al-Islam fi Ifriqiya Abr al-Tarikh - Muhammad Aman al-Jami - (17)

al-Islam fi Ifriqiya Abr al-TarikhMuhammad Aman al-Jami

The First Phase
Prelude to the First Phase
...
The First Phase

This period constitutes the first of the three phases of Islamic activity in Africa: the phase of Islam’s entry and establishment there. The foregoing has shown that those who brought Islam to Africa during this phase were the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and may He be pleased with them. They understood Islam as it had come, before any extraneous element, alien idea or corrupt opinion entered it. They received it directly from the lips of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—fresh and pure, just as it was revealed. They conveyed it as they understood it, with unparalleled faithfulness and unrivalled sincerity. Their efforts therefore had the effect we have seen upon the heart of the Negus and those of his followers whom Allah willed to guide and granted success.

We have seen how deeply they were moved upon hearing the Quran. We then learned that the Negus did not hesitate to profess his faith formally when he received the letter of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—inviting him to believe in him and in what he had brought. His heart had already believed before the letter reached him, when he was told of the message to which the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was calling. We have therefore described his acceptance of faith, or his declaration of it, as formal, since he was in fact already a believer, as is evident.

Thus, to our knowledge, the Negus was the first of the world’s kings to believe in the Messenger of Allah and his religion. Likewise, his continent, Africa, was the first continent upon which those pure feet trod: the feet of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Among them were members of his household and relatives, and even some of his daughters—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Africa was thus honoured with Islam.

This, then, is how Islam entered the African continent, through an important part of it: Abyssinia. Referring to the whole while intending a part is neither a usage I have coined nor an innovation of mine. Rather, it is a familiar Arabic expression and an established practice about which there is no dispute.

الدور الأول التمهيد للدور الأول ... الدور الأول وهذه الفترة تعتبر الدور الأول من الأدوار الثلاثة للعمل الإسلامي في أفريقيا وهو دور دخوله ووضع تدمه فيها، وتبين مما تقدم أن الذين حملوا الإسلام إلى أفريقيا في هذا الدور هم أصحاب رسول الله ﵊ ورضي الله عنهم الذين فهموا الإسلام كما جاء قبل أن يدخل فيه أي دخيل أو فكرة أجنبية أو رأي فاسد أخذوه من في رسول الله ﵊ غضا طريا كما نزل فبلغوه كما فهموه بأمانة دونها كل الأمانات وبإخلاص يقف دونه كل إخلاص، لذا صار لتبليغهم ذلك التأثير الذي عرفناه في نفس النجاشي وبعض أتباعه ممن أراد الله لهم الهداية ووفقهم. ولقد رأيناهم كيف تأثروا من سماع القرآن، ثم علمنا أن النجاشي لم يتردد في إيمانه رسميا عندما بلغه كتاب رسول الله ﵊ الذي يدعوه فيه إلى الإيمان به وبما جاء به. لأنه قد آمن قلبه قبل وصول الكتاب إليه عندما أخبر. بما هو يدعو إليه رسول الله ﵊ لذا سمينا إيمانه أو إعلانه بإيمانه رسميا لأنه في واقع الأمر مؤمن قبل ذلك، كما لا يخفى. فيعد النجاشي أول ملك يؤمن برسول الله ودينه من ملوك الدنيا- فيما نعلم- كما تعد قارته الأفريقية أول قارة تطؤها تلكم الأقدام الطاهرة أقدام أصحاب رسول الله ﵊ وفيهم بعض آل بيته وأقاربه بل بعض بناته ﵊، وشرفت بالإسلام. هكذا دخل الإسلام قارة أفريقيا باعتبار جزء مهم منها وهو الحبشة، فإطلاق الكل وإرادة الجزء لشيء وليد كلامي ولا هو من بدعتي بل هو أسلوب عربي معروف وسبيل مسلوك لا ينتطح حوله عنزان.