⛪African American Religion Unit 3 – Islam's Impact on African American Religion

Historical Context

• Islam's presence in Africa dates back to the 7th century CE during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad
• Early Muslim traders, scholars, and missionaries spread Islam to North Africa, the Sahel region, and East Africa
• Transatlantic slave trade forcibly brought many West African Muslims to the Americas starting in the 16th century
• Enslaved African Muslims in the United States maintained their faith despite oppression and forced conversion to Christianity
  • Some notable examples include Omar Ibn Said and Bilali Muhammad who wrote Islamic texts in Arabic while enslaved
• After the Civil War, some African Americans embraced Islam as a way to reconnect with their African heritage and resist racial oppression
• Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in the early 20th century promoted pride in African culture and influenced later Islamic movements

Key Islamic Concepts

• Tawhid: the oneness and unity of God (Allah) is the central belief in Islam
• Prophethood of Muhammad: Muslims believe Muhammad was the final prophet who received divine revelation (the Quran)
• Five Pillars of Islam: the fundamental practices required of Muslims
  • Shahada (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
• Quran: the holy book of Islam believed to be the direct word of God revealed to Muhammad
• Sunnah: the teachings, practices, and traditions of Prophet Muhammad that guide Muslim life
• Ummah: the global community of Muslims bound by shared faith and solidarity
• Jihad: often misunderstood term that primarily refers to the inner spiritual struggle to follow God's path

African American Conversion to Islam

• Early 20th century saw a rise in African American conversions to Islam, often through heterodox movements that blended Islamic and Black nationalist ideas
• Noble Drew Ali founded the Moorish Science Temple of America in 1913, teaching that African Americans were descendants of the Moors and original Muslims
• Ahmadiyya Muslim missionaries from India, such as Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, attracted African American converts in the 1920s
• Nation of Islam, founded in 1930 by W.D. Fard Muhammad and led by Elijah Muhammad, became the largest and most influential African American Muslim movement
  • Taught a form of Islam that emphasized Black empowerment and self-determination
• Malcolm X, a prominent Nation of Islam minister, left the organization and embraced Sunni Islam after his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964
• After 1975, many African American Muslims transitioned from the Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam, leading to a significant growth of orthodox Islam in Black communities

Influential Islamic Movements

• Moorish Science Temple of America: a proto-Islamic movement that laid the groundwork for later African American Muslim groups
• Nation of Islam: the most significant and controversial African American Islamic movement of the 20th century
  • Promoted Black pride, economic self-sufficiency, and a unique theology that departed from traditional Islam
• Five Percent Nation: an offshoot of the Nation of Islam that teaches a form of Islamic numerology and Black divinity
• Dar ul-Islam Movement: a Sunni Muslim organization that emerged in the 1960s and established Islamic centers and schools in Black communities
• American Society of Muslims: the reformed successor to the Nation of Islam under the leadership of Warith Deen Mohammed, who brought the organization into alignment with Sunni Islam

Notable African American Muslim Figures

• Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz): a charismatic and influential leader who transformed from a Nation of Islam minister to a Sunni Muslim advocate for human rights
• Muhammad Ali: the legendary boxer who converted to Islam and became a global icon and philanthropist
• Warith Deen Mohammed: the son of Elijah Muhammad who reformed the Nation of Islam and led thousands of African Americans to Sunni Islam
• Elijah Muhammad: the longtime leader of the Nation of Islam who built the organization into a powerful force for Black empowerment
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj: a prominent Sunni Muslim imam and activist who has worked to combat drugs and crime in Black communities
• Imam W. Deen Sulaiman: a scholar and leader who has promoted Islamic education and interfaith dialogue
• Ilyasah Shabazz: the daughter of Malcolm X who has carried on his legacy as an author, educator, and activist

Islamic Practices in African American Communities

• Salah (prayer): many African American Muslims gather for congregational prayers in mosques or Islamic centers
• Jumah (Friday prayer): the weekly communal prayer that serves as a focal point for Muslim community life
• Ramadan: the month of fasting observed by African American Muslims, often with communal iftar meals to break the fast
• Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha: the two major Islamic holidays celebrated by African American Muslims with prayers, feasts, and gift-giving
• Islamic dress: some African American Muslims adopt traditional Islamic attire such as hijabs, kufis, and thobes as expressions of faith and identity
• Halal dietary practices: many African American Muslims follow Islamic guidelines for permissible food and avoid pork and alcohol
• Islamic education: African American Muslim communities have established Islamic schools, weekend classes, and study circles to transmit religious knowledge to younger generations

Impact on African American Culture and Identity

• Islam has provided a source of pride, dignity, and self-determination for many African Americans in the face of racism and marginalization
• Islamic values of justice, equality, and community have resonated with African American struggles for civil rights and empowerment
• The Nation of Islam's emphasis on Black economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship influenced African American business and political leadership
• Islamic names and symbols have become common in African American popular culture, from hip-hop artists to clothing and jewelry
• African American Muslims have contributed to a more diverse and multicultural understanding of American Islam
• The experiences of African American Muslims have challenged and expanded conventional notions of American religious identity
• African American Islamic art, music, and literature have enriched the cultural landscape of the United States

Contemporary Issues and Debates

• Racism and Islamophobia: African American Muslims face the dual challenges of anti-Black racism and anti-Muslim prejudice in American society
• Intra-Muslim diversity and tensions: African American Muslims navigate complex relationships with immigrant Muslim communities and diverse Islamic traditions
• Women's roles and leadership: African American Muslim women have played significant roles in their communities while also contending with patriarchal interpretations of Islam
• LGBTQ+ Muslims: some African American Muslims are working to create inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ Muslims within their communities
• Engagement with social justice movements: many African American Muslims are active in movements such as Black Lives Matter, prison reform, and economic justice
• Interfaith relations: African American Muslims have a long history of interfaith collaboration with African American Christians and other faith communities
• Transnational connections: African American Muslims maintain ties to the global Islamic world through pilgrimage, study abroad, and solidarity with Muslim struggles worldwide