elijah muhammad children's mothers

The presence that she brought was one of divinity and I just thank Allah for the opportunity to have been in her presence, he said., During her travels, Mother Tynnetta always searched for and sought to connect the history of the Original Black man throughout the planet. Malcolm led the New York Temple but in the mid-1960s, he formed his own movement. [6], Moving his own family, parents and siblings, Elijah and the Pooles settled in the industrial north of Hamtramck, Michigan. In the 1930s, Muhammad formally established the Nation of Islam, a religious movement that originated under the leadership and teachings of Wallace Fard Muhammad and that promoted black supremacy, pride, economic empowerment, and racial segregation. Shes not there. Im evolving every day. Other books attributed to him, like The God-Science of Black Power (2002), consisting of his speeches and lectures. My uncle did so many things for me and my siblings. Elijah married Clara Evans (18991972) on March 7, 1917. One of his sons, Warith Deen Muhammad, was supposed to be the next leader of the group. Temples were opened in Elijah was put on probation, but the university remained open. 2 grocery store, the South Park Bakery owned by his brother Jabir Muhammad Minas Pastries. He was also responsible for the transportation of the sheep back and forth to the Michigan Farm. By the time of his death, Elijah had converted the NOI from a small religious group to a full-fledged enterprise with more than 250,000 members. [1][2][3] Muhammad was also the teacher and mentor of Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali, and his own son, Warith Deen Mohammed. Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah Robert Poole in Sandersville, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children of William Poole Sr. (18681942), a Baptist lay preacher and sharecropper, and Mariah Hall (18731958), a homemaker and sharecropper. Thus, it became very difficult for the family to find respectable work. Small groups of like-minded individuals occasionally withdrew from Muhammad's goal was, according to the Nation of Islam website, 'to teach the . The Nation of Islam is estimated to have between 20,000 and 50,000 members,[22] and 130 mosques offering numerous social programs.[23]. He and the Believers in London hosted Mother Tynnetta twice in the UK. What is the aim, vision of Rep. Ilhan Omars U.S.-Africa Policy Working Group? Junior rose through the ranks of the Fruit of Islam, taking on the job of inspection, appointed by his father. I thank all of you for being here, and I pray that Allah will bless all to return safely to your homes and remember, do unto others as you would have done unto yourselves, that when the end of our days comes, there will be no regretsweve done like Mother Tynnetta Muhammadthe best that we could, Min. For her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the entire Nation of Islam she was and continues to be a Mother of the Faith.. He assumed leadership of the Nation's Temple No. In an earlier trial on the issue that ended in 1982, Budzinski ruled in favor of the children, a decision reversed on appeal in 1984. Born: October 7, 1897 resume their former dominant role. As the casket was prepared for lowering, her son Ishmael Muhammad, sensing the sadness of many, said, Were not burying Mother Tynnetta Muhammad. Best Known For: Elijah Muhammad rose from poverty to become the charismatic leader of the black nationalist group Nation of Islam, and mentor of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:34, 7 of Khaalis' family members were murdered, assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "The Creation of the Devil and the End of the White Man's Rule: The Theological Influence of the Nation of Islam on Early Black Theology", Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, "Elijah Muhammad's Redeployment of Muammad: Racialist and Prophetic Interpretations of the Qurn", "Nation of Islam in America: A Nation of Beauty & Peace", "A Historical Look at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad", "Nation of Islam at a Crossroad as Leader Exits", "Black Muslims The Faces Belie the Aura of Menace", "The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X. Malcolm X's Explosive Comments About Elijah Muhammed", "George Lincoln Rockwell Meets Elijah Muhammad", "Defending the Indefensible, in Feathers and All", "19 Children of Muslim Leader Battle a Bank for $5.7 Million", "Court Gives Leader's Money to Black Muslims". He worked in an auto factory in Detroit, until he met Wallace D. Fard. Toward the end of the day, Min. They were attending the Nation of Islam's Saviours' Day 2023Youth Summit, themed "WeAreAt War," called forth by the Hon- orable Minister . [7] [citation needed] Muhammad was arrested there, charged with eight counts of sedition for instructing his followers to not register for the draft or serve in the armed forces. There he began to spread the word of the NOI, slowly but steadily attracting new members. His followers included .