History of the Literature of African Islamic Peoples - 19 -Issue 24 September 2024 and the Western Sudan and the coastal region. The Zanj inhabit this region, and the Hamites, and some Arabs, Berbers, and Tuareg, in addition to the mulattoes.

A. Arab Culture in West Africa: Islam entered this region in the late first and early second Hijri centuries. The relationship between this region and some Arab countries was strong thanks to trade, which paved the way for these peoples to embrace the true religion (8). The king of "Ghana" sought the help of Muslims in administrative affairs, and the state of "Mali" adopted Arabic as its official language, as did the "Fulani state" founded by Sheikh Uthman ibn Fodio in Nigeria.

Islam was a reason for the spread of Arab culture in Africa, in addition to the Holy Quran, which cannot be read in any language other than Arabic. The conquerors, led by Uqba ibn Nafi and those who came after him, thanks to them, Islam penetrated the jungles of Ghana and Guinea. Merchants from the North and callers also flocked to this region, contributing in turn to planting the seeds of Islam and its language.

As for the Sufi orders (9), such as the Qadiriyya, Sanusiyya, and Tijaniyya, which originated from the North and are known for their tolerance of others, they have a great merit in building schools, zawiyas, and mosques through which Arabic language and the teachings of Islam spread in the Western Sudan. The peoples of West Africa were united thanks to the Sufi factor, and Arabic became the language of most of the population. This spiritual factor was also a reason for the disappearance of the paganism that prevailed in the region before Islam.

Thanks to the Qadiriyya order, Sheikh Uthman ibn Fodio was able to establish the largest Islamic state, which is Nigeria today. Thanks to the Tijaniyya order, Al-Hajj Umar al-Futi was able to establish an Islamic state in Senegal and Mali, which fought French colonialism, just as the Sanusiyya order did in Libya when it took up arms against Italian occupation and liberated the country. As for the Salafis, history does not record any role for them.