Somalia also well established, with many local "jama'a" ("zawiya") or congregations of the various "tariiqa" or Sufi orders. The constitution of Somalia likewise defines Islam as the state religion of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Islamic sharia as the basic source for national legislation. It also stipulates that no law that is inconsistent with the basic tenets of Shari'a can be enacted. Islam entered the region very early on, as a group of persecuted Muslims had sought refuge across the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa at the urging of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Islam may thus have been
History of the Jews in Africa the arrival of Somali nomads. These individuals assert that "Yibir" means "Hebrew" in their language. Outside the Yibir, there is essentially no known current or historic Jewish community in Somalia. The historical presence of Jewish communities in Africa is well-attested. Today, the descendants of these Jews live in nations such as Sierra Leone , Liberia, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and many other areas. According to the 17th century "Tarikh al-Fattash" and the "Tarikh al-Sudan", several Jewish communities existed as parts of the Ghana, Mali, and later Songhai empires. One such community was formed by a group of Egyptian Jews, who allegedly