This study is an addendum to the infographic supplement published in our November 2023 edition, in collaboration with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), Herndon, Virginia, in the United States. The supplement covered a selection of fourteen leading Muslim scholars from the early 19th to the early 20th centuries. The digital version of the feature in print is available online here.

The selection was undertaken in collaboration with Saulat Pervez, a researcher at IIIT. The academic editor of the supplement was Dr Muhammed Haron whose academic interests include Islam in Africa.

Listed below are the original fourteen scholars featured in the infographic, followed by an additional 30 African scholars. This list is dynamic, and will be updated on an ongoing basis, in collaboration with IIIT.

These Africans have left an indelible mark on the study and practice of Islam. Through their poetry, translations of the Qur’an, and works on Sufism, exegesis, and da’wah, they have enriched the understanding of Islam both within Africa and beyond. The writings and activism of many of them have been instrumental in promoting the well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, reflecting the inclusive and compassionate spirit of Islam.

TUNISIA

Khayr al-Din al-Tunisi (1810–1890)

A statesman and intellectual of the 19th century who elaborated an original approach to the question of reformism within the house of Islam. His significant work titled Aqwam al-Masalik fi Ma’rifat Ahwal al-Mamalik (The Surest Path to Knowledge Concerning the Conditions of Countries/Regions) dealt with Islam, modernism and the West.

EGYPT

Aisha Abd al-Rahman (1913–1998) was an Egyptian writer also known as Bint al-Shati, best known as a professor of Arabic language and literature and Quranic studies. Bint al-Shati wrote more than sixty books on Arabic literature. Among the know publications are New Values in Arabic Literature (1961), Contemporary Arab Women Poets (1963), and The Mother of the Prophet (1966).

SOMALIA

Uways al Barawi (1847–1909) This Qadiriyya Somali scholar is credited for having contributed to the pan-Islam revivalism in 19th century across East Africa. He was part of a network that included the Ottoman and Zanzibari Caliphate. Part of the shaykh’s legacy was the formation of the Uwaysiyya order which was not as rigorous as other orders. He compiled an anthology of poems titled Majumu’a Qasa’id fi Madh Sayyid Al-Anbiya (A Collection of Qasidas in Praise of the Master of the Prophets).

ETHIOPIA / ERITREA

Sittī ‘Alawiyya al-Mirgani (1892–1940)

An Ethiopian scholar and representative of a well-established transnational Hatmiyya Sufi order in the Red Sea region. She was one of the respected itinerant teachers in that region. Sylvia Bruzzi wrote an insightful text on Sitti, entitled Islam and Gender in Northeast Africa: Sitti ‘Alawiyya – Uncrowned Queen.

KENYA

Al Amin bin Ali Mazrui (1891–1947)

He was an East African scholar who produced several works on Islamic studies. He was a writer, an editor, a critic of Swahili and Arabic poetry, a theologian. He was also a social reformer as well as a journalist. This multi-faceted figure was the father of the famous Prof Ali Mazrui.

SOUTH AFRICA

Shaykh Ismail Ganief Edwards (1907–1958)

This Cape Town born Al-Azhar trained scholar may be described as a reformer. He produced several texts on Islam in Afrikaans, using Arabic script. One of his publications is Hidayat al-Talibin fi Fiqh al-Din.

NIGERIA / CHAD / CAMEROON

Nana Asma’u (1793–1865)

She was the daughter of Shehu Usman dan Fodio and sister of Muhammad Bello, the first and second ruler of the Sokoto Caliphate. Apart from making scholarly input and being an active educationist, she was a respected poet who composed Wakar Gewaye (The Song of Wandering) which captured her experiences.

Shehu Usman dan Fodio (1754–1817)

A Fulani scholar who was a religious teacher as well as a philosopher-cum-revolutionary. Besides having founded the Sokoto Caliphate and referred to as the Amir al Mu’minin in 1803, he wrote several manuscripts, including Tanbih al-Ikhwan ‘Ala Away al-Sudan (Concerning the Government of Our Country and Neighboring Countries in Sudan).

Sheikh Nasir Muhammad Umar Kabara (1924–1996)

A Nigerian scholar of Islam and philosopher who was also the founder and prominent leader of Darul Qadiriyya in Nigeria’s Kano State. He was former leader of the Qadiriyya order in West Africa. Shaykh Kabara wrote over 100 works of which Alfiyyah al-Sira and Azhar al-Hadiqa are biographies.

