The history of enslaved Muslims is not often discussed, but their impact is beyond measure in the creation of the United States. Islam was prevalent in America since the first settlers first arrived in North America. Although it is unknown exactly how many African Muslims were forcibly transported and enslaved in the New World, there are indications in autobiographies, legal doctrines, and existing religious and cultural traditions (African Muslims in early America). Moreover, African Muslims have been caught in the midst of convoluted social and legal attitudes since they first landed in America (African Muslims in early America). Thus, educating oneself about the two-front crisis enslaved Muslims faced in America is necessary.
Approximately 10 to 15 percent of enslaved Africans were believed to be Muslim (Public Broadcasting Service). Although they were a minority among enslaved populations, Muslims were recognized by all. Many of whom were forced to convert to Christianity and assimilate to the cultural norms of the West. However, some continued to practice Islam by reading the Quran and praying in secret, usually late in the evening. They also made an effort to maintain their culture while enslaved by keeping their names alive, holding on to traditional attire. According to some historians, African-Americans on the Georgia coast managed to preserve their faith until the early part of the 20th century (Public Broadcasting Service).
As Charles Spalding Willy wrote about Bilali from Guinea, enslaved on Sapelo Island, Georgia: “three times each day he faced the East and called upon Allah.” Biliali was brought to Georgia in 1802. He was well-educated and could read and write; therefore, he was appointed as the manager of his master’s plantation. Bashir Mundi, an Imam and Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia, says that Bilali was put in charge as the leader amongst the slaves on Sapelo Island”. Towards the end of his life, he wrote the Bilali Muhammad document, found in the University of Georgia’s library. It contains Islamic text and teachings. Although Islam is not practiced by most of the descendants of Bilali Muhammad, “Some of their Islamic traditions were preserved in the east, even in the Christianity that almost all of them later adopted”, says Imam Bashir. For example, the church they prayed at faces the east, and they pray facing the east, which is the direction of the Ka’abah in Makkah, where all Muslims face when praying. When Imam Bashir Mundi visited Sapelo Island in 2007, he noticed that there were no schools in the area, and most children had to ferry across to Savannah to attend school. There were still some of Bilali’s descendants on the island, some houses, the church building, and the marshes that the enslaved population farmed on during their enslavement. So many people decided to leave the Island. “They would move out to go and see better lives, so the Island was being depopulated. Sapelo Island also became an attractive target of developers who sought to create resorts and expand tourism to the area. Some descendants have unfortunately sold their land and their heritage for pennies, literally,” says Mundi.
Muslim immigrants began arriving between 1878 and 1924 from the Middle East and settled in Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, and the Dakotas to seek better economic opportunities (Public Broadcasting Service).They often worked for companies like Ford, where the working hours were long and nearly unbearable. Simultaneously, the Great Migration assisted the revival of Islam among African American communities and the prosperity of the African American Muslim Nationalist Movement prevalent today (Public Broadcasting Service). The continued hope remains to restore the lost culture and religion during slavery.
The Hart-Celler Act of 1965, also known as the Immigration and Naturalization Act, abolished the national origins quota system, limiting the number of individuals from any country who could immigrate to the US. Due to the lift on race-based restrictions, an influx of Muslim immigrants arrived. This act allowed more people from Asia and Africa to migrate to the US. This directly connected to the work of Black Muslims and others involved in the Civil Rights movement. According to Pew Research Center, as of 2014, an estimated 64 percent of Muslims were immigrants, and another 17 percent were children of immigrants. Today, much of the racial tension among Muslims occurs due to conflicts between these immigrant communities and non-immigrants, generally African Americans.
Work Cited
African Muslims in early America. National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2021, December 7). Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/african-muslims-early-america
Diouf, S. A. (2021, February 10). Muslims in America: A forgotten history. History | Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/2/10/muslims-in-america-always-there
Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Islam in America | history detectives. PBS. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/islam-in-america/
Religion in America: U.S. religious data, Demographics and statistics. Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. (2020, September 9). Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/muslim/#demographic-information
