An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad

by Claude Andrew Clegg III

Book Overview

The first biography of Elijah Muhammad describes his youth in Georgia, his rise to the leadership of the Nation of Islam, and his role in the African American nationalist movement.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312151845
• ISBN13: 9780312151843
• Release Date: February 1997
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

The HATE that HATE produced!

Bravo to Brother Claude for providing the world with a very insightful and informative body of work on Elijah Muhammad. As a former registered member of the Nation of Islam, Brother Claude eliminated many gray areas that pre-1975 believers did not know or would not talk about, while post-1975 believers don't spend enough time in understanding what they are involved with, how they are seen by the outside world, and how all these things shape their development. Several questions do arise however. 1.) Do we as hueman beings really have a conceptualization of how GOD works? 2.) If we look at the history of the arabian prophet MUHAMMAD(pbuh), can the way the prophet's 23 year propogation of islam show similar growing pains as the NOI? 3.) Why was the government of the United States, the arab muslim world and the european powers so focused on exposing and or eliminating Elijah Muhammad and the NOI? What do they fear? 4.) Why do so many readers always compare BLACK race first groups and their ideologies, with the worst white dictators and evil peoples known in the 20th century? 5.) Can we say the the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad were made in America due to the repeated murders, lynchings, tortures, burnings and rapings done by the BLACK man and woman's open enemy? 6.) Is Elijah Mhammad theologically correct in his assertions? 7.) Did not the prophets of all of the known and unknown religions incur the same kind of dismissal, corruptions, and humanness that this man and the NOI demonstrated? 8.) Why is it that for 44-years, Elijah Muhammad never backed down from believing that he was the Messenger from ALLAH, nor doubting what Fard Muhammad instructed him in? 9.) Who is behind the raising up of the student Malcolm X in the public, and not his teacher? To contextualize an Original Man for today, read William Blum's work Rogue State. Thanks again Brother Claude for the spirit in which you researched and wrote this book...it is much needed! ALLAHU-AKBAR!

Brilliant, Revealing Biography Of A Misunderstood Leader

Perhaps the most balanced, informative piece of literature on the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam: Elijah Muhammad. Mr. Clegg presents a totally non-biased exposé of Elijah, void of any judgmental stances so frequently found in writings of this nature. Although not always flattering, it is a MUST read for anyone seeking to understand the early years of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad's life and the organization's rise to prominence within African-American communities throughout the country. Many of the misnomers attributed to this organization and its founder are dispelled, as are a great deal of the ambiguities regarding the inner-workings of the N.O.I. Additionally, there is valuable information regarding the relationship between Elijah and Malcolm X that reaches far beyond Alex Haley's writing. I highly recommend it!

A Masterful Work

I couldn't put this book down. This is easily the best work on the Nation of Islam to date. Clegg has done some impressive research and has a deep knowledge of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. He presents the material in a well-written, intelligent way, without the biases that one would assume that such a topic would provoke. This is first-rate scholarship. I hope the author considers doing a similar biography of Malcolm X or Louis Farrakhan.

an original man:elijah muhammad

twas a work of art. clegg did a lot of researchi couldn't really tell if he had a proor con objective. this is how "un biased"he came off. the book gives a lot of infoto someone who is thinking about making this sortof decision(religion) in life. after you readthis book and do more research your mind willbe made up whether for or against.kudos to clegg ,may god bless him!!!!!!!!!!!

A vivid testament to what human oppression can produce

I am a naturilzed American citizen, originally from Ghana, West Africa. I have lived in this country for 18 years and currently have a medical practice 25 miles from Sandersville, Georgia, Elijah Muhammad's birthplace. Clegg deserves a 5-star for masterfully telling the story of a man who saw the brutality of racism and then went on to arouse the black consciousness in a way never before seen. After reading the account however, two things bother me. First; the premise upon which the Nation of Islam was founded and the continuing propagation of hate. To be sure, Clegg makes it clear that Elijah himself did not seem to have a coherent conviction on the concept of the "white devil". In the end, despite his strong belief in the the "Yacub experiment" he makes overtures, many of them, financially motivated and statements which Fard Muhammad himself would have obviously disagreed with. Yet, despite these inconsistencies and serious flaws in his character, the masses rally behind him. This is analogous to Hitler who was given such reverance by Germans despite his atrocities to other humans. Perhaps, in the eyes of those who steadfastly followed him and those who subscribe to his teachings today the end justified the means. That Elijah Muhammad raised Black consciousness is not in question. Bothersome though is the rampant apathy among the black youth of today. I have confirmed Clegg's experience in his epilogue (when his students question who this person was) in this area, the birthplace of Elijah Muhammad. I have quizzed 35 blacks, from ages 18 to 67, on the life of Elijah Muhammad. 16 live in Sandersville, his actual birthplace. Of the 35, only 11 had even heard his name before. (9 of the 11 live in Sandersville). All 11 were above 40 years. None below forty knew of this man. What does this mean? I do not know for sure but it gives me an impression of the tenious nature of his legacy at least in this area of the country whose sordid history catapulted Elijah Muhammad to such great heights.