MANSA MUSA & 8000KG GOLD IN HAJ
BY ABU TARIQ HIJAZI
Musa Mansa (1312-1337AC) was a black Muslim who ruled the kingdom of Mali the West Africa. Musa was his name and Mansa meant King of the Kings. He was also known as Ameer Mali and Lord of Mines. His Empire expanded from present day Mali to the Pacific coast including part of Senegal and Ghana. His grand father embraced Islam and was named Abubakr. He ruled the kingdom for complete 25 years from 711-734 AH (1312 to 1337). This period is known as the golden age of Mali Empire. In 724 AH (1324) he performed the monumental Haj which has no parallel in Islamic history. He was devout Muslim and his pilgrimage to Makkah Mukarrama as ordained by Islam made him well known across northern Africa and the Middle East. He believed, Islam to be the real religion of humanity and that Islam was the foundation for the Muslims victory in the world. He took bold steps to promote Islam in his empire.
He started on the long journey of Haj crossing the whole Africa from western boundaries to Egypt and then to Hijaz. It took him complete one year to reach Makkah Mukarramah and back. His Haj entourage included 60,000 men 12000 servicemen dressed in silks 500 of them who bore gold staffs, organized horses and handled bags. His senior wife named Inari Kunte accompanied him with her 500 maids in standing. Musa provided all necessities for the procession, feeding the entire company of men and animals. It is said that he built a mosque every Friday on his visit where ever he camped.
Also in the train were 80 camels, which (varying reports claim) carried between 50 and 300 pounds of gold dust each. If calculated at an average of 200 pounds on each camel. He carried 8000 kg gold for distribution in Haj. It would Cost over SR 320,000,000.in today’s price. He distributed major part of this gold at Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munawwarah.
He travelled along the Niger River to Mema, then to Walata then through Taghaza and Tuat. He reached Egypt and met Mamluk Sultan Al Naser Mohammed in July 1324. First he landed near the Pyramids for three days and then three months in Cairo. He sent a gift of 50,000 Dinars to the Sultan who accommodated him in his summer palace and provided full facilities for his entourage. Mansa distributed thousands of gold ingots in Egypt in Sadaqa & trade.
King Musa entered Madina Munawwarah, visited Masjid Nabavi and paid homage to Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). He distributed huge amount of gold in sadaqa to the residents of the city. Then he marched to Makkah Mukarramah and performed Haj in 724 AH (Nov. 1324). He stayed in Makkah Mukarramah with his entourage of about 72,000 pilgrims for a good time and distributed enormous gold in sadaqa.
He returned to Mali via Egypt and carried with him number of Arab scholars, preachers, professors of sciences and architect to decorate his kingdom. He built a grand Jama Masjid and an Islamic University at Timbuktu where various sciences were taught. In architecture, Abu Is-haq Ibrahim al Saheli , one of these architects, introduced new ideas of mud construction technique which established a building-tradition for centuries and brought the trading cities to international acclaim. Mansa Musa constructed the Grand Djing-rehbar Mosque of Timbuktu that stands to this day. He also built a royal palace, library and Mosques at Jenne and Gao that remained important for about four centuries.
His Haj journey to Makkah Mukarrama from such a distant place was a clear illustration of his devotion to Islam. He established Islam as the state religion, the first instance in the Western Africa. Under his reign of twenty five years not only Timbuktu rose to become an important landmark on the Trans Sahara trade route but also as the center of Islamic scholarship for North Africa. Muslims from distant land of Middle East came to receive higher education at Sankore University at Timbuktu built by him. Famous historians like Ibn Khaldun, the famous traveler Ibn Battuta and Al Umari wrote about him in details. He invited the Muslim scholars from around the Muslim world to his empire. He also brought back with him four descendants of the Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.) so that the country of Mali may be blessed by their footprints.
Timbuktu soon became a center of trade, culture, and Islam. The trade brought in merchants from Nigeria, Egypt, and other African kingdoms. The universities were founded in Timbuktu as well as in the Malian cities of Djenne and Segou. Through his efforts Islam was spreading through the trade and education marking the kingdom a new area of Islamic scholarship.
The University of Sankoré in Timbuktu was re-staffed under Musa's reign, with Islamic scholars, jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians. It became a center of learning and culture, drawing Muslim scholars and students from around Africa and the Middle East.
Mansa Musa was very fortunate with great blessings from Almighty Allah Who deposited huge amount of gold and salt in his dry desert. With great discoveries and extraction of gold, he was known as the Lord of Mines. It is reported that his gold was the source of HALF of the worlds supply. This is the only time recorded in history that one man directly controlled the price of gold in the Mediterranean. Even today the total reserves of gold mines of Mali are estimated as 13 million tons. In 2003 an amount of 217,000 ounces of gold was extracted from Yatela mine alone. This great wealth of gold also provided in the past, the initial material for the exploration and conquest of Americas.
After turning the desert kingdom of Mali into a rich and flourishing empire with in twenty five years Mansa Musa expired in 734 AH (1337AC) and was succeeded by his son Maghan I.
The Islamic world took the notice of this development. The learning centers in Mali attracted the Muslims from the world over including great scholar poets and artists from Africa and the Middle East. Though the empire was disintegrated within the next 200 years but his landmarks of the Grand Mosque of Djingrehbar and the University of Timbuktu stands to this day.
Mansa Musa is recorded as the biggest Muslim Philanthropist of Islamic history. Even in our times rich persons spend big wealth in Haj in luxury hotels for their comfort. It is reported that this year (1432 AH) highest booking for five days of Haj has reached SR.60,000 per person. But this is for their own comfort and show. Haj should be performed with deep devotion, simplicity and austerity. The best example of austerity has been set by Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) who performed Haj with simple accessories not costing even few hundred dirhams. More over Holy Prophet (s.aw.) warned us 1400 years ago that:
“A time will come on my followers when the rich persons would perform Haj for recreation and sightseeing, their middle class for trading. Their Qarees (the learned and recitors of Holy Quran) for nothing but to earn their reputation and to show themselves off. And the poor people would go out to Haj only for begging in the large Haj gathering. (Narrated by Anas bin Malik).We should try to avoid such practices and spend money in the Cause of Allah more as was done by Al Haj Mansa Musa 700 years ago.
