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The Arrival of Islam in Malawi and the Muslim Contribution to Development

The election of Bakili Muluzi as president of Malawi on 17 May 1994 and his re-election on 15 June 1999 is the culmination of Muslim contributions over centuries to the development of Malawi. Some of the materials pertaining to these contributions in any systematic form have only begun to appear in the last two decades. The present paper seeks to place the development of Islam in Malawi against the historical data which seem to indicate early contacts between the Muslim communities on the East African coast and the area around Lake Malawi. It also seeks to analyse the factors which have contributed to the development of the faith in the country and to outline, albeit brie y, the nature and present status of Islam in the country. A fuller analysis will have to await a more extensive project based on local studies throughout the country.