Fascinating History On The Islamic Expansion In Ethiopia

Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa salatu wa salam, O Allah Ashraf al anbiya even more Celine Sayyidina Muhammad Ali he was on the edge of my bat, In the name of Allah to represent the merciful.

I praise Allah subhanho wa Taala I send peace and blessings to all of the prophets to Moses to Jesus, and especially to our beloved Prophet Mohammed, his first companions forever.

I begin with the greeting words of the righteous salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah.

Ethiopia, out of the LA Basha, the land of Abyssinia, the land of great kings, the land of mystery spirituality,

the land of ancient history

as a young African American

with West Indian parentage, I always wanted about Ethiopia. This land for my family and for those African Americans living in the West, always had a type of magic to it a type of mystery. It was a land where African people were proud where early civilization developed. Some say that even the First Men walk this land.

But in my quest, I realized that Ethiopia was more than just the land of history. It was a land of high spirituality.

It is said that Lost Ark of the Covenant lies in this land.

It is also said that great Christian rulers and kings walk this land and maintain the teachings of Jesus peace be upon him.

As a Muslim, I came to understand that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him when living in Mecca and when he found that he was persecuted, and his followers needed help. He told them, if you go out to the land of Habesha to Abyssinia, there, you will find the king who oppresses nobody. It is a land of truth. He outdone, said

How did he know that it was a land of truth?

Why did he send his followers into Africa before he sent them to Palestine, before he sent them to Persia, even to Yemen Why?

Join me on our search for the history of this beautiful land and also for the true story of Najafi the great negus of Exxon and also light upon what happened to the Sahaba to their families in this historic mystical land.

Join me in this journey of a lifetime as I leave you in peace. Assalamu Aleikum

my journey starts in a relatively young city of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, founded in 1887, by the Emperor menelik and has grown to a population of just over 3 million. To my astonishment, I found out that a large percentage of the people of Addis Ababa are Muslim. In fact, 40% of Ethiopian is Muslim. It may seem hard to imagine that in a country that has recently turned away from communism, Islam has never ceased to grow. In fact, Islam is growing at an unprecedented rate.

minarets of mosques Domini

The Old Town and the call to prayer reverberates around the city.

Addis Ababa is a city on the move. The hustle and bustle of daily life continues unabated. down every street and around every corner. Muslims go about their choice. Whether it's to the mosque or shopping, it became quite apparent that Islam is here to stay.

Because I came on a quest to find the rule of Islam and Ethiopia today. I knew that one of the best places to convert slums was that the month and so I set off to the biggest mosque in Addis Ababa, known as mustard on the mom Hassan Ibn Abi taalib. Here I met an elder of the city chef camel Sharif, a solid one of Addis Ababa, his most beloved and well known show you

share camels name also indicates a Sharif, he is a noble one, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Hello to the olivate and Amsterdam.

We have a little bit our grand grand for us

has

came to Ethiopia

from Venezuela passing the Red Cross

the Red Sea, to the Somali border. And they penetrated too deep into

the cause of their

immigrating to her or coming to her to Africa is

to call for Islam.

Forget Islam and teach the people of that area, Islamic principle.

It is no and worth mentioning that

in all the way from their grandfather Muhammad

until the last day, they are basically devoted for Islam.

wherever they go,

they preach for Islam or for Islam. They give guidance and proper teaching to all Muslims and approach non Muslims so also to accept Islam.

I found out the chick Campbell's family comes from the legendary city of hot actuated in the east of Ethiopia. He also told me that hot off was one of the main centres of Islamic learning for over 800 years. I had to find out more of this Junction City and arrange with Czech camel to journey there.

Before my journey, I had the privilege to meet with some of the elders of hora. They have a special trust and the holiday National League in order to preserve the history and culture of the city. Amazingly, the language we all felt comfortable speaking was Arabic. I was amazed just listening to these men talk about more and more. I wanted to get to the city and see it for myself. What got my interest is going even more with the books that were brought along for me to go through. Here in front of my eyes. Were pieces of history coming alive. The heart of the trust activity

involved in making sure that no one forgets about how.

On the way to harder, we came across a very old mosque on the trade routes, or camels once traveled. The caretaker explained that many caravans passed through on their way to selling their wares and the interior. The simple architecture of the mosque reminded me of similar structures I had seen in my travels to North Africa and Arabia.

Hello, Mr. Yemen.

As I entered, I felt a profound sense of hundreds of years of worship drifting down on me. I realized that this mosque stands in testimony to the believers of Islam.

