Nation of Islam 2.0

8/12/2019 Nation of Islam 2.0

1/38

The Nation of Islam

By Carlton Causey & John January

World Religions 110-DO1

J

E


2/38

Understanding the NOIs Belie

The movements doctrine cannot be truly understood withostudying the sociological and cultural soil from which the NOthe mention of slavery among certain black people, and the of a few black leaders who promoted black nationalism. Acontributions preceded and influenced the rise of the NOI.


3/38

Black Nationalism

Black Nationalism: Consciousness of who blacks are as a people; knotheir true origin (knowledge of self); a sense of their ultimate purposein some cases a desire to set up an independent state in Africa for theof African Americans, with an independent economy, commerce, andpower.

Black Nationalist Credo: Red for the blood of the race, black for the race, and green for an independent homeland.


4/38

Forerunners of the NOI

The 19th

centurys cultural, political, and religious soil produearly 20thcentury black nationalist activists - Marcus GarveyNoble Drew Ali, who in turn influenced the social and religiosystem of the NOI.

Marcus Garveys Universal Negro Improvement Associationand the Moorish Science Templeof Noble Drew Ali were, in the political and religious forerunners of the NOI. Some schobelieve that Garveys movement emphasized more the politsocial, while Alis group was largely religious and esoteric.


5/38

Marcus GarveyThe Black M(1887-1940)

Marcus Garvey, who was born on August 17 th,188Jamaica, is most known as the man who had fashimovement in the history of the African American.

the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIAmillions of lower-class African Americans to a sensself containment both commercially and educatio

Though Garvey did not possess a theology that idemovement, his goal was to ally himself with theolofaiths who shared his view that anything white wblacks. He joined and practiced Prince Hall Freemablacks) which played an important role in moldingthe UNIA.

Garveys vision was to move African Americans baof Africa in a fifty-year time span. He firmly believaim! One destiny! and that all Africans were the tancient Egyptian civilization.

Of all the black leaders, Marcus Garvey would be tupon leaders of the NOI. His independent commedesire for a separate state, his ideology that saw winferior race, and his support of a black God were trademarks of the NOI.


6/38


7/38


8/38

Noble Drew Ali - The Prophet(1886-1929)

Timothy Drew was born on January 8 th, 1886 in Clinton, Sampson County, NorthCarolina. Accounts of Drews ancestry describe him being the adopted son of a tribe ofCherokee Native Americans.

In 1902, during his early teenage years, he became a merchant sea mariner and traveledto Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. Tradition has it that on a visit to North Africa,Timothy Drew received a mission from the King of Morocco to teach Islam to theNegroes in the United States.

In 1913, the Moorish Science Temple of America was established after Ali moved toNewark, New Jersey. Considering numbers alone, the Moorish Science Temple was notas influential as the Garveyite movement.

Early on, Ali was obsessed with the esoteric philosophies of the East. He was initiatedinto Freemasonry, ascending past the 33rdDegree to become an honorary member ofthe Shriners and the Rosicrucians.

According to Ali, Morocco was the place of origin for all blacks, who he called Asiatics,and that all white people were of European decent. He taught that blacks were, in

reality, the Moors - a tribe of Africans (Moabites) that inhabited the north and southwestern shores of Africa. In the 8thcentury C.E., they conquered parts of Spain andbrought with them the religion of Islam to the West.

Noble Drew Alis institution of a Moorish heritage for blacks, separation in the context ofreligion, and the ultimate destruction of the oppressors were all answers to thefundamental problem facing black people in his time. Through his movement, he wenton to give thousands of African Americans identity, social and religious adhesion, andhope for the future. He is known by the Moorish Science Temple and latter-daymembers of the NOI simply as The Prophet of Allah.


9/38


10/38


11/38


12/38


13/38

Wallace D. FardThe Strange(1877-1934)

Wallace D. Fard (pronounced Farrad) is the fIslam. Very little is actually known about his lifand speculations.

