Motions Of Afro-american Essay, Research Paper

The Black Muslim motion in America, which started in the early 1900 s, stems from a recoil against centuries of subjugation by white Americans. By the 1920 s, at the motion s beginning, bondage had been over for 60 old ages. Still, the position of African-Americans was still below the degree of equality that they demanded, and besides deserved. Get downing with Timothy Drew, ( who subsequently changed his name to Noble Drew Ali ) in the 1920 s, and Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in 1930, 100s of 1000s of African-Americans converted to Islam, many under the counsel of Fard s replacement, Elijah Muhammad and the State of Islam.

The term Black Muslim is the original term for members of the Nation of Islam. The members got this name because up until the formation of the group, Muslims in America were all immigrants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. African-Americans did non get down to change over until Drew, Fard, and Elijah Muhammad began to prophesy. The establishing beliefs of the Nation of Islam were that African-Americans had been oppressed for excessively long, and that the White, Christian-dominated American society was to fault. In Fard s eyes, Islam was the faith of the Black Man ( Esposito, 209 ) . Elijah Muhammad furthered this thought by prophesying black independency from America under the counsel of the Nation of Islam, and besides by claiming that Fard was really Allah incarnate, and that he himself was the concluding prophesier, non Muhammad. By this principle, both God and his prophesier would both be Black, and for that ground, the Black Muslims were supreme.

Elijah Muhammad took control of the Nation of Islam and began prophesying these thoughts after Fard disappeared in 1934. His thoughts were really extremist, as he spoke of an revelatory, chiliastic message whose promise was the ultimate Fall of the oppressor, white, racialist America ( Esposito, 210 ) . His thought of black racial domination ( Esposito, 210 ) , nevertheless controversial it may hold been, gained him a good trade of followings. This racism was one of the chief grounds why Elijah Muhammad s most outstanding follower, Malcolm X, joined the State of Islam.

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was born in the highly anti-Black South, and had a awful upbringing. His male parent was murdered, his female parent was institutionalized after a mental dislocation, and he and his eight siblings were separated into assorted surrogate places. All of this, he believed, was due to subjugation by White America, and for that, he held strong anti-White feelings. Malcolm Ten grew up to take a life of offense, and was jailed from 1946 1952. During this clip, he decided to educate himself by changeless reading in a assortment of topics. What interested him the most, though, were the instructions of Elijah Muhammad, and the State of Islam. The two work forces began correspondence, and upon his release from prison, Malcolm X was placed into a high rank in the State of Islam. Quickly he moved up, and became the most nationally and internationally outstanding figure in the group, and was positioned straight under Elijah Muhammad in the group s ranking ( Esposito, 211 ) .

The State of Islam, from the beginning, was ne’er a true mirror of Islamic orthodoxy. The thought of Black separation and authorization, nucleus beliefs of the motion, were opposite to the original instructions of the Qur an and Muhammad, which taught brotherhood and equality for all of God s people. The Nation besides did non follow the five Pill

Ars of Islam. Malcolm X, for illustration, spent his old ages in the group non even cognizing the day-to-day supplications required for all Muslims. Those old ages ended in 1964, as Malcolm X left the State of Islam, and brought many of its members with him. A chief ground for him go forthing was that he felt that the breakaway motion of the group was non traveling anyplace. He called for more action, as did many other members of the group ( Esposito, 212 ) .

This all changed, merely a month subsequently, as Malcolm X made a pilgrim’s journey to Mecca. There, he realized that there was no demand for Blacks and Whites to be separated. All trusters in Allah were brothers, no affair what race they may hold been. He learned the traditional thoughts of the Five Pillars, and began naming himself a Sunni. Malcolm X went so far as to alter his name once more, this clip to a more traditional Islamic 1: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He returned to America to prophesy to Muslims who wished to go forth the State of Islam. He began a motion towards traditional Sunni Islam, which virtually eliminated the State of Islam s power and being. Less than a twelvemonth subsequently, though, two staying members of the Nation of Islam assassinated him. For the following decennary, Islam was without a outstanding leader. The bulk of the Black Muslims left the State of Islam, cut downing Elijah Muhammad to a figure of much less importance than he had been in the 1950 s and early 1960 s. The new population of Sunnis could ne’er replace Malcolm X ( Esposito, 212-213 ) .

In 1975, Elijah Muhammad died, and his boy, Wallace D. Muhammad took his topographic point. Wallace D. Muhammad, like Malcolm X, had been in old ages of struggle with his male parent and the State of Islam. When he took control, he instantly began to travel the group into a more purely Qur anic place. He replaced the name Nation of Islam with The World Community of Islam in the West, or WCIW. He integrated the group into traditional Sunni civilization in America, and ended the racism that had been so cardinal to the group since its origin. This lasted briefly, until in 1978, Louis Farrakhan, a member of the WITC, broke off, and instated himself as Minister of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan had long been an opposition of reform to the Nation, and decided that it was his responsibility to return it to the original beliefs. Although he could ne’er convey the State of Islam to the power it one time had, he did convey many followings back, and continues to take to this twenty-four hours.

The State of Islam under Elijah Muhammad and Louis Farrakhan can be seen as a activist, racialist, non-Islamic group of angry African-Americans. It is true that these two work forces portion a feeling of bitterness to White Americans. Farrakhan will frequently talk out on this, every bit good as his particular bitterness for Jews. Still, the group, over clip, has accomplished some valuable ends. It has done some good things for the community, like cut downing offense in Black vicinities and assisting captives straighten out their lives. Many inmates turn to Islam as a distraction from the ennui of prison, and up to a 3rd of those work forces continue to follow the faith upon go forthing gaol, going safe, even good members of society. The State of Islam may hold some thoughts that are chilling to the bulk of White persons, but for the most portion, it is a harmless group, largely concerned with the betterment of the lives of African-Americans.

Plants Cited

Esposito, John L. Islam The Straight Path. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. , 1998