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In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam
In the Name of Elijah Muhammad tells the story of the Nation of Islam—its rise in northern inner-city ghettos during the Great Depression through its decline following the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 to its rejuvenation under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Mattias Gardell sets this story within the context of African American social history, the legacy of black nationalism, and the long but hidden Islamic presence in North America. He presents with insight and balance a detailed view of one of the most controversial yet least explored organizations in the United States—and its current leader.Beginning with Master Farad Muhammad, believed to be God in Person, Gardell examines the origins of the Nation. His research on the period of Elijah Muhammad’s long leadership draws on previously unreleased FBI files that reveal a clear picture of the bureau’s attempts to neutralize the Nation of Islam. In addition, they shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malcolm X. With the main part of the book focused on the fortunes of the Nation after Elijah Muhammad’s death, Gardell then turns to the figure of Minister Farrakhan. From his emergence as the dominant voice of the radical black Islamic community to his leadership of the Million Man March, Farrakhan has often been portrayed as a demagogue, bigot, racist, and anti-Semite. Gardell balances the media’s view of the Nation and Farrakhan with the Nation’s own views and with the perspectives of the black community in which the organization actively works. His investigation, based on field research, taped lectures, and interviews, leads to the fullest account yet of the Nation of Islam’s ideology and theology, and its complicated relations with mainstream Islam, the black church, the Jewish community, extremist white nationalists, and the urban culture of black American youth, particularly the hip-hop movement and gangs.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
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191 people want to read
About the author
Mattias Gardell
23 books17 followersA Swedish scholar of comparative religion, Gardell is also an former anarchist; he calls himself now a "Libertarian socialist".
Gardell's subjects are mostly non-mainstream political groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Nation of Islam and their religious beliefs.
Gardell's subjects are mostly non-mainstream political groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Nation of Islam and their religious beliefs.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 18, 2025
This was a step deeper than what I just finished reading, Elijah Muhammad and Islam by Herbert Berg. This took that book's broader information and zeroed-in on finer details about the Nation of Islam. Having read three books on this, it is racist doctrine albeit still interesting to read. It is obvious why Louis Farrakhan is on the Souther Law Poverty Center and Anti-Defamation League lists as a problematic person of interest. This was a more thorouigh and detailed read compared to other NO books I've read. Recommeneded for those wishing to learn more about the subject and why orthodox Muslims call this sect "heretical Islam." Thanks!
March 21, 2021
An indispensable popular history of the NOI and its mercurial leader. Manages the essential feat of neither dismissing Farrakhan for his abundant bigotries and flaws nor romanticizing him in spite of them. Lots of great material that's missing in some texts, especially valuable for the information about the NOI's many feuds with other Black liberation organizations. Compulsively readable throughout.
June 15, 2024
A REASONABLY-SYMPATHATIC PORTRAIT OF FARRAKHAN AND THE NOI
Hans Bertil Mattias Gardell (born 1959) is a Swedish historian and scholar of comparative religion who teaches Comparative Religion at Uppsala University, Sweden.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1996 book, “Most Americans I have met harbor strong opinions about Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam, and American race dynamics. Though emotionally loaded, these views are not mainly based on actual facts but on the socially constructed and mass-mediated images that are themselves part of the problem… My hope is that this study will prove both entertaining and useful in promoting dialogue.” He adds in the Introduction, “Despite the fact that the Nation’s opinions are frequently debated, qualitative research is rare. Studies on the Nation… have bene based mainly on secondary sources of information due in part to the unwillingness of the NOI to be an object of academic inquiries. The present study, which is mainly based on field research, recorded interviews, taped lectures, and the writings of the movement’s spokespersons, aims to correct this unsatisfactory situation by presenting a comprehensive modern history of the Nation of Islam, with a particular emphasis on its ‘Second Resurrection’ commenced in 1977.” (Pg. 5)
He notes, “The creeds of the Moorish Science Temple and the Nation of Islam do have tenets in common, but these are better explained by reference to a exchange of ideas and the common roots in the black nationalist tradition, specifically the legacy of Marcus Garvey. The Nation of Islam commenced at the time when the Moorish Science Temple split into a number of warring factions, and many Moors were among the earliest individuals who were attracted by the NOI and who could feel at home in this new black Islamic nationalist movement.” (Pg. 51-52)
