Beyond Bilal: Black History In Islam

by Mustafa Briggs

After a widely successful tour across the globe, Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam finds its way to your bookshelf. Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam is the breakthrough and pioneering lecture by writer, lecturer, and educator Mustafa Briggs. Beyond Bilal explores and uncovers the deep rooted relationship between Islam and Black History, from Black Prophets and prominent figures in the Qur’an, to the unknown black Sahaba and scholars of the early generations, the history of Islam in Africa, and the legacy of contemporary African Islamic scholarship and its role in the International Relations of the Muslim World. This book also contains Mustafa Briggs' other two lectures, Before Malcolm X: History of Islam in the Americas, and Daughters of Fatima: Female Scholarship in the Islamic Tradition. From Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard to Yale, and now to you in book format for the very first time.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, History, Religion

216 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2022

Reviews

[Taslima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Bilal
Mustafa Briggs


Beyond Bilal is remarkable attempt to reclaim the forgotten black narrative in Islam by taking the reader on an insightful journey to explore the history. The book highlights the contribution of prominent black figures from the Quran, the Prophets, companions of the Prophet Muhammed, West Africa, and the Americas. As the title suggests, far too long has the discussion of the black companions of the Prophet Muhammed revolved around Bilal, and other prominent figures such as Umm Ayman and Zaid ibn Harithah are rarely mentioned.

The book is well written, referenced and an easy read. The chapter on Islam in West Africa provides an educational insight into the history of the African Kingdoms such as Ghana, Takrur and Mali. I found the
legacy of Mansa Musa fascinating, such as his contribution to establishing the Sankore University – once the largest University in the world and housing the biggest library in Africa. Quite different from the often-peddled Eurocentric view of Africa. It was also a delight to learn about the African Islamic tradition of female scholarship, in particular, Nana Asma’u, who guided an entire community and played a significant role in the Islamic revolution in the area.

The book also addresses the complex history of The Americas from the struggles of slaves hauled from West Africa (including scholars, Imams and Princes) to the 19th Century ‘revival’ with key organisations such as the Nation of Islam.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone interested in how black history played an integral role in the development of Islam.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/ 5

A much-needed book of an under-studied area - Black history in Islam.

Lots of material that many will not know before reading this book, some of which many will find surprising (especially that related to the Prophets of Allah, the Companions RA, and the very nature of the people who were enslaved and transported to work on plantations in the Americas).

(If this is the first time you come across this material, you'll find it fascinating, but having done the live courses with Mustafa Briggs, reading the book at times felt like looking at the lecture notes...sorry!)

All in all, a fantastic contribution to this area of study.

May it be the first of many more books from Mustafa!

[Miroku Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to see more books like this that help Muslims to understand how African and Black folk have always been part of Islam (even the Prophet Adam, 'alayhi salam, was Black) are being written and published. This is an excellent book, concise in 200 pages and comprehensive in that it covers from Adam to the contemporary USA as far as Black Muslim history, and I really wish it was in all of our Islamic centers, libraries, and communities along with works like those of Habeeb Akende, Shaikh Adeyinka Mendes, Imam Dawud Walid, Dr. Bilal Ware, Dr. Diouf, Shaikh Muhammad Shareef, and so many others.

[Sofiya]

Point I particularly liked: “these powerful individuals were not foreign anomalies that ‘contributed’ to Islam, but were rather central and foundational icons of its many epochs, as the global history of Islam, as we should now know it, is a story that cannot and did not exist without these Black prophets, sahaba, scholars, warriors and saints.”

I won’t actually rate the book in terms of stars; I think it would be unfair seeing as this book started off as lectures and got turned into a book with no budget–it was all volunteer work. So yes, the editing could be better, it was a bit choppy, and it flowed like a lecture so was a bit of a slower read despite the short length.

But ultimately it brought insight into a topic that is usually neglected. I didn’t even know some of the companions or prophets mentioned were Black; so a testament to my ignorance as well 😅.
Will I remember all these names and contributions? Likely not. But I came out of the book knowing there was is much, much more beyond Bilal and Malcolm X as the faces of Black Muslims, and their stories should be recognized as well.

[Maryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really disturbing how I was never taught this history until I read this book.
Well, I know now! Required reading 100%, especially if you're Muslim.

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

last book of 2024
I'm so glad i finally got around to reading this!! i recently joined a new local book club and this is our first book. i was worried that i wouldn't be able to catch up with everyone else and finish by the next meeting, but the book is really short (a little over 200), yet there is so much information about how Islam and Black history. i think that everyone should read this to not only challenge misconceptions of Black Muslims but also to understand the history of Black Muslims and their relationship with Islam.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beyond Briggs: what Mustafa doesn’t show you – omissions of and conflicts with Muslim holy books

This is a very racial book. Mustafa Briggs seems predispositioned to looking at everyone in terms of race/skin color, but he doesn’t explain why race/skin color should be used (why not eye color or hair color? or, the inside color – everyone is the same – red). Or, why does it have to be color at all? That would be an interesting read if he used height instead of skin – tall people did this to short people; or, right-handed people did this to left-handed people. I find it sad that fellow humans will visually segregate humans based on what nature made them look like; aren’t we all just humans? He maintains racism is in “the wider Muslim community” on page 76, and “Anti-blackness is a global phenomenon, and people with darker skin tones face discrimination in nearly every culture and society – even within communities that are themselves identified as Black” (page 3). He agrees the Qur’an has a message of “respect for all, regardless of origin or complexion” (page 25), but then he proceeds to point out everyone’s complexion. He seems to insist on imposing race onto everyone: “It is therefore fitting to mention these distinguished Black figures who left such an indelible mark on Arab culture and history” (page 28); “Makhul was known for his deep black skin colour” (page 91) – this is also a logic error, black is not a color. So, the solution to racism is to use more race. A curious example of that is on page 97 about a 9th century book that Briggs highlights: “.. (The Superiority of the Blacks to the Whites) is another notable work by Al-Jahiz, where he makes an impassioned argument for the intellectual, moral, and physical superiority of blacks over whites.” It sounds like a forerunner to eugenics. Strangely, Briggs does not call it out as racism, but seems to excuse it: “Al-Jahiz wrote this text within a societal context in which anti-black discourse and colourism were unfortunately prevalent … His arguments challenge these negative stereotypes and prejudices” (page 97). Why not disregard race and just use the content of one’s character? Wouldn’t that be better and end racism?

Mustafa’s book also omits a lot where his point would conflict with the sacred texts of Islam, or the texts are silenced on a subject and achievements of Muslims are upheld instead; yet further, the texts may be bypassed if it conflicts with projecting a preferred race onto others. For examples, he points out on page 9 conflicting Hadith records where Jesus is described as black and white. He favors Jesus as black (page 24) and specifically holds up a report from Umar in Bukhari’s collection of Hadith that says Jesus was black with straight hair (no reference number given, but it appears to be no. 3441). But, that appears to be just one such report; more reports have Jesus as “whitish red complexion” or “whitish brown” for the same event ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, no. 6999, 7026, 7128; Vol. 7, no. 5902). This report was for a dream, as well, and unknown if meant to be a literal description. On page 75, he maintains the term white refers to spotless or “free from blemish. When they mean a white complexion, they say red ..” Umar also has a report for another dream that Jesus “was of red complexion, curly hair” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 3438); a different narrator has Jesus with a “moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colour” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 3439). Briggs also does not tell you that the incorrect term for Jesus is used throughout the Qur’an and Hadith – both use the Arabic word Isa (or Eissa) for Jesus, but Isa means Esau (Yesua means Jesus in Arabic).