We continued onwards to the city of hora and arrive there just after doc

I had to wait one more night to see why the city was so dairy amongst Muslims. Early the next morning, I traveled to the outskirts of the city to get a better view.

The search for Islam in Ethiopia has led me to the great walled city of hada. This ancient town set in South Eastern Ethiopia was once the most important center in the north eastern side of the continent of Africa. It is set in the classical Islamic lines. And when we look at the city in the background, we see the Jamia or the main mosque in the center, and the town surrounds the hill. And on the bottom is a great wall, which extends for almost a square kilometer around the town of Hara. It is a town of mystery. It is a town of great scholarship. it once was the link between the African continent and Arabia and India. The people of hada were known for meeting their own coins hundreds

of years ago. They were also known for great scholars, for spiritual people, for crafts, for book, and it is said that the books of Hara will even be read in Ottoman Turkey, and in other parts of the Muslim world. And so we have reached one of the most important parts of our journey, the great city of hada. Let us see what we can find.

For hundreds of years, this city was close to far this has an exclusive Islamic Center. non Muslims were not permitted.

I was dumbfounded when I learned that there are 82 mosques in the small city. Imagine at two mosques that take care of the needs of those situated in the immediate vicinity.

This is an example of the many masters in the walled city of hada. It is said that there are over 82 masjids in a 48 hectare space. It is the most densely populated area in terms of masjids per square meter. And this is one of the mysteries of hotta. This is Marshall Larrabee, the Arab mosque, which was built around 1875 by the Egyptians, and it is one of the local centers for the people who are living in this particular section in hora. And you'll find this all over the city that about 40 families and the mom basically are situated around the mosque and this gives us the flavor all around the city.

These are of course, smaller in size they comprise about 40 persons, as you know 40%

every also to have the Friday prayer but the main purpose to make it 40% not only to make Friday Prayer prayer but the Imam of what we call the Lyceum The aim of that mosque as responsible for 40 household

the these mosques are situated in such a way to be the Center for this 45 minutes.

How was one surrounded by a great stone wall to keep out wild animals

The enemy. This gave rise to hada being known as the walled city, inside its walls, scholars from all over the Muslim world with teaching and producing detailed works on Islam. Many of them were also actively involved in softness to Allah by building on their strong spiritual beliefs.

This gate that we find ourselves at now is called Beverly body or barbell hacking. And it is one of the best preserve gates in the wall city of hada. It has a very interesting history. It is said by the local historians that over 400 of the folk Aha, the jurists of Islam, lived within the area near the skate. They eventually lives for the preservation of the city. And I have left a beautiful heritage and a deep tradition. And so again, the gates open up the mysteries of the city, there are five within hora and let us see if we can find even more. The gates purpose is they made it of course five purpose to be present five times per year. They had one also gate which is closed now

open today used to call

a closed door. They only open it when

there is war from the western

West east. These days they are very important because they want to control all enemies coming from any direction because in the past, they don't know where the enemy comes from. They can check them to control them. We are blessed today to be in front of one of the important gates of the city of hada. It is Baba nust. And this is the gate of victory. It is one of the gates where the protection of the city was maintained. And that is one of the blessings of the city of hada where only 220 years ago, non Muslims actually entered the city. It is a city of peace, City of the scholars and a city of high spirituality. So we are blessed today to be here. With the Ashraf of the city of the

nobles who are descendants of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Alhaji camela Sharif and the others have come today, along with the citizens and we are blessed to be here. It is the gate of victory. And we always pray that the city will again rise harder is now becoming a very important city. And it is rising back again into importance in Africa and also in the Muslim world.

To say hot are is interesting would be an understatement. As I strolled around the old town, I was fascinated by the life it still breathed. It almost felt like I was taking a step back in time.

Traders were displaying their wares all over. And I could just imagine how it was like hundreds of years ago.

This is a typical marketplace and Hara. For centuries people have gathered together bringing their wares from the countryside into the town. hora is not the most important centers for civilization within Ethiopia. And the people brought their goods inside and traded and came together from all different parts of eastern Ethiopia and northern Ethiopia. And so we see it here a typical marketplace. Again, this could be in Pakistan, it could be in Egypt, it could be in Morocco, it gives you that flavor of life and activity and the bringing together of the old and the new.

baskets are now being made by assessors. It takes one month of weaving to produce on one of these baskets. And you see the amount of patience that it takes and the skill. And this is a tradition, which has been passed on for hundreds of years. And it really if you look at the world, this is a 1000s of year old tradition, because you'll find similar type of weaving done in ancient India, and other parts of Africa, in China in Europe in many parts of the world. But here in East Africa there is a special form of this weaving and the design is unique to her and to Eastern

This is the weaving of the cultural huddle, you see, again, the designs and the colors of Africa and the Arab world. And these baskets have many purposes, they are being served serving food. also protecting food. This baskets is used as a decoration in hairy houses, right. And other baskets can be used for functional purpose as well as decoration in the house, but as this one use on a special occasion.