He recounts that after his pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm X “seemed to evolve toward a Third World-oriented revolutionary position before he was assassinated in 1965. On the surface, the NOI hierarchy appeared to be guilty, and three FOI [Fruit of Islam] soldiers were soon arrested… the NOT, branded as Malcolm’s killers, suffered a setback that would take years to overcome.” (Pg. 66)
He observes that “During the leadership of Elijah Muhammad, the Nation had developed into a strong economic force… the financial empire was tied to the Messenger personally. [Elijah’s son] Wallace Muhammad… noted that ‘the economic health of the Nation of Islam is not what it was projected to be.’… The privatization of the NOI companies, which were by many rank-and-file members viewed as their common property and an important source of pride, led to considerable internal criticism. Wallace Muhammed later defended his dismantling of the financial corporate body by stating that ‘the building of a material empire is not now, and has never been, the main object of religion.’” (Pg. 110) At time went on, “In some political respects, Imam Muhammad began to sound more like a conservative Christian than a black theologian of liberation… [He] became the first imam to offer morning prayers in the United States Senate.” (Pg. 112-113)
He records, “On September 17, 1985, Minister Farrakhan … received a vision in which his divine power was further reinforced. In the vision, Farrakhan walked up a mountain to an Aztec temple with some companions. When he got to the top of the mountain, a UFO appeared… a voice called Farrakhan to come closer… [he] was brought up into the plane on this beam of light… the spacecraft took off with Farrakhan, who knew that the pilot was sent by God and was to take him to the Mother Wheel… Farrakhan heard the well-known voice of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which confirmed his being alive… To Farrakhan and the believers, the significance of this vision cannot be overestimated. It proves not only that Elijah Muhammad is alive but that he is, in fact, the Christ who will return with power to slay his enemies in the final battle.” (Pg. 131-133)
He points out, “Because of the revealed doctrine of the divine self-creation occurring seventy-six trillion years ago, the NOI rejects … evolutionism … It is likewise necessary to disavow the existence of a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. The NOI asserts that dinosaurs never existed except in the imagination of white scientists. They point to the fact that ‘scientists at the Smithsonian acknowledge that their displays are based on artists’ conceptions and limited findings.’” (Pg. 175)
He comments, “The …NOI understanding of the Shahada, identifying Master Farad Muhammad as God and Elijah Muhammad as the Messenger of God, is undoubtedly blasphemous in mainstream Islamic eyes… the vociferously militant attitude or the black nationalist Islamic movement further added to the animosity felt by many mainstream American Muslims, and some of their spokespersons officially denounced the NOI.” (Pg. 188)
He states, “The call for religious unity does not lessen Farrakhan’s critique of ‘white’ or ‘white-oriented’ Christianity. Delivering a sermon in a church, Farrakhan argues that he is ‘a better Christian than practically all the preachers of Christianity,’ because he is in the world, but not of the [Devil’s] world. He is a true Christian with personal knowledge of and friendship with Christ, that is, Elijah the Messiah… who has come to judge the wicked…. Very humbly, in the sight of God, I am much more important than the Pope…’” (Pg. 243)
He quotes Farrakhan’s controversial statement, “the Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. Hitler was a very great man. He wasn’t great for me as a black person, but he was a great German. Now, I’m not proud of Hitler’s evils against Jewish people, but that’s a matter of record. He raised Germany up from nothing.” (Pg. 252)
He observes, “Farrakhan had the Historical Research Department of the NOI initiate a study of Jewish involvement n the slave business, which was published in 1991 as ‘The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews.’ Judged by the strict standards of historical scholarship, the study is absolutely unreliable… the study contains numerous fundamental methodological flaws… In ‘The Secret Relationship,’ the NOI authors build their case by using the very method they accuse the ADL of: decontextualization and highly selective reading.” (Pg. 260-261)
He points out that “the list of speakers invited to address the infamous 1985 Saviour’s Day convention… featured Arthur Butz…. [who] used the opportunity to present his Holocaust-denial thesis published in the revisionist best-seller, ‘The Hoax of the 20th Century.’” (Pg. 277)