Fard arrived in Detroit, Michigan on July 4th, 1background and used several different aliases

Detroit where it is said he had as many as 8,0034. He disappeared in 1934 under unknown ci

During his first appearance in 1910, before colikely came under the influence of Marcus Garwith Noble Drew Ali (Fard claimed to be a rein

Contrary to popular belief, not all blacks were Black leaders from other organizations saw Fadangerous to the well-being of society. They eto keep pressure on him and his movement.

Whatever may be said of W. D. Fard, one thingmassive black nationalist movement and becablack community in the span of a few years. ToMaster Fard Muhammad, Allah in person, God


14/38

Teachings of W

Marcus Garvey and Noble Drew Aliupon FardsNation of Islam. He incprophecies, various books on Freemmystical Islam, the Jehovahs witneJoseph Rutherford, and Christian B

through the preacher Frank Norris framework.

His message was characterized by hfullest measure the environment ophysical and socio-economic difficuillustrate a new teaching that, in thfrom the divine.

Fard taught that blacks are actuallywandering in the wilderness of Nothey are the original people of the ontologically superior to the white

thought to be an inferior race that the black man and lost their originaoriginal homeland of black people that Arabic was their native languatrue religion.

Fardscontroversial remarks about grounded not only in the influenceMarcus Garvey. There is an interestwhite race in the doctrinal annals ocentral concept of the NOIthe crby the evil scientist Yakub.


15/38

Yakub: Creation of the White Ra

The story of Yakub is the central myth of theexplains the origin of the white race and offfor its hateful and domineering nature. It the theological ground for the NOI to state tone day destroy the whites in the battle of A

W. D. Fard taught Elijah Muhammad that thgods and the black race goes back about 76Throughout this history, there were experimperformed by rebellious gods and other permost popular being Yakub). Over 66 trillion yof the gods attempted to destroy the Earth wexplosion. The experiment failed but did crachunk, which became the moon. During thisFard, the Asiatic black nation (called the Tribdiscovered the rich valley along the Nile Rivthere.

According to Master Fard Muhammad, Yaku6,600 years ago 20 miles outside of Mecca. life, he became an evil scientist, who, in rebhis people, started a series of genetic expercreate a new man from the original man thrbreeding and birth-control process called g

Th H bl Elij h M h d Th M


16/38

The Honorable Elijah MuhammadThe Messenger(1897-1975)

Elijah Poole was born October 7th, 1897, in Sandersville, GA as one of 13siblings. Since both his parents were sharecroppers, he grew up during theoppression of blacks by whites. His formal education was minimal, onlylearning the bare rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic before hehad to go to the fields to help his family earn a living.

Since his father was a Baptist Minister, he grew up as the preachers sonand received special treatment from people in the churches where hisfather preached. Elijah came to love the Bible through his fathers sermonsand studied the Bible frequently, often to the point of despair for notbeing able to understand it as he would have liked.

Occasionally, he and his father engaged in theological debates when Elijahdiscovered flaws in logic and biblical errors. He believed something wasmissing, from his fathers preaching, some hidden truth that had not beenmade clear.

As a youth, Elijah exhibited a tell it like it is mentality when it came toChristianity. Theological disagreements with his father resulted in him notwanting to become a member of the church unless he fully understoodthe churchs doctrine.

During this time Elijah grew up quickly, unfortunately being exposed to theevils of white society and its violent treatment of blacks, which played animportant role in his view of Christianity and American society. Thesetraumatic experiences produced psychological wounds on Elijah and didmuch to validate what his teacher, W. D. Fard, would later instill in him.


17/38


18/38

Teachings of Elijah Muhammad

Elijahs experiences as a child at the hands of whiteracism, his economic and emotional suffering as a youngman during the Great Depression trying to support hisfamily, his distaste for Christianity, and his meeting W. D.Fard, all contributed to his interpretation of religion and

the world around him. Most of his teachings were drawn from the doctrinal well

of Noble Drew Ali (sometimes with variations) and histeacher, W. D. Fard. Elijah did not believe in the Allah ofthe Quran and traditional Islam. Additionally, he wastedno time in attacking Christianity. Elijah taught thatChristianity is the white mans religion and that it onlyserved the white mans oppression of so-calledNegroes; justifying their brutality and violence of Allahspeople.

