Warith Deen Muhammad
Encyclopedia
Warith Deen Mohammed also known as W. Deen Mohammed or Imam W. Deen Muhammad, was a progressive
African American
Muslim
leader, theologian, philosopher, Muslim revivalist
and Islamic thinker (1975 to 2008) who disbanded the original Nation of Islam
in 1976 and transformed it into an orthodox mainstream Islamic movement, the World Community of Al-Islam in the West which later became the American Society of Muslims
. He was a son of Elijah Muhammad
, the leader of the Nation of Islam
from 1933 to 1975.
He became the national leader (Supreme Minister) of the Nation of Islam in 1975 after his father’s death. As a result of his personal studies and thinking, he had led the vast majority of the members of the original N.O.I. to mainstream, traditional Sunni Islam
by 1978. With this merger, he oversaw the largest mass conversion to Islam
in the history of the United States of America. He rejected the previous deification of W.D. Fard, accepted whites as fellow-worshippers, forged closer ties with mainstream Muslim
communities, and introduced the Five Pillars of Islam
into his group's theology.
Splinter groups resisting these changes formed after Elijah Muhammad’s
death, particularly under Louis Farrakhan
, who revived the name Nation of Islam
for his organization.
. His mother was Clara Muhammad
and his father was Elijah Muhammad
, the Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam
, the organization that preached a form of Black nationalism
and its own version of Islam. Elijah Muhammad led the Nation from 1934 until his death in 1975.
Growing up within the N.O.I., his early education came from the Muhammad University of Islam
school system now known as the (Clara Muhammad
Schools) or Muhammad Schools. Warith Deen Mohammed was taught Arabic in his youth by Professor Jamal Diab a Palestinian who was hired by his father to teach at the M.U.I. in Chicago. He became a minister under his father and served in Philadelphia in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. His father excommunicated him three times for denying the divinity of W. F. Muhammad (Fard), a position the son reached after his own study. Warith Deen Mohammed was excommunicated for one year starting in January 1964; for four years starting in late 1965; and for several months ending in mid 1974.
On his 28th birthday in 1961, Warith Deen Mohammed was imprisoned in Minnesota
for having refused induction into the United States military. In his 14 months in the federal prison, he spent most of his time studying the Qur'an
, the scripture of Islam
. He became convinced that the Nation of Islam had to change. In 1963 he was released from prison. After the assassination of his friend Malcolm X
in 1965, Muhammad was readmitted into the Nation of Islam
.
, including but not limited to the following: (1.) Purged the myth of Master Fard Muhammad being God (Allah
), (2.) Clarified the concept of the devil (3.) Presented Islamic beliefs and practices to the community through the Muhammad Speaks
News paper, speeches and by personal example, he introduced and explained Islam's Five Pillars. In 1976 he dropped the tittle Supreme Minister and took the title Chief Imam
or simply Imam. All of the over 400 temples were converted into traditional Islamic Mosques and renamed. He also renamed the community several times, settling on the American Society of Muslims to reflect the new thinking. Also at a pre-Saviour's Day meeting in February 1976 He unveiled a new flag for the Community (Nation of Islam
). He rejected literal interpretations of his father's theology and Black-separatist views and on the basis of his intensive independent study of Islamic law, history, theology and his lifelong study of the Qur'an
and the life of the Prophet Muhammad, he accepted whites as fellow worshipers and forged closer ties with mainstream Muslim communities, including Latinos.
W. Deen Mohammed was instrumental in establishing interfaith
cooperation with other religious communities, especially Christians and Jews
in America and around the world. In 1976 10,000 Muslims attended the first ever Eid Al-Fitr celebration to be held at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
Mosque
#2, formerly Temple
#2. In 1977 W. Deen Mohammed led 300 Muslim Americans, then the largest delegation, mostly former members of the Nation of Islam
, on Hajj
, pilgrimage to Mecca
, Saudi Arabia
. On September 10, 1978 in an address in Atlanta, Georgia
he took the first steps toward separating his Ministry
from the World Community of Al-Islam/American Muslim Mission and expanding it to the broader Muslim
and non Muslim peoples of the world by resigning as Chief Imam and appointing a six member council to lead the Community. In 1980 he changed his name to Warithuddin Muhammad (Warith Deen Muhammad).
Maynard Jackson
presented a proclamation
to then Chief Minister Wallace D. Muhammad proclaiming the week of August 22 to 28 1976 to be dedicated to the Southern Spiritual Life jubilee.
In 1977 he participated in a Muslim-Christian dialogue in Fort Worth, Texas
with Dr. Jack Evans, then President of Southwestern Christian College
in Terrell, Texas
.
In February 1978 Mohammed gave a historic address before more than 1,000 Jews
and Muslims at the Washington Hebrew Congregation
in Washington, D.C.
, then under the leadership of Rabbi
Joshua O. Haberman. On July 15, 1978 he participated and spoke at a Spiritual Life Jubilee in Chicago, Illinois, on the subject: "Strengthening Human Dignity and Freedom." On Nov. 19, 1978 he spoke on the "Evolution of the Nation of Islam" at the American academy of Religion in New Orleans, Louisiana
.
On October 8, 1989 Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave the keynote address at the Conference on Finality of Prophethood in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1993 he spoke at the Interfaith Roundtable National Conference of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Detroit, Michigan.
From October 15–16, 1994, Mohammed was visited in Cleveland, Ohio
by Grand Mufti
Abdullah Mukhtar, the leader of an estimated 60 million Muslims at Masjid Bilal, on his first visit to the U.S. On December 9, 1994 he received the Cup of Compassion from the Hartford Seminary
in Hartford, Conn.
In February 1995 he was invited to officiate at the first "Acts of Kindness Week" in Dallas, Texas
. On March 1995 he delivered the keynote address at the Muslim-Jewish Convocation in Glencoe, Illinois, in one of the first serious public dialogues between top leaders of Islam and reformed Judaism.
From October 1–6, 1996 he met with Pope John Paul II
and Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Vatican's Chief of Staff for Inter religious Affairs at the Vatican
in Rome
.
On August 17, 1997 he was presented the Luminosa Award for Unity from the Focolare Movement
. On September 9, 1997 he addressed the Baltimore
Jewish Council. He told the Jewish Leadership in Baltimore, Maryland: "The most important thing God gave us when He gave us revelation was that we see ourselves (people of faith) having a mission to make this whole world better by promoting fairness and justice in the world."
On May 18–20, 1998, he participated in the Conference on Religion and Peace sponsored by the Center for Christian, Jewish Understanding of Sacred Heart University
in Auschwitz, Poland
. On June 1998 he addressed the Muslim Friends of the Focolare conference in Rome, Italy.
Warith Deen Mohammed among others were elected to the Islamic Society of North America
Shura
Board during their 36th annual Convention held in Chicago, Ill., during the 1999 Labor Day
weekend and on Oct. 16 1999 he along with others were sworn in to serve on the (ISNA) Majlis As-Shura. Warith Deen Mohammed along with a 92 member delegation returned to Rome, Italy on October 28, 1999 and he addressed a gathering of 100,000 in the Vatican
Rome
with Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama
present. In Ramadan 1419 A.H. (1999) He met with Shaikh Nazim al-Haqqanian-Naqshbandi
and the then Grand Mufti of Syria, Shaikh Ahmed Kuftaro
an-Naqshbandi(raa),and in this meeting he pledged to work with Shaikh Kuftaro for the advancement of Al-Islam.
