Are Native Americans Muslim?

The question, “Are Native Americans Muslim?” might initially sound comedic, yet social media platforms are brimming with claims supporting the idea that Native Americans were indeed Muslims. These assertions have even been echoed by researchers, including Jihad Al-Turbani, author of One Hundred Greats of the Islamic Nation Who Changed the Course of History. He has gone so far as to consider Native Americans among the greats of the Muslim Ummah, claiming that Europeans killed them because of their Islamic faith and suppressed all evidence of their beliefs. This narrative includes the idea that Muslims discovered America before Columbus, with figures like Piri Reis allegedly mapping the Americas and Antarctica before Columbus’s arrival. However, such claims are nothing but fantasy and illusion.

Before diving into this topic, it is essential to understand the meaning of the term discovery. The root of the word in Arabic, “kashf,” means to uncover or find something previously unknown—like the discovery of penicillin—or to interpret a mystery previously unexplained, such as Newton’s revelations about gravity.

When it comes to America, it was known to many primitive peoples later labeled “Native Americans,” who inhabited the Americas thousands of years before Columbus’s arrival. They were not the only ones aware of its existence. The Vikings, for instance, reached America in 1003 AD and established a settlement called Vinland in present-day northeastern Canada. While America may have been known to various peoples, it remained an enigmatic world to much of humanity until the “white man” arrived and integrated it into the known world. The continent, along with its people, subsequently adopted Christianity and European culture. This acknowledgment is not an endorsement of the violence and destruction wrought by Europeans but merely a presentation of historical facts that cannot be altered by fabricated claims.

Muslims Discovering America: A Missed Opportunity

If we were to hypothetically assume that Muslims discovered America before Columbus, this would count against them rather than in their favor. Their failure to convey the message of Islam to the Native peoples would represent a significant shortcoming. Religious duty would have compelled them to spread Islam in those regions, sending missionaries to guide the inhabitants. If Muslims had indeed arrived, their lack of action would not demonstrate progress but rather stagnation, putting them on par with the Vikings and other primitive Asian peoples who knew about America but failed to utilize this knowledge effectively.

The crux of discovery lies in utilizing newfound knowledge. Without leveraging the discovery of new lands for religious, cultural, and civilizational expansion, such knowledge remains fruitless. History bears no evidence of Muslims incorporating the Americas into their sphere of influence—neither religiously nor culturally.

No Evidence in Historical Records

If Muslims had sent missionaries to the Americas and converted its people, where is the evidence in the works of prominent historians? Ibn Khaldun, the pioneer of sociology and historian of the Berbers, who died in the same century as Columbus’s voyage, made no mention of civilizations beyond the Atlantic. Similarly, Ibn Kathir, a contemporary of Ibn Khaldun and one of Islam’s most notable historians, did not document anything about Native Americans. Known for his meticulous compilation of historical narratives in his monumental work, The Beginning and the End, Ibn Kathir overlooked any reference to the Americas. The same applies to other Muslim historians like Ibn al-Athir. Did Islamic states and kingdoms exist in America without any Muslim historian hearing about them? Did an entire nation convert to Islam without any of its people embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage?

The only reasonable conclusion is that Muslims were entirely unaware of the existence of these continents, and their discovery by Europeans happened by chance. This view aligns with historical evidence.

The Role of the Crusades in America’s Discovery

The story of America’s discovery has its roots in the Crusades. After the Mamluks expelled the Crusaders from the Levant in 1291 AD, the Europeans abandoned hopes of a land-based campaign. They resolved instead to seize Mecca and Medina by navigating around Africa to reach the Red Sea via the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese succeeded in reaching the Cape of Good Hope in 1487. Observing this success, the Spanish sought an alternative route to India, mistakenly believing the path westward to be open. This led to Columbus’s expedition in 1492, culminating in the discovery of the Caribbean islands.

The Impact of America’s Discovery

The discovery of America by Europeans marked a turning point in human history. Christianity, once confined to Europe and Abyssinia, spread across four continents. Europe, economically devastated by internal wars and prolonged conflicts with the Mamluks and Ottomans, rebounded. The discovery revitalized European economies, enabling colonization and exploitation. This came at an immense human cost: the extermination of Native populations, the enslavement of Africans, and the economic enrichment of Europe on the suffering of millions.

Debunking the Myth of Muslim Native Americans

Claims about Native Americans being Muslim demand extensive discussion, as these arguments often rely on weak evidence and misrepresentations. For example, Jihad Al-Turbani in his book defends the idea vehemently, citing stories like that of Andalusian youths who crossed the ocean to an unknown land inhabited by blonde-haired people speaking Arabic. This story, found in Al-Idrisi’s The Book of Pleasant Journeys, likely describes the Canary Islands, not the Americas.

Additionally, Al-Turbani’s assertion about Piri Reis’s map being a scientific marvel is misleading. The map, drawn in 1513, is a crude depiction based on Spanish charts, showing South American coastlines mistakenly interpreted as Antarctica. Piri Reis’s activity in the Atlantic was never recorded by Ottoman historians, raising doubts about such claims.

All archaeological and historical evidence in the Americas points to the Native Americans being polytheistic. Their temples and idols testify to their worship of spirits, stars, and celestial bodies. Attempts to obscure these facts with misleading information fail in the face of clear historical truths: Native Americans were pagans, and their downfall stemmed from their reverence for the white man, whom they often perceived as divine.