Voices - THE NATION OF ISLAM: A CONCISE HISTORY; A TRUE ACCOUNT
NATION OF ISLAM: A CONCISE HISTORY; A TRUE ACCOUNT
Fahim A. Knight
Elijah Muhammad & Malcolm X
Keeping-It-Real
The Nation of Islam has always been an interesting organization to cover as a topic of discussion, as far as, its history, politics, theology, etc., and ordinarily it has always had its apologist and detractors debating either the correctness of the Nation of Islam’s theology or its historical relevance as an organization. This writer as CEO of KEEPING REAL THINK TANK I am constantly asked about whether or not there exist any affiliation between myself, the Think Tank and the Nation of Islam and this writer often does not know how people will come to associate my KEEPING IT REAL THINK Tank with the Nation of Islam; the Nation of Islam is a religious based organization and we are not. Our primary mission is research; thus, looking at issues that affect African and African Americans, I must admit we do share that common thread but most of our research is multifaceted in intellectual scope , if it had to be categorized, it would fall perhaps in the category of "conspiracy theory" (although we do not accept nor recognize that term). We have more of an on-line Caucasian audience that follows our blogs than African Americans, but our philosophical base will not change.
The Nation of Islam was founded by Master W.F. Fard Muhammad on July 4, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan. He was born in the Holy City of Mecca, Saudi Arabia on February 26, 1877 and it has been recorded that Master Fard Muhammad was in and out of America, for some twenty (20) years prior to making his presences known to the Lost-Found black man and black woman of America whom he called the ‘Lost Tribe of Shabazz’. He said, “My name is W. F. Muhammad, I came to North America by myself" to reclaim and redeem black people whom he referred to as his 'uncle' he stated, "My uncle (referring to the African American) was brought over here by the Trader 379 years ago; my uncle can not talk his own language”; “he doesn’t know he is my uncle" Master Fard Muhammad claimed to have been from the Quraish tribe of Mecca, the same ethnic group that Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) belonged. (Reference: Elijah Muhammad; “Student Enrollment lessons for Register Muslims only).
He arrived in Detroit, Michigan and took on many aliases such as W.D Fard, Wallace Douglas, Mr. Ford, etc., which to protect his identity, but he began to teach door-to-door in one of the worst ghettos in America at that time in Detroit known as Paradise Valley. Moreover, many African Americans had migrated from the Deep South—Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, etc., to big urban metropolis like Detroit (Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, Newark, Baltimore) escaping racism, Jim Crow laws and were in search of economic, political and social relief and mobility. Many of these blacks were steeped in the Christian tradition; in particular the Pentecostal Church tradition---where salvation involved fire and brimstone sermons, Holy Ghost experiences, shouting, healing, speaking in tongues, anointing, etc., were common religious practices in the Christian Southern tradition. This was the Christian tradition we lived and the Bible was literally interpreted and there was no compromise when it came to God (the father), Jesus (the Son) and Holy Ghost. They often attended Church services seven (7) days a week and many blacks took these social and cultural norms with them to the north. Thus, we witness the southern rural backwoods church transition evolved into the storefront churches in the new urban cities. (Reference: C. Eric Lincoln: “Race Religion and the Continuing American Dilemma”)
This background is important to understanding the black religious experience in America and how other social and religious institutions formulated. The sociologist C. Eric Lincoln perhaps in 1961 wrote one of the most definitive books on the Nation of Islam and Black Muslim movement; titled, "The Black Muslims in America". Lincoln had acquired a Ph.D in theology from Boston University and was given some access by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to carryout his scholarly investigation by being allowed to attend Mosque (Temple) meetings in the Boston area, to talk with Muslim believers, and had reasonable access to the Nation of Islam leadership. (Reference: C. Eric Lincoln: “The Black Muslims in America; third edition).
Minister Malcolm X, the National Representative of Elijah Muhammad who had spent considerable time in the Boston area organizing Temple Number 12 and it was Malcolm X who recommended and named Louis X (Farrakhan) as the Minister over the Boston Temple and he also gave interviews to C. Eric Lincoln.
