The
Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American
new religious movementA new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
founded in Detroit, Michigan by
Wallace D. Fard MuhammadWallace Fard Muhammad was a minister and founder of the Nation of Islam. He established the Nation of Islam's first mosque in Detroit, Michigan in 1930, and ministered his distinctive religion there for three years, before mysteriously disappearing in June 1934. He was succeeded by his follower...
in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches
black prideBlack pride is a slogan indicating pride in being black. Related movements include black nationalism and Afrocentrism.The slogan has been used in the United States by African Americans to celebrate heritage and personal pride. The black pride movement is closely linked with the developments of the...
and principles of
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. They teach that their founder Wallace Fard Muhammad was the manifestation of God (
AllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
), the
MahdiIn Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
.
After Fard's departure in June 1934, the Nation of Islam was led by
Elijah MuhammadElijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, who established Mosques called Temples, Schools named
Muhammad University of IslamMuhammad University of Islam is a Nation of Islam - affiliated preschool to 12th Grade school in the South Shore area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, located next to Mosque Maryam. Every major NOI mosque has a MUI, the schools are headed by the Nation of Islam's Ministry of Education, led by...
, businesses and large real estate holdings in the United States and abroad. The Nation of Islam has grown into one of the wealthiest and best-known organizations in black America, offering numerous programs and events designed to uplift African Americans.
The Nation of Islam produced notable leaders, such as Elijah Muhammad,
Malcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
,
Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
,
Louis FarrakhanLouis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
and Warith Deen Mohammed. The Nation of Islam's headquarter mosque,
Mosque MaryamMosque Maryam is a large mosque in Chicago, Illinois, United States and the headquarters of the Nation of Islam. It is located at 7351 South Stony Island Avenue in the South Shore area. Louis Farrakhan's headquarters are located on the premises. Originally a Greek Orthodox church, it was purchased...
(Mosque #2) is located in Chicago, IL and its leader is Minister Louis Farrakhan. Its newspaper
The Final CallThe Final Call is a newspaper published in Chicago. It was founded in 1979 by Minister Louis Farrakhan and serves as the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam.-History:...
is the last of the national
African-American newspapersAfrican American newspapers are those newspapers in the United States that seek readers primarily of African American descent. These newspapers came into existence in 1827 when Samuel Cornish and John Brown Russwurm started the first African-American periodical called Freedom's Journal...
. The Nation of Islam does not publish its membership numbers. The core membership of the Nation of Islam is believed to number between 20,000 and 50,000, but their following is believed to be larger. Most of the members are in the United States, but there are communities in other countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, France and Trinidad and Tobago.
History
The Nation of Islam was founded in Detroit, Michigan in July, 1930 by Wallace Fard Muhammad, also known as W. D. Fard Muhammad (1877–1934). The N.O.I. teaches that W. Fard Muhammad is both the "
MessiahA messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
" of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and the
MahdiIn Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
of Islam. Within one year, He had approximately 25,000 followers who knew him as Prophet W.D. Fard, at Mosque of Islam #1 (the pure true religion).
Fard's assistant minister Elijah Muhammad succeeded him as head of the movement in 1934. Because of dissension within the Detroit temple, he moved to Chicago where he established Mosque No. 2. During World War II he advised followers to avoid the draft, as a result of which he was charged with violating the Selective Service Act and was jailed (1942–46).
Muhammad slowly built up the membership of the Black Muslims through assiduous recruitment in the postwar decades. His program called for the establishment of a separate nation for black Americans and the adoption of a religion based on the worship of Allah and on the belief that blacks are his chosen people.
During this time the Nation of Islam attracted
Malcolm LittleMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, a petty criminal. While in prison for robbery from 1946 to 1952, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam. He was influenced by his brother, Reginald, who had become a member in Detroit. Malcolm quit smoking and gambling and refused to eat pork, in keeping with the Nation's dietary restrictions. In order to educate himself, he spent long hours reading books in the prison library, even memorizing a dictionary. He also sharpened his forensic skills by participating in debate classes. Following Nation tradition, he replaced his surname, “Little,” with an “X,” a custom among Nation of Islam followers who considered their family names to have originated with white slaveholders.
Malcolm rose rapidly to become the minister of Boston Temple No. 11, which he founded; he was later rewarded with the post of minister of Temple No. 7. Elijah Muhammad named Malcolm the National Representative of the Nation of Islam, second in rank to Muhammad himself. Under Malcolm's lieutenancy, the Nation claimed a membership of 500,000. Malcolm left the Nation in March 1964 and in the next month founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., claiming, "I never left the Nation of Islam of my own free will. It was they who conspired with Captain Joseph here in New York to pressure me out of the Nation."
In 1955,
Louis WalcottLouis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
joined the Nation of Islam. Following the custom of the Nation, he replaced his surname with an “X”. Louis X first proved himself at Temple No. 7 in Harlem, where he emerged as the protege of Malcolm X. Louis X was appointed head minister of Boston Temple No. 11, which Malcolm had established earlier. He was given his Muslim name, Farrakhan, by Elijah Muhammad.
After Malcolm X's break with the Nation in 1964, Farrakhan replaced Malcolm as head minister of Harlem's Temple No. 7 and as the National Representative of the Nation, the second in command of the organization. Like his predecessor, Farrakhan was a dynamic, charismatic leader and a powerful speaker with the ability to appeal to the African American masses.
Also in 1964 young boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., knocked out
Sonny ListonCharles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
to become the heavyweight champion of the world. After winning the heavyweight championship Clay announced that he joined the Nation of Islam. Clay too replaced his surname with an “X,” he was given his Muslim name,
Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
by Elijah Muhammad. Ali started a different kind of fight when he refused to acknowledge his military service after being drafted, based on the Teachings of the Nation of Islam. He said that his religious beliefs prevented him from fighting in the Vietnam War.
In 1967, Ali put his personal values ahead of his career. The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of refusing to be inducted into the military, but Ali later cleared his name after a lengthy court battle.
By the time Elijah Muhammad died in 1975, there were 75 NOI centers across America. Surprisingly, the Nation's leadership chose Wallace Muhammad, the fifth of Elijah's sons, not Louis Farrakhan, as the new Supreme Minister. He renamed the organization "The World Community of Al-Islam in the West" which later became the
American Society of MuslimsThe American Society of Muslims was a predominantly African-American association of Muslims which was the direct descendent of the original Nation of Islam. It was created by Warith Deen Mohammed after he assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father Elijah Muhammad. Imam W...
. He shunned his father's theology and black pride views, accepting whites as fellow worshipers and forging closer ties with mainstream Muslim communities in an attempt to bring the Nation of Islam closer into
Sunni IslamSunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
. W.D. Mohammed's organization would disband change names and reorganize many times. It finally dissolved in August 31, 2003, after he resigned from the leadership.
In 1977, Louis Farrakhan resigned from Warith Deen's reformed organization and decided to rebuild the original Nation of Islam upon the foundation established by Wallace Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad. In 1981 he publicly displayed the revived Nation of Islam at
Saviours' DaySaviours' Day is a holiday of the Nation of Islam commemorating the birth of its founder, Master Wallace Fard Muhammad, February 26, 1877. It was established by Elijah Muhammad....
. Louis Farrakhan traveled the nation speaking in city after city, gaining followers. Many were young black college students. Over time, Minister Farrakhan regained many of the Nation of Islam's original National properties, including the National Headquarters Mosque #2 in Chicago, IL. Currently, there are over 130 NOI mosques throughout the world.
In 1995, the Nation sponsored the
Million Man MarchThe Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
in Washington, D.C., to promote African American unity and family values. Estimates of the number of marchers, most of whom were men, ranged from 400,000 to nearly 1.1 million, making it the largest gathering of its kind in American history. Under Farrakhan's leadership, the Nation of Islam established a clinic for
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients in Washington, D.C., and helped to force drug dealers out of public housing projects and private apartment buildings in the city. It also worked with gang members in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Nation continued to promote social reform in African American communities in accordance with its traditional goals of self-reliance and economic independence.