Warith Deen Mohammed was the special invited guest and keynote speaker at the "Inaugural Conference on the Growth and Development of Islam in America", held at Harvard University on March 3–4, 2000. Dr. Akbar Muhammad
his brother was also a participant.
On October 29, 2001, Mohammed participated in an "Evening of Religious Solidarity" joined by Reverend Robert H. Schuller
, Minister Louis Farrakhan
and members of the Parliament of World Religions at The Mosque Foundation in Villa Park
, Illinois.
ian President Anwar Sadat
at the National House (The former residence of his father Mr. Elijah Muhammad
). On July 4, 1976 he started the New World Patriotism
Day celebrations which were conducted on Independence Day in the major cities across America. In 1976 Wallace D. Muhammad hosted Sheik Sultan Bin Muhammad al-Qasami the then ruler of Sharjah
and in December 1976 he visited Sharjah
. Also in 1976 He took a delegation to Guyana
on an official State Visit
. While there he visited the N.O.I. Mosques there and forged ties with the other Muslim communities in the region. He also met with Prime Minister L. Forbes Burnham
, and the then President of Guyana Arthur Chung
.
In January 1977 he met with then President
Jimmy Carter
to discuss the crucial issues of drug addiction, violence, immorality, and other forms of blight in the African American
communities across the country. Later that year he addressed the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and urged them to "Promote excellence in consumer and voter education." On his 44th Birthday October 30, 1977 He received the Key to the City of Detroit, Michigan
from the then Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young
, along with a Proclamation declaring October 30, 1977 Wallace D. Muhammad Day in Detroit.
Also in 1977 he toured China
with the American Friends of China.
In 1979 he was the only American
invited and the only American to attend the 10th Annual Islamic Conference of Ministers in Fez, Morocco
, held from May 8 to May 12, 1979.
Then Arkansas
Governor Bill Clinton
proclaimed March 26, 1983 "Economic Dignity Day" in the state of Arkansas. In doing so he stated the following: Whereas, through the leadership and efforts of Warith Deen Muhammad, the American Muslim Mission is on the path of economic progress and achieving growth through unity...(I) urge all citizens to engage in activities which promote economic progress. On July 4, 1983 Imam W. Deen Muhammad shared the Reviewing Stand
for the 1984 New World Patriotism
Day Parade in Chicago with then State Senator
Emarald Jones, State Representative Howard Brooks, parade Grand Marshall Harold Washington
the then Mayor
of Chicago
, Ill,and many other dignitaries. Mayor Harold Washington
issued a Proclamation
declaring July 4, 1984 as New world Patriotism Day Coalition Parade Day in Chicago.
In 1984 W. Deen Mohammed went against the mainstream African American
political establishment an opposed Reverend Jesse Jackson's run for the Democratic nomination
for President.
In 1985 500,000 participants joined in a Walk for Justice convened by Warith Deen Muhammad to protest the handling of the American Muslim Mission (Nation of Islam) Probate court case in Chicago, Ill. Also in 1985 he met in Geneva
, Switzerland
with Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Sharif, Secretary General of the Islamic Call Society
of Libya and Dr. Abdul Hakim Tabibi, an Afghan
Mujaheddin to discuss areas of future cooperation with the Islamic Call Society
and the Muslim Community of America.
In 1986 He was selected to serve on the World Supreme Council of Masajid (Mosques) as one of only three United States residence on this council.
In 1988 he was invited to Morocco
by King Hassan II to participate in the traditional devotions during Ramadan
. During the visit, King Hassan II stated: Through you Imam W. Deen Mohammed all the people in America are represented. In April, 1988 he participated as the representative of Muslim Americans in the "Political and Religious Leaders Campaign for Planetary Survivor" Oxford
Town Hall, England
were 150 leaders from around the world met. Later that year he was among 100 leaders in religion, government, business, law and philanthropy who gathered in Williamsburg, VA during the Williamsburg Charter Foundations "First Liberty Summit". Where they signed a charter that restated the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Freedom of Religion
).
In 1989 He changed the spelling of his surname Muhammad to Mohammed to reflect the spelling on his birth certificate. Also on December 23, 1989 he spoke at the Annual Conference of the Islamic Committee for Palestine
on the plight of the Palestinian
people.
During the week of February 2, 1990 he attended a World Supreme Council of Masajid Meeting in Mecca
, Saudi Arabia
and he also attended the Annual Organization of Islamic Conference. From March 8–20, 1990 W. Deen Mohammed and the 15 member delegation of Muslim American leaders and scholars he led to the Persian Gulf
were given a State Visit
of Saudi Arabia. While in Saudi Arabia he met with Crown Prince Abdullah and the late Sheik
Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz, the General President of the Department of Academic Research, Ifta, Dawa and Guidance for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sheik Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki the Secretary General of the World Muslim League and many other dignitaries and scholars. On June 30, 1990 he met with Nelson Mandela
in Oakland, California
and donated 85,000 to Mr. Mandela to aid his efforts to smash apartheid in South Africa
on behalf of the Muslim American Community under his leadership. On September 10, 1990 he participated in the International Conference on "Current Situation in the Gulf" and at this conference, he made his opposition to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
a matter of public record. On September 23, 1990 he spoke at the 2nd General Assembly of the Continental Council of Masajid of North America. Also in 1990 W. Deen Mohammed along with Muhammad Ali
supported and endorsed Neil Hartigan
for Governor
of Illinois
.
In 1991 he led three delegations of Muslim Americans to Saudi Arabia
to discuss and see up close the situation in the Persian gulf. From January 15–21, 1991 he led a 21 member delegation to Saudi Arabia, were he met with the Mayor of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Saudi Arabia's minister of Defense Prince Sultan. From February 18–20, 1991 he attended and participated in The Convention on Jihad
which was held at the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh
, Saudi Arabia.
Warith Deen Mohammed gave the first invocation in the U.S. Senate ever by a Muslim
in 1992 after touring and visiting the Pentagon
from Feb. 5-6. Also on March 3 of that year he became the first Muslim to deliver an address on the floor of the Georgia
State Legislature.
In 1993 he spoke at a tribute luncheon hosting South African President Nelson Mandela
; Delivered an address to the Los Angeles, California, based World Affairs Council, which serves as host to outstanding world and national leaders and also in 1993, he gave an Islamic prayer
during the first Inaugural Interfaith
Prayer Service of President Bill Clinton
, and again in 1997 at the second Interfaith
Prayer Service.
In March 1994 Imam Warith Deen Mohammed toured Sudan with the African American Friendship Delegation, while in the Sudan
he met with Dr. Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi also known as Hassan al-Turabi
, Secretary General of the Popular Arab and Islamic conference and Rev. Dr. Lehman Bates, Executive officer of the African Health foundation.
In 1995 Warith Deen Mohammed attended and participated in the Forbes
Forum on Management in Naples, Florida
. Also in 1995 he was selected as a President of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) and addressed its governing board in Copenhagen, Denmark. As an International
Humanitarian, He gave his support to the peacemaking and humanitarian efforts of Bishop
Samuel Ruiz Garcia.
