This is the third volume of a work which my editors
and I have entitled The Muslim Diaspora:
A Comprehensive Reference to the Spread of Islam in Asia, Africa, Europe and
the Americas
In the first volume of The Muslim Diaspora, the contributions of Muslim people to the
development of “Western” civilization were chronicled. The significant contributions of Muslims to
science, mathematics, medicine, architecture, navigation, astronomy,
philosophy, history, sociology and theology were all thoroughly
documented. As was pointed out in the
first volume, much of what we consider to be Western civilization rests upon a
classical foundation that was preserved and enhanced by Muslims. The world as we know it exists today only
because Muslims helped to make it so.
In the second volume, along with detailing the
history of the interaction between Muslims and the many peoples in the many
lands that the Muslims encountered, once again the contributions of Muslims to
the development of Western civilization were highlighted. Of most notable influence was the impact the Ottoman Empire would have on the development of Western
culture, not only in terms of art and literature, but also in terms of creating
an environment in which the Protestant Reformation could take root and grow.
In this volume of The Muslim Diaspora, the time period covered is the years 1799 to
1924. For most historians, this was the age of decline for Islamic civilization as the European powers came to the fore. In the face of this changed environment, Islamic civilization throughout the world was faced with the prospect of adapting to the new conditions or being reduced into insignificance. In so many ways, being the living religion that it is, Islam and its adherents began to adapt. Sometimes these adaptations would be progressive, sometimes they would be reactionary. However, always, the adaptations would come to play a role in the evolutionary history of Islam and the world.
***
As has been said in the preceding volumes of The Muslim Diaspora, in preparing this
history of the Muslim diaspora, I discovered that the story of the Muslim
diaspora that I needed to tell, could not be told without providing some
understanding of the stories of others.
Accordingly, while this volume is a comprehensive reference for the
Muslim diaspora, it is also, of necessity, a reference for related aspects of the Jewish diaspora,
the Christian diaspora, the African diaspora, and the European diaspora.
As such, it is a unique
testament to the achievements of women and men around the world – a global
testament that has long been overdue.
In reading this work, you the reader may discover
the use of some terminology with which you may be unfamiliar. The first noticeable difference from other
history works is that in this work there is deference given to the concept of
the Islamic calendar.
The Islamic calendar is computed from the time of
the hijra -- the time of the flight
of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina Medina
The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar one. Accordingly, an Islamic year contains only
354 days. Thus, during a calendar year
on the Christian calendar, there are occasions when two Islamic new years
occur.
The Islamic calendar does not take into
consideration the solar revolution, so the calendar consistently moves back
eleven (11) days for each solar year.
Periodically, one day is added for a leap year. Typically, the leap day is added to the
second, fifth, seventh, tenth, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 26th, and 29th
years of a 30 year cycle.
In this work, beginning with year 622 of the
Christian calendar, each Christian calendar year marker is preceded by the
correlating Islamic year marker. The
Islamic year marker is in brackets and has the abbreviation “A.H.” after the
numeric year designation. The “A.H.”
stands for “after hijra” -- after the
year of Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina
As an additional divergence from other history
works, in this work a new designation is used to indicate time according to the
Christian calendar. Instead of using
“A.D.” or “C.E.”, I have used “C.C.” “C.C.”
stands for Christian calendar. “C.C.” is
used here because “A.D.” stands for the Latin phrase “anno Domini” which means
“in the year of our Lord.” For a Muslim,
there is no God but God and the use of “A.D.” may be deemed to be an heretical
affront to one of the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.
As for not using “C.E.,” “C.E.” can stand for
“Common Era” but is frequently designated as “Christian Era.” The term “Christian Era” seems to imply a
religious supremacy which is objectionable not only from a Muslim perspective
but from an historical perspective. A
review of history reveals that Christianity, while a powerful global force, has
never predominated throughout the world and, arguably, does not predominate
now. To assert that time as determined
by the perceived birth of Christ should govern the history of the world (as
well as the fate of mankind) is an assertion which, from the perspective of
many Muslims and non-Muslims alike, is simply erroneous.
With regards to time before the birth of Christ, I
have used the abbreviation “B.C.T.” “B.C.T.” stands for “before Christian time”
and corresponds to the commonly referred to as “B.C.E.” (before Common
(Christian) Era) or “B.C.” (before Christ) in most Western time schemes.
