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**erelvenewmeva** · 10-25-2011, 11:35 AM

It's very important to understand that many of the African slaves that were transported to North America in the transatlantic slave trade were Muslims. There is plenty of documentation of many of our ancestors trying to preserve our deen.

Some extracts which were mentioned in Deeper Roots by Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick:

The History of Abu Bakr Sadika, known in Jamaica by the name of Edward Donlan.
Taken from “A twelvemonth’s residence in the West Indies: during the transition from slavery to apprenticeship;
By Richard Robert Madden, 1835
http://books.google.com/books?id=vUB...put=text#c_top

LETTER XXXI. THE SCHERIFE OF TIMBUCTOO. To J. Buckingham, Esq. Kingston, Sept. 29,1834

” My name is Abu Bakr Sadika, born in Timbuctoo, and brought up in Geneh. I acquired the knowledge of the Al Quran in the country of Gounah, in which country there are many teachers for young people: they are not of one country, but come from different parts, and are brought there to dwell for their instruction. …..My father’s name is Kara-Mousa, Scheriffsay…..Some of Gounah’s people were obliged to fly to Cong, and on that very day they made me a captive. As soon as I was made prisoner, they stripped me, and tied me with a cord, and gave me a heavy load to carry, and led me into the country of Buntocoo,—from thence to the town of Cumasy, where the king of Shan tee reigned, whose name is Ashai,— and from thence to Assicuma,—and from thence to Agimaca, which is the country of the Fantees; from thence to the town of Dago, by the sea-side (all the way on foot, and well loaded

there they sold me to the Christians in that town—there one of the ship’s captains purchased me, and delivered me over to one of his sailors: the boat immediately pushed off, and I was carried on board the ship. We were three months at sea before we arrived in Jamaica, which was the beginning of bondage.—I have none to thank but those that brought me here. But, praise be to God, who has every thing in his power to do as he thinks good, and no man can remove whatever burden he chooses to put on us. As he said, ‘Nothing shall fall on us except what he shall ordain; he is our Lord, and let all that believe in him put their trust in him.’ My parents’ religion is Islam: they are all circumcised, and their devotions are five times a day; they fast in the month Ramadan; they give tribute according to the law; they are married to four wives, but the fifth is an abomination to them. They fight for their religion, and they travel to the Hedjaz (those that are capable.) They don’t eat any meat except what they themselves kill. They do not drink wine nor spirits, as it is held an abomination so to do. .They do not associate with any that worship idols, or profane the Lord’s name, or do dishonour to their parents, or commit murder, or bear false witness, or wno are covetous, proud, or boastful; for such faults are an abomination unto my religion. They are particularly careful in the education of their children, and in their behaviour, but I am lost to all these advantages: since my bondage I am become corrupt; and I now conclude by begging the Almighty God to lead me into the path that is proper for me, for he alone knows the secrets of my heart and what I am in need of.
” Abon Becr Sadika.
” Kingston, Jamaica, Sept. 20, 1834.”

The above was written in Arabic. The man speaks English well and correctly for a negro, but does not read or write it. I caused him to read the original, and translate it word by word; and, from the little knowledge I have of the spoken language, I can safely present you with this version of it as a literal translation. ……,

Yours, very truly,

R.R. M
Shortly after Donlan procured his liberty, I received a letter from a Mr. Angell of Manchester parish, a gentleman whom I have not the honour of knowing, but I understand is one of the most respectable inhabitants of his parish. His letter gives an interesting account of another case similar to that of Donlan, where the negro is a man of education, and was of some rank in his own country. He is now seventy-six years of age, fifty-six of which he has passed in slavery on one property in Manchester. The curious part of the case is this: he writes a letter, in Arabic, to Donlan, and states to Mr. Angell that the purport of the letter is to convert Donlan from Mahometanism to the Christian faith; and for this purpose the old African requests of me to be the medium of communication between them. But what is my su rprise at finding the letter of the old man, who is so anxious to convert his countryman from the Mussulman creed, commencing in these terms, “In the name of God, merciful and omnipotent, the blessing of God, the peace of his prophet Mahomet!” So much for the old African’s renunciation of Islamism:

« Sir,

” You will be gratified to learn that Jamaica contains more than one proof of the civilized condition of part of Central Africa, and of the capacity of the negro for learning. The enclosed is written by Robert Peart (or Tuffit,) late a”slave belonging to Spice-Grove Plantation in this parish, to Abon Beer Sadiki, (which he pronounces ‘ Bou Bakin Sedaik,’) with whom he has for some time past carried on a correspondence, inviting him to abjure Mahometanism and embrace the true religion. The purport of the letter is to advise him to request you to be the medium of communication between them.

‘The short and simple annals’ of Robert Peart may not be uninteresting to you. He was born in a place called Bouka, in the Mandingo country, nine days’ journey from the sea-side, and near the country of the Fouhlahs, the capital of which is Timbo. His father, Abon loo de Kadri, was a substantial jeoman, possessing 140 slaves, several cows and horses, and grounds producing quantities of cotton, rice, and provisions, which he exchanged for European and other commodities brought from the coast by Higglers. His family were Mohammedans, as most of the Mandingoes are. He was named Mohammed Kaba: the first son, he says, is always called Mohammed. He was educated partly by his father, but principally by his uncle, Mohammed Batoul, who was a great lawyer, and had designed him for the same profession. He pursued his studies until he was twenty years of age, when he was seized one day, as he was walking some distance from home, by a party of robbers, carried to the sea-side, and sold to the captain of a slave-ship.