He concludes, “Those who unequivocally condemn Minister Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam should pause to reflect on what they actually are attacking. Farrakhan is not so much a problem as he is a SYMPTOM of the problems presently tearing apart American society. Should Farrakhan disappear, he would be replaced by another voice produced by the same conditions that produced Farrakhan. The Nation is a consequence of the black experience, it is a SOCIAL PRODUCT stamped with a ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ Irrespective of one’s opinion of Minister Louis Farrakhan, his presence on the contemporary American scene points to issues that are impossible to avoid, as they are of key importance for the future of the American project. Perhaps it all boils down to one central question that needs to be addressed: Which way America?” (Pg. 349)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
Hans Bertil Mattias Gardell (born 1959) is a Swedish historian and scholar of comparative religion who teaches Comparative Religion at Uppsala University, Sweden.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1996 book, “Most Americans I have met harbor strong opinions about Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam, and American race dynamics. Though emotionally loaded, these views are not mainly based on actual facts but on the socially constructed and mass-mediated images that are themselves part of the problem… My hope is that this study will prove both entertaining and useful in promoting dialogue.” He adds in the Introduction, “Despite the fact that the Nation’s opinions are frequently debated, qualitative research is rare. Studies on the Nation… have bene based mainly on secondary sources of information due in part to the unwillingness of the NOI to be an object of academic inquiries. The present study, which is mainly based on field research, recorded interviews, taped lectures, and the writings of the movement’s spokespersons, aims to correct this unsatisfactory situation by presenting a comprehensive modern history of the Nation of Islam, with a particular emphasis on its ‘Second Resurrection’ commenced in 1977.” (Pg. 5)
He notes, “The creeds of the Moorish Science Temple and the Nation of Islam do have tenets in common, but these are better explained by reference to a exchange of ideas and the common roots in the black nationalist tradition, specifically the legacy of Marcus Garvey. The Nation of Islam commenced at the time when the Moorish Science Temple split into a number of warring factions, and many Moors were among the earliest individuals who were attracted by the NOI and who could feel at home in this new black Islamic nationalist movement.” (Pg. 51-52)
He recounts that after his pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm X “seemed to evolve toward a Third World-oriented revolutionary position before he was assassinated in 1965. On the surface, the NOI hierarchy appeared to be guilty, and three FOI [Fruit of Islam] soldiers were soon arrested… the NOT, branded as Malcolm’s killers, suffered a setback that would take years to overcome.” (Pg. 66)
He observes that “During the leadership of Elijah Muhammad, the Nation had developed into a strong economic force… the financial empire was tied to the Messenger personally. [Elijah’s son] Wallace Muhammad… noted that ‘the economic health of the Nation of Islam is not what it was projected to be.’… The privatization of the NOI companies, which were by many rank-and-file members viewed as their common property and an important source of pride, led to considerable internal criticism. Wallace Muhammed later defended his dismantling of the financial corporate body by stating that ‘the building of a material empire is not now, and has never been, the main object of religion.’” (Pg. 110) At time went on, “In some political respects, Imam Muhammad began to sound more like a conservative Christian than a black theologian of liberation… [He] became the first imam to offer morning prayers in the United States Senate.” (Pg. 112-113)
He records, “On September 17, 1985, Minister Farrakhan … received a vision in which his divine power was further reinforced. In the vision, Farrakhan walked up a mountain to an Aztec temple with some companions. When he got to the top of the mountain, a UFO appeared… a voice called Farrakhan to come closer… [he] was brought up into the plane on this beam of light… the spacecraft took off with Farrakhan, who knew that the pilot was sent by God and was to take him to the Mother Wheel… Farrakhan heard the well-known voice of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which confirmed his being alive… To Farrakhan and the believers, the significance of this vision cannot be overestimated. It proves not only that Elijah Muhammad is alive but that he is, in fact, the Christ who will return with power to slay his enemies in the final battle.” (Pg. 131-133)
He points out, “Because of the revealed doctrine of the divine self-creation occurring seventy-six trillion years ago, the NOI rejects … evolutionism … It is likewise necessary to disavow the existence of a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. The NOI asserts that dinosaurs never existed except in the imagination of white scientists. They point to the fact that ‘scientists at the Smithsonian acknowledge that their displays are based on artists’ conceptions and limited findings.’” (Pg. 175)
He comments, “The …NOI understanding of the Shahada, identifying Master Farad Muhammad as God and Elijah Muhammad as the Messenger of God, is undoubtedly blasphemous in mainstream Islamic eyes… the vociferously militant attitude or the black nationalist Islamic movement further added to the animosity felt by many mainstream American Muslims, and some of their spokespersons officially denounced the NOI.” (Pg. 188)
