My essay the healthy heart for shadeed's muhammad website rawdah.org competition!

The Healthy Heart

Dayona Aisha Evans Ummu Maryam
Chester, PA
Aishaummumaryam@aol.com
11th Safar 1431 A.H
January 26, 2010
Introduction

In the name of Allah the Most Merciful, All praise is for Allah the Lord of all that exists. We seek His help and forgiveness from the evil of our own selves and from the evil from our actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, there is no one whom can misguide him and whomsoever Allah leads astray there is no one who can guide him aright. I testify that none has the right to be worshiped truth except Allah alone with no partner and I testify that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His slave and messenger. May he raise the rank of his final messenger, May peace and blessings be upon his messenger and that of his family and companions. To proceed:
Allah says,”The day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever brings Allah a sound heart.” Ash-Shu'ara: 88-89
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:“ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said' Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but he looks to your hearts and actions.' and he pointed towards the heart with his fingers.” Muslim

Obtaining and maintaining a healthy heart is vital in this life and the determination of ones outcome in the hereafter. People spend time and money seeing that their hair and body stay healthy yet they tend to forget about the importance of keeping a healthy heart. O my beloved brothers and sisters ask yourself how much time and effort do you put forth in purifying and adorning your hearts so they can be presentable to Allah? Not nearly as much time nor effort as we should! Do you take as much care of your heart as you do other things, which in the end cannot save you or redeem your health as much as a healthy heart can. Ask yourself what condition is your heart in? Is your heart sound, strong, pure and full of iman (faith). Is it filled with remembrance of Allah and love of Allah and the Prophet (Peace be upon him)or is it filled with jealousy, envy, misery, arrogance, and greediness? Think about it, is your heart even alive? Yes in the sense every heart pumps blood and keeps the person alive but in reality the heart may not even be alive the heart may be dead. O brothers and sisters don't let your heart die or rot due to weak iman. As Muslims we must rid our hearts of these types of poisons and diseases. Verily there is a cure. This dunya is filled with evil that distracts the souls and attacks the heart. Bottom line my dear brothers and sisters a good life, health, soul, and all other good begins and ends with the well being of the heart. On the authority of Abu 'Abdillaah an-Nu'maan ibn Basheer (May Allah be pleased with him) who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: Surely, The Halaal (permissible) is clear and The Haraam (impermissible) is clear and between the two are doubtful unclear matters many of the people do not have knowledge of. So whoever abstains from the doubtful matters has saved his Religion and his honor, and whoever falls into the doubtful matters falls into The Haraam, just as the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary is likely to indulge freely grazing therein. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and Allah's sanctuary is his prohibitions. Verily in the body, there is a morsel of flesh that if it is correct then the whole body is correct, and if it is corrupt, that whole body is corrupt. It is the heart. related by Bukharee and Muslim.

The Noble Imam ibn Al-Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy upon him)mentioned in his explanation of Imam An Nawawee's (May Allah have mercy upon him)“Forty Ahadeeth” as a benefit from the hadith:“The focal point of righteousness and corruption is the heart. Based upon this benefit, it is incumbent upon mankind to constantly and consistently care for and protect the heart until it becomes upright.”

The need to purify ones heart is major, it involves Hayya (modesty), Murakabah (self reckoning), Muhasabah (self accountability), Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) as- salatu ala an-nabi (Prayer upon the Messenger of Allah), and many other things that I by the permission of Allah will bring to light later. This is a lifelong battle the act of keeping the heart healthy, Verily our enemy Iblis (May the curse of Allah be upon) seeks to destroy our hearts he swore by Allah that he would never leave us alone Iblis said as Allah revealed it to us:“Because you have sent me astray, surely I will sit in the wait against them on your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, and you will not find most of them as thankful ones.” Al-Araf:16-17

Another example of this battle is found in a hadith where the Prophet(Peace be upon him) said:“Verily the Shaytawn is already sitting and waiting for the human being along every trail. Hence, he waits to ambush him along the path to Islam. He says: “ Are you going to become a Muslim and leave your religion and the religion of your father?” But, the person opposes him and he enters into Islam. So, Shaytawn waits for him along the path to hijrah he says: “Are you going to leave your homeland?” The person opposes him and makes Hijrah. Then the Shaytawn takes a seat along the path to Jihad and says: “Are you going to fight for the pleasure of Allah, be killed and afterwords your money and wife dispersed?” 1

Okay my dear brothers and sisters ,we see from the above examples how the Shaytawn never gives up in the fight for our souls, So as Muslims we must constantly be on guard. This serious matter should never be left alone nor unattended. Therefore Guard your heart to the best of your ability, For if it is stolen all hope is lost. Allah the Most Merciful did not leave us without help and guidance in this affair, we can be successful we can win this battle. Allah says:“ O you who believe! Endure and be more patient and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at he places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful.” Al-Imran:200

Allah also sends us help in this battle. Allah says:“For each there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.” Ar-Ra'd:11

This issue will be the principle and main focus of my article insha Allah. I ask Allah to make my work sincerely for Him alone. Whatever amount of good that is in it is from Allah, and any mistakes or deficiencies in it are the result of my own shortcomings.

The Types Of Hearts

Hearts consist of many different types. Heart types vary from person to person depending on the individuals iman. Various Scholars have given mention to it being three different types of hearts. Mainly the healthy heart, The dead heart and the sick heart. Amongst the Scholars who held that view was Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali ,Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdasi and Ibnul Qiyyam Al-Jawziyy (May Allah have mercy upon them). I will give an explanation further along concerning the three types insha Allah. It is very important that I point out the fact that Allah Al-Aleem knows what truly lingers in the hearts of the creation. Allah says:“..is not Allah best aware of what is in the breast of the Alamin (mankind and jinns.) Al Ankabut:10

And Allah says:“ The hypocrites fear lest a surah be revealed about them, showing what is in their hearts...” At Taubah:64

Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) once heard a man who was putting on his ihram say:“O Allah! I intend to do hajj and umrah.” So he said to him: “ Is it not in fact the people whom you are informing of your intention? Does not Allah already know what is in your heart?”2

Abu Sa'id (May Allah be pleased with him) said that he Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:“The hearts are of four types: polished as shiny as the radiating lamp, a sealed heart with a knot tied around its seal, a heart that is turned upside down and a wrapped heart. As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and the lamp is the light of faith. The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever. The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he had knowledge but denied it. As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand of that heart.” 3

Ibn Qadamh Al Maqdisi said:“ As for their (the hearts) compliance with good and evil, the heart is of three types:
A heart that is filled with consciousness of Almighty Allah, purified with obedience to Him, and void of bad morals. Such a heart is apt to receive divine guidance. A heart that is charged with vain desires and stained with evils and bad morals. It is quite reasonable that such a heart is ready to be controlled by Satan who transforms it into a blinded heart that is unable to recognize the truth or be affected by admonition. A heart that is being tempted by evil thoughts and desires, but at the same time faith-oriented thoughts and wishes are calling it to the way of good. 4

The Characteristics Of The Different Types Of Hearts

Each type of heart carries different characteristics, you will not find a healthy heart under the same condition as a dead heart, Nor will you find the dead heart to be in the same condition as the sick heart. Each heart holds its own unique qualities due to the evil or good actions one may fall into. So the condition of the heart, One's iman, and one's hereafter is mainly based on the actions one indulged in. Ibn al Mubarak said:
“ I have seen wrong actions killing hearts, And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them. Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts, And opposing yourself is best for it.”

And Allah says:“ Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self (I.e obeying Allah and by doing righteous good deeds) And indeed he fails who corrupts his own self (I.e disobeys Allah and doing every kind of evil wicked deeds.) Surah Ash-Shams:9-10

As I mentioned before (May Allah bless you and us) the hearts can be divided into three types.
The First type of Heart, “ The Healthy Heart.”
Ibn Al-Qiyyam ( May Allah be pleased with him) said in the book, “Purification Of The Soul.” Chapter three of the healthy heart;“It is a heart cleansed from any passion that challenges what Allah commands, or disputes what he forbids. It is free from any impulses which contradict his good. As a result it is safeguarded of the worship of anything but Allah and seeks a judgment of no other except that of his Messenger (Peace be upon him) Its services are exclusively reserved for Allah, willingly and lovingly, with total reliance, relating all matters to him in fear, hope and sincere dedication. When it loves it loves for Allah. If it detests, it detest in the light of what he detests. When it gives it gives for Allah. If it withholds, it withholds for Allah. Nevertheless, all this will not suffice for its salvation until it is free from the following, or taking as its guide, anyone other then his Messenger( Pecae be upon him)”

The Second Type of Heart,”The Dead Heart.”
The Noble Imam Ibn Al-Qiyyam( May Allah have mercy upon him) said regarding the dead heart;
“ This is the opposite of the healthy heart. It does not know its Lord and does not worship Him as He commands, in the way which He likes, and with which He is pleased. It clings instead to lust and desires, even if these are likely to incur Allah's displeasure and wrath. It worships things other than Allah, and its loves and hatreds, and its giving and withholding, arise from its whims, which are of paramount importance to it and preferred above the pleasure of Allah. Its whims are its imam. Its lust is it guide. Its ignorance is its leader. Its crude impulses are its impetus. It is immersed in its concern with worldly objectives. It is drunk with its own fancies and its love for hasty fleeting pleasures. It is called to Allah and the akhira( hereafter) from a distance but it does not respond to advice, and instead it follows any scheming, cunning Shaytawn. Life angers and pleases it, and passion makes it deaf and blind to anything except what is evil.”

The last Type of Heart, “The Sick Heart.
“This is a heart with life in it, as well as illness. The former sustains it at one moment, the latter at another, and it follows whichever one of two manages to dominate it. It has love for Allah, faith in Him, sincerity towards Him, and reliance upon Him and these are what give it life. It also has a craving for lust and pleasure, and prefers them and strives to experience them. It is full of self-admiration, which can lead to its own destruction. It listens to two callers. One calling it to Allah and His Prophet (Peace be upon him) and the akhira, and the other calling it to the fleeting pleasures of this world. It responds to whichever one of the two happens to have most influence over it at the time.”

