The Karamogo were the scholar class among the peaceful
Dyula traders of
Western Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurita ...
, of which
Al-Hajj Salim Suwari
Sheikh Al-Hajj Salim Suwari was a 13th-century West African Soninke ''karamogo'' ( Islamic scholar) who focused on the responsibilities of Muslims minorities residing in a non-Muslim society. He formulated an important theological rationale for ...
was a prominent member. The Karamogo developed theological rationales for living among non-
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s, arguing that one should nurture one's own faith and let conversion happen in its own time. Accordingly,
jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
should not be waged except in defensive contexts.
Ethnic groups in Ghana
Ethnic groups in Guinea
Ethnic groups in Mali
Ethnic groups in Senegal
Islamic philosophical schools
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