It's not used on a special occasion. But whenever a young hairy woman marries a man and when she

go to her new house, right, she has to have six different types of

skaters. Yeah, and this is one of like many parts of the Islamic world. The shops of hada are a reflection of Islamic culture. What is special about the culture here is it combines Arab culture, with African culture with the Islamic culture. So you see in the famous Koofi is normally worn at the time of the wedding of the men. So this coup fear is special. It is worn at the time of the weddings. And it has the special design, as you see on the top of the cap. It's similar to many of the masjids and designs within the Islamic world. And what makes it special are the colors. The colors are African Ethiopian colors, the green, the red, and the gold and the black. And also you

see the design. So with the beautiful designs, the blending together of the colors, you then come out with a product, which is unique. And that is part of being a unique place, a crossroads between Arab culture and African culture, and also a base of Islam. This cap is a reflection of the culture of this mysterious, beautiful city.

These are the narrow streets of hada. Anywhere in the Muslim world, you can find a village or city with a similar flavor. And it is set up in such a way to protect the people who are living inside of the houses. The streets are very narrow and protective. And when you go inside of the door, then you'll find that it opens up to a courtyard. And the family then is protected from the outside world. And so how that has followed in the Arabic African Islamic tradition in setting up its cities in the same way. And it's it's a very beautiful town, the children are here. The families are here, there's the smell of spices. And that is something you find in Zanzibar. And in fez and Marrakech in

Lahore, and all over the Muslim world.

This narrow alley is one of the tightest in the city of Haifa. And it has a special history to it is called the reconciliation Street. And that is because it is so narrow, that if people are fighting against each other with disagree, they have to and they have to reconcile the differences. And so it is a special place that has brought people together. And the whole spirit is you know, we're tight. We're a family. So we need to really come clear with all of the arguments and differences that we have. We need streets like this all over the world.

was also renowned for its books, mostly dealing with Islam and written at the height of the city's popularity as a Muslim stronghold. One man who's taken it upon himself to care and preserve many of the old texts that he folly.

I collect Hungarian history heritage like this. In first, it was forbidden in the time of Hydras lattepanda in the time of military dark military regime. But the following is a form of

military regime,

we get

some freedom.

So that I began to connect with Harry Tsongas.

Holly coins, books, within documentaries, and

heritage about the surrounding people.

Sharif, Abdullah Ali represents a whole generation of people who have dedicated themselves to the preservation of the history of the African continent. And what he has shown us is that by his own personal initiative, he has been able to collect over 500 copies of Arabic documents from the past. He won the confidence of the people, he was able to bring out the culture of hada that have been hidden for years under the ground. And right now, he estimates that there's about 20,000 handwritten copies of books throughout how to edits facilities, and it is important that he is helped that he is assisted, and that we actually culture a whole generation of Sharif Abdul Ali's, who have the

technical skill, the love and the consistency, to be able to bring forward this tradition and to preserve it for the modern world.

The streets and alleyways of hada throw up all kinds of surprises. As I rounded a corner, I stumbled on the grave side of one of the most prominent female saints check

out

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Friday morning normal Juma an important day in the life of any Muslim so to and harder, although there are 82 Mosque in the city. This mosque known as the Juma mosque is where the faithful gather for Friday priests. Throughout my stay in hada I was often reminded not to be late for Friday prayers, because it was unique.

Now I've been to Juma and many cities all over the world. But what awaited me in this far off corner of Ethiopia was simply astounding.

Every Friday after the early morning prayer fahcsia people gather in the mosque to recite the Quran. This practice dates back hundreds of years and the recital leaves one spiritually fulfilled and prepared for the prayer.

Daddy

Mommy, mommy and

daddy

alone

he was

he was he was

the law

are you

gonna watch coo

coo coo coo,

COO, COO,

coo coo

coo coo

I left the Juma mosque filled with admiration and pride as to how these Muslims managed to keep Islam alive and thriving. Juma and hada was definitely one of the highlights of my state. And I felt an even greater respect for this ancient city of Israel.

Wash

and as is customary all over the Islamic world, a delicious holiday lunch was prepared after the Friday press

give

me

just comes as a governance more than one Millennium

as almost 1100 and something is

it was established as a government you know, at the turn of LED

Of course, they have previously they will not see if they have some mystic stock. They are part of Hala people.

