Muslims were in america centuries before Columbus..its a known fact and any of you who didnt know that…well, i wont say anything. This is not something you read about in history textbooks…and we all know why that is right??
By Dr. Youssef Mroueh, Preparatory Commitee for International Festivals
to celebrate the millennium of the Muslims arrival to the Americas (1996 CE)
Numerous evidence suggests that Muslims from Spain and West Africa arrived to the Americas at least five centuries before Columbus. It is recorded,for example, that in the mid-tenth century, during the rule of the Ummayyed Caliph Abdul-Rahman III (929-961 CE), Muslims of African origin sailed westward from the Spanish port of DELBA(Palos) into the “Ocean of darkness and fog”. They returned after a long absence with much booty from a “strange and curious land”. It is evident that people of Muslim origin are known to have accompanied Columbus and subsequent Spanish explorers to the New World.
The last Muslim stronghold in Spain, Granada, fell to the Christians in 1492 CE, just before the Spanish inquisition was launched. To escape persecution, many non-Christians fled or embraced Catholicism. At least two documents imply the presence of Muslims in Spanish America before 1550 CE. Despite the fact that a decree issued in 1539 CE by Charles V, king of Spain, forbade the grandsons of Muslims who had been burned at the stake to migrate to the West Indies. This decree was ratified in 1543 CE, and an order for the expulsion of all Muslims from overseas Spanish territories was subsequently published. Many references on the Muslim arrival to Americas are available. They are summarized in the following notes:
A: HISTORIC DOCUMENTS:
A Muslim historian and geographer ABUL-HASSAN ALI IBN AL-HUSSAIN AL-MASUDI (871-957 CE) wrote in his book Muruj adh-dhahab wa maadin aljawhar (The meadows of gold and quarries of jewells) that during the rule of the Muslim caliph of Spain Abdullah Ibn Mohammad(888-912 CE), a Muslim navigator, Khashkhash Ibn Saeed Ibn Aswad, from Cortoba, Spain sailed from Delba (Palos) in 889 CE, crossed the Atlantic, reached an unknown territory(ard majhoola) and returned with fabulous treasures. In Al-Masudi’s map of the world there is a large area in the ocean of darkness and fog which he referred to as the unknown territory (Americas).(1)
A Muslim historian ABU BAKR IBN UMAR AL-GUTIYYA narrated that during the reign of the Muslim caliph of Spain, Hisham II (976-1009CE), another Muslim navigator, Ibn Farrukh, from Granada, sailed from Kadesh (February 999CE) into the Atlantic, landed in Gando (Great Canary islands) visiting King Guanariga, and continued westward where he saw and named two islands, Capraria and Pluitana. He arrived back in Spain in May 999 CE.(2)
Columbus sailed from Palos (Delba), Spain. He was bound for GOMERA (Canary Islands)-Gomera is an Arabic word meaning ‘small firebrand’ - there he fell in love with Beatriz BOBADILLA, daughter of the first captain general of the island (the family name BOBADILLA is derived from the Arab Islamic name ABOU ABDILLA.).Nevertheless, the BOBADILLA clan was not easy to ignore. Another Bobadilla (Francisco) later, as the royal commissioner, put Columbus in chains and transferred him from Santo Dominigo back to Spain (November 1500 CE). The BOBADILLA family was related to the ABBADID dynasty of Seville (1031-1091 CE). On October 12, 1492 CE, Columbus landed on a little island in the Bahamas that was called GUANAHANI by the natives. Renamed SAN SALVADOR by Columbus. GUANAHANI is derived from Mandinka and modified Arabic words. GUANA (IKHWANA) means ‘brothers’ and HANI is an Arabic name.Therefore the original name of the island was ‘HANI BROTHERS’. (11) Ferdinand Columbus, the son of Christopher, wrote about the blacks seen by his father in Handuras: “The people who live farther east of Pointe Cavinas, as far as Cape Gracios a Dios, are almost black in color.” At the same time, in this very same region, lived a tribe of Muslim natives known as ALMAMY. In Mandinka and Arabic languages, ALMAMY was the designation of "AL-IMAM"or “AL-IMAMU”, the leader of the prayer,or in some cases, the chief of the community,and/or a member of the Imami Muslim community. (12)