He comes to the conclusion, in summary;
“The First Heart is alive, submitted to Allah, humbled, sensitive and aware, The Second is brittle and dead, The Third wavers between either its safety or its ruin. And Allah The Most High knows best.”

So now that you know the three different types of hearts, May you be able to work on changing your heart. Everyone should strongly desire to have the first heart which is alive and healthy. May Allah make us successful. In the following chapter I will discuss some things that will aide you in this journey, and also some things that may hinder you from achieving this goal.

Poisons And Remedies

Allah hasn't sent forth any illnesses except that He leaves us with a remedy, as it has been narrated by Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him)that The Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said;“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also created its treatment,” Bukharee

First I will mention some poisons of the heart, later I will mention their Remedies. Here is a few poisons of the hearts, by no means should any of them be taken lightly no matter how major or minor they may seem. Being heedless towards these poisons is one of many deceptions from the Shaytawn. Umar ibn Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) once said to Al Ahnaf bin Qais (May Allah be pleased with him):“Oh Ahnaf, the more one laughs, the less dignity will he possess. Whoever jokes (excessively) is a person who will be taken lightly. Whoever speaks often, errs often. The more often one errs, the less modesty he will possess. Whomever has a low level of modesty will also have a love level of piety, and when one has a low level of piety, then his heart dies.”5

Sinning being frequent in them and viewing them to be minor is a major poison of the heart Allah says;“Nay, but their hearts were covered over by what sins they earned” Sorah Al-Mutaffifin:14

Al Hasan (Al-Basri) said as an explanation of the verse, “ It is because of doing one sin after another, until the heart becomes blind and dies.”Qatadah also said,” It is because of doing sin after another, one sin after another, until the hearts dies and becomes black.”Ibn Zayd said, “ Their sins overcome their hearts until no good can get through to them.”Mujahid explained,” They used to consider the heart like a hand: when a person sins, his heart starts to crunch up,” and he folded his little finger, “ and when he does another sin,”he folded his next finger and continued until he had his fist clenched. “Then a seal is placed over it, and they used to say that this is the covering'.”6

Fudayl ibn Iyad said;“If Iblis conquers the son of Adam with one of three things he says: I will not seek anything else from him- the servant being fond of himself, deeming his deeds to be plentiful and forgetfulness of his sins.”

Abdullah ibn ,Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) said;“Verily the believer sees his sins as if he is standing under a mountain, afraid it will collapse upon him. And verily the evildoer sees his sins as flies passing by his nose and he does this to it. Abu Shibab (said whilst clarifying the action that ibn Masud made when he said “he does this to it”) “He moves it the fly away by swiping his hand over his nose.” Bukharee

Also from the ill effects of sins is that it may lead one astray from the straight correct path. Allah says;“...So when they turned away (from the path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the right path...” Surah As-Saff:5

Another poison is arrogance, envy, and hatred towards one another. It is not for a Muslim to be arrogant, envious, or hateful verily those are characteristics of the Shaytawn and it may lead to misguidance and many other evils. Allah says;“ I shall turn away from my ayat those those who behave arrogantly on the earth, without a right, and even if they see all the ayats they will not believe in them. And if they see the way of the righteousness, they will not adopt it as a way, but if they see the way of error they will adopt that way, that is because they have rejected our ayat and were heedless (to learn a lesson) from them.” Sorah Al-A'raf: 146

We find in an authentic hadith collected by Muslim, and Bukharee that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said;“Whoever has in his heart an atom's weight of kibr (arrogance) will not enter al-Jannah (paradise)”

The prophet ) peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said;“The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among you: destructive envy and hatred. These are the shavers. I do not mean that they shave hair but they shave away religious commitment. By the One Whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which if you do it, you will love one another. Spread the greeting amongst yourselves. 7

Bad company has a huge effect on the heart and it can lead to hypocrisy which is another poison of the heart. Mixing with people who are of no benefit can lead to back biting, forgetting Allah, losing shyness, behaving in a lewd manner, and many other things which lead to destruction of one's soul and the decrease in one's iman. Allah hold's you responsible for your actions, being under the influence of the ignorant one's is worse then being under the influence of drugs or alcohol! I must also mention the deadly poison of following ones desires, temptations and whims this leads to disobedience, ignorance and eventually the death of the heart. Hudhayfa ibn Yamani (May Allah be pleased with him said: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him said;“ Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity, so the hearts are of two types: The dark heart that has turned away and become like an overturned vessel, and a pure heart that will never be harmed by temptation for as long as the earth and the heavens exist. The dark heart only recongnizes good and denounces evil when this suits its desires and whims.” Muslim

Some people even resort to taking their desires as their lord Allah says;“Do you see the one who is taking as his lord his own desires?” Sorah Al-Furqa:43

Allah says;“O wives of the Prophet! You are not likely any other women. If you keep your duty to Allah, then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose hearts is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable manner.” Sorah Al-Ahzab:32

Allah The Most High says;“...And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of our remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and desires and whose affair has been lost.” Sorah Al-Kahf:28

One of the salaf used to say;“If you want to be close to Allah then put an iron wall between yourself and your desires.”

Abu hafs said;“Whoever does not oppose his soul at every moment and situation and does not make it perform those things which it dislikes, at all times,is decieved and has destroyed it (his soul)”

Allah says;“ In their hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) And Allah has increased their disease..” Sorah Al-Baqarah:10

Now we get into the topic of vain talk or unnecessary speech in this category included, is back biting, lying, cursing,and slandering . This has numerous ill effects and you can find substantial evidence from the authentic sunnah to support this. I will mention a few. As we know the tongue is the easiest limb to move but its the most dangerous, at times deadlier then a sword! The tongue is in need of guarding from this more then any other thing, rather that be food or drink! On the authority of Sufyan ibn Abdullah At-Thaqaffi who said:“I said O Messenger of Allah! Say to me concerning Islam a word that after you, I will not have to ask anyone about it. The Messenger said; “ believe in Allah and then strive to be upright. I said; O Messenger Of Allah, what do you fear for me most? He grabbed his tongue and then he said “This”.Muslim

The tongue is also one of the things that mainly leads a person to the fire. A hadith related by Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) says;“What mostly causes people to be sent to the fire are the two openings: the mouth and the private parts.” Tirmidhi 8

Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him)also related that the Messenger (Peace be upon him) said;“The servant speaks words, the consequences of which he does not realize, and for which he is sent down into the depths of the fire further than the distance between the east and the west.” Bukharee

Another poison associated with the tongue is thinking ill of others. All though our tongue isn't what does the ill thinking, however having ill thoughts of another leads to backbiting, spreading evil things, lying, slandering, and many other evils. Shaykh Ahmed Zarruq (May Allah have mercy upon him) said:“If you desire to live such that your religion is safe and your portion if full and your honor is sound, guard your tongue and never mention another's fault, remembering you yourself have faults and others have tongues. Watch your eye, should it ever reveal the faults of others say to it. 'O my eye people have eyes to.'”

Now that I have mention a few poisons of the heart I would like to introduce some remedies for these poisons Ibnul Qiyyam (May Allah have mercy on him) said :“The heart becomes sick as the body becomes sick its remedy lies in tawbah (repentance) and seeking protection from evil. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty and its polished through dhikr ( remembrance). It becomes naked as the body becomes naked and its adornment comes about through al-taqwaa (piety). It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry and thirsty and its hunger and thirst is satiated through knowledge, love, reliance, repentance and servitude to Allah.” 9

Ibnul Qiyyam (May Allah have mercy on him) also said;“And the sound heart is the one which is secure form shirk (polytheism), hatred jealousy, envy, covetousness, pride, love of the world and leadership. So it is safe from every harmful thing which distances it from Allah and it is safe from every doubt that contradicts his Revelation. It is safe from every desire that opposes His command and from every wish that competes what He intends from his servants, and it is also safe from everything that cuts it off from Allah. So this is sound and safe hearts is in a paradise on the day of resurrection. The heart's safety and soundness cannot be perfected, absolutelyy, until it is secure from five things; From shirk which nullifies Tawheed (monotheism) From innovation which opposes the sunnah, From a desire that opposes the command of Allah, from heedlessness that contradicts remembrance of Allah and From a desire that nullifies purity and sincerity. These five are the barriers to Allah and beneath each of them are many other categories that contain unique issues which cannot be enumerated.” 10

Yahya bin muaadh (May Allah be pleased with him)said;“The medicine of the heart is in five things: reading the Quran and pondering over its meaning, having an empty stomach, praying at night (qiyamm al layl or tahajjud), beseeching Allah at the time of suhoor, and keeping company with righteous people.”

Fearing Allah , reading the Quran, pondering over its meaning and reflecting upon it, and doing good deeds. Amongst those deeds are:Performing the obligatory and the recommended acts of worship, feeding the orphans, giving in charity, and fasting. This is a strong remedy that will ward off any poison of the heart. Allah The Most High says;“Verily! Those who live in awe and fear of their Lord And those who believe in the ayat of their Lord, And those who join not partner with their Lord; And those who give in charity with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to return to their Lord. It is those who race for the good deeds, and they are the foremost in them.” Sorah Al-Mu'minun: 57-61

Abu hafs said,“Khawf is the whip of Allah. He corrects with it those straying from his door.”he also said , “Khawf is a light in the heart,with it one can see the good and evil. Everyone you fear you run away from except Allah. When you fear Him, you run away to Him.”Abu sulaiman said,“When khawf departs from any heart, it falls apart.”Ibrahim bin sufyan said, “When khawf settles in the heart, it the places of vain desires within it and it kicks out the love for this world.”Thun-Nun said, “people are on the road (meaning the straight path) as long as they have khawf. When they lose it, they stray from the road.”

