Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center

11/02/2025

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center recognizes on this day, November 2, the birth anniversary of Sister Clara Muhammad, wife of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and first lady of the Nation of Islam.

Clara was born on November 2, 1899 in Cordele, Georgia to Quarters and Mary Lou Evans. Clara, her two brothers and two sisters, grew up on their parents’ ranch. They attended public school and worked in the fields. Clara's mother’s family, the Thomases, were known for their good Samaritan characteristics and their quest and support for education. These traits helped shape the great woman that Clara later became.

At the age of 17, Clara married Elijah Poole (later known as Elijah Muhammad). By the time of the Great Depression in 1929, Clara, her husband, and their two small children joined millions in the Great
Migration from the southern states to the Midwest. They took up residence in Detroit, Michigan where they met a stranger known as W. Fard Muhammad. For three and a half years Master Fard taught and groomed Elijah to be the leader of the newly-formed Nation of Islam (N.O.I.). Clara was her husband’s first convert and best follower. During the early stages of the N.O.I.’s development, Clara and her family endured many trying events.

In 1931 Clara took a courageous stand for the right to educate her children in her home when home schooling was illegal. She refused to enroll her children in public school. As a result, she and her husband were charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors. Her brave stance against a truant officer paved the way for the establishment of the largest private elementary school system for African American children in the United States of America.

For many years Clara served as her husband’s liaison to the N.O.I, delivering both written and verbal instructions to the lead minister in Chicago, while her husband and all able-bodied members of the N.O.I. were imprisoned for draft evasion. During his incarceration, Elijah Muhammad was a model prisoner and was allowed to teach his fellow inmates about Islam. His request for a Qur’an was denied. Sister Clara copied on paper English translations of verses of the Qur’an and brought them to her husband! Thanks to her courageous devotion, the Nation of Islam survived and prison inmates enjoy access to the Qur’an. Clara Muhammad remained devoted to her husband, her family, and to the Muslim schools until her death on August 12, 1972. She was the strongest and most courageous and dedicated woman of her time. She upheld a posture of grace, righteousness, kindness, and dignity and her example was unparalleled by most women of her day. Her spirit lives on.

May Allah bestow his mercy upon her.

10/07/2025

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center Recognizes the Muslim Leader's Birth Anniversary

(Chicago, IL, October 7, 2018) The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) recognized October 7, 1897 as the birthday of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. On this day we remember him for his tireless and courageous efforts to uplift his oppressed and marginalized people. For more than 40 years, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam, the world-renowned and largest Muslim-member organization in the United States. He was also the founder of the first Muslim school system in the United States.

Thirty-four years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah Poole on or about October 7, 1897 in Deep Step near Sandersville, Georgia.

During the Great Migration, in the poverty-stricken Black Bottom area of Detroit, Elijah Muhammad became the chief student and follower of W. D. Fard Muhammad, who founded the Nation of Islam (NOI) in July 1930. For nearly three and one half years Elijah studied long hours under his mentor until W. D. Fard Muhammad's departure in 1934, leaving Elijah to lead the Nation of Islam.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad's call and work for "Freedom, Justice, and Equality" spanned 43 years, from the Jim Crow Era through the Civil Rights period. It was during the early 1960s that the Reader's Digest proclaimed the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as the "most powerful Black man in America." He established an unparalleled legacy of nation building and character transformation in Black communities throughout America. By molding a new 'Black' identity and promoting self-knowledge at a time when "Negro" and "Colored" were used to dehumanize and disenfranchise Black people in America, Elijah Muhammad saved tens of thousands from drug abuse, prostitution, thievery, and self-destruction. James Brown credited Elijah Muhammad for inspiring him to compose one of his signature songs, Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, which he recorded in 1968.

Under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad the Nation of Islam's presence grew dramatically. The NOI's existence as part of the American landscape was manifested by over 75 mosques in 50 cities, schools in 46 cities, and a range of other enterprises including, restaurants, grocery stores, a bank, a publishing company that printed the country's largest circulating black newspaper, the largest import fishing company in the country, and 1500 acres of farmland in three states. These farms produced beef, eggs, poultry, milk, fruit and vegetables, all of which were delivered across the country by NOI-owned ground and air transport.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad mentored Minister Malcolm X, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali and his son, Imam W. Deen Mohammed and countless men and women. His guidance lead to the largest impact on conversion to Islam in American history.

HEMCC extends its thanks to its supporters and friends of the Muhammad family.

HEMCC is a family project initiated in 2006 by descendants of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Illinois, dedicated to educating the public about the legacy of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

01/21/2025

https://youtu.be/vN8bg2UiiVg

The 1920s saw a revival in Islam among Black Americans fleeing poverty and persecution in the Jim Crow South. In Northern cities including Chicago, Detroit, ...

