No. Of course they didn’t. How can I be so sure? Because no respected historian has ever written anything to suggest that they did. Good enough?
Not for some. Worryingly - amazingly - one of those who thinks Muslims did discover America before Columbus works for the New York State Department. For their Education Body. Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid believes that, contrary to the opinions of all other serious historians, Muslims came to America over 600 years before Columbus. Take it away, Imam…
“The Pre-Columbian Presence of Muslim Africans in America Is No Myth…
[T]here is such a constantly growing, extensive body of … evidence of Western and Northern African Muslim pre-Columbian American (and Caribbean) presence, that those who study the evidence and continue to deny the obvious, reveal themselves to be rooted in old, racist, European renditions of American history…”
This ‘growing body of evidence’ asserts that Muslims came over from Islamic Spain during the rule of Caliph Abdullah Ibn Mohammed (888-912 AD).
The only semi-serious archeological evidence ever to be produced, however, came from an Australian marine biologist, Dr. Barry Fell. In his book, Sage America, Barry claimed to have found “extensive archeological evidence” proving that there was a “significant pre-Columbian Muslim presence” in the New World.
Unfortunately for him, most professional archeologists thought he was talking out of his…. And few historians have taken his ‘evidence’ of a pre-Columbian Islamic presence, or the ‘evidence’ of any others, seriously. (A full run-down on the various claims and counter-claims can be found at the History News Network.)
As for Imam Al-Hajj, far too few think he talks out of his…. He continues to advise the New York State Education Body and sits on the Board of Advisors at The Khalil Gibran International Academy, the first school in New York to centre its curriculum around the study of the Arabic language and its culture.
Worse than any of this, however, is another biographical detail. Ever since 1977, the Imam has been the Muslim Chaplain to the city and state prisons of New York.
Criminality and counterknowledge: now that’s worrying.
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21 responses
Neither Columbus nor a Muslim contingent from Caliph Abdullah Ibn Mohammed actually discovered America. Native Americans were living here in the States long before either made landfall (or claim to have).
Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid could improve his PR if he spent more time pointing that out.
As a Pennsylvanian friend of mine would say ‘hmm; in-te-res-ting’ when he means ‘utter b.s.’ The opinions you quote, I mean, not your comments, which really are interesting.
I always thought, by the way, that Khalil Gibran was actually not a Moslem at all, but a Maronite Christian.
Oh, it gets worse. There are ‘historians’ of the non-Islamist variety (along with good old Trevor Philips, late of the CRE) claiming it was Islam that defeated The Armada. See below (and follow links to the previous posts:
UK Commentators - Jerry Brotton - the Myth That Keeps On Giving
A good and similar topic for Counterknowledge would be “Did Muslims Discover Anything Much?” - I got interested in the subject after seeing Adam Hart-Davis’ “What the Muslims for Us” after which I did my own research and found out that nearly every claim made in the programme was not only wrong, but easily checkable as wrong. Yet the same old claims get made for the so-called “Golden Age of Islamic Science” from book to book, from documentary to documentary.
That is simply beside the point. There is no reason why America should not have been “discovered” several times before Leif Ericsson and Columbus. One lucky ship from Europe or North Africa could possibly have crossed the ocean, though it is deeply unlikely that it would have made it back. We know that one Phoenician ship sailed all aroud Africa, which is equally tough. The point however is that once the Norse discovered Iceland, once Eric the Red discovered Greenland, once Columbus reached the Caribbean, in each case, there were vast contingents of seaworthy vessels, used to deep-water sailing and fully capable of regularly sailing there and back again, ready to start a massive trade and settlement. Within twenty years of Columbus first landing in the Bahamas, the Spanish had set up a working empire across the islands, with a proper capital (Habana) and governing functions. This would have been wholly impossible to Romans, Egyptians, or golden-age Muslims; their ships simply weren’t up to the task. As for the Muslims of Columbus’ time, the fact that they did not even try speaks for itself.
Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid also overlooks the truth that his ancestors were sold - as plain and simple livestock - by Arab Muslim slave traders to white colonialists. Nothing more, nothing less - livestock.
How it is that so many African Americans can suggest otherwise is a sad denial of history. The Arabs cared nothing then, and care nothing today, for the commodity of black slaves that they (until now) refer to as “Raisin Heads”. Abdur-Rashid and his followers are severely deluded if they think that Islam will give them any redress in this life, or the hereafter. You are Kuffar Mr Abdur-Rashid - as are all those upon whom you so enjoy laying the finger of blame.
Columbus himself wrote in his travel logs that when he arrived in what is now Central America, the word the locals were using for gold was Ghana. This is what they called gold in muslim North Africa where Columbus learned his trade. Columbus also noticed that the natives tied their spear-heads onto long poles in the same fashion as they did in North Africa. He also noted that there were also many folks among the people who resembled the people of North Africa.
To base anything on our written history is a bad move as history is written by the ruling elite.
Also. . .it can be noted that Vikings also beat Columbus to the new world and they rowed here.
Now I’m not saying Columbus wasn’t a true adventurer because he was. But credit should go where it is due.
Mongolians walked here, Vikings rowed here, and Muslims were probably here before Columbus. So Columbus comes in forth.
I understand the nature of this website is to be harsh and assertive over silly rumors and conspiracies, but quite honestly, the writer of this article was almost completely biased.
Before anything, my immediate response to the author would be this:
http://www.sunnah.org/history/precolmb.htm
Just to pull some things out of it:
-Columbus admitted in his papers that on Monday, October 21,1492 CE while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the north-east coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on top of a beautiful mountain. The ruins of mosques and minarets with inscriptions of Quranic verses have been discovered in Cuba,Mexico,Texas and Nevada. (8)
Anthropologists have proven that the Mandinkos under Mansa Musa’s instructions explored many parts of North America via the Mississippi and other rivers systems. At Four Corners, Arizona, writings show that they even brought elephants from Africa to the
area.(7)
-There are 565 names of places (villages, towns, cities, mountains, lakes, rivers,.. etc. ) in U.S.A. (484) and Canada (81) which derived from Islamic and Arabic roots. These places were originally named by the natives in precolumbian periods. Some of these names carried holy meanings such as: Mecca-720 inhabitants (Indiana), Makkah Indian tribe (Washington), Medina-2100 (Idaho), Medina-8500 (N.Y.), Medina-1100, Hazen-5000 (North Dakota), Medina-17000/Medina-120000 (Ohio), Medina-1100 (Tennessee), Medina-26000 (Texas), Medina-1200 (Ontario), Mahomet-3200 (Illinois), Mona-1000 (Utah), Arva-700 (Ontario)…etc. A careful study of the names of the native Indian tribes revealed that many names are derived from Arab and Islamic roots and origins, i.e. Anasazi, Apache, Arawak, Arikana, Chavin, Cherokee, Cree, Hohokam, Hupa, Hopi, Makkah, Mahigan, Mohawk, Nazca, Zulu, Zuni…etc..
Just glancing through the list of the names, I was able to recognize roughly half of them as having significance in Muslim culture, and in some cases, everyday life. Any native Arabic speaker would recognize nearly all the names.
So my question is, when there are undeniable proofs such as those listed above, (and more in the article itself), Why do people like the writer of this article hardheadedly deny such accurate claims? Is it because the author is a true patriot, and refuses to drop his false history to that of Middle Eastern/Iberian roots?
Columbus never saw a mosque in the Americas. This is a internet lie/myth that is not true. In fact there is no evidence at all that anyone in Africa came to America before Columbus.
MM ur a dumbass, the other guy was saying that the so called ‘native americans’ are originally africans and therefore discover america. columbus isnt even a hero and should be regarded as a villain rather than a hero. the things he did to the native americans was worse than a massacre. KNOW UR HISTORY
Read “IF” post. He gave information that and I quote….