On April 15, 1996 Dr. Mohammed Nuir Manuty, the President of the Muslim Youth Movement invited Mohammed to visit Malaysia. The Deputy Prime Minister
and Mohammed met and he was interviewed on Malaysian National Television program "Good Morning Malaysia". His meeting with Dr. Manuty resulted in a Muslim American student exchange program, which lasted for several years. On May 23, 1996 he participated in the National Discussion on Race & Reconciliation, this event was organized and sponsored by the National Press Club
in Washington, DC by Hope in the Cities and its participants included but were not limited to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley
of New Jersey and U. S. Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr.. On December 1996, he led a delegation of American Muslims to Jerusalem, the West Bank
and Gaza
, to take part in talks with Palestinian
leader, President Yassir Arafat. Also in 1996 he was invited to Egypt
by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
to address the Supreme Council of Affairs in Cairo
on the theme: "Islam and the Future of Dialogue between Civilizations."
On January 1997, he was appointed to then President Bill Clinton
's Religious Advisory Council under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.
On October 22, 1997 he attended a reception given in his honor at Masjidul An Nur of Minneapolis, Minn.. Among the 50 or so people present were Minnesota's Attorney General Skip Humphrey, son of the late Senator Hubert Humphrey
, Minneapolis City Council members, educators, religious and civic leaders. He also met with Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton in her office.
From December 9–11, 1997 Mohammed attended the Organization of the Islamic Conference
(OIC) in Teheran, Iran. In attendance that year were the heads of Islamic states, including King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, President Hosni Mubarak
of Egypt, King Hassan II of Morocco, King Hussein of Jordan and President Yasser Arafat
of the West Bank.
Warith Deen Mohammed attended and participated in The Religious Community and Moral Challenge of Poverty Round Table Discussion convened by former U. S. Senator Paul Simon from March 24–25, 1998 in Carbondale, Illinois
. Forum was attended by over 25 religious leaders.
During the month of November 1999 he attended Back to Back World Peace Conferences. The first conference, Jubilenium Interfaith Conference for World Peace, was held in Tiberias, Israel, November 20–23 and it was an invitation only conference; he met with Israeli official three days prior to the conference to exchange ideas about peace and its process. The second conference was the 7th World Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, held in Amman, Jordan, November 25–29, 1999.
In 2000 Warith Deen Mohammed was appointed to the Executive Committee of Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP).
On September 11, 2001 Mohammed, denounced the terrorist attacks on the United States as un-Islamic and evil.
On April 6, 2002, Mohammed was inducted as a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers at Morehouse College
, Atlanta, GA. Mohammed was honored with his portrait in the International Chapel of Morehouse College
. From June 12–15, 2002 as International President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, Mohammed was invited to attend an HIV/AIDS Conference in Kenya
.
On Sat., Sept. 3, 2005, the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) presented an award to W. Deen Mohammed in recognition of his outstanding leadership role in the American Muslim community at The Mosque Cares
sponsored Annual Islamic Convention.
in breaking ranks with Mohammed and reviving the name 'Nation of Islam' in 1981.
Marking 70 years since the Nation of Islam was founded, on February 25, 2000 W.D. Mohammed and Farrakhan publicly embraced, and declared reconciliation, at the annual Saviours' Day
convention. Although the relationship between Warith Deen Mohammed and Minister Farrakhan had thawed by that February, as early as 1995, their relation was very cool because of the different directions they had taken in religion and politics. Warith Deen Mohammed and Louis Farrakhan have been at odds since 1978 over a number of issues not related to Elijah Muhammad. On August 10, 2007, in one of his final interviews before his death, Mohammed repeated his frustration with Farrakhan and the separatists stance of the current Nation of Islam.
Mohammed declared that he accepts Farrakhan and the NOI as Muslim because they adopted the Friday Jum'ah prayer and the orthodox form of prostration prayer.
(explanation) of the Holy Qur'an
, and to do a commentary
of the Bible
. In an address on September 10, 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia he expressed the desire to write a comparison of the Bible and Qur'an and to work with the educators in the Muslim community on a Social Science text book for all grade levels - kindergarten through high School. On December 17–19, 1999 He began holding sessions during Ramadhan to expound on his unique Qur'anic tafsir. His three day Ramadhan Sessions drew thousands.
for America and the west: "We are going to have a school of fiqh and that school is raising up, or growing up right now with the growth of this community, under the leadership of your Imam and my Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. Yes, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad."
In his last interveiw before his death he reiterated this belief to the ISLAMICA magazine: As a Sunni Muslim, you've never positioned yourself within any particular madhab. Do you follow any particular school and how, if at all, do you instruct your pupils about the madhab system?
IWDM: It's because, as I understand, the madhabs are geographically influenced. We are in a totally different geography in America. And I don't think we should adhere to any madhabs because those were influenced by their location and they are different based on their location. The Shafi school and the Maliki school in North Africa and the Wahhabi one in Saudi Arabia. Regions are supposed to develop these madhabs.
I think we are gradually getting a sense of madhabs in America, especially those like me. We are getting a sense of madhabs. And with the coming generation I think that we will be getting a much stronger sense of it. It is coming more and more.
newspaper and conducted by his brother Jabir Herbert Muhammad
, Mohammed described his role as successor to their father as that of a Mujeddid (Mujaddid
), one who would watch over the new Islam or community. In 1976 He called for all African Americans (Bilalians) to change their names from the surname
given to them by the Caucasian Slave Master. In 1979 he used the title Mujeddid (Mujaddid) on his byline in his weekly Bilalian News (formerly, Muhammad Speaks
Newspaper) articles.
Mohammed has written about religious imagery and use of symbols. In a 1975 article, Mohammed explored the profound latent effects of images in religion. In 1976 the Bilalain News (Muslim Journal) began carrying an article by him on the effects of racial imagery in religion "A Message of Concern," this article has ran in every copy of the Muslim Journal since. On Saturday July 23, 1977 he engaged in a (debate) public forum discussion with Reverend Al Sampson, pastor of the Fernwood Mehtodist Church in Chicago, on Images in Religion and Racism. The event was billed as the "Color of Christ Community Forum." Also in a June 17, 1977 Jumuah, he taught on "The meaning of colors in Scripture and the Natural Powers of Black and White". In this talk (Khutbah) he described and explained ancient scriptural symbolism and its effect on modern-day scriptural and religious interpretation. He also elaborated on how colors in scripture have triggered racist influences in the religious societies. In 1977 he formed the Committee for the Removal of All Images that Attempt to Portray the Divine (C.R.A.I.D.).
Imam Mohammed's eldest child Laila Mohammed, confessed that Warith Deen did pratice polygamy
.
After his first wife Shirley, he married Lorraine and had two children by her. He then married Thelma and had three children by her. Next he married Binah Mohammed, June 16, 1993.
He finally married Khadijah Siddeeq, who was 20 years old at the time, 50 years younger than Mohammed, and they remained married for four years up until his death. The distribution of his estate is being challenged by Shirley and many of his children.
The family is currently in probate court over rights to the estate.
, an Islamic evangelization group, and a business called the CPC (Collective
Purchasing Conference). His lectures were published weekly in the Muslim Journal newspaper, where his videos and audio tapes were also listed. Mohammed had a syndicated television program, 'W. Deen Mohammed and Guests, heard locally and nationally on the World Wide Web
broadcast of "Imam W. Deen Mohammed" in over 100 cities. A member of the World Supreme Council of Mosques and the Peace Council, he was an international president of the World Conference of Religion and Peace. His estimated 2.5 million "students", formerly with the Nation of Islam and new converts, have accepted traditional Islam.
