Product Description

In this remarkable work, Terry Alford tells the story of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, a Muslim slave who, in 1807, was recognized by an Irish ship's surgeon as the son of an African king who had saved his life many years earlier. "The Prince," as he had become known to local Natchez, Mississippi residents, had been captured in war when he was 26 years old, sold to slave traders, and shipped to America. Slave though he was, Ibrahima was an educated, aristocratic man, and he was made overseer of the large cotton and tobacco plantation of his master, who refused to sell him to the doctor for any price. After years of petitioning by Dr. Cox and others, Ibrahima finally gained freedom in 1828 through the intercession of U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay. Sixty-six years old, Ibrahima sailed for Africa the following year, with his wife, and died there of fever just five months after his arrival. The year 2007 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Prince Among Slaves, the only full account of Ibrahima's life, pieced together from first-person accounts and historical documents gathered on three continents. It is not only a remarkable story, but also the story of a remarkable man, who endured the humiliation of slavery without ever losing his dignity or his hope for freedom. This thirtieth anniversary edition, which will be released to coincide with a major documentary being aired on Ibrahima's life, has been updated to include material discovered since the original printing, a fuller presentation and appreciation of other African Muslims in American slavery-Ibrahima's contemporaries-and a review of new and important literature and developments in the field.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66964 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-19
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Terry Alford is a Professor of History at Northern Virginia Community College.

Customer Reviews

Prince among Slaves
This is an extraordinary true story of a Black Muslim captured and sold into slavery in 1788 in Africa. He was the 26 year old son of a tribal king, married, with a young son. In addition to his native language, Pular, he read and wrote Arabic as well as other African languges. He was sold to a plantation owner near Natchez, which was part of Spanish territory in that time. After 40 years of slavery he gained his freedom and was able to return to Africa, where he lived briefly until his death.

The book is exceptionally well resesearched and told with sensitivity. It demonstrates the triumph of the human spirit in times of great depravation.

Karim Abdul Jabbar did not become Muslim because of this book
This is a valuable work that should be read to discover the life of a Muslim during the time of slavery since most slave narratives do not mention Islam even when 10 to 15 percent of slaves here were of Muslim origin.

By the way, Karim Abdul Jabbar became Muslim at the hands of Khalifah Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, founder of the D.C. based Hanafi Madh-hab, around 1970. The venerable Sufi and Black Muslim leader wrote the work "Look and See" that will soon be released on Magribine Press. If someone makes claims that a work made someone become Muslims, or some other such claim, they should give references.

Reader Beware....
This is the book that convinced a young impressionable Lew Alcindor to embrace Islam and change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A good read that would make a better motion picture.