Shaykha Maimouna al-Kabir (1875–1959)

She was the daughter of Shaykh Ahmad Bamba and became a leading authority on Qur’an and Hadith. She wrote approximately twenty mushafs from memory and was a committed advocate for women’s education. Part of her legacy is the establishment of several schools for girls.

Al-Hajj Muhammad al-Amin ibn Muhammad al-Kanemi (1776–1837)

He was a notable scholar, teacher, religious, and political leader. He advised and eventually supplanted the Sayfawa Dynasty of the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

SENEGAL

Sokhna Magat Diop (1917–2003)

A Senegalese leader who headed the Mouride community, of which her father had been the leader. He appointed her head of one section in 1943, having no male heirs, and due to her abilities. A work produced by Christian Coulon and Odile Reveyrand titled L’Islam au féminin: Sokhna Magat Diop, cheikh de la Confrérie Mouride provides a record of her work in the Mouride community.

Ahmadu Bamba (1853–1927)

The Senegalese founder of the Muridiyya order who was trained in the Qadiriyya order. As a result of his anti-French revolts, he was exiled to Gabon and Mauritania. His written works include Jawharu-an-nafis (The Precious Jewel) and Mawahibul Quddus (The Gifts of the Holy Lord).

MAURITANIA

Muhammad Al-Amin Al-Shinqiti (1897–1972)

An accomplished shaykh who specialized in various fields of Islamic studies. He wrote several texts, including Alfiyyah wa Mantiq, Muthakkirah Usul al-Fiqh and Adwaa-ul-Bayaan fi Tafseer-al-Qur’an bil-Qur’an. The latter is the well-known commentary of the Shaykh.

MALI / NIGER

Tierno Bokar Saalif Tall (1875 – 1939)

A Malian Sufi sage and a spiritual master of the early twentieth century. Though trained in the Tijani order, he retreated to the Hamaliyya. He then became famous for his message of religious tolerance and universal love. He advocated for civil inter-religious dialogue and admonished religious bigotry and chauvinism of any kind.

Abubakar Gumi (1924–1992)

He was the vocal forerunner of the contemporary northern Nigerian Salafi movement, also known as the Izala movement. Gumi received the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in 1987 was awarded the King Faisal International Prize for his language translation of the Qur’an.

Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, (1960–2007)

Adam was a Nigerian Muslim scholar classified as a Salafist and a member of the Abuja-based religio-political organisation known as the Jama’at Izala wa al-Bis’a wa Iqamat as-Sunna. He taught several classical works and is renowned for his Hausa commentary, which is known across and even beyond Hausaland.

EGYPT

Muhammad Abduh (1849–1905)

He was the shaykh of al-Azhar and Egypt’s Grand Mufti. He is considered a leading figure in the Arab Nahda and is associated with what has been described as ‘Islamic Modernism’. He collaborated on various books, including Risalat al-Tawhid and Tafsir al-Manar with Rashid Rida (d. 1935 in Cairo).

Mahmud Shaltut (1893–1963)

Shaltut was a noteworthy religious scholar who brought about significant reform at al-Azhar University. He was associated with Abduh’s reform and was appointed the Grand Mufti of al-Azhar. He spearheaded the rapprochement between the respective Sunni and Shia schools of thought. He also authored Jihad al-Kital fi al-Islam (Strife in Medieval and Modern Islam).

Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926–2022)

Shaykh Qaradawi was influenced by Hassan al Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. As an Egyptian theologian and activist, he became a notable ‘global mufti.’ One of al-Qaradawi’s widely translated and circulated texts is Halal wa Haram (The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam). Over the final years of his life, he presented an Al Jazeera programme titled Ash-Sharia wa al-Hayat (Sharia and Life).

MOROCCO

Fatima bint Zwitin (19th century)

She was the daughter of Shaykh al-Badawi bin Ahmad, also known as Zwitin al-Fasi, the owner of the zawiya in Fez called Abu Buswiqa. It is known that Fatima had perfectly copied a part of Sahih al Bukhari which was being used in al-Qarawiyyin, founded by Fatima al-Fihri (d. 266 AH). The institution did not admit female students until recently. Fatima al-Kabbaj (b. 1932) was the first female student at al-Qarawiyyin.

Khadija bint Ahmad al-Hamidi (d. 1905)

She was the daughter of Ahmad ibn Azuz al-Hamidi. She taught both men and women how to recite the Qur’an and gave them ijazas. She died in Fez which was known for having many Dar al-Faqiha (House of Female Jurists). These schools were managed by women who were students of famous scholars with close associations with the learned circles at al-Qarawiyyin.

Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din bin Abdil-Qadir Al-Hilali (1893–1987)

Shaykh Al-Hilali co-translated the Qur’an into English with Muhammad Muhsin Khan, using commentary from At-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Sahih Bukhari to produce The Noble Qur’an. However, the translation received criticism from many critics who did not think highly of its style and linguistic aspects.

Abd al-Aziz bin Muhammad bin al-Siddiq al-Ghumari (1920–1997)

He was a Moroccan scholar who taught Sufi leader Muhammad Alawi Al-Maliki and preacher Hassan al-Kattani. He wrote Muj’am al Shuyukh and contributed to magazines such as Al Khadra and Al Islam.

ALGERIA

Abd al-Hamīd ibn Mustafa ibn Makki ibn Badis (1889–1940)

Ibn Badis was an Algerian educator, exegete, reformer, scholar, and culturalist. In addition to founding the Association of Algerian Muslim Ulama, he contributed to the Association’s journal al-Chihab which was modelled on Rashid Rida’s al-Manar.

Malek Bennabi (1905–1973)

Bennabi was an Algerian intellectual, anticolonial activist, and reformist. He focused on unravelling the causes of Muslim decline and the success of Western Civilisation. Among his works are Les Conditions de la Renaissance (1948) which defined culture ‘as the mode of being and becoming of a people’ and Bases of Civilisation which unpacked ‘the theory of social change.’

SUDAN

Hassan al-Turabi (1932–2016)

Shaykh Turabi was regarded as an influential figure and scholar who institutionalised Sharia. In addition to leading the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, he became the leader of the National Islamic Front which subsequently changed its name to the National Congress. Al-Turabi’s philosophical foundations are embedded in Sudanese, Muslim, and Western political thought, shaping an ideology for ‘the pursuit of power’ and his writings, rhetoric, sermons, and public pronouncements have often been described as theologically progressive and liberal.

WEST AFRICA: SENEGAL, MALI, GUINEA & MAURITANIA

Hadji Umar ibn Sa’id al-Futi Tal (1794–1864)

Hadji Tal was a West African Tijani Muslim scholar who declared jihad against the French colonialists and was renowned for his conquests in the Sahel, particularly in Bambara and Massina.

Khadija bint Muhammad al-Aqil al-Daymaniya (d. 1835/6)

Shaykha al-Daymaniya was an expert in the discipline of logic (mantiq) and was known to be someone who possessed more knowledge than the expert in any given field. She wrote commentaries on al-Sanusi’s ‘Aqida al Sughra and al-Akhdari’s text on logic. She was also the teacher of notable scholars such as Imam ‘Abd al-Qadir Kane (d. 1806).

Fatima bint Muhammad, also known as Tut bint al-Tah, (d. 1882)

She was the author of multiple texts, such as an explication of aqidah in verse, books on seerah and Qur’an, and works of poetry. She also wrote on various questions related to Sufism. She was a student of Sidiya al-Kabir (d. 1868), a Qadiri shaykh.

Khadija bint Muhammad Vall al-Samsadi al-Shinqiti (d. 1947)

Shaykha al-Shinqiti was a female scholar and a Sufi figure belonging to the Tijaniyya order. She was nicknamed al-Qariʿa al-Shinqitiyya (the highly persuasive woman from Shinqiṭ) because she would confidently engage in and win scholarly arguments with her male counterparts. She migrated to Madinah in the 1930s where she became well-known for utilising the Qur’an and hadith to champion the role of women in the production of authoritative Islamic knowledge.

SENEGAL

Mame Diarra Busso (1833–1866)

She was the mother of Ahmad Bamba and the daughter of Mame Asta (Aisha) Waalo, a distinguished scholar of Maliki fiqh. Mame Diarra was among the sought-after teachers in her mother’s madrasa and many students memorized the Qur’an under her tutelage. She had also mastered Mukhtasar Khalil, an advanced book of Maliki fiqh. Ahmad Bamba was raised and taught by these women. In turn, he ensured that his own daughters received excellent education, many of whom became scholars.

Ibrahim Niasse (1900–1975)

Shaykh Niasse was a major Senegalese leader of the Tijani Sufi order of Islam in West Africa and served as the vice president of the Muslim World League. The shaykh wrote his magnum opus, Kashif al-Ilbas (Removal of Confusion), which focused on clarifying the doctrines of the Tijaniyya tariqa and establishing his own authority as the spiritual heir of Ahmad al-Tijani.

