Islam in Mali:

Mali in the Mande language means “where the king lives”. The official religion of the new state was Islam. The reason behind the conversion of all the Mandinka tribe into Islam was their firm and unwavering faith in the teachings of the Al-Muraabiteen.

The Mandinka people are cousins of the Soninke and Sesotho tribes; as they speak the same language which is the Mandé language. However, Islam did not penetrate into the Soninke tribes and Sesotho tribes as it was the case with the Mandinka tribes.

The kingdom of Mali was founded by an indigenous Zinj people which are the Mandinka or Mandingo. The word Mandingo was twisted to become “Mali”, which means those who speak the Mandé language. The Zinj people embraced Islam in the late 11th century A.D. during the emergence of Almoravids movement. This small country, which started with Kaniaga kingdom (known as the "Sosso" of the 12th and 13th century) managed to possess a strong military force in the region of Niani, a city located West of the Niger River not far from the borders of modern Guinea.

Mali came into existence at the hands of its founder Sundiata Keita, who was also called Mari Djata, Sogolon Djata I or just Sundiata). He came to the throne in 1245 AD and ruled Mali for twenty-five years. Sundiata was able to make his small kingdom a great empire after he subdued many of the neighboring states, including what remained of the Ghana Empire. He defeated the Soso chief, Sumaguru Kante, of the Kaniaga kingdom and annexed his lands to the Mali Empire. He founded a new capital in Niani (sometimes called Mali).

Mali occupied a refined commercial status in Western Sudan and continued to prosper until Sundiata was succeeded by his son ‘Ali, who bore the title “Mansa”, meaning Sultan or Sir in Mande language. He followed the example of his father and ruled Mali from 1260 until 1277 AD. Like other kings of Mali, he went on pilgrimage to the holy places in Makkah.

Thus, the emergence of the Mali Empire on the political arena of West Africa and its expansion in the east and west of Africa helped in the spread of Islam and its civilization in the African continent. This was especially because the Mali Empire dominated several major African trade routes, gold mines and salt mines. The Mali Empire flourished because of trade above all else and this distinguished the empire. It also manifested cultural prosperity and had strong and solid relations with the neighboring powers.

The famous pilgrimage journey of Mansa ‘Ali had many positive scientific and cultural impacts on the Mali Empire. It brought many changes in the construction system, trade routes, and the establishment of mosques and beacons of knowledge. It also encouraged inviting scholars and jurists to the empire, promoting Imaam Maalik’s school of Fiqh, and the emergence of a genuine Islamic life-style, thanks to the efforts of scholars from Egypt and Marrakech.

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