In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful…

Recently, the renowned senior scholar, Shaykh Saalih al-Luhaydaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked the following question about the group called “the Nation of Islam” headed by Louis Farrakhan:

Shaykh, in America there is a religious sect who call themselves “The Nation of Islam” and they claim to be upon Islaam. Their beliefs are as follows:

That generally, every black person is an incarnate of Allaah, specifically that He is in the form of a man named Fard Muhammad, and that all whites are devils.

That Muhammad (sallallaahu ’alayhe wa sallam) was not the seal of all Prophets and Messengers, and that Elijah Muhammad was in fact the last prophet, the messiah, and Mahdee expected to appear in the last days.

They also deny Allaah resurrecting the creation and they consider the Resurrection to be a metaphor of one exiting from ignorance and gaining knowledge, and they have many other aspects of creed which are clear disbelief.

So the question, O Shaykh, is firstly: Is this sect a disbelieving sect, outside of the fold of Islaam. Secondly, what is the ruling on the common folk from amongst them? Thirdly, are these individuals excused due to them living far away from the scholars of Islaam? Fourthly, what is your advice to those who hesitate in declaring these individuals to be disbelievers?

The shaykh began his response, saying:

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. All praises are for Allaah, and may His peace and prayers be upon His Messenger, the one whom Allaah sent as a Mercy to the whole of mankind, and has made him the seal of all prophets and messengers. Thus, there is no prophet or messenger that will come after him.

These individuals described in these three questions are not Muslims. Did they accept Islaam before this as to say that they are even apostates?! It is not clear to me that they ever accepted Islaam. Their belief is a branch of the Hulooliyyah (those who say Allah becomes incarnate with His creation), however they claim that Allaah became incarnate within the blacks, and they claim that the whites are devils. This is something they use to offend and spite the whites. In reality, the Muslim is a brother of a Muslim. A condition for one to enter Islaam is to testify that no deity has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and there is no prophet after him. The Muslim also believes in Allaah, His Angels, His revealed Books, His messengers, the Day of Resurrection, and believe in His Pre-Ordained Decree, the good and bad of it. Whoever does not believe in this, they are not a Muslim or a Believer (mu‘min). Whoever’s belief and creed is the likes of what was mentioned in the questions is not a Muslim…

[ Click here to read the rest of his detailed answer… ]