← They Lied About Africa
Is Islam an Arab Religion? artwork

Is Islam an Arab Religion?

They Lied About Africa
20:52
Play episode

Show notes

Many people assume Islam is an Arab religion, that Africa encountered it late, borrowed it, or reshaped it incorrectly. In this episode of They Lied About Africa, we challenge that assumption by tracing how Islam actually came to the African continent and why Africa was never on the margins of its history. From the first Hijra to the Kingdom of Axum, to the growth of Islamic scholarship, institutions, and societies across Africa, this episode explores how African Muslims helped protect, shape, and spread Islam from its earliest days. We also confront the uncomfortable realities of power, Arabization, slavery, and colonialism, and how these forces distorted how African Islam is understood today. If you've ever wondered why African Muslims are treated like outsiders in their own faith, this episode provides the historical context behind that question. This is not a simplified or romanticized story - it's the one most people were never taught. Follow They Lied About Africa on Socials for more: Instagram: @theyliedaboutafrica TikTok: @theyliedaboutafrica

More from this show

More
  1. Africa Is Changing. But What Happens to the People Growing Old in It?

    Africa is changing fast, and as more people move for work, education, and opportunity, families are becoming increasingly spread out. But what does that mean for the people growing…

    01:07:46
  2. Is It Actually Easier to Build a Business in Africa? | Kanessa Muluneh

    What if building a business in Africa isn’t harder than building in the West, but in some cases, actually easier? In this episode of They Lied About Africa, I sit down with Ethiopi…

    01:00:39
  3. The Reality of Moving From America to Senegal | Aalia Reeves (Content Creator)

    Aalia Reeves moved from Texas to Senegal knowing almost nothing about the country and with no family roots or established connections of her own there beyond her husband and his fa…

    01:44:25
  4. She Left the American Dream to Build a Business in Senegal | Aminata Mbaye, Founder & CEO of PYNK

    Aminata “Ami” Mbaye had a path that looked familiar to many young people in the diaspora: build a life in the United States, find a stable career, and keep moving forward. But afte…

    01:19:43
  5. He Turned the African Diaspora's Biggest Fear Into a Business - Imran Bakaluba (Homelink Uganda)

    At just 20 years old, Imran Bakaluba is building the kind of company many Africans in the diaspora have been waiting for. Growing up in the UK before moving to Uganda, Imran found…

    48:25
  6. How Europe Built a Football Empire Using African Talent

    European football is filled with some of the best players in the world—but have you ever stopped to ask why so many of them have African roots, or why Europe's biggest clubs invest…

    21:35
Now Playing