HISTORY How did Islam reach Somalia?

[Journey.]

''She is Abyssinian and she is a sea-woman''

This line actually makes me even more certain they didn't go to axum but rather coastal area and interacted with coastal people.


They had pre-islamic trade links with Somali and Eritrean coast as well and there some pre-islamic refrences

Was Eritrea not part of Abyssinia? Wherever they travelled to/stayed, we know for certain those people were Christians and had churches.

 

[Idilinaa]

Was Eritrea not part of Abyssinia? Wherever they travelled to/stayed, we know for certain those people were Christians and had churches.

Eritrea was semi-autonomous and Axum was in larger parts landlocked, and had only limited access via adulis.

I noticed that in their invasion of Yemen they didn't have fleets and the Romans provided them with ships to carry their soldiers by sea from the distant in-lands to the west coast of Yemen.

 

[The alchemist]

Besides potential Sahabah-period proselytization that no one can attribute exact gravity and extent, one comprehensive way of influence would be the northern Somali region had contact with Arabia before Islam through economic motivations. Extensive networks integrated with recurrent social influence had already laid the bridge for Islam to fertilize across the sea once the southern Arabians were Islamized.

Economic interactivity allowed for a cross traversing the oceanic landscape of the ethnic-geographic counterparts, making it possible for Muslims of Arabian origin to settle for extended periods on Somali soil and Somalis living in Arabia, eventually returning as believers.

I would say by the 9th century, a majority, if not all Somalis, were Muslim, with some probably retaining syncretic traditional practices on the periphery but identifying as Muslim (one example is glaring that I will implicitly forgo for the sake of brevity and focus of the thread).

I think the overwhelming Islamic contact spread through intra-logistical networks by Somalis, as I doubt Arabs went much beyond the coastal economic hotspots. This synergy was probably very rapid, harmonizing well with the flexible lifestyle of Somalis with regional economic networks that diffuse culture and social items.

The fact that northern Somalis are not significantly Arabian genetically also explains how there could not have been too many Arabs that settled long-term, moreover, most proselytization likely occurred through Somali intermediaries rather than direct Arab diasporan effect.

Nejashi wuz somali? seriously though is it likely?p

I doubt it. Negus, from which the term "Nejashi" derivatively linguistically inovated, is an Ethiopian-Semitic term. If the word was historically used by Somalis to signify a head of the monarchy, that would only mean we were heavily Habashi-fied, which there is no sufficient evidence for.

 

[Riftvalley]

So nejashi was most likely eritrean or somali?

 

[Journey.]

Besides potential Sahabah-period proselytization that no one can attribute exact gravity and extent, one comprehensive way of influence would be the northern Somali region had contact with Arabia before Islam through economic motivations. Extensive networks integrated with recurrent social influence had already laid the bridge for Islam to fertilize across the sea once the southern Arabians were Islamized.

Economic interactivity allowed for a cross traversing the oceanic landscape of the ethnic-geographic counterparts, making it possible for Muslims of Arabian origin to settle for extended periods on Somali soil and Somalis living in Arabia, eventually returning as believers.

I would say by the 9th century, a majority, if not all Somalis, were Muslim, with some probably retaining syncretic traditional practices on the periphery but identifying as Muslim (one example is glaring that I will implicitly forgo for the sake of brevity and focus of the thread).

I think the overwhelming Islamic contact spread through intra-logistical networks by Somalis, as I doubt Arabs went much beyond the coastal economic hotspots. This synergy was probably very rapid, harmonizing well with the flexible lifestyle of Somalis with regional economic networks that diffuse culture and social items.

The fact that northern Somalis are not significantly Arabian genetically also explains how there could not have been too many Arabs that settled long-term, moreover, most proselytization likely occurred through Somali intermediaries rather than direct Arab diasporan effect.


I doubt it. Negus, from which the term "Nejashi" derivatively linguistically inovated, is an Ethiopian-Semitic term. If the word was historically used by Somalis to signify a head of the monarchy, that would only mean we were heavily Habashi-fied, which there is no sufficient evidence for.

Islam spreading via trade sounds the most plausible/reasonable explanation. What are your thoughts on Masjid Qiblatayn?

I would say by the 9th century, a majority, if not all Somalis, were Muslim, with some probably retaining syncretic traditional practices on the periphery but identifying as Muslim (one example is glaring that I will implicitly forgo for the sake of brevity and focus of the thread).

I'm curious, what example?

 

[Soul Kaizer]

Unlike what pan-africans or anti-islam people would like you to believe. Islam came peacefully through either trade or dawah.

 

[NidarNidar]

Islam spreading via trade sounds the most plausible/reasonable explanation. What are your thoughts on Masjid Qiblatayn?



I'm curious, what example?

veneration of saints probably.

 

[Northern Swordsman]

I wouldnt say its rinsed at all, you wont find this information mainstream so its good people on here are finding sources. Next step is to spread it so one day it can be an actual rinsed topic

You’re right, should’ve clarified that it’s rinsed on this site but generally not mainstream at all.

 

[Guure⁸]

Rinsed topic.

- Islam entered during the prophets صل الله عليه وسلم and companions time
- by the 8th-10th century majority if not all of Somalis have become Muslims
- 11th-13th century major Islamic sultanate start to appear
- 14th-16th century Muslim armies (ie Somalis) wage religious wars against neighbouring Christians ie Conquest of Abyssinia

I think tunni sultanate existed in 9th century