A renowned American historian and linguist, LEO WEINER of Harvard University, in his book, AFRICA AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (1920) wrote that Columbus was well aware of the Mandinka presence in the New World and that the West African Muslims had spread throughout the Caribbean, Central, South and North American territories, including Canada,where they were trading and intermarrying with the Iroquois and Algonquin Indians. (13)
B: GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS:
The famous Muslim geographer and cartographer AL-SHARIF AL-IDRISI (1099- 1166CE) wrote in his famous book Nuzhat al-mushtaq fi ikhtiraq al-afaq (Excursion of the longing one in crossing horizons) that a group of seafarers (from North Africa) sailed into the sea of darkness and fog (The Atlantic ocean) from Lisbon (Portugal), in order to discover what was in it and what extent were its limits. They finally reached an island that had people and cultivation…on the fourth day, a translator spoke to them in the Arabic language. (3)
The Muslim reference books mentioned a well-documented description of a journey across the sea of fog and darkness by Shaikh ZAYN EDDINE ALI BEN FADHEL AL-MAZANDARANI. His journey started from Tarfaya (South Morocco) during the reign of the King Abu-Yacoub Sidi Youssef (1286-1307CE) 6th of the Marinid dynasty, to Green Island in the Caribbean sea in 1291 CE (690 HE). The details of his ocean journey are mentioned in Islamic references, and many Muslim scholars are aware of this recorded historical event..(4)
The Muslim historian CHIHAB AD-DINE ABU-L-ABBAS AHMAD BEN FADHL AL-UMARI (1300-1384CE/700-786HE) described in detail the geographical explorations beyond the sea of fog and darkness of Mali’s sultans in his famous book Massaalik al-absaar fi mamaalik al-amsaar (The pathways of sights in the provinces of kingdoms).(5)
Sultan MANSU KANKAN MUSA (1312-1337 CE) was the world renowned Mandinka monarch of the West African Islamic empire of Mali. While travelling to Makkah on his famous Hajj in 1324 CE, he informed the scholars of the Mamluk Bahri sultan court (An-Nasir Nasir Edin Muhammad III-1309-1340 CE) in Cairo, that his brother, sultan Abu Bakari I (1285-1312CE) had undertaken two expeditions into the Atlantic ocean. When the sultan did not return to Timbuktu from the second voyage of 1311 CE, Mansa Musa became sultan of the empire. (6)
Columbus and early Spanish and portuguese explorers were able to voyage across the Atlantic (a distance of 2400 Km’s) thanks to Muslim geographical and navigational information. In particular maps made by Muslim traders, including AL-MASUDI (871-957CE) in his book Akhbar az-zaman (History of the world) which is based on material gathered in Africa and Asia (9). As a matter of fact, Columbus had two captain of muslim origin during his first transatlantic voyage: Martin Alonso Pinzon was the captain of the PINTA,and his brother Vicente Yanez Pinzon was the captain of the NINA. They were wealthy, expert ship outfitters who helped organize the Columbus expedition and prepared the flagship, SANTA MARIA. They did this at their own expense for both commercial and political reasons. The PINZON family was related to ABUZAYAN MUHAMMAD III (1362-66 CE), the Moroccan sultan of the Marinid dynasty (1196-1465CE). (10)
C: ARABIC (ISLAMIC) INSCRIPTIONS:
Anthropologists have proven that the Mandinkos under Mansa Musa’s instructions explored many parts of North America via the Mississippi and other rivers systems. At Four Corners, Arizona, writings show that they even brought elephants from Africa to the area.(7)
Columbus admitted in his papers that on Monday, October 21,1492 CE while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the north-east coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on top of a beautiful mountain. The ruins of mosques and minarets with inscriptions of Quranic verses have been discovered in Cuba,Mexico,Texas and Nevada. (8)
During his second voyage, Columbus was told by the indians of ESPANOLA (Haiti), that black people had been to the island before his arrival. For proof, they presented Columbus with the spears of these African muslims. These weapons were tipped with a yellow metal that the indians called GUANIN, a word of West African derivation meaning ‘gold alloy’. Oddly enough, it is related to the Arabic word ‘GHINAA’ which means ‘WEALTH’. Columbus brought some GUANINES back to Spain and had them tested. He learned that the metal was 18 parts gold (56.25%), 6 parts silver (18.75%) and 8 parts copper (25%), the same ratio as the metal produced in African metalshops of Guinea. (14)
