Famous Black and Afro-Arab Muslims

  1. Abu Al-Djahiz-Iraqi intellect of the 800s of Ethiopian roots
  2. Al-Idrisi-geographer writer of Kitab Rujar
  3. Abul-Misk Kafur-Nubian eunuch who ruled all of Egypt during the 10th century
  4. Al-Hassan b. Muhammad al-Misr al-Muhallabi wrote al 'Azizi
  5. Al-Bakri (Abu Ubayd 'Abd Alah b., 'Abd al-Aziz al-Bakri) geographer from Cordova/Almeria, provides written sources on the Western Sudan
  6. Ali B. Muhammad-Leader of the Zanj Rebellion in Basra, Iraq

  8. al-Mustansir(1036-1094)-the longest serving Fatimid Caliph, son of a Sudanese concubine
  9. al-Mansur(1578-1608)- Sadian ruler son of a Fulani concubine
  10. Ambar(Shambu)-Ethiopian or habshi who rose to rule the Deccan Kingdom in India
  11. Amr ibn al-A- Of Ethiopian ancestry, companion of the prophet Muhammad, lead the muslim invasion of Egypt
  12. Antara Ibn Shaddad-6th century warrior writer
  13. Ata ibn Abi Rabah-Celebrated jurist of Mecca of Nubian parentage
  14. Bila ibn Rabah-Ethiopian Companion and attendant of the the prophet Muhammad, first muezzin
  15. Ibn Battutah-Arab traveller from Tangiers, known for the Rihlah(Travels)
  16. Ibn Khaldun- Tunisian scholar, known for the multi-volume work, the Book of Lessons and Archive of Early and Subsequent History, Dealing with the Political Events Concerning the Arabs, Non-Arabs, and Berbers
  17. Ibrahim Shah-brother of Mubarak Shah, total break from Delhi with massive army, known for building many impressive structures
  18. Ishraq as-Suwaida-A black Spanish girl celebrated for her knowledge of prosody and grammar in the 10th century
  19. Malik Sarwar-Habshi vizier eunuch of the Sultan of Delhi, controlled eastern province
  20. Mubarak Shah(Qaranful)-adopted son of Malik Sarwar, independent control of eastern province,had coinage of himself
  21. Mulay Ismail-second Alawid sultan, son of a black concubine
  22. Mustafa Agha-Chief Eunuch under Turkish Sultan Ahmed I, who wielded enormous influence
  23. Najib Mahfuz-Egyptian novelist, first to win Nobel Prize in literature 
  24. Shaykh Said-famous Gujarat soldier-Gujarat's military was mainly made up of black soldiers
  25. Umar-second Caliph of Islam, Ethiopian ancestral link
  26. Abul-Hasian Ali ibn Nafi (Ziryab)-Black Iraqi musician,singer, poet, who was a trendsetter in al-Andaluse, introducing the use of deodorant, toothpaste, drinking of wine, eating of asparagus to al-Andalus culture
  27. Yusef Idris-Egyptian short story writer, considered the best short story writer in Arabic

Many of the Arab elites of Saudi Arabia had African mothers. Slavery in the Indian Ocean trade consisted mainly of women to be used as concubines and domestics.