The Nation of Islam The Lost/Found People of God: Descendents of God

The Forerunner Timothy Drew founded the Moorish-Science movement which had some Muslim practices wearing Fezzes, used the Qur'an, chose Muslim names and denied certain fundamental Christian beliefs.

The man with a mission His movement was a mixture of "Black nationalism and Christian revivalism with an awkward, confusing admixture of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad." Noble Drew Ali taught that blacks were no longer blacks or Negroes but "Moorish- Americans" which was a claim to Islam.

The movement spread to Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago and to some places in the South. However, after his death in 1929 the movement lurched along.

The Nation of Islam The Religion for the Black Man The Original Man

Wallace Fard Wallace Fard claimed to have come from the “Holy City of Mecca on a mission of redemption and restoration of the Black underclass. He founded the Black Muslims.

Some of His Teachings He taught that the Black African Diaspora were all of Muslim heritage,” and were the “lost-found members of the tribe of Shabazz.” He called whites “blue- eyed devils.” He claimed that whites used “tricknology” to exploit blacks. Human culture began in Africa. He dropped the Western names and used X instead. He founded the University of Islam in Detroit. Fard disappeared in 1934 and was later elevated to a divine status.

Elijah Elijah Muhammad, born Elijah Poole in Sandersville, GA on Oct. 7, He was one of 13 children born to a Baptist preacher and his wife; what he learned about Islam "early" was from Wallace Fard. He revived Islam in the US.

NOI Main Points Origin of the Black man/woman Origin of the White man/woman The Place of Islam and Christianity Remuneration End Times

Origin of the Black Man/Woman The Black man and woman is a god and a goddess Blacks are the original man. Blacks are asleep and ignorant of their true nature

Origin of Caucasians Mr. Yacub grafted the Devil (Caucasians) Mr. Yacub, who had rebelled against God, "extracted the negative from the black man, and grafted a manlike creature out of pure concentrate of evil. The white man 'is the negative side of the original nature.'" God has given the devil a respite (that's why there is so much evil.)

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism Islam is the religion of the Black man Christianity is the religion of the Devil Judaism has been referred to as a “gutter” religion by Louis Farrakhan the current leader of the NOI NOI is said to be anti-Semitic There is friction between the NOI and the Jewish community.

NOI “Reparations” NOI wanted at first to be completely separated from whites as a sovereign nation [10% population = 5 states (southern)]. However, now they want to exist independently within America much like the Amish "self-supporting, autonomous in religious matters and politically quietist."

End Times The NOI is living at the end of time now (Apocalypse) America is doomed and Allah will rescue the faithful

The Wants and Beliefs of the NOI Here is the website stating the beliefs of the NOI

The Pivotal Figure Malcolm X was a pivotal figure in the NOI. Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, NE. He was the son of a Baptist preacher who was active in Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association.

El Hajj Malik El Shabbaz Malcolm broke away from the NOI and founded his own organization. He moved toward internationalization of the plight of African Americans. He also moved toward mainstream Islam. He was assassinated in 1965 at the orders, so some believe, of Elijah Muhammad.

The Death of the Minister In 1975 Elijah Muhammad died His son Wallace D Muhammad took over.

Changes of Wallace D Muhammad He immediately made changes and 1. he did away with the doctrine of black racial superiority taught by Elijah Muhammad. 2. he redefined Fard as a wise man and not God himself. 3. he restored Malcolm X's legacy as a respected and prominent member. 4. He separated business from religious practices.

In addition He changed the name of the NOI, first the Bilalian Community, then to the World Community of Al- Islam in the West, to the American Muslim Mission (1980s), and finally to the Muslim Mission (1990s). 5. He ended the desire for a separate state. 6. He honored the US Constitution. 7. Lastly, he aligned the NOI doctrine with Orthodox Islam.

“Each change was an effort to make the organization and it's members adhere to strict, traditional Islamic principles and to exclude race, nationalism, and racial images of God and prophets from theory and worship.” 17 The Muslim Mission now holds orthodox Islamic views and is accepted as part of the traditional Islamic community. 18

The previous 4 slides Source - Created by Jan Dodoo. Special thanks to Loryn Lawson who created an earlier version of this page, For Soc 452: Sociology of Religious Movements Spring Term, 2000 University of Virginia

The Split The Nation of Islam and The Muslim Mission

1977 In 1977 Louis Farrakhan was dissatisfied with the changes and founded the Original Nation of Islam, now known as Nation of Islam. Louis Farrakhan The Current Leader of the NOI

Slide 23 – Slide 15 – hics/malcolm.jpg hics/malcolm.jpg Slide 16 – yofmalcolmx.jpg yofmalcolmx.jpg