C.I.M. Outline #53 The Nation of Islam I. Introduction A. On Jan. 26, 1996, Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, announced that Moammar Gadhafi, Libyan leader and financier of international terrorism, had pledged to support the Black Muslim movement in America at the sum of $1 billion dollars. (Imagine what Christian missions could do with a billion dollars!) WASHINGTON POST (1/26/96). (Note: In 1985 Gadhafi also gave Farrakhan a five million, interest-free loan.) B. In Oct. of '95, Farrakhan and his organization staged a "Million Man" march of black men on Washington, D.C. Many black Christian ministers and leaders claimed they endorsed what he was trying to do (in the march) but were not endorsing the man. The purpose of the march was billed as a "day of atonement," for black men with support for economic and social justice, individual responsibility, and political empowerment. C. The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a growing phenomenon in America and is currently sending missionaries to Africa. Who is Louis Farrakhan? and What is the Nation of Islam, or the Black Muslim Movement as it is sometimes called? With few exceptions (the CHICAGO TRIBUNE is one) the mainstream media, fearing charges of racism, rarely investigate this strange movement. II. The Origins of the Nation of Islam A. The NOI came into being in the 1930's. Its acknowledged early leaders were an enigmatic man by the name of Wallace Fard, and Elijah Poole, the son of a Baptist preacher. Fard, possibly a white man (records are sketchy), was a merchant who claimed to have Turkish or Arabian origins, supported himself by importing and selling African clothing. He notwithstanding tried to convince African Americans that they ought to wear African clothing and take muslim names. Elijah Poole, an early convert of Fard's was soon convinced to renounce his Christian faith and later was given the name Elijah Muhammad. B. Not much is known about Fard's early life nor why he loathed the traditional Christian church. At some point he embraced the teachings of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), a Christian cult that departs from most of the cardinal doctrines of historic Christianity. Going from house to house in black neighborhoods, Fard knocked on doors, handed out tracts and tried to convince blacks to leave the church. As he gained a following he took his new converts from the Watchtower to Islam and from the Bible to the Quran. C. When Fard mysteriously disappeared in 1934, Elijah Muhammad, his early convert, quickly gave evidence of his leadership skills by taking over the movement. D. Malcolm X, one of Elijah's M's brightest and most charismatic converts rose quickly in the ranks of leadership. He was responsible for many converts and the subsequent growth of the Black Muslim movement. However, he dared defy the authority of Elijah M. and a rift developed that resulted in his assassination in 1965. Malcolm had become disillusioned by the high living and immorality of Elijah M. When he made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1959 he was shocked to find little resemblance between the teachings of Elijah M and orthodox Islam. Following Elijah M's death in 1975, the mantle of leadership fell on his son, Wallace D. Muhammad who tried to take the movement into the mainstream of Islam. Enter one Louis Gene Walcott Farrakhan, one of the up and coming leaders who organized a rebellion and splintered the movement. Farrakhan eventually gained control of the Elijah Muhammad faction, reorganized the movement, and moved it back to its original roots in the teachings of Fard and Elijah M. III. The Teachings of the Nation of Islam A. Though the leaders of the NOI often allude to muslim beliefs they adhere to very little of historic Islam. Official agencies of Islam have issued many disclaimers about the teachings of NOI. One such source says: "...there is no ideology on the face of this earth which could be farther from Islam than that of Louis Farrakhan. NONE! (Emphasis theirs)." B. As we noted earlier the movement began with a mixture of the teachings of the Watchtower Society mixed with some Islam and a lot of originality from Elijah M. who is believed to be Allah's modern-day prophet. He is called the "Messenger." and sometimes "the Savior." The core beliefs of NOI are therefore, in large part based on those taught by its greatest leader, Elijah M. and more recently on a variety of visions and mystical musings of its current leader, Louis Farrakhan. Some of these beliefs are: 1. Classic Islam believes that Allah (God)was uncreated, is entirely spirit and has never been seen by man. In contrast, the NOI teaches that Allah created himself out of dark matter called "electricity." He is a black man of flesh and blood. In their own creed they say: "We believe that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long-awaited "Messiah" of the Christians and `Mahdi' of the Muslims." After Fard died Allah was manifested in Elijah Muhammad. On Feb. 26, 1991 (Savior"s Day, the day NOI celebrates the coming of Wallace Fard), Louis Farrakhan was proclaimed as "The child who would be born, the Son who would be given." It was said that he was "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace...," a fulfillment of Isa. 9:6-8. (Note: Farrakhan has since changed the celebration of Saviour's Day to Oct 7, to commemorate the birth of Elijah M.) 2. Although the NOI teaches that there is one god, they also teach that the 24 elders of Revelation 5 are also gods. Twelve of these elders were "major" scientists! One of these gods is the supreme god who is over this particular time period. Another of these gods created the moon by blowing up the earth (we are not making this up!). 