So as a government when started by Amina Baba

and till a minute delay

72 rulers were leaders call that we call them in

a way, I mean, it's been around

till the end of 19th century.

My stay in huddle had to come to an end. And I was looking forward to continue on my way through Ethiopia.

next stop was in the gash, the city of the aksumite Christian King asama. He was the person who received and gave protection to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him first.

The drive was long and tiring. The city itself is high up in the mountains.

My journey has been both insightful and fascinating. I've traveled from Addis to harder and up into the north to the Tigray province, and finally to the village of Nick gash where sits dedicated to Natasha. It is also a place of the burial ground of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and the king himself. So finally we have reached the final point. The beginning of Islam in Africa.

Table mavala Who am I can I sell moluccana jc JC Wanaka de la mina message me Allah de Bona, who

Alomar whom? Haji Muhammad Abu led to fear senate and food Samia Hamsa hamsey Milla de

bajo de Dieu Alana *ity Cena lamudi

de la. Suma de Haan Nevada Valley Radha zrt messy Ilaha del Mercado de

una cama con goodness I know Oh yeah.

I mean home sir Mr. abrar woman who shall have dinner? No Misha, Misha

so motherhood no no no no Jade hoonah he had his American and latifi nephew has haba todo en la la la Vina hotjar Mira Susana la hi Russia.

Russia here, Lula. Let us have a Nabi sallallahu Sallam blues ham as a hobby. Lil Melaka shahidullah hubel Hiroshi De Luca della della Takahashi, rojava and nephew How many can I have him when I had the word higit I in the Arabic language can refer to a flight or migration. But what is important for us is that if we look at it islamically it refers to movement and it is a migration a strategic migration aid from one area to another. The significance of the hegira in the case of the Prophet Mohammed Salah solemn number one is that the hegira represents the movement of the Muslims from out of a state of insecurity to a state of security. We know that in the meccan period, the Prophet

peace and blessings be upon him came to kodesh and came to the people of Arabia with the methods of tawheed. He found great opposition. And by the fourth year, his followers were being killed and tortured to the extent where they were not able to actually defend themselves. And so the Prophet peace be upon him then saw the Haggadah as a means of releasing them from insecurity to a place of security and protection and freedom.

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him when he sent his followers to Abyssinia. He said with them a message and this message or this letter to under joshy, the negus, the Emperor the ruler of of Ethiopia, was in a form that we don't find in any other letter that he ever wrote. Because a brotherly letter, it was a diplomatic letter. So this letter was not only seeking sanctuary for his followers, it was actually a very strategic political letter that was connecting the Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula to the believers in one God in Ethiopia, which was a world power at the time.

kurush being the rulers of Baca, and being very familiar with Abyssinia, when they found out that the migrants had gone to Ethiopia, they were terrified. And they recognize that that movement could be a serious change in relationships between the Arabian Peninsula, and between the people in Ethiopia. It could be a world power that could be backing the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon. So they sent up the lion Arabia mobile house, who later became a very famous Muslim. They sent the two of them were known for their wisdom and their cutting, and the diplomacy. They sent them to the center joshy. And basically, they accused the Muslims of breaking the religion of disrespecting

Christianity, then the joshy then

called for the Muslims to come out, and he questioned them. Is it true what these people say? And we also know that that the two diplomats from kadesh they gave gifts to the courtiers and so they set everything up. But when the king asked the question to the Muslims, Java, Vitaly rhodiola, one responded in a very beautiful way, explaining and showing how the Muslims were in a state of ignorance. They didn't respect themselves, they ate rotten meat, they drank intoxicants, they slaughtered the week, they committed adultery. And then he read from Sergio Marion at that point, that the joshy cried, and all the people in his court cried, and the jet and the joshy by God, this

revelation comes from the same candle. The light comes from the same candle that the Bible comes from. He said, I will never let them go. You are free to live in our lands.

We find from the traditions that when the joshy May Allah be pleased with him, got the message from the prophets of Salaam that he actually reflected upon this any secretly accepted Islam. And he was in correspondence with the Prophet peace be upon him. Finally, the province of solemn when hearing that he had died, he made salado janaza little vibe, he made a janaza prayer for the one who was absent, knowing that there was nobody, there wasn't anybody in Ethiopia, who would make it for him at the time, he had accepted Islam secretly, the Muslims lined up and they made janaza the law it was the first time in Islamic history that that this was done, and it is only done for a month. And

so based on this correspondence based on what happened with the joshy what we know he was a strong, FIRM BELIEVER before his death, and the Prophet peace be upon him confirm this for all of the Muslims. And this is agreed upon by the EMA of the historians and the fuqaha that he had accepted Islam. And so Islam had now entered this country at the hands of a leading personality. I had come to Ethiopia in search of the story of Islam. After leave, I knew that my wish had been fulfilled. Islam is becoming the heartbeat once again, of this ancient land of Abyssinia.

