Nation of Islam is a religious group in the United States that preaches Black nationalism. The Nation of Islam, also called Black Muslims, was originally founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1930 by a salesman named Wallace D. Fard, also known as Wali Farad. Elijah Muhammad, formerly known as Elijah Poole, led the group from 1934 until his death in 1975. He taught that Fard was Allah (God) and that he himself was Allah’s messenger. Muhammad also taught that white people were “devils” who sought to harm and oppress Black people. He said that white people would eventually be destroyed and Black people would emerge victorious.
Muhammad’s son Warith Deen Mohammed (sometimes spelled Muhammad) succeeded him. Instead of continuing his father’s teachings, Warith dismantled the Nation of Islam. He led his followers to Sunni Islam, a traditional branch of Islam practiced by many Africans.
In 1977, the American minister Louis Farrakhan and other discontented followers resurrected the Nation of Islam, but rejected the name Black Muslims. Farrakhan also stopped preaching that white people would eventually be destroyed. He based the organization on the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and continued Muhammad’s teachings about the need for self-knowledge, the acceptance of Black identity, and economic independence.
Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam is headquartered in Chicago. Its members are urged to eat only one meal a day and to avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol. Women are expected to focus on housework and raising children, though some women serve as ministers. The key groups in the organization are the Fruit of Islam and Muslim Girls Training (MGT). Members of the Fruit of Islam provide security in mosques (places of worship) and public places. Members of the MGT learn domestic skills.
In 1997, Farrakhan began to move closer to traditional Sunni Islam. He adopted the orthodox Friday worship service, prayer posture, and fasting. These measures helped end 25 years of separation and hostilities between Farrakhan and Mohammed. The two men declared their unity at the second International Islamic Conference in Chicago in February 2000. But they continued to lead separate movements. Mohammed died in 2008.
