How did Islam become dominant in the Songhai Empire?
Shortly after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Arab Empire spread rapidly across North Africa, effectively converting those it conquered to Islam. The religion itself, however, spread beyond the Arab Empire s borders, finding homes in various kingdoms in the surrounding areas. The equally mighty Songhai Empire was a notable example. Without a war or military invasion, how did Islam come to dominate a kingdom that once subscribed almost entirely to animism?
The Rise of the Songhai Empire
Though their descendants are now a minority sect in one of the world s poorest countries, the Songhai once ruled West Africa with an iron fist. Their empire, at its zenith, stretched from what is now central Niger all the way to the Senegalese west coast, engulfing nearly all of modern-day Mali.