I had the opportunity to sit under Larry 4X Prescott who now goes by the name of Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad and he is one of the prolific Nation of Islam historians who gave a series of lectures in New York City at Muhammad’s Mosque Number 7 in the 1980s, titled, "A Concise History of Nation of Islam". This writer considers him an authority on the Nation of Islam's history. This writer was sought of disappointed that he never published the book on the history of the Nation of Islam as he promised. Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad was recruited by Minister Malcolm X in the late 1950s and/or early 1960s and worked and served in the ministry class under Minister Malcolm X. (Reference: Abdul Akbar Muhammad: :Audio tapes “A Concise History of the Nation of Islam)
He is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the Nation of Islam history—he readily has names, dates, and events in his memory bank and can recall Nation of Islam history of forty-five years just like it was yesterday. There are many international Muslims and Nation of Islam critics who are spewing misinformation and false propaganda against the Black Muslim Movement; reading books written by Zionist Jews, black pundits, and from inaccurate Internet Blog sites and gathering false information about the Nation of Islam but speaking with authoritative voices. Minister Akbar Muhammad is a long time friend and loyalist of Minister Farrakhan. The true history of Nation of Islam has yet to be written and only a Nation of Islam insider can truly do this subject justice. (Reference: Abdul Akbar Muhammad: :Audio tapes “A Concise History of the Nation of Islam).
Dr. C. Eric Lincoln lived and worked in Durham, North Carolina at Duke University as a professor emeritus and I had the opportunity to visit his home and the university and talked with him extensively about the Nation of Islam movement before his death. He coined the phrase "Black Muslim" and although many Nation of Islam members historically speaking took issue with his book and his historical contentions. It still remains as the first scholarly dissertation ever written on the Nation of Islam. I know both Minister Louis Farrakhan and Imam Warith Mohammed considered Dr. Lincoln as a friend of Islam. (Reference: Jabril Muhammad; This is This One: The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad; We Need Not Look for Another!”).
Master Fard Muhammad used the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur'an and some of Nation of Islam detractors have characterized Master Fard Muhammad as perhaps being from Pakistan because he introduced the Muhammad Ali translation of the Holy Qur'an and in America the Yusuf Ali translation of the Holy Qur'an was widely accepted amongst American Muslims. The Ahmadiyya Movement followers of Gullam Ahmed were the first Eastern group of Muslims who befriended blacks and made an attempt to introduce Islam to African Americans. Master Fard Muhammad based on American standards of race categorization looked white and Caucasian, but Elijah Muhammad taught that he was a half original man (Asiatic black man). Thus, he had a white mother and a black father. (Reference: Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad and Jane Idleman Smith; “Mission to America: Five Islamic Sectarian Communities in North America”).
In a society where race mattered more in the 1930s than perhaps in 2008, he came like a thief in the night; looking like the dominant white society but had an interest in elevating the African American race from their depressed and downtrodden—social, political and economic condition. He went door to door as a silk salesman teaching black people that before Chattel Slavery (1555-1865) they had a splendid and glorious history under the banner of Islam in the East and were from lineage of royal kings and royal queens. He taught them the importance of adhering to Islamic dietary laws and began to constantly win the confidence of some black people in Paradise Valley. (Reference: Nasir Makr Hakim: “The True History of Master Fard Muhammad’).
This writer heard Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad state that prior to Master Fard Muhammad's mysterious disappearance he had converted over eight thousand blacks to the Islamic religion. Some historians maintained that in 1930 or 1931 he met Elijah Poole who was born on October 7, 1897 in Sandersville, Georgia (1897-1975). Poole and his growing family had migrated to Detroit from Macon, Georgia or Sandersville, Georgia. Poole was poor, destitute and unemployed. Poole met Master Fard Muhammad at a public meeting and immediately embraced Master Fard Muhammad teachings and even recognized him as the Savior. (Reference: Abdul Akbar Muhammad: :Audio tapes “A Concise History of the Nation of Islam).
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Historia: The Nation Of Islam :A true Account.
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