The Land of God

Description

It tells the story of its hero, Omar ibn Sayyid, who was born in Futa Toro, in what is now Senegal, West Africa, in 1770 and grew up there until 1807, when an army occupied his land and took him as a slave to Charleston in South America. Omar grew up educated; he had memorized the Quran, knew Arabic, was knowledgeable about religions, and was well-off. He married before being enslaved, leaving his wife pregnant. After years of slavery, he didn’t know if she had been enslaved with him in the same campaign or in subsequent campaigns by slave traders, or if she had escaped. He also didn’t know if she had given birth to their only son. Despite all this, he remained hopeful that he would be freed from his slavery and reunite with them. But his hopes were not fulfilled. It comes to pass, and he dies a slave in 1863, having lived for over ninety years, just one year before President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery.

A manuscript he wrote on parchment, recounting his life story shortly before his death, is discovered. This authentic manuscript is held by the Library of Congress and was recently released to the public.

It is the story of a Muslim scholar who lived in slavery for nearly sixty years, enduring countless forms of injustice, humiliation, torture, and suffering. It exposes the ugly face of racism and slavery.