FAQ
Q: Are you allowed more than one wife?
A: The Hon. Elijah Muhammad teaches us to have one wife. The Holy Qur’an permits marrying more than one wife, however this is not done for sexual purposes:
"And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice between them, then marry only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper that you may not deviate from the right course" (Holy Qur’an 4:3).
Permission was given to the Muslims in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to marry more than one wife due the frequent wars, which decimated the male population and left many women widows and their children orphans.
Marriage allowed the women and children to have the paternal care and protection necessary for family life.
Polygamy was also practiced by certain prophets in the Bible and is still practiced in many parts of Africa.
The Hon. Elijah Muhammad and the N.O.I.C condemn the practice of polygamy for sexual purposes: "There are a lot of crazy and nasty minded people in this world. Some of them write me (husbands and wives write me) asking for freedom to
take over other women and other men.
You stand today as much to be charged with committing fornication
and adultery as you were before ever you heard Islam!
I wish you would stay out of the category of fools!” Elijah Muhammad, from the January 11, 1974 edition of Muhammad Speaks Newspaper (Page 13)
Q: Did Elijah Muhammad have Malcolm X killed?
A: No. The Hon. Elijah Muhammad sent a communiqué to his followers to leave Malcolm alone.
“We didn’t want to kill Malcolm, and didn’t try to kill him. We knew that ignorant foolish teachings would bring him to his own end.” The Hon. Elijah Muhammad, February 26th, 1965.
Q: Do you follow Minister Louis Farrakhan?
A: No. The N.O.I.C. adheres to Islam as taught by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad. Minister Louis Farrakhan heads one of the various branches of t he N.O.I. in the United States. The N.O.I.C. was established by the Hon. Min. Linwood X in the summer of 1997 and is the first independent branch of the N.O.I. outside of the U.S.
Q: Is there a difference in what you believe and what the Muslims believe in the Middle east?
A: Yes. We believe in a NEW Islam. The principles are the same, however the interpretation and practice are different. We believe that Islam is the nature of the Black man and woman.
Q: Do Muslims believe in Jesus?
A: Yes, but not in the same way as Christians. We believe that Jesus was a prophet and we are forbidden to worship prophets as God. We believe that Jesus was one of the best examples of the submission to God’s will (Islam) and strive to follow that example.
Q: Why can’t white people attend your meetings?
A: From the book Message to the Black man in America by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad: “But it has again been made clear by the hostile act of the Flint, Michigan, police department against our peaceful assemblage, the devils do not respect anyones peace. Because of this we shall never again permit white people to sit in our meeting -- armed or unarmed. This does not include the Turkish people, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, those of Pakistan, Arabs, Latin Americans, Egyptians and those of other Asiatic Muslims and non-Muslim nations.
All black Americans or non-whites are welcomed to our mass meetings. We will soon make a try at converting and uniting all the originals of this Western Hemisphere.”
Q: Do you believe Elijah Muhammad is a prophet, messenger or God?
A: From the book Message to the Blackman in America, by Elijah Muhammad p.189:
“ Some of the well-read scholars among the Orthodox Muslims are grieved to hear from America that I call myself a Messenger of Allah, though not one of them has been able to do the work that I have done in resurrecting my people in America. They could not do it. It was not for them to do what I am doing (the resurrecting of the dead). Their own Holy Qur-an teaches them that Allah teaches a Messenger from every people that he intends to warn to destroy. It tells them in plain worlds that an Arab and an Arabic Holy Qur-an could not be an instrument sent to the people who must be resurrected because they would have the excuse that they could not read Arabic and therefore exercise their disbelief by saying that this was an Arab and an Arabic Qur-an. The Qur-an teaches that they must have the Qur-an in their own language and they must not have a foreigner but someone from among themselves who could speak their language. He could not be one who could speak Arabic until Allah taught him Arabic. Therefore the Messenger is not an Arab or an Arabic speaker in the resurrection of the dead, the people who must be resurrected, according to the Qur-an”.
Q: Do you believe in the Bible?
A: Point #3 of the Muslim Program - What the Muslims Believe: “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.”
Q: Who is the successor of Elijah Muhammad?
A: From an interview with sixteen Chicago based reporters Friday January 14, 1972:
QUESTION (Q): Have you designated a successor for yourself ?
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD(EM): I do not do that. I cannot do that. I did not choose myself. God chose me and if He wants a successor, He will choose that one.
Q: By what means would someone come up?
EM: I do not know that, because I do not believe there is one coming up. The work that I am doing, I don’t think God needs one, because when man and god have come face to face, as the old saying goes, then that is the end of it. When we are face to face with God, that is the end of it and so what would another one do? There is nothing for him to do.
Q: After you are gone, Mr. Muhammad, the Nation of Islam will continue to exist but how?
EM: It will be a New Islam to what the old Orthodox Islam is, today. It will be altogether a New One.
Q: You mean your successor will preside over a New Islam?
EM: There will be no successor. There is no need for a successor when a man has got the Divine truth and has brought you face to face with God.
Q: Isn’t Farrakhan the leader of the Nation of Islam?
A: Minister Farrakhan is the leader of his particular branch of the N.O.I. The Nation of Islam established by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, was dismantled by his son Wallace D. Muhammad in 1975 and no longer exists. Since then, many different men have established branches of the N.O.I. varying in doctrine. Islam is a way of life, not just a religion or organization.
As in the Islamic world of the East with its various heads of state, religious leaders and nations, there is not one individual today who can claim to be the leader of all the worlds Muslims.
The Nation of Islam is similar in this respect. There is no individual today who is the leader of all the followers of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad.
The Hon. Elijah Muhammad said in an interview on January 14, 1972 in Chicago:
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD (EM): There will be no successor. There is no need for a successor when a man has got the Divine truth and has brought you face to face with God.
QUESTION (Q): How will your resources be administered?
EM: That will be carried on by the Nation. After setting up the Nation on the right way, or right path to take care of themselves, they do not need any more instruction on that. They will follow it as the Constitution of America has been followed.
Q: Will it be run by local Mosques?
EM: No, No, No. After this, the whole entire Nation of Black people will be governed Divinely and the government will be a Divine government and not something that is governed locally, like we have today. We will have a Divine government set up for us, and it will stand forever. We will not need any change.
Q: Who’s the leader in Canada?
A: The Hon. Min. Linwood X. Allah (God ) in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad blessed him to establish the first independent branch of the Nation of Islam outside of the United States. From 1997-2000 he built Temples, businesses and programs for Black people in Canada and Albany, NY. He passed away in November 2000.
Q: Who runs the Nation of Islam of Canada now?
A: The Hon. Min. Linwood X left instructions for the administration of the Nation of Islam of Canada that are being carried out by those in positions of leadership.
Let us be clear about something. Min. Linwood X did not want the N.O.I.C.’s existence to be based or dependent on the “personality” or “charisma” of any individual. He said, “This Nation is going to be built up on God!”
The Nation of Islam of Canada considers Allah (God ) in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad to be the DEFINITIVE authority and head of the N.O.I.C.