كتابى الثانى عن البقارة: عادات وتقاليد الزواج لدى البقارة فى السودان .. (لمحات وصور من الكتاب)

Quote: AFRICAN HERITAGE: The Arabs have settled in Africa since times immemorial. The Arabs’ trade caravans had navigated the Sahara desert for centuries; among the well-known trade routes was the “Forty Day’s Road” (in Arabic: Darb el Arba’ien), which historically connected Egypt with sub-Saharan Africa. The red sea trade routes, between the Arabia Peninsula and East Africa, pre-date the recent history of the regions. North Africa in its entirety had been an Arab pariah region even before Islam; soon after the spread of Islam, North Africa had become part of the Islamic Caliphates from Egypt to Morocco. Sudanic zone of sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Mali (earlier Timbuktu), Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Sudan, had followed suite in becoming a major Islamic hub in African, annually visited by religious sheikhs, who had come with the Islamic missionaries. The missionaries and those who adopted Islam arranged pilgrimage’s caravans to visit Mecca to enrich their Islamic experience. The returning pilgrimage’s caravan brought with them back the Arabs goods, fabrics, books of Arab literature and along with the caravans came new faces of Arab’s missionaries, who were enthusiastic in further engaging the African populous to spread Islam and along with the Islam came the Arabs’ culture and the Arabic language. Arabs’ culture and way of life have become an intrinsic part of African’s culture. The Arab influence had led to the establishment of small kingdoms, chiefdoms or sultanates in Africa since the coming of Islam. Among such are Arabs Sultanate in Zanziber in the middle of Africa, Sinnar Sultanate in the middle of Sudan, Darfur Sultanate by Sulieman Solong (this name means Sulieman the Arab), Tagali Sultanate in the Nuba Mountains, Songhai Kingdom, Timbuktu and Mali of west Africa, and sultanates of Harar, Magadishu, Darah and many more in East Africa. In 2010, Muslims in Africa grew to 40.8% of the total Africa population; in 2011, Africa population is 1.33 billion, almost just less than half of them were Muslims, which indicates a general trend of adoption of Islam, and its teachings which rest on clear understanding of Arabic language for the populous and mastering of Arabic language and Islamic culture for African scholars. Baggara ancestors were part of the greater Africa transformation and adoption of Islam, and indigenization of Arabic language and culture in Africa. By the time Baggara ancestors migrated to Africa, the Arabs and their culture were starting to be established and taken roots in some part of Africa. Baggara are part of the establishment of Africa Islamic faith and culture. Through marriages and acculturation, Baggara ancestors were able to transform others into Muslims and themselves into a new emerging ethnicity, which embodies both Arabs’ culture as well as African’s traditions ......