enslavement and the resilience of faith
-
Diouf presents the practice of Islam among West Africans as resilient and unwavering, even in the face of enslavement. For Muslim slaves, their faith provided "hope, moral comfort, and mental escape. It was also a link to the past, to a time when they were free, respected, and, for some, engaged in intellectual pursuits, not menial labor" (Diouf 86).
He contrasts this with the more frequent conversions of non-Muslim slaves to Christianity, noting that Muslim slaves, grounded in their knowledge of Islam and its relation to other Abrahamic faiths, felt secure in their commitment and confident in rejecting other religious ideals. This commitment is further illustrated by the practice of Dhikr, which relies on a student-mentor relationship for the transmission of religious knowledge, underscoring the spread of Islam even in times of enslavement.
Those who outwardly converted often did so superficially, while privately maintaining Islamic practices. Visible signs of difference might have marked them as non-Christian, but the internal recitation of the Shahada offered a secure affirmation of their faith.
Despite efforts to conceal their beliefs, many Muslims remained deeply committed: "Even enslaved or nominally free, Muslims who were devoid of even the bare minimum found ways to be charitable in order to respect a fundamental tenet of their religion." Although Islam allows flexibility in practices like charity and fasting, it seems many clung to these rituals as a means of maintaining their devotion.
One particularly fascinating adaptation was the practice of the Shout, which served as a substitute for the Hajj. The linguistic tracing of the term, potentially linked to the Arabic word for circling the Kaaba, exemplifies cultural continuity and adaptation amidst dislocation. The Shout ritual was both an attempt to fulfill the Hajj and a reflection of the communal solidarity among enslaved Muslims.