I was surprised to find that Muslims in Ethiopia have had a very powerful contribution to the history, not only of the Horn of Africa and Ethiopia, but really to the Muslim world and the rest of the world. And this is part of the well kept secret of what has happened in this part of the African continent. And we found that in the highlands of Ethiopia, that Muslims make up somewhere between 40 to 60% of the population, and the city of hada. Not only was a great link for the Muslim world, but it wasn't important city for Ethiopia itself. It linked ancient Aksum, which was the great ancient empire of Ethiopia with the modern world. So for instance, the coins of Hata, which were first

struck in the walled city of hada, these coins actually leaked the the aksumite coins with the modern day coins used in Ethiopia. So Muslims have made a great contribution to this land. And in the building of Addis Ababa, we have come to understand that it was harder the Masons and artisans that actually helped to develop the city of a disavow. So present day, Ethiopia has a great legacy as a great debt in relationship to the Muslims. And so therefore, it's important now, with Ethiopia, coming out into the world, and the different people, peoples within Ethiopia coming out, that we are able to bring forward the Muslim contribution, and to show that Islam did not come into Ethiopia as

a conqueror. But Muslims came as refugees. The Prophet Muhammad on him called Ethiopia, a land of truth. He sent His followers there, before he sent them to Medina and the north, before they went to Jerusalem, before they went to Persia, before they went to Malaysia, they entered the African continent. And so this is very significant in our understanding of Africa, and our understanding of the relationship between Muslims and Christians, that, to a great extent, there was cooperation between the two groups. And so Islam and Ethiopia represents a very beautiful chaps. If we're able to go to the veils, and really see the contributions made by the people in Ethiopia. I also believe

that in the future, Muslims will make a great contribution to Ethiopia, because that knowledge of Arabic is still alive, that knowledge within the books of hada is still with them. And there are great peacemaking lessons within the teachings of the scholars of hada. There are also great lessons of how to deal with science in a moral way to blend the ancient with the modern, how to bring out the best in humanity in technology, and that is something that is missing in the world today. And I believe that Muslims in Ethiopia, and in Hata, and the gash and axon in particular can make a great contribution, not only to Africa, but to the world.

No more do I look at Africa as the Dark Continent. What I found here has opened eyes to a whole new world of possibility that Africa office, President tabble Mbeki of South Africa speaks of the 21st century as the time of the African Renaissance. I say, let's look into the history of this majestic continent to kick start the process. For me, the journey is only beginning and I hope to explore many more untold stories of Islam and Africa.

Get to the city and see it for myself. What got my interest going even more with a books that were brought along for me to go through here in front of my eyes, with pieces of history coming alive. The hottie trust, actively involved in making sure that no one forgets about how.

On the way to harder, we came across a very old mask on the trade routes, or camels once traveled. The caretaker explained that many caravans pass through on their way to selling their wares in the interior. The simple architecture of the mosque reminded me of similar structures I had seen in my travels to North Africa and Arabia.

Hello, Mr. Yemen.

As I entered, I felt a profound sense of hundreds of years of worship drifting down on me. I realized that this mosque stands in testimony to the believers of Islam.

We continue onwards to the city of hora and arrive there just after doc

I had to wait one more night to see why the city was so very amongst Muslims. Early the next morning, I traveled to the outskirts of the city to get a better view.

The search for Islam in Ethiopia has led me to the great walled city of hada. This ancient town set in South Eastern Ethiopia was once the most important center in the north eastern side of the continent of Africa. It is set in the classical Islamic lines. And when we look at the city in the background, we see the Jamia or the main mosque in the center, and the town surrounds the hill. And on the bottom is a great wall, which extends for almost a square kilometer around the town

is a town of mystery. It is a town of great scholarship. it once was the link between the African continent and Arabia and India. The people of hada were known for meeting their own coins hundreds of years ago. They were also known for great scholars for our spiritual people, for crafts for book and it is said that the books of Hara will even be read in Ottoman Turkey, and in other parts of the Muslim world. And so we have reached one of the most important parts of our journey, the great city of hada let us see what we can find.