In the early 21st century, the core membership of Farrakhan's Nation of Islam was estimated at between 10,000 and 50,000—though in the same period Farrakhan was delivering speeches that regularly attracted crowds of more than 30,000 in large cities across the United States. Under Farrakhan's leadership, the Nation was one of the fastest growing of the various Muslim movements in the country. Foreign branches of the Nation were formed in Ghana, London, Paris, and the Caribbean islands. In order to strengthen the international influence of the Nation, Farrakhan established relations with Muslim countries and, in the late 1980s, he cultivated a relationship with the Libyan dictator
Muammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. After a near-death experience in 2000 resulting from complications from prostate cancer (he was diagnosed with cancer in 1991), Farrakhan toned down his racial rhetoric and attempted to strengthen relations with other minority communities, including Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. Farrakhan also moved his group closer to orthodox Sunni Islam in 2000, when he and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the leading American orthodox Muslim, recognized each other as fellow Muslims.
Beliefs and theology
The Nation of Islam preaches adherence to the
Five Pillars of the Islamic FaithThe Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
. The NOI also teaches morality and personal decorum, emphasizing modesty, mutual respect, and discipline in dress and comportment. NOI adherents stress a healthy diet and physical fitness, do not consume pork or
alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, and do not use
drugsDestroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
or
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. However, the Nation of Islam argues that because of the unique experience of the oppression and degradation of
slaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, Elijah Muhammad used unique methods for introducing Islam to his people.
The main belief of The Nation of Islam and its followers is that there is no other God but Allah. They teach that their founder, Master Fard Muhammad was the Mahdi. and that "Allah, came in the person of
W. D. FardWallace Fard Muhammad was a minister and founder of the Nation of Islam. He established the Nation of Islam's first mosque in Detroit, Michigan in 1930, and ministered his distinctive religion there for three years, before mysteriously disappearing in June 1934. He was succeeded by his follower...
."
The official beliefs of the Nation of Islam have been outlined in books, documents, and articles published by the organization, as well as speeches by Elijah Muhammad,
Malcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, Louis Farrakhan, and other ministers. Many of Elijah Muhammad's teachings may be found in
Message to the Blackman in America and
The True History of Jesus as Taught by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Written lessons from 1930–1934 were passed from W. Fard Muhammad to his student, Elijah Muhammad. These were collected and entitled
The Supreme Wisdom. The Nation of Islam continues to teach its followers that the present world society is segmented into three distinct categories. They teach that from a general perspective, 85% of the population are the "deaf, dumb and blind" masses of the people who "are easily led in the wrong direction and hard to lead in the right direction". Those 85% of the masses are said to be manipulated by 10% of the people. Those 10% rich "slave-makers" are said to manipulate the 85% masses of the people through ignorance, the skillful use of religious doctrine, and the mass media.
The third group is referred to as the 5% "poor righteous teachers" of the people of the world, who know the truth of the manipulation of the 85% masses of the people by the 10%. The 5% "righteous teachers" are at constant struggle and war with the 10% to reach and "free the minds" of the masses of the people.
Official platform
An official Nation of Islam platform referred to as "The Muslim Program" was written by Elijah Muhammad in his book
Message to the Blackman in America (1965). The itemized platform contains two sections; "What The Muslims Want", consisting of 10 points; and "What The Muslims Believe", consisting of 12 points.
Cosmology
The NOI teaches that the Earth and Moon were once the same, and that the Earth is over 76 trillion years old. The entire land mass on the Earth was called "Asia". This was, Elijah Muhammad claims, long before Adam.
Black experience of slavery was Bible prophecy
The NOI teaches that black people constitute a nation and that through the institution of the
Atlantic slave tradeThe Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
they were systematically denied knowledge of their past history, language, culture, and religion and, in effect, lost control of their lives. Central to this doctrine, NOI theology asserts that black people’s experience of slavery was the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and therefore, black people are the seed of
AbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
referred to in the Bible, in Genesis 15:13–14:
Separatism
In a 13 April 1997 interview on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's
Meet the PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
,
Tim RussertTimothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
asked Louis Farrakhan to explain the Nation of Islam's view on separation:
Teachings on race
The Nation of Islam teaches that
Black peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
are the aboriginal people, and that all other people come from them. Louis Farrakhan has stated "If you look at the human family — now, I'm talking about black, brown, red, yellow and white — we all seem to be frozen on a subhuman level of existence. In Islam and, I believe, in Christian theology and Jewish theology as well, there are three stages of human development. The first stage is called the animalistic stage of development. But when we submit to animal passions, then we can do evil things to one another in that animalistic stage of development. But when moral consciousness comes and we have a self-accusing spirit, it is then that we become human beings. Right now, we have the potential for humanity, but we have not reached that potential, because we are functioning on the animalistic plane of existence."