Having noted the problem I had with the commonly
accepted designation of time, I should also note a few other problems I have
had with regards to the use of language in historical texts. When reading history from an African American
perspective, one is frequently confronted with a vocabulary which reflects
certain biases and misunderstandings of the times. Columbus, believing he had landed in the East
Indies, called the people he encountered "Indians". His error became a part of the language. Africans were called "Negroes" because
"negro" is the Spanish word for "black" and that was
perceived to be the color of the skin of most Africans. Today the term "Negro" is in
disrepute but its English equivalent "black" is still commonly used
even though the skin color of most African Americans is obviously not
black.
In this work, I have tended to use the terms
“African” or “person of African descent” when referring to a person with some
measure of African blood in their veins. I have also frequently utilized the
phrase “child of two worlds” or “COTW” for short to describe individuals of
bi-racial heritage. Similarly, I have
liberally used the phrases “Indigenous Americans” or “People of the Sovereign
Nations” or the abbreviation “POTSN” to describe those commonly called “American
Indians.” As for the terms “whites” or
“white people,” I have resisted using those phrases because they too are
inaccurate and have certain racial and psychological connotations. Instead, I have used the term “European” or
“European American.”
Finally, in reading historical texts containing a
typically Western perspective of Islam, one is often confronted by pejorative
terms that are applied to Muslims.
Devout Muslims are often labeled as fanatics. Muslims who perceive themselves as fighting
for freedom are often portrayed as terrorists.
And Muslims who may merely be complying with Islamic law are deemed to
be anachronistic.
In this work, I have tried to avoid such pejorative
terms.
While reading this work, you will notice that
occasionally there is a bracketed phrase instructing the reader to see another
year. These bracketed references are
provided to assist the reader to find another reference in the work which may
be more explanatory than the reference currently being read.
With regards to the sources of the information
contained within this work, the information has been primarily compiled using
secondary sources such as other chronologies. Without meaning any disrespect to
the sources I have relied upon, I must admit that there have been a number of
errors or outdated information which I have encountered in compiling the
information contained in this work. To
the best of my ability, I have attempted to correct the errors and to update
the information. However, it is
inevitable that errors and outdated information continue to exist within this
text.
For any errors or outdated information which may
appear in this work, I, as the author, take full responsibility. However, as the author, I do make a special
request of you, the reader. If you find
errors, I would greatly appreciate your informing me of them by writing to me
in care of the publisher of this work.
As I envision the life of this work, it will be subject to additional revisions. Therefore, your
assistance as a critical reader would be most appreciated in correcting any
deficiencies that may exist in this edition so that the same deficiencies will
not exist in future.
Additionally, in the course of reading this work
you will find certain interpretations of historical events which I have
provided. From the outset, it must be noted that these interpretations are
based upon my own particular “African American” perspective which may not
necessarily comport with the perspective which has historically been placed on the
same event. After all, given the
complexity of history, the uncertainty of numbers, and the contestability of
facts, it is quite understandable that differing viewpoints may arise
concerning the same historical event.
The comments I have made simply set forth my particular opinion with
regards to the significance of the event.
You, as an independent reader, are encouraged to read and develop
opinions of your own.
Nevertheless, while saying this, there is one area
of concern which I do wish to address.
While I fully expect disagreement with my interpretations or opinions,
the one criticism I am particularly sensitive to is a criticism that my
interpretations are unfair or are not based on facts. Having lived in a country where the history
of African American people has largely been ignored, where even today,
erroneous facts and historical interpretations, are presented as the truth, I
am loathe to perpetuate an evil that I am endeavoring to cure.
If, during the course of reading this work, you
find that a certain unfair or unwarranted bias has interfered with the
presentation of the truth, I implore you to convey that criticism to me. As the author of this work, I want it to be
as accurate as it can be. Only by
hearing from you the reader will I be able correct what may be wrong.
Finally, as a student of history, the most
important lesson I have learned is that history is not written in stone. After all, even some of the more basic facts
are often contested, numbers are frequently merely estimates, and the
historical records almost invariably reflect the interests and biases of the
historian.
Given all this, the study of history must be an
evolving process which, if done appropriately, is approached from different
perspectives as well as from different times. The study of history must be a
never ending search which examines the ramifications of historical events not
only for the conquerors but also for the conquered.
In this work, I have endeavored to present a
chronological study of the history of the Muslim diaspora as I believe it
should be done. However, I know all too
well, that this work is not finished, that my work is incomplete. As I have noted in all my works, what I have
ultimately discovered in compiling and writing these works is that these
efforts are merely steps made along the journey of what has become a life
encompassing quest for truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment