Nation of Islam - Comparison With Traditional Islam

Comparison With Traditional Islam

The Nation of Islam resembles traditional Islam in several ways. For instance, it preaches the following of the Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith, though loosely, and not always in the same way.

1. Belief in one God (Allah): Traditional Muslims believe that Allah is the One and only God (this is known as Tawhid), and that He is outside and apart from His creation, while the NOI believes that Wallace Fard was Allah.
2. Prayer: Traditional Muslims believe that the five daily prayers (salat) are mandatory, the NOI believes that they are not. According to some, this is sufficient to take one outside the fold of Islam altogether .
3. Fasting in the Islamic month of Ramadhan: Traditional Muslims believe that this fasting is compulsory while the NOI holds that this is optional.
4. Compulsory Charity (zakaat)
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj) – pilgrimage to Makkah: Traditional Muslims believe that this is compulsory if one has the means to undertake the journey, while the NOI holds that this is optional.

The NOI mosques have lecture rooms that contain seats for the worshipers during sermons (males on one side and females on the other) with the prayer hall, also known as the musalla, in another room for the 5 daily muslim prayers prostration.

Other doctrines of the Nation of Islam are also disputed, specifically:

• Messiah and Mahdi:
  • NOI teaches that their founder, Master W. Fard Muhammad, is the long-awaited Messiah of the Jews and the Mahdi of the Muslims."
  • Traditional Sunni and Shi'a Muslim are still awaiting the coming of the Mahdi, and believe the Jews' awaited Messiah is indeed Jesus (the prophet not God) whom the Christians believe is God.

• Status of the Islamic prophet Muhammad vs. other prophets:
  • The Nation of Islam believes that Muhammad was the last prophet of Allah, and that Elijah Muhammad was a messenger, taught by God in the person of the Mahdi, whom the NOI claim as "Master" Fard Muhammad (W. D. Fard).
  • The Nation of Islam points to the Quran: "And for every nation there is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, the matter is decided between them with justice, and they are not wronged." -- Quran 10:47
  • Traditional Islam teaches that Muhammad was the last of the prophet and messengers of Allah sent to mankind; there would be no more and all Muslims are to follow the teachings of the Qur'an and accept monotheism.

• Yakub: Traditional Islam does not hold to this teaching from the NOI.

• Conversion of whites:
  • The NOI believes that the white race, being the evil creation of Yakub, is unworthy of regeneration.
  • Traditional Islam believes the teachings of the Qur'an and monotheism are for all mankind.