Elijah Muhammad

Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Poole) was the second leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI).

Born into a Christian pastor's family in the American South, after his family moved to Detroit and he experienced more open racism in the North than he had in the South, he quickly abandoned Christianity. He was discovered by NOI founder Wallace D. Fard (aka Wallace Fard Muhammad) and quickly rose in the organization; Fard gave Elijah his new name. Eventually, the majority of Elijah's family – including his pastor father – converted to NOI.

Although married Elijah openly kept several mistresses; this ultimately caused a split between him and Malcolm X (along with Malcolm's growing popularity, his open antagonism toward the white race, and ultimately his conversion to traditional Islam).

Prior to his death, Elijah named his son, Wallace D. Muhammad, as his successor. However, upon his death Wallace would abandon most of Fard's teachings and change the name of NOI to the World Community of Islam in the West and began teaching traditional Islam. Other splinter groups included one by Elijah's brother John which kept the name "Nation of Islam" but was not the NOI known today, the Lost Found Nation of Islam led by Silas Muhammad, the Hanafi Muslims, the Five Percenters led by Clarence 13X, and the United Nation of Islam led by "Solomon". Louis Farrakhan originally followed Wallace, but Farrakhan remained loyal to the teachings of Fard/Elijah; ultimately he broke away from Wallace and reestablished the NOI; Farrakan is considered the successor to Elijah Muhammad.