How did Islam reach Somalia?

[Journey.]

@Idilinaa @The alchemist @Shimbiris

What do you guys know about how Islam spread in Somalia? And is the history surrounding Masjid Qiblatayn (and Somalis accepting Islam that early in Islamic history) true?

It's a little strange that despite Islam's strong roots in our culture and history, there's little information on how it reached us and spread throughout our land.

 

[Idilinaa]

Its a big possibility that the prophets followers were sent to Somalia. Although Somalis did not refer to themselves as Habash as we can tell from the Rasulid manuscripts (that seperate jabarti, zayla'i from habash) , the name Al-Habash was a lot of times applied as a generalized regional name for the the entire Horn of Africa by Arab authors and poorly distinguished. There are examples of them applying it when talking about zayla despite it being fully Muslim by that point, which indicates they weren't speaking of the Christian Ethiopian highlanders.

So they could have sent them to Zayla, who maintain a local tradition about it linked to that Mosque you mentioned.

What we do know from archeology is that Somalis were islamized in large parts by 8th/9th century as there are tomb stones dating from the early 700s in Mogadishu and the northern-western interior was eating halal diet and with presence of Muslim butchery practices.

Early Muslims in the Horn had a cosmopolitan halal diet

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/05/early-muslims-in-africa-had-a-cosmopolitan-halal-diet/129456

www.somalispot.com

And we have written refrences from the 900s thats speaks of Muslim presence in both the northern and eastern horn.

And hadith narrators from Zayla from the 800s.

Somali Hadith Narrator in the 9th Century

Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Zayla’i Al Askari. Since his Sheikh died in 856 A.D. (245 A.H.) I’m Assuming he would have to have been born by 830. He, Al Daraqutni, and Al Tabari (RA) studied under the same Sheikh.

www.somalispot.com

 

[Journey.]

Its a big possibility that the prophets followers were sent to Somalia. Although Somalis did not refer to themselves as Habash as we can tell from the Rasulid manuscripts (that seperate jabarti, zayla'i from habash) , the name Al-Habash was a lot of times applied as a generalized regional name for the the entire Horn of Africa by Arab authors and poorly distinguished. There are examples of them applying it when talking about zayla despite it being fully Muslim by that point, which indicates they weren't speaking of the Christian Ethiopian highlanders.

So they could have sent them to Zayla, who maintain a local tradition about it linked to that Mosque you mentioned.

Do you mean they settled there or passed through? They were sent to the Abyssinian king who received them and most likely settled in the capital of Abyssinia under his protection. However, some of them stayed for 15 years before returning so there's a possibility, however small, that their da'wah spread to Somalis. Masjid Qiblatayn is interesting but I haven't come across anything that substantiates its historical claim.

What we do know from archeology is that Somalis were islamized in large parts by 8th/9th century as there are tomb stones dating from the early 700s in Mogadishu and the northern-western interior was eating halal diet and with presence of Muslim butchery practices.

Early Muslims in the Horn had a cosmopolitan halal diet

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/05/early-muslims-in-africa-had-a-cosmopolitan-halal-diet/129456

www.somalispot.com

And we have written refrences from the 900s thats speaks of Muslim presence in both the northern and eastern horn.


And hadith narrators from Zayla from the 800s.

Somali Hadith Narrator in the 9th Century

Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Zayla’i Al Askari. Since his Sheikh died in 856 A.D. (245 A.H.) I’m Assuming he would have to have been born by 830. He, Al Daraqutni, and Al Tabari (RA) studied under the same Sheikh.

www.somalispot.com

This is really interesting, thanks for sharing.

 

[Idilinaa]

Do you mean they settled there or passed through? They were sent to the Abyssinian king who received them and most likely settled in the capital of Abyssinia under his protection. However, some of them stayed for 15 years before returning so there's a possibility, however small, that their da'wah spread to Somalis. Masjid Qiblatayn is interesting but I haven't come across anything that substantiates its historical claim.




This is really interesting, thanks for sharing.

No i mean the most likely settled and sought refuge. It's impossible for them to have gone to Axum because it was landlocked basically and seized to exist back then and the Arab's saw them as an enemy crusaders so it would be pretty questionable for them to send them there.

Rise and Fall of Axum, Ethiopia: A Geo-Archaeological Interpretation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/280596

Trade declined after 600 and Axum was essentially landlocked by 715. Intense land pressure and more erratic rainfall favored soil destruction and ecological degradation during the seventh and eighth centuries. Largely abandoned by 800 and pillaged by border tribes. Axum retained only symbolic significance as power shifted to the more fertile lands of humid central Ethiopia

Therefore the king was most likely a local coastal ruler. Because they mention Nejashi along with situating Zayla and Dakhlak inside the region of Habasa in the 9th century and 10th century , here they are not talking about the Christian sovereign king but it's a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum continued to be used after it dissapeared.

As far as Masjid Al-Qiblatayn goes, there is signs of the foundations being extremely old from what i've been told and it built over a few times. That and the two qibla orientation.

