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Jan 1, 1310
Abu Bakr sends men to the 'New World'
Abu Bakr was a Muslim and was king of the Malian Empire. He organized for men to embark on sea voyages to the 'New World' (The Americas). His goal was to explore "the limits of the ocean"; he was on a mission to find the end of the Atlantic Ocean. Scholars do not believe that he or his men ever reached the Americas (there is no physical evidence). -
Jan 1, 1312
Mandinga in the Mississippi
African Muslims, known as Mandinga, supposedly arrived in the Gulf of Mexico to explore the heart of America through the Mississippi River. Most of the Mandinga originated from Mali and West Africa. There is evidence that points to the presence of Muslims in the Americas before its 'discovery' by Columbus in 1492. -
Feb 1, 1513
Pri Ries Map
Piri Ries was an Ottoman general, but he was also a cartographer and a geographer. He completed a map of the world in 1513 that became well-known because of its artistry and practicality. He researched maps from all around the world to compile his. His map is called the 'Pri Ries' Map. -
Jan 1, 1530
African Slavery in America
More than 10 million Africans were forced to travel to the American shores. Most came from regions in West Africa. These slaves were distributed to Mexico, Cuba, South America, and North America. It was estimated that more than 30% of these slaves were Muslim. -
Jan 1, 1539
Founder of Arizona and New Mexico
A Muslim man from Morocco, Estevanico of Azamor, landed in Florida in 1539. He became the first of three Americans to fully cross the continent of North America. He was thought to be the first person in Arizona and New Mexico. -
Slavery Continued in America
In 1807, Omar ibn Said, a West African Scholar, was captured and enslaved. He was brought to North Carolina and remained a slave until he died. While he was there, he wrote an autobiography entitled 'Life of Omar ibn Said'. This autobiography is the earliest maintained manuscript written by a Muslim in America. Because he spoke and wrote in a different language than the Americans, they thought him to be insane. -
Scorched Earth of the Civil War
The American Civil War ended in 1865. 'Scorched earth' is a policy used by the military to ensure that the enemy will withdraw from a territory. The military sets anything that can be of use to the enemy on fire. This policy was in effect during the Civil War, and thus caused the destruction of many areas over the course of four years. Andre Deloffre, a literary scholar, was only able to save one book from a library at the University of Alabama: a rare copy of the Qur'an. -
Muslims get a Voice
Alexander Russel Webb was a famous American journalist. In 1888, he converted to Islam and became a well-known speaker and advocate of the religion. He later spoke at parliaments for World Religions and lectured on topics like the 'Spirit of Islam' and the 'influence of Islam on Social Conditions'. -
First Recorded Muslim Prayer in America
A group of Muslims, most of Arab descent, gathered in Ross, North Dakota for the first recorded communal prayers in America by American Muslims. Ross is also home to the first mosque ever built in America. -
The Moorish Science Temple of America
A man named Timothy Drew (Drew Ali) established an organization in Newark, NJ called the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA). Drew Ali was commisioned by the Sultan of Morocco to teach Islam to African Americans in the U.S. The MSTA is still responsible today for converting many African Americans to Islam. -
First Muslim Mosque of Islam
Click Here African American Muslims established the First Muslim Mosque in Pittsburgh, PA in 1930. It is still in use today. I included a link to their website, where you can find more information about them. They include all of the prayer times of the day, which I thought was very interesting! -
The Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) was founded in 1933. The NOI is one of the most significant organizations in American Muslim history. Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were both involved in the establishment of this organization. The founder was a man named Wallace Fard Muhammad. The goals of the NOI are to improve the spiritual and mental condition of African Americans in the United States. -
Islam is Recognized
Muslims in the Armed Services sued the federal government to allow themselves to identify as Muslim. Before this, Islam was not recognized by the military as a legitimate religion. Also in this same year, the US changed it's policy on immigrants, allowing more people to travel here. This included many Muslims from areas like Palestine, Egypt, and Iraq. -
Muhammad Speaks
Click Here The newspaper 'Muhammad Speaks' is launched in 1962. It quickly grew in popularity and became the largest minority weekly publication in the country. I included a link that I found that lets you read some of the actual newspapers published in the 60's. -
The Muslim Students Association
The Muslim Students Association (MSA) is established. Its goal was to aid foreign Muslim students in attending schools in the United States. In the coming years, it has branched out to include the Islamic Medical Association (IMA), the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), and the Asociation of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE). -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was shot by members of the Nation of Islam while speaking at a rally in New York City. He had left the NOI a few months before and no longer supported his former counterpart's (Elijah Muhammad) more extreme views. It is believed that supporters of Elijah Muhammad were responsible for his death, but it is not certain whether Elijah Muhammad was involved. -
Eid al-Fitr at the White House
Hillary Clinton invited an American Muslim delegation to celebrate the feast of Eid al-Fitr at the White House at the end of the month of Ramadan. This feast celebrates the end of a month of fasting. Hillary Clinton stated, "It is only fitting. Just as children and families of other faiths have come here to celebrate some of their holy days, so you too are all here to mark this important Islamic tradition". -
9/11
On this day, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the US. These terrorists claimed to act in the name of Islam, but their views were considered extreme and un-Islamic by almost all Muslims. This caused an enormous shift in how Muslims were and are still viewed in the US. It increased hate crimes committed against Muslims in the coming years, and the surveillance of Muslim communities by federal authorities was increased. -
First Muslim Elected to Congress
Keith Ellison of Minesota became the first Muslim elected into Congress; he was later re-elected in 2010. He was sworn into the House of Representatives on the Qur'an. -
Muslims in the U.S. Today
There is an estimated 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States as of 2015. This number is expected to double by 2050.