In 1498 CE, on his third voyage to the new world, Columbus landed in Trinidad. Later, he sighted the South American continent, where some of his crew went ashore and found natives using colorful handkerchiefs of symmetrically woven cotton. Columbus noticed that these handkerchiefs resembled the headdresses and loinclothes of Guinea in their colors, style and function. He refered to them as ALMAYZARS. ALMAYZAR is an Arabic word for ‘wrapper’,‘cover’,‘apron’ and/or ‘skirting’ which was the cloth the Moors (Spanish or North African Muslims) imported from west Africa (Guinea) into Morocco, Spain and Portugal. During this voyage, Columbus was surprised that the married women wore cotton panties (bragas) and he wondered where these natives learned their modesty. Hernan Cortes, Spanish conqueror, described the dress of the Indian women as ‘long veils’ and the dress of Indian men as ‘breechcloth painted in the style of Moorish draperies’. Ferdinand Columbus called the native cotton garments ‘breechclothes of the same design and cloth as the shawls worn by the Moorish women of Granada’. Even the similarity of the children’s hammocks to those found in North Africa was uncanny.(15)
Dr. Barry Fell (Harvard University) introduced in his book ‘Saga America-1980’ solid scientific evidence supporting the arrival, centuries before Columbus, of Muslims from North and West Africa. Dr. Fell discovered the existence of the Muslim schools at Valley of Fire, Allan Springs, Logomarsino, Keyhole, Canyon, Washoe and Hickison Summit Pass (Nevada), Mesa Verde (Colorado), Mimbres Valley (New Mexico) and Tipper Canoe(Indiana) dating back to 700-800 CE. Engraved on rocks in the arid western U.S, he found texts, diagrams and charts representing the last surviving fragments of what was once a system of schools - at both an elementary and higher level. The language of instruction was North African Arabic written with old Kufic Arabic scripts. The subjects of instruction included writing, reading, arithmetic, religion, history, geography, mathematics, astronomy and sea navigation. The descendants of the Muslim visitors of North America are members of the present Iroquois, Algonquin, Anasazi, Hohokam and Olmec native people..(16)
There are 565 names of places (villages, towns, cities, mountains, lakes, rivers,.. etc. ) in U.S.A. (484) and Canada (81) which derived from Islamic and Arabic roots. These places were originally named by the natives in precolumbian periods. Some of these names carried holy meanings such as: Mecca-720 inhabitants (Indiana), Makkah Indian tribe (Washington), Medina-2100 (Idaho), Medina-8500 (N.Y.), Medina-1100, Hazen-5000 (North Dakota), Medina-17000/Medina-120000 (Ohio), Medina-1100 (Tennessee), Medina-26000 (Texas), Medina-1200 (Ontario), Mahomet-3200 (Illinois), Mona-1000 (Utah), Arva-700 (Ontario)…etc. A careful study of the names of the native Indian tribes revealed that many names are derived from Arab and Islamic roots and origins, i.e. Anasazi, Apache, Arawak, Arikana, Chavin, Cherokee, Cree, Hohokam, Hupa, Hopi, Makkah, Mahigan, Mohawk, Nazca, Zulu, Zuni…etc..
Based on the above historical, geographical and linguistic notes, a call to celebrate the millennium of the Muslim arrival to the Americas, five centuries before Columbus, has been issued to all Muslim nations and communities around the world. We hope that this call will receive complete understanding and attract enough support.
"By Dr. Youssef Mroueh, Preparatory Commitee for International Festivals
to celebrate the millennium of the Muslims arrival to the Americas (1996 CE)"
Dr. Youssef Mroueh.. I rest my case.
Instead using Mr. Mroueh's compilation (and that is exactly what it seems), why not quote from Mr. Fell book directly. I would like to hear from Fell's book directly, instead of a summary of the book made by Dr. Mroueh, that I would probably never have the time to borrow, to see these 'proofs' myself.
Arai, you're the one who wants the proof therefore, if you're interested in increasing your knowledge or correcting your misunderstandin at all, you'd go look at the book yourself. I have every bit of faith in what im saying. You obviously dont seem to know this, but throughout history, Muslims haven't had to lie about things, exploration, research and acquiring knowledge have always been encouraged. Thats why the arab empires were the ones who built the first universities and hospitals when Europe was still in the Dark Ages. Science and religion are not in conflict in Islam.