10/30/2024

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) remembers Imam W. Deen Mohammed on his birth anniversary, October 30. May Allāh (exalted is He) grant him mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise.

Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the seventh child of Sister Clara Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (may Allāh grant them mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise), was born Wallace D. Mohammed on October 30, 1933 and passed away on September 8, 2008.

To see full birth anniversary greeting and greeting for Ethel Muhammad Sharrief ( Oct 24.) please visit, like and join our families face book page. https://www.facebook.com/Honorable-Elijah-Muhammad-Commemorative-Center-140280409350022/

10/24/2024

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) remembers Sister Ethel Muhammad Sharrieff on her birth anniversary, October 24. May Allāh (exalted is He) grant her mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise.

Ethel Muhammad Sharrieff (October 24, 1922–December 11, 2002) was the second child and first daughter of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Sister Clara Muhammad. May Allāh grant them mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise. Her formal education extended no further than the eighth grade, which she completed. She often spoke of how, upon the coming of Master W.D. Fard, her family's life changed from one of poverty and hopelessness to one of tremendous faith and great possibilities.

Ethel was the wife of Brother Raymond Sharrieff, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad's most trusted aide and Supreme Captain of the Nation of Islam’s Fruit of Islam. May Allāh grant him mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise. She was the mother of five children. A woman of natural G_d-given talents, she was a kind of Renaissance woman in the NOI. She was a highly respected interior designer, and she created the famous Muslim bean pie. She managed the first NOI bakery and a few years later managed the NOI’s first Muslim clothing store, a business that she recommended that her father open.

Later she designed the Muslim women’s national uniform and, with the approval of her father, established the Muslim Clothing Factory. The factory was another lucrative business for the NOI, and it generated jobs for Muslim members.

Ethel Muhammad Sharrieff was National Captain of the Muslim Girls Training & General Civilization Class (MGT & GCC), and she taught and inspired thousands of young Muslim women. She maintained a close relationship with the Hon. Elijah Muhammad and made many suggestions to him regarding Muslim women's dress codes and other women's concerns. Her father accepted and implemented many of her recommendations.

10/07/2024

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center Recognizes the Muslim Leader's Birth Anniversary

(Chicago, IL, October 7, 2024) The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) recognized October 7, 1897 as the birthday of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. On this day we remember him for his tireless and courageous efforts to uplift his oppressed and marginalized people. For more than 40 years, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam, the world-renowned and largest Muslim-member organization in the United States. He was also the founder of the first Muslim school system in the United States.

Thirty-four years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah Poole on or about October 7, 1897 in Deep Step near Sandersville, Georgia.

During the Great Migration, in the poverty-stricken Black Bottom area of Detroit, Elijah Muhammad became the chief student and follower of W. D. Fard Muhammad, who founded the Nation of Islam (NOI) in July 1930. For nearly three and one half years Elijah studied long hours under his mentor until W. D. Fard Muhammad's departure in 1934, leaving Elijah to lead the Nation of Islam.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad's call and work for "Freedom, Justice, and Equality" spanned 43 years, from the Jim Crow Era through the Civil Rights period. It was during the early 1960s that the Reader's Digest proclaimed the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as the "most powerful Black man in America." He established an unparalleled legacy of nation building and character transformation in Black communities throughout America. By molding a new 'Black' identity and promoting self-knowledge at a time when "Negro" and "Colored" were used to dehumanize and disenfranchise Black people in America, Elijah Muhammad saved tens of thousands from drug abuse, prostitution, thievery, and self-destruction. James Brown credited Elijah Muhammad for inspiring him to compose one of his signature songs, Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, which he recorded in 1968.

Under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad the Nation of Islam's presence grew dramatically. The NOI's existence as part of the American landscape was manifested by over 75 mosques in 50 cities, schools in 46 cities, and a range of other enterprises including, restaurants, grocery stores, a bank, a publishing company that printed the country's largest circulating black newspaper, the largest import fishing company in the country, and 1500 acres of farmland in three states. These farms produced beef, eggs, poultry, milk, fruit and vegetables, all of which were delivered across the country by NOI-owned ground and air transport.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad mentored Minister Malcolm X, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali and his son, Imam W. Deen Mohammed and countless men and women. His guidance lead to the largest impact on conversion to Islam in American history.

HEMCC extends its thanks to its supporters and friends of the Muhammad family.

HEMCC is a family project initiated in 2006 by descendants of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Illinois, dedicated to educating the public about the legacy of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

10/07/2023

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center Recognizes the Muslim Leader's Birth Anniversary

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) recognized October 7, 1897 as the birthday of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. On this day we remember him for his tireless and courageous efforts to uplift his oppressed and marginalized people. For more than 40 years, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam, the world-renowned and largest Muslim-member organization in the United States. He was also the founder of the first Muslim school system in the United States.

