Observation

This was a popular question but was poorly answered by the candidates. Rather than  
discussing relevant factors, most candidates dwelt so much on the content of Islam, the historical
development, tenets of Islam etc. Many other candidates concentrated on the Jihad of Usman dan
Fodio which fell outside the context of the question.  Specifically, candidates were expected to
mention the factors that made Islam attractive to the people or the condition or events that influenced
them to accept the religion. Generally, candidates  were expected to mention the following factors in
order to score good mark.

(i)       The nature of Islam: Islamic religion accommodated certain traditional values such  as polygamy;
(ii)       Islam offered the people protection from evil forces by encouraging the use of charms and amulets;
(iii)       Most Muslim traders engaged in trade with the  people and thereby making Islam more attractive;
(iv)       Islamic culture was also attractive to the people, e.g. dressing, festivals etc;
(v)       Islam spread because of the people’s desire to learn reading and writing in Arabic.