His temple speeches and books are filled with mockery ofbasic Christian doctrinal teachings, replacing Jesus withFard, prophecies of his return, the creation of the whiterace by Yakub, their destruction by the Mother Plane atthe end of days, and the resurrection of the mentallydead Asiatic black nation by Allah. Ultimately histeachings are neither Christianity nor traditional Islam.

M l l X El H jj M lik


19/38

Malcolm XEl Hajj Malik (1925-1965)

Malcolm Little was born May 19th, 1925 in Ochildhood was filled with misery as he and hfrom abuse by their parents. At the age of 6streetcar accident. Four of his six brothers dthree at the hands of white men. Malcolms

played a profound part in shaping his ideolofor conversion to Elijah Muhammads Lost-F

It was in prison from 1947-48 that he had cothe teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhain philosophy, Christian/Islamic theology, woJehovahs Witnesses literature.

While lying in bed in his cell on night, Malcospiritual presence. He was convinced that itdeceased Master Fard Muhammad that app

For the next 3-4 years, Malcolm was instrumfellow inmates to Fards teachings. He utilizedebate competitions to hone his skills towarthe premier spokesperson and apologist for

In August 1952, Malcolm received parole anhear Elijah Muhammad preach. He changed(the X meant he no long identified with hiyears later, he became the minister of Temp

and Temple #7 in New York.


20/38

On June 5, 1959, Malcolm embarked on a Middle Eastern tour ofthe Muslim world. Evidencing his importance and rise to powerwithin the NOI, he was treated as a dignitary while in Egypt.

Malcolm moved to Saudi Arabia where he was rudely awakenedby the first seeds of contradiction as he witnessed the legalenslavement of Africans by Saudis.

The combination of putting up with contradictions betweentraditional Islam and the NOI, fighting the turmoil caused byElijah Muhammads infidelity, his unsuccessful plea forreinstatement after he was suspended from his position in theNOI in 1963, and reports of threats on his life and family bymembers of the NOI left Malcolm with no choice but to leavethe organization.

On April 13, 1964, Malcolm set out to make the Hajj (sacred

pilgrimage to Mecca). Not long after this, his name was changedto El Hajj Malik El Shabazz and he converted from Fardian Islamto Sunni Islam, emphasizing that Islam embraced all people ofevery race and color.


21/38

Teachings of Malcolm X

As a temple speaker, Malcolm was explosive. Hiremarks about white people and Christianity sorecognition as a leader.

From Malcolms perspective, his prison-time stutext, especially the Bible, led him to believe thablack man, Ezekiels Wheel is the Mother Plane half-mile spaceship carrying bombs for ArmageBook of Revelation foretells the total destructiorace through Allahs (Fards) use of the Mother

Malcolms social, political, and theological teachthroughout the 1950s and early 1960s. He rejeintegration, ridiculed the white mans governmeattacked the central doctrines of Christianity.

Likening the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to thMoses, Malcolm praised him as the one who shto freedom and deliverance, as well as the one away from integrating with the white system.

He taught that the three gods (the Trinity) of threligion were an abomination in Allahs sight, anChristianity revered only the white mans desireoriginal man, the black Asiatic race.


22/38


23/38


24/38


25/38

Minister Louis FarrakhanCurrent Leader Of The NOI

Malcolm X was assassinated when Louis Farrakhan (atthe time known as Louis X) was minister of the BostonMosque and a rising star in the movement. In 1967,Elijah Muhammad made Farrakhan the national

spokesperson for the NOI. Through Farrakhan, Elijah campaigned to attract the

upper echelons of black society. As the NOI rose in landholdings, commercial businesses, and national-scaleindustries in the early 1970s, the image that ElijahMuhammad brought to his movement was even moreappealing in the public eye than when the movementbegan to flourish from the mid-1940s into the 1950s.

Farrakhans speeches and sermons were characterizedby the usual rhetoric about white devils, theirdestruction in the coming war of Armageddon, the fall ofAmerica, the uselessness of the white mans religion, theteachings of Allah (Fard) and his chosen messenger(Elijah Muhammad), and the need of all NOI followers tolive healthy and clean lives.

To this day, he continues his role as head of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam, claiming to be divinely chosen to

carry on the work of W. D. Fard and Elijah Muhammad.