 

[Midas]

No i mean the most likely settled and sought refuge. It's impossible for them to have gone to Axum because it was landlocked basically and seized to exist back then and the Arab's saw them as an enemy

Rise and Fall of Axum, Ethiopia: A Geo-Archaeological Interpretation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/280596

Therefore the king was most likely a local coastal ruler. Because they mention Nejashi along with situating Zayla and Dakhlak inside the region of Habasa in the 9th century and 10th century , here they are not talking about the Christian sovereign king but it's a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum continued to be used after it dissapeared.

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As far as Masjid Al-Qiblatayn goes, there is signs of the foundations being extremely old from what i've been told and it built over a few times. That and the two qibla orientation.

Oh wow this source looks interesting can you send me a link

 

[Idilinaa]

Oh wow this source looks interesting can you send me a link

It's screen copies i saved of translations from a spanish research paper, i'll find the link again for you.

 

[Northern Swordsman]

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

 

[Journey.]

No i mean the most likely settled and sought refuge. It's impossible for them to have gone to Axum because it was landlocked basically and seized to exist back then and the Arab's saw them as an enemy crusaders so it would be pretty questionable for them to send them there.

Rise and Fall of Axum, Ethiopia: A Geo-Archaeological Interpretation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/280596

Therefore the king was most likely a local coastal ruler. Because they mention Nejashi along with situating Zayla and Dakhlak inside the region of Habasa in the 9th century and 10th century , here they are not talking about the Christian sovereign king but it's a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum continued to be used after it dissapeared.

View attachment 348611
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As far as Masjid Al-Qiblatayn goes, there is signs of the foundations being extremely old from what i've been told and it built over a few times. That and the two qibla orientation.

That's an interesting argument. But this is looking at the situation after the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions in whose time the title Najashi was still in use. They correctly called the leader of "Al-Habasha" An-Najashi, especially since they met him and addressed him. Unless you're saying some Somali leaders also went by this title (and were also Christians)?

 

[altrae]

@Idilinaa @The alchemist @Shimbiris

What do you guys know about how Islam spread in Somalia? And is the history surrounding Masjid Qiblatayn (and Somalis accepting Islam that early in Islamic history) true?

It's a little strange that despite Islam's strong roots in our culture and history, there's little information on how it reached us and spread throughout our land.

Trade was no doubt a major factor. And that fact that it resulted in Social Contact which spread Islam even further. With merchants converting due to the fact it legitimized their economic base.

 

[CABDULWALI XASAN.]

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 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

 

[Idilinaa]

That's an interesting argument. But this is looking at the situation after the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions in whose time the title Najashi was still in use. They correctly called the leader of "Al-Habasha" An-Najashi, especially since they met him and addressed him. Unless you're saying some Somali leaders also went by this title (and were also Christians)?

This event you are speaking of was recorded a few centuries after it happened, but you can see is that it's just a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum. The same way they applied it to Zayla. Zayla had no one in reality that went by Al-Nejashi, neither did Dakhlak.

What is happening in reality is that the Axumite invasion of Arabia is still fresh on Arab memory and they super impose that memory on the entire region after it vanished from the political landscape.

 

[Aseer]

No i mean the most likely settled and sought refuge. It's impossible for them to have gone to Axum because it was landlocked basically and seized to exist back then and the Arab's saw them as an enemy crusaders so it would be pretty questionable for them to send them there.

Rise and Fall of Axum, Ethiopia: A Geo-Archaeological Interpretation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/280596

Therefore the king was most likely a local coastal ruler. Because they mention Nejashi along with situating Zayla and Dakhlak inside the region of Habasa in the 9th century and 10th century , here they are not talking about the Christian sovereign king but it's a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum continued to be used after it dissapeared.

View attachment 348611
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As far as Masjid Al-Qiblatayn goes, there is signs of the foundations being extremely old from what i've been told and it built over a few times. That and the two qibla orientation.

Nejashi wuz somali? seriously though is it likely?

 

[Idilinaa]

Nejashi wuz somali? seriously though is it likely?

There was no Somali Nejashi. Just like Somalis weren't calling themselves habasha, but those names are imposed by Arabs from the outside.

It's either likely Zayla or Dakhlak. I first heard it argued by an Egyptian writer and it makes sense

You can also tell that the prophet was talking about a seperate part of the region called -Al-Habash because not only did they occupy Dakhlak to prevent Ethiopian highlanders access to the red sea until Muslim formations took over that kept it landlocked but he also shared the story of them destroying the Kaba which shows there is deep memory of them being enemies of Islam and an Egyptian author from a book i read recently pretty much summed it up well:

he really hit the nail on the ''envy of Muslims prosperity' and the ''backwardness'' of Ethiopians. This is something i discussed with @Emir of Zayla @Midas @NidarNidar these past few weeks.

 

[Aseer]

There was no Somali Nejashi. Just like Somalis weren't calling themselves habasha, but those names are imposed by Arabs from the outside.

It's either likely Zayla or Dakhlak. I first heard it argued by an Egyptian writer and it makes sense

So nejashi was most likely eritrean or somali?

 

[Idilinaa]

So nejashi was most likely eritrean or somali?