He maintains Muhammad was black on page 73, and appears to be quoting past commentators and unnumbered Hadith for support: “.. a hadith .. describes him as ‘very black skinned’ .. ‘His beard was white as if it was cotton and he was a Black-skinned man’ ..” But, he does not mention which Hadith collections those are from; it is unknown if they are reliable (sahih). And, Briggs does not mention the several times the Hadith says Muhammad was white, and it sounds like more than just meaning spotless. The canonical Hadith mentions (grade: sahih): “.. describing the Prophet saying, ‘He .. had a rosy complexion, neither absolutely white nor deep brown ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 3547; published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1997; may be numbered differently with other publishers); “.. the Messenger of Allah was moving dirt with us. The dirt had covered the whiteness of his stomach ..” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 5, no. 4670); “The Prophet raised his hands (in invocation) till I saw the whiteness of his armpits” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, no. 6341); “The Prophet got up from his sleep with a flushed red face ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, no. 7059); “While we were sitting with the Prophet in the mosque, a man came .. and then said: ‘Who amongst you is Muhammad?’ .. We replied, ‘This white man reclining on his arm’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, no. 63); “I heard Abu Juhaifa saying, ‘I saw the Prophet ..’ I said to Abu Juhaifa, ‘Describe him for me.’ He said, ‘He was white and his beard was black with some white hair” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 3544); (translator’s notes in parentheses-) “And a white (person – i.e. the Prophet) who is requested to invoke Allah for rain ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, no. 1008); “I saw the Messenger of Allah with a white complexion and some white hairs” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 6, no. 6081); “I said to him: ‘Did you see the Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Yes, he was white with an elegant face’ ” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 6, no. 6071).

He points out Islamic nations were involved in the slave trade on pages 78-83, 131-4, 142, 144, 152, 154: “.. enslaved individuals who were brought from the East African coast and sold across various parts of the Islamic world ..” (page 78); “During the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate, African slaves were sourced from various regions through a combination of military conquests, trade networks, and indigenous African kingdoms involved in the trans-Saharan slave trade” (pages 78-9). It’s strange that he does not mention this in his following book in 2025 (Islam and the Making of the Modern World) – there he only mentions and criticizes the Western imperialism use of slavery (pages 54, 60); the Muslim slave masters do not get mentioned and criticized. However, in this book he does call out and criticize Muslim slave masters. He writes on pages 133-4, “It is essential that we acknowledge the historical crimes committed by all groups involved in the slave trade … It is time that we confront the uncomfortable truths of our shared past and work towards a more correct and inclusive portrayal of the historical events that shaped our world.” But, I wonder if he meant to include Muhammad in that, as well. Mustafa does not mention that Muhammad owned slaves in the Islamic holy books. Did Muhammad commit a historical crime, too?

One frequently finds in the Islamic holy books the practice of slavery was maintained. Manumission (not abolition) is also encouraged, but that didn’t stop Muhammad from owning slaves, which suggests the use of slavery is still an option – Muhammad did it, follow his example. The canonical Hadith (grade: sahih) states Muhammad owned slaves: “Allah’s Messenger had a slave called Mid’am ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, no. 4234); “.. Anjasha, the slave of the Prophet ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, no. 6202); “.. a beautiful slave woman, and the Messenger of Allah bought her for seven slaves ..” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, no. 3500); “The Prophet got this statement written for me: ‘This is what Muhammad, Allah’s Messenger bought from Adda bin Khalid as a Muslim sells to another Muslim and that it (i.e., the bought slave) is neither sick, nor bad-behaved nor stolen’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. pre-2079; translator’s notes in parentheses). Muhammad mentions: “Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2545). “Any slave who runs away from his masters is guilty of Kufr [disbelief], until he goes back to them … By Allah, it was narrated from the Prophet ..” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, no. 228); “.. the Prophet said: ‘If a slave runs away, no Salat [prayer] will be accepted from him” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, no. 230; published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2007; may be numbered differently with other publishers).

The canonical Hadith (grade: sahih) indicates Muhammad welcomed the use of slaves (Briggs also relies on the Hadith several times in the book; pages 1, 2, 8-9, etc): “Allah’s Messenger sent someone to a woman telling her to ‘Order her slave, carpenter, to prepare a wooden pulpit for him to sit on’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, no. 448-9; Sahih Muslim 2:1216); “I went along with the Prophet to the house of his slave tailor” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, no. 5420); “.. the slave of the Messenger of Allah went to unpack the luggage ..” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, no. 310); “.. the payment of debts has precedence over giving in charity or setting a slave free ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, no. pre-1426). Here, Muhammad took a freed slave and sold him back into slavery – “A man manumitted a slave and he had no other property than that, so the Prophet cancelled the manumission (and sold the slave for him). Nu’aim .. bought the slave from him” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2415). “The Prophet said, ‘None of you should flog his wife as he flogs a slave ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, no. 5204); “Allah’s Messenger was asked about an unmarried slave-girl who committed illegal sexual intercourse. They heard him saying, ‘Flog her, and if she commits [it] .. again after that, flog her again, and on the third .. she should be sold, even for a hair rope” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2232-4; publisher’s footnote reads – “A slave-girl .. is punished with 50 lashes ..”). Instead of freeing the slaves, the Qur’an at 24:33 says freedom can be earned from a Muslim slave master if the slave is ethically good enough.

