Islam was
introduced to the area early on from the Arabian peninsula, shortly after the
hijra.
Zeila's two-
mihrabMasjid al-Qiblatayn dates to the 7th century, and is the oldest
mosque in the city.
[51] In the late 9th century,
Al-Yaqubi wrote me Muslims were living along the northern Somali seaboard.
[52] He also mentioned that the Adal kingdom had its capital in the city,
[52][53] suggesting that the
Adal Sultanate with Zeila as its headquarters dates back to at least the 9th or 10th centuries.
For more than 1400 years,
Islam made a great part of
Somali society.
[1]
The early Muslims sought refuge from
persecution in cities on the northern Somali coast