In an interview on NBC's
Meet the Press, Louis Farrakhan said the following in response to host Tim Russert's question on the Nation of Islam's teachings on race:
Pressed by Russert on whether he agreed with Elijah Muhammad's preaching that whites are "blue-eyed devils", Farrakhan responded:
During the time when
Malcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
was a member and leader of the Nation of Islam, he preached that black people were genetically superior to white people but were dominated by a system of white supremacy:
The Nation of Islam teaches that intermarriage or race mixing should be prohibited. This is point 10 of the official platform, "What the Muslims Want", published 1965. Louis Farrakhan nevertheless stated in the Tim Russert interview:
The Mother Plane and Ezekiel's Wheel
Elijah Muhammad taught his followers about a Mother Plane or Wheel, a UFO that was seen and described in the visions of the prophet
EzekielEzekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
in the "
Book of EzekielThe Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
", in the
Hebrew BibleThe Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
.
Louis Farrakhan, commenting on his teacher's description said the following:
Criticisms
The first book analyzing the Nation of Islam was
The Black Muslims in America (1961) by C. Eric Lincoln. Lincoln describes the use of doctrines during religious services.
Antisemitism
The Nation of Islam has repeatedly denied charges of anti-Semitism. NOI leader Minister Louis Farrakhan has stated, "The ADL … uses the term 'anti-Semitism' to stifle all criticism of
ZionismZionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and the Zionist policies of the State of Israel and also to stifle all legitimate criticism of the errant behavior of some Jewish people toward the non-Jewish population of the earth."
Some Jewish and Christian organizations, consider the Nation of Islam to be antisemitic. Professor David W. Leinweber, Ph.D. of
Emory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
asserts that the Nation of Islam has engaged in revisionist and antisemitic interpretations of the Holocaust and that they exaggerate the role of Jews in the trans-
Atlantic slave tradeThe Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
. Leinweber and others use the original statements of Farrakhan and others as the basis for their evaluation.
The
Anti-Defamation LeagueThe Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
(ADL) alleges that NOI Health Minister, Abdul Alim Muhammad, has accused Jewish doctors of injecting Blacks with the
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
virus, an allegation which Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad has denied.
Jude Wanniski, late associate editor of the
Wall Street Journal, wrote, "I've met dozens of men and women who belong to the Nation of Islam, attended many of their conferences, and prayed with them in their Chicago mosque to the God of
AbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
,
MosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
,
JesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and Muhammed. I've concluded beyond any reasonable doubt that there is not an ounce of anti-Semitism or bigotry in Farrakhan."
Rep.
John ConyersJohn Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, D-Mich defended Minister
Louis FarrakhanLouis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
in 2004. “I’m honored to join this distinguished leader who gives hope and understanding to people all over the world, of every color, of every religion, and of every political belief,” Conyers said of Farrakhan during the 2004 “Saviours Day” celebration.
RabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
David Weiss of the Neturei Karta Orthodox Jewish community defended Minister Farrakhan, stating "The media widely reported that the Minister had referred to Judaism as a ‘gutter religion.’ This error (or distortion) was deeply troubling to the Nation of Islam."
Comparison with traditional Islam
The Nation of Islam preaches adherence to the
Five Pillars of the Islamic FaithThe Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
. 1 Belief in one God (Allah) 2 Prayer 3 Fasting 4 Charity 5 Pilgrimage (Hajj) – a Spiritual Journey
The NOI mosques have a lecture rooms that contains seats for the worshipers during sermons (males on one side and females on the other) with the prayer hall, also known as the musalla in another room for the 5 daily muslim prayers prostration.