Among the strangest omissions by Briggs is not only his silence that Muhammad owned slaves, but further that Muhammad owned black slaves in the holy books. Wouldn’t you want to know that in a book about black history in Islam? The canonical Hadith (grade: sahih) mentions: “I went to the upper room where the Prophet was and requested to a black slave of his ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2468; Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, no. 3695); “.. a black slave of Allah’s Messenger was (sitting) at the first ladder-step” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, no. 4913; Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, no. 3692); “Allah’s Messenger was on a journey and he had a black slave called Anjasha, and he was driving the camels ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, no. 6161; Sahih Muslim, Vol. 6, no. 6036); “The Prophet said: ‘Sell him to me,’ and he bought him for two black slaves” ( - Sahih Muslim 4:4113); (translator’s notes in parentheses-) “.. an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, no. 7142; Sahih Muslim 3:3138); “Aishah added: It was the day of Eid and negroes were playing with leather shields and spears” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 2907). A black woman – a sign of disease: “The Prophet said, ‘I saw (in a dream) a black woman with unkempt hair going out of Al-Madina and settling at Mahaya’a, i.e., Al-Juhfa. I interpreted that as a symbol of epidemic of Al-Madina being transferred to that place (Al-Juhfa)” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, no. 7038; Sahih Muslim 3:3342). A black man – a sign of evil: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘.. They recite the Qur’an but it does not go any further than their collarbones .. Their sign will be a black man, one of whose upper arms will be .. like a piece of quivering flesh .. and they are the most hated of Allah’s creation to Him .. a man narrated to me from Ibn Husain that he said: ‘I saw that black man’ ” ( - Sahih Muslim, Vol. 3, no. 2456, 2468). “The Prophet said, ‘.. a black person .. from Ethiopia will demolish the Ka’bah’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, no. 1596).

He mentions the achievements of women in a short section mainly on pages 195-210 involving areas such as business, knowledge of Islam, founding schools, artisans, but I found no scientific achievements as he lists for the men (page 99). A similar case is in his following book in 2025, Islam and the Making of the Modern World, where he lists only two women (see my 1-star review). And, in normal fashion, he does not point out what the Islamic holy books have to say about this. Rather strangely, on page 208 he mentions modern “Islamic feminists” with no mention of whether the holy books would approve such. On page 141, Briggs highlights a woman that won political office in Pakistan in 2018. National leaders are also mentioned: “.. Razia Sultan .. the first and only female monarch of the Delhi Sultanate in India .. from 1236 AD to 1240 … once powerful queen” (pages 147, 149); and in 16th century Nigeria, “Aissa Koli, who served as Queen Regent … Queen Aissa ruled for seven years, which was the stipulated term for all rulers .. a monarch ..” (page 186). But, would this be in harmony with the holy books of Islam? Briggs does not say; he silences the holy books here. Actually, the Qur’an and canonical Hadith (grade: sahih) have: “Allah’s Messenger .. said, ‘Such people as ruled by a lady will never be successful’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, no. 4425 published by Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1997; may be numbered differently with other publishers); “.. the Prophet .. said, ‘Never will succeed such a nation as makes a woman their ruler’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, no. 7099); “The Prophet said, ‘Many men reached perfection but none among the women reached perfection except Maryam (Mary), the daughter of Imran, and Asia, Pharoah’s wife’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, no. 5418); “.. the Prophet .. said: ‘No lady should travel on a journey of two days except with her husband or a Dhi-Mahram [male relative]’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 1995; cf. Qur’an 33:33); “The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2658; cf. Qur’an 2:282); “The Prophet then said .. ‘I saw the (Hell) Fire, and I have never seen such a horrible sight as that before, and I saw that the majority of its dwellers were women’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, no. 5197; Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, no. 2048); “The Prophet said, ‘After me I have not left any Fitnah (trial and affliction) more harmful to men than women’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, no. 5096; cf. Qur’an 64:14); “Narrated Aishah: The things which annul As-Salat (the prayers) were mentioned before me. They said, ‘Prayer is annuled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)’ ” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, no. 511).

