Mansa Musa I made a pilgrimage to Arabia with 12,000 servants, each carrying a bar of gold. Emperor Mansa Musa I came to reign over the Malian Empire when the then emperor deputized him to be in charge while Abubakari was away. Abubakari set out to explore the far side of the Atlantic Ocean and never returned. Musa, then, inherited the throne since he had been deputized.