Final answer:
Islam spread across North Africa mainly through conquest and trade, with merchants and missionaries playing crucial roles in integrating Islamic customs with local traditions. A network of Muslim traders facilitated this spread by creating trust and shared cultural practices across trans-Saharan trade routes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The spread of Islam across North Africa can be attributed largely to two main mechanisms: conquests and trade. Through military conquests, Islam was initially introduced into various regions, which was then followed by further diffusion through less coercive means. Merchants and missionaries played a significant role in spreading Islamic practices and beliefs by integrating within the local communities, engaging in commerce, sharing ideas, and establishing matrimonial alliances. The adoption of Islam by local leaders and communities often brought with it certain benefits, such as relief from harsh taxes imposed on non-Muslims and protection from enslavement, as Islamic law prohibited the enslavement of Muslims.
Islam's spread was facilitated by the creation of a cohesive network of traders and merchants who shared a common language (Arabic) and customs, which engendered trust and facilitated trade across the trans-Saharan trade routes. This network played a crucial role in the dissemination of Islamic culture and religious practices throughout the region. The hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, did contribute to the spread of Islam globally, but it was not a primary driver of the spread of Islam in North Africa specifically. The role of slavery was also notable, as conversion to Islam could be a means of avoiding enslavement or harsh taxation for non-Muslims, which further encouraged the spread of Islam in the region.