from the oasis gardens are hot commodities. Timbuktu is also the home of West Africa’s distinctive adobe architecture displayed in the town’s three major mosques: Sankore, Sidi Yahia and the Great Mosque (or Jingere-Ber). They are the proud owners of a newly discovered treasure, a key to Africa’s great Islamic past and a model of cultural and educational achievement for American Muslims in present times.