Religion in Mauritania

Mauritania is a country in Africa, bordering Algeria, Mali, Senegal, and the Western Sahara (currently controlled by Morocco).

[1] Members of the Gadala Berbers brought back the theologian Abdallah ibn Yasin from Mecca in 1035, where they travelled for the hajj, to expunge the paganism still prevalent in Mauritania.

Ibn Yasin's military expansion converted tribe members of the Gadala, Lemtuna, and Messufa Berbers of the region to Islam.

Fighting between the Lemtuna and Messufa led ibn Umar to declare a holy war against the Ghana Empire to unify the tribes against a common enemy.

[7] The political influence of the Almoravids waned as the dynasty declined, but Islamic adherence was firmly cemented in the country.

In the 17th century, Nasir al-Din led a jihad in Mauritania, drawing support from Berbers frustrated with the corruption of the region's Arab rulers.

[11] Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, one of the participants of the coup, became Head of the government in 1980, and implemented Sharia law.

The instability that followed the coup that deposed Daddah invited elements of the Muslim Brotherhood, Wahabbism, and Tablighi Jamaat.

Funding by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies supported the establishment of Islamic schools, centers, and charities around the country, but were largely shut down by the government in 2003.