Yeah the one who most likely received them was a local coastal ruler. You dont agree?

 

[Idilinaa]

Trade was no doubt a major factor. And that fact that it resulted in Social Contact which spread Islam even further. With merchants converting due to the fact it legitimized their economic base.

We can also see from the rasulid manuscripts that it was spread through returning Somali scholars. Somali scholars who returned from Arabia.

 

[Journey.]

This event you are speaking of was recorded a few centuries after it happened,

Do you mean the hijrah to Abyssinia? It's a well known event in Seerah and there are authentic narrations regarding it. There's also a saheeh hadith where some of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ who made that hijrah discuss a church they saw in Abyssinia.

but you can see is that it's just a resumption of older tradition that relates to Axum. The same way they applied it to Zayla. Zayla had no one in reality that went by Al-Nejashi, neither did Dakhlak.

What is happening in reality is that the Axumite invasion of Arabia is still fresh on Arab memory and they super impose that memory on the entire region after it vanished from the political landscape.

Another point, despite seeking refuge in Abyssinia the companions who migrated knew they were on enemy lands. They were under the protection of the king but they still felt hostility from the people. There's a slightly long hadith where Asma bint 'Umays mentions this to Umar and the Prophet ﷺ says those who migrated to Abyssinia get the reward for two hijrahs.

We can also see from the rasulid manuscripts that it was spread through returning Somali scholars. Somali scholars who returned from Arabia.

This sounds fascinating. Could you share this with us?

 

[Idilinaa]

Do you mean the hijrah to Abyssinia? It's a well known event in Seerah and there are authentic narrations regarding it. There's also a saheeh hadith where some of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ who made that hijrah discuss a church they saw in Abyssinia.

Can you share the hadith?

Another point, despite seeking refuge in Abyssinia the companions who migrated knew they were on enemy lands. They were under the protection of the king but they still felt hostility from the people. There's a slightly long hadith where Asma bint 'Umays mentions this to Umar and the Prophet ﷺ says those who migrated to Abyssinia get the reward for two hijrahs.

Also share this one as well

One thing you will notice is that Arab authors at times lump information on the surrounding regions and kingdoms with the Christian Kingdom and religion, speaking about the whole area.

This sounds fascinating. Could you share this with us?

A couple of people posted threads on it

Medieval Muslim scholars from the Horn in Yemen and Red Sea.

https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/19536 Though I am puzzled why the author of this article thinks that that the Muslim dominions in the Horn were apart of Abyssinia, as clearly the Sultanates and the outside world didn’t think so, I think he’s stretching the term “Abyssinia” onto the whole...

www.somalispot.com

Somali aristocrats in Medieval Yemen

- Mention of the Somali Qadi (jurist) Muhammad bin Omar bin Musa bin Abdullah Al-Jabarti Al-Zayla’i Al-Qurashi. He was one of the prominent figures of Yemen in the 1200s and was considered as a close advisor to the first Rasulid kings of Yemen and a very influential person, basically a noble I...

www.somalispot.com

 

[Journey.]

Can you share the hadith?

One thing you will notice is that Arab authors at times lump information on the surrounding regions and kingdoms with the Christian Kingdom and religion, speaking about the whole area.
View attachment 348631

They may have been authors who just wrote on what they heard and never travelled themselves. Whereas the companions here actually travelled and reported on what they heard and saw. Some of them were also traders who had trade links with Abyssinians so it's unlikely they were getting people mixed up.

 

[Idilinaa]

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They may have been authors who just wrote on what they heard and never travelled themselves. Whereas the companions here actually travelled and reported on what they heard and saw. Some of them were also traders who had trade links with Abyssinians so it's unlikely they were getting people mixed up.

''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

About the trade connection to Yemen in Pre-Islamic times. Said Shidad elaborate on that in a recent study:

Social and Economic Developments in Pre-Islamic Somalia: Introducing African-Arabian-Mediterranean Interaction

Although the history of Somalia is poorly studied, occasional researches show that the nation has a rich, ancient history. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the evolution of Somali society and aspects of their economy throughout circa 3000 BCE–500 CE. During 1960s–1980s, it has been...

www.intechopen.com

The unique role of Somalia in the Horn for the regional trade was also noted by Claudius Ptolemy c. 150 CE. He singled out the country for being a commercial partner of Yemen with the largest number of trade centers citing The Geography of Ptolemy; 1991. pp. 38, 107).

The trade between Somalia and Arabia must have existed long before and after the date of the inscriptions. Agatharchides noted around 150 BCE an increase the trade by a Yemeni presence in Somalia. Describing the Sabaeans and the Phoenicians as the richest nations in the world, he reported that the former were traveling and had settlements in the land of the aromatics

The author of Periplus already noted that the Somalis were crossing to Arabia on their own small boats. And on the basis of population exchange between Somalia and Yemen during the Islamic era, it is possible that the Somalis were also residing in the Yemeni coast in the Pre-Islamic era. Pliny noted that cinnamon merchants from the Horn were staying southern Yemeni ports about five years for business ([52], p. XXI, 42).