What African groups became Muslim due dawah of Somalis ?

[ZBR]

I guess Somalis at large being Muslim wasn’t a small feat and we can add inviting Somali Bantus to Islam too

Any other groups in our periphery?

 

[Juke]

The neighboring non-Somali groups in northern Kenya: Borana, Gabbra, Sakuye, Orma, Rendille and maybe the upper Pokomo

 

[Riftvalley]

Sheikh Aweys Al Barawi converted a lot of people as far as Tanzania and Mozambique in the late 19th-early 20th century.

 

[Idilinaa]

If someone did a run down and collected the known ones starting from the middle ages, i wouldn't be surprised if it would be a big portion of Muslims in East Africa really.

Somalis were traveling vast distances to spread Islam. Whereas other groups had a tendency to stay in their areas.

 

[Emir of Zayla]

Some notable groups that come to mind are Oromos, Swahilis, Jabarti Habeshis, Bantus… Somalis spread and protected Islam & Muslims all across Eastern Africa, major players in the region.

 

[Garaad Awal]

Oromos mostly.

 

[Chaseyourdreamzz]

Some notable groups that come to mind are Oromos, Swahilis, Jabarti Habeshis, Bantus… Somalis spread and protected Islam & Muslims all across Eastern Africa, major players in the region.

I thought Islam was spread to Swahili’s by Arab’s and Persians ?

 

[The alchemist]

A section of the Ethiopian Oromos and the northern pastoral-based Kenyans.

 

[Idilinaa]

I thought Islam was spread to Swahili’s by Arab’s and Persians ?

Some swahili tribes were converted by Arabs and but for other Swahilis it was Southern Somalis spreading Islam and even culture throughout the middle ages downwards towards the Swahili coast , and the early modern period.

In the middle ages it was mostly Somalis just migrating down:

The Shungwayah is just Somalis from Burgabo migrating down

And when the migrated down and started building walled stone settlements and absorbed the bantus that they came in contact with in the process.

There was 2 waves of Migrations, first one is between 9th and 10th century and the second one is between 16th and 17th century.

This is also shown in Linguisitics. ND is Northern Swahili.

In the early modern period Somali Sheikhs are credited with the Islamic revival in Lamu, Siyu and Pate:

These links also existed not just with the coast of Southern Somalia but also with the Southern interior. There was political and cultural links between Sultans of Geledi and Bardheera Jama with the northern Swahili coast particularly with Witu and Lamu.

The city State of Siyu, for example was revived from the 1700s by a new stream of Somali Shayukhs who joint ruled it and intitiated it into a center for learning and book production

The influence in book production can be seen in the Somali leathermaking for book binding and woodcarving, motifs etc

 

[Chaseyourdreamzz]

For some swahili tribes were converted by Arabs and but for other Swahilis it was Southern Somalis spreading Islam and even culture throughout the middle ages downwards towards the Swahili coast , and the early modern period.

In the middle ages it was mostly Somalis just migrating down:




In the early modern period it Somali Sheikhs credited with Islamic revival in Lamu, Siyu and Pate:

Interesting I knew of Somali presence in the Swahili coast but I thought it was mainly trading

why do you think is Islam less widespread in east Africa then in west Africa which has multiple Islamic majority nations

 

[Idilinaa]

Interesting why do you think is Islam less widespread in east Africa then in west Africa which has multiple Islamic majority nations

Most of the spread of Islam in West Africa actually happened in the 19th and 20th century through Jihads. So many are comparatively very recent Muslims. We kinda discussed in another thread:Fulani jihads that happened in the 1700s and 1800s.

I would say geography limited both areas compared to Somalia and North Africa.
Unlike the Somali coast, the swahili coast operated like Muslim enclaves separated from the interior which continued to be inhabited by pagans. In large part because of their geographical landscape in that part of East Africa.

With Ethiopia there is also an added element of Christian anti-muslim antagonism that either erased or suppressed or limited the spread of it. Islam continued to spread in all directions by Somalis and would have fully done so but it halted we know the rest of the story.