Final answer:
The claim that West Africans didn't profit from Saharan trade due to control by mosques is false. West African kingdoms prospered through the trans-Saharan trade, which was facilitated by Islam and led to centers like Timbuktu flourishing as hubs of commerce and scholarship.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that West Africans did not profit much from Saharan trade because the routes were controlled by mosques is false. In reality, West African kingdoms such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai benefitted considerably from the trans-Saharan trade. The spread of Islam and the conversion of merchants and rulers to Islam facilitated trade and brought economic prosperity to the region. Islamic merchants and traders, along with scholars and missionaries, played a central role in the diffusion of Islam and in establishing a standardized system of trade that was in accordance with Islamic law and ethics.
Indeed, cities such as Timbuktu and Djenné became vibrant centers of commerce and Islamic scholarship. The adoption of Islam by West African rulers not only enhanced their wealth through control of important trade centers and commodities like gold and salt, but also established mutual trust and respect among the Muslim traders along the Saharan routes. Consequently, West Africans capitalized on the trans-Saharan trade, which was firmly embedded with Islamic cultural and religious practices, and thrived for centuries.