You want proof but you'd rather have someone else provide it for you!! What kind of attitude is that? I mean, whatever happened to doing research and backing up your arguments? Everyone here, including me has provided u with articles an names of books, while all you can do is express your opinion and disagree with what everyone else says.
What am i supposed to do, read the entire book to you?
I dont have time for this......gotta study for exams......if you're genuinely interested, go do ur own research.
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 07, 2000).]
I am also in the midst of midterms. I don't have enough time to stray off to things that are not important.
Keep thinking Islam arrived before Columbus.
Keep providing your biased "proofs" on history.
Just ironic, that this forum is the first time I ever heard of such ridiculous statements as Islam arriving before Columbus.
Taking many History, and Philosophy courses.
Geography, World Issue courses. Physics, Science courses. That not even once had they mentioned about Islam. Including some of my teachers being Muslim themselves. I am sure, they may have thrown that in. But hey, I guess they don't want to ruin their doctoral reputation.
Arai
p.s. You provide the proof. It's your job to convince me that Islam arrived before Columbus. Your statement is the Challenger to the pre-existing known statement as Columbus arriving first. I am gonna at this point conclude that you have no background in thesis work as well.
[quote]
Originally posted by hk: Arai, you're the one who wants the proof therefore, if you're interested in increasing your knowledge or correcting your misunderstandin at all, you'd go look at the book yourself. I have every bit of faith in what im saying.
You want proof but you'd rather have someone else provide it for you!! What kind of attitude is that? I mean, whatever happened to doing research and backing up your arguments? Everyone here, including me has provided u with articles an names of books, while all you can do is express your opinion.
What am i supposed to do, read the entire book to you?
I dont have time for this......gotta study for exams......if you're interested at all, go do research
[/quote]
Hk,Thank you for spending your precious time in providing a good summary of the book authored by Fells,after all every body is not Arai,& would prefer to read summary better than NOT reading at all due to constraint of time.You have done a good job,of providing the reference names & if someone wants they can take it from that or shut up.
I have come across articles to the same effect,& i have pictures of native Indians who say there for fathers were converted muslim since 1000 yrs ago when some explorer muslims initial the the first pilgrims landed & preached the religion.It is not surprising that any remains of those dawa would have been erased by christian european John Smith loyal to the pope after columbus .But still some native indians have come up with information like TALLAHasse in florida being derived from allah name 1000 years ago.Now it is just a theory &just an interesting trivia to atleast remember ,that islam was a dominant force even when columbus was being financed by queen issabella of spain.And in spain we know muslim scholar had built libraries in Al hambra ,seville,which unlike the christian,taught that earth was round.It is due to this knowledge that Columvbus could even have the courage to venture west without "falling down the edge of the earth"so to say christian concept.
thanx sanam. iv decided not to respond to such ridiculous posts anymore because people like arai have their minds made up and are not open to even the slightest possibility that they might be wrong.
I have, myself, read articles by several native americans who say that some of their ancestors had embraced Islam (if i have enough time, i'll post some of them) And yes, the name TALLAHASSE originates from Arabic.
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 07, 2000).]
One more thing, i find arai's assumption that all these Muslim sources are biased extremely offensive. What are we? a bunch of liars?? Are you telling me that my opinion about certain things doesnt count because i am Muslim and therefore you PRESUME that i am biased??
Isnt this ironic, you're being biased against Muslim opinion!!
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 07, 2000).]
I wouldn't say liar. That is harsh, and I know of many Muslims who are honest.
But, anyone to prove anything needs proof without using the term proof itself.
I wouldn't call you a liar, since the stuff you posted you would know whether it's untrue yourself. If you know it's Altered, it's tampered or made up, I am sure you would have came to that conclusion before me. You are simply defending your religion, I respect that. But, what I do know is, you probably don't agree with everything it says, but for the sake of defense when someone is 'offending' it, you will go out of your own beliefs to defend it. I am sure, many people agree with me, but are not OPEN to ADMIT they do. Since, they will get retaliation.
Theistic mindset is so simple. If they can easily believe a BOOK, written by any joe shmoe a thousand years ago, I am quite positive they can read and believe any other article also. Including Islam before America.