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan. Fard, the founder and leader of the Temple of Islam, inspired by Elijahs enthusiasm, gave him the post of a minister and honored him with the title Karriem. His name was later changed to Muhammad and he was made the supreme minister. The FOI and those responsible for the sale of the newspaper were under his jurisdiction. I loved her so much, said Delores Ali.. The voices of those gathered on that crisp, cold day rang out through the burial grounds. could be made available to members. Poole, having strong consciousness of both race and class issues as a result of his struggles in the South, quickly fell in step with Fard's ideology. [7], While he was in Detroit, Poole began taking part in various black nationalist movements within the city. They married in Georgia in 1917, before he changed his name from Elijah Poole. Muhammad was succeeded by his son Warith Deen Mohammed, whose attempts to reform the doctrines championed by his father drew a mixed response. Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah (or Robert) Poole on October 7, 1897, Delores Ali, was a cook for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and was a friend of Mother Tynnetta. [21], During his time as leader of the Nation of Islam, Muhammad had developed the Nation of Islam from a small movement in Detroit to an empire consisting of banks, schools, restaurants, and stores across 46 cities in America. She experienced the injustices of the Jim Crow South. Its a major loss, a loss that cant be recovered, but I will forever cherish our memories. Thank you for being the beautiful brothers and sisters that you are on such an occasion as this. After Muhammad's death, the Pacific Bank closed his account and transferred the funds into a new account of one of his sons, Wallace Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad. Soon, the Temple of Islam was renamed as the NOI. Elijah and Fard continued their comradeship until 1934, when Fard disappeared. After moving to Detroit in 1923, Elijah Muhammad met W. D. Fard, founder of the black separatist movement Nation of Islam (NOI). Made it through hard times After her husband took over as the leader of the Nation of Islam, he was imprisoned for a decade for draft evasion in the 1940s. These, he said, were instances of other 'chickens coming home to roost'. His parents were former slaves who worked as They asked my parents if they could raise me. Nation of Islam members did not believe in the U.S. military draft. Is Israel baiting the U.S. into war with Iran? 1:20. He was a mentor to Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali; and his son Warith Deen Mohammed . as pork, were forbidden), smoking and drinking (both banned), dress and After she married, she and her husband, Elijah Poole, moved north to Detroit in 1923 with their two infants. [27], On December1, 1963, when asked for a comment about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, MalcolmX said that it was a case of "chickens coming home to roost". Farrakhan said. He was a pioneer who laid so many foundations that stand strong., He had the biggest fist but his heart was way much bigger. He was accused of Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah (or Robert) Poole on October 7, 1897, near Sandersville, Georgia. Yes sir! was the spirited reply.. When Fard mysteriously disappeared in 1934, the Nation of Islam split into several rival factions. Thursday`s ruling and earlier decisions by Budzinski, as well as an impending ruling on Muhammad`s real estate holdings, involve an estimated $30 million in assets that the estate said Muhammad possessed between 1972 and 1975. "On the Witness Stand: The Exclusive w/ Mother Evelyn Muhammad #Farrakhan" https://buff.ly/2FxhtcFFollow Knowledge for LIFE atWebsite: http://know4life.orgS. Two daughters and six sons including notable: In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Elijah Muhammad on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.