10-25-2011, 11:35 AM	#21
erelvenewmeva Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 540 Senior Member	It's very important to understand that many of the African slaves that were transported to North America in the transatlantic slave trade were Muslims. There is plenty of documentation of many of our ancestors trying to preserve our deen. Some extracts which were mentioned in Deeper Roots by Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick: The History of Abu Bakr Sadika, known in Jamaica by the name of Edward Donlan. Taken from “A twelvemonth’s residence in the West Indies: during the transition from slavery to apprenticeship; By Richard Robert Madden, 1835 http://books.google.com/books?id=vUB...put=text#c_top LETTER XXXI. THE SCHERIFE OF TIMBUCTOO. To J. Buckingham, Esq. Kingston, Sept. 29,1834 ” My name is Abu Bakr Sadika, born in Timbuctoo, and brought up in Geneh. I acquired the knowledge of the Al Quran in the country of Gounah, in which country there are many teachers for young people: they are not of one country, but come from different parts, and are brought there to dwell for their instruction. …..My father’s name is Kara-Mousa, Scheriffsay…..Some of Gounah’s people were obliged to fly to Cong, and on that very day they made me a captive. As soon as I was made prisoner, they stripped me, and tied me with a cord, and gave me a heavy load to carry, and led me into the country of Buntocoo,—from thence to the town of Cumasy, where the king of Shan tee reigned, whose name is Ashai,— and from thence to Assicuma,—and from thence to Agimaca, which is the country of the Fantees; from thence to the town of Dago, by the sea-side (all the way on foot, and well loaded there they sold me to the Christians in that town—there one of the ship’s captains purchased me, and delivered me over to one of his sailors: the boat immediately pushed off, and I was carried on board the ship. We were three months at sea before we arrived in Jamaica, which was the beginning of bondage.—I have none to thank but those that brought me here. But, praise be to God, who has every thing in his power to do as he thinks good, and no man can remove whatever burden he chooses to put on us. As he said, ‘Nothing shall fall on us except what he shall ordain; he is our Lord, and let all that believe in him put their trust in him.’ My parents’ religion is Islam: they are all circumcised, and their devotions are five times a day; they fast in the month Ramadan; they give tribute according to the law; they are married to four wives, but the fifth is an abomination to them. They fight for their religion, and they travel to the Hedjaz (those that are capable.) They don’t eat any meat except what they themselves kill. They do not drink wine nor spirits, as it is held an abomination so to do. .They do not associate with any that worship idols, or profane the Lord’s name, or do dishonour to their parents, or commit murder, or bear false witness, or wno are covetous, proud, or boastful; for such faults are an abomination unto my religion. They are particularly careful in the education of their children, and in their behaviour, but I am lost to all these advantages: since my bondage I am become corrupt; and I now conclude by begging the Almighty God to lead me into the path that is proper for me, for he alone knows the secrets of my heart and what I am in need of. ” Abon Becr Sadika. ” Kingston, Jamaica, Sept. 20, 1834.” The above was written in Arabic. The man speaks English well and correctly for a negro, but does not read or write it. I caused him to read the original, and translate it word by word; and, from the little knowledge I have of the spoken language, I can safely present you with this version of it as a literal translation. ……, Yours, very truly, R.R. M Shortly after Donlan procured his liberty, I received a letter from a Mr. Angell of Manchester parish, a gentleman whom I have not the honour of knowing, but I understand is one of the most respectable inhabitants of his parish. His letter gives an interesting account of another case similar to that of Donlan, where the negro is a man of education, and was of some rank in his own country. He is now seventy-six years of age, fifty-six of which he has passed in slavery on one property in Manchester. The curious part of the case is this: he writes a letter, in Arabic, to Donlan, and states to Mr. Angell that the purport of the letter is to convert Donlan from Mahometanism to the Christian faith; and for this purpose the old African requests of me to be the medium of communication between them. But what is my su rprise at finding the letter of the old man, who is so anxious to convert his countryman from the Mussulman creed, commencing in these terms, “In the name of God, merciful and omnipotent, the blessing of God, the peace of his prophet Mahomet!” So much for the old African’s renunciation of Islamism: « Sir, ” You will be gratified to learn that Jamaica contains more than one proof of the civilized condition of part of Central Africa, and of the capacity of the negro for learning. The enclosed is written by Robert Peart (or Tuffit,) late a”slave belonging to Spice-Grove Plantation in this parish, to Abon Beer Sadiki, (which he pronounces ‘ Bou Bakin Sedaik,’) with whom he has for some time past carried on a correspondence, inviting him to abjure Mahometanism and embrace the true religion. The purport of the letter is to advise him to request you to be the medium of communication between them. ‘The short and simple annals’ of Robert Peart may not be uninteresting to you. He was born in a place called Bouka, in the Mandingo country, nine days’ journey from the sea-side, and near the country of the Fouhlahs, the capital of which is Timbo. His father, Abon loo de Kadri, was a substantial jeoman, possessing 140 slaves, several cows and horses, and grounds producing quantities of cotton, rice, and provisions, which he exchanged for European and other commodities brought from the coast by Higglers. His family were Mohammedans, as most of the Mandingoes are. He was named Mohammed Kaba: the first son, he says, is always called Mohammed. He was educated partly by his father, but principally by his uncle, Mohammed Batoul, who was a great lawyer, and had designed him for the same profession. He pursued his studies until he was twenty years of age, when he was seized one day, as he was walking some distance from home, by a party of robbers, carried to the sea-side, and sold to the captain of a slave-ship.
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