The Islamic world impacted black Africa in a profound way. Islam brought a rise in education, eliminating “the universal illiteracy and absence of written languages” (Maddison 2007). Muslims encouraged people to get an education, and they did this by building schools and learning centers such as “libraries, observatories, and a house of wisdom,” making knowledge more readily accessible (Maddison 2007). Timbuktu was one of the most influential centers because of Its community of Islamic scholars that put an emphasize on learning, and trading. Another impact on Africa was the various trading routes that later resulted in the institution of the slave trade. Economic opportunities drove the trade into Africa, and increased the status of the Muslim
