A Land Lost

This chapter presents the cultural background of Omar ibn Said, growing up in the Senegambia and educated in its seminaries until the age of 37, when he was sold into slavery. The few details that he provides in his “Autobiography,” including his family background and scholarly training, are contextualized in light of the strong traditions of oral instruction found in West African Islamic culture as well as a rich curriculum of Arabic scholarship that Omar would have had access to through memorization. The racist view of Africans as uncivilized is contrasted with the ethical and wisdom teachings of Senegalese culture and the organized networks of Islamic education.