Did Muslims Discover America Before Columbus?

Muslim scholars made groundbreaking contributions in fields like astronomy, mathematics, and cartography during the Islamic Golden Age. Highlighting their work acknowledges a rich intellectual heritage and shows how scientific progress has always been a global and collaborative endeavor, not limited to one civilization or era.

The story of the discovery of America is often told with Christopher Columbus at its center-boldly sailing west in 1492 to prove the Earth was round and finding a "New World." However, this EUROCENTRIC narrative overlooks not only the indigenous peoples who had inhabited the Americas for millennia but also earlier voyages that crossed the Atlantic long before Columbus, including those by Muslim explorers during the Islamic Golden Age.

See: 1421: The Year a Chinese Muslim Discovered America

Islamic geography reached its peak between the 8th and 14th centuries, during a period of expansive Muslim rule stretching from Spain to India. With a relatively unified political system and increased safety across trade routes, Muslim scientists and scholars developed a sophisticated understanding of the world. Geography, which had grown from both astronomy and mathematics, became a respected field, producing some of the most accurate calculations and maps of the medieval world.

Muslim geographers in the Abbasid Caliphate used advanced trigonometry and spherical geometry to estimate the Earth's diameter and circumference with astonishing accuracy. Centuries before the invention of satellites or telescopes, they calculated the Earth's diameter to be just 37 kilometers off its actual size and its circumference to within 100 kilometers of the correct value. These achievements dismantle the persistent myth that medieval people believed the Earth was flat-especially among navigators and scholars.

Beyond mathematical precision, Islamic geography contributed extensively to cartography. Greek maps, especially those by Ptolemy, were not only preserved but also improved upon. One of the greatest achievements was the world atlas created by Muhammad al-Idrisi in 12th-century Sicily under the patronage of King Roger II. This atlas was unmatched in detail and accuracy for centuries and included not only geographical features but also cultural and political insights.

But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Muslim geography lies in its accounts of trans-Atlantic exploration. Several credible reports suggest that Muslim explorers may have reached the Americas long before Columbus. Al-Mas'udi, a 10th-century geographer and historian, wrote about a voyage from Muslim Spain in 889 that landed on a large landmass west of the Atlantic. Another account, recorded by al-Idrisi, tells of Muslim sailors captured and then freed by natives, one of whom spoke Arabic.

See: Did Al-Biruni discover America?

The most compelling tale comes from West Africa. Ibn Battuta, the famed Muslim traveler, recorded that Mansa Abu Bakr, ruler of Mali, launched an expedition of 2,000 ships into the Atlantic around the 14th century. Only one returned, recounting storms and glimpses of land across the ocean. The fate of Abu Bakr's fleet remains unknown, but it raises serious questions about who may have reached the Americas first.

Though these accounts are not conclusive evidence, they challenge conventional histories of exploration and suggest a deeper, more global story. Muslim contributions to geography, cartography, and possibly trans-Atlantic discovery deserve greater recognition, not just for their historical accuracy, but for broadening our understanding of human curiosity and courage in mapping the world.

Reference: Lost Islamic History by Firas Al Kateeb