Holding on to Hope Through Faith
-
It is in the direst of circumstances that faith truly prospers. It gives people something to hold on to, something to be hopeful for and something to confirm to them that a better life is to come. Islam was a significant factor in the lives of enslaved Muslim West Africans who had been brought to the New World - they were not about to let go of it, even if it meant that they would be punished. Their faith gave them hope and also took them back to a time where they were free and respected and able to engage in other pursuits. Despite enslaved Muslims complete commitment to their faith and practicing it at their level best in their circumstances, they were always under threat from their owners and had to take strategic steps to avoid punishment. So they engaged in a form of pseudoconversion - professing Christianity but continuing to believe in and practice Islam in secret. This could be seen as a form of taqiyah or caution in religious practice, where Muslims under persecution are encouraged to hide their religion, practice it in secret and adopt the teachings of the oppressor to avoid danger.
What I found interesting in the reading by Diouf, was the mention of enslaved people who did not practice taqiya and were outwardly proud of their Islamic beliefs. Islam formed a big part of the identity of enslaved West African Muslims and they were not about to abandon it when they came to the new world. Throughout this reading, it is mentioned how African Muslims practiced the 5 pillars of Islam - shahadah, prayer, alms, fasting and hajj in their new dire circumstances of enslavement. How this gave them strength and helped build community and how some slaveowners were receptive to this and let enslaved people build centres for communal worship like in Brazil.
Religion has always been a tool used by the oppressed to advocate for their emancipation. Since we are all created in the image of God as his children and submit collectively before Him, believers have an easier time envisioning their liberation. Being religious helps people hold on to their humanity and see themselves as servants of God first and foremost despite the oppression against them. In this regard I would reiterate Islam’s power as a tool of hope and harbinger of liberation which is why enslaved West Africans continued to practice it in the New World.