W.D. Mohammed died in Chicago on September 9, 2008, the 9th day of Ramadan
, of heart disease and complications from diabetes. His Janazah was held at Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, Illinois
on September 11, 2008 and it was attended by thousands from all over American. According to the Final Call Newspaper: The Janazah prayer service was delayed for close to an hour as the huge crowd that had assembled could be organized and situated. The Amir of the Islamic Circle of North America
(ICNA) Dr. Khurshid Khan said that he had lost a close friend and a mentor. "It is a very sad day today for the American Muslims. Imam W.D. Mohammed was a great leader and Da’ee of Islam. He will not only be missed by his family but by all the Muslims of America," said Dr. Khan.
Progressive
Progressive is an adjectival form of progress and may refer to:-Politics:* Progressivism, a political ideology* Progressive Era, a period of reform in the United States Progressive is an adjectival form of progress and may refer to:-Politics:* Progressivism, a political ideology* Progressive Era, a...
African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
leader, theologian, philosopher, Muslim revivalist
Islamic revival
Islamic revival refers to a revival of the Islamic religion throughout the Islamic world, that began roughly sometime in 1970s and is manifested in greater religious piety, and community feeling, and in a growing adoption of Islamic culture, dress, terminology, separation of the sexes, and values...
and Islamic thinker (1975 to 2008) who disbanded the original Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
in 1976 and transformed it into an orthodox mainstream Islamic movement, the World Community of Al-Islam in the West which later became the American Society of Muslims
American Society of Muslims
The American Society of Muslims was a predominantly African-American association of Muslims which was the direct descendent of the original Nation of Islam. It was created by Warith Deen Mohammed after he assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father Elijah Muhammad. Imam W...
. He was a son of Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, the leader of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
from 1933 to 1975.
He became the national leader (Supreme Minister) of the Nation of Islam in 1975 after his father’s death. As a result of his personal studies and thinking, he had led the vast majority of the members of the original N.O.I. to mainstream, traditional Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
by 1978. With this merger, he oversaw the largest mass conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the history of the United States of America. He rejected the previous deification of W.D. Fard, accepted whites as fellow-worshippers, forged closer ties with mainstream Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
communities, and introduced the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
into his group's theology.
Splinter groups resisting these changes formed after Elijah Muhammad’s
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
death, particularly under Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
, who revived the name Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
for his organization.
Early life and education
Warith Deen Mohammed (English: Inheritor of the Religion of Muhammad) was born Wallace Delaney Muhammad in 1933 on Yeman Street in Hamtramck, MichiganHamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...
. His mother was Clara Muhammad
Clara Muhammad
Clara Muhammad November 2, 1899 – August 12, 1972, aka Clara Poole, was born Clara Evans in Macon, Georgia. They married in Georgia in 1917, before he changed his name from Elijah Poole...
and his father was Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, the Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, the organization that preached a form of Black nationalism
Black nationalism
Black nationalism advocates a racial definition of indigenous national identity, as opposed to multiculturalism. There are different indigenous nationalist philosophies but the principles of all African nationalist ideologies are unity, and self-determination or independence from European society...
and its own version of Islam. Elijah Muhammad led the Nation from 1934 until his death in 1975.
Growing up within the N.O.I., his early education came from the Muhammad University of Islam
Muhammad University of Islam
Muhammad University of Islam is a Nation of Islam - affiliated preschool to 12th Grade school in the South Shore area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, located next to Mosque Maryam. Every major NOI mosque has a MUI, the schools are headed by the Nation of Islam's Ministry of Education, led by...
school system now known as the (Clara Muhammad
Clara Muhammad
Clara Muhammad November 2, 1899 – August 12, 1972, aka Clara Poole, was born Clara Evans in Macon, Georgia. They married in Georgia in 1917, before he changed his name from Elijah Poole...
Schools) or Muhammad Schools. Warith Deen Mohammed was taught Arabic in his youth by Professor Jamal Diab a Palestinian who was hired by his father to teach at the M.U.I. in Chicago. He became a minister under his father and served in Philadelphia in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. His father excommunicated him three times for denying the divinity of W. F. Muhammad (Fard), a position the son reached after his own study. Warith Deen Mohammed was excommunicated for one year starting in January 1964; for four years starting in late 1965; and for several months ending in mid 1974.
On his 28th birthday in 1961, Warith Deen Mohammed was imprisoned in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for having refused induction into the United States military. In his 14 months in the federal prison, he spent most of his time studying the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, the scripture of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He became convinced that the Nation of Islam had to change. In 1963 he was released from prison. After the assassination of his friend Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
in 1965, Muhammad was readmitted into the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
.
Reforming The Nation of Islam
Warith Deen Mohammed (W. Deen Mohammed) assumed leader of the Nation of Islam after his father's death at the annual Savior's Day convention. He introduced many reforms to bring the organization closer to traditional IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, including but not limited to the following: (1.) Purged the myth of Master Fard Muhammad being God (Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
), (2.) Clarified the concept of the devil (3.) Presented Islamic beliefs and practices to the community through the Muhammad Speaks
Muhammad Speaks
Muhammad Speaks now known as Muslim Journal was one of the most widely-read newspapers ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960. Its first issue bore the title Some of this Earth to Call Our Own or Else. A weekly...
News paper, speeches and by personal example, he introduced and explained Islam's Five Pillars. In 1976 he dropped the tittle Supreme Minister and took the title Chief Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
or simply Imam. All of the over 400 temples were converted into traditional Islamic Mosques and renamed. He also renamed the community several times, settling on the American Society of Muslims to reflect the new thinking. Also at a pre-Saviour's Day meeting in February 1976 He unveiled a new flag for the Community (Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
). He rejected literal interpretations of his father's theology and Black-separatist views and on the basis of his intensive independent study of Islamic law, history, theology and his lifelong study of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and the life of the Prophet Muhammad, he accepted whites as fellow worshipers and forged closer ties with mainstream Muslim communities, including Latinos.
W. Deen Mohammed was instrumental in establishing interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
cooperation with other religious communities, especially Christians and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in America and around the world. In 1976 10,000 Muslims attended the first ever Eid Al-Fitr celebration to be held at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
#2, formerly Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
#2. In 1977 W. Deen Mohammed led 300 Muslim Americans, then the largest delegation, mostly former members of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, on Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. On September 10, 1978 in an address in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
he took the first steps toward separating his Ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
from the World Community of Al-Islam/American Muslim Mission and expanding it to the broader Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and non Muslim peoples of the world by resigning as Chief Imam and appointing a six member council to lead the Community. In 1980 he changed his name to Warithuddin Muhammad (Warith Deen Muhammad).
Mainstream acceptance
Warith Deen Mohammed became a leader for interfaith cooperation and for American Muslims, speaking in numerous cities across the country for renewed ties between people. On May 23, 1976 He conducted a massive interfaith Spiritual Life Jubilee in Los Angeles, California and spoke on the subject A New Heaven and a New Earth. He also conducted a Spiritual life Jubilee in Atlanta, GA and then Atlanta MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. was an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. He served three terms, two consecutive terms from 1974 until 1982 and a third term from 1990 to 1994...
presented a proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...
to then Chief Minister Wallace D. Muhammad proclaiming the week of August 22 to 28 1976 to be dedicated to the Southern Spiritual Life jubilee.
In 1977 he participated in a Muslim-Christian dialogue in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
with Dr. Jack Evans, then President of Southwestern Christian College
Southwestern Christian College
Southwestern Christian College is a historically black college in Terrell, Texas, 30 miles east of Dallas. SwCC is operated by the Churches of Christ.-Academics:...
in Terrell, Texas
Terrell, Texas
Terrell is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,606...
.