Other doctrines of the Nation of Islam are disputed, specifically:
- God's incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
:
- NOI teaches that their founder, Master W. Fard Muhammad, is the long-awaited Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
of the Christians and the MahdiIn Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
of the Muslims."
- Traditional Sunni and Shi'a Muslim are still awaiting the coming of the Mahdi
- Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
doctrine states that the prophecies concerning the Mahdi and the second coming of Jesus have been fulfilled in the person of Mirza Ghulam AhmadMīrzā Ghulām Aḥmad was a religious figure from India and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community. He claimed to be the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah , and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days...
of Qadian (1835–1908) the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement.
- Status of the Islamic prophet Muhammad vs. other prophets:
- The Nation of Islam believes that Muhammad was the last prophet of Allah, and that Elijah Muhammad was a messenger, taught by God in the person of the Mahdi, who the NOI claim as "Master" Fard Muhammad (W. D. Fard).
- The Nation of Islam points to the Quran: "And for every nation there is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, the matter is decided between them with justice, and they are not wronged." -- Quran 10:47
- Traditional Islam teaches that Muhammad was the last of the prophet and messengers of Allah sent to mankind; there would be no more and all Muslims are to follow the teachings of the Qur'an and accept monotheism.
The Divide between NOI and Islam
While the Nation of Islam postures itself as a part of the Universal Brotherhood of Islam, Islamic organizations have distanced themselves from NOI. On March 7, 1998 the Board of Ulema of the Italian Muslim Association (AMI) issued a
fatwaA fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
against the Nation of Islam. According to the AMI, the obligatory daily five prayers of Islam are not imposed upon the members of the Nation, and the ritual bowings and prostrations have been removed from prayers. Friday service consists of a sermon by a minister with an invocation, but the congregational prayer of two
Raka'ahsRakaʿah are the prescribed movements and words followed by Muslims during salah .After turning to God in mind and ritual cleansing , the worshipper will stand quietly while reciting the first verses of the Qur'an. The second part of the rak'ah involves bowing low with hands on knees, as if...
is not held. The Islamic fast in
RamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
has been made optional and
HajjThe Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
is not required of the followers.
Contrary to Islam, NOI’s teachings prescribes discrimination and incites violence. NOI founder Farad Muhammad (W.D. Fard) taught that the white race was produced thousands of years ago in a failed laboratory experiment by an evil wizard named Yacub. They state that it is impossible for blacks and whites to co-exist.
Table of comparison of Traditional Islam and Nation of Islam:
| Belief |
Traditional Islam |
Nation of Islam |
| God |
God is one, who has no partners |
God is one, whom came in the personage of Master Fard Muhammad the long awaited Mahdi of the Muslims |
| Muhammad |
The final prophet of Islam, no one comes after him |
The final Messenger of Islam, and the long awaited Messiah and Christ of the Human Family, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad |
| Race |
All are equal regardless of color of skin, judged on behavior |
All are equal, judged on behavior but the Black Man was first |
| Creation |
God created the universe, first humans were Adam and Eve |
God created the universe, Black people are pre Adam and Eve |
| Qur'an |
Revealed to Muhammad from God through the Angel Gabriel |
Revealed to Muhammad from God through the Angel Gabriel, one part of a master book |
| Sharia law |
Sacred rules and laws of Islamic life, based on Qur'an and Sunnah |
Followed, with additional rules; no smoking, no selling of pork, no weapons, etc. |
Foreign Affiliations
NOI and Louis Farrakhan maintain extensive relationships with anti-American regimes, radical dictatorships and their leaders.
The Nation of Islam's links to Libya are well known. The Muslim group obtained substantial funds from Gaddafi, notably a $5 million loan used to pay back-taxes and costs for the home of the movement’s former leader Elijah Muhammad and a $3 million loan from Libya in the 1970’s to acquire its opulent headquarters on Chicago’s South Side.
Libya channeled funds through the
Bank of Credit and Commerce InternationalThe Bank of Credit and Commerce International was a major international bank founded in 1972 by Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani financier. The Bank was registered in Luxembourg with head offices in Karachi and London. Within a decade BCCI touched its peak...
(BCCI) based in Canada to a Libyan intelligence front in Washington. The money was funneled for the purpose of financing trips to Tripoli by the NOI and American radicals, according to a Canadian parliamentary investigation and a prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in northern Virginia.