One may wonder how well Briggs understands Islam or adheres to it. You may have noticed, as I did, a problem with the cover design of the book. The front cover has an illustration of multiple humans. But, pictures of humans and animals are prohibited in Islam. His following 2025 book, Islam and the Making of the Modern World, also has two people and a camel on the front cover. Oddly, this image prohibition does not get mentioned in the books. The canonical Hadith states (grade: sahih): “Allah’s Messenger .. said, ‘.. whoever makes a picture will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and will be asked to give life to what he has created’ ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, no. 3224); “Narrated Aishah .. ‘I bought a cushion with pictures on it .. for you to sit and recline on.’ Allah’s Messenger said, ‘The painters (i.e., owners) of these pictures will be punished on the Day ..” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, no. 2105); “Narrated Aishah .. The Prophet entered .. while there was a curtain having pictures in the house. His face became red with anger, and then he got hold of the curtain and tore it into pieces” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, no. 6109); “.. Allah’s Messenger said, ‘Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.’ He meant the images of creatures that have souls” ( - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, no. 4002). Strangely, Muslims in general will make pictures of humans or animals with their camera phones, on YouTube videos, or social media.

Briggs makes historical statements about early Islam that are easy to overlook: “.. the rise of Islam in the 7th century AD ..” (page 141). But, is that an accurate statement? When does “the time of Prophet Muhammad” (page 112) begin? It’s interesting that Briggs mentions coins with later Muslim nations – “even minting their own coins” (page 82) for a 9th century rebellion, and “The establishment of this sultanate can be traced back to the 10th century AD, a fact illuminated by ancient Mogadishan coins from that era” (page 124). But, what about coins minted by the early Muslim state? What does it say about Islam? Nevo notes that, “In ca. 77-79 [A.H.] / [AD] 696-99 ’Abd al-Malik reformed the coinage of the Arab state, abolishing the Byzantine traces from the designs of coins. The point of his reform is usually taken to be religious: to replace the coins’ iconography, forbidden by Islam, with religious formulae [words only]. But in fact the post-Reform coinage is not totally nonfigurative: the designs on the copper/bronze issues include depictions of birds, small animals (e.g., the hare), and what seems to be vessels strangely resembling those depicted on ancient Jewish coins .. (e.g., the menorah)” ( - Crossroads to Islam, 2003, page 163; co-author Yehuda Nevo, Middle Eastern archaeologist, Director of Field Research of the Negev Archaeological Project).

This is a shortened review due to space limit.

[Anjaleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say the least, this was a fascinating read, and I learned SO much…

Through an exploration of early Islamic and prophetic figureswho may have been black, the history of Islam in West Africa and its links with America, the development of Islam in America and an insight into African women who have contributed to Islam, Briggs writes compelling chapters, jam-packed with so many facts and (to me) new revelations about ‘black history in Islam’.

A couple of points of interest include the hypothesis Briggs presents that suggests West African Muslims may have reached America before the Europeans did, and how the slave-trade and colonialism sought to erase Islam and deny West African Muslims their religion and identity.

I also appreciated the mention of the geneology of some members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the Prophet’s family, Briggs contending that some of the Shi’i Imams were indeed black/dark-skinned. I also enjoyed reading about Sayida Zaineb and the role she played in propagating Islam through her settlement in Cairo.

All in all, this was a fantastic book that I learned so much from and could not put down, and I am looking forward to reading more of Briggs’ works in the future. Black history in Islam is something every Muslim should be educated about. The role of Black Muslims in the crystallisation of our faith and religion was one that was so integral, the least we can do is educate ourselves and acknowledge the intertwining of Islam at its core and black history.

[Rabiah TD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Bilal is a beautiful exploration of the black history in Islam. The book takes you on a beautiful journey, starting from black history with in the Quran, followed by the importance of black Sahabas and Sahabiyat in the early years of Islam, leading on to the spread of Islam in West Africa and how this in turn leads to the many people enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade to be Muslims.

