Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam

By Smith, Dr. Robert C.
 

 
Product #: 60342

The Bible and Qur'an compared.

 

 

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Language: English
ISBN: 955976386
 


 

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Black Muslims in America: Background, Behavior, & Beliefs

By Dr. Robert C. Smith


Is Islam the black man’s religion? Was Elijah Muhammad the true savior of the black man? Did Allah appear in the person of Master Wallace Fard Muhammad? Is Christianity the white man’s religion? Has the Bible been changed by the white man? Are all white people “devils”? And why are the majority of African-American Muslims former members of Christian churches?

These are some of the crucial questions that have to be answered when dealing with the Nation of Islam (NOI). It cannot be ignored in hopes that it will “go away.” Ninety-nine percent of the converts to the Nation are black men who in turn introduce their wives, children, and friends to their religion. Because it is a growing, aggressive enemy of true Christianity, the Nation of Islam must be studied, understood, and intelligently confronted from a biblical perspective.

This booklet is intended to give you a working knowledge of the critical issues involved.

A Brief History of the Nation of Islam

Humble Beginnings

The first person to appear on the modern American scene as the “savior” of Blacks from an oppressive white system was Timothy Drew. In 1913 he left his native North Carolina for Newark, New Jersey, took the name Noble Drew Ali, and founded the Moorish Science Temple of America. His primary philosophy of salvation for Blacks was through discovering their “national origins.” They should refuse to be called anything but “Asiatics,” Moors or Moorish Americans. He also taught that Jesus was a black man killed by whites.

After Noble Drew Ali died a mysterious death, Wallace Fard took his place. He peddled his religion and African garb door-to-door to Blacks in Detroit, claiming to be Ali’s reincarnation, but born in Mecca. His mission to America was to set the “captives” (Blacks) free from “Caucasian devils” and the “white man’s religion” (Christianity). Ironically, since he was white and not black— according to Black historians and apologists like Dr. Colin Akridge, Dr. Jerry Buckner, and Carl Ellis—that would make Black Islam literally a white man’s religion!

Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X

Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Poole) was a disciple of Fard and helped found the Nation of Islam. With Fard’s mysterious disappearance in 1935, Elijah Muhammad took charge, leading the Nation until his death in 1975. Under his direction, the movement grew to over 40,000.

One of the young men who embraced the religion during that time was Malcolm Little. Like Elijah Muhammad before him, Malcolm was born into the home of a Baptist preacher. But as a young man in prison for theft, he adopted Elijah Muhammad’s teachings through an intensive discipleship program. When released in 1952, he went to Detroit, took the name Malcolm X, and eventually became one of the chief disciples of Elijah Muhammad. Most of the growth of NOI—with an estimated 200,000 members —is attributed to the teachings of Malcolm X.

In 1964 a division arose within the Nation. Malcolm was suspended and eventually forced to resign. After his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, he broke with Elijah Muhammad, denounced his teachings, and questioned his character.On February 22, 1965 Malcolm was assassinated. Years later Malcolm’s former disciple, Louis Farrakhan, condemned him for questioning Muhammad’s character: “When Malcolm X stepped across that line, death was inevitable” (L.A. Sentinel, March 24, 1994, p. A3).

A New Direction with Farrakhan

Farrakhan (born Louis Eugene Walcott ) had dropped out of college to pursue a career as “Calypso Gene,” a night club entertainer. However, his life changed in 1955 when he met Malcolm X. He assisted Malcolm at the Harlem mosque for about a year before he was sent to be the minister of the Boston mosque. After Malcolm’s death Farrakhan returned to Harlem to replace Malcolm and remained there until Elijah Muhammad’s death in 1975.

Wallace Deen Muhammad (Imam Warithuddin Muhammad), the son of Elijah, then assumed leadership of the Nation. He began letting whites join and denounced his father’s teachings as racist and not truly Islamic. A dissatisfied Farrakhan broke away in 1977 to rebuild the Nation of Islam with all of Elijah Muhammad’s traditional teachings.

He has succeeded in making the Nation a popular force, challenging Christian churches. Like Malcolm X, black church members continue to convert to Islam. Surprisingly, Christian churches often invite and/or allow Farrakhan to preach this “survival of Blacks message” from their pulpits. They do this to achieve “common objectives,” even though Muslims deny the foundation of Christianity, that Jesus is God.

