Former Nation of Islam leader dies at 74

September 10, 2008 – 12:24 pm

“Imam W.D. Mohammed, who succeeded his father as leader of the Nation of Islam but abandoned its teachings of black supremacy and moved thousands of its followers into mainstream Islam, died Tuesday. He was 74.” [Source, AP] Louis Farrakhan, current leader of the Nation of Islam, released an official statement yesterday concerning the death of W.D. Mohammed, on the official Nation of Islam website.

His change of mind, from representing the black supremacy of Nation of Islam to acceptance of mainstream Islam, is an example of a type of adaptation so common in Islam in America. Unfortunately, rather than embracing the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord, Mohammed turned to a liberal, Westernized concept of Islam. “He was encouraging his followers to accept the best of their humanity and to extend the moral and ethical values of Islam to the general American public.”

A close friend of Mohammed, reflecting on Mohammed changing his name several times, stated that it “reflected the imam’s struggle to maintain a triple identity: Muslim, African-American and American.  ‘He was trying to move a community that called itself an Islamic community closer to Islam without losing its roots and trying to situate itself in the context of American culture.’”

This ought to serve as a reminder to disciples of Jesus that there are people in our country, in our neighborhoods, that our looking for an identity, a place where they fit. Would W.D. Mohammed feel loved if he moved next door to you? Or if he walked into your church on a Sunday morning looking for answers? We have the true message from God to deliver to the nations. Let us be bold and loving in our proclamation.