I found every single chapter of this book to be super powerful and informative. I gained so much knowledge and learned so many new facts, that I was completely unaware of before. Some of my favourite facts learned include:

- the etymology of the word Adam and the virtue of the first human being created by Allah being named Adam.
- The relationship shared between the Prophet PBUH and King Najashi.
- Learning that many of the race related matters that plague the Muslim community today, we’re also present during the time of the Prophet PBUH and he actively choose to address these matters.
- The plethora of magnificent Muslim empires that existed in West Africa
- How Muslims and practitioners of traditional African faiths lived in harmony despite major differences in their belief system
- How West African communities kept the message of Islam alive, even up until this day
- The story of Ayuba Diallo, the “fortunate slave”
- The history of Islam in America pre Malcolm X and it’s significance in shaping Islam in America

On a special note, I throughly enjoyed the whole book but the last chapter was by far my favourite. As a Muslim women there is something tremendously beautiful about learning how our female ancestors played very active roles in keeping our traditions alive. Muslim women have always been at the forefront of the preservation and furthering of the deen whether that be as teachers, spiritual guides or mothers. Reading that last chapters filled me with absolute joy and gave me a sense of pride.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys history, but specifically for Muslims to learn about the contributions of our black brothers and sisters to the deen and the significance of their contributions.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ✨
‘the global history of Islam […] is a story that cannot and did not exist without these black prophets, sahaba, scholars, warriors and saints’ p.207

As the title suggests, this book takes a deep dive into black history within Islam. Briggs takes us on a journey through black prophets and companions, historical empires and more recent notable figures in black Islamic history.

This was the easiest five stars I’ve ever given! This was an absolutely fascinating read! In his intro, Briggs describes his book as a ‘labour of love’ p.14 and it is abundantly clear when reading that this is indeed the case. You only need to glance at the multiple page bibliography to see how much effort Briggs has put into this.

There were multiple things I loved about this book! I loved his writing style; simple yet elegant and free from pretence. I appreciated the multiple sources of evidence used and I loved that fact that I learnt oh so much! For example, ✨did you know✨ that the oldest university in the world was founded by Fatima al-fihri, an African woman? ✨Did you know✨ that when Columbus “discovered” the Americas, West African Muslim explorers had already arrived 200 years before him? The most interesting source that Briggs used to support this is Columbus’ own reports! ✨Did you also know✨ that William Hoare’s painting of ‘The Fortunate Slave’ is a portrait of a black Muslim man by the name of Ayuba Suleyman Diallo. His story is so very heartbreaking.

This is only a small snippet of the wealth of information this incredible book contains. In short, this book is elegant, engaging and so very fascinating. I am in love with it!

[Maimuna Sawaneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m Black and I’m Muslim — but I didn’t revert to Islam, contrary to the popular assumptions about Black Muslims. So how did Islam really spread to Africa and the diaspora? Well, this book will tell you.
Beyond Bilal by Mustafa Briggs, an African-British revert, dives deep into this history. Through extensive research, he shows that Bilal wasn’t the first Black Muslim — there were Black Muslims before and after Bilal, and their stories deserve to be known.

The book is divided into five powerful chapters:
• Chapter 1: Black History in the Quran – Exploring the Black prophets mentioned in the Quran.
• Chapter 2: Bilal and Beyond – Highlighting the Black Sahaba who shaped early Islamic history.
• Chapter 3: The Land of Mansa Musa – Tracing Islam’s spread in West Africa and the diaspora.
• Chapter 4: Before Malcolm X – looking at Islam’s influence in the African American community.
• Chapter 5: Daughters of Hajar – Celebrating Muslim women as the backbone of Islamic history.
In this book, Briggs breaks down the often whitewashed lens through which Islamic history is told — a lens that erases the diversity and Black presence that has always been part of the faith.

I wanted to say this book is a must-read for every Black Muslim — but honestly, it’s a must for every Muslim and anyone interested in Islam and global history. It’s easy to read at just 200 pages, but it’s packed with so much knowledge — the kind that makes you want to keep learning, which is why my copy is full of yellow highlights.

