In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam

Mattias Gardell

Duke University Press, Sep 26, 1996 - Biography & Autobiography - 482 pages

In the Name of Elijah Muhammad tells the story of the Nation of Islam—its rise in northern inner-city ghettos during the Great Depression through its decline following the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 to its rejuvenation under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Mattias Gardell sets this story within the context of African American social history, the legacy of black nationalism, and the long but hidden Islamic presence in North America. He presents with insight and balance a detailed view of one of the most controversial yet least explored organizations in the United States—and its current leader.
Beginning with Master Farad Muhammad, believed to be God in Person, Gardell examines the origins of the Nation. His research on the period of Elijah Muhammad’s long leadership draws on previously unreleased FBI files that reveal a clear picture of the bureau’s attempts to neutralize the Nation of Islam. In addition, they shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malcolm X. With the main part of the book focused on the fortunes of the Nation after Elijah Muhammad’s death, Gardell then turns to the figure of Minister Farrakhan. From his emergence as the dominant voice of the radical black Islamic community to his leadership of the Million Man March, Farrakhan has often been portrayed as a demagogue, bigot, racist, and anti-Semite. Gardell balances the media’s view of the Nation and Farrakhan with the Nation’s own views and with the perspectives of the black community in which the organization actively works. His investigation, based on field research, taped lectures, and interviews, leads to the fullest account yet of the Nation of Islam’s ideology and theology, and its complicated relations with mainstream Islam, the black church, the Jewish community, extremist white nationalists, and the urban culture of black American youth, particularly the hip-hop movement and gangs.

Contents

• Restoration of Dignity The Rise of Black Nationalism: 11
• A Black Moses in the House of Pharaoh: 23
• The Crescent of the Occident Islam in Black America prior to 1930: 31
• Noble Drew AH and the Moorish Gospel: 37
• The Genesis of the Nation of Islam: 47
• A Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: 50
• A Nation of Islam: 54
• The Image of a Voodoo Cult in an Urban Jungle: 55
• Muhammad is the Messenger of God: 57
• Champions for Allah: 63
• Forces of Evil: 69
• Exposing the Nation: 71
• X Terminated: 76
• A Federal Conspiracy to Neutralize the Nation of Islam: 85
• Knights of Americanism and the Threat of Black Islam: 92
• The Fall of the Nation: 99
• Rapid Islamization Transit: 102
• To Dismantle an Empire: 109
• Religion Perception and Change: 114
• The Resurrection of the Nation of Islam: 119
• The Fall and Resurrection of the Nation of Islam: 122
• Kinship Scripture and Strategies of Legitimation: 125
• The Messiah Has Finally Come: 127
• The Black Path of Redemption: 131
• Rebuilding the Black House: 135
• A Nation of Gods The Creed of Black Islam: 144
• The Making of a Devil: 147
• The Problem of Theodicy: 149
• Death Rides a Pale Horse and Hell Follows with Him: 151
• The Sleeping Beauty and the Prince of Love: 153
• The Wheel and Satan the Challenger: 158
• Apocalypse Now: 160
• Religion Logic and Configurations of Belief: 165
• There Are but How Many Gods?: 170
• Religion and Science: 174
• The Mathematical Code of Islam: 176
• What is New in New Religions?: 181
• The Sun of Islam Will Rise in the West: 187
• Follow Bilal into Paradise: 194
• Qadhdhafi and the Third Universal: 197
• Islamic Reformer and World Transformer Qadhdhafis Twin Role: 202
• Qadhdhafi and the Nation of Islam: 205
• The Lost Found Nation of Islam: 215
• The Five Percent Nation of Islam: 224
• The Ansaaru Allah Community: 225
• Strained Seeds of Abraham Is the NOI an AntiChristian AntiSemitic Nazi Cult?: 232
• Christendoom and Crucifiction: 233
• Black Bridge over Troubled Waters: 237
• Blacks Jews and the Nation of Islam: 245
• From Dirty Religion Blues to Mendelssohn Violin Concerto: 254
• AntiSemites or AntiSatanites?: 267
• The Nazi Connection: 271
• A Divine Nation in a Decaying World: 285
• The HipHop Mission: 293
• When Somethins Wrong in tha Hood Who Are You Gonna Call?: 301
• Let My People Go: 306
• 40 Acres and a Mule: 310
• Vote Black Muslim for Congress: 312
• The Black POWER of the Nation of Islam: 317
• Road to Freedom: 322
• Artificial Disease and Natural Health Care: 324
• Black Islamic Family Ideals: 330
• Justicia Niger: 337
• The Quest for Black Reunification: 339
• Children of Armageddon or To Civilize the Uncivilized: 345
• Notes: 351
• Bibliography: 433
• Index: 471

About the author

Mattias Gardell is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Bibliographic information

• Title: In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam; Black religion and culture; In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, Mattias Gardell; The C. Eric Lincoln Series on the Black Experience; The C. Eric Lincoln the Black
• Author: Mattias Gardell
• Publisher: Duke University Press, 1996
• ISBN: 0822318458, 9780822318453
• Length: 482 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / African American & Black; History / Social History; Religion / Islam / General; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / American / African American & Black Studies; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General; Social Science / Islamic Studies