“At least one gathering attended by Farrakhan in Libya - in violation of a travel ban imposed on Americans by President Reagan after Libya was linked to terrorist attacks in Europe - offered training seminars on weapons and explosives.” The Libyans also paid $250,000 in travel and other expenses to stage a pro-Gaddafi demonstration in which NOI played a leading role.
In 1994, the NOI leader visited
KhartoumKhartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, where he met with Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, the Sudanese head of state and Dr. Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi, who headed Sudan’s ruling party. Under al-Turabi, the
SudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
became a major source of Islamist terrorism against non-Islamist regimes in the region. Bankrolled by
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, The Sudan provided safe haven for terrorist training camps. Notorious terrorist groups including
HAMASHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
,
Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad all maintain representatives in Khartorum.
Farrakhan’s National Assistant Khalid Abdul Muhammed used the 1995 PAIC meeting to reaffirm NOI’s eventual terrorist ambitions. Upon meeting Sheikh Naim Qassem of Hezbollah after a news conference at a Khartoum hotel, Muhammed found a translator to convey his greetings.
In 1996 Farrakhan traveled to
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, as well as
LibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, at which time Gaddafi offered him an additional $1 billion. Farrakhan insisted that the money would not be used to arm his followers, despite a report from Iran that Farrakhan had said there that one day Allah will destroy Americans at the hands of Muslims. The full statement attributed to Farrakhan was,
As of 2011, Farrakhan continued to portray Gaddafi as a fellow revolutionary who has lent millions of dollars to the Nation of Islam over the years.
Propaganda Channels
Much of the information and writings distributed by NOI is classified as political
propagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
, as defined in the
Foreign Agents Registration ActThe Foreign Agents Registration Act is a United States law passed in 1938 requiring that agents representing the interests of foreign powers be properly identified to the American public. The act was passed in response to German propaganda in the lead-up to World War II...
. This propaganda is disseminated through newspapers, videos, websites, magazines and a sponsored speakers circuit.
The Final Call
The Final CallThe Final Call is a newspaper published in Chicago. It was founded in 1979 by Minister Louis Farrakhan and serves as the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam.-History:...
is a newspaper distributed by NOI in Chicago, publishing news stories on a variety of topics particularly relating to the struggle of Blacks in America. The paper has also been noted for its particularly controversial statements against the Jewish people.
“The Muslim Program”The Muslim Program is the official Nation of Islam platform written by Elijah Muhammad in his book "Message to the Blackman in America" . It is published in every issue of the NOI's newspaper, "The Final Call." The platform is divided into two sections: "What the Muslims Want" and "What the Muslims...
is published in every issue of the newspaper stating the demands of the Nation of Islam, most notably NOI’s right to a separate state from the US. They also demand freedom from prison for all Believers of Islam, freedom for any black man or woman convicted on death row, and advocate the prohibition of interracial marriage.
NOI journalists have written about everything from conspiracy theories on the murder of JFK to a CIA conspiracy to disrupt rule in Libya. Harold Muhammad, Minister of an NOI New Orleans mosque, used the paper to state that there is enough evidence that AIDS is a man-made disease being used by the US government against Blacks.
Videos
The NOI has produced a number of videos promoting anti-American sentiments. NOI video titles include "Conspiracy of the International Bankers," "Conspiracy of the U.S. Government," "Controversy with Jews," and "Which One Will You Choose, the Flag of Islam or the Flag of America?" In one video Farrakhan states, "I hasten to tell you that the precious lives that were lost in the World Trade Center was a cover, a cover for a war that had been planned to bring a pipeline through Afghanistan to bring oil from that region, oil owned by Unocal, of which Dick Cheney is a stock holder."
Farrakhan’s videos also address the US military. During the Millions March in Harlem, Farrakhan discussed the Fort Hood shootings as he addressed the crowd.
Controversy over the availability of NOI videos and writings surfaced on June 15, 2011 when Representative
Peter King-Politics:*Peter King , Australian politician*Peter T. King , U.S. Republican Congressman from New York*Peter King , British politician*Peter King, 1st Baron King -Politics:*Peter King (Australian politician) (born 1952), Australian politician*Peter T. King (born 1944), U.S. Republican...
, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security hosted a hearing titled “The Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons.” During the hearing, former Bureau of Prisons director Harley Lappin testified on the extreme susceptibility of radicalization of inmates through propaganda efforts of groups like NOI. Testimony included discussion of an incident in which two radicalized converts planned a terrorist attack on a military facility in Seattle. The suspects had met in prison and had converted to Islam while there.
In July 2011, Representatives Peter King and Frank Wolf ordered a review of all anti-American materials printed by the Nation of Islam available within the US Board of Prisons. Worried that prisoners were being radicalized by Farrakhan, Reps. Peter King and Frank Wolf asked U.S. Bureau of Prisons Acting Director Thomas Kane to remove Nation of Islam material from prisons and to audit all other Islamic texts and sermons made available to inmates.
NOI Website
The Nation of Islam uses its website to subvert its audience by publishing writings focused on the Islamic tenets of peace intermixed with extremist language. The website hosts “Study Guide 21” a guide to self-improvement and a critique of the Bible, in which Farrakhan refers to the Bible as “The Poison Book.”
While in speeches Farrakhan can preach the Islamic tenets of peace, his writings quickly become radical.
Truth Establishment Institute
The NOI sponsors a speaking circuit called the “Truth Establishment Institute” (TEI) and an online newsletter entitled “The Enlightener.” The TEI is an independently funded and administered entity committed to “the creation of a free, justified and equal society.” They aim to accomplish their mission through the creation of an informed public as well as through preservation and protection of human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of ideas. The TEI posts reviews of anti-semitic books and publishes books alleging Jewish control of the slave trade. The site also posts “factual analysis” and “truth outlets” to further their rhetoric. They manage a circuit of 11 speakers affiliated with NOI including Ashahed M. Muhammad, assistant editor of “The Final Call” magazine and Malik Zulu Shabazz, National Chairman of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.
Noted current and former members and associates of Nation of Islam
- Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
- Tynetta Muhammad
Tynetta Muhammad is a longtime member and columnist for the Nation of Islam . Known as Tynetta Muhammad, she writes the weekly column, Unveiling the Number 19 in the NOIs official newspaper The Final Call. She was a speaker at the Million Man March in October 1995 in Washington, DC. A former NOI...
- Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
- Khalid Abdul Muhammad
Khalid Abdul Muhammad was an African American activist who came to prominence as the National Assistant to Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam . After a 1993 speech at Kean College Khalid was condemned and removed from his position in the Nation of Islam by Louis Farrakhan...
- Khadijah Farrakhan
Khadijah Farrakhan, or Mother Khadijah, birth name Betsy Ross, is the wife of Louis Farrakhan, the Supreme Leader of the Nation of Islam. She is also known as the First Lady of the Nation of Islam.-Biography:...
- Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
- Later converted to Sunni IslamSunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
- Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
– Later converted to Sunni IslamSunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
in 1975 and started to practice SufismSufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
in 2005
- Mustapha Farrakhan
Mustapha Farrakhan is the Supreme Captain of the Nation of Islam. His is the son of Louis Farrakhan and Khadijah Farrakhan, and the father of Mustapha Farrakhan Jr....
- Supreme Captain of the Nation of Islam
- Mustapha Farrakhan Jr.
Mustapha Farrakhan Jr., also known as Li'l Mu, born in Harvey, Illinois is an American basketball player for the Virginia Cavaliers. He attended Thornton Township High School. He is a grandson of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and Khadijah Farrakhan, and the son of Mustapha Farrakhan, a...
- Warith Deen Mohammed – Later converted to Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
- Clarence 13X
Clarence 13X, born Clarence Jowars Smith was the founder of the The Five Percenters and was referred to by members of that group as Allah or the Father.-Biography:...
- Later formed the Nation of Gods and Earths
- MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:...
– Later converted to Islam
- Kam (rapper)
Kam is an American political emcee known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s. Born in Los Angeles, he is considered an esteemed West Coast underground rapper. He is known for his Nation of Islam-influenced lyrics and membership, and affiliation with his cousin, fellow...
