Unwavering Faith of Enslaved Muslims

[fatima_amrouni]

Why would non-Muslim Africans be more willing to convert than Muslims, according to Diouf?
Muslim Africans were familiar with Biblical figures like Jesus and the Virgin Mary since most of them attended Islamic schools before their enslavement. They saw Christianity as an intermediate religion cast aside once the Prophet Muhammed delivered the Qur’an. Indeed, African Muslims were most probably aware of the Islamic critique of Christianity for conflating Jesus with the Divine, incurring God’s wrath. Islam was to re-establish the notion of a unique God, and Muslim Africans could not be swayed to convert to Christianity simply because missionaries told them to. Moreover, Muslim Africans pledged their allegiance to Allah and the Prophet Muhammed. Thus, they rejected the missionaries' claims that Muhammed is evil and Christianity is the true religion.
On the other hand, non-Muslim Africans are not as familiar with concepts such as the oneness of God. Therefore, it is easier for them to accept the Christian version at face value, as it does not contradict their preexisting beliefs.

Why would zakāt and sadaqa, with their economic functions and requirements, be important to enslaved Muslims?
"The zakah is mandatory when conditions are favorable, whereas charity is not but is strongly recommended " (Diouf, 92)
Zakat was important to enslaved Muslims as it created a sense of solidarity between them. Zakat and sadaqa being monetary donations to the underprivileged, enslaved Muslims in relatively better situations could give their zakat to less fortunate enslaved Muslims. Zakat could also be used as a means to raise enough funds to emancipate enslaved Muslims, who could, in turn, offer zakat to still-enslaved Muslims. Thus, zakat as a practice helped ensure the livelihood of enslaved Muslims as a collective and could be a way to buy their freedom. Sadaqa on a volunteer basis could further enhance the reach of zakat.

I admire enslaved Muslims for practicing their faith persistently through adversity. They were forcefully brought to a land unfamiliar to them and force-fed Christianity as their one true salvation. Forbidden from practicing Islam, enslaved Muslims were forced to conceal their worship of Allah through varying means ranging from praying in secret to pseudo-converting to Christianity. So far from their homes, they possessed no resources to keep their Islamic knowledge alive not only for their children, but also for themselves. The gruelling labour and inhumane conditions enslaved Muslims lived through would inadvertently affect their memory, jeopardizing their ability to recall what Islamic knowledge they remembered. Thus coming up with ways to preserve what they could of their religious faith, all the while avoiding the scrutiny of their "masters", is a noble endeavour.