Elijah Muhammad and Islam

Elijah Muhammad is arguably the most significant figure in the history of Islam in the United States. Successor to W. D. Fard, the founder of the Nation of Islam, and a mentor to Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad led the Nation of Islam for over forty years.
In Elijah Muhammad and Islam, Herbert Berg focuses on Elijah Muhammad's religiosity, which is frequently brought into question as the authenticity of the Nation of Islam as truly Islamic remains hotly debated. To better comprehend this powerful and controversial figure, Berg contextualizes Elijah Muhammad and his religious approach within the larger Islamic tradition, exploring his use of the Qur'an, his interpretation of Islam, and his relationships with other Muslims. Above all, Berg seeks to understand--not define or label--Muhammad as a Muslim. To do otherwise, he argues, is to misunderstand and distort the man, his teachings, his movement, and his legacy.

Author: Herbert Berg
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 03/01/2009
Pages: 211
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780814791134

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 04/10/2009 pg. 17
Choice 10/01/2009

About the Author
Berg, Herbert: - Herbert Berg is Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. He is the editor of Methods and Theories in the Study of Islamic Origins and author of The Development of Exegesis in Early Islam.