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) the Messenger ( Peace be upon him) said;“Allah said , ' I will declare war against him who shows hostility against a pious worshiper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My salve comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps coming closer to Me through performing Nawaafil ( doing extra deeds besides the obligatory deeds) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing in which he hears, and his sense of sight in which he sees, and his hand in which he grips, and his legs in which he walks and if he asks Me I will give him , and if he asks my protection, I will protect him, and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the beleiver ,for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” Bukharee

The Prophet ( peace be upon him) said;“Shall I not tell you of something that will take away the veil of the heart? Fasting three days of each month,”

At tirmdhi reports from Aisha( May Allah be pleased with her) that she said;“ I asked the Messenger (Peace be upon him) about this verse saying, ' does it refer to those who drink alcohol, fornicate and steal? 'He replied,' no O daughter of as-Siddeeq! It refers to those who fast, pray and give charity while fearing that these actions may not be accepted of them. These are the people who rush to perform good actions.”11

On the authority of Abu Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) said;“ A man came to the Messenger of Allah complaining of the hardness of his hearts. He( Peace be upon him) said; “ Would you like to soften your heart? And achieve your desire? Then have mercy upon the orphans, stroke their heads, and feed them your food. Thereby you will soften your heart and achieve your desire.” 12

Ibnul Qiyyam ( May Allah have mercy upon him) said;“The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Quran, being humble before Allah in secret and leaving sins.” 13

Allah also informed us;“A book which we have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may take heed.” Sorah Saad:29

Allah says;“Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” Sorah Ar-Rad:28

And Allah says;“Do they not think deeply in the Quran, or are their hearts locked up from understanding it.” Sorah Muhammad:24

Perfecting ones character. Included here is taking on upright traits, such as: being pious, humble,just, shy, and sincere. Good speech is a blessing and mercy from Allah and a remedy against the poisons of the heart. Under the catergory of good speech included is, dhikr (remembrance of Allah), obtaining knowledge of the sunnah and teaching it to others, reciting the Quran, making dua (supplication) istighfar (seeking Allah's forgiveness), and seeking refuge in Allah. To obtain and perfect one's character a powerful tool to assist one in this is keeping good company. Ahmad ibn harb (May Allah have mercy on him) said;“There is nothing more beneficial to a Muslim's heart than to mix with the righteous and watch their actions, while nothing is more harmful to the heart than mixing with the sinners and watching their actions.”he also said, “ If six mannerisms are gathered in a women, her goodness is perfected: Guarding the five prayers, yielding to her husband, guarding her tongue from back biting and gossip and, forsaking worldly possessions, and being patient following a tragedy.”

Allah's messenger (Peace be upon him) said;“There is at time some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day.” Muslim

Allah says;“And those who have been given knowledge know that it (the Quran) is the truth from your Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily Allah is the guide of those who believe in the straight path” Sorah Al-Hajj:54

Allah says;“ Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.” Sorah Al-A'raf:55

Allah says;“….I am indeed near. I respond to every supplicant when he calls on Me...” Sorah Al-Baqarah:186

Allah says; “ And by Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over their faults and ask forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.” Sorah Al-Imran:159

Narrated Abu Musa ( May Allah be pleased with him) said;“The Prophet said, “ The example of the one who remembers his Lord, in comparison to the one who does not remember his Lord, is that of the living creature compared to the dead.” Bukahree

Yahya ibn Muadh (May Allah have mercy on him) said;“Renew your hearts with the remembrance of Allah because it rushes to forgetfulness.” he also said; “ Hearts are like cooking pots. They boil whatever is in them. And the scooping spoons of these pots, are the tongue. Henceforth, look to a person whenever he speaks. For sure, his tongue will scoop up for you what is simmering in his heart: whether it's something sweet or sour, fresh or stale.”

It is reported By Abu Ayyud who said, “ A man came to the Messenger ( peace be upon him) and said ;“Teach me in the briefest words.” He ( peace be upon him) replied; “ When you stand in prayer, pray as if you are bidding farewell ( to this world) and do not utter words for which you will have to seek and excuse, and do not wish for that which the people have.” 14

Holding yourself to account, self reckoning , and accepting admonition is a remedy we so often neglect. Its effects can be tremendous. It causes the soul to feel remorse,nadam (regret)over sins they have earned, and it causes one to turn back to Allah and make tawbah (sincere repentance) and become of those who are guided and upon the straight path. It is reported that Umar ibn Al Khattab ( May Allah be pleased with him) said;“ Bring yourselves to account before you are brought to account, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed.” 15

Allah says in the glorious quran;“ O you who believe, fear Allah your duty to Him, And let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow.” Al-Hashr:18

Allah also says;“ I swear by the Day of Resurrection and the self reproaching soul.” Al-Qiyamah:1-2

Ikrimah said in an explanationnn of this noble verse; It is to blamoneselflflf in good and evil, whether you have done that or not,” Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: “ Its to blame oneself when doing good and evil.” Mujahid said “ To regret for what has passed and blame oneself for it.”16

The remembrance of death, preparing for it, and leaving of this worldly life, and being patient with the decree of Allah. Doing so allows one to focus more on their main purpose of creation, which is to worship Allah alone. The Messenger (Peace be upon him) said;“ Increase in your remembrance of the destroyer of all pleasures I.e death. For the one who remembers it during the hardship of life, it widens for him. Whenever one remembers it at times of opulence, it will cause him to feel restricted and burdened .” 17

Abdur Rahman ibn Uthman ibn Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported from his father who said;“ Zayb ibn Thabit left Marwan at midday. I said: “Nothing made him (Marwan) send for him at this hour except that he wanted to ask about something. “ I asked about this so he replied:” We were asked about things which we heart the Messenger (Peace be upon him) say: “ Whoever sets this world as his goal, Allah divides his affairs for him, He will place poverty between his eyes, and nothing will come to him from the world except what Allah has written for him. Whoever sets the hereafter as his goal, Allah gathers his affairs for him, gives him richness of heart and the world will come to him grudgingly and submissively.” 18

Abdullah ibn mubarak would say;“ The world is a believers prison. The best action is patience and control of one's anger. The believer has no country in the world, His land will be there tomorrow in the afterlife.”

Umm Darda on the authority of Abu Darda she said;“I asked him (Abu Darda), “ What is it with you, you do not ask for that which such and such a person ask for? “ he replied: “ Verily I heard the Messenger (Peace be upon him) say: “ Indeed behind you is an insurmountable obstacle, which those with a heavy burden will not be able to pass.” So indeed I wish to lighten my load in preparation for that obstacle.”19

In a narration by Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said;“ I used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now you should visit them, for indeed the hearts are softened, the eyes are made to shed tears ,and it is a remembrance of the hereafter.” 20

Allah says; “Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's reminder and what has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts became hardened? And many of them were rebellious and disobedient.” Sorah Al-Hadid:16

Closing remarks

My dear brothers and sisters, I pray you all benefit deeply from my article and implement that which can be learned from it. I ask Allah the Most High to have mercy on the believers and forgive us of our many sins. O brothers and sisters remember you are in control of your own souls. Take care of your souls and work hard in maintaining them. May Allah reward the Muslim Ummah entirely May He reward the Salaf of the past and the Scholars of today whose work I took from to compile my essay subhan Allah the amount of work I found concerning the topic was overwhelming .May we all continue to benefit from their works. May Allah bless the Muslims whose idea it was to have the essay competition, and every Muslim who has benefited from reading or writing their own essay ameen!

Footnotes




1. Ahmad Vol.3 #483. An-Nisaai Vol.6 #21
2.Sahih, Ja'mil Ulum Hikam p.19
3.Ahmad Jayid Hasan chain of narrators
4.Taken from Mukhatasar Minhaj Al-Qasadin
5.Sifatus-Safwah
6.At-Tabari in his Tafsir of Sorah Mutaffifin
7.At-Tirmidhi 2510,class as Hasan by Shaykh Al-Abanee in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi 2038
8.Sahih hadith At-Tirmdhi and Ahmad also Al-Hakim and Ath-Thahabi
9.Excerpted from the translators footnote's to' An explanation of Riyadh-al-Saliheen by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Al Uthaymeen translated from al-Fawa'id by Sajad ibn Abdur Rahman
10.Taken from his book,'The Path To Guidance.' Al-Jawaab al-Kafee 1/176
11.Narrated by al-Nasaai 2386. classes as saheeh by al -Albanee in saheeh al-Nasaai 2249
12.At Tarbarani and As Silsilah as Sahihah
13.Haadiyyul-'Arwaahila Bilaadil Afraah p.45
14.Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Abu Nu'aym in Al-Hilya hasan
15.At-Tirmidhi in tamridh form, see tuhfat al-Ahwadhi hadith #2257
16.Tafsir Ibn Kathir
17.An-Nasai At-Tirmidhi hasan ghareeb, Ibn majah
18.Ibn Majah Ibn Hibban
19.Taabaaranee Saheeh chain of narrators
20.Reported by Al-Hakim declared saheeh by Sheikh Al-Albanee in ahkam ul Jaanaa'iz

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Muslim history month ~spotlight~ Malcom x

Malcolm X biography **From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia with slight moderations**

Malcolm X, March 1964
Alternate name(s): Malcolm Little, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
Date of birth: May 19, 1925(1925-05-19)
Place of birth: Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Date of death: February 21, 1965 (aged 39)
Place of death: New York City, New York, U.S.
Movement: Black nationalism, Pan-Africanism
Major organizations: Nation of Islam,
Muslim Mosque, Inc.,
Organization of Afro-American Unity
Religion: Sunni Islam
Influences Elijah Muhammad,
Marcus Garvey
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965), also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz[1] (Arabic: الحاجّ مالك الشباز‎), was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist.[2][3][4][5] To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans.[6] His detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, antisemitism, and violence.[7][8][9][10][11] He has been described as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.[12][13][14]

Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. His childhood, including his father's lessons concerning black pride and self-reliance and his own experiences concerning race, played a significant role in Malcolm X's adult life. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in hustling and other criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison.