In February 1978 Mohammed gave a historic address before more than 1,000 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Muslims at the Washington Hebrew Congregation
Washington Hebrew Congregation
The Washington Hebrew Congregation is a Jewish congregation formed on April 25, 1852, in Washington, D.C., by twenty-one members.Solomon Pribram was elected the first president. By 1854, there were forty-two members...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, then under the leadership of Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Joshua O. Haberman. On July 15, 1978 he participated and spoke at a Spiritual Life Jubilee in Chicago, Illinois, on the subject: "Strengthening Human Dignity and Freedom." On Nov. 19, 1978 he spoke on the "Evolution of the Nation of Islam" at the American academy of Religion in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
On October 8, 1989 Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave the keynote address at the Conference on Finality of Prophethood in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1993 he spoke at the Interfaith Roundtable National Conference of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Detroit, Michigan.
From October 15–16, 1994, Mohammed was visited in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
by Grand Mufti
Grand Mufti
The title of Grand Mufti refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni or Ibadi Muslim country. The Grand Mufti issues legal opinions and edicts, fatwā, on interpretations of Islamic law for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases...
Abdullah Mukhtar, the leader of an estimated 60 million Muslims at Masjid Bilal, on his first visit to the U.S. On December 9, 1994 he received the Cup of Compassion from the Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary is a theological college in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.-History:Seminaries in the city of Hartford date back to 1833. In 1913, the current Hartford Seminary came into existence through the combination of three Hartford-based schools affiliated with the city's Congregationalist...
in Hartford, Conn.
In February 1995 he was invited to officiate at the first "Acts of Kindness Week" in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. On March 1995 he delivered the keynote address at the Muslim-Jewish Convocation in Glencoe, Illinois, in one of the first serious public dialogues between top leaders of Islam and reformed Judaism.
From October 1–6, 1996 he met with Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Vatican's Chief of Staff for Inter religious Affairs at the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
On August 17, 1997 he was presented the Luminosa Award for Unity from the Focolare Movement
Focolare Movement
The Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in 1943 in Trento, northern Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the Focolare Movement, though primarily Roman Catholic, now has strong links to the major Christian...
. On September 9, 1997 he addressed the Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
Jewish Council. He told the Jewish Leadership in Baltimore, Maryland: "The most important thing God gave us when He gave us revelation was that we see ourselves (people of faith) having a mission to make this whole world better by promoting fairness and justice in the world."
On May 18–20, 1998, he participated in the Conference on Religion and Peace sponsored by the Center for Christian, Jewish Understanding of Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
in Auschwitz, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. On June 1998 he addressed the Muslim Friends of the Focolare conference in Rome, Italy.
Warith Deen Mohammed among others were elected to the Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
Shura
Shura
Shura is an Arabic word for "consultation". The Quran and Muhammad encourage Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with those who will be affected by that decision....
Board during their 36th annual Convention held in Chicago, Ill., during the 1999 Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend and on Oct. 16 1999 he along with others were sworn in to serve on the (ISNA) Majlis As-Shura. Warith Deen Mohammed along with a 92 member delegation returned to Rome, Italy on October 28, 1999 and he addressed a gathering of 100,000 in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
with Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
present. In Ramadan 1419 A.H. (1999) He met with Shaikh Nazim al-Haqqanian-Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi
Naqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
and the then Grand Mufti of Syria, Shaikh Ahmed Kuftaro
Ahmed Kuftaro
Ahmed Muhammad Amin Kuftaro was the Grand Mufti of Syria, the highest Sunni Muslim religious official in that nation.-Biography:...
an-Naqshbandi(raa),and in this meeting he pledged to work with Shaikh Kuftaro for the advancement of Al-Islam.
Warith Deen Mohammed was the special invited guest and keynote speaker at the "Inaugural Conference on the Growth and Development of Islam in America", held at Harvard University on March 3–4, 2000. Dr. Akbar Muhammad
Akbar Muhammad
Akbar Muhammad is an associate professor of history and Africana studies at Binghamton University in New York. He specializes in African history, as well as the study of Islam in Africa and the Americas. He is the co-editor of Racism, Sexism, and the World-System, along with Joan Smith, Jane...
his brother was also a participant.
On October 29, 2001, Mohammed participated in an "Evening of Religious Solidarity" joined by Reverend Robert H. Schuller
Robert H. Schuller
Robert Harold Schuller is an American televangelist, pastor, speaker, motivator and author. He is principally known for the weekly Hour of Power television program which he began in 1970. He is also the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where the Hour of Power program...
, Minister Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
and members of the Parliament of World Religions at The Mosque Foundation in Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
, Illinois.
Political and social activities
In 1975 he met with EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian President Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
at the National House (The former residence of his father Mr. Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
). On July 4, 1976 he started the New World Patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
Day celebrations which were conducted on Independence Day in the major cities across America. In 1976 Wallace D. Muhammad hosted Sheik Sultan Bin Muhammad al-Qasami the then ruler of Sharjah
Sharjah
Sharjah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates . The emirate covers 2,600 km² and has a population of over 800,000...
and in December 1976 he visited Sharjah
Sharjah
Sharjah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates . The emirate covers 2,600 km² and has a population of over 800,000...
. Also in 1976 He took a delegation to Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
on an official State Visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
. While there he visited the N.O.I. Mosques there and forged ties with the other Muslim communities in the region. He also met with Prime Minister L. Forbes Burnham
Forbes Burnham
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was the leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death, first as Premier from 1964 to 1966, then as the Prime Minister from 1966 to 1980 and finally as President from 1980 to 1985....
, and the then President of Guyana Arthur Chung
Arthur Chung
Arthur Chung was a President of Guyana from 1970 to 1980. He was the first ethnic Chinese head of state in a non-Asian country...
.
In January 1977 he met with then President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
to discuss the crucial issues of drug addiction, violence, immorality, and other forms of blight in the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
communities across the country. Later that year he addressed the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and urged them to "Promote excellence in consumer and voter education." On his 44th Birthday October 30, 1977 He received the Key to the City of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
from the then Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young
Coleman Young
Coleman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
, along with a Proclamation declaring October 30, 1977 Wallace D. Muhammad Day in Detroit.
Also in 1977 he toured China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
with the American Friends of China.
In 1979 he was the only American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
invited and the only American to attend the 10th Annual Islamic Conference of Ministers in Fez, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, held from May 8 to May 12, 1979.
Then Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Governor Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
proclaimed March 26, 1983 "Economic Dignity Day" in the state of Arkansas. In doing so he stated the following: Whereas, through the leadership and efforts of Warith Deen Muhammad, the American Muslim Mission is on the path of economic progress and achieving growth through unity...(I) urge all citizens to engage in activities which promote economic progress. On July 4, 1983 Imam W. Deen Muhammad shared the Reviewing Stand
Stand
Stand may refer to:*Stand, Greater Manchester, a residential area in the Metropolitan Borough of Manchester, England*A partnership in cricket*STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition...
for the 1984 New World Patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
Day Parade in Chicago with then State Senator
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
Emarald Jones, State Representative Howard Brooks, parade Grand Marshall Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
the then Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Ill,and many other dignitaries. Mayor Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
issued a Proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...
declaring July 4, 1984 as New world Patriotism Day Coalition Parade Day in Chicago.
In 1984 W. Deen Mohammed went against the mainstream African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
political establishment an opposed Reverend Jesse Jackson's run for the Democratic nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
for President.