“-Columbus admitted in his papers that on Monday, October 21,1492 CE while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the north-east coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on top of a beautiful mountain.”
Columbus never made any such claim. It is a lie. (So if the post starts of with a lie, that does not say much about the rest of the information)
and ZZZZZ know your history. Native Americans did were not origninally Africans. You would insult a Native American if you said this.
If you are curious of what Columbus did say, in which Muslims have twisted to suit their own agenda is this…
“on its summit a protuberance in the form of a handsome mosque…”
Columbus saw a mountain summit had a bulge in the form of a handsome mosque. Muslim writers are changing this quote and telling an outright lie by claiming Columbus saw a mosque. They are trying to change history to meet their own selfish desires.
read up on no evidence to support this “theory”…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian_Africa-Americas_contact_theories
whoever said Muslims did not discover America are all wrong …….the truth is they did ………OK its just common sense ……which you people don’t have …….many Muslims gave proof to that theory….the Muslims introduced it to the other lands………..the native Americans were already living on it so the Muslims just introduced it to the others
hey MM - Why would you give wikipedia as proof of anything?
I don’t dissagree with you at all, by the way.
I was genuinely impressed with your stream there…then-
wiki?
really, bro?
Check out the University of Pennsylvania Archaeology Department website. You can find links there to any archeological data available in the entire (real) world.
“teach a man to fish…” and all that.
cherrs’
RA Boesenberg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Piri_reis_world_map_01.jpg this map shows that muslims were in america before columbus. Yes wiki is a bad source however the map is actually the real map. Unlike columbus the muslims went there for trading reasons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSXWBfBKLzY <– here is another very interesting video with jerald dirks.
muslim4ever so your argument and evidence is “they just did”
That is one of the most laughable things I ever heard. They were here for trade you say? Ok, what did they trade in? Why are their no Muslim metal weapons, iron pots or anything made by Muslims not discovered in America before 1492? They traded, so where is the evidence?
muslim4ever you say they came here to trade? What did they trade? Muslims would have to give the Naive American’s something? Why are there no Muslim items ever discovered in America that pre-date 1492? If Muslims came here in ships, where did they repair their ships and why are their not parts, tools, repair places left over from these Muslim ships left in America? If they came here in trade, why are their no Native American items, food or anything else in Middle East/Africa that pre-date 1492?
Skjult: Read up on your mape Skjult. It is a fake.
A Chinese world map purportedly drawn in 1763, and allegedly based on an earlier version of
1418, was brought to public notice in early 2006 by Mr Gavin Menzies, author of 1421: the Year
China Discovered the World, and Mr Liu Gang, the map’s owner. This map has been used to suggest
that Chinese navigators circumnavigated and mapped the world in the early 15th century and
that dual hemisphere maps were first created in China. The present article provides a context for
the sudden appearance of this map, and its apparent evidence for Ming Chinese circumnavigation
of the globe. Through a detailed examination of the cartographic elements on the “1763” map and
its alleged 1418 precursor, the many anachronisms and other errors are set down. By demonstrating
and enumerating the numerous impossibilities reflected in the representations of both China
and the rest of the globe, it is concluded that the map is a modern fake.
http://www.e-perimetron.org/Vol_2_4/Wade.pdf
Even Chinese historians say it is fake.
The following comment on the Liu/Menzies map appeared in the Xin-jing bao (The Beijing News) newspaper. It was authored by Professor Zhou Zhen-he, of the Chinese Geography Research Institute of Fu-dan University, Shang-hai. Professor Zhou is a highly respected geographer and this rebuttal has proven quite authoritative in China.
(Draft translation by Geoff Wade 23 January 2006)
Historical research is unrelated to personal emotions
http://1421exposed.com/html/on_the_fake_map.html