He states, “The call for religious unity does not lessen Farrakhan’s critique of ‘white’ or ‘white-oriented’ Christianity. Delivering a sermon in a church, Farrakhan argues that he is ‘a better Christian than practically all the preachers of Christianity,’ because he is in the world, but not of the [Devil’s] world. He is a true Christian with personal knowledge of and friendship with Christ, that is, Elijah the Messiah… who has come to judge the wicked…. Very humbly, in the sight of God, I am much more important than the Pope…’” (Pg. 243)
He quotes Farrakhan’s controversial statement, “the Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. Hitler was a very great man. He wasn’t great for me as a black person, but he was a great German. Now, I’m not proud of Hitler’s evils against Jewish people, but that’s a matter of record. He raised Germany up from nothing.” (Pg. 252)
He observes, “Farrakhan had the Historical Research Department of the NOI initiate a study of Jewish involvement n the slave business, which was published in 1991 as ‘The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews.’ Judged by the strict standards of historical scholarship, the study is absolutely unreliable… the study contains numerous fundamental methodological flaws… In ‘The Secret Relationship,’ the NOI authors build their case by using the very method they accuse the ADL of: decontextualization and highly selective reading.” (Pg. 260-261)
He points out that “the list of speakers invited to address the infamous 1985 Saviour’s Day convention… featured Arthur Butz…. [who] used the opportunity to present his Holocaust-denial thesis published in the revisionist best-seller, ‘The Hoax of the 20th Century.’” (Pg. 277)
He concludes, “Those who unequivocally condemn Minister Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam should pause to reflect on what they actually are attacking. Farrakhan is not so much a problem as he is a SYMPTOM of the problems presently tearing apart American society. Should Farrakhan disappear, he would be replaced by another voice produced by the same conditions that produced Farrakhan. The Nation is a consequence of the black experience, it is a SOCIAL PRODUCT stamped with a ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ Irrespective of one’s opinion of Minister Louis Farrakhan, his presence on the contemporary American scene points to issues that are impossible to avoid, as they are of key importance for the future of the American project. Perhaps it all boils down to one central question that needs to be addressed: Which way America?” (Pg. 349)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
March 2, 2013
Lots of history surrounding the black Islam movement. Although informative not enlightening.
July 7, 2012
Countdown to Armageddon
Islam in the USA. This book explains the absorption of Islam in the USA over hundreds of years from aprophycal tales of Abubakri II, ruler of Mali who had discovered America 200 years before Columbus to the current NOI school led by Louis Farrakhan, this book has it all. The main focus is on the NOI in trying to define its philosophy of the black man as Allah. Each one is Allah the Creator. The link of NOI with Libyan leader Qaddafi is also explained which is a very interesting description. I guess it is only natural that the black man, after years of slavery and direct subjugation rise up and claim its natural rank among the other races in the world. The book explains how the leaders of NOI are living like kings on handouts of the poor black brothers and how the poor brothers seem to be very happy with this unfair arrangement. The followers are happy because they are happy to be part of an establishment of speakers and edifices which they can call their own. I think this is all a part of growing up. The white man is classified as a devil himself, while all blacks are Allah's. Islam has made inroads among the American blacks precisely because no nationalist American black can call white favoured Christianity as its own. Islam is also popular because it focuses on orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy making it easier to spread without the aid of preachers and canonists travelling to far flung areas. Interestingly this is precisely the same reason why terrorists are able to form groups all over the world in isolation simply because of this effect based nature of Islam. But this opposition to white mans religion of Christianity has produced a lively argument. Consider this gem by the Messenger, Elijah Muhammad,' there is no such thing as dying and coming up out of the earth and meeting those who died before you. I say get out of such slavery teachings. It keeps you blind, deaf and dumb to reality.... When you are dead you are DEAD. Heaven and hell are not postmortem destinations but conditions on earth. Hell is when you are enslaved, poor, and deprived of true knowledge if a self and God. Hell is when someone else controls you and your life. The white man enjoys a heavenly affluence in the same world in which the black man endures hell, a situation bound to continue until the curse is lifted.'
October 10, 2017
Fascinating. historical, mind boggling, humorous, head shaking, puzzling, informative, sad, troubling.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews