Final answer:
Merchants, traders, scholars, and missionaries introduced Islam to West Africa through trade routes and influenced rulers and elites.
Explanation:
Merchants, traders, scholars, and missionaries played key roles in introducing Islam to West Africa, primarily through trade routes such as the trans-Saharan trade.
Islam spread gradually in West Africa, influencing regions like Mali, Songhai, and Ghana, where rulers connected with the larger Islamic world.
Islamic influence in West Africa led to the adoption of Islam by rulers and elites, blending it with traditional beliefs, and shaping the culture and lifestyle of urban residents.
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