Analysis of Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta was a scholar born in the year of 1304 in Morocco and died in 1369. During his lifetime Ibn Battuta was known for being a legal scholar, pilgrim, and religious seeker. Ibn Battuta traveled to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China. Nearly all his travels have been through the realm of an Islamic viewpoint. During the 12th century Islam was growing more than Christendom. Thus Islam was growing more in West Africa and influencing other regions in the area. The reason why Ibn Battuta wrote this travel to Mali was to explain his journey through the point of view from an Islamic point of within his scope in West Africa.

Ibn Battuta shared his faith and language within the people in Mali. Ibn Battuta was notably the “Marco Polo” of the Islamic world. He journeyed to many places and recalled all of his travels in Africa and China. He was very critical of the confines of the Islamic world that he encountered in Mali. Ibn Battuta was very critical positively and negatively of the religious aspects in West Africa. He was very shocked to see the things he did in Mali.

In his experience in Mali Ibn Battuta encountered many shocking things he has not experienced in his life. Men and women were companions there was no bashfulness between the two genders. On the positive outlook of the Islamic world, he was shocked at the fact that men could not find a prayer spot in the mosque on Friday’s. “It is custom of theirs, to send each man his boy to the mosque”(pg. 353). Then the very appalling thing that he experienced at the Sultan’s palace. For example, he was very shocked at the fact that women were not covered and walked around naked in front of the Sultan. “Slave girls and women servants without a stitch of clothing on them”(pg. 353). Also he recounts his experience with the Sultan of Mali, Mansa Sulayman. Ibn Sultan remembers expecting a large expensive robe and money from the Sultan. He...