Other Leaders & Splinter Groups of the NOI


26/38

Other Leaders & Splinter Groups of the NOI

In the years when Elijah Muhammad was still alive and following his death, severalsplinter groups formed. The leaders of these sects, for one reason or another feltthe need to break away from the Messengers teachings or to restore theMessengers teachings after his death.

Under Warith Deen Muhammads leadership Fard was de-deified, whites wereallowed to join, the Mother Plane did not exist, the Fruit of Islam was abolished,

and the NOIs stand on racial separation was a thing of the past. He renamed theNation of Islam the World Community of Islam in the West. His father, ElijahMuhammad, was no longer considered the Messenger of Allah. He auctioned offthe movements newspaper, farming projects, and other properties to bring hisfathers organization out of debt.

John Muhammads Nation of Islam claims to be the original NOI. He states that sincehe is Elijah Muhammads brother, he therefor is the lawful heir and leader of FardsNOI. John Muhammad continues faithful to the Messengers teachings and claimsto have seen Fard, who continues to speak through him.

Silas Muhammad leads the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in Atlanta, Georgia. The

group broke away from the NOI when Elijah Muhammad died.

The Hanafi Muslims follow Sunni Islam, breaking away from Elijah Muhammadsteachings while he was still alive.

Clarence 13X broke away from the Messenger to form The Five-Percent Nation (alsoknown as The Five Percenters or The Nation of Gods and Earths), which is probablythe most popular among all the groups that split away from the NOI because itsinfluence gave rise to the entire genre of Hip-Hop music and culture in the 1980s upuntil now.

The United Nation of Islam was founded by a man named Solomon. It continues the

Allah in the flesh theology but instead names Solomon as Almighty God in person.


27/38

The Bible & Quran of the NOI

The NOIs theology starts with the social condition of thetime in which its theology was birthed. It could beinterpreted as an expression of protest against the whiteestablishment.

The NOIs theology is a mixture mainly of Christianity andIslam, but it is neither Christianity or Islam. It utilizesChristian and Islamic terms and draws from the Bible andthe Quran, but its definitions of many of those terms arenot those of the Bible or the Quran. For this reason, it isprotested by Christians and orthodox Muslims.

Elijah Muhammad and his disciples have no regard about

the historical contexts of either the Bible or the Quran;the scriptures are not regarded as being literal orhistorical events of the past. They say the Bible is acorrupt and poison book, while the Quran is perfect andholy, but both can teach truth if interpreted by theMessenger (Elijah Muhammad), who in turn receivedproper interpretation from Allah (Fard).


28/38

The Theology of Time: God(s) of the

Straying very far away from traditional Islam, the NOI cGod is a finite being with human characteristics. In the the black God created himself out of total darkness. Heonly being in the universe. In Elijahs cosmology, the Eacreated about 76 trillion years ago. This is also around

when the first atom that birthed God moved in time. God as the Original Man: The first God was a manhe

original black man, the first God and the first human beever exist. Alluding to Genesis 1:26, Elijah Muhammad that since God created man in his own image and likenmust then be a man. Muhammad reasons further that scriptures God acts with all five senses. God, then, mushuman being.

God as the Black Race: Allah is the Black Race in a cosense. On the one hand, it refers to the first God, a blacwho came into existence eons ago out of darkness. On

hand, the original man is the black race. For this reasonfollowers believe themselves to be Gods.

Fard as The Supreme God Allah: According to Elijah MW. D. Fard is the present God. His wisdom is infinite acame to end the 6,000 year rule of the white race. Todaworships Almighty God, Allah, who appeared in the peMaster Fard Muhammad. The NOI draws parallels betwFardsministry and Jesus ministry. Any interpretations being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies predbirth and ministry are removed and replaced with Fard


29/38

The Fruit of Islam (FOI)

The Fruit of Islam is the name given to themilitary training of the men (predominantlyyoung males) that belong to Islam in NorthAmerica. It was created by W. D. Fard in 1933to help defend the members of the NOI and allothers.

