Mussa Bin Bique

Mussa Bin Bique (موسى بن بيق), other names Musa Al Big, Mossa Al Bique, Mussa Ben Mbiki or Mussa Ibn Malik, was ruler of the Island of Mozambique and wealthy merchant during the XVth century, before the Portuguese took over the island in 1544.

Background
Islam in Mozambique has a history that goes back to at least the tenth century. The records show that the region was known and well frequented by Muslim travelers and traders.

According to the traditions recorded by Eduardo do Couto Lupi, Mozambique was founded by a group of refugees from Kilwa Sultanate shortly before the arrival of Vasco da Gama on the coast in I498, though at each place there was an earlier Muslim community already established. One of the leaders of the refugees was Mussa (the other Hassani), who settled at Mozambique and Quelimane respectively. Mussa was still alive when Vasco da Gama called at the island in 1498.

Mussa Bin Bique was considered to be a shaykh, i.e a person with authority in Islamic knowledge. The name of the island, and subsequently the entire African nation of Mozambique, was derived from his name. With Islam came the literacy into this land in the fields of poetry, history, commercial transactions, and other literary genres. By the middle of the fifteenth century, permanent and flourishing commercial and religious sultanates had been established along the coast and some had penetrated up the Zambezi.

Legacy
Mozambique's first Islamic University, established in 2000, is named after him.