Uncaptured Faith: Islamic Jurisprudence, Black Consciousness, and the Ethics of Enslaved Resistance

Abstract

This study explores the role of Islamic belief in shaping the ideological and spiritual foundations of resistance among enslaved Africans in the Americas, with a particular focus on the antebellum United States. While the dominant historical narratives often marginalize the presence of Islam among the enslaved, this study foregrounds the experiences of West African Muslims who retained their religious identities and drew upon Islamic theological, legal, and ethical frameworks to endure and challenge the brutalities of slavery. Through an analysis of autobiographical manuscripts, colonial records, and accounts of slave revolts, including the revolts in early Hispaniola and the Carolina Lowcountry, the paper reveals how concepts such as sabr (patience), tawakkul (trust in God), and jihad (struggle) served not only as spiritual tools of survival but also as ideological catalysts for rebellion. Figures such as Bilali Muhammad and Omar ibn Said exemplify the intellectual and moral resilience of Muslim slaves who mobilized their faith to resist dehumanization. By situating Islamic resistance within the broader framework of African American religious and cultural history, this study challenges Eurocentric readings of slave resistance and recovers the transatlantic legacies of African Islamic traditions in the formation of Black radical thought.