In 1985 500,000 participants joined in a Walk for Justice convened by Warith Deen Muhammad to protest the handling of the American Muslim Mission (Nation of Islam) Probate court case in Chicago, Ill. Also in 1985 he met in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Sharif, Secretary General of the Islamic Call Society
Islamic Call Society
World Islamic Call Society is a non-profit entity that comprises more than 250 Islamic Organizations from around the world who are members of its General Congress....
of Libya and Dr. Abdul Hakim Tabibi, an Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Mujaheddin to discuss areas of future cooperation with the Islamic Call Society
Islamic Call Society
World Islamic Call Society is a non-profit entity that comprises more than 250 Islamic Organizations from around the world who are members of its General Congress....
and the Muslim Community of America.
In 1986 He was selected to serve on the World Supreme Council of Masajid (Mosques) as one of only three United States residence on this council.
In 1988 he was invited to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
by King Hassan II to participate in the traditional devotions during Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
. During the visit, King Hassan II stated: Through you Imam W. Deen Mohammed all the people in America are represented. In April, 1988 he participated as the representative of Muslim Americans in the "Political and Religious Leaders Campaign for Planetary Survivor" Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
Town Hall, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
were 150 leaders from around the world met. Later that year he was among 100 leaders in religion, government, business, law and philanthropy who gathered in Williamsburg, VA during the Williamsburg Charter Foundations "First Liberty Summit". Where they signed a charter that restated the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Freedom of Religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
).
In 1989 He changed the spelling of his surname Muhammad to Mohammed to reflect the spelling on his birth certificate. Also on December 23, 1989 he spoke at the Annual Conference of the Islamic Committee for Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
on the plight of the Palestinian
Palestinian
Palestinian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Palestine, the Palestinian territories or the State of Palestine*A member of the Palestinian people, also rendered as Palestinian Arabs**Demographics of Palestine...
people.
During the week of February 2, 1990 he attended a World Supreme Council of Masajid Meeting in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and he also attended the Annual Organization of Islamic Conference. From March 8–20, 1990 W. Deen Mohammed and the 15 member delegation of Muslim American leaders and scholars he led to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
were given a State Visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
of Saudi Arabia. While in Saudi Arabia he met with Crown Prince Abdullah and the late Sheik
Sheik
Sheik or The Sheik may refer to:* Sheikh, an honorific term in Arabic* Duncan Sheik , an American singer-songwriter and composer* The Sheik , a 1921 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino...
Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz, the General President of the Department of Academic Research, Ifta, Dawa and Guidance for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sheik Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki the Secretary General of the World Muslim League and many other dignitaries and scholars. On June 30, 1990 he met with Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
in Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and donated 85,000 to Mr. Mandela to aid his efforts to smash apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on behalf of the Muslim American Community under his leadership. On September 10, 1990 he participated in the International Conference on "Current Situation in the Gulf" and at this conference, he made his opposition to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
a matter of public record. On September 23, 1990 he spoke at the 2nd General Assembly of the Continental Council of Masajid of North America. Also in 1990 W. Deen Mohammed along with Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
supported and endorsed Neil Hartigan
Neil Hartigan
Neil F. Hartigan is an Illinois Democrat who has served as Illinois Attorney General, the 40th Lieutenant Governor, and a judge of the Illinois Appellate Court. Hartigan also was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990 but lost the race to Republican Jim Edgar.-Background:Hartigan grew up in...
for Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
In 1991 he led three delegations of Muslim Americans to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to discuss and see up close the situation in the Persian gulf. From January 15–21, 1991 he led a 21 member delegation to Saudi Arabia, were he met with the Mayor of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Saudi Arabia's minister of Defense Prince Sultan. From February 18–20, 1991 he attended and participated in The Convention on Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
which was held at the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia.
Warith Deen Mohammed gave the first invocation in the U.S. Senate ever by a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
in 1992 after touring and visiting the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
from Feb. 5-6. Also on March 3 of that year he became the first Muslim to deliver an address on the floor of the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
State Legislature.
In 1993 he spoke at a tribute luncheon hosting South African President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
; Delivered an address to the Los Angeles, California, based World Affairs Council, which serves as host to outstanding world and national leaders and also in 1993, he gave an Islamic prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
during the first Inaugural Interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
Prayer Service of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and again in 1997 at the second Interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
Prayer Service.
In March 1994 Imam Warith Deen Mohammed toured Sudan with the African American Friendship Delegation, while in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
he met with Dr. Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi also known as Hassan al-Turabi
Hassan al-Turabi
Dr. Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi , commonly called Hassan al-Turabi , is a religious and Islamist political leader in Sudan, who may have been instrumental in institutionalizing sharia in the northern part of the...
, Secretary General of the Popular Arab and Islamic conference and Rev. Dr. Lehman Bates, Executive officer of the African Health foundation.
In 1995 Warith Deen Mohammed attended and participated in the Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
Forum on Management in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
. Also in 1995 he was selected as a President of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) and addressed its governing board in Copenhagen, Denmark. As an International
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
Humanitarian, He gave his support to the peacemaking and humanitarian efforts of Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Samuel Ruiz Garcia.
On April 15, 1996 Dr. Mohammed Nuir Manuty, the President of the Muslim Youth Movement invited Mohammed to visit Malaysia. The Deputy Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and Mohammed met and he was interviewed on Malaysian National Television program "Good Morning Malaysia". His meeting with Dr. Manuty resulted in a Muslim American student exchange program, which lasted for several years. On May 23, 1996 he participated in the National Discussion on Race & Reconciliation, this event was organized and sponsored by the National Press Club
National Press Club
The National Press Club is a professional organization and private social club for journalists. It is located in Washington, D.C. Its membership consists of journalists, former journalists, government information officers, and those considered to be regular news sources. It is well-known for its...
in Washington, DC by Hope in the Cities and its participants included but were not limited to U.S. Senator Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
of New Jersey and U. S. Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr.. On December 1996, he led a delegation of American Muslims to Jerusalem, the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, to take part in talks with Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
leader, President Yassir Arafat. Also in 1996 he was invited to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
to address the Supreme Council of Affairs in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on the theme: "Islam and the Future of Dialogue between Civilizations."
On January 1997, he was appointed to then President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's Religious Advisory Council under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.
On October 22, 1997 he attended a reception given in his honor at Masjidul An Nur of Minneapolis, Minn.. Among the 50 or so people present were Minnesota's Attorney General Skip Humphrey, son of the late Senator Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
, Minneapolis City Council members, educators, religious and civic leaders. He also met with Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton in her office.
From December 9–11, 1997 Mohammed attended the Organization of the Islamic Conference
Organization of the Islamic Conference
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
(OIC) in Teheran, Iran. In attendance that year were the heads of Islamic states, including King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
of Egypt, King Hassan II of Morocco, King Hussein of Jordan and President Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
of the West Bank.
Warith Deen Mohammed attended and participated in The Religious Community and Moral Challenge of Poverty Round Table Discussion convened by former U. S. Senator Paul Simon from March 24–25, 1998 in Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
. Forum was attended by over 25 religious leaders.
During the month of November 1999 he attended Back to Back World Peace Conferences. The first conference, Jubilenium Interfaith Conference for World Peace, was held in Tiberias, Israel, November 20–23 and it was an invitation only conference; he met with Israeli official three days prior to the conference to exchange ideas about peace and its process. The second conference was the 7th World Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, held in Amman, Jordan, November 25–29, 1999.
In 2000 Warith Deen Mohammed was appointed to the Executive Committee of Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP).
On September 11, 2001 Mohammed, denounced the terrorist attacks on the United States as un-Islamic and evil.