While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952, he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years, he was the public face of the Nation of Islam. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X's departure from the organization in March 1964.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X became a Sunni Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after which he disavowed racism. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. He founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular, black nationalist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York.

Early years

The Little family in the 1930 U.S. CensusMalcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Earl and Louise Little (née Louisa Norton).[15] His father was an outspoken Baptist lay speaker; he supported Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey and was a local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).[16] Malcolm never forgot the values of black pride and self-reliance that his father and other UNIA leaders preached.[17] Malcolm X later said that three of Earl Little's brothers, one of whom was lynched, died violently at the hands of white men.[18] Because of Ku Klux Klan threats, the family relocated in 1926 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and shortly thereafter to Lansing, Michigan.


Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Earl Little, the father of Malcolm X, was a local leader of the UNIA.Earl Little was dark-skinned and born in Georgia.[19] Earl's second wife was Louise, with whom he had seven children, of whom Malcolm was the fourth. Earl and Louise Little's children's names were, in order: Wilfred, Hilda, Philbert, Malcolm, Reginald, Yvonne, and Wesley. He had three children (Ella, Mary, and Earl, Jr.) from his first marriage.[20]

Louise Little had been born in Grenada. Because her father was Scottish, she was so light-skinned that she could have passed for white. Malcolm inherited his light complexion from his mother and maternal grandfather.[21] Initially he felt his light skin was a status symbol, but he later said he "hated every drop of that white rapist's blood that is in me."[22] Malcolm X later remembered feeling that his father favored him because he was the lightest-skinned child in the family; however, he thought his mother treated him harshly for the same reason.[23] One of Malcolm's nicknames, "Red", derived from the tinge of his hair. According to one biographer, at birth he had "ash-blonde hair ... tinged with cinnamon", and at age four, "reddish-blonde hair".[24] His hair darkened as he aged, yet he also resembled his paternal grandmother, whose hair "turned reddish in the summer sun."[15] The issue of skin color and skin tone took on very significant implications later in Malcolm's life.[19]

In December 1924, Louise Little was threatened by Klansmen while she was pregnant with Malcolm. She recalled that the Klansmen warned the family to leave Omaha, because Earl Little's activities with UNIA were "spreading trouble".[25]

After they moved to Lansing, their house was burned in 1929, however the family escaped without physical injury. On September 28, 1931, Earl Little was fatally struck by a streetcar in Lansing. Authorities ruled his death an accident. The police reported that Earl Little was conscious when they arrived on the scene, and he told them he had slipped and fallen under the streetcar's wheels.[26] Malcolm X later remembered that the black community disputed the cause of death, believing there was circumstantial evidence of assault. His family had frequently been harassed by the Black Legion, a white supremacist group that his father accused of burning down their home in 1929. Some blacks believed the Black Legion was responsible for Earl Little's death. As Malcolm later wrote, "How could my father bash himself in the head, then get down across the streetcar tracks to be run over?"[27]

Though Earl Little had two life insurance policies, his family received death benefits solely from the smaller policy. The insurance company of the larger policy claimed that his father had committed suicide and refused to issue the benefit.[28] Several years after her husband's death, Louise had her youngest son, Robert Little, by an unnamed partner.[29] In December 1938 Louise Little had a nervous breakdown and was declared legally insane. The Little siblings were split up and sent to different foster homes. The state formally committed Louise Little to the state mental hospital at Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she remained until Malcolm and his siblings secured her release 26 years later.[30]

Malcolm Little was one of the best students in his junior high school, but he dropped out after a white eighth-grade teacher told him that his aspirations of being a lawyer were "no realistic goal for a nigger."[31] Years later, Malcolm X would laugh about the incident, but at the time it was humiliating. It made him feel that there was no place in the white world for a career-oriented black man, no matter how smart he was.[31] After living with a series of white foster parents, Malcolm moved to Boston in February 1941 to live with his older half-sister, Ella Little Collins.[32][33]

Young adult years
Collins lived in Roxbury, a predominantly African-American middle-class neighborhood of Boston. It was the first time Little had seen so many black people. He was drawn to the cultural and social life of the neighborhood.[34]

In Boston, Little held a variety of jobs and found intermittent employment with the New Haven Railroad. Between 1943 and 1946, he drifted from city to city and job to job. He left Boston to live for a short time in Flint, Michigan. He moved to New York City in 1943. Living in Harlem, he became involved in drug dealing, gambling, racketeering, robbery, and steering prostitutes.[35] According to biographer Bruce Perry, Little occasionally engaged in sex with other men, usually though not always for money. In a Michigan boarding house, he raised rent money by sleeping with a gay transvestite.[36] Later, in New York, Little and some friends raised funds by being fellated by men at the YMCA where he lived.[36] In Boston a man paid Little to undress him, sprinkle him with talcum powder, and bring him to orgasm.[37] Perry notes that Little's motives appear to have been financial, but he could have earned money in other ways.[36]

In 1943, the U.S. draft board ordered Little to register for military service.[38] He later recalled that he put on a display to avoid the draft by telling the examining officer that he could not wait to "steal us some guns, and kill us [some] crackers."[39] Military physicians classified him as "mentally disqualified for military service". He was issued a 4-F card, relieving him of his service obligations.[38]

In late 1945, Little returned to Boston. With a group of associates, he began a series of elaborate burglaries targeting the residences of wealthy white families.[40] On January 12, 1946, Little was arrested for burglary while trying to pick up a stolen watch he had left for repairs at a jewelry shop.[41] The shop owner called the police because the watch seemed too expensive for the average Roxbury resident. Little told the police that he had a gun on his person and surrendered so the police would treat him more leniently.[42] Two days later, Little was indicted for carrying firearms. On January 16, he was charged with larceny and breaking and entering, and eventually sentenced to eight to ten years in Massachusetts State Prison.[43]

On February 27, Little began serving his sentence at the Massachusetts State Prison in Charlestown. While in prison, Little earned the nickname of "Satan" for his hostility toward religion.[44] Little met a self-educated man in prison named John Elton Bembry (referred to as "Bimbi" in The Autobiography of Malcolm X).[45] Bembry was a well-regarded prisoner at Charlestown, and Malcolm X would later describe him as "the first man I had ever seen command total respect ... with words."[46] Gradually, the two men became friends and Bembry convinced Little to educate himself.[47] Little developed a voracious appetite for reading, and he frequently read after the prison lights had been turned off.[48]

In 1948, Little's brother Philbert wrote, telling him about the Nation of Islam. Like the UNIA, the Nation preached black self-reliance and, ultimately, the unification of members of the African diaspora, free from white American and European domination.[49] Little was not interested in joining until his brother Reginald wrote, saying, "Malcolm, don't eat any more pork and don't smoke any more cigarettes. I'll show you how to get out of prison."[50] Little quit smoking, and the next time pork was served in the prison dining hall, he refused to eat it.[51]

When Reginald came to visit Little, he described the group's teachings, including the belief that white people are devils. Afterward, Little thought about all the white people he had known, and he realized that he'd never had a relationship with a white person or social institution that wasn't based on dishonesty, injustice, greed, and hatred. Little began to reconsider his dismissal of all religion and he became receptive to the message of the Nation of Islam. Other family members who had joined the Nation wrote or visited and encouraged Little to join.[52]

In February 1948, mostly through his sister's efforts, Little was transferred to an experimental prison in Norfolk, Massachusetts, a facility that had a much larger library.[53] In late 1948, he wrote a letter to Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Muhammad advised him to atone for his crimes by renouncing his past and by humbly bowing in prayer to Allah and promising never to engage in destructive behavior again. Little, who always had been rebellious and deeply skeptical, found it very difficult to bow in prayer. It took him a week to bend his knees. Finally he prayed, and he became a member of the Nation of Islam.[54] For the remainder of his incarceration, Little maintained regular correspondence with Muhammad.[55]

On August 7, 1952, Little was paroled and was released from prison.[43] He later reflected on the time he spent in prison after his conversion: "Months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I had never been so truly free in my life."[56]

Nation of Islam
Part of a series on

Nation of Islam
Famous leaders
Wallace Fard Muhammad · Elijah Muhammad · Malcolm X · Warith Deen Mohammed · Louis Farrakhan

History and beliefs
Saviours' Day · Nation of Islam and antisemitism · Tribe of Shabazz · Yakub · Million Man March


Publications
The Final Call · How to Eat to Live · Message to the Blackman in America · Muhammad Speaks

Subsidiaries and offshoots
American Society of Muslims · Fruit of Islam · The Nation of Gods and Earths · New Black Panther Party · United Nation of Islam · Your Black Muslim Bakery

In 1952, after his release from prison, Little visited Elijah Muhammad in Chicago, Illinois.[57] Then, like many members of the Nation of Islam, he changed his surname to "X". In his autobiography, Malcolm X explained the "X": "The Muslim's 'X' symbolized the true African family name that he never could know. For me, my 'X' replaced the white slavemaster name of 'Little' which some blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed upon my paternal forebears."[58]

The FBI opened a file on Malcolm X in March 1953 after hearing from an informant that Malcolm X described himself as a Communist. Soon the FBI turned its attention from concerns about possible Communist Party association to Malcolm X's rapid ascent in the Nation of Islam.[59]

In June 1953, Malcolm X was named assistant minister of the Nation of Islam's Temple Number One[60] in Detroit.[61] By late 1953, he established Boston's Temple Number Eleven.[62] In March 1954, Malcolm X expanded Temple Number Twelve in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[63] Two months later he was selected to lead the Nation of Islam's Temple Number Seven in Harlem.[64] He rapidly expanded its membership.[65] After a 1959 television broadcast in New York City about the Nation of Islam, The Hate That Hate Produced, Malcolm X became known to a much wider audience. Representatives of the print media, radio, and television frequently asked him for comments on issues. He was also sought as a spokesman by reporters from other countries.[66]