3. The Bible is "pure poison" because it was corrupted by white man. Elijah M. believed that the Quran was far superior. Louis Farrakhan, however, quotes from the Bible in his sermons far more that the Quran. Indeed, his speeches are filled with biblical imagery. 4. According to Elijah M. Jesus was a black African and only a mortal man like the Prophet Muhammad of Islam. He also taught that Jesus was the product of sexual intercourse between Mary and Allah (who is a black man). Louis Farrakhan said: "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I am here to declare, is risen. The Jesus you have been seeking and waiting for His return has been in your midst for 40 years, but you knew not who He was. A Holy One was working among us, and it is only now, after He is gone, that we realize who He was." 5. The NOI teaches that the black race is actually God's chosen race and that the original black man was created during the Big Bang 66 trillion years ago. On the other hand, the white race was created by an evil black scientist (a god, and one of the 24 elders) by the name of "Yakub" who created white man out of his evil side. This creation process took 600 years! 6. In apparent agreement with the Jehovah's Witnesses and in contradiction to the belief of orthodox Islam, Black Muslims deny the existence of hell or any kind of physical existence after death. Elijah M. believed the teaching of hell was originated by whites to enslave blacks. The reasoning being that they could endure slavery knowing that they would be free in the life hereafter. 7. Just as the Jehovah Witnesses taught that the world would end in 1914, Black Muslims believe that 1914 was the beginning of the end for the white race. Whites have reigned for 6000 years but 1914 was the beginning of the end. Elijah M. prophesied that Allah would intervene in the 1970's and destroy the white race in the battle of Armageddon and put blacks in control. Louis Farrakhan currently teaches that armageddon is near for the white race and that a UFO in the shape of a wheel is waiting in space to destroy white man. In his discourse on numerology in Washington (Oct.'95) he may have been indicating that this event could be in '96. Farrakhan is known for his rather quaint conclusions drawn from numerology (the mystical use of numbers). 8. Louis Farrakhan spoke of his UFO encounter in a sermon on Saviour's Day, 1991. He stated that he was taken on board and spoke with Elijah Muhammad who had built the space ship. This wheel-shaped craft is currently in orbit 40 miles above the earth. He also claimed that there are 1500 little space ships that issue out from this mother ship which follow him every where. 9. The Nation of Islam does not teach equality of the races or integration as other Black civil rights groups, but rather endorses policies of racism, even militarism toward non-black races. The leadership of the NOI believes that white America owes reparation to the blacks for slavery, and that this reparation should be in the form of their own state which they envision becoming an independent country with its own black army and justice system. IV. The Message and Appeal of The Nation of Islam A. Louis Lomax, a prominent black journalist seemed to sum up the core message of the black muslims: "The Black Muslims have but one message: The white man is by nature evil, a snake who is soon to be destroyed. Therefore, the black man, who is by nature divine and good, must separate from the white man as soon as possible, lest he share the white man's hour of total destruction." B. The main appeal seems to be its socio-economic message. The NOI stresses pride, self-esteem, independence, self- help, and entrepreneurship. No one of conservative political values can argue against this message. C. The reason for the growth and success of the NOI does not appear to based on the rather arcane religious views of Elijah M. or Louis F., but rather to their appeal to the hurt and despair of the black man. They follow these charismatic leaders despite their craziness because they are not afraid to say what many of them think should be said. V. Conclusion A. There is every reason to believe that the leadership of the NOI is one of demagoguery in that it preys on the legitimate needs of black men. It teaches racism, hatred and violence, all of which can be documented. (Farrakhan once said "I am tried of hearing that people will die for Islam; I am looking for people who will kill for Islam." 1991 Saviour's Day speech) B. There are reasons to be concerned about a movement that can attract one million black men (even if it was only 500,000) to march in Washington and raise one billion dollars if its followers succumb to the negative message of the leaders of NOI. C. The Christian Church can rightly be blamed for not filling this vacuum by applying the Gospel to all areas of life. When John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world..." we believe this means all races and peoples. The church in the U.S. must become missionaries to a large segment of its own people. FOR FURTHER READING: Lincoln, C. Eric. THE BLACK MUSLIMS IN AMERICA. Third Edition. It's old but good for early history of the movement. See especially the Postscript which was added in 1994. Morey, Robert. ISLAMIC INVASION: CONFRONTING THE WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING RELIGION. See Chapter 11. See also C.I.M. Outline #21 "THE RELIGION OF ISLAM" for a review of the beliefs of classic Islam.