On April 6, 2002, Mohammed was inducted as a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers at Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
, Atlanta, GA. Mohammed was honored with his portrait in the International Chapel of Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
. From June 12–15, 2002 as International President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, Mohammed was invited to attend an HIV/AIDS Conference in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
On Sat., Sept. 3, 2005, the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) presented an award to W. Deen Mohammed in recognition of his outstanding leadership role in the American Muslim community at The Mosque Cares
The Mosque Cares
The Mosque Cares is a non-profit Islamic da'wah project founded by Imam Warith Deen Muhammad , a former leader of the Nation of Islam and a son and successor to its first Supreme Minister Elijah Muhammad ....
sponsored Annual Islamic Convention.
Relations with Louis Farrakhan
A number of dissident groups resisted the changes in the Nation of Islam, most notably those who followed Louis FarrakhanLouis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
in breaking ranks with Mohammed and reviving the name 'Nation of Islam' in 1981.
Marking 70 years since the Nation of Islam was founded, on February 25, 2000 W.D. Mohammed and Farrakhan publicly embraced, and declared reconciliation, at the annual Saviours' Day
Saviours' Day
Saviours' Day is a holiday of the Nation of Islam commemorating the birth of its founder, Master Wallace Fard Muhammad, February 26, 1877. It was established by Elijah Muhammad....
convention. Although the relationship between Warith Deen Mohammed and Minister Farrakhan had thawed by that February, as early as 1995, their relation was very cool because of the different directions they had taken in religion and politics. Warith Deen Mohammed and Louis Farrakhan have been at odds since 1978 over a number of issues not related to Elijah Muhammad. On August 10, 2007, in one of his final interviews before his death, Mohammed repeated his frustration with Farrakhan and the separatists stance of the current Nation of Islam.
Mohammed declared that he accepts Farrakhan and the NOI as Muslim because they adopted the Friday Jum'ah prayer and the orthodox form of prostration prayer.
Islamic Belief and Ideology
W. Deen Mohammad wrote over 30 books, delivered over 2000 lectures at Universities, Masajid, Churches etc. Almost all of his over 2000 lectures, were archived in the Muslim Journal Newspaper and almost all of his audio discs and DVDs or available for purchase or study. His greatest wish was to complete a translation and tafsirTafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
(explanation) of the Holy Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, and to do a commentary
Commentary
Commentary may refer to:*Play-by-play commentary, describing sporting events on TV or radio**colour commentary, supplementing play-by-play commentary with talk not directly about play*Commentary or narration, the words in a documentary film...
of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In an address on September 10, 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia he expressed the desire to write a comparison of the Bible and Qur'an and to work with the educators in the Muslim community on a Social Science text book for all grade levels - kindergarten through high School. On December 17–19, 1999 He began holding sessions during Ramadhan to expound on his unique Qur'anic tafsir. His three day Ramadhan Sessions drew thousands.
Fiqh
Warith Deen Mohammed called for the establishment of a new school (Madhab) of FiqhFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
for America and the west: "We are going to have a school of fiqh and that school is raising up, or growing up right now with the growth of this community, under the leadership of your Imam and my Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. Yes, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad."
In his last interveiw before his death he reiterated this belief to the ISLAMICA magazine: As a Sunni Muslim, you've never positioned yourself within any particular madhab. Do you follow any particular school and how, if at all, do you instruct your pupils about the madhab system?
IWDM: It's because, as I understand, the madhabs are geographically influenced. We are in a totally different geography in America. And I don't think we should adhere to any madhabs because those were influenced by their location and they are different based on their location. The Shafi school and the Maliki school in North Africa and the Wahhabi one in Saudi Arabia. Regions are supposed to develop these madhabs.
I think we are gradually getting a sense of madhabs in America, especially those like me. We are getting a sense of madhabs. And with the coming generation I think that we will be getting a much stronger sense of it. It is coming more and more.
Controversy
In an interview published in the Muhammad SpeaksMuhammad Speaks
Muhammad Speaks now known as Muslim Journal was one of the most widely-read newspapers ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960. Its first issue bore the title Some of this Earth to Call Our Own or Else. A weekly...
newspaper and conducted by his brother Jabir Herbert Muhammad
Jabir Herbert Muhammad
Jabir Herbert Muhammad was an American businessman and co founder of Top Rank, Inc. also longtime manager of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali....
, Mohammed described his role as successor to their father as that of a Mujeddid (Mujaddid
Mujaddid
A Mujaddid , according to the popular Muslim tradition, refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revive Islam, remove from it any extraneous elements and restore it to its pristine purity...
), one who would watch over the new Islam or community. In 1976 He called for all African Americans (Bilalians) to change their names from the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
given to them by the Caucasian Slave Master. In 1979 he used the title Mujeddid (Mujaddid) on his byline in his weekly Bilalian News (formerly, Muhammad Speaks
Muhammad Speaks
Muhammad Speaks now known as Muslim Journal was one of the most widely-read newspapers ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960. Its first issue bore the title Some of this Earth to Call Our Own or Else. A weekly...
Newspaper) articles.
Mohammed has written about religious imagery and use of symbols. In a 1975 article, Mohammed explored the profound latent effects of images in religion. In 1976 the Bilalain News (Muslim Journal) began carrying an article by him on the effects of racial imagery in religion "A Message of Concern," this article has ran in every copy of the Muslim Journal since. On Saturday July 23, 1977 he engaged in a (debate) public forum discussion with Reverend Al Sampson, pastor of the Fernwood Mehtodist Church in Chicago, on Images in Religion and Racism. The event was billed as the "Color of Christ Community Forum." Also in a June 17, 1977 Jumuah, he taught on "The meaning of colors in Scripture and the Natural Powers of Black and White". In this talk (Khutbah) he described and explained ancient scriptural symbolism and its effect on modern-day scriptural and religious interpretation. He also elaborated on how colors in scripture have triggered racist influences in the religious societies. In 1977 he formed the Committee for the Removal of All Images that Attempt to Portray the Divine (C.R.A.I.D.).
Marriages (Polygamy) and family
Warith Deen Mohammed was married a total of 5 times, once legally to Shirley Muhammad and four Islamic marriages. He has had a total of nine children with his succeeding wives. His first wife was Shirley Mohammed, with whom he had four children (Laila, Warith II, Ngina and Saudi, the latter who preceded him in death).Imam Mohammed's eldest child Laila Mohammed, confessed that Warith Deen did pratice polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
.
After his first wife Shirley, he married Lorraine and had two children by her. He then married Thelma and had three children by her. Next he married Binah Mohammed, June 16, 1993.
He finally married Khadijah Siddeeq, who was 20 years old at the time, 50 years younger than Mohammed, and they remained married for four years up until his death. The distribution of his estate is being challenged by Shirley and many of his children.
The family is currently in probate court over rights to the estate.
Last years
At the time of his death, W.D. Mohammed was the leader of The Mosque CaresThe Mosque Cares
The Mosque Cares is a non-profit Islamic da'wah project founded by Imam Warith Deen Muhammad , a former leader of the Nation of Islam and a son and successor to its first Supreme Minister Elijah Muhammad ....