Beside his skill as an speaker, Malcolm X had an impressive physical presence. He stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed about 180 pounds (82 kg).[67] According to one writer, Malcolm X was "powerfully built",[68] and another described him as a "mesmerizingly handsome ... and always spotlessly well-groomed".[67]

From his adoption of the Nation of Islam in 1952 until he left the organization in 1964, Malcolm X promoted the Nation's teachings. He taught that black people were the original people of the world,[69] and that white people were a race of devils.[70] In his speeches, Malcolm X said that black people were superior to white people, and that the demise of the white race was imminent.[71]

While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation, Malcolm X advocated the complete separation of African Americans from white people. He proposed the establishment of a separate country for black people[72] as an interim measure until African Americans could return to Africa.[73] Malcolm X also rejected the civil rights movement's strategy of nonviolence and instead advocated that black people use any necessary means of self-defense to protect themselves.[74]

Malcolm X's speeches had a powerful effect on his audiences, generally African Americans who lived in the Northern and Western cities who were tired of being told to wait for freedom, justice, equality, and respect.[75] Many blacks felt that he articulated their complaints better than the civil rights movement did.[76][77]

Many white people, and some blacks, were alarmed by Malcolm X and the things he said. He and the Nation of Islam were described as hatemongers, black segregationists, violence-seekers, and a threat to improved race relations. Civil rights organizations denounced Malcolm X and the Nation as irresponsible extremists whose views were not representative of African Americans.[78]

Malcolm X was equally critical of the civil rights movement.[79] He described its leaders as "stooges" for the white establishment and said that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a "chump".[80][81] He criticized the 1963 March on Washington, which he called "the farce on Washington".[82] He said he did not know why black people were excited over a demonstration "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn't like us when he was alive".[83]

Malcolm X has been widely considered the second most influential leader of the movement after Elijah Muhammad.[84] He was largely credited with increasing membership in the Nation of Islam from 500 in 1952 to 25,000 in 1963.[85][86] He inspired the boxer Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) to join the Nation of Islam.[87] Ali later left the Nation of Islam and became a Sunni Muslim, as did Malcolm X.[88]

Marriage and family
On January 14, 1958, Malcolm X married Betty X (née Sanders) in Lansing, Michigan.[89] The two had been friends for about a year and—although they had never discussed the subject—Betty X suspected that he was interested in marriage. One day, he called and asked her to marry him.[90]

The couple had six daughters. Their names were Attallah, born in 1958 and named after Attila the Hun;[91] Qubilah, born in 1960 and named after Kublai Khan;[92] Ilyasah, born in 1962 and named after Elijah Muhammad;[93] Gamilah Lumumba, born in 1964 and named after Patrice Lumumba;[94] and twins, Malaak and Malikah, born in 1965 after their father's assassination and named for him.[95]

Meeting Castro and other world leaders
In September 1960, Fidel Castro arrived in New York to attend the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. He and his entourage stayed at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem. Malcolm X was a prominent member of a Harlem-based welcoming committee made up of community leaders who met with Castro.[96] Castro was so impressed by Malcolm X that he requested a private meeting with him. At the end of their two-hour meeting, Castro invited Malcolm X to visit him in Cuba.[97] During the General Assembly meeting, Malcolm X was also invited to many official embassy functions sponsored by African nations, where he met heads of state and other leaders, including Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, and Kenneth Kaunda of the Zambian African National Congress.[98]

Leaving the Nation of Islam
In early 1963, Malcolm X started collaborating with Alex Haley on The Autobiography of Malcolm X.[99] The book was not finished when he was assassinated in 1965. Haley completed it and published it later that year.[100][101]

On December 1, 1963, when he was asked for a comment about the assassination of President Kennedy, Malcolm X said that it was a case of "chickens coming home to roost". He added that "chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they've always made me glad."[102] The New York Times wrote, "in further criticism of Mr. Kennedy, the Muslim leader cited the murders of Patrice Lumumba, Congo leader, of Medgar Evers, civil rights leader, and of the Negro girls bombed earlier this year in a Birmingham church. These, he said, were instances of other 'chickens coming home to roost'."[102]

The remarks prompted a widespread public outcry. The Nation of Islam, which had issued a message of condolence to the Kennedy family and ordered its ministers not to comment on the assassination, publicly censured their former shining star.[103] Although Malcolm X retained his post and rank as minister, he was prohibited from public speaking for 90 days.[104]


Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, March 26, 1964On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X publicly announced his break from the Nation of Islam. He said that he was still a Muslim, but he felt the Nation of Islam had "gone as far as it can" because of its rigid religious teachings.[105] Malcolm X said he was going to organize a black nationalist organization that would try to "heighten the political consciousness" of African Americans.[105] He also expressed his desire to work with other civil rights leaders and said that Elijah Muhammad had prevented him from doing so in the past.[105]

One reason for the separation was growing tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad because of Malcolm X's dismay about rumors of Muhammad's extramarital affairs with young secretaries. Such actions were against the teachings of the Nation. Although at first Malcolm X ignored the rumors, he spoke with Muhammad's son Wallace and the women making the accusations. He came to believe that they were true, and Muhammad confirmed the rumors in 1963. Muhammad tried to justify his actions by referring to precedents by Biblical prophets.[106]

Another reason was resentment by people within the Nation. As Malcolm X had become a favorite of the media, many in the Nation's Chicago headquarters felt that he was over-shadowing Muhammad. Louis Lomax's 1963 book about the Nation of Islam, When the Word Is Given, featured a picture of Malcolm X on its cover and included five of his speeches, but only one of Muhammad's, which greatly upset Muhammad. Muhammad was also envious that a publisher was interested in Malcolm X's autobiography.[99]

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization,[107][108] and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a secular group that advocated black nationalism.[109][110] On March 26, 1964, he met Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C., after a press conference which followed both men attending the Senate to hear the debate on the Civil Rights bill. This was the only time the two men ever met; their meeting lasted only one minute,[111] just long enough for photographers to take a picture.[112][113]

In April, Malcolm X made a speech titled "The Ballot or the Bullet" in which he advised African Americans to exercise their right to vote wisely.[114][115] Several Sunni Muslims encouraged Malcolm X to learn about Islam. Soon he converted to Sunni Islam, and decided to make his pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).[116]

International travel
Pilgrimage to Mecca
On April 13, 1964, Malcolm X departed JFK Airport in New York for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His status as an authentic Muslim was questioned by Saudi authorities because of his United States passport and his inability to speak Arabic. Since only confessing Muslims are allowed into Mecca, he was separated from his group for about 20 hours.[117][118]

According to his autobiography, Malcolm X saw a telephone and remembered the book The Eternal Message of Muhammad by Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, which had been presented to him with his visa approval. He called Azzam's son, who arranged for his release. At the younger Azzam's home, he met Azzam Pasha, who gave Malcolm his suite at the Jeddah Palace Hotel. The next morning, Muhammad Faisal, the son of Prince Faisal, visited and informed Malcolm X that he was to be a state guest. The deputy chief of protocol accompanied Malcolm X to the Hajj Court, where he was allowed to make his pilgrimage.[119]

On April 19, Malcolm X completed the Hajj, making the seven circuits around the Kaaba, drinking from the Zamzam Well and running between the hills of Safah and Marwah seven times.[120] Malcolm X said the trip allowed him to see Muslims of different races interacting as equals. He came to believe that Islam could be the means by which racial problems could be overcome.[121]

Africa
Malcolm X visited Africa on three separate occasions, once in 1959 and twice in 1964. During his visits, he met officials, gave interviews to newspapers, and spoke on television and radio in Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Senegal, Liberia, Algeria, and Morocco.[122] Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, and Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria invited Malcolm X to serve in their governments.[123]

In 1959, Malcolm X traveled to Egypt (then known as the United Arab Republic), Sudan, Nigeria, and Ghana to arrange a tour for Elijah Muhammad.[124] The first of the two trips Malcolm X made to Africa in 1964 lasted from April 13 until May 21, before and after his Hajj.[125] On May 8, following his speech at the University of Ibadan, Malcolm X was made an honorary member of the Nigerian Muslim Students' Association. During this reception the students bestowed upon him the name "Omowale", which means "the son who has come home" in the Yoruba language.[126] Malcolm X wrote in his autobiography that he "had never received a more treasured honor."[127]

On July 9, 1964, Malcolm X returned to Africa.[128] On July 17, he was welcomed to the second meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Cairo as a representative of the Organization of Afro-American Unity. By the time he returned to the United States on November 24, 1964, Malcolm had met with every prominent African leader and established an international connection between Africans on the continent and those in the diaspora.[123]

France and the United Kingdom
On November 23, 1964, on his way home from Africa, Malcolm X stopped in Paris, where he spoke at the Salle de la Mutualité.[129][130] A week later, on November 30, Malcolm X flew to the United Kingdom, where he participated in a debate at the Oxford Union on December 3. The topic of the debate was "Extremism in the Defense of Liberty is No Vice; Moderation in the Pursuit of Justice is No Virtue", and Malcolm X argued the affirmative. Interest in the debate was so high that it was televised nationally by the BBC.[131][132]

On February 5, 1965, Malcolm X went to Europe again.[133] On February 8, he spoke in London, before the first meeting of the Council of African Organizations.[134] Malcolm X tried to go to France on February 9 but he was refused entry.[135] On February 12, he visited Smethwick, near Birmingham, which had become a byword for racial division after the 1964 general election, when the Conservative Party won the parliamentary seat after rumors that their candidate's supporters had used the slogan "If you want a nigger for your neighbour, vote Labour."[136]

In the United States
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X spoke before a wide variety of audiences in the United States. He spoke at regular meetings of Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was one of the most sought-after speakers on college campuses,[137] and one of his top aides later wrote that he "welcomed every opportunity to speak to college students."[138] Malcolm X also spoke before political groups such as the Militant Labor Forum.[139]

