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In episode three, Zara talks to Mustafa Briggs about the history of Islam in West Africa. They discuss the roots of Islam in the region, the intellectual achievements of Timbuktu and other centres of learning, sufism and the empowerment of women through scholarship that can be seen throughout West African history. Mustafa also tells us about his upcoming lecture series ‘Beyond Bilal’.
What We Talk About In This Episode
- How Islam first entered West Africa
- Various empires that ruled in the region
- Timbuktu and its intellectual achievements- as well as other centres of learning
- The various historical intellectual traditions and institutes that still exist today
- Mustafa’s role in helping to increase exposure of Madina Baye and its scholars/teachers
- Nana Asma’u and the Caliphate of Sokoto
- Female empowerment through scholarship; Mustafa shares stories about various female scholars and their achievements
- How West African Islam can help in dealing with some of the issues being faced by Western Muslims today
- Mustafa’s travel plans during Rabi al-Awwal and his upcoming lecture series ‘Beyond Bilal’.
People Mentioned in this episode
- Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse
- Usman dan Fodio
- Kaya Magan Cissé
- Amadou Bamba
- Nana Asma’u
Further reading
You can find Mustafa on Instagram.
