With H. C. Felder

1. Nation of Islam History and Beliefs With H. C. Felder www.GivingAnAnswer.org

2. Road Map • History • Beliefs • Evaluation of the Nation of Islam • Summary

3. Road Map • History

4. History W. D. Fard Fard is the founder of the NOI Fard suddenly and mysteriously appeared among the blacks in Detroit in the summer of 1930 Fard was a traveling salesman of raincoats and silks Fard claimed to be from Mecca as a messenger of Allah to blacks

5. History • W. D. Fard • According to the NOI, Fard was half black and half white which allowed him to easily blend in with whites • According to criminal records, he was classified as white, born in Portland OR in 1891 to Hawaiian immigrants • Fard disappeared as suddenly as he appeared and no one knows what happened to him • He is considered by NOI to be Allah in person, God in the flesh

6. History Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad was handpicked by W. D. Fard to lead the NOI He was born Elijah Poole October 7, 1897 in Sandersville GA His parents were sharecroppers who where oppressed by whites As a youth, he witnesses a number of atrocities on blacks at the hands of whites

7. History • Elijah Muhammad • Violating the tenants of NOI, Muhammad had sexual relations with a number of women. Some became pregnant and filed paternity suits • By 1975 there were 76 mosques • The Honorable Elijah Muhammad died February 25th 1975 from congestive heart failure

8. History Malcolm X Malcolm X was handpicked by Elijah Muhammad to lead the NOI Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19th in Omaha NE Malcolm's father was a traveling Baptist preacher

9. History • Malcolm X • Malcolm also witnesses violence on blacks by whites • His father was killed in a street car accident that Malcolm believes was a murder by whites • 4 of his 6 brothers died violent deaths, 3 at the hands of white men • Malcolm also saw the hypocrisy of those professing to be Christian • While in jail for burglary, Malcolm had a vision of who he would later realize was W. D. Fard

10. History • Malcolm X • Once released from prison, Malcolm joined the NOI and became the chief spokesperson and apologist • Malcolm became aware that the teaching of NOI conflicted with those of orthodox Islam • Malcolm also became aware of the sexual misconduct of Elijah Muhammad • In 1964, Malcolm left the NOI and converted to Sunni Islam

11. History • Malcolm X • Malcolm started speaking out against Elijah Muhammad • His house was bombed and his life was threaten for speaking against Muhammad • Malcolm was murdered on February 21, 1965 • The murders where members of the NOI and were convicted of the murder

12. History Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan was born Louis Eugene Walcott in 1933 As a youth, he was active in the Christian church but had questions. But because he didn't get any answers ,he became disillusioned with the church Farrakhan was discipled by Malcolm

13. History • Louis Farrakhan • In 1967 Muhammad made Farrakhan the national spokesman for the NOI • When Elijah Muhammad died, Elijah's son Wallace Deen Muhammad was named the leader of the NOI • Wallace renamed NOI to the “World Community of Islam” • Wallace started moving the organization toward orthodox Islam

14. History • Louis Farrakhan • In 1977, Farrakhan broke with Wallace and re-established the NOI • Louis Farrakhan continues to lead the NOI • Louis Farrakhan has never separated himself from any of the teachings of Elijah Muhammad "I subscribe to every word that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us“ (Louis Farrakhan,1997)

15. Road Map • History • Beliefs

16. Beliefs The Bible is Corrupt The Bible is used by white people to dominate blacks However, the Bible still has plenty of truth if properly understood The Bible can only be properly understood as properly interpreted through Elijah Muhammad since his interpretation was given to him by "the Lord of the World [Fard]" (Tsoukalas 2001, 104) Muhammad's interpretation of Scripture pays no attention to word studies, historical background, or context "From the first day that the white race received the Divine Scripture they started tampering with its truth to make it to suit themselves and blind the black man....The Bible is the graveyard of my people...What a poison book!" (Elijah Muhammad) "The Bible is not all holy, nor is it all the word of God" (Muhammad 1965, 95)

17. Beliefs • God • God is a finite being. He is a black man • Since we are made in the image of God, He must be a man • He created himself out of nothing • He created himself out of a total darkness and out of a single atom • Since he came from darkness, he himself is dark (Muhammad, Our Saviour has Arrived 1974, 52) • There are many gods • There is a string of succession of gods, each living for around 100-200 years "The Black God produced Himself; He's Self-created. Then that Black god made the white man." (Muhammad, Our Saviour has Arrived 1974, 54)

18. Beliefs W. D. Fard The current God is W. D. Fard "WE BELIEVE that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long-awaited "Messiah" of the Christians and the "Mahdi" of the Muslims." (Nation of Islam 2011)

19. Beliefs • Man • Black man • Blacks are the original race, created directly by God himself • The black man did not have a sin nature • Our current sinfulness is the result of the influence of the white race