[50]. All Rights Reserved. Of Elijah Muhammad's 21 children, he is the eldest son of his mother Tynnetta Muhammad. Judge Henry Budzinski ruled that $3.3 million in assets and $2.4 million in interest accrued since Muhammad`s death Feb. 25, 1975, must be turned over to his estate by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, formerly First Pacific Bank of Chicago. Universality meaning its connectedness to all of the spiritual traditions on earth, and thats a big part of my scholarship, said author Dr. Wesley Muhammad. overshadowed by the charming Malcolm X (19251967), leader of the Grooming was made a necessity. It was a very critical time in the development of what would become the Nation of Islam, said historian and archivist Carlos Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah Robert Poole in Sandersville, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children of William Poole Sr. (1868-1942), a Baptist lay preacher and sharecropper, and Mariah Hall (1873-1958), a homemaker and sharecropper. MasterFILE Premier. color made him even more aware of the injustices (unfair treatments) Four men from NOI Mosque No. [41] George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party, once called Elijah "the Hitler of the black man. December 16, 2013. As a young man he was supportive of the leadership of his father and stood just as supportive of the leadership of his brother also.. Nearly a decade of litigation ended Thursday when 22 children of the late Elijah Muhammad were awarded more than $5 million by a Cook County Circuit Court judge who ruled that a South Side. He was assassinated in 1965. Over the past 48 . Soon afterward, Poole was given a Muslim surname, first "Karriem", and later, at Fard's behest, "Muhammad". He also noted that after Muhammad`s death, the bank froze the fund temporarily, evidence that it considered it a personal fund. In general, he made the movement much more The Nations school system was instituted by Fard Muhammad, who called it theThe University of Islam. But the first classes were held in Clara Muhammads home, and she was the first teacher of the school system. From Macon, Ga., the Muhammad family moved to Detroit . He eventually became first officer and then was appointed assistant Supreme Captain by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to aid his brother-in-law, Supreme Captain RaymondSharrieff. Over the next 30 years, Muhammad built the religion from a small fringe group into a large and complex organization that attracted controversy along with its new prominence. Upon his death, his son Warith Deen Mohammed succeeded him. He was kind of covetous of his access to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, added Askia Muhammad, who was then known as Charles 67X. "[42] At the 1962 Saviours' Day celebration in Chicago, Rockwell addressed Nation of Islam members. The 46-year-old mother of five graduated last month from Grambling State University, which she attended at the same time as three of her five children. He declared that Fard had been an incarnation of Allah and that he himself was now Allahs messenger. She leaves a monumental testimony, he added. his words and actions Muhammad spent four years, from 1942 to 1946, in a Jabbar donated a house for use as the Hanafi Madh-Hab Center. He continued to preach financial independence for Black Americans, racial separation rather than integration, and a strict code of moral behavior. toward a more traditional form of Islam. But William Heinz, attorney for the bank, argued that the money was donated to Muhammad to build a nation and was not a personal gift. The movement had long had a policy of requiring members to drop their What remained after she left, said Min. Her impact was felt wherever she travelled and she positively touched all whom were blessed to meet and work with her near and far. Without himself being aware of it, the seed of hatred toward white supremacy had already been sown in his psyche. Khaalis attracted Lew Alcindor, whom Khaalis renamed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. While Muhammad was in prison, the growth of the Nation of Islam had stagnated, with fewer than 400 members remaining by the time of his release in 1946. Born: 7-Oct-1897 Birthplace: Sandersville, GA Died: 25-Feb-1975 Location of death: Chicago, IL Cause of death: Heart Failure Remains: Buried, Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens, Glenwood, IL Gender: Male Religion: Muslim Race or Ethnicity: Black Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Religion Nationality: United States Executive summary: Nation of Islam Farrakhan regained many of the Nation of Islam's original properties including the National Headquarters Mosque #2 (Mosque Maryam) and Muhammad University of Islam in Chicago. He They say, I have many characteristics of my dad, most good, some not so good. to Fard and who had changed his name along the way to Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad was born on October 7, 1897 in Sandersville, Georgia. When she and Elijah relocated, times were tough and it was hard to find employment in Detroit, Sapelo reported. It featured an unorthodox (nontraditional) form of I look at how she travelled the world and so music is often sometimes in a box in our community but when I listen to Mother Tynnetta and the history of her life, she went across the world. At its peak, it sold one million copies a week. During the days of slavery, his father, William Poole Sr., worked in the cotton farms as a sharecropper. Here at MOPS, we gather and support moms. [17], Muhammad