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Biography of: Warith Deen Mohammad
Author: Aisha Miller

Timeline
Leadership Style
Political Philosophy

Timeline

  • 1933 Wallace Muhammad was born the Seventh child of Elijah Muhammad Named after Wallace Fard who Introduced Islam to Elijah.
  • 1975 Elijah Muhammad died and left leadership of the Nation of Islam to his son Wallace Muhammad.
  • 1976 Wallace changed the name of the organization to the World Community of al-Islam & then later To the American Muslim Mission. He Did away with the rigid hierarchy And said there was no priesthood In Islam.
  • 1978 Wallace Muhammad change his name to "Warith Deen" and change the Spelling of his last name. W.D. Mohammad disbanded the Organization altogether.

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Leadership Style

The timeline I have gathered of Warith Deen Mohammad is very short and not detailed. That is because Warith Deen is not yet considered a social movement leader and he is one of the lesser-known leaders behind Islam. Why then pick Warith Deen Mohammad? Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States. [W.D.Mohammad]"... was responsible for probably one [of] the largest mass conversions in American history, where there was no bloodshed or warfare, but he doesn't choose to put himself in the headlines." Although Mohammad is primarily a religious leader he is calling for social, political and economical change. His goal is to help Muslim communities blend in with society. His goal is to also show others the positive face of Islam. My brother, who suggested I do Warith Deen, is an orthodox Muslim following his teachings. I had to be convinced to do Warith Deen and although I knew he was primarily a religious leader, finding out about him and the contributions he has made for Muslims and African Americans in general can not be overlooked. Mohammad is the one who paved the way for other Muslim activist groups to make or want positive changes in today's society. Because Mohammad is very instrumental in working with Muslims in America and internationally I feel that he will become very known in years to come.

"Muslims already have major roof organizations for religious activity such as, Warith Deen's American Muslim Mission, The Islamic Society of North America & the Islamic circle of North America, to name only the largest." Mohammad is affiliated with certain Islamic political organizations such as, the American Muslim Council, the Council for American Islamic Relations, the American Muslim Alliance and a number of other political organizations. Some of the goals that these organizations are striving for are to have access and inclusion in political structures, Civil and human rights and to gain a Muslim political voting block.

W.D. Mohammad would fit into the Democratic style of leadership. Similar to the Laissez-faire style of leadership everyone has a certain task, however there is a shared power and everyone comes to the same consensus, working towards the same goal. "Warith Dean Mohammad spends much of his time traveling around visiting mosques, calaborating with other mainstream Islamic organizations and giving public lectures." " Mohammad is the first to admit he is not the gifted, charismatic speaker that Farrakhan [his counterpart] is and that he does not draw the same large crowds." Mohammad however does have the characteristics of a prophetic and pragmatic leader. "... Among his supporters he is treated with great reverence.

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Political Philosophy

I would classify his political philosophy as that of a radical. He is pushing for social change more than anything else and does not want things to stay the same. "[Mohammad says one of his goals] is to educate people about Orthodox Islam and to dispel the negative stereotypes of Muslims as terrorists or the enemies of Christians and Jews." Mohammad is an innovator. He goes around to different Mosques giving lectures. Some of his topics include, The Islamic proposal for the Civilization 21st Century and Our Roles as Muslims, Leadership in Community life, Islam and Peace, and the Connection between Religion, Business, Education, and Government. W.D. Mohammad has published such books as, Evolution of a Community, Islam's Climate for Business Success and The Code of Three. In a state of address to the Muslims, Mohammad said, " Our Islamic concern must expand outside the boundaries of ourselves, families, masajid ([place of worship)] and America. In a speech on Islam and Universal Values delivered by W.Deen Mohammad says, "in my lifetime I have seen some very ugly things in America...I have heard some very ugly things from the media...[but] I would ask you my brothers and sisters of the Islamic world to do exactly what we have done in America...recognize change for the better and do some researching and rethinking...Go to the purest sources and to the best that you have in your religion and use that to support you, and join us in promoting world peace."

Works Cited

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