Islam Vs. Nation of Islam

Many people who do not have any true knowledge of Islam or the Nation of Islam often times put the two together, however, many people will be surprised to know that these have more differences than they do similarities.

When people see the Nation of Islam, they immediately associate the late Malcolm X and the former NOI leader Louis Farrakhan with the organization. They identify Black Muslims as being apart of this organization, when in fact many Black Muslims follow the true religion of Islam and have no association with the organization.

Many Muslims denounce the teachings of the Nation of Islam and consider them to be false teachings of the religion. In an article titled "The Nation of Islam Exposed" A. I. Palmer states that the NOI is a black racist cult. He defends true Islam by saying that the followers of the Nation of Islam are not Muslims because they do not follow the true teachings of the religion of Islam.

The religion of Islam is the acceptance of and the obedience to the teachings of God, which he revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah is the Arabic word that means God (the one true God who created the whole universe). The word Muslim means "the one who submits to the will of God." Muslims believe that only Allah is the one worthy of worship alone without any partners.

Muhammad PBUH is the last prophet of Islam. He was born in Mecca in the year 570 AD. When Muhammad PBUH was 40 years old, the angel Gabriel came to him with revelations from Allah. The revelations continued for 23 years, and they are known as the Qu'ran. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH was a perfect example to mankind because he was an honest, just, merciful, compassionate, truthful, and brave human being. Muhammad PBUH is the last prophet of Allah, Jesus peace be upon him, preceded Muhammad PBUH.

Some of the Muslims' basic beliefs include a belief in the One True God, Allah; belief in Allah's angels, His books (Torah and Bible), His prophets (Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them). Muslims also believe in the Day of Judgement, and Divine Predestination (freewill).

The five pillars of Islam include the testimony of faith, "There is not true god but God (ALLAH) and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." The second pillar of faith is prayer five times a day, third is paying charity (zakat), fourth is fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the fifth pillar is making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life if they have the financial as well as physical means to do so.

The Nation of Islam does not follow many of these basic rules and regulations associated with true Islam. They teach that the Black man is of a superior race actually raised up to the status of Allah. They believe that the white man is a devil, and was created by the Black people in a genetic experiment 6,000 years ago.
The Nation of Islam do not follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, who walked the earth over 1400 years ago, they actually follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, their leader in the 20^th century. Elijah Muhammad claimed to be a prophet of Allah. He also claimed that the whites would rule the world for 6,000 years and then be destroyed at the 'end of their time' by the blacks. He also stated that 'Judgment Day' means that at the end of time the blacks would destroy the entire white race of devils and then produce a paradise nation on the earth, which will be ruled by the Blacks.

Islam does not tolerate racism. Islam is a religion for all of mankind, where everyone is considered as equals regardless of race, sex, or nationality. Muslims believe that Allah is the only one who can judge an individual and that we are all equal in His sight. Not only does Islam forbid racism, it also forbids raising the status of man to that of God, All-Mighty Allah. Muslims believe that Allah is far removed from attributes of His creation and that a human being can never attain His position. It is also forbidden in Islam to claim that one is a prophet after the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, since he is the one who is labeled as the Last Messenger of God.

The Nation of Islam is also recorded in several documents as being started by a con artist named Wallace Dodd Ford. Ford is reported to have been convicted a drug dealing con man in California's San Quintin Prison. When Ford was released in 1929, he moved to Detroit to start a new life as well as a new organization. Ford is said to have used many different names including Wali Farad and Master Fard. He would tell his followers that he was from Mecca, Arabia, and he could pass this off because of his South Pacific Maori and White heritage. His skin color allowed him to pass as someone from the Middle East. However, according to Ford's criminal record, law enforcement officials have him classified as white born in Portland, Oregon, in 1891 to Hawaiian immigrants. Arthur J. Magida stated, "Whenever Fard was arrested, and wherever he was booked, he identified himself as a white man. His standard story was that he had been born in 1891 in New Zealand to a Polynesian mother and an Englishman who arrived in New Zealand on a schooner. Occasionally, he claimed he was born in Portland, Oregon, and that his parents, Zared and Beatrice Ford, had both been born in Hawaii.

Among Ford's first students was a man named Elijah Pool, who Ford renamed Elijah Muhammad. When Ford mysteriously disappeared, Elijah gained leadership over the Nation of Islam until his death in 1975.

Elijah Muhammad used different religions and beliefs to help form the Nation of Islam, including Islam, Christianity, and Masonry. He elevated Ford's human status to being that of Allah, the Creator of the heavens and earth. Elijah Muhammad preached that the Black man was the "Original Man" and that he is of a good state, however, he also taught that all whites were evil and devils. He taught his followers that the trickery of the white man was to make the Black man believe that he was inferior to him.

Not only did Elijah Muhammad raise the status of Ford as being that of Allah, he also raised his own status to that of a prophet of Allah. His followers, to this day, call him the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and believe that he is a prophet of Allah.

Elijah Muhammad also taught that the Black man was "Allah". Elijah stated to his followers, "You are walking around looking for a God to bow to and worship. You are the God!" Louis Farrakhan, the leader following the late Elijah Muhammad, took Elijah's "You are the God!" statement one step farther in a videotaped series titled "How to Give Birth to a God," Louis Farrakhan instructs his male followers to prepare their sperm as young boys so that they can produce a god.

The most famous follower of the Nation of Islam happens to be Malcolm X. Malcolm followed the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, and he too fell into the trap of racism and believing in falsehood. However, Malcolm left the Nation of Islam after going to Mecca for pilgrimage. There he drank from the same cup as a white man and prayed to the same God as people of all races. He realized that true Islam taught equality. The leader decided to discontinue his association with the Nation of Islam, and began to teach true Islam up until the time of his death.

Many of the Nation of Islam teachings are not from Islam. These people claim that they are following the true religion of Islam, however, they are only preaching racism and falsehood. Islam condemns many of the teaching of the Nation of Islam. In turn the Nation of Islam are not considered real Muslims.

I hope that God willing this article helped clarify the difference between Islam and Nation of Islam.