Evidently this viewpoint is far from unique. The framework of the narrative and the specific use of words are clearly reminiscent of the words and mindset of his predecessors, especially Ibn al-Faqīh al-Hamadhānī (1967), al-Balkhī (1899) and al-Istakhrī (1961). Furthermore, he claimed that al-Istakhrī, his teacher and loyal companion, had entrusted him with the work and made him responsible for correcting topographical maps and annotations. The composition of his work clearly shows a direct link with a particular literary genre from the late third to early fourth centuries called 'adab al-masālik wa-l-mamālik (general survey of roads and kingdoms) which helped to forge and propagate a new vision of the world. With Arab expansion beyond the Maghreb, Sudan and the Mediterranean, this viewpoint would be widely expounded by successive Arab scholars. The way blacks were perceived was therefore to leave a lasting impression.  
It must be said that during the first centuries of Islam the image of the African continent was only an obscure and fragmented reflection. In general, the weight of intellectual opinion among Arab scholars would long be marked by the old prejudices inherited from their Greek masters. Despite the importance