The Official Beliefs of NOI

In every Final Call, the Black Muslim newspaper, you’ll find “What The Muslims Believe.” Here are eight (of the list of twelve) of those beliefs with theological implications, compared with what the Bible teaches.

NOI “1. WE BELIEVE in the One God Whose proper Name is Allah.”

BIBLE There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), but three distinct Persons in the Godhead— the Father (Romans 1:7, 15:6), Jesus Christ the Son (Matthew 3:13–17), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,4,9). “Allah” is not found in the Bible because he is exclusively Arabic (in Arabic al means “the,” and lah means “god”). Allah was the chief idol god of the Quraysh —Muhammad’s tribe—long before Muhammad ever began Islam. “At the Ka’ba Meccans worshipped not only Allah, the supreme Arabic God, but also a number of female deities whom they regarded as daughters of Allah” (Introduction to The Koran, page 9, Penguin Classics, 1988, 4th Revised Edition). Muhammad would later narrow the worship of god to Allah alone.

NOI “2. WE BELIEVE in the Holy Qur’an and in the Scriptures of all the Prophets of God.”

BIBLE The Bible is “inspired” by God (2 Timothy 3:16), it is “inerrant”—without error (John 17:17, John 10:35, and “infallible”— incapable of being in error (2 Peter 1:20,21, Mark 12:24, Hebrews 6:18, Titus 1:2). The Bible is the final revelation from God to mankind (Revelation 22:18,19). The Qur’an mentions the Bible (Surah 2:136), but the Bible does not mention the Qur’an.

NOI “3. WE BELIEVE in the truth of the Bible, but we believe that it has been tampered with and must be reinterpreted so that mankind will not be snared by the falsehoods that have been added to it.”

BIBLE God is the originator of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), God superintended the writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21), and God protects and preserves Scripture (Matthew 5:18). Since God went to so much effort to make sure we got the Bible, it also makes sense that He would make sure His words are preserved for all generations of readers.

NOI “4. WE BELIEVE in Allah’s Prophets and the Scriptures they brought to the people.”

BIBLE “All scripture [the Bible] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). God has also spoken to us through His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1,2).

NOI “5. WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of the dead—not in physical resurrection—but in mental resurrection. We believe that the so-called Negroes are most in need of mental resurrection; therefore, they will be resurrected first.”

BIBLE It teaches a literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1–6; Mark 16:1–6; Luke 24:1–7, 39–43; John 2:19–22, 20:1–9; 1 Corinthians 15:35–44).

NOI “6. WE BELIEVE in the judgment; we believe this first judgment will take place as God revealed, in America...”

BIBLE The Judgment Seat of Christ, which is for believers in Jesus Christ, takes place in heaven (Romans 14:10–12, 2 Corinthians 5:10), and is based on each believer’s works. It is not about salvation but rewards (Matthew 25:32–34, 1 Corinthians 3:12–15). The final judgment—the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15)—is for all the unbelieving dead at the end of Christ’s 1,000–year rule over the earth. The world is already under God’s general judgment, and the only way to escape is through Jesus Christ (John 3:16–20, 36).

NOI “8. WE BELIEVE in justice for all, whether in God or not; we believe, as others, that we are due equal justice as human beings. We believe in equality—as a nation—of equals.”

BIBLE The Bible teaches freedom, justice, and equality for all (John 8:32–36, Matthew 22:17– 21, Luke 10:27–37, Micah 6:8, Amos 5:24).

NOI “12. 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.”

BIBLE Jesus is God and the true Messiah (John 8:24, 58; 10:30; 14:6, 8, 9; Luke 17:13–18; John 20:26–28; Titus 2:13).

Elijah Muhammad’s Teachings Elijah Muhammad’s books—Message To the Blackman In America, and The Supreme Wisdom—also make the NOI beliefs clear. Here are some excerpts from the Message To The Blackman:

l Jesus is not God (pp. 9, 140).

2 Wallace Fard Muhammad is God (pp. 1, 11, 27, 46, 52).

3 There is no Trinity (pp. 1, 11, 27, 52, 172, 294).

4 There is only one god, but there are also many gods. Every 25,000 years a group of 24 “scientists” (or gods) get together and one is appointed “god.” That is how we got both the Bible and the Qur’an (p. 116).

