Islam African-American culture

generations before advent of atlantic slave trade, islam thriving religion in west africa due peaceful introduction via lucrative trans-saharan trade between prominent tribes in southern sahara , arabs , berbers in north africa. in attesting fact west african scholar cheikh anta diop explained: primary reason success of islam in black africa [...] consequently stems fact propagated peacefully @ first solitary arabo-berber travelers black kings , notables, spread them under jurisdiction . many first-generation slaves able retain muslim identity, descendants not. slaves either forcibly converted christianity case in catholic lands or besieged gross inconveniences religious practice such in case of protestant american mainland.

in decades after slavery , particularly during depression era, islam reemerged in form of highly visible , controversial movements in african-american community. first of these of note moorish science temple of america, founded noble drew ali. ali had profound influence on wallace fard, later founded black nationalist nation of islam in 1930. elijah muhammad became head of organization in 1934. malcolm x, left nation of islam in 1964, many african-american muslims follow traditional islam.

many former members of nation of islam converted sunni islam when warith deen mohammed took control of organization after father s death in 1975 , taught members traditional form of islam based on qur an. survey council on american-islamic relations shows 30% of sunni mosque attendees african americans. in fact, african-american muslims orthodox muslims, 2% of nation of islam.