, an Islamic evangelization group, and a business called the CPC (Collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
Purchasing Conference). His lectures were published weekly in the Muslim Journal newspaper, where his videos and audio tapes were also listed. Mohammed had a syndicated television program, 'W. Deen Mohammed and Guests, heard locally and nationally on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
broadcast of "Imam W. Deen Mohammed" in over 100 cities. A member of the World Supreme Council of Mosques and the Peace Council, he was an international president of the World Conference of Religion and Peace. His estimated 2.5 million "students", formerly with the Nation of Islam and new converts, have accepted traditional Islam.
W.D. Mohammed died in Chicago on September 9, 2008, the 9th day of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, of heart disease and complications from diabetes. His Janazah was held at Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 22,075 at the 2000 census. A special census in 2003 set the population at 22,517...
on September 11, 2008 and it was attended by thousands from all over American. According to the Final Call Newspaper: The Janazah prayer service was delayed for close to an hour as the huge crowd that had assembled could be organized and situated. The Amir of the Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Circle of North America , formally chartered in 1971 but active since 1968, is an Islamic North American grassroots umbrella organization....
(ICNA) Dr. Khurshid Khan said that he had lost a close friend and a mentor. "It is a very sad day today for the American Muslims. Imam W.D. Mohammed was a great leader and Da’ee of Islam. He will not only be missed by his family but by all the Muslims of America," said Dr. Khan.
Legacy and honors
- In 1975 he led the largest mass conversion to Islam in the history of the United States of America, when he led the Lost Found Nation of IslamNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
in the West to mainstream Islam. - On October 30, 1977 He received the Key to the City of Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
from the then Mayor of Detroit Coleman YoungColeman YoungColeman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
, along with a Proclamation declaring October 30, 1977 Wallace D. Muhammad Day in Detroit. - Selected by Ebony Magazine as one of its 100 Most Influential Black Americans in 2002.
- On February 26, 2010, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, and Mayor Bing of Detroit issued proclamations marking February 26 as Imam Warith Deen Mohammed Day.
- Walter P. Reuther Humanitarian Award
- 1992, 1993 - President Hosni MubarakHosni MubarakMuhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
of Egypt honored Warith Deen Mohammed with "The Gold Medal of Recognition" for his religious work in the United States. - 1994 - Cup of Compassion award from Hartford SeminaryHartford SeminaryHartford Seminary is a theological college in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.-History:Seminaries in the city of Hartford date back to 1833. In 1913, the current Hartford Seminary came into existence through the combination of three Hartford-based schools affiliated with the city's Congregationalist...
in Hartford, Connecticut on December 9, 1994 - 1997 - Focolare MovementFocolare MovementThe Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in 1943 in Trento, northern Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the Focolare Movement, though primarily Roman Catholic, now has strong links to the major Christian...
"Luminosa Award for Unity" - 1999 - United States Department of State: Certificate of Appreciation, awarded on May 17, 1999
- 2003 - Mohammed received an HonoraryHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctorate degree from the Internet Islamic UniversityIslamic UniversityIslamic University is a public university in Bangladesh financially aided by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. It was formed in 1985 in Kushtia under the Islamic University Act of 1980 to promote the Islamic system of education in the country. Islamic University started its academic...
in New York City - 2003 - Sojourner-Douglass CollegeSojourner-Douglass CollegeSojourner–Douglass College is a private institution of higher learning with an Afrocentric focus headquartered Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States....
in BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters - 2005 - Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Leadership Award
- In eulogizing Warith Deen Mohammed on CNN blogs, Ahmed Rehab Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, called him "America's Imam."
Books authored
- The Teachings of W. D. Muhammad, Muhammad's Mosque #2, Chicago, Illinois, 1975
- The Lectures of Emam W. D. Muhammad, Muhammad's Mosque #2, Chicago, Illinois, 1976
- Book of Muslim Names, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Mosque #2, Chicago, Illinois, February 1976
- The Man and the Woman in Islam, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Mosque #2, Chicago, Illinois, February 1976
- As the Light Shineth from the East, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 1980
- Prayer and Al-Islam, Muhammad Islamic Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, 1982, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Card Number: 82-61077 - Religion on the Line, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 1983
- Imam W. Deen Muhammad speaks form Harlem, N.Y. Book 1, W. D. M. Publications, 1984
- Imam W. Deen Muhammad speaks form Harlem, N.Y.: Challenges That Face Man Today Book 2, 1985
- Meeting The Challenge: Halal Foods for Our Everyday Needs, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Masjid, Chicago, Illinois, 1986
- An African American Genesis, M.A.C.A. Publication Fund, Chicago, Illinois, 1986, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Card Number: 86-63266 - Focus on Al-Islam: Interviews with Imam W. Deen Mohammed, Zakat Publications, Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 1988, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Card Number: 89-090728 - Al-Islam: Unity, and Leadership, The Sense Maker, Chicago, Illinois, 1991, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Card Number: 91-061449, ISBN 1-879698-00-5 - Worst Oppression Is False Worship "The Key Is Tauheed-Oneness of Allah," W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 1991
- Growth for a Model Community in America, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 1995
- Islam's Climate for Business Success, The Sense Maker, Chicago, Illinois, 1995, Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
Card Number: 95-071105, ISBN 1-879698-01-3 - Mohammed Speaks, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 1999
- Blessed Ramadan - The Fast of Ramadan
- Plans for a Better Future: Peace, Inclusion and International Brotherhood
- The Schemes Of Satan the Enemy of Man
- The Champion We Have In Common: The Dynamic African American Soul Books 1, 2, 3, & 4, The Mosque Cares Publications, August 2005
- A Time for Greater Communities Vol. 1-4
- Securing our Share of Freedom
- Prayer in al-Islam, A Learner's Guide w/Instructional CD, WDM Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 2007
- Return to Innocence: Transitioning of the Nation of Islam, The Sense Maker, Chicago, Illinois, 2007
- Life The Final Battlefield, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, Illinois, 2008
Pamphlets
- A Look At W. Deen Mohammed: Muslim American Spokesman for Human Salvation, A Ministry of W. Deen Mohammed Publication, Chicago, Illinois, 1993
Video and Audio Presentations
- Imam W. Deen Mohammed: "Systems of Knowledge", Muslim News Magazine, recorded as a television special by MNM during the 1994 Islamic Convention in Washington, DC. This historic classroom lecture was delivered in front of more than 200 Imams and scholars at the Renaissance Hotel. "Systems of Knowledge" is a powerful classroom presentation on the essence of Quranic Arabic and it's meaning to all mankind. This presentation marked the first and only time that Imam Mohammed allowed camera’s into one of his private Imam classes. RT: 60 Minutes. 1994.
External links
- BilalianSpeaks
- Baitcal
- Biographical Entry on Blackpast.orgBlackPast.orgBlackPast.org is a web-based free content reference center that is dedicated primarily to the understanding of African American history and the history of people of African ancestry...
- Farewell, Americas Imam
- NY Times Obituary
- Dawud Walid Blog
- Chicago Tribune Bio
- Muslim Journal
- New Africa Radio
- WDM Ministry
- WDM Publications
- The Legacy of Imam W Deen Mohammed (Documentary)
- YOU R A CREATOR
- Ummahstream....Share Truth! (with WDMtv)
- WCRP
- A Three Day Journey
- The Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam
- Masjid Freehaven
- Masjidul Waritheen
- Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore
- Muhammad Islamic Center of Greater Hartford
- W Deen Mohammed Tribute
- FinalCall.com Nation of Islam tribute to Imam W.Deen Mohammed
- http://amuslimvoice.org/html/body_imam_wd_mohammed.html
- Brother Malcolm Speaks
- http://www.focolare.us/
- Masjid Waarith ud Deen