"[19], Beynon's interviewees told him that reports of Fard's message spread throughout the black community. Otherwise he would chastise us with a severe chastisement until we did submit. More about myself I will not tell you yet, for the time has not yet come. 1997. What would he have thought of it? A variety of other claims emerged; that he went to Hawaii, New Zealand, and even to the Middle East. I guess so, because if you compare their features (ears, nose, chin, mouth, eyes and eyebrows), they're very similar. The whole thing smells like an intelligence agency operation to me. Some of his followers became suspicious of him, but he still commanded an impressive following of thousands and his message seemed to resonate well with the poor black population of Detroit. var referer="";try{if(referer=document.referrer,"undefined"==typeof referer||""==referer)throw"undefined"}catch(exception){referer=document.location.href,(""==referer||"undefined"==typeof referer)&&(referer=document.URL)}referer=referer.substr(0,700); They must live according to the law of Allah, avoiding all meat of 'poison animals', hogs, ducks, geese, possums and catfish. Much of what is known about him is shrouded in mystery, and it is difficult to separate fact from mythological stories. He taught a unique form of religion which was based on Islam to members of the city's African-American population. Farrakhan, a high-ranking member of NOI at the time of Elijah Muhammads death, became disillusioned with the new direction and quit the NOI in 1978. Using both the Bible and the Qur'an, he began with meetings in houses until he had enough members to rent a storefront, which he called Temple of Islam No. The marriage did not last even a year; Ford accused his wife of being an alcoholic and a bad spender. Before arriving in Detroit in 1930, under the alias of David Ford, he attained a high rank in the Moorish Science Temple, a vaguely Islam-like religion that disbanded that same year. If in this way they obeyed Allah, he would take them back to the Paradise from which they had been stolen the Holy City of Mecca. Ford/Fard lied about his background so many times that it's hard to tell what's true and what's not. Fred gave his age as 23 and his birthplace as Europe. He disappeared in 1934 after several arrests in Detroit and Elijah Muhammad took over as leader of the Nation of Islam. One member of the group, later declared mentally insane, allegedly participated in "human sacrifice" in 1932 in an effort to follow lessons regarding the sacrifice of devils. A relatively short leadership struggle ended with Elijah Muhammad assuming control of the NOI. Despite a lack of fame, Mr. Fards legacy lives on to this day whether most of us know it or not. But over time his ideology began to shift. ." Her judgment could not take place until we hear the truth. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME! But his strict culinary concerns may have emerged from elsewhere: it is said he carried packets of sugar in his coat pocket and is said to have bled easily. Sources: Immigration record of Khanialam Khan https://familysearch.org, FBI report on Wallace Fard Muhammad https://vault.fbi.gov, Mugshots of Wallace Fard Muhammad and Wallie Dodd Ford https://www.findagrave.com, Marriage record of Fred Dodd and Pearl Allen https://www.ancestry.com, Prison file of Wallie Dodd Ford https://www.ancestry.com, Draft registration card of Wallie Dodd Ford https://familysearch.org, Wallie D. Ford on the 1920 U.S. Census https://familysearch.org, Birth record of Fords son, Wallace Max Ford https://familysearch.org, Marriage record of Wallie Dodd Ford and Carmen Trevino https://familysearch.org, William D. Fard on the 1930 U.S. Census https://familysearch.org, Nation of Islam article refuting claims of Dodd and Muhammad being the same person https://www.noi.org. Ford reported that he was a cook, age 26, born in Oregon and living in Los Angeles. Fard immigrated to the United States sometime before 1930. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Contemporary American Religion. Fard, they say, was born in 1877, which would make him 53 in 1930. The religion that God set forth for Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and muammad proclaimed by the latter in Arabia in the 7th century, which enjoys the, Pan-Islam Although there is only one known picture of "Fard", there are a few known photographs of "Ford", mostly police mugshots: https://zaidpub.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/walaace-fard.jpg. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 22 Feb. 2023 . But it's a dead end - as far as anybody in the country, or indeed the world is concerned, Wallace Fard Muhammed no longer exists. Master Fard's identity, origins, appearance, and disappearance remain mysterious and controversial. Hazel claimed he briefly returned to LA and lived with her before returning to New Zealand, from where she says he came. His main goal, he often stated, was to bring salvation to African-Americans, whom he often referred to as his lost uncle in the wilderness of North America.. But as a prerequisite for black liberation, he stressed the importance of attaining "knowledge of self." His original name was Wallace D. Fard, but he was also known by other aliases, such as Farad Muhammad, F. Muhammad Ali, Wali Farrad, and Professor Fard. Among the files reviewed was that of Wallace Dodd Ford. How did the founder of a group that recruited men like Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali slip under the radar so easily? Fards First Temple of Islam included the Fruit of Islam, a military-like organization of black male converts, a Muslim Girls Training Corps Class and a University of Islam which, despite its name, was mainly focused on elementary and high-school level education. [61], Fard wrote, in his instructions to the leaders of his community, that they should "copy the Answers of Lesson of Minister Elijah Muhammad. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. A variety of other claims emerged; that he went to Hawaii, New Zealand, and even to the Middle East. Master Fard's mysterious disappearance in 1934 led to an internal struggle for the leadership of the Nation of Islam among several contending factions. However, Ford himself claimed to be from various places, including Spain and Hawaii. Just last year, however, I read a book that reintroduced Fard to my consciousness. On the question of a connection between the Nation of Islam and the Moorish Science Temple of America, Beynon wrote: "Awakened already to a consciousness of race discrimination, these migrants from the South came into contact with militant movements among northern Negroes. Wallace D. Fard, also called Walli Farrad, Farrad Mohammed, F. Mohammed Ali, or Wallace Fard Muhammad, (born c. 1877, Meccadied 1934? A few of them had come under the influence of the Moorish-American cult which succeeded it. Modern Nation of Islam theology is based upon the belief that Fard's teaching of Elijah Muhammad was fulfillment of scripture regarding God's teaching of an Apostle, where Fard is described as "God in Person", the "Messiah", and the "Mahdi". [21][Note 1] These incidents drew police attention, according to Beynon, and contributed to persecutions and schisms. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). The NOI teaches that Wallace Fard Muhammad was an avatar of Allah, who came to America to educate on this forgotten history. Jeffrey Eugenides novel Middlesex, which could justly be called a Detroit epic, includes a fascinating chapter in which the matriarch of the Stephanides family, Desdemona, takes a job as a silk worker at the Nation of Islams headquarters on Hastings Street. Fard encouraged his followers not to drink alcohol or eat pork, which is standard practice for Muslims. In 1934 he disappeared without a trace. To this day, nobody knows. Chameleon: The True Story of W.D. [67] The FBI charged that Takahashi had been an influential presence in the Nation of Islam. "The people who actually met him, and the scholars who have studied him, have suggested that he was variously an African American, an Arab from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco or Saudi Arabia a Turk, an Afghan, an Indo-Pakistani a Greek" Morrow writes. To further muddy the waters, C.E. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [55] Authors have also cited E. U. Essien-Udom for this proposition as well. He returned to Chicago, was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace through his preaching, and again returned to Detroit. Muhammad, Akbar. Ford looks Middle Eastern in the mugshot. WebIn late 1933 or in 1934 Fardmysteriously disappeared from public record. He was ultimately forced to leave Detroit because of an allegation that he encouraged one of his followers to engage in a ritual of human sacrifice. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. Fard, most scholars have relied on his teachings as passed down, and perhaps modified, by Elijah Muhammad. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. . The later official view of the Nation of Islam was that he was in Mecca. [23] "Within three years the prophet not only began the movement but organized it so well that he himself was able to recede into the background, appearing almost never to his followers during the final months of his residence in Detroit."[24]. 2 as its headquarters. [18] He began by selling silks door to door, telling his listeners that the silks came from their ancestral homeland. WebThe FBIs FOIA Library contains many files of public interest and historical value. Black Muslims Islam in the African AmericanExperience. Elijah Muhammad, who took the position of leader of the Nation of Islam after Fard's disappearance, railed agaist the media claims that Ford was Fard. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It's the late 1950s and the civil rights movement is beginning to emerge. The FBI were confident that Wallace Dodd Ford was, in fact, Wallace Fard Muhammad. Ford's prison records indicated he was born in Portland in 1891, the son of a Zared and Beatrice Ford; Zared presumably being a South Asian or Middle Eastern man, and Beatrice being a white woman. Uncover property values, resident history, neighborhood safety score, and more! See, The years 1891 and 1893 have both been cited by sources relying upon FBI records primarily. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A Fred Dodd married Pearl Allen in Portland, Oregon in 1914. https://68.media.tumblr.com/8baacfedb2c5ff0be7055d0550917d7e/tumblr_ne5vz9XWui1t1ova9o10_500.jpg. To Mr. Fard alone do they offer prayer and sacrifice. This is the story that stuck. This new movement, known as the Temple People, identifies the prophet, Mr. W. D. Fard, with the God, Allah. When nothing further was heard from him, some rumored that he had been killed by police. After another brush with the law in April 1934, Fard left Detroit for good. "[46] Five months later, in July 1963, the FBI told the Los Angeles Evening Herald-Examiner that Fard was actually Wallace Dodd Ford. Learn how your comment data is processed. [43] According to San Quentin records, Wallie D. Ford was born in Portland, Oregon, on February 25, 1891, the white son of Zared and Beatrice Ford, who were both born in Hawaii. He told followers he was born in the holy city of Mecca, and his light-skinned appearance, courtesy of his Russian Jewish mother, was pre-ordained so that he could more easily mix with white people. One of the few survivors who heard his first addresses states that he himself said: 'My name is W. D. Fard and I came from the Holy City of Mecca. Consequently, Fard and another leader, Ugan Ali, were arrested and questioned. But none can be verified and he is almost certainly long dead now. [23] Following the rapid increase in membership, he instituted a formal organizational structure. He advocated community members to establish and own their own businesses,[13] eat healthy, raise families, and refrain from drugs and alcohol. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Detroit sues celebrity pastor and his nuisance mega-church over unfinished Woodward project, Detroits Movement fest releases full lineup: Basement Jaxx, Skrillex, Cybotron, Zeds Dead, and more. So they sent a Messenger to them of their own. Hijrah Magazine (MarchApril 1985). By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This would suggest he was, in fact, diabetic. Fard, W. D. (c. 1877-1934), Religious and Political Leader. Since Mr. Fard has been deified, the Temple People raise to the rank of prophet the former Minister of Islam, Elijah Mohammed, now a resident of Chicago. What happened to Fard after he left Detroit? [45], A February 19, 1963, FBI memorandum states: "In connection with efforts to disrupt and curb growth of the NOI, extensive research has been conducted into various files maintained by this office. But the Nation of Islam themselves reject the FBI's findings. "[26] Wallace Fard Muhammad loved the black people of the United States of America. All Rights Reserved. From interviews with approximately 200 families who followed Fard, Beynon concluded: "Although the prophet lived in Detroit from July 4, 1930 until June 30, 1934, virtually nothing is known about him, save that he 'came from the East' and that he 'called' the Negroes of North America to enter the Nation of Islam. The FBI then tracked down Wallie D. Ford's caucasian ex-wife, Hazel Evalsizer, living in LA. Fard, also known as Wallace Fard Muhammad, had a murky past. "Shinka" never actually existed, but there is a district called Shinkay in the Zabul Province of Afghanistan. She claimed Ford was a New Zealander who had lived in Portland prior to coming to LA, and that she had one son by him, Wallace Dodd Ford Jr., who had died during World War II. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. On the 1920 U.S. Census, Ford gave his race as White, his birthplace as New Zealand, and his age as 26. He told his followers that they were not Americans and therefore owed no allegiance to the American flag and could refuse to serve in its military. Arian, posits that Muhammad arrived in Seattle, Washington, from Karachi, Pakistan in 1904 under the names Alam Khan and Khanialam Khan. A variety of other claims emerged; that he went to Hawaii, New Zealand, and even to the Middle East. He was drawn to return to the United States in order to liberate the African-Americans from their half-slave and half-free condition. Wallace Fard Muhammad was the founder of the Nation of Islam. Lincoln, C. Eric. . WebWallace Fard Muhammad established the Nation of Islam in Detroit. 1, List of people who have been considered deities, "Wallace D. Fard American religious leader", "Nation of Islam at a crossroad as leader exits", "Louis Farrakhan says billionaires 'paying off' black preachers, politicians", "Nation of Islam resonates in Detroit as it returns home for convention", "The Nation of Islam could be Chicago's savior", "Coverage Of "The Voodoo Murders" Mythic Detroit", Appendices: A. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. I have no idea who Fard was but I doubt he was black, which is ironic. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. He spoke as a guest at the NOI temples in Detroit and Chicago. The Caucasians are the colored people, since they have lost their original color. Officially, the NOI believes Fard departed Earth via supernatural means. The book Chameleon: The True Story of W.D. See alsoAfrican-American Religions; Black Muslims; Islam; Malcolm X; Muhammad, Elijah Karriem; Muhammad, Warith Deen; Nation of Islam; Qur'an. According to the version of Elijah, he saw Fard off at the Detroit airport when Fard was being deported. He was an adviser of Elijah Muhammad since the late 1950s and was the tutor of his son and successor Warith Deen Mohammed. Encyclopedia.com. Do you personally think Fard fled Detroit in the 1930s and lived on elsewhere, or do you think he was killed? At the bottom of the card, he signed his name as "Wallie Dodd Ford". Fard through a vent. "[48][dubious discuss] An FBI memorandum dated August 1963 states that the FBI had not been able to verify his birthdate or birthplace, and "he was last heard from in 1934. var rcel = document.createElement("script"); The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 added to the crushing poverty and racial discrimination felt by many black people and made some of them receptive to Fard's new religious message. Fard by A. K. Arian studies the origin of the Nation of Islam founder. Artists who have made references within their music include Jay-Z ("I'm going to chase the Yacub back in the cave"[69]), Jay Electronica ("Lost tribe of Shabazz stylin' on the record", "The son of W.D., who hung around in the D, Who ran around in the three, The trap gods raised me, Face all on the Sphinx, Story all in the wall of the pyramids, Niggas know the Black God saved me"[69]), Brand Nubian ("This Asiatic black man is a dog spelled backwards, The maker, the owner, the cream of the planet earth, Father of civilization, God of the universe, Manifestin thought with my infinite styles, Making sure this travels twenty-three million miles, The other six I set the crucifix, Because the heart of the problem is this."[70]), and Ras Kass in the song "Riiiot" ("Now I got niggas claiming they saw God unfortunately, he wasn't in the person of Master Fard Muhammad").[71]. Among several contending factions a variety of other claims emerged ; that he was a cook, 26. 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