(The continuation of translation work of brother Misbaah Olagunju, Abu Aamaal, of Shaykh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaami's work)
Without doubt, Africa continent like other continents was not fortunate with organized and wholesome Islamic propagation after that era recently discussed which we have named “the first epoch†due to our observation that the circulation of Islam which happened during this second epoch —in most instances— did not occur through (qualified) preachers, specialists, or scholars of understanding who are able to differentiate between what is foundational (original) and what is alien (added), and also able to distinguish the wheat from the chaff.
The Callers in this Era
The callers in this era are of two categories:
As for West Africa, we have seen Arab traders from the south of the Arabian peninsula with ports terminating towards Al-Habasha (Ethiopia), As-Suudaan (Sudan) and As-Suumaali (Somalia), entering these places with the motive of trading with the transporters and at them same time offering Islam to them. And it is natural that a proper merchant who did not learn about Islam aside from his understanding of the methodology of trade and ways of accumulating wealth, when he is now honoured by his association with Islam, moreover, calling to it within the bounds of his constricted understanding of it, this is why you will find that they have imported into the provinces, patchy Islam with inadequacies in each spot differing from the one adjacent to it and between the two of them are discords and contradictions. Many a time they call some of their dogmatic practices and culture which has no resemblance with Islam Al-Islam, only that they did not do all that for an evil motive rather it was due to ill comprehension and inadequate knowledge because they weren’t specialists, they only crossed the ocean for the purpose of trade and when they entered the provinces and found themselves the most excellent thing there is in the domain —As expressed in some consuetude—, they busy themselves with calling to Islam and they were but wood pickers in the night collecting everything that their hands fell upon and conveying them to homes in Africa bearing in mind that an African man existing at that period would not have rejected anything brought to him by an Arab man, moreover he would not have debated him and ask whether what he has transmitted or dictated to him was authentic or not? Due to his (African man's) conviction that an Arab man would not say or present anything in the name of the religion or spread it among people except what was brought by the unlettered Arab prophet, this was the belief of the African man regarding the Arab man, more so when that Arab man is a caller to Islam he believes everything virtuous about him, and in my supposition which is closer to certainty, men of all inhabited continents share with Africans in this belief and utmost attestation relative to the Arab man just as we have observed in some of our visits to other parts of the world aside Africa.
