Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. He mentored influential figures like Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali and grew the Nation of Islam from a small group to around 150,000 followers. After his death, the Nation of Islam split into different factions led by Warith Deen Mohammed and Louis Farrakhan. Elijah Muhammad preached the central tenets of the Nation of Islam, including the belief that black people are the original humans and white people were created by a black scientist. He authored several texts to spread the teachings of the Nation of Islam.

1. The Honorable
Elijah Muhammad
BY: Rasheeda Shankle

2. BIO
Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert
Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975)
was an African-American religious leader,
who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from
1934 until his death in 1975. He was a
mentor to Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan,
Muhammad Ali, and his son, Warith Deen
Mohammed.

3. Facts:
• Elijah Muhammad, the 77-year-old leader of “The Nation of Islam,” died February 25, one
day before the Black Muslim sect’s Savior day observance.
• 20,000 were present at his funeral in Chicago
• After Muhammad's death in 1975, the Nation of Islam split into what once known as the
American Muslim Mission, now part of the worldwide orthodox Muslim community, and a
resurrected Nation of Islam under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan.
• He had been at the helm of the controversial black separatist movement for 40 years.
• During that time the Black Muslims grew from a handful of embittered urban blacks to an
estimated 150,000 loyal followers

4. Followers
• Many people believed that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was and is
Allah’s(God’s) choice of person through which such a knowledge would be
delivered in this time and when received by and acted upon by the human
being, will cause a transformation in their life.
• Many believe that the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is that one today
anointed by Allah (God) to make known and further the teaching and work
of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

5. The Works of
The Honorable
Elijah Muhammad
• The teachings of Elijah Muhammad (EM), an American black activist, form
the basis of the beliefs of the Nation of Islam. EM was the author of
numerous texts.
• Muhammad built 75 Muslim temples in at least 50 cities by preaching the
myth that blacks are the earth’s “original” people and that whites are “devils.”

6. Elijah Muhammad’s Theory:
• EM’s central racial ‘theory’ is that the ‘white race’ was created 6,000 years ago
by a black scientist called Yakub: ‘‘ The original man, Allah has declared, is
none other than the black man. The black man is the first and the last, maker
and owner of the universe. From him came all brown, yellow, red and white
people. By using a special method of birth control law the black man was
able to produce the white race.‘‘

7. Works by Elijah Muhammad
• Books by Elijah Muhammad
• Message to the Blackman in America (1997) / How to Eat to Live, Book 1 (1997) / How to Eat to Live, Book 2 (1997)
• Yakub: The Father of Mankind (2002) / The True history of Master Fard Muhammad (1997)
• The History of Jesus' Bith, Death and What It Means to You and Me (1996) / The Secrets of Freemasonry (1997)
• The Theology of Time (The Secrets of Time) (2004) / The Mother Plane (1996) * * * * *