5 A black scientist by the name of Yakub created white people (p. 244).

6 Christianity is a false religion (pp. 4, 5, 80, 280).

7 The Bible is not true, and is called a “poison book” by God himself (pp. 89, 90, 94).

8 Members of the white race are all devils (pp. 11, 23, 51, 68).

9 The Black race created heaven, earth, and themselves (p. 42).

10 Members of orthodox Islam must bow to Black Islam (p. 50).

11 God has no spirit (pp. 5, 6, 14, 42, 131).

12 Heaven and hell are not places, but conditions (pp. 76, 219).

13 Black preachers’ mouths are controlled by the devil, and they are causing great hindrance to the truth by preaching about Jesus (pp. 18, 47, 89, 96).

14 Christianity’s “Spook God” demands death and redemption (p. 54).

15 Arabs misunderstand the Holy Qur’an when they don’t accept Elijah Muhammad as prophet (p. 250).

What The Qur’an Teaches About Christ And Christianity Jesus is not the Son of God (Qur’an: Surah 4:171, 19:88–92.

• The Bible’s response: John 3:16–18; 17:1–5; Galatians 4:4, 5 Jesus was not crucified on the cross; so there was no resurrection from death (Surah 4:157, 158).

• Bible: Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, Corinthians 15:3, 4 There is no triune Godhead/Trinity (Surah 5:72–73, 116).

• Bible: Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16, 17; 17:1–5; Acts 1:1, 2; 10:38 Jesus is not the Savior (Surah 5:75; 6:51,70; 10:3).

• Bible: Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; John 3:16, 14:6; Romans 5:8, 6:23, 10:9,10; Acts 4:12 Jesus is not God (Surah 9:30).

• Bible: John 1:1–3; 8:24, 58; 20:28; Titus 2:13; John 10:30 You may marry two, three, or four wives (Surah 4:3). Even Muhammad took the wife of his adopted son, Zaid (Surah 33:36–38).

• Bible: 1 Timothy 3:2, Matthew 19:3–9, 1 Corinthians 7:2 You may beat your wife (Surah 4:34; see 2:228 on divorce).

• Bible: Ephesians 5:25–31, 1 Peter 3:7–9 The Qur’an teaches the endorsement of slavery (Surah 4:24, 25, 92; 16:75).

• Bible: Philemon 15–20, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 6:9, Colosians 4:1 The Qur’an teaches physical violence to force people to become Muslims, or to punish those who speak against Islam or the prophet Muhammad (Surah 4:37, 5:33, 9:5).

• Bible: Matthew 5:44, 22:37–40 Sin, Salvation, and Five Pillars of the Faith The idea of sin and salvation to the Muslim is associated with works and fate. Every Muslim that hopes to escape the judgment of Allah must fulfill these works of the Five Pillars of the Faith (Qur’an: Surah 10:108, 109):

1 Recitation of the Shehada: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” (shehada means “to bear witness”).

2 Salat: Ritual daily prayer five times a day—before sunrise, at noon, afternoon, at sunset, and at night. This involves lying prostrate, facing the holy city of Mecca. On Friday at noon Muslims are required to gather at the mosque to pray.

3 Zakat: Paying alms, giving 1/40th of your income to charitable causes.

4 Siyam: Fasting between dawn and sunset throughout the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslim lunar year).

5 Hajj: Pilgrimage to Ka’ba in Mecca. This involves running around the Ka’ba seven times, kissing the black stone, then running about a mile to the Wadi to throw stones at the devil. Note: Christianity only has one pillar or foundation—Jesus Christ.

Issues and Answers

Christianity is the white man’s religion.

The first Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament was done in Alexandria, Egypt between 250 BC and 150 BC. Since Egypt is in north Africa, a major portion of the Bible was first translated in Africa. It was not the work of white men. Also, the 66 books that make up the Old and New Testaments of the Bible were agreed upon by AD 300. Some scholars believe that many of the church fathers who helped make those historic decisions were black or certainly not anglo. Black church historian, Dr. C. Eric Lincoln, claims that at least nine of the twenty most prominent early church leaders were non-white: Clement, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril (all from Alexandria), Augustine, Tertullian, Cyprian, Dionysus, and Didymus. According to Dr. Norman Geisler (A General Introduction of the Bible, pp. 284, 285, 543–547), the first “Anglo-Saxon” Bible was not published until about AD 700–1000, at least 400 years after the books of the Bible had already been decided. The King James Bible was not published until 1611, and it was published by a group of scholars, not by King James of England. His name was attached to the translation to make sure that the project would be “protected” and that the new version would be printed.

