Islam - American Family Tree [Return to List of Trees]
Islam is the religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad (570-632), who is believed by followers to be the final prophet. The word "Islam" means "submission." Muslims follow the sacred text of the Koran, stress the oneness of God, and practice the Five Pillars: praying, fasting during Ramadan, almsgiving, pilgrimage, and a testimony of faith. The two main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shi'ite. This split occurred in 632 due to different opinions on leadership succession. Following the passage of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allowed for more immigration from Muslim majority countries, the Islamic population has grown rapidly in the U.S.
Visit the Islam Family Profile
The image below is dynamic. You can move groups around and see group descriptions by hovering over a group. To zoom use the "+" and "-" keys. Use the "DEL" key to remove a group and its connections. The buttons in the upper right can be used to export an image file and add notes to the tree.
Note: Groups that are colored blue are currently active. Groups that are colored gray are defunct.Included in this tree
| Religious Group | Founded | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Moorish Science Temple of America | 1926 | The Moorish Science Temple was organized by Timothy Drew (aka Noble Drew Ali) (1886-1929) who took materials from American Spiritualism to publish a "Koran." |
| Nation of Islam | The original Nation of Islam was founded by Master Wallace Fard Muhammad in the years following the death of noble Drew Ali, founder of the Moorish Science Temple. It was developed further by Elijah Poole, who was also known as Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975). It began with ideas available in the popular culture and only in the 1980s began to move toward an orthodox Muslim position under the guidance of Elijah Muhammad's son, Warith Deen Muhammad (1933-2008). Under his leadership, the former Nation of Islam changed its name several times and eventually lost its distinctive organizational existence and became part of the larger American Sunni Muslim community. | |
| American Muslim Mission | Changes occurred within the original Nation of Islam in the years following Elijah's Muhammad's death (1975). Elijah's brother, John, rejected the changes and formed the American Muslim Mission. John Muhammad taught that Elijah Muhammad was the last messenger of Allah. After the American Muslim Mission disbanded in 1975, it was superceded by the ministry of W. Deen Mohammed. Although Mohammed has passed away (2008), the name is still in use. | |
| African American Islam | The emergence of an African American Islam was accomplished without direct reference to traditional Islam or any contact with Muslim organizations. The reference to Islam was picked up from popular images in the mass culture. | |
| Ahmadiyyas | 1889 | A revival movement begun in what is today Pakistan by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (c.1825-1908). The movement divided in 1914 among those who came to be see Ahmad as a prophet and those who saw him as a religious leader sent by Allah to renew the community but rejected the designation of him as a prophet (and thus the equal of Muhammad). Much of the Sunni community has moved against the Ahmadiyyas as heretics. |
| Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Lahore, Inc. | 1914 | No description available. |
| Nation of Five Percenters | 1964 | The Nation of Five Percenters was founded in 1964 by Clarence 13X (formerly Clarence Smith) a member of the Nation of Islam who had developed a set of innovative ideas based upon those of the original Nation of Islam. Among is unique ideas was that only five percent of African Americans understood the conditions that produced the present dilemma of the black community and were hence able to lead that community to understand that Black people collectively were Allah. |
| Lost Found Nation of Islam | 1977 | Following the death of Elijad Muhammad, his brother, John Muhammad (1910-2005), formed an independent organization which he also called the Nation of Islam. |
| Nation of Islam (Farrakhan) | 1978 | Changes occurred within the original Nation of Islam in the years following Elijah's Muhammad's death (1975). Louis Farrakhan, one of the most talented ministers in the organization, rejected changes made by Elijah's son, Wallace, and left to establish a group that maintained the beliefs and practices that had prevailed in earlier years. |
