Lesson 13: How Islam changed West Africa

Replace this with your body text.

​Happy teaching!

How Islam changed African Religous Practices

• Africans followed the 5 pillars of Islam

• Prayed in Arabic

• Fasted

• Worshipped in mosques

• Went on pilgrimages

• Gave alms (offerings to the poor)

How Islam changed Religious Practices

• Continued to pray and make sacrifices to dead ancestors

• Used charms to protect from harm.

Preserved African Religous practices

Multiple Select

14.3 What new practices were adopted by West Africans after Islam spread to the area? (click multiple choices)

• celebratng Muslim religious festivals

• learning the five pillars of Islam

• making sacrifices to dead spirits

• fasting

• Replace this with your body text.

• ​Duplicate this text as many times as you would like.

​

How Islam changed Government and Law

Multiple Choice

Profession of faith
5 daily prayers
donation to charity
fasting during holy month of Ramadan
pilgrimage to Mecca

• 5 noble truths

• 5 pillars of Islam

• 8 fold Path

• 5 commandments 

• Honoring and making sacrifices to their ancestors

• ​Using charms and amulets for protection.

African Religious Practices preserved

Multiple Select

14.3 What old religious practices were preserved by West Africans after Islam spread to the area? (check multiple answers)

• show respect for spirits of dead ancestors

• use amulets or charms to protect themselves from harm

• following Shiri'ah law

• worshipping in mosques

The right to rule now passed from Father to son instead of through the mother's family line.

Patrilineal

West African Kings excercised more control over local leaders and took the title sultan or emir.

Structure of Government

Unwritten rules were replaced by written Shari'ah Law which Muslims believed came from God. Judges heard cases in courts and often had harsh punishments.

Shari'ah Law

How Islam changed Government and Law

Multiple Choice

14.4 How did succession change after Islam came to West Africa?

• The right to rule changed from matrilineal to patrilineal.

• The right to rule changed from patrilineal to matrilineal.

• The right to rule changed from theological to matrilineal.

• The right to rule did not change.

Multiple Choice

What goes best in the empty box?

• increase in attendance at Islamic schools

•  adoption of Islam by West African rulers 

• decline in loyalty to the older Islamic empires

• popularity of Islam among the common people

Multiple Select

14.4 How was shari'ah law different from the customary law of West Africa? Mark 3 answers.

• Shari'ah law was written down and customary laws were not.

• Customary laws were written down, but shari'ah laws were not.

• Shari'ah laws were enforced by courts, but customary laws were not.

• Shari'ah and customary laws were enforced by courts.

• Shari'ah laws were believed to be God's laws. Customary laws came from West African traditions.

• Education was emphasized.

• Tibuktu became famous for its community of Islamic scholars.

• University of Sankore taught the Qur'an, Islamic law, medicine, surgery, and other sciences.

• Qur'anic schools taught children.

• Muslims treasured books.

​How Islam changed Education

Multiple Choice

West Africa built universities to educate the people so they could read the Quran. What language did they have to learn? 

• Hebrew

• Greek

• Arabic

• Latin

Multiple Choice

This West African city was a great center of trade that had mosques, universities, and libraries.

• Mecca

• Rome

• Los Angeles

• Timbuktu

Multiple Choice

Although Timbuktu was known as a trade center, it later became more important as a city for Islamic learning.

• True

• False

• Qur'an was written in Arabic

• Scholars spoke Arabic

• Was the mutual language of trade

​​Changes:

West Africans continued to use their native language for everyday speech.

​​Kept:

​Arabic Language

Multiple Choice

 What became the main language of government, trade and scholarship in West Africa? 

• Arabic

• Persian

• Malian

• Moroccan

Multiple Choice

What was the language of religion and learning in West Africa?

• Latin

• Arabic

• Swahili

• Senegalese 

• West Africans began to build mosques out of mud and wood.

• Houses became rectangular with flat roofs, plain outside walls and no windows.

• Geometric designs

Architecture

Muslims used calligraphy to decorate objects with words or verses from the Qur'an. They also decorated costumes, fans and weapons.

Calligraphy

West Africans used geometric patterns to decorate textiles and stools and ceramic containers.

Geometric Patterns

West Africans adopted an Arabic robe with wide, long sleeves adn a long skirt.

Textiles

​Islamic Decorative Arts

Multiple Choice

What is an example of cultural diffusion?

• people of the Ghana Empire practicing Islam after interacting with Arab traders

• Moroccan troops capturing the city of Gao after invading the Songhai Empire

• Askia Muhammad constructing universities and schools in the city of Timbuktu

• Mansa Musa making a pilgrimage to Mecca and displaying the wealth of Mali