For hundreds of years, this city was close to far this has an exclusive Islamic Center. non Muslims were not permitted haha. I was dumbfounded when I learned that there are at two mosques in the small city. Imagine at two mosques that take care of the needs of those situated in the immediate vicinity.

This is an example of the many masters in the walled city of hora. It is said that there are over 82 masjids in a 48 hectare space. It is the most densely populated area in terms of masjids per square meter. And this is one of the mysteries of hora. This is martial art to be the Arab mosque, which was built around 1875 by the Egyptians. And it is one of the local centers for the people who are living in this particular section in hora. And you will find this all over the city that about 40 families and the mom are basically situated around a mosque and this gives us the flavor all around the city.

These are of course, smaller in size they comprise about 40 persons as you know 40 persons

I believe also to have the Friday prayer but the main purpose to make it 40% not only to make Friday Prayer prayer but the email

Have we call him the Imam of that mosque as responsible for 40 household.

The these mosques are situated in such a way to be the Center for this 40 families.

How was one surrounded by a great stone wall to keep out wild animals and the enemy. This gave rise to hotter being known as the walled city. inside its walls, scholars from all over the Muslim world were teaching and producing detailed works on Islam.

Many of them were also actively involved in softness to Allah by building on their strong spiritual beliefs.

This gate that we find ourselves at now is called battery battery, or Bible hacking. And it is one of the best preserve gates in the wall city of Hata. It has a very interesting history. It is said by the local historians that over 400 of the folk Aha, the jurists of Islam, lived within the area near the skate. They eventually lives for the preservation of the city. And I have left a beautiful heritage and a deep tradition. And so again, the gates open up the mysteries of the city, there are five within hora and let us see if we can find even more. The gates purpose is they made it of course five purpose to be present five times where they had one was so good to disclose that now

open they used to call

a closed door, they found the opposite when

there is war, from the western

West east. These days they are very important because they want to control all enemies coming from any direction because in the past, they don't know where the enemy comes from, that they can check them to control them. We are blessed today to be in front of one of the important gates of the city of hada. It is Baba nos and this is the gate of victory. It is one of the gates where the protection of the city was maintained. And that is one of the blessings of the city of hada were only 220 years ago, non Muslims actually entered the city. It is a city of peace, City of the scholars and a city of high spirituality. So we are blessed today to be here. With the Ashraf of the city of the nobles

who are descendants of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Alhaji camela Sharif and the others have come today, along with the citizens, and we are blessed to be here. It is the gate of victory. And we always pray that the city will again rise. hada is now becoming a very important city. And it is rising back again into importance in Africa and also in the Muslim world.

To say harder is interesting would be an understatement. As I strolled around the old town, I was fascinated by the life it's still breathe. It almost felt like I was taking a step back in time.

Traders were displaying their wares all over. And I could just imagine how it was like hundreds of years ago.

This is a typical marketplace. And for centuries, people have gathered together bringing their wares from the countryside into the town. hora is not the most important centers for civilization within Ethiopia. And the people brought their goods inside and traded and came together from all different parts of eastern Ethiopia and northern Ethiopia. And so we see it here typical marketplace. Again, this could be in Pakistan, it could be in Egypt. It could be in Morocco. It gives you that flavor of life and activity and the bringing together of the old and the new.

baskets are now being made by assessors. It takes one month of weeding to produce on one of these baskets. And you see the amount of patience that it takes and the skill and this is a tradition which has been passed on

For hundreds of years, and really, if you look at the world, this is a 1000s of year old tradition, because you'll find similar type of reading done in ancient India, and other parts of Africa, and China, in Europe and many parts of the world. But here in East Africa, there is a special form of this weaving and the design is unique to Hara, and to Eastern.

This is the weaving of the cultural hada. And you see, again, the designs and the colors of Africa and the Arab world. And these baskets have many purposes, they are being served serving food. also protecting food. This baskets is used as a decoration in hairy houses, right. And other baskets can be used for a functional purpose as well as a declaration in the house. But is this one use on a special occasion?

It's not used on a special occasion. But whenever a young hairy woman marries a man and when she

go to her new house, right, she has to have six different types of

skaters. Yeah, and this is one of like many parts of the Islamic world. The shops of hada are a reflection of Islamic culture. What is special about the culture here is it combines Arab culture, with African culture with the Islamic culture. So you see in the famous Koofi, it is normally worn at the time of the wedding of the men. So this coup fear is special. It is worn at the time of the weddings. And it has the special design, as you see on the top of the cap. It's similar to many of the masjids and designs within the Islamic world. And what makes it special are the colors. The colors are African Ethiopian colors, the green, the red, and the gold and the black. And also you

see the design. So with the beautiful designs, the blending together of the colors, you then come out with a product, which is unique. And that is part of being a unique place, a crossroads between Arab culture and African culture, and also a base of Islam. This cap is a reflection of the culture of this mysterious, beautiful city.