preached his own version of Islam to his followers in the Nation. [3] [4] [5] He is the Student Minister at Mosque Maryam, the headquarters of the Nation of Islam (NOI). He had eight children. She went all over the world to bring knowledge to our people. He was full of life, knowledge, life lessons., She added, If you didnt know him, you wanted to know him, or of him. The judge still must rule on whether the estate or Wallace Muhammad`s organization, now called the Muslim Community of America, is the legal owner of land in Michigan, Alabama and Georgia. She was the first one that I witnessed academically that demonstrated the universality of our Islam. war fought between the AxisGermany, Japan, and Italyand His mother, Mariah Hall, also worked as a sharecropper and looked after her big household that had 13 children to take care of. When they inspect it, you won't have to say that yours is better. Your assignment/job is complete! [24] McGee went on to form a Sunni Muslim sect and changed his name to Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. Clara Muhammad was born Clara Evans near Macon, Georgia, in 1899. However, Malcolm X was 1934), But by the time of the 1970s, he was the influential character under Supreme Captain Raymond Sharrieff., Yasmeen Muhammad, his only daughter from second wife Patricia, saw him in another light. The same year, the NOI started its very own newspaper named Final Call to Islam and preached about their visions to grow more followers. [19] In 1972, Muhammad told followers that the Nation of Islam had a net worth of $75 million. It resulted in the First Great Migration, as many black families left the South to look for more opportunities elsewhere. The origins of the white race would come to be known as Yacub's History within Elijah Muhammad's teachings. however, was due to end soon; the time was at hand for black people to Fard stated that African Americans could regain their freedoms through self-independence and cultivation of their own culture and civilization. Those 20,000 acres, as well as several Chicago businesses once owned by the Muslim organization, were intended to fulfill Elijah Muhammad`s dream of economic self-sufficiency for blacks. Cook County Circuit Judge Henry Budzinski ended a seven-year court battle with his ruling Thursday that the disputed bank account at the First Pacific Bank of Chicago, now known as Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, was the private property of Muhammad and did not belong to the church of Islam. The money will be divided equally among them after bills and claims against the estate are paid, Cook said. Before being sent to prison . New York Temple. A charismatic speaker, Muhammad was unyielding in his criticism of white oppression. However, through the conversion of his fellow inmates as well as renewed efforts outside prison, he was able to redouble his efforts and continue growing the Nation. When Muhammad died of congestive heart failure on February 25, 1975, he left behind a thriving religious movement with a membership as high as 250,000. Wallace Muhammad later changed his name as part of his own transition to Sunni Islam (or "orthodox Islam") and is now known as Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. Spiritual & Religious Leaders, Founder/Co-Founder: Muslim Mosque, Inc., Nation of Islam, See the events in life of Elijah Muhammad in Chronological Order, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaM-E18cx6c, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elijah_Muhammad_NYWTS-2.jpg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSig15gEslQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVGdhCMNgHY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkF9ECWIENk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_rHP4Y2qE. Muhammad Speaks, An unwed mother arrives at a Salvation Army Maternity Home (photographer Ed Clark) During eras when sex outside of marriage was taboo, being single and pregnant was socially and morally unacceptable. The group owned banks, restaurants, stores, and schools in about 46 cities of the country. The litigation has gone to the Illinois Appellate Court once, and will go there again if attorneys for the bank decide to appeal. Five days after Malcolm X was murdered, in a public speech at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day on February 26, Elijah justified the assassination by quoting that "Malcolm got just what he preached", but at the same time denied any involvement with the murder by asserting in the same speech: "We didn't want to kill Malcolm and didn't try to kill him. We forever love you! In need of money, she, like many other Black women at the time, became a domestic worker for a white family. [24], The letters stated blacks had been better off "from a psychological point of view" before Fard He married Clara Evans in 1919 and eventually had eight children with her. With five children, there were times we didnt have a piece of bread in the house, nor heat, water or even sufficient wearing apparel. Thats what they call the remains. An intersection in Harlem will be named after Elijah Muhammad, the polemical Black separatist who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. 