Tensions increased between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. As early as February 1964, a member of Temple Number Seven was given orders by the Nation of Islam to wire explosives to Malcolm X's car.[140] On March 20, 1964, Life published a photograph of Malcolm X holding an M1 Carbine and peering out a window. The photo was intended to illustrate his determination to defend himself and his family against the death threats he was receiving.[141]


Malcolm X in March 1964The Nation of Islam and its leaders began making threats against Malcolm X both in private and in public. On March 23, 1964, Elijah Muhammad told Boston minister Louis X (later known as Louis Farrakhan) that hypocrites like Malcolm should have "their heads cut off."[142] The April 10 edition of Muhammad Speaks featured a cartoon in which his severed head was shown bouncing.[143] On July 9, John Ali, a top aide to Muhammad, answered a question about Malcolm X by saying that "anyone who opposes the Honorable Elijah Muhammad puts their life in jeopardy."[144] The December 4 issue of Muhammad Speaks included an article by Louis X that railed against Malcolm X and said that "such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death."[145]

Some threats were made anonymously. During the month of June 1964, FBI surveillance recorded two such threats. On June 8, a man called Malcolm X's home and told Betty Shabazz to "tell him he's as good as dead."[146] On June 12, an FBI informant reported getting an anonymous telephone call from somebody who said "Malcolm X is going to be bumped off."[147]

In June 1964, the Nation of Islam sued to reclaim Malcolm X's residence in Queens, New York, which they claimed to own. The suit was successful, and Malcolm X was ordered to vacate.[148] On February 14, 1965, the night before a scheduled hearing to postpone the eviction date, the house burned to the ground. Malcolm X and his family survived. No one was charged with any crime.[149]

Death
Assassination

Bullet holes in back of the stage where Malcolm X was shot (circled)On February 21, 1965, in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X began to speak to a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400.[150] A man yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!"[151][152] As Malcolm X and his bodyguards moved to quiet the disturbance,[153] a man rushed forward and shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun.[154] Two other men charged the stage and fired handguns, hitting him 16 times.[152] Angry onlookers caught and beat one of the assassins as the others fled the ballroom.[155][156] Malcolm X was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m., shortly after he arrived at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.[150]

Talmadge Hayer, a Black Muslim also known as Thomas Hagan, was arrested on the scene.[156] Eyewitnesses identified two more suspects, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, also members of the Nation of Islam. All three were charged in the case.[157] At first Hayer denied involvement, but during the trial he confessed to having fired shots at Malcolm X. He testified that Butler and Johnson were not present and were not involved in the assassination, but he declined to name the men who had joined him in the shooting.[158] All three men were convicted.[159]

Butler, now known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz, was paroled in 1985. He became the head of the Nation of Islam's Harlem mosque in New York in 1998. He continues to maintain his innocence.[160] Johnson, now known as Khalil Islam, was released from prison in 1987. During his time in prison, he rejected the teachings of the Nation of Islam and converted to Sunni Islam. He, too, maintains his innocence.[161] Hayer, now known as Mujahid Halim, was paroled in 1993.[162]

Funeral
The number of mourners who came to the public viewing in Harlem's Unity Funeral Home from February 23 through February 26 was estimated to be between 14,000 and 30,000.[163] The funeral of Malcolm X was held on February 27 at the Faith Temple, Church of God in Christ, in Harlem. The Church was filled to capacity with more than 1,000 people.[164] Loudspeakers were set up outside the Temple so the overflowing crowd could listen[165] and a local television station broadcast the funeral live.[166]

Among the civil rights leaders in attendance were John Lewis, Bayard Rustin, James Forman, James Farmer, Jesse Gray, and Andrew Young.[164][167] Actor and activist Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy, describing Malcolm X as "our shining black prince".

There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain—and we will smile. Many will say turn away—away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man—and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate—a fanatic, a racist—who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.[168]

Malcolm X was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.[166] At the gravesite after the ceremony, friends took the shovels away from the waiting gravediggers and completed the burial themselves.[169] Actor and activist Ruby Dee (wife of Ossie Davis) and Juanita Poitier (wife of Sidney Poitier) established the Committee of Concerned Mothers to raise funds to buy a house and pay educational expenses for Malcolm X's family.[170]

Responses to assassination
Reactions to Malcolm X's assassination were varied. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sent a telegram to Betty Shabazz, expressing his sadness over "the shocking and tragic assassination of your husband."

While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and the root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems we face as a race.[171]

Elijah Muhammad told the annual Savior's Day convention on February 26, "Malcolm X got just what he preached."[172] "We didn't want to kill Malcolm and didn't try to kill him," Muhammad said. "We know such ignorant, foolish teachings would bring him to his own end."[173]

The New York Times wrote that Malcolm X was "an extraordinary and twisted man" who "turn[ed] many true gifts to evil purpose" and that his life was "strangely and pitifully wasted".[7] The New York Post wrote that "even his sharpest critics recognized his brilliance—often wild, unpredictable and eccentric, but nevertheless possessing promise that must now remain unrealized."[174]

The international press, particularly that of Africa, was sympathetic. The Daily Times of Nigeria wrote that Malcolm X "will have a place in the palace of martyrs."[8] The Ghanaian Times likened him to John Brown and Patrice Lumumba among "a host of Africans and Americans who were martyred in freedom's cause".[175]

Guangming Daily, published in Beijing, stated that "Malcolm was murdered because he fought for freedom and equal rights."[176] In Cuba, El Mundo described the assassination as "another racist crime to eradicate by violence the struggle against discrimination".[10]

Allegations of conspiracy
Within days of the assassination, questions were raised about who bore ultimate responsibility. On February 23, James Farmer, the leader of the Congress of Racial Equality, announced at a news conference that local drug dealers, and not the Black Muslims, were to blame.[177] Others accused the New York Police Department, the FBI, or the CIA, citing the lack of police protection, the ease with which the assassins entered the Audubon Ballroom, and the failure of the police to preserve the crime scene.[178][179]

In the 1970s, the public learned about COINTELPRO and other secret FBI programs directed towards infiltrating and disrupting civil rights organizations during the 1950s and 1960s.[180] John Ali, national secretary of the Nation of Islam, was identified as an FBI undercover agent.[181] Malcolm X had confided in a reporter that Ali exacerbated tensions between him and Elijah Muhammad. He considered Ali his "archenemy" within the Nation of Islam leadership.[181] On February 20, 1965, the night before the assassination, Ali met with Talmadge Hayer, one of the men convicted of killing Malcolm X.[182]

In 1977 and 1978, Talmadge Hayer submitted two sworn affidavits re-asserting his claim that Butler and Johnson were not involved in the assassination. In his affidavits Hayer named four men, all members of the Nation of Islam's Newark Temple Number 25, as having participated with him in the crime. Hayer asserted that a man, later identified as Wilbur McKinley, shouted and threw a smoke bomb to create a diversion. Hayer said that another man, later identified as William Bradley, had a shotgun and was the first to fire on Malcolm X after the diversion. Hayer asserted that he and a man later identified as Leon David, both armed with pistols, fired on Malcolm X immediately after the shotgun blast. Hayer also said that a fifth man, later identified as Benjamin Thomas, was involved in the conspiracy.[183][184] Hayer's statements failed to convince authorities to reopen their investigation of the murder.[185]

Some, including the Shabazz family, have accused Louis Farrakhan of being involved in the plot to assassinate Malcolm X.[186][187][188][189] In a 1993 speech, Louis Farrakhan seemed to boast of the assassination:

Was Malcolm your traitor or ours? And if we dealt with him like a nation deals with a traitor, what the hell business is it of yours? A nation has to be able to deal with traitors and cutthroats and turncoats.[190][191]

In a 60 Minutes interview that aired during May 2000, Farrakhan stated that some of the things he said may have led to the assassination of Malcolm X. "I may have been complicit in words that I spoke", he said. "I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being."[192] A few days later Farrakhan denied that he "ordered the assassination" of Malcolm X, although he again acknowledged that he "created the atmosphere that ultimately led to Malcolm X's assassination."[193] No consensus on who was responsible has been reached.[194]

Philosophy
Except for his autobiography, Malcolm X left no writings. His philosophy is known almost entirely from the myriad speeches and interviews he gave between 1952 until his death in 1965.[195] Many of those speeches, especially from the last year of his life, were recorded and have been published.[196]

Beliefs of the Nation of Islam
Further information: Beliefs and theology of the Nation of Islam
Before he left the Nation of Islam in 1964, Malcolm X taught its beliefs in his speeches. His speeches were peppered with the phrase "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that ...".[197] It is virtually impossible to discern whether Malcolm X's beliefs diverged from the teachings of the Nation of Islam.[198][199] Malcolm X once compared himself to a ventriloquist's dummy who could only say what Elijah Muhammad told him.[197]

Malcolm X taught that black people were the original people of the world,[69] and that white people were a race of devils who were created by an evil scientist named Yakub.[70] The Nation of Islam believed that black people were superior to white people, and that the demise of the white race was imminent.[71]

When he was questioned concerning his statements that white people were devils, Malcolm X said that "history proves the white man is a devil."[200] He enumerated some of the historical reasons that, he felt, supported his argument: "Anybody who rapes, and plunders, and enslaves, and steals, and drops hell bombs on people... anybody who does these things is nothing but a devil."[201]

Malcolm X said that Islam was the "true religion of black mankind" and that Christianity was "the white man's religion" that had been imposed upon African Americans by their slave-masters.[202] He said that the Nation of Islam followed Islam as it was practiced around the world, but the Nation's teachings varied from those of other Muslims because they were adapted to the "uniquely pitiful" condition of black people in America.[203] He taught that Wallace Fard Muhammad, the founder of the Nation, was Allah incarnate,[204] and that Elijah Muhammad was his Messenger, or prophet.[205]