Thirty-four years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah Poole on or about October 7, 1897 in Deep Step near Sandersville, Georgia.

During the Great Migration, in the poverty-stricken Black Bottom area of Detroit, Elijah Muhammad became the chief student and follower of W. D. Fard Muhammad, who founded the Nation of Islam (NOI) in July 1930. For nearly three and one half years Elijah studied long hours under his mentor until W. D. Fard Muhammad's departure in 1934, leaving Elijah to lead the Nation of Islam.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad's call and work for "Freedom, Justice, and Equality" spanned 43 years, from the Jim Crow Era through the Civil Rights period. It was during the early 1960s that the Reader's Digest proclaimed the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as the "most powerful Black man in America." He established an unparalleled legacy of nation building and character transformation in Black communities throughout America. By molding a new 'Black' identity and promoting self-knowledge at a time when "Negro" and "Colored" were used to dehumanize and disenfranchise Black people in America, Elijah Muhammad saved tens of thousands from drug abuse, prostitution, thievery, and self-destruction. James Brown credited Elijah Muhammad for inspiring him to compose one of his signature songs, Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, which he recorded in 1968.

Under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad the Nation of Islam's presence grew dramatically. The NOI's existence as part of the American landscape was manifested by over 75 mosques in 50 cities, schools in 46 cities, and a range of other enterprises including, restaurants, grocery stores, a bank, a publishing company that printed the country's largest circulating black newspaper, the largest import fishing company in the country, and 1500 acres of farmland in three states. These farms produced beef, eggs, poultry, milk, fruit and vegetables, all of which were delivered across the country by NOI-owned ground and air transport.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad mentored Minister Malcolm X, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Muhammad Ali and his son, Imam W. Deen Mohammed and countless men and women. His guidance lead to the largest impact on conversion to Islam in American history.

HEMCC extends its thanks to its supporters and friends of the Muhammad family.

HEMCC is a family project initiated in 2006 by descendants of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Illinois, dedicated to educating the public about the legacy of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

10/30/2022

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Commemorative Center (HEMCC) remembers Imam W. Deen Mohammed on his birth anniversary, October 30. May Allāh (exalted is He) grant him mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise.

Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the seventh child of Sister Clara Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (may Allāh grant them mercy, forgiveness and the Everlasting Paradise), was born Wallace D. Mohammed on October 30, 1933 and passed away on September 8, 2008. Before his birth, it was said that he would be a help to his father and his father's mission. He started on the path towards these goals in a natural way: by growing up in the Nation of Islam (NOI) under his father’s leadership and shadowing his parents, older siblings and the pioneers, as the elders of the NOI are called today. This beginning helped Imam Mohammed understand the meaning of community life and, more importantly, its value for the African American people. He committed himself to a Muslim life and was one of his father’s helpers in building a community and ultimately, a nation.

Imam Mohammed was home-schooled by his mother as a young child and attended Muhammad University of Islam (MUI) until his late teens. His education at MUI was a major part of his preparation to help his father. He later received a high school equivalency diploma and attended Loop College (now named Harold Washington College of the City Colleges of Chicago). As a young adult, Imam Mohammed moved from Chicago to Philadelphia to serve as an NOI minister. His time there was short because he was imprisoned for objecting to serve in the Vietnam War. Imam Mohammed said that when he was released from prison, his understanding of Islam was clear. During his imprisonment, he studied the Qur’ān in Arabic, the language of this holy scripture. He was able to read the Qur’ān because he had studied Arabic with a teacher whom his father had employed at MUI.

Imam Mohammed served as Supreme Minister of the NOI. In this capacity, he traveled around the country on behalf of his father to teach NOI ministers and local members. In February 1975, after the passing of his father, ministers and other officials in the organization unanimously voted for Imam Mohammed to succeed his father as leader of the NOI.

During the period of transition from the leadership of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad to the leadership of his son, the community was in a vulnerable state. Imam Mohammed protected his followers by teaching the community his understanding of the Qur’ān. He said, “We have to take this Glorious Quran down from the shelf. We say we are Muslims. What my father taught that is in this book, we will keep. What is not in this book, we have to give up.”

Imam Mohammed led the largest mass conversion to “al-Islam” to date and went on to build a Muslim community upon the foundation of his father’s NOI. Several masjids and Islamic centers were established under his leadership. Thanks to his father, Imam Mohammed’s knowledge of Arabic gave him moral courage, and the community established by his father moved forward.

We ask that Allāh (exalted is He) grant the Hon. Elijah Muhammad and his son, Imam W. Deen Mohammed, mercy, and may He reward them. Ameen.