2. Sensing a threat to his life, Elijah moved to Chicago with his family and founded four temples dedicated to the NOI.. We believe in the simple but revolutionary idea that remarkable things happen when moms come together. In 1982, Budzinski awarded $4.6 million to the estate, which would be divided among Muhammad`s children. Some of Fards doctrines, such as a cosmology that identified blacks as the original race and white people as devils created later by a mad scientist named Yakub, are still difficult to interpret. near Sandersville, Georgia. Our acronym stands for "Mothers of Preschoolers" because we began in 1973 when a group of moms with young children banded together to share their lives and parenting journeys. generally retained Elijah Muhammad's ideas and practices. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. Ultimately the court ruled against them.[47][48][49]. By the 1970s, the Nation of Islam owned bakeries, barber shops, coffee shops, grocery stores, laundromats, night-clubs, a printing plant, retail stores, numerous real estate holdings, and a fleet of tractor trailers, plus farmland in Michigan, Alabama, and Georgia. My dad was everything. "[28] The New York Times wrote, "in further criticism of Mr. Kennedy, the Muslim leader cited the murders of Patrice Lumumba, Congo leader, of Medgar Evers, civil rights leader, and of the Negro girls bombed earlier this year in a Birmingham, Alabama, church. [9] His younger brother Kalot Muhammad became the leader of the movement's self-defense arm, the Fruit of Islam. federal prison at Milan, Michigan. Elijah, born Elijah Robert Poole, belonged to a devoted Christian family. Rufus Cook, attorney for the estate in the suit against the bank, said the only heirs are Muhammad`s 7 legitimate children and 15 illegitimate children. He was the Assistant Supreme Captain of the Fruit of Islam, the men of the Nation of Islam, during the time of his father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Of the $19.2 million, Cook said all that is left is the $3.3 million awarded Thursday to the estate, plus interest on that amount. It is in those years as Assistant Supreme Captain that Elijah Junior was basically responsible in overseeing the training of the FOI throughout the Nation. Chronology of the Nation of Islam, Toure Muhammad. Mother Clara, born Nov. 2, 1899, in Georgia, was a deeply religious and devoted Black woman. Her ability to connect the various cultures of the Original family of the planet earth left an indelible impression on Muslims in the Nation of various cultures. From humble beginnings in the basement of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhans south Chicago home in 1979, The Final Call newspaper has emerged as an uncompromising alternative to the mainstream corporate-owned media machine. on a cotton plantation; his father was also a Baptist preacher. Minister Farrakhan addresses the Nation of Islam's Youth. judgment because of differences) as much as they themselves were. He was the captain, he was the sheriff. Tyra Muhammad graduated from college nearly 30 years after she started her undergraduate studies. I think we should shout to the heavens Allahu Akbar for this life that touched our lives and made a difference in our lives and in the lives of many now, and many, many more in the future, said Min. At that time, the former Confederate States, such as Georgia, were facing a troubled time. He was born about two and a half months before the Honorable Elijah Muhammad met his teacher Master Fard Muhammad on September 22, 1931. travel and work at odd jobs. Farrakhan. But, you cannot put her works in the grave he explained. Poole soon became an ardent follower of Fard and joined his movement, as did his wife and several brothers. After the disappearance of Fard, the group was divided into many parts, with several potential leaders claiming their right to the leadership. He was one of 13 children of William and Mariah (Hall) Poole. Elijah, Jr. was the last surviving child of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Mother Clara Muhammad. At an early age, he witnessed extreme prejudice and violence toward blacks. Fard was proclaimed the earthly representative of Allah, and Elijah Elijah's education ended at the fourth grade, after which he went to work in sawmills and brickyards. He would go around to the various properties, inspect them and make sure that the maintenance and the cleanliness was up kept. His controversial views on race and his call for blacks having an independent nation for themselves, made him a controversial figure, both within and outside the Nation of Islam. Members had strict rules to follow regarding eating (various foods, such who were victims of white discrimination (an unjust treatment or working on a car assembly line. After first discounting the rumors, MalcolmX came to believe them after he spoke with Elijah's son Wallace and with the women making the accusations. She was always very humorous and kept you laughing. The movement's rise was boosted by Malcolm X, who began communicating with Muhammad while incarcerated and became his most prominent apostle in the 1950s. He and his first wife, Sylvia, had yet to have children. Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, rose from a poor family in segregated Louisville, Kentucky to international fame, winning three heavyweight boxing titles and . He also read many books recommended to him by Fard. [43], Elijah married Clara Muhammad in Georgia in 1917, with whom he had eight children. In 1980, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed renamed the University of Islam after his mother. Elijah Muhammad rose from poverty to become the charismatic leader of the black nationalist group Nation of Islam, and mentor of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan. He was an extremist and banned the members of the NOI from indulging in any behavior that went against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. "[28] The remarks prompted a widespread public outcry. Muhammad's movement. But after the first trial ended in 1982, Emanuel Muhammad, another son and administrator of the estate, found several ledgers indicating that detailed records of donations had been kept. [5] Elijah later recounted that before the age of 20, he had witnessed the lynchings of three black men by white people. [6][14][15], On May 8, 1942, Elijah Muhammad was arrested for failure to register for the draft during World War II. The most giving and loyal person I know. Unwed mother's were labelled by their communities as 'ruined' and they carried the burden of having shamed their families. 1. Muhammad moved a group of followers to Chicago, where he established Temple of Islam No. Astrological Sign: Libra, Death Year: 1975, Death date: February 25, 1975, Death State: Illinois, Death City: Chicago, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Elijah Muhammad Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/elijah-muhammad, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: May 6, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. The account totaled $3.3 million when. His light skin Mother of the Nation: Clara Evans Muhammad: Wife of Elijah Muhammad, Mother of Imam W. Deen Mohammed (THE FORMATIVE YEARS: 1899-1930). One of We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! In the early 1960s Muhammad came to be Elijah Muhammad Jr., served in many different capacities and impacted many, many lives. His influence at the Muhammad Speaks newspaper plant was really quite profound and extensive. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Here are seven things to know about the life and legacy of Clara Muhammad. Following this, he convinced his entire family to follow the path of Islam. encouraged members to vote and to salute the flag, and even opened the [8][bettersourceneeded]. He died there of congestive heart failure nearly one month later at age 77 on February 25, 1975, the day before Saviours' Day. The money helped Elijah to acquire opulent homes for himself and his family and establish overseas bank accounts. An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad. Your work, your legacy stands strong!. Nearly a decade of litigation ended Thursday when 22 children of the late Elijah Muhammad were awarded more than $5 million by a Cook County Circuit Court judge who ruled that a South Side bank had wrongly turned over Muhammad`s assets to his Nation of Islam organization. Turkish leader acknowledges shortcomings in quake response, Elevated Places: A Tribute to A Star of God. She was an important voice in the organization, a mentor to many NOI women and she helped establish NOI schools. In 1942 Muhammad was one of a group of militant African American leaders Family came first with him and he always reminded us about that. Elijah Muhammad. She wrote about this in a 1967 Muhammad Speaks article. African American religious leader. Muhammad was imprisoned from 1942 to 1946 for evading the draft. This was groundbreaking in both Black and Muslim communities. Its social and political influence was matched by the success of its financial enterprises: real estate holdings, a national newspaper called Muhammad Speaks and numerous independent businesses. The largest assets were about $19.2 million that flowed into his bank accounts, including funds to help the poor, operate temples and fund economic and educational programs.