... play an important role in the lives of West Africans. However, Islam was not the religion of the majority. Many Muslim rulers governed over a large non-Muslim population. Polytheistic kings often ruled Muslim subjects. Islam was the religion of traders and rulers, but quickly it became the religion of the masses. Islam in Africa as in all other places that follow the religion had a variety of followers, the devout, the sincere, the casual believer, the fundamentalist, and the mystics. In the 15th century, Muslims in West African became largely associated with the Sufi order. The word Sufi comes from the Arabic word 'suf' which means 'wool' and refers to the coarse woolen robes that were worn by the Prophet Muhammad and by his close companions. The goal of a Sufi is none other than God Himself. Sufi's emphasize rituals and devotional practices such as the recitation of the Korean, incantations ...

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