While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation, Malcolm X advocated the complete separation of African Americans from white people. The Nation of Islam proposed the establishment of a separate country for black people in the Southern[72] or Southwestern United States[206] as an interim measure until African Americans could return to Africa.[73] Malcolm X suggested the United States government owed reparations to black people for the unpaid labor of their enslaved ancestors.[207] He also rejected the civil rights movement's strategy of nonviolence and instead advocated that black people use any necessary means of self-defense to protect themselves.[74]

Independent views

Malcolm X at a 1964 press conferenceAfter he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X began to articulate his own views. During the final year of his life, his philosophy was flexible, and it is difficult to categorize his views on some subjects. Some of the themes to which Malcolm X frequently returned in his speeches demonstrate a relative consistency of thought.[208]

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X announced his willingness to work with leaders of the civil rights movement.[105] However, he felt that the civil rights movement should change its focus to human rights. So long as the movement remained a fight for civil rights, its struggle remained a domestic issue. By framing the African American struggle for equal rights as a fight for human rights, it would become an international issue and the movement could bring its complaint before the United Nations. Malcolm X said the emerging nations of the world would add their support to the cause of African Americans.[209]

Malcolm X continued to hold the view that African Americans were right to defend themselves from aggressors, arguing that if the government was unwilling or unable to protect black people, they should protect themselves "by whatever means necessary".[210] He also continued to reject nonviolence as the only means for securing equality, declaring that he and the other members of the Organization of Afro-American Unity were determined to win freedom, justice, and equality "by any means necessary".[211]

Malcolm X stressed the global perspective he gained from his international travels. He emphasized the "direct connection" between the domestic struggle of African Americans for equal rights with the liberation struggles of Third World nations.[212] He said that African Americans were wrong when they thought of themselves as a minority; in a global context, black people were a majority, not a minority.[213]

Although he no longer called for the separation of black people from white people, Malcolm X continued to advocate black nationalism, which he defined as self-determination for the African-American community.[214] In the last months of his life, however, Malcolm X began to reconsider his support of black nationalism after meeting northern African revolutionaries who, to all appearances, were white.[215]

After his Hajj, Malcolm X articulated a view of white people and racism that represented a deep change from the philosophy he articulated as a minister of the Nation of Islam. In a famous letter from Mecca, he wrote that the white people he met during his pilgrimage forced him to "rearrange" his thinking about race and "toss aside some of [his] previous conclusions".[216]

In a 1965 conversation with Gordon Parks, two days before his assassination, Malcolm said:

[L]istening to leaders like Nasser, Ben Bella, and Nkrumah awakened me to the dangers of racism. I realized racism isn't just a black and white problem. It's brought bloodbaths to about every nation on earth at one time or another.

Brother, remember the time that white college girl came into the restaurant—the one who wanted to help the [Black] Muslims and the whites get together—and I told her there wasn't a ghost of a chance and she went away crying? Well, I've lived to regret that incident. In many parts of the African continent I saw white students helping black people. Something like this kills a lot of argument. I did many things as a [Black] Muslim that I'm sorry for now. I was a zombie then—like all [Black] Muslims—I was hypnotized, pointed in a certain direction and told to march. Well, I guess a man's entitled to make a fool of himself if he's ready to pay the cost. It cost me 12 years.

That was a bad scene, brother. The sickness and madness of those days—I'm glad to be free of them.[217]

Legacy

Malcolm X in 1964Malcolm X has been described as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.[12][13][14] He is credited with raising the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with their African heritage.[218] He is largely responsible for the spread of Islam in the black community in the United States.[219][220][221]

Many African Americans, especially those who lived in cities in the Northern and Western United States, felt that Malcolm X articulated their complaints concerning inequality better than the mainstream civil rights movement did.[76][77] One biographer says that by giving expression to their frustration, Malcolm X "made clear the price that white America would have to pay if it did not accede to black America's legitimate demands."[222]

In the late 1960s, as black activists became more radical, Malcolm X and his teachings were part of the foundation on which they built their movements. The Black Power movement,[67][223] the Black Arts Movement,[67][224] and the widespread adoption of the slogan "Black is beautiful"[225] can all trace their roots to Malcolm X.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a resurgence of interest in Malcolm X among young people fueled, in part, by his use as an icon by hip hop groups such as Public Enemy.[226][227] Images of Malcolm X could be found on T-shirts and jackets.[228] Pictures of him were on display in hundreds of thousands of homes, offices, and schools.[229] This wave peaked in 1992 with the release of Malcolm X, a much-anticipated film adaptation of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.[230]

Portrayals in film and on stage
The 1992 film Malcolm X was directed by Spike Lee and based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X. It starred Denzel Washington, with Angela Bassett as Betty Shabazz and Al Freeman, Jr., as Elijah Muhammad.[231] Critic Roger Ebert and director Martin Scorsese both named the film one of the ten best of the 1990s.[232]

Washington had previously played the part of Malcolm X in the 1981 Off Broadway play When the Chickens Came Home to Roost.[233] Other actors who have portrayed Malcolm X include:

James Earl Jones, in the 1977 film The Greatest.[234]
Dick Anthony Williams, in the 1978 television miniseries King[235] and the 1989 American Playhouse production of the Jeff Stetson play The Meeting.[236]
Al Freeman, Jr., in the 1979 television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.[237]
Morgan Freeman, in the 1981 television movie Death of a Prophet.[238]
Ben Holt, in the 1986 opera X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X).[239]
Gary Dourdan, in the 2000 television movie King of the World.[240]
Joe Morton, in the 2000 television movie Ali: An American Hero.[241]
Mario Van Peebles, in the 2001 film Ali.[242]
Memorials and tributes
The Malcolm X House Site, at 3448 Pinkney Street in North Omaha, Nebraska, marks the place where Malcolm Little first lived with his family. The house where the Little family lived was torn down in 1965 by owners who did not know of its connection with Malcolm X.[243] The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and a historic marker identifies the site because of the importance of Malcolm X to American history and national culture.[244][245] In 1987 the site was added to the Nebraska register of historic sites and marked with a state plaque.[246]

Lansing, Michigan, where Malcolm Little spent his early, formative years, is home to a Michigan Historical Marker erected in 1975 marking his homesite.[247] The city is also home to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Academy, a public charter school with an Afrocentric focus. The Academy is located in the building where Little attended elementary school.[248]


Malcolm X Boulevard in New York CityIn cities around the world, Malcolm X's birthday (May 19) is commemorated as Malcolm X Day. The first known celebration of Malcolm X Day took place in Washington, D.C., in 1971.[249] The city of Berkeley, California has recognized Malcolm X's birthday as a citywide holiday since 1979.[250]

There have been dozens of schools named after Malcolm X, including Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey,[251] Malcolm Shabazz City High School in Madison, Wisconsin,[252] and Malcolm X College in Chicago, Illinois.[253]

Many cities have renamed streets after Malcolm X. In New York City, Lenox Avenue was renamed Malcolm X Boulevard in the late 1980s.[254] The name of Reid Street in Brooklyn, New York, was changed to Malcolm X Boulevard in 1985.[255] In 1997, Oakland Avenue in Dallas, Texas, was renamed Malcolm X Boulevard.[256]

The U.S. Postal Service issued a Malcolm X postage stamp in 1999.[257] In 2005, Columbia University announced the opening of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. The memorial is located in the Audubon Ballroom, where Malcolm X was assassinated.[258]

