What is the Nation of Islam? Founder: Wallace D. Fard (c. 1877-1934) was a traveling salesman who gathered followers during the Depression among the poverty-stricken African-Americans of Detroit. He mysteriously disappeared in June 1934 and was consequently identified as an incarnation of Allah. Under Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975), Fard's Minister of Islam, and Muhammad's lieutenant Malcolm X (1925-1965), the movement gained international prominence.
Main Tenets: The Nation of Islam's declared aim is the raising of the moral, social, and economic standing of non-whites. This has included the vilification of the dominant group, white Caucasians, even to the point of calling whites the personification of evil and maintaining that the white race is an aberration, the human race having originally been black. Therefore, according to this theory, blacks must pursue separate development. By turning racist ideas around to oppose whites, the movement has attracted many adherents and has had particularly good success in converting prisoners, criminals, and drug users. Black Muslims have financed the construction of mosques, schools, apartment complexes, stores, and farms.
History: Elijah Muhammad taught that American blacks, a group that includes all people of color, were descended from the ancient tribe of Shabazz that had originally settled the holy city of Mecca, and that blacks and whites can share no real community. Malcolm X was his closest collaborator until a quarrel between the two men in 1964. Malcolm X then went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he saw people of every race worshiping side by side, and he became convinced of the hopelessness of racism. He returned to the United States and founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which preached black nationalism but not black separatism. He was shot and killed while speaking to a large gathering in New York City in 1965.
After Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975, his son Warith Deen Muhammad radically transformed the Black Muslim movement, opening it to whites and renaming it the American Muslim Mission. In 1979, Louis Farrakhan broke away from the Mission, establishing the more radical Nation of Islam, which restricts membership to blacks and advocates a separate black social structure.
EXCELLENT POST!!!
Wednesday, January 6th 2010 at 3:47PM
Siebra Muhammad
I was a former member of the N.O.I under Louis Farrakhan. At first I was excited to be a part of this organization that Malcolm X was a part of. But the N.O.I after Elijah Muhammad took many branches all of their leaders claiming some sort of divinity with the exception of Warith Deen Muhammad Elijah's son. It was Wallace as this was his birth name Elijah named his son after Wallace Fard. It was Wallace whom said his Father Elijah commissioned him on his deathbed to ween the people off of this false Islam teaching he taught so many. Wallace said his father told him that he felt guilty for years but didn't know how to put an end to it and feared for his life and that of his family's.
Personally I think that Islam just like Christianity and Hebrewism are all hybrid religions that borrowed heavily from Egyptian religions. It's amazing how Elijah Muhammad's teaching praises the Blackman for being the original builder of civilization and then gives credit to that great civilization have coming from out of Africa. Elijah Muhammad tells of a fictionous story of Shabazz from Asia taking a tribe of his people into Africa and become savages. Lol. When all the bones and stones prove Africa is the mother of civilization and mankind. Yet interpetations of so-called divine text are used to undo science! And further Elijah Muhammad's teaching that Islam is the man's original religion is even more prosperous.
Elijah Muhammad and his early followers were all professed Garvarites. Elijah's teachings of Nationhood drew there roots from Marcus Garvey. Matter of fact Marcus Garvey didn't just talk of Nation building but the re-building of an African Empire with groups of African nations belonging to one coalition within the continent of Africa. Marcus Garvey customed modelled uniforms that the Nation borrowed ideas from and put them on the F.O.I or Fruit of Islam. Yet in all of his speeches Marcus Garvey gave he never claimed to be a prophet or messenger as did Elijah Muhammad and he never said that some mystery Caucasion looking man was God in person. This Wallace rejected out right and because he had to endure being named after some ficticous person called God!
It's interesting how it took me so many years to make the connections between Elijah Muhammad cult teachings and Marcus Garvey's righteous but practical message that we Blacks should rise up and be a Mighty Nation. Too much of what Marcus Garvey taught was stolen and used to fleece the pockets of the poor and make mockery of the Creator. The Nation had millions, businesses, stores and resturants but all of it lost to corruption and swindling. And nothing I've said here is in dispute with anything that Elijah's own son Wallace said of the Nation of Islam's failure
Wednesday, January 6th 2010 at 4:49PM
John Washington
jen fad,
you have just posted a FALSE blog.
Imam Warithdeen Muhammad, may Allaah have mercy on him, NEVER : "radically transformed the Black Muslim movement, opening it to whites and renaming it the American Muslim Mission."
Iman Warithdeen Muhammad took those that may have followed a movement of Americans named, the Nation of Islam; and asked them and all Americans to become Muslims, follow AlQur'aan and the Sunnah of Mohamed(as).
some noi Americans cried, and some took the Oath of Belief in AlIslaam----and became Muslims----and some REMAINED; nonMuslims.
[Imam Warithdeen Muhammad, may Allaah have mercy on him, NEVER : "radically transformed the Black Muslim movement, opening it to whites and renaming it the American Muslim Mission."]
Robert would you have a reference that can be posted to refute the error in this article?
Thursday, January 7th 2010 at 3:54PM
Jen Fad
[It was Wallace whom said his Father Elijah commissioned him on his deathbed to ween the people off of this false Islam teaching he taught so many. Wallace said his father told him that he felt guilty for years but didn't know how to put an end to it and feared for his life and that of his family's...]
...[And nothing I've said here is in dispute with anything that Elijah's own son Wallace said of the Nation of Islam's failure.]
Brother John, I find what your comments very intriguing and if they are correct and factual, why would you say people are still following the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? I will google and check into what you have stated for myself. I was hoping this blog could be a series on the Nation of Islam with perhaps some interviews of members of NOI. I think I know who Part II will be on...
Thursday, January 7th 2010 at 5:20PM
Jen Fad
It's extremely hard for anyone touting the greatness of the Nation to stand up to the truth. Everyone will soon know that Elijah Muhammad borrowed heavily from Marcus Garvey. It seems a diabolical plan to take away from the true light of Marcus Garvey whom talked not just of Nationhood but a Black Empire and the rebirth of a dying Africa. Those of you have fallen deeply for this Civilization came out of Africa crap and all the nonsense about UFOs need to read more of the history of the Nation in it's early days. You will then read about the great Marcus Garvey and realize this man Fard is a Fraud.
Friday, January 8th 2010 at 7:42PM
John Washington
Thanks Brother John for your gracious comments and I will give research the matter.
Robert your comment I DID delete and will continue to if they add no value to this blog. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 12:00PM
Jen Fad
Thank you my sister Jen and Siebra and me who are all of different faiths,in our effrots to show how we are more alike than we are different in UNITY against the evils of Prejudices(as in ignorance) that allows such needs and endless energy for disunity and disrespect of otheers to satisfy subjective E-G-O bias.(smile)
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
Orginzations, just as countrys, familys, groups, races, religions or you name it is always distroyed from the inside out...it has always been this way and maybe it always will be this way...but it is also a fact that the greater the diaster the greater the changs are as far as making things grow /better...
that is if we learn from our mistakes...SO FAR OUR BLACK RACE IS DIVIDED BY_________________.Actually, "I" would put in he lack fo knowledge fo owh we are as a race of peoples, this is because we are to quick to play the pity party rather than the leadership role...
ARE YOU A COMMUNITY LEADER? and if not then why not????...It is as simple as pointing that finger of blame right at you.(smile)LETS GET BUSY(as brother Mozell says...get in where you fit in...
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