As a self-funded book based on his lectures, it sometimes feels like an information overload — with so many names that it’s hard to keep up, and some topics or figures are only briefly mentioned. However, it encourages further research and still delivers its key message: Black history and Islamic history are deeply intertwined. — 4.5 / 5 ⭐️

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam" by Mustafa Briggs is an easy-to-read introduction to the richness of Black history as it is intertwined with Islamic history.

The book begins with a discussion on the Blackness of figures such as Luqman and Musa ('alayhissalaam) - and positing even 'Isa ('alayhissalaam), though this particular argument wasn't particularly strongly bolstered imho - and moves on to how Islam was introduced to Africa, the glorious eras of Islamic African dynasties, and finally to Islam in America.

I especially enjoyed the summarized history of Islamic African empires, and the brief introduction to notable West African scholars whose names I've come across more recently, such as Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse and Sh Hassan Cisse. The final chapter on female African Islamic scholars was also quite powerful.

One detracting factor was the lack of citations provided throughout the book, for both ahadith and historical references; while there is a bibliography provided at the end, I felt that the book's potential for being a resource was significantly hindered by the lack of footnotes or endnotes with the relevant citations. The author does note that this isn't an academic work, but even so, such references are necessary.

The author also notes that the entire book was a volunteer effort, so I'm willing to go a little easier on issues like minor formatting errors or the (minimal) editing that is required.

[Rahima · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. So clearly written and well-structured. I felt like I was being taught by Mustafa Briggs in person, because I really felt the passion in his words and learnt so much.
The book starts with Black figures who are mentioned in the Quran, then proceeds onto the figures who were around at the time of the Prophet ﷺ‘beyond Bilal,’ رضي الله عنه.

I loved that we were then able to see past the slave narrative and that we could celebrate the richness of Black Muslim history, through learning about Islam in the West before Malcolm X.

Finally, it ends with special mention being given to the Black Muslim women who have been pillars of society for generations. This segment was beautifully written. I’m not Black myself, but I really felt proud of my sisters, and so inspired by them.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was very eye opening. It presents evidence for several key facts that many Muslims are unaware of. Islam arrived in Africa - Ethiopia to be exact - very early, in the ~600s AD with the arrival of several companions who were accepted by an Ethiopian king who eventually converted himself. It spread to west African empires through nobility and elites, who learned about the religion from other Africans. It also provided compelling evidence for the fact that many slaves who were trafficked from west Africa were Muslims, as Islam had been in the continent for several centuries by that point. The only thing I would have loved Mr. Briggs to address more would be the role that the Islamic empires / kings would have played when the Portuguese, Dutch, and English arrived and commenced the kidnapping and trafficking of humans. Were they actively resisting? I would have liked details.

[yahya · Rating 5 out of 5]

See… you read stuff like this that genuinely makes you
-upset bc you’re not taught real history, a full history, or a heavily sanitised history
-confused bc now I’m like if I were to have a child, how can I ensure that they’re taught this?
-emboldened bc I know my history now and this history is so full, so rich, so colorful, that now I have to keep going deeper (i guess point 2 is resolved with point 3)

Overall, beautiful read. Will need to keep going in my research but alhamdullilah. Mustafa Briggs may you receive the highest level of jannah

[Iman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I learned so so so much, really eye opening and a great introduction to the topic. Read it! Especially the part that talks about Black Muslims in the Americas is very relevant even if you aren’t Muslim / wanting to learn about Islam.

[Rabea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good but should have references in-text.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Love this book. It's very readable, flows well.
I love this empowering view of history that is often surpressed.

[Issah Kadayanji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grad to read this book

[Atiyat Oyegoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative. Short and sweet. Easy to digest. Love love love

[Badiaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it!!!!
I didn't know we have a lot of balck people in our history...
The book helped me a lot to know more about islam. I'm grateful because I read it 💗

[Zahraa Al-Douri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and important book.

[Bushra]

Really enjoyed the first 100 pages.
Then the book became very generic for me...probably coz of completely unfamiliar names and histories.
Overall good.

[Sunya Abbasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some chapters were more info-dense and harder to retain but overall really interesting and I learned a lot. Definitely will check out his other work