Did Muslims come to the Americas before Columbus? Some people believe they arrived hundreds of years earlier. But is there any evidence for this?
Most know the story of Christopher Columbus. In 1492, he sailed from Spain and accidentally found the Americas. He thought he had reached India when he landed on an island in the Caribbean, so he called the local people “Indians.”
Some researchers suggest that Muslims may have reached the Americas as early as the 700s. They claim that sailors traveled from Islamic Spain, particularly from the port city of Delba (now known as Pelos), during the rule of Caliph Abdullah Ibn Mohammed between 888 and 912.
A Muslim historian wrote about a navigator who crossed the ocean and found a new land filled with treasure. This historian, Abul-Hassan Al-Masudi, even included a map in his book. On this map, he drew a large area across the Atlantic Ocean, which he called the “unknown territory.” Many believe this area represents the Americas.
West African Muslims married to native tribes in the ‘New World’
On October 12, 1492, Columbus arrived on a small island in the Bahamas, which he renamed. The native people originally called it “Guanahani.” Some believe that this name comes from two Arabic words brought by early Muslim visitors.
“Guana” means “brothers,” and “Hani” is a traditional Arabic name, suggesting the island’s name meant “Hani Brothers.” In nearby Honduras, a native tribe was called “Almamy,” similar to the Arabic word “Al-Imam,” meaning a prayer leader.
Leo Wiener, who started the Slavic Languages Department at Harvard, suggested that these names came from West African Muslims who traveled to the New World and married into different native tribes.
Other claims about early Muslim presence in the Americas have been shared, especially in an article by Dr. Youssef Mroueh. Dr. Mroueh, a Muslim historian and scientist, wrote the article in 1996 to mark a thousand years of Muslims in the Americas.
Barry Fell’s claims of Islamic influence in early America
Dr. Mroueh referenced an Australian archaeologist and marine biologist, Dr. Barry Fell, who claimed in his book “Saga America” to have found strong evidence of an early Muslim presence in the New World. Fell compared West African cultures to Native Americans in the southwestern U.S., noting similarities in culture, language, and even Islamic carvings known as petroglyphs.
One carving, believed to be made long before Columbus arrived, contained the Arabic phrase “Yasus bin Maria” (Jesus son of Mary), a phrase also found in the Quran.
However, professional archaeologists criticized Fell’s findings. They rejected his claims and questioned his rigid approach, which lacked the usual academic caution. Critics argued that while Fell’s scientific methods may suit marine biology, his approach to archaeology ignored standard rules for presenting evidence.
Arab documentary “We Discovered America Before Columbus”
Saudi filmmaker Khalid Abualkair has released a documentary titled “We Discovered America Before Columbus.” The film explores the idea that the Arabs of al-Andalus and the Muslim kingdom of Mali may have reached the Americas centuries before Columbus.
A significant part of this claim about the Arabs of al-Andalus comes from the work of historian Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo y Maura, the 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia in Spain. Known as the “Red Duchess” for her opposition to the dictator Franco—who imprisoned and later exiled her—she inherited one of Europe’s largest private archives.
Through her research, she became convinced that the Arabs of al-Andalus, which is now Andalusia in modern Spain, and Morocco had discovered and traveled to the northern parts of South America regularly.
The duchess claimed that her archives held early references to plants native to the Americas, including maize and peppers, long before Columbus’s arrival. She published two books outlining her theory. The first, It Wasn’t Us, came out during the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s journey, intentionally sparking controversy.
Abualkair’s documentary also explores another potential pre-Columbian connection: the story of Abu Bakr II, the king of Mali during the 14th century. As Mansa of Mali, Abu Bakr II ruled over a large part of West Africa, a region known for its vast gold wealth. His adventures add another layer to the theory of early Muslim contact with the Americas.
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