20. Beliefs • Man • White man • The white race was created by a black scientist named Yakub 6,600 years ago • He only allowed light skinned blacks to marry light skinned blacks • Dark skinned babies were killed • Lying and murdering were bred into their nature as newborns • After a number of generations, the white race was born • Adam and Eve are the first parents of the white race

21. Beliefs Jesus Jesus was a prophet and only a man-a black man Jesus was neither Christ nor God Jesus died and stayed dead "God is here in Person, so stop looking for a dead Jesus for help and pray to HIM" (Elijah Muhammad)

22. Beliefs After Life Allah, will destroy the white race and restore the world back to blacks There is no resurrection, once you are dead, you are dead forever W. D. Fard is waiting for the fullness of time to unleash his wrath upon the white race "God is here in Person, so stop looking for a dead Jesus for help and pray to HIM" (Elijah Muhammad)

23. Beliefs Mother Plane When the time comes, the attack will be launched by the "Mother Plane" which orbits the earth and is what people refer to as a UFO This is a 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile space ship It contains 1,500 smaller bombers Each bomber is capable of carrying 3 bombs that can plunge into the earth a mile deep before exploding Each blast will kill people within a 50 miles radius include Uncle Toms (includes black Christians)

24. Beliefs • After Life • Mother Plane • Blacks will be lead to safety by telepathy • The target will be the U.S. and England • Those targeted will also include Uncle Toms (includes black Christians) • When the war is over the word will be restored to its original condition before the white race was created • The hereafter is a continuation of the present life of flesh and blood • There will be no sin or sickness and we will live in the presence of Fard and Elijah Muhammad

25. Road Map • History • Beliefs • Evaluation of the Nation of Islam

26. Evaluation • Against orthodox Islam • Islam considers it blasphemy to call any man Allah in the flesh • The Yakub myth can be found nowhere in the Qur'an or any text of Islam • Islam accepts all races

27. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • Racism • The NOI confuses Christians with Christianity • To understand Christianity look at its leader Christ, not those who claim to be his followers yet go directly against his teachings • Christianity is a religion for all races • The first convert was an Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-28) • Whites are actually in the minority of Christians world wide • Slavery was ended in a large part due to white Christian abolitionist such as William Wilberforce "For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13)

28. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • The Bible • The NOI gives no evidence to justify their view that the Bible is corrupt • We have an unbroken chain of manuscripts dating to the first century • The NOI leaders often quote from the Bible when it suits their purpose • In Elijah's Muhammad's book Message to Blackman in America ,the index list more than 220 Bible verses • The interpretations given by Elijah Muhammad cannot be objectively verified • Muhammad claims that his interpretations come from Allah (Fard). Why should we accept that as evidence?

29. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • God • God has always existed • God created everything out of nothing • Self creation is impossible • He would have to exist and not exist at the same time • It cannot explain where the matter came from that he used to create himself • A finite God needs a creator • Even if God created himself out of a single atom, something beyond man must have created the atom • God is spirit "Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (Ps. 90:2) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn. 4:24)

30. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • God • A finite God has significant limitations and is not worthy of worship • Cannot be omnipresent since limited to a body • Cannot be omniscient since he can't be in all places at the same time • Cannot be eternal since he has a beginning and an end • Examples from the Bible that give God human characteristics are figures of speech • Fard cannot possibly be God • NOI's own documentation says that Fard had parents indicating he had recent beginning and couldn't have created the universe

31. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • Man • All men come from Adam and Eve • No where does the Bible teach the inferiority of other ethnic groups "He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26)

32. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • Jesus • Jesus alone is the Christ • He was the only Christ from the beginning • Jesus claimed to be the only Christ "The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He'” (Jn. 4:25-26) "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” (Mic. 5:2) "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many." (Mt. 24:5)

33. Evaluation • Against orthodox Christianity • The afterlife • There will be people from every ethnic group in heaven "I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes." (Rev. 7:9)

34. Road Map • History • Beliefs • Evaluation of the Nation of Islam • Summary

35. Summary • NOI is based on a racists world view born out of a time of racial injustice • NOI teaches a false and heretical doctrine with regard to • The nature of man • The divinity of Jesus • The nature of God • Salvation and the afterlife • NOI offers a false salvation to a false God

36. Bibliography • Muhammad, Elijah. Message to the Blackman in America. Phoenix: Secretarius MEMPS Ministries, 1965. • —. Our Saviour has Arrived. Chicago: Elijah Muhammad, 1974. • Nation of Islam. Nation of Islam. 2011. http://noi.org/about_beliefs_and_wants.shtml (accessed 7 28, 2011). • Tsoukalas, Steven. The Nation of Islam: Understanding the 'Black Muslims'. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001.

37. The End