The earliest contact of Islam with Africa dates back to the period of

The earliest contact of Islam with Africa dates back to the period of Muhammad b. ‘Abdullāh, the founder and prophet of Islam. This contact occurred in the early 7th century AD when a group of Muslims fled persecution in Mecca and sought refuge in Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia). The Abyssinian king at the time, known as Negus, provided protection to the Muslim refugees, which marked the first official contact between Islam and Africa. This event is known as the First Hijra, or migration, and is significant in Islamic history as it showed that Islam was not limited to any particular race or nationality, but rather was a universal religion that could appeal to people of all backgrounds.