The Bible has been corrupted.

Was the Bible corrupted—changed by enemies of the truth in critical places—before Muhammad was born or after he died? If it was corrupted before his birth, then that would also make Muhammad a false prophet, because he clearly stated that the Bible was the Word of God, “revealed to you from your Lord” (Surah 3:48; 5:68; 6:114,115; 10:64), and that “the Torah...enshrines God’s own judgments” (5:43). If the Bible was already corrupted before Islam was established, then Muhammad was sadly mistaken about its value. If the Bible was corrupted after Muham-mad’s death, it would be easy to prove such changes had been made. Since the Bible had been distributed in many languages long before Muhammad’s time, any later corruptions could be easily found by simply comparing ancient translations. No such disagreements exist.

And just when would the white man have changed the Bible? The church councils did not rewrite the Bible; they met to formulate beliefs based on the Bible as it was already written. There are many versions of the Bible, but different versions of the Bible do not mean that is has been corrupted. After all, there are also different versions of the Qur’an—the Dawood, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, and Al-Madinah versions, to name a few—plus various translations into many languages, yet no one claims that it has been corrupted as a result.

Jesus is only a prophet.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an testify of the miraculous, virgin birth of Jesus (Bible: Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:30–35. Qur’an: 3:45–47). No mere prophet, including Muhammad, ever claimed to be born of a virgin, but Old Testament prophets spoke of one who would be born of a virgin who would be able to save people from their sin (Acts 10:42, 43).

Christianity is a slave religion.

According to the Hadith (the Muslims’ second holiest book) Muhammad was a slave owner. Arab nations—not white nations—were some of the first nations to enslave blacks. Muhammad showed a racist attitude in the Hadith...he said that to think of a black woman was an evil omen, and he referred to blacks as “raisin heads.”

Islam is a slave religion, and Islamic nations still hold slaves today, according to a UN Commission. Even today in Sudan and Mauritania Muslims take blacks as slaves and ship them to nations like Saudia Arabia. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War US black soldiers complained that Saudia Arabians had black slaves.

What about the unholy lifestyle of Christians?

Christians can never biblically claim perfection (Romans 3:23), and there are some who claim to be Christians who are not. There is no excuse for a Christian to live a lifestyle that doesn’t match the Christian message. Thankfully, God continues to redirect the lives of His children who continue to place the direction of their lives in His hands (Philippians 1:6).

But what about the unholy lifestyles of Black Muslims that have not been condemned by NOI leaders? Elijah Muhammad openly committed adultery and had 13 illegitimate children. Farrakhan was accused by none other than Betty Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X, of helping to kill her husband (L.A. Times, March 14, 1994, p. A22). The three men convicted of killing Malcolm X were Black Muslims. It’s also a proven fact that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, had more than four wives, which the Qur’an forbids (Islamic Invasion, p. 86).

Muslim Terminology Islam —An Arabic term that means “submission.”

Muslim—“One who submits,” and is the name given to one who submits to the teachings (religion) of Allah.

Qur’an (Koran)—The Arabic word meaning “reading” or “that which is to be read,” and refers to the collection of revelations (Islamic scriptures) supposedly given by Allah through his archangel to Muhammad.

Surah (or sura)—Chapter or step. It refers to the 114 divisions within the Qur’an.

Hadith—Arabic for the “collected traditions.” The Hadith is considered the Muslims’ second most inspired book after the Qur’an.

Caliph—The Arabic word for “leader.”

Imam —A “divinely appointed leader.”

Muhammad—A common Arabic name, given first to the founder of Islam. Muham-mad (AD 570–632) was born in Mecca and claimed to be the last prophet of Allah.

Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims—The two main sects (divisions) of Islam, with 90% being Sunni Muslims today. The division arose over a leadership dispute after Muhammad died.

As-aslaamu-alaikum—The word that the Muslims use for greeting, and it means “peace be unto you.”

