Beyond Timbuktu: An Intellectual History Of Muslim West Africa
by Ousmane Oumar Kane /
2016 / English / PDF
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Renowned for its madrassas and archives of rare Arabic
manuscripts, Timbuktu is famous as a great center of Muslim
learning from Islam’s Golden Age. Yet Timbuktu is not unique. It
was one among many scholarly centers to exist in precolonial West
Africa.
Renowned for its madrassas and archives of rare Arabic
manuscripts, Timbuktu is famous as a great center of Muslim
learning from Islam’s Golden Age. Yet Timbuktu is not unique. It
was one among many scholarly centers to exist in precolonial West
Africa.Beyond Timbuktu
Beyond Timbuktu charts the rise of Muslim learning
in West Africa from the beginning of Islam to the present day,
examining the shifting contexts that have influenced the
production and dissemination of Islamic knowledge―and shaped the
sometimes conflicting interpretations of Muslim
intellectuals―over the course of centuries.
charts the rise of Muslim learning
in West Africa from the beginning of Islam to the present day,
examining the shifting contexts that have influenced the
production and dissemination of Islamic knowledge―and shaped the
sometimes conflicting interpretations of Muslim
intellectuals―over the course of centuries.
Highlighting the significant breadth and versatility of the
Muslim intellectual tradition in sub-Saharan Africa, Ousmane Kane
corrects lingering misconceptions in both the West and the Middle
East that Africa’s Muslim heritage represents a minor thread in
Islam’s larger tapestry. West African Muslims have never been
isolated. To the contrary, their connection with Muslims
worldwide is robust and longstanding. The Sahara was not an
insuperable barrier but a bridge that allowed the Arabo-Berbers
of the North to sustain relations with West African Muslims
through trade, diplomacy, and intellectual and spiritual
exchange.
Highlighting the significant breadth and versatility of the
Muslim intellectual tradition in sub-Saharan Africa, Ousmane Kane
corrects lingering misconceptions in both the West and the Middle
East that Africa’s Muslim heritage represents a minor thread in
Islam’s larger tapestry. West African Muslims have never been
isolated. To the contrary, their connection with Muslims
worldwide is robust and longstanding. The Sahara was not an
insuperable barrier but a bridge that allowed the Arabo-Berbers
of the North to sustain relations with West African Muslims
through trade, diplomacy, and intellectual and spiritual
exchange.
The West African tradition of Islamic learning has grown in
tandem with the spread of Arabic literacy, making Arabic the most
widely spoken language in Africa today. In the postcolonial
period, dramatic transformations in West African education,
together with the rise of media technologies and the
ever-evolving public roles of African Muslim intellectuals,
continue to spread knowledge of Islam throughout the continent.
The West African tradition of Islamic learning has grown in
tandem with the spread of Arabic literacy, making Arabic the most
widely spoken language in Africa today. In the postcolonial
period, dramatic transformations in West African education,
together with the rise of media technologies and the
ever-evolving public roles of African Muslim intellectuals,
continue to spread knowledge of Islam throughout the continent.