Muslims explored North America at least 300 years before the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, according to many researchers.
Dr. Barry Fell, a noted New Zealand archaeologist and linguist of Harvard University showed detailed existing evidence in his work, "Saga America" that Muslims were not only in the Americas before Columbus arrived, but very active there as well.
Ivan Van Sertima, in his renowned work, "They Came Before Columbus" confirms that there was definitely contact between the ancient and early African people with the Native Americans.
Columbus logged on October 21st, 1492, that he was sailing past Gibara on the coast of Cuba he saw a mosque. He also logged that remnants of other masjids have been found in Cuba, Mexico, Texas and Nevada.
[This chronology is based on books, magazine relating to Muslims in America as well as media reports. Most of the chronology from 1178 to 1990s is based on the following sources: They Came before Columbus by Ivan van Sertima; Islam in America before Columbus by Hisham Zoubeir; Islam in Latin America:Timeline of Muslim Exploration of the Americas by Islamic Path and “the glimpses of Muslim life in American history” by Fareed H. Nu'man. Editor]