And personal attacks is one thing, but dont you EVER say anything about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)…Im not going to waste my time by explaining to you the reasons why he couldnt have written the Quran…even non-Muslims, and many of them are scientists, admit that NO human being could ever have written such a book. And our Prophet (saw) was an illiterate man. Stick to the topic here.
Who said he was the only person to write the book?
I personally believe it was a large group, or perhaps even a political party struggling for power in the area.
I never said one person wrote the book. By saying that , I would be saying Muhammad was a genius in essence, and a great scholar. Of course he is not capable of such a thing on his own. He was illiterate as you say afterall. Anyhow, I believe it was a group, and they wanted power, and the best way to get power is to use religion. Simple as that. And it worked!
And even in today's society. Many political parties DO HAVE THEIR OWN BOOK. The Liberal party of Canada, has it;s infamous RED BOOK, Communists have the Manifesto of Karl Marx (Das Kapital), and other books. Who knows, perhaps in 2000 years, some of these books might turn into a religion.. Das Kapital is almost becoming the bible of Communism, and even Athiesm, and it doesn't even have to talk about God!
HK, the way it seems. You seem like you credit Muhammad more than even your own God Allah. If Allah is reallly the true, supreme God, and nothing else is important except him, why is Muhammad so important?? Muhammad was just a messenger who spread the word, he has no divine charactieristics.. He was just a man. Yet, you almost worship him also as a God, which makes me re-consider whether Islam is monotheistic.
[quote]
Originally posted by arai:
**
HK, the way it seems. You seem like you credit Muhammad more than even your own God Allah. If Allah is reallly the true, supreme God, and nothing else is important except him, why is Muhammad so important?? Muhammad was just a messenger who spread the word, he has no divine charactieristics.. He was just a man. Yet, you almost worship him also as a God, which makes me re-consider whether Islam is monotheistic.
Arai**
[/quote]
this is just too much. You've completely twisted my words!! i dont know how ur mind works. When did i say Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was divine?? Saying that would make me a sinner in the eyes of Allah (SWT)and send me to hell. Like you said, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was merely a prophet to spread God's word....he was a great human being, of that everyone's aware, and the beloved prophet of Allah but in the end, he died, just like all of us will. Allah (SWT)is the Supreme Being who has no beginning and no end..how dare you accuse me of comparing Prophet Muhammad (SAW) with Allah, the biggest sin a Muslim could commit???? Nauzubillah!!!
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 14, 2000).]
Well, if he isn't as powerful or as divine as Allah.
How come you take such offense when you think I am insulting him?
An insult to him shouldn't make you upset, afterall he is just a messenger! This is what I am referring to. You got so upset when I said something about him, and from what I can see, almost as upset when I try to prove to you Allah doesn't exist. To me, it just makes me believe that Muhammad is regarded in the same boat as Allah is.
I didn't twist, or intend to twist your words. I just repeated what I understood from what you said last.. That's all, I'm the last one to alter anything to my preference.
Arai, wouldn’t it upset you if someone insulted your mother, your father, your friend, someone you had great love and respect for? Your question seems very redundant, why not ask why insults are generally seen as offensive
GFQ has answered your question pretty well.
Its so wierd though…if someone insults a guy’s girlfriend, he’s ready to break that person’s nose…but most people in western society ignore it when someone insults God, or Jesus etc…cuz its so-called “freedom of speech”
And another thing, wether you believe it or not isnt my concern, but Allah(SWT)has Himself declared Muhammad (SAW) to be His beloved of all prophets…Muslims have a great love for him. He wasnt just a messenger, he was a great human being, even before his prophethood, there is not disagreement about that..among Muslims or non-Muslims.
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 15, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by hk (edited November 15, 2000).]
Everyone is entitled to their own views. In this forum everyone is required to respect that. You are not asked to respect what they believe in, thats up to you, you are asked simply to respect their right, their freedom to think/believe whatever it is they wish to believe.
Tolerate patiently what (unbelievers) say and part from them in a polite manner.(73:10)
It's super true, there is proof that Muslims came to the US before Columbus!
A book by Barry Fell has photos and full documentation about it...
Book Title: Saga America
READ IT! its Amazing!
Wow.. I leave pak.org for a few days, to catch up on some studying. And I've been riduculed more ways than one.
Anyhow, I will not answer to any of your replies in this thread, although I do feel like it. I wish to end my side of this discussion. You have your own opinions, I have my own.