Warith Deen Muhammad
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Warith Deen Mohammed was born Wallace D. Mohammed on October 30, 1933. He is the son of Clara and Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad, also referred to as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, founded the Nation of Islam, which preached Black Nationalism.
In 1975, after his father's death, Wallace D. Mohammed was accepted by the people as their leader. Wallace D. Mohammed brought about many reforms, which brought the followers of the N.O.I. (Nation Of Islam) closer to mainstream Islam. He renamed his organization a number of times. He is now the leader of a new project called The Mosque Cares, and most of his followers have assimilated into mainstream Islam. They now seek and have a better understanding of the Creator and Islamic scripture, such as the Qur'an.
Wallace D. Muhammad rejected the literal meaning of his father's theology and Black separatist views. For example, the N.O.I. taught that Black people were God's "original people." With his new understanding, he accepted whites as fellow worshipers and attempted to forge closer ties with mainstream Muslim communities, including Latino Muslims, whose teaching are in accord with the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammed's sunnah.
A number of dissident groups resisted the changes in NOI. Among these was Louis Farrakhan who announced a revival of the Nation of Islam name for his group in 1981.
External links
- Muslim Journal (http://www.muslimjournal.com)
- New Africa Radio (http://newafricaradio.com)
- The Mosque Cares (http://www.themosquecares.com)
- WDM Publications (http://www.wdmpublications.com)