- member of the Nation of Islam and former associate of Ice CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
- John Allen Muhammad
John Allen Muhammad was a spree killer from the United States. He, along with his younger partner, Lee Boyd Malvo, carried out the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, killing at least 10 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert...
– The Beltway Sniper, Gulf war veteran, former NOI member
- Benjamin Chavis Muhammad
Benjamin Chavis is an African American civil rights leader. Dr. Chavis was born Benjamin Franklin Chavis, Jr. on January 22, 1948 in Oxford, North Carolina. In his youth, Dr. Chavis was an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who inspired him to work in the civil rights movement. Dr...
- JT The Bigga Figga
JT the Bigga Figga born Joseph Tom is a hip hop producer/rapper from San Francisco, California's Fillmore neighborhood. The popularity of his self-released Playaz n' the Game led to his signing with Priority Records in 1995....
- Paris
Oscar Jackson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Paris is an American rapper from San Francisco, California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious lyrics...
- left and became an agnostic
- Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
The Nation of Gods and Earths
The Nation of Gods and Earths is an offshoot of the Nation of Islam founded in 1964 in Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Clarence Smith. He was commonly known as
Clarence 13XClarence 13X, born Clarence Jowars Smith was the founder of the The Five Percenters and was referred to by members of that group as Allah or the Father.-Biography:...
. Gods and Earths hold events known as Universal Parliaments in various cities—usually once a month—to build on their interpretation of the Supreme Mathematics, lessons, and to discuss business concerning the Nation.
See also
- Black separatism
Black separatism is a movement to create separate institutions for people of African descent in societies historically dominated by whites, particularly in the United States. Black separatists also often seek a separate homeland...
- Black supremacy
The term black supremacy is a blanket term for various ideologies which hold that black people are superior to people of other races.-Overview:...
- Afrocentrism
Afrocentrism is cultural ideology mostly limited to the United States, dedicated to the history of Black people a response to global racist attitudes about African people and their historical contributions by revisiting this history with an African cultural and ideological center...
- The Final Call
The Final Call is a newspaper published in Chicago. It was founded in 1979 by Minister Louis Farrakhan and serves as the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam.-History:...
- Fruit of Islam
The Fruit of Islam , or "Fruit" for short, is the male-only paramilitary wing of the Nation of Islam . The Fruit of Islam wear distinctive blue or white uniforms and caps and have units at all NOI temples. Louis Farrakhan, as head of the Nation of Islam, is commander-in-chief of the Fruit of Islam,...
(FOI)
- The Hate That Hate Produced
The Hate That Hate Produced is a television documentary about the Nation of Islam. It was produced in 1959 by Mike Wallace and Louis Lomax.-Background:...
- History of the Nation of Islam
- NOI: 1930–1975 :The original Nation of Islam was founded in Detroit in the United States of America in 1930s by Wallace Fard Muhammad. Wallace Fard Muhammad , is believed by the NOI to be “the long-awaited Messiah of the Christians and the Mahdi of the Muslims”...
- Islam in the African diaspora
- List of topics related to Black and African people
- Moorish Science Temple of America
The Moorish Science Temple of America is an American organization founded in the early 20th century by Timothy Drew. He claimed it was a sect of Islam but he also drew inspiration from Buddhism, Christianity, Freemasonry, Gnosticism and Taoism....
- Muslim Girls Training (MGT)
Muslim Girls Training & General Civilization Class is the all-female training program of the Nation of Islam. It is often considered to be the counterpart for girls and women to the Fruit of Islam.-History:...
- The Nation of Gods and Earths
The Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE or NOGE, the Five-Percent Nation, or the Five Percenters is an American organization founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, a former student of Malcolm X, who left his mosque...
- Nation of Islam and antisemitism
- Zebra Murders
The "Zebra" murders were a string of racially motivated murders that took place in San Francisco, California, from October 1973 to April 1974....
- UFO religion
UFO religion is an informal term used to describe a religion that equates UFO occupants with gods or other semi-divine beings. Typically, the UFO occupants are held to be extraterrestials and that humanity either currently is, or eventually will become, part of a preexisting extraterrestrial...
External links