Chronology of Islam in America (1178-1799
Muslims explored North America at least 300 years before the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, according to many researchers. Dr. Barry Fell, a noted New Zealand archaeologist and linguist of Harvard University showed detailed existing evidence in his work, "Saga America" that Muslims were not only in the Americas before Columbus arrived, but very active there as well. Ivan Van Sertima, in his renowned work, "They Came Before Columbus" confirms that there was definitely contact between the ancient and early African people with the Native Americans. Columbus logged on October 21st, 1492, that he was sailing past Gibara on the coast of Cuba he saw a mosque. He also logged that remnants of other masjids have been found in Cuba, Mexico, Texas and Nevada.
1178: A Chinese document known as the Sung Document records the voyage of Muslim sailors to a land known as Mu-Lan-Pi (America). Mention of this document is contained in the publication, The Khotan Amirs, 1933.
1310: Abu Bakri (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: Piri Reis completes his first world map, including the Americas, after researching maps from all over the world. The practicality and artistry of his map surpassed any from his time or before.
1527: A Muslim from Morocco by the name of Estevanico of Azamor lands in Florida with the expedition of Panfilo de Narveaz and remains in America to become the first of three Americans to cross the continent in 1539.
1530: More than 30% of the estimated 10 million African slaves, uprooted from the areas of Fulas, Futa Jallon, Futa Toro, and Massina as well as other areas of West Africa governed from their capital Timbuktu, that arrived in America during the slave trade of that time and sent to Mexico, Cuba, and South America were Muslims, they and became part of the backbone of the American economy of that period.
1539 Estevanico of Azamor, a Muslim from Morocco, lands in Florida with the ill-fated expedition of Panfilo de Narvaez in 1527. Estevanico remained in America to become the first of three Americans to cross this continent. At least two states owe their beginnings to this Muslim, Arizona and New Mexico.
1732: A Muslim slave by the name of Ayyub Bin Sulaiman Jallon from Boonda, Galumbo is set free by James Oglethrope, the founder of Georgia, and provided transportation to England. In 1735, three years later, he arrived home. He arrived home (Boonda, Galumbo) from England in 1735.
1790: Moors from Spain are reported to be living in South Carolina and Florida.
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