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Black Muslims

The label “Black Muslims” refers to African American adherents to religious groups that share a tenuous relationship to orthodox Sunni Islam. These groups emphasize black nationalism and separatism, as opposed to the Islamic belief of the umma or a unified Muslim community that does not make doctrinal differences in race or ethnicity. Black Muslims are usually identified as belonging to the Moorish Science Temple of America, Nation of Islam (NOI) or one of its splinter groups, or the 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths.

Moorish Science Temple of America

Founded in 1913 in New Jersey, the Moorish Science Temple of America is the Nation of Islam's predecessor. Its original leader, Noble Drew Ali, was believed to be a reincarnation of three of the world's greatest religious leaders: Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad. Followers of Drew Ali were taught some of the orthodox precepts of Islam, including facing east during prayer, observing Friday as the Sabbath, and calling their God “Allah.” Also included in worship are some traditional Christian hymns, most likely appropriated from Drew Ali's Baptist upbringing in North Carolina. Members also adopted the suffixes “Bey” or “El” to their surnames as a means of distinguishing themselves from other blacks and of creating an identity not inherited from their ancestors’ slaveholders.

The mission of the Moorish Science Temple of America was to promote racial uplift and, in contrast to NOI, its members were encouraged to become good and upstanding citizens, rather than confrontational. Ideologically, the group aligned itself with Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, and by the 1930s, the group numbered well over 30,000 members. Membership in the Moorish Science Temple declined with the founding of NOI and the introduction of Sunni Islam to the Black Muslim fringe. In the 2000s, only about 200 members attended annual meetings on the East Coast.

Nation of Islam

W. D. Fard founded the Nation of Islam in Detroit in 1931. Fard was a peddler of undetermined ethnic origins who introduced Islam to urban blacks in the northern United States. The NOI actively promotes the idea that blacks are superior to whites, and that black subjugation by whites was the result of efforts of a mad scientist called Yakub, who created the white or, as the NOI refers to them, “Caucasian” race. As such, the NOI is focused on restoring blacks to their original elevation in the social and evolutionary scale.

The organization loosely incorporates elements of Sunni Islam into its teachings, including fasting, modest dress (e.g., head coverings for women), and specific gender roles. Congregations meet in temples identified by cosmic numbers, like Harlem's famous Temple No. 7.

The 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths

The 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths is a splinter group of Nation of Islam. It was founded on October 10, 1964, by former NOI member Clarence 13X. In contrast to NOI, which preaches its own formulation of Islam, Clarence 13X taught his followers that they are gods. The 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths, more commonly known as the “Five Percenters,” believe that the world's black population is divided into three groups: 85 percent are unaware of divine knowledge or of God; 10 percent are people who know the truth, but rather than embrace it, they deceive others for personal gain. Among this group are religious leaders within the black community who profit from religious leadership. The last 5 percent, the Five Percenters, are known as the “Poor Righteous Teachers,” who strive to bring the truth to blacks.

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