The FOI existed until the death of ElijahMuhammad in 1975. When Warith DeenMuhammad took control of the Nation of

Islam he disbanded the Fruit. The organizationwas then reorganized by Farrakhan when hereestablished the NOI.

According to one Nation of Islam website: Theresponsibility of the FOI is that of head of thehouse: protection, provision and maintenanceof the Nation of Islam (all original people).


30/38


31/38


32/38


33/38


34/38


35/38

The Million Man March

The Million Man March was a massive gathering of African Americans in Washingto

October 16, 1995. The National African American Leadership Summit and the NatioIslam worked in conjunction alongside local chapters of the NAACP to make the Ma

This assembly of black men was organized and hosted by Farrakhan who called for aAfrican American men to come to the nations capital to address the problems of thcommunity and call for unity and revitalization of African American communities.

Besides the keynote address by Minister Farrakhan, several prominent speakers addthat gathered at the Washington Mall including civil rights activists and musicians.

The message of most of the speeches called for black men to "bring the spirit of Goyour lives. These marchers were also encouraged to register to vote to build black power.


36/38


37/38

Sources


38/38

Sources The Supreme Wisdom: Solution To The So-Called Negroes Problems by Elijah Muhammad

Yakub: The Father of Mankind by Elijah Muhammad

The Theology of Time by Elijah Muhammad

The Fall of America by Elijah Muhammad

The Secrets of Freemasonry by Elijah Muhammad

The God Tribe of Shabazz - The True History by Elijah Muhammad

The Mother Plane by Elijah Muhammad

The True History of Master Fard Muhammad by Elijah Muhammad

The Golden Age of the Moors by Ivan Van Sertima

The Sufis by Idries Shah

The Five Percenters: Islam, Hip-Hop and the Gods of New York by Michael MuhammadKnight

Selected Writings and Speeches of Marcus Garvey by Marcus Garvey

By Any Means Necessary (Malcolm X Speeches and Writings) by Malcolm X

Servants of Allah: African Muslims enslaved in the Americas by Slyviane A. Diouf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_

ation_of_Islam

http://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran

http://www.dralimelbey.com/mooris

of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.moorishsciencetemple.or

http://www.noi.org/noi-history/

http://www.moorishsciencetempleof

History.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/me

of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htm

http://www.noibaltimore.org/foi.sht

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of

http://sacreddriftmoc.wordpress.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviour

http://www.examiner.com/article/na

unveils-unique-history

http://www.noi.org/about-million-m

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/millio

http://newsone.com/2062043/million

http://rvbeypublications.com/id102.h

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-Per
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_theology_of_the_Nation_of_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_theology_of_the_Nation_of_Islamhttp://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran.htmlhttp://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.moorishsciencetemple.org/http://www.noi.org/noi-history/http://www.moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.com/MoorishHistory.htmlhttp://www.moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.com/MoorishHistory.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.noibaltimore.org/foi.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of_Islamhttp://sacreddriftmoc.wordpress.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviours'_Dayhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.blackpast.org/aah/million-man-march-1995http://newsone.com/2062043/million-man-march/http://rvbeypublications.com/id102.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-Percent_Nationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-Percent_Nationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-Percent_Nationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-Percent_Nationhttp://rvbeypublications.com/id102.htmlhttp://newsone.com/2062043/million-man-march/http://www.blackpast.org/aah/million-man-march-1995http://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.noi.org/about-million-man-march/http://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://www.examiner.com/article/nation-of-islam-exhibit-unveils-unique-historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saviours'_Dayhttp://sacreddriftmoc.wordpress.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of_Islamhttp://www.noibaltimore.org/foi.shtmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13858467-418/fruit-of-islam-nation-of-islams-security.htmlhttp://www.moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.com/MoorishHistory.htmlhttp://www.moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.com/MoorishHistory.htmlhttp://www.noi.org/noi-history/http://www.noi.org/noi-history/http://www.noi.org/noi-history/http://www.moorishsciencetemple.org/http://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://www.dralimelbey.com/moorish-holy-temple-of-science-of-the-world.htmlhttp://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran.htmlhttp://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_theology_of_the_Nation_of_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_theology_of_the_Nation_of_Islam

Documents

Nation of Islam 2.0