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American Muslim History

A Chronological Observation

By Fareed H. Numan (December 1992) (Edited by Ishaq Zahid for islam101.com)

below is an excerpt of an observation taken from the exhibit on display:

    Unquestionably, Muslims have made an impact on the evolution of American society. Historically Muslims have made major contribution, e.g. humanities, the sciences, and art. They explored North America 300 years before the so-called "discovery" of the New World by Christopher Columbus. They used the Mississippi river as their access route to and from the continent's interior. Here are a few glimpses of Muslim life in American History:

1178 A Chinese document know as the Sung Document records the voyage of Muslim sailors to a land know as Mu-Lan-Pi (America). Mention of this document is contained in the publication, the Khotan Amiers, 1933.

1310 Abu Bakari (Abu Bakar), a Muslim king of the Malian Empire, spearheads a series of sea voyages to the New World.

1312 African Muslims (Mandinga) arrive in the Gulf of Mexico for exploration of the American interior using the Mississippi River as their access route. These Muslim explorers were from Mali and other parts of West Africa.

1513 Pri Ries completes his first world map, including the Americas, after research maps from all over the world. The practicality and artistry of his map surpassed any from his time or before.

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