Jihad—Often referred to as a “Holy War.” A Muslim considers it an honor to die defending his faith or—the prophet Muhammad’s name and honor. This is considered the sixth pillar by many Muslims.

Principles for Witnessing to a Black Muslim:

Live a truly Christian lifestyle.

We don’t have to go looking for Black Muslims—they’re “in our house.” And often they are more dedicated to their beliefs than many Christians. They are watching us to see if our lives measure up to our beliefs. Unfortunately, they often observe the sad truth—many Christians talk the talk better than they walk the walk. Paul’s admonition to the Philippian believers applies today to our lives before Black Muslims: Live in such a way “that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:15,16).

Use the basic common-ground relational approach.

Black Muslims only attempt to win other African-Americans to their beliefs. We, too, should make the most of those things that are common to our race. After all, we live with them—we are their friends, relatives, and family—so the opportunity to find common ground is ever present. However, you need supernatural help to make the most of your opportunities.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare their hearts and give the right situation for witnessing (John 16:8–11).

The Holy Spirit must convict the heart of the Muslim of his sins and of God is righteousness (the way of God) for any real change to take place.

Use the Bible (Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11).

God’s Word will always accomplish what it is supposed to—it’s entrance into a person’s life brings understanding (Psalm 119:130). Even though Black Muslims may be critical toward the Bible, we must use it; it is our only weapon and the Muslim’s only hope for salvation through Christ. When directly confronted by spiritual enemies, Jesus often used the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).

Be persuasive and bold, but loving in your answers to them (1 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 13:1–7).

Remember, Black Muslims have been indoctrinated, so they have a tendency to be very forceful about what they believe. Many Christians are intimidated by this bold sincerity. But just remember that sincerity and militancy do not equal spiritual truth (John 8:32, 14:6). You have the truth, God’s Word... “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

Be prepared to answer the Muslims objections (2 Timothy 2:15).

No matter how subtle his approach may be, a Black Muslim’s arguments are built on four bedrock beliefs. Even if these four aren’t stated directly, being aware of them will prepare you for the kinds of objections you will face and help you understand why a Black Muslim says what he says:
• The Bible—It has been corrupted by the White man.
• The Nature of God—Jesus is not God; Christians believe in three gods.
• The Church—Black preachers are corrupted, ignorant, and deceived about Blacks in the Bible. Not only is the church full of women, it does not deal with issues important to Blacks.
• Christianity—It is the White man’s religion, and a slave religion. To answer objections based on these charges, check back over the issues and answers and take advantage of some of the resources listed at the end of the booklet for further help. Deal with one specific issue at a time. Black Muslims have a tendency to go from one subject to another, then another, and so on. Stick to one issue until it has been dealt with thoroughly so that confusion will not result. When discussing issues with a Muslim, your goal is to convince him or her of three facts:

1 Allah of the Qur’an is not the God of the Bible,
2 Muhammad was not the prophet of the God of the Bible, and
3 The Qur’an is not the Word of God.

Finally, be persistent...don’t give up!

Our job is to faithfully plant the seed of the Word and to water it, then leave the results to God (1 Corinthians 3:5–9). Keep praying for those you witness to, learn how to apply Scripture to all kinds of situations, and God can use you to effectively and lovingly communicate the gospel to Muslims.

Resources for Further Study

Books

Have You Got Good Religion? H. Cross and D. Scott. Moody Press, 1993.

An Analysis of the Hadith. Dr. Robert Morey. The Research and Education Foundation, Box 141455, Austin, TX 78714, 1992.

The Islamic Invasion. Dr. Robert Morey. Harvest House Publishers, 1992.

Answering Islam. Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb. Baker Books, 1993.

Messages to the Blackman in America. Elijah Muhammad. United Brothers Communications Systems, 1965.

Video

The Bible: Truth or Altered by the White Man? A debate between Khalid Muhammad and Rev. Chuck Singleton. Loveland Church, 13053 Baseline Road, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. Phone: 909-899-0777.

Audio Tape

Dealing with the Nation of Islam. John Davis, Haman Cross, and Carl Ellis. Integrated Resources, 1994. Phone: 1-800-729-4351.

Organization

The Joseph Project, Rev. Michael Wilson P. O. Box 40486, Pasadena, CA 91114. Phone: 818-794-1121.