Big God belief plus costly displays boosted Islamic trade success in Africa

Evidence

Returning to Ensminger’s analysis of the spread of Islam into Africa, it is apparent that belief in an all-powerful Allah who knows everything and cares about morality, supported by credible displays of sincere devotion that included charity, fasts, daily prayer, and restrictions on diet and sexual behavior, permitted greater trust, shared rules of economic exchange, and the use of credit institutions among newly converted Muslims. This facilitated more trade and greater economic success. Kenyan pastoralists, as well as other local African groups, began adopting the religious beliefs along with the associated institutions and rituals. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 353

Categorization

• XREF: A concrete economic-causal instance of the prosociality mechanism, relevant to the analytical integration project.