The document summarizes how Islam spread in West Africa through trans-Saharan trade and missionary work. Key figures discussed include Mansa Musa, the wealthy ruler of the Mali Empire who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, bringing wealth and goods that impressed travelers and helped spread Islam. The adoption of Islam led to changes in government structures, emphasis on education in cities like Timbuktu, use of the Arabic language, and architectural styles featuring geometric patterns and projecting beams on mosques.

1. CHAPTERS 14
Answers to Chapters 14 worksheet

2. 14.2 ~ THE SPREAD OF
ISLAM IN WEST AFRICA

3. 1. How did the Islamic religion reach West Africa? What
brought Islam to this region?
The Islamic religion reached West Africa because of
the trans-Saharan trade.
Missionaries and Muslim traders brought Islam to this
region.

4. 2. WHICH NORTHERN MUSLIM GROUP CAUSED THE ISLAMIC
RELIGION TO SPREAD MORE THROUGHOUT GHANA?
The Almoravids conquered Ghana is this helped
spread the Islamic religion.

5. 3. WHO WAS MANSA MUSA AND WHY WAS HE IMPORTANT TO THE
ISLAMIC RELIGION?
Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire which
was now in the location of Ghana.
Mansa Musa was a Muslim so Mali became the major
crossroad of the Islamic world.
He was the first West African ruler to practice Islam.

6. 4. LIST SOME OF MANSA MUSA’S ITEMS THAT HE BROUGHT ON
THE HAJJ TO MAKKAH. WHY DO YOU THINK HE BROUGHT ALL OF
THESE LUXURIOUS GOODS?
He brought 500 slaves, 200 camels, 30,000 pound of
gold, clothing, food and supplies.
Mansa Musa knew that people in Arabia would be
impressed by all of these luxurious goods so they
would continue to trade with Mali.

7. 5. WHY DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE OF ARABIA BOWED TO
MANSA MUSA AS HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO MAKKAH?
In the eyes of the Arabian people, Mansa Musa was a
Muslim ruler in another area who had great wealth.

8. 6. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SONGHAI’S EMPIRE.
The Songhai empire took over after the Mali empire
declined. At first, the empire wasn’t serious about the
Islamic religion until a Muslim ruler took the throne.

9. 14.3 ~ NEW RELIGIOUS
PRACTICES

10. 1. Describe the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Eid a-Fitr is the last day of Ramadan. It is a Muslim
religious festival that takes after a main event in
Abraham’s life.

11. 2. LIST SOME OF THE WEST AFRICANS RITUALS THEY STILL
KEPT EVEN THOUGH THEY PRACTICED ISLAM.
West Africans still practiced the following:
Show respect for the spirits of dead ancestors.
Use of amulets or charms that they believed
would help someone in need from harm.

12. 3. WHY WAS IBN BATTUTA UPSET ABOUT SOME OF THE WEST
AFRICAN RITUALS?
Ibn Battuta was upset because the women of West
Africa went unclothed in public,West African Muslims
throwing dust over the head.

13. 14.4 ~ NEW IDEAS
ABOUT GOVERNMENT
AND LAW

14. 1. EXPLAIN THE NEW LINE OF SUCCESSION IN WEST AFRICA.
West Africa used to be matrilineal, but under Muslim
rule, it had to be patrilineal which means that when a
ruler dies...succession is passed down from father to
son.

15. 2. HOW DID THE ADOPTION OF A NEW STRUCTURE OF MUSLIM
GOVERNMENT AFFECT WEST AFRICAN KINGS?
The West African government became more
centralized which means the West African kings had
more control over the local rulers.

16. 3. WHAT IS SHARI’AH AND HOW DID THIS AFFECT WEST AFRICA?
Shari’ah is Islamic law and this meant that the laws of
Africa which may/may not have been written down,
now has to be recorded and followed through the
same way in each region.

17. 14.5 ~ A NEW EMPHASIS
ON EDUCATION

18. 1. WHAT WAS TIMBUKTU?
Timbuktu was a learning center within West Africa.
It became famous for its Islamic scholars because it
housed many universities.

19. 2. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE AREAS OF STUDY THAT WERE
OFFERED AT TIMBUKTU?
Some of the areas that were studied in Timbuktu
were:
Qur’an, Islamic studies, law, literature.
Advancement in studies included:
medicine, surgery, astronomy, mathematics,
physics, chemistry, philosophy, geography, art
or history.

20. 14.6 ~ A NEW
LANGUAGE

21. 1. WHAT WAS AN ADVANTAGE OF WEST AFRICANS LEARNING
ARABIC?
After West Africans learned Arabic, it opened up an
avenue for easier trade markets because everyone
spoke the same language.

22. 14.7 ~ NEW
ARCHITECTURAL
STYLES

23. 1. WHAT WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HAVING BEAMS
PROJECTING OUT OF MOSQUES IN WEST AFRICA?
When a building needed work to be done, these
beams allowed for easier repairs.They became known
as the building’s scaffolding.

24. 14.8 ~ NEW
ARCHITECTURAL
STYLES

25. 1. WHY WERE GEOMETRIC PATTERNS IMPORTANT IN WEST
AFRICA?
Since Muslims could not draw living things (animals or
people), geometric patterns were used as a means to
decorate objects.