Shaykha Fatima Zahra Niasse (1924-2020)

Shaykha Niasse was the eldest daughter of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse. Her sisters Ruqayya, Maryam, and Sayda are also scholars. After memorising the Qur’an, Fatima studied the Islamic sciences under various shuyukh and then transferred her knowledge to others. Like Ahmad Bamba, Ibrahim Niasse was also raised by pious women. He was married to Asta Daoud Niasse, who was a known scholar, and they focused on the Islamic training of their children, including their daughters. Fatima’s children, likewise, are scholars too.

Hassan Cisse (1945–2008)

Shaykh Cisse was the son of Shaykha Fatima Zahra Niasse, was a prominent spokesman of Tijani Sufism. He authored several works, including Sincere Advice (New York: MIJ Publishing, 2000), Spirit of Good Morals of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, Translation and Commentary (Detroit: African American Islamic Institute, 1998), and Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse: Revivalist of the Sunnah. (New York: Tariqa Tijaniyya, 1984). His father, Sidi Ali Cisse (d. 1981), was also a scholar. The Cisse lineage is among the oldest scholarly circles in West Africa.

GHANA

Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu (b.1919)

Imam Sharubutu served as the National Chief Imam of Ghana, was a member of the National Peace Council, and was the Founder of The SONSET Fund and IPASEC. He dedicated himself to addressing religious, social, and educational issues, and played a key role in promoting the well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Umar Ibn Abi Bakr Karki (d. 1934)

Allamah Umar was the architect of Islamic education in Ghana. He lived in Kano and Salaga, known today as the Savana Region of Ghana, before he moved to Kete Krachi in the western part of the Oti Region of Ghana, adjacent to Lake Volta, where he died. He was an expert in the Qur’anic sciences and Islamic law along with philosophy, geography, and Arabic poetry. He also taught and was loved by his students. As such, he was well-known in Ghana as well as among scholars in West Africa.

Abdullah Dantano (d. 1955)

Allamah Abdullah was a scholar of considerable repute in Kumasi, the Ashanti region of Ghana. He received his ijazah from Allamah Umar Karki. He also taught most of the ‘ulama in Ghana. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu (b.1919) is among his students and currently serves as the National Chief Imam of Ghana, was a member of the National Peace Council, and was the Founder of The SONSET Fund and IPASEC. Imam Sharubutu has dedicated himself to addressing religious, social, and educational issues, and played a key role in promoting the well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Ahmad Nurudeen ibn Musah ibn Abi Bakri As-Sisay (d. 1993)

Allamah Nurudeen was among the students of Allamah Abdullah Dantano. He established Nuriya School in 1957 and taught many Muslim students who eventually became pioneers and frontliners of promoting Islamic education and schools in Ghana. One of his prominent students is Sheikh Ibrahim Basha Idriss (born 1928) who played an integral role in the establishment of Ghana’s Islamic Education Unit in 1987.

We acknowledge Dr Muhammad Ahmad for the biographies of the scholars from Ghana.

SOMALIA

Mana Sitti Habib Jamaladdin (1810-1919)

This shaykha was known as Dada Masiti, or the ‘grandmother Masiti.’ This Brava-born poet and scholar hailed from an ashraf family (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). She devoted much of her life to studying the Qur’an and her poems contributed to reviving the Qadiriyya Sufi order that formed part of Muslim reform during the colonial period.

Abd Al-Rahman bin Abdullah al Shashi(1829–1904)

This shaykh was popularly referred to as Shaykh Sufi who was a Benadiri scholar, poet, and an astrologer. He founded the Qadiriyya order of whom Uways Al Barawi (d.1909) was a disciple. He authored, among others, Shajarat al Yaqin (The Tree of Certitude). As a result of his input, his mausoleum became a site of pilgrimage for the East Africans.

Mohammed Abdulle Hassan (1856–1920)

He was a religio-political and military leader who led the Somali Dervish movement against colonial forces, namely the British and the Italians. He is considered to be the father of the Somalis and the catalyst for Somali nationalism.

KENYA

Abdilahi Nassir (1932–2022)

Nassir was active in Kenyan politics and fought for its independence. He was also a committed preacher. Besides his political career, he produced Swahili translations of many parts of the Qur’an. He, for example, wrote Tafsir ye Juzuu ya ‘Amma and produced A Concise Dictionary of English-Swahili Idioms. He was awarded the Abbasi medal for his communal contributions.

