The Growth of Islam

One of the world's fastest growing religions is Islam. Stretching to almost all four corners of the globe, it has had a very powerful influence in every part of the world it touches, especially in America. First starting with the preachings of Elijah Muhammad, and continuing with those of Malcolm X, it has spread rapidly throughout America, especially within the black or African American community. This rapid growth of the religion throughout the African American culture can be attributed to its tolerance to people of all races and ethnicities.

Islam, to many, is not just a religion, but also a way of life. First founded by Muhammad, who is believed to be the last prophet, it follows Christianity and Judaism very closely. The main difference is that in Islam, Jesus was believed to be nothing more than a mortal prophet. Jesus is not believed to be divine, or the Son of God. These ideas stem from the belief the God/Allah could not have children because he was a divine entity. Therefore there is no way a divine entity can produce human offspring. One phrase that all Muslims are required to believe is that "Allah is one: He has no offspring, He was not born, and He has no relatives and no equals." But despite this major difference between the two religions, Islam is considered to be an extension of Christianity, even though Christians do not accept their validity the same way Jews do not accept Christianity.

As in many other religions, Islam is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shiite. When Islam was first created, there was no division between the sects, but problems arose when deciding who should be Caliph, the successor to Muhammad. Each sect had its own criteria for choosing who should be the successor to Muhammad. The Sunni believed that the new Caliph should be the person would is the best fit to hold this position. The Shiite's on the other hand believed that the next Caliph should be of direct relation to Muhammad himself, and chose the husband of Muhammad's daughter, Ali. Because of these differences in thought, a civil war broke out between the two different ideologies, in which the Sunnis massacred Hassan and Hussein, Muhammad's descendants. Then the separation between the two sects was formed. But despite this difference, they are still very close, and the foundation for the two is still very similar.

The foundation of the religion of Islam is built off five ideas, or what is also known as the Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar is Al Shahadah. This is the equivalent to the first commandment in Christianity. It says the there is no God other than Allah, and that Muhammad is His prophet. For one to be considered Muslim they need only restate Al Shahadah and believe what they are saying and they will be considered Muslim. The second pillar says that one should give to the poor and help the needy. An example of this would be if a woman has a piece of jewelry that she does not wear very often or at all for that matter, then she should give that piece of jewelry to someone less fortunate than her. This is very closely tied in with the third pillar, which says that all Muslims must fast during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. This is from sunrise to sundown. The reason for this is the Islamic people are supposed to feel with those who are less fortunate than them, and also to cleanse their souls, seeing as Ramadan is the month in which Allah sent the Koran to the prophet Muhammad. The fourth pillar states that, if possible financially and health-wise, one must make at least one trip to Mecca during their lifetime. Upon doing so, the person is named a Hajj, for males, or a Hajji, for females. The word "Hajj" means pilgrim, showing that the person has made the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is also believed that upon completion of this pilgrimage, the person is absolved of all their sins. The fifth and final pillar says that a Muslim must pray five times a day. There are also specific ways they must pray. The person must be kneeling on a special rug, which is pointing towards Mecca, and they must wash themselves a special way before they pray. This is a direct representation of the meaning word Islam: submission to Allah.

The beginning of the organized Islamic movement in the United States started with a man named Elijah Muhammad. His name was originally Elijah Poole, but it was changed upon his appointment to the leader of Islam. He was the first spiritual leader of Islam in America. He began to follow and preach it because it was such an accepting and tolerant religion to people of all races. He began to teach during the 50's, and this marked the beginning of the Islamic movement in America. He inspired many people, especially those of the black community. This was partially due to the racial oppression that was taking place at the same time. Because of its tolerance toward people of all races, African Americans appreciated the idea of equality. Among the many people this movement reached was Malcolm Little, who when first learned about Islam was a petty thief in prison.

While in jail, he met one of Elijah's followers, who happened to be a minister.