Nation of Islam Analysis in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Founded in 1930 by W. D. Fard Muhammad, the Nation is an African American organization that fuses a political message of Black Nationalism with an adapted form of Islam.

Nation of Islam Quotes in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The The Autobiography of Malcolm X quotes below are all either spoken by Nation of Islam or refer to Nation of Islam. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn't have gotten me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad's teachings, my correspondence, my visitors—usually Ella and Reginald—and my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life.

Related Characters: Malcolm X (speaker), Elijah Muhammad, Ella Little, Reginald Little

Page Number and Citation: 176

Explanation and Analysis:

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And Allah blessed me to remain true, firm and strong in my faith in Islam, despite many severe trials to my faith. And even when events produced a crisis between Elijah Muhammad and me, I told him at the beginning of the crisis, with all the sincerity I had in me, that I still believed in him more strongly than he believed in himself.

Related Characters: Malcolm X (speaker), Elijah Muhammad

Page Number and Citation: 202

Explanation and Analysis:

And that was how, after twelve years of never thinking for as much as five minutes about myself, I became able finally to muster the nerve, and the strength, to start facing the facts, to think for myself.

Related Characters: Malcolm X (speaker), Elijah Muhammad

Page Number and Citation: 313

Explanation and Analysis:

Nation of Islam Term Timeline in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The timeline below shows where the term Nation of Islam appears in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...this Malcolm begins to receive letters from all his siblings—they have all converted to the Nation of Islam . They urge him to accept the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, who is described as... (full context)

Malcolm’s knowledge of the truth—as maintained by the Nation of Islam —comes to him slowly. He learns that white men have been oppressing black people for... (full context)

This enslavement, according to the Nation of Islam , found its greatest example in Christianity. Black people were forced to convert to their... (full context)

...a five-year sentence for draft evasion. She then begins a tale, as taught by the Nation of Islam , of how black and white men came to be on the Earth, known as... (full context)

...original founder of this movement is Master W. D. Fard, the mixed-race founder of the Nation of Islam , who then left Elijah Muhammad in charge of leading it. (full context)

...Hilda leaves, later in life he will disavow this story and other parts of the Nation of Islam ’s doctrine. These tales are not supported by orthodox Islam, and infuriate its followers. However,... (full context)

...speak poorly of Elijah Muhammad. Then Malcolm learns that Reginald has been expelled from the Nation of Islam for maintaining an improper sexual relationship. Malcolm writes a letter to Elijah, pleading on his... (full context)

...someone one has never met) of Master W. D. Fard, the original founder of the Nation of Islam . (full context)

...life has been dominated by constantly reading, keeping appointments, and traveling in service of the Nation of Islam . (full context)

...hanging, along with the words, “Slavery, Suffering, and Death.” On the other side is the Nation of Islam flag with its crescent moon and star, the words, “Islam: Freedom, Justice, Equality”, and then... (full context)

...African name that he will never know and marking him as a member of the Nation of Islam . (full context)

A series of events in Harlem one night suddenly brings the Nation of Islam to national attention. Two white cops, breaking up a fight, tell the crowd to disperse.... (full context)

...the police at the scene to deal with the angry crowd. The incident propels the Nation of Islam to the front of media coverage and puts them under police scrutiny. (full context)

Two different groups approach Malcolm about projects on the Nation of Islam . Louis Lomax, a black journalist, proposes a documentary film, while C. Eric Lincoln, a... (full context)

...have both written columns for the Amsterdam News—the Harlem newspaper—but Malcolm wants to expand the Nation of Islam ’s media capabilities to have their own full-fledged newspaper. While traveling in Los Angeles, he... (full context)

...including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Nigeria, and Ghana, who have begun to recognize the Nation of Islam as an important group among black liberation movements. (full context)

...reactions to the film become more one-sided, and then black leaders began to denounce the Nation of Islam as a hate-cult in the press. (full context)

As Malcolm continues to speak for the Nation of Islam , he receives more and more mail, overwhelmingly from white people. Besides the random threats,... (full context)

...hideout. At that moment, he sees how much he’s changed and grown, thanks to the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad. This awareness makes him more grateful than ever for how Elijah has... (full context)

...for anything more. His happiness, he says, is tied exclusively to serving Elijah and the Nation of Islam . (full context)

...him, though, as he owns no property of his own and makes no money. The Nation of Islam has loaned him a car and a house to live in and they pay his... (full context)

...of credit publicly and privately from people who see him as the face of the Nation of Islam , or as the “Number Two Muslim.” This praise makes him feel very uncomfortable, and... (full context)

...rallies on his own. They have lost sight of their collective mission in spreading the Nation of Islam to as many African Americans as possible. (full context)

As he grows more and more tired and feels more estranged from the Nation of Islam , Malcolm begins to have contact with a few white reporters. This is huge, as... (full context)

On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas. The Nation of Islam sends out a directive telling all ministers to make no public comment on the assassination.... (full context)

Malcolm also feels inspired by his sister Ella, who has freely broken with the Nation of Islam . Instead, she’s joined an orthodox mosque and opened a school for teaching Arabic. After... (full context)

...a dignified yet humble man who is very warm with him. Faisal clearly condemns the Nation of Islam as having the wrong idea about Islam, to which Malcolm explains that he now wishes... (full context)

...him and regards every day as a borrowed day. This death may come from the Nation of Islam or from white racists. Either way, Malcolm makes a powerful prediction: when he’s gone, the... (full context)

...20 years in the Coast Guard, Alex Haley hears about a new religion called the Nation of Islam , which is only for black people and is led by Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm... (full context)

...After considering the proposal, he agrees, on the condition that the book focuses on the Nation of Islam , all the proceeds go to supporting the Nation, and that he gets permission from... (full context)

...Malcolm bitter and push him to want to change the previous chapters related to the Nation of Islam . Malcolm says that the thought has crossed his mind, but he thinks they should... (full context)

...of problems. His family is being evicted from the house loaned to them by the Nation of Islam , he is struggling to keep up with his financial obligations, and every minute of... (full context)

...pour in, and on a few occasions, OAAU members get into (sometimes armed) confrontations with Nation of Islam members. Malcolm is convinced that the threats can only be coming from the Black Muslims. (full context)

In Chicago, Malcolm testifies in the Attorney General’s office regarding the investigation of the Nation of Islam . While the police keep Malcolm under close guard, he sees Black Muslims following him... (full context)

...with the photographer Gordon Parks. He talks about being glad to have moved beyond the Nation of Islam ; he says he was just a zombie following orders. Then he recalls the white... (full context)

...to the station. He is later identified as 22-year-old Talmadge Hayer (a member of the Nation of Islam ), and the police take him to the hospital for a gunshot wound to the... (full context)

Nation of Islam Term Analysis

Nation of Islam Quotes in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Nation of Islam Term Timeline in The Autobiography of Malcolm X