SOUTH AFRICA

Ahmad Deedat (1918–2005)

Shaykh Deedat was an Indian-born, naturalised South African missionary who was self-taught in the field of ‘Comparative Religion’ and known for his oratory skills. He engaged in inter-religious debates, primarily with Christian evangelists. Alongside his close friend Goolam H Vanker, he established the Islamic Propagation Centre, which later evolved into the Islamic Propagation Centre International. Deedat authored several booklets, including Is the Bible the Word of God?, Christ in Islam, and Al-Qur’an: The Miracles of Miracles. In 1986, he was awarded the King Faisal Award for his service to Islam as a missionary.

Abdulqadir As-Sufi (1930–2021)

This Scottish-born shaykh was associated with several Sufi orders, ultimately joining the Darqawi-Shadhili-Qadiri tariqa. He was the founding father of the Murabitun World Movement and settled in South Africa in the 1990s. Emphasising the importance of adhering to the Maliki school of jurisprudence, he authored works such as The Way of Muhammad (1975), Letter to an African Muslim (1981) Root Islamic Education (1993).

COMOROS

Sayyid Muhammad Ma’arouf bin Shaykh Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr (1853–1905).

Sayyid ibn Abu Bakr is the founding father of the Shadhiliyya-Yashrutiyya order that extended its influential tentacles throughout East Africa. The shaykh was also a member of the ruling class as well as a sharif (that is, a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).

Habib Umar ibn Al-Sumayt (1886–1976).

Shaykh Al-Sumayt was taught by notable scholars such as Ahmad bin Hassan Al Attas. After ibn Al-Sumayt’s studies in Hadramawt and Zanzibar, he returned to the Comoros. Besides being a master of the Ba ‘Alawi methods, he was also associated with the Shadhiliyya and Qadiriyya orders. From 1936 onwards, he served as a judge and then as Chief Judge. Amidst reorganizing the waqf system, he also taught in the masjid and prescribed Fath al-Mu’in (Opening for the one who needs assistance).

A note on African Muslim women scholars

There are many Muslim women scholars of whom very little is known. These include Ruqayya al-Aduzi (19th century) of Morocco; Aysh bint Lazuruq, the wife of Mukhtar al-Kunti (d. 1811) from Mali, and Maryam bint Hayna al-Jakaniya (b. 1918) who was known as a mufti. Women scholars and muqaddamas (spiritual guides) from West Africa have included Maryam Nafisa bint Ahmad Mahmud (d. 1954), Fatimatu bint al-Sarri Muhammadi (d. 1958), Safiya bint al-Bah (d. 1974), Hajiya Saudatu (d. 1976), Hajiya Iya (d. 1986), and Aminatu bint Abdallahi (d. 1997).

Our hope is that this project will stimulate further research and a focus on African Muslim women scholarship. Such efforts will bring to light more data on these esteemed women who were students, teachers and producers of Islamic knowledge.

This project was inspired by the academic paper ‘Muslim Intellectual History: A Survey’ by Saulat Pervez, published by The American Journal of Islam and Society (AJIS), vol. 39, no. 3-4, 2022, copyrighted by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT).

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Lead contributor

Saulat Pervez is a writer, researcher, and educator. She has worked at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in various capacities since 2015. Her original article which was the inspiration for the infographic and additional list of scholars may be accessed here along with the map and visual timeline.

Along with studying the Islamic tradition and scholarship, her research interest is in the field of education in the Global South. She is examining obstacles to the formation of reading, writing, and thinking cultures in postcolonial educational systems due to social class and language disparities. She can be reached at saulat@iiit.org/spqalam@ymail.com.

Academic editor

Dr Muhammed Haron is the CEO and a senior researcher of the Cape Town-based Al-Jama-ah  Political Party and the International Peace College of South Africa’s Director of International Relations, and he is also an Associate Researcher at the University of Stellenbosch. Besides being the Editor-in-Chief of Duke University’s Research Africa Reviews, he also serves as the Africa Consortium of Law and Religion Studies’ board member. He is the co-editor of IRCICA-AwqafSA-UWC Congress Proceedings Islamic Civilization in Southern Africa (Istanbul 2024). He was previously the University of Botswana’s professor of Religious Studies and taught at the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town respectively.

This post was originally published on November 7, 2023 and updated continuously to include additional scholars.