These are the narrow streets of Hata. Anywhere in the Muslim world, you can find a village or city with a similar flavor. And it is set up in such a way to protect the people who are living inside of the houses. The streets are very narrow and protective. And when you go inside of the door, then you will find that it opens up to a courtyard. And the family then is protected from the outside world. And so how that has followed in the Arabic African Islamic tradition in setting up its cities in the same way. And it's a very beautiful town, the children are here. The families are here, there's the smell of spices. And that is something you find in Zanzibar. And in fez and Marrakech and Lahore and

all over the Muslim world.

This narrow alley is one of the tightest in the city of Allah. And it has a special history to it is called the reconciliation Street. And that is because it is so narrow, that if people are fighting against each other with disagree, they have to and they have to reconcile the differences. And so it is a special place that has brought people together. And the whole spirit is you know, we're tight. We're a family. So we need to really come clear with all of the arguments and differences that we have. We need streets like this all over the world.

was also renowned for its books, mostly dealing with Islam and written at the height of the city's popularity as a Muslim stronghold. One man who's taken it upon himself to care and preserve many of the old texts that he folly.

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Sharif Abdullah Ali represents a whole generation of people who have dedicated themselves to the preservation of history of the African continent. And what he has shown us is that by his own personal initiative, he has been able to collect over 500 copies of Arabic documents from the past. He won the confidence of the people, he was able to bring out the culture of hada that have been hidden for years under the ground. And right now, he estimates that there's about 20,000 handwritten copies of books throughout how to and its facility. And it is important that he is helped that he is assisted, and that we actually culture a whole generation of Sharif Abdullah Ali's, who have the

technical skills, the love and the consistency, to be able to bring forward this tradition and to preserve it for the modern world.

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Friday morning normal Juma an important day in the life of any Muslim so to and harder, although there are 82 Mosque in the city. This mosque known as the Juma mosque is where the faithful gather for Friday prayers. Throughout my stay in hada, I was often reminded not to be late for Friday prayers, because it was unique.

Now I've been to Juma and many cities all over the world. For what awaited me in this far off corner of Ethiopia was simply astounding.

Every Friday after the early morning prayer fascia, people gathered in the mosque to recite the Quran. This practice dates back hundreds of years and the recital leaves one spiritually fulfilled and prepared for the prayer

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next stop was in the gash, the city of the aksumite Christian King asama. He was the person who received and gave protection to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him for us.

Drive was long and tiring. The city itself is high up in the mountains.

My journey has been both insightful and fascinating. I've traveled from Addis to harder and up into the north to the Tigray province. And finally to the village of Nikesh, where sits dedicated to Natasha. It is also a place of the burial ground of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and the king himself. So finally we have reached the final point, the beginning of Islam in Africa.

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la La, la, la, Casa de la. Let us have a Nabi sallallahu Sallam Louis ham as heavy lil Melaka shahidullah who will Hiroshi De Luca della della Takahashi rojava, a nephew, how many Can I have him when I had the word higit I in the Arabic language can refer to a flight or migration. But what is important for us is that if we look at it islamically it refers to movement and it is a migration a strategic migration aid from one area to another. The significance of the hegira in the case of the Prophet Mohammed Salah solemn number one is that the hegira represents the movement of the Muslims from out of a state of insecurity to a state of security. We know that in the meccan period, the

Prophet peace and blessings be upon him came to Pradesh and came to the people of Arabia with the methods of tawheed. He found great opposition. And by the fourth year, his followers were being killed and tortured to the extent where they were not able to actually defend themselves. And so the Prophet peace be upon him then saw the Haggadah as a means of releasing them from insecurity to a place of security.

And protection and freedom.

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him when he sent his followers to Abyssinia. He said with them a message and this message or this letter to under joshy, the negus, the Emperor the ruler of of Ethiopia, was in a form that we don't find in any other letter that he ever wrote. Because a brotherly letter, it was a diplomatic letter. So this letter was not only seeking sanctuary for his followers, he was actually a very strategic political leader that was connecting the Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula to the believers in one God in Ethiopia, which was a world power at the time.

