Elijah Muhammad
Religious leader
Died when: 77 years 141 days (928 months)Star Sign: Libra
Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole;October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his death in 1975.
Muhammad was also the teacher and mentor of Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali, and his own son, Warith Deen Mohammed.
In the 1930s, Muhammad established the Nation of Islam, a religious movement that promoted black pride, economic empowerment, and separation of black and white Americans.
His ideas were strongly influenced by Wallace Fard Muhammad, who was the founder of the NOI.After Fard's disappearance in 1934, Muhammad led the NOI and saw it grow from a small, struggling organization to a large movement.
He was unique in his embrace of both black nationalism and pan-Africanism, as well as traditional Islamic themes.Muhammad also stressed black self-sufficiency and self-reliance over integration.
During Muhammad's tenure, membership in the NOI rose dramatically, going from a mere handful of mosques to over sixty by the end of the decade.
Muhammad's teachings promoted black self-sufficiency and self-reliance over integration, and he encouraged African Americans to return to their African homeland.
Muhammad also rejected the civil rights movement for its emphasis on integration, instead promoting a separate black community.Muhammad's controversial views on race and his call for black separatism made him a controversial figure, both within and outside the Nation of Islam.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he was accused of promoting racism and antisemitism.He was also accused of being a black supremacist and encouraging violence against whites and police.
In 1963, Muhammad was convicted of violating the United States' civil rights laws for ordering his followers to cross state lines to attack black civil rights activists in 1961.
He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but served only a short time before being freed on appeal.He continued to head the NOI while in prison.
Muhammad died on February 25, 1975 after a period of declining health.He was succeeded as head of the NOI by his deputy, Wallace Muhammad, who renamed the organization as the World Community of al-Islam in the West.
Wallace Muhammad later changed his name as part of his own transition to Sunni Islam (or "orthodox Islam") and is now known as Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.
Elijah Muhammad's legacy continues to be controversial.He has been variously described as a black nationalist, a black supremacist, and a religious leader who fought for the rights of African Americans.
His ideas and teachings have been credited with inspiring the Nation of Islam, black pride, and black self-reliance, while also being criticized for promoting antisemitism and racism.
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