The parish being the rulers of Mecca, and being very familiar with Abyssinia, when they found out that the migrants had gone to Ethiopia, they were terrified. And they recognize that that movement could be a serious change in relationships between the Arabian Peninsula, and between the people in Ethiopia. It could be a world power that could be backing the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon. So they sent up the lion Arabia mobile house, who later became a very famous Muslim. They sent the two of them were known for their wisdom and their cunning and their diplomacy. They sent them to the center joshy. And basically, they accused the Muslims of breaking their religion of disrespecting

Christianity, then the joshy then

called for the Muslims to come out, and he questioned them. Is it true what these people say? And we also know that the two diplomats from the pradesh they gave gifts to the courtiers and so they set everything up. But when the king asked the question to the Muslims, Java, Vitaly rhodiola, one responded in a very beautiful way, explaining and showing how the Muslims were in a state of ignorance. They didn't respect themselves, they ate rotten meat, they drank intoxicants, they slaughtered the week, they committed adultery, and then he read from spirits of Marion at that point, that the joshy cried, and all the people in his court cried, and the jet and the joshy by

God, this revelation comes from the same candle. The light comes from the same candle that the Bible comes from. He said, I will never let them go. You are free to live in our lands.

We find from the traditions that when the joshy May Allah be pleased with him, got the message from the prophet SAW some that he actually reflected upon this any secretly accepted Islam. And he was in correspondence with the Prophet peace be upon him. Finally, the prophets of solemn when hearing that he had died, he made salado janaza little vibe, he made a janaza prayer for the one who was absent, knowing that there was nobody, there wasn't anybody in Ethiopia, who would make it for him at the time, he had accepted Islam secretly, the Muslims lined up and they made janaza the law it was the first time in Islamic history that this was done, and it is only done for a month. And so based on

this correspondence based on what happened with the joshy what we know he was a strong, FIRM BELIEVER before his death, and the Prophet peace be upon him confirm this for all of the Muslims. And this is agreed upon by the age of the historians and the fuqaha that he had accepted Islam. And so Islam had now entered this country at the hands of a leading personality.

I had come to Ethiopia in search of the story of Islam. After leaving, I knew that my wish had been fulfilled. Islam is becoming the heartbeat once again, of this ancient land of Abyssinia.

I was surprised to find that Muslims in Ethiopia have had a very powerful contribution to the history, not only of the Horn of Africa and Ethiopia, but really to the Muslim world and the rest of the world. And this is part of the well kept secret of what has happened in this part of the African continent. And we found that in the highlands of Ethiopia, that Muslims make up somewhere between 40 to 60% of the population, and the city of hada. Not only was a great link for the Muslim world, but it was an important city for Ethiopia itself. It linked ancient Aksum, which was the great ancient empire of Ethiopia with the modern world. So for instance, the coins of hora which were first struck

in the walled city of hada, these coins actually leaked the the aksumite coins with the modern day coins used in Ethiopia. So Muslims have made a great contribution to this land. And in the building of Addis Ababa, we have come to understand that it was harder the Masons and artisans that actually helped to develop the city of Addis Ababa. So present day, Ethiopia has a great legacy has a great debt in relationship to the Muslims. And so therefore, it's important now with Ethiopia coming out into the world, and the different people, peoples within Ethiopia coming out, that we are able to bring forward the Muslim contribution, and to show that Islam did not come into Ethiopia as a

conqueror. But Muslims came as refugees. The Prophet Mohammed haram called Ethiopia, I learned the truth, he sent his followers there, before he sent them to Medina in the north, before they went to Jerusalem, before they went to Persia, before they went to Malaysia, they entered the African continent. And so this is very significant in our understanding of Africa, and our understanding of the relationship between Muslims and Christians, that, to a great extent, there was cooperation between the two groups. And so Islam and Ethiopia represents a very beautiful chapter. If we're able to go to the veils, and really see the contributions made by the people in Ethiopia. I also believe

that in the future, Muslims will make a great contribution to Ethiopia, because that knowledge of Arabic is still alive, that knowledge within the books of hada is still with them. And there are great peacemaking lessons within the teachings of the scholars of hada. There are also great lessons of how to deal with science in a moral way to blend the ancient with the modern, how to bring out the best in humanity in technology, and that is something that is missing in the world today. And I believe that Muslims in Ethiopia, and in Hata, and the gash and axon in particular can make a great contribution, not only to Africa, but to the world.

No more do I look at Africa as the Dark Continent. What I found here has opened eyes to a whole new world of possibility that Africa office, President tabble Mbeki of South Africa speaks of the 21st century as the time of the African Renaissance. I say, let's look into the history of this majestic continent to kick start the process. For me, the journey is only beginning and I hope to explore many more untold stories of Islam and Africa.