African American portal
Biography portal
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
Malcolm X: Prince of Islam
Message to the Grass Roots
Published works
The Autobiography of Malcolm X. With the assistance of Alex Haley. New York: Grove Press, 1965. OCLC 219493184
By Any Means Necessary: Speeches, Interviews, and a Letter by Malcolm X. George Breitman, ed. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1970. OCLC 249307
The End of White World Supremacy: Four Speeches by Malcolm X. Benjamin Karim, ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1971. OCLC 149849
February 1965: The Final Speeches. Steve Clark, ed. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1992. ISBN 0873487494 OCLC 47632957
The Last Speeches. Bruce Perry, ed. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1989. ISBN 0873485432 OCLC 123180752
Malcolm X on Afro-American History. New York: Merit Publishers, 1967. OCLC 78155009
Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. George Breitman, ed. New York: Merit Publishers, 1965. OCLC 256095445
Malcolm X Talks to Young People. New York: Young Socialist Alliance, 1965. OCLC 81990227
Malcolm X Talks to Young People: Speeches in the United States, Britain, and Africa. Steve Clark, ed. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1991. ISBN 0873486315 OCLC 23096901
The Speeches of Malcolm X at Harvard. Archie Epps, ed. New York: Morrow, 1968. OCLC 185901618
Two Speeches by Malcolm X. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1965. OCLC 19464959
Notes
^ This name includes the honorific El-Hajj, which is given to a Muslim who has completed the Hajj to Mecca. Malise Ruthven (1997). Islam: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-19-285389-9.
^ Baldwin, Lewis V.; Al-Hadid, Amiri YaSin. Between Cross and Crescent: Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Malcolm and Martin. Gainesville, Fla.: University Press of Florida. p. 135. ISBN 0-8130-2457-9.
^ Dyson, pp. 13–14.
^ Khan, Ali (1994). "Lessons from Malcolm X: Freedom by Any Means Necessary". Howard Law Journal 38: 80. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=938821. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
^ Morris, Jerome E. (Summer 2001). "Malcolm X's Critique of the Education of Black People". The Western Journal of Black Studies 25 (2). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2877/is_2_25/ai_n28889706/. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
^ Cone, pp. 99–100, 251–252, 310–311.
^ a b "Malcolm X". The New York Times. February 22, 1965. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E13F63F5812738DDDAB0A94DA405B858AF1D3. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ a b Evanzz, p. 305.
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 172.
^ a b Rickford, p. 248.
^ "The Black Supremacists". Time. August 10, 1959. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811191-1,00.html. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
^ a b Asante, Molefi Kete (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Amhert, N.Y.: Prometheus Books. p. 333. ISBN 1-57392-963-8.
^ a b Marable, Manning; Nishani Frazier, John Campbell McMillian (2003). Freedom on My Mind: The Columbia Documentary History of the African American Experience. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 251. ISBN 0-231-10890-7.
^ a b Salley, Columbus (1999). The Black 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential African-Americans, Past and Present. New York: Citadel Press. p. 88. ISBN 0-8065-2048-5.
^ a b Perry, p. 2.
^ Perry, p. 3.
^ Natambu, p. 7.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, pp. 3–4. There have been many editions of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Page numbers cited in the notes refer to the One World trade paperback edition (1992).
^ a b Natambu, p. 6.
^ Perry, pp. 3–4.
^ Perry, pp. 2–3.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 5.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, pp. 7, 10–11.
^ Perry, pp. 2, 4.
^ Natambu, p. 1.
^ Perry, p. 12.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 14.
^ Natambu, p. 10.
^ Perry, p. 24.
^ Perry, pp. 33–34, 331.
^ a b Perry, p. 42.
^ Natambu, pp. 21–29.
^ Perry, pp. 32–48.
^ Natambu, pp. 30–31.
^ Perry, pp. 58–81.
^ a b c Perry, p. 77.
^ Perry, pp. 82–83.
^ a b Carson, p. 108.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 124.
^ Helfer, p. 37.
^ Perry, p. 99.
^ Helfer, p. 40.
^ a b Carson, p. 99.
^ Perry, pp. 104–106.
^ Natambu, p. 121.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 178; ellipsis in original.
^ Perry, pp. 108–110.
^ Perry, p. 118.
^ Natambu, pp. 127–128.
^ Natambu, p. 128.
^ Perry, p. 113.
^ Natambu, pp. 132–138.
^ Perry, pp. 113–114.
^ Natambu, pp. 138–139.
^ Perry, p. 116.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 199.
^ Perry, pp. 142, 144–145.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 229.
^ Carson, p. 95.
^ The Nation of Islam numbered its Temples according to the order in which they were established. Perry, pp. 141–142.
^ Natambu, p. 168.
^ Perry, p. 147.
^ Perry, p. 152.
^ Perry, p. 153.
^ Perry, pp. 161–164.
^ Perry, pp. 174–179.
^ a b c d Marable, p. 301.
^ Lincoln, p. 189.
^ a b Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 55.
^ a b Perry, p. 115.
^ a b Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 57.
^ a b Lomax, When the Word Is Given, pp. 149–152.
^ a b Malcolm X, End of White World Supremacy, p. 78.
^ a b Lomax, When the Word Is Given, pp. 173–174.
^ Natambu, p. 182.
^ a b Cone, pp. 99–100.
^ a b West, Cornel (1984). "The Paradox of the Afro-American Rebellion". in Sayres, Sohnya; Stephanson, Anders; Aronowitz, Stanley et al.. The 60s Without Apology. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-8166-1336-2.
^ Natambu, pp. 215–216.
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, pp. 79–80.
^ Perry, p. 203.
^ King expressed mixed feelings toward Malcolm X. "He is very articulate, ... but I totally disagree with many of his political and philosophical views.... I don't want to seem to sound self-righteous, ... or that I think I have the only truth, the only way. Maybe he does have some of the answer.... I have often wished that he would talk less of violence, because violence is not going to solve our problem. And in his litany of articulating the despair of the Negro without offering any positive, creative alternative, I feel that Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice.... [U]rging Negroes to arm themselves and prepare to engage in violence, as he has done, can reap nothing but grief." Haley, Alex (January 1965). "The Playboy Interview: Martin Luther King". Playboy. http://www.playboy.com/arts-entertainment/features/mlk/index.html. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
^ Cone, p. 113.
^ "Timeline". Malcolm X: Make It Plain, American Experience. PBS. May 19, 2005. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/malcolmx/timeline/timeline2.html. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
^ Cone, p. 91.
^ Lomax. When the Word Is Given. pp. 15–16. "Estimates of the Black Muslim membership vary from a quarter of a million down to fifty thousand. Available evidence indicates that about one hundred thousand Negroes have joined the movement at one time or another, but few objective observers believe that the Black Muslims can muster more than twenty or twenty-five thousand active temple people."
^ Clegg. p. 115. "The common response of Malcolm X to questions about numbers—'Those who know aren't saying, and those who say don't know'—was typical of the attitude of the leadership."
^ Natambu, pp. 296–297.
^ Ali, Muhammad (2004). The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey. with Hana Yasmeen Ali. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 61. ISBN 0-7432-5569-0.
^ Rickford, pp. 73–74.
^ Betty Shabazz, "Malcolm X as a Husband and Father", Clarke, pp. 132–134.
^ Rickford, pp. 109–110.
^ Rickford, p. 122.
^ Rickford, p. 123.
^ Rickford, p. 197.
^ Rickford, p. 286.
^ Natambu, pp. 230–232.
^ Lincoln, p. 18.
^ Natambu, pp. 231–233.
^ a b Perry, p. 214.
^ Perry, p. 375.
^ In 1964, Malcolm told Haley, "If I'm alive when this book comes out, it will be a miracle." Haley, "Epilogue", Autobiography, p. 471.
^ a b "Malcolm X Scores U.S. and Kennedy". The New York Times. December 2, 1963. p. 21. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0812FE35541A7B93C0A91789D95F478685F9. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
^ Natambu, pp. 288–290.
^ Perry, p. 242.
^ a b c d Handler, M. S. (March 9, 1964). "Malcolm X Splits with Muhammad". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00D17FB395415738DDDA00894DB405B848AF1D3. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Perry, pp. 230–234
^ Perry, pp. 251–252.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 18–22.
^ Perry, pp. 294–296.
^ Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary, pp. 33–67.
^ McElrath, Jessica. "Martin Luther King & Malcolm X (Press conference)". African-American History: Civil Rights Movement. about.com. http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/civilrightsmovement/ig/Civil-Rights-Movement-Photos/MLK---Malcolm-X.--7g.htm. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
^ Cone. p. 2. "There was no time for substantive discussions between the two. They were photographed greeting each other warmly, smiling and shaking hands."
^ Perry. p. 255. "Camera shutters clicked. The next day, the Chicago Sun-Times, the New York World Telegram and Sun, and other dailies carried a picture of Malcolm and Martin shaking hands."
^ Perry, pp. 257–259.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 23–44.
^ Perry, p. 261.
^ Perry, pp. 262–263.
^ DeCaro, p. 204.
^ Perry, pp. 263–265.
^ Perry, pp. 265–266.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, pp. 388–393.
^ Natambu, pp. 304–305.
^ a b Natambu, p. 308.
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 62.
^ Natambu, p. 303.
^ Perry, p. 269.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 403.
^ Carson, p. 305.
^ Lebert Bethune, "Malcolm X in Europe", Clarke, pp. 226–231.
^ Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary, pp. 113–126.
^ Bethune, "Malcolm X in Europe", Clarke, pp. 231–233.
^ Malcolm X (December 3, 1964). "Malcolm X Oxford Debate". Malcolm X: A Research Site. http://www.brothermalcolm.net/2003/mx_oxford/index.html. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
^ Carson, p. 349.
^ Perry, p. 351.
^ Natambu, p. 312.
^ Kundnani, Arun (February 10, 2005). "Black British History: Remembering Malcolm's Visit to Smethwick". Independent Race and Refugee News Network. Institute of Race Relations. http://www.irr.org.uk/2005/february/ak000010.html. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
^ Terrill, p. 9.
^ Karim, p. 128.
^ Perry, pp. 277–278.
^ Karim, pp. 159–160.
^ Crawford, Marc (March 20, 1964). "The Ominous Malcolm X Exits from the Muslims". Life.
^ Kondo, p. 170.
^ Majied, Eugene (April 10, 1964). "On My Own". Muhammad Speaks. Nation of Islam. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/images/sourcebook_img_111.jpg. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Evanzz, p. 248.
^ Evanzz, p. 264.
^ Carson, p. 473.
^ Carson, p. 324.
^ Perry, pp. 290–292.
^ Perry, pp. 352–356.
^ a b Kihss, Peter (February 22, 1965). "Malcolm X Shot to Death at Rally Here". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A15F63F5812738DDDAB0A94DA405B858AF1D3. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Karim, p. 191.
^ a b Evanzz, p. 295.
^ In his Epilogue to The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley wrote that Malcolm said, "Hold it! Hold it! Don't get excited. Let's cool it brothers." (p. 499.) According to a transcription of a recording of the shooting, Malcolm's only words were, "Hold it!", which he repeated 10 times. (DeCaro, p. 274.)
^ Perry, p. 366.
^ Perry, pp. 366–367.
^ a b Talese, Gay (February 22, 1965). "Police Save Suspect From the Crowd". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E12F63F5812738DDDAB0A94DA405B858AF1D3. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Kondo, p. 97.
^ Kondo, p. 110.
^ Rickford, p. 289.
^ "Malcolm X Killer Heads Mosque". BBC News. March 31, 1998. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/71838.stm. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Jacobson, Mark (October 1, 2007). "The Man Who Didn’t Shoot Malcolm X". New York. http://nymag.com/news/features/38358/. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ Rickford, p. 489
^ Perry, p. 374. Alex Haley, in his Epilogue to The Autobiography of Malcolm X, says 22,000 (p. 519).
^ a b Rickford, p. 252.
^ DeCaro, p. 291.
^ a b Arnold, Martin (February 28, 1965). "Harlem Is Quiet as Crowds Watch Malcolm X Rites". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60615FD38591B7A93CAAB1789D85F418685F9. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ DeCaro, p. 290.
^ Davis, Ossie (February 27, 1965). "Malcolm X's Eulogy". The Official Website of Malcolm X. http://www.malcolmx.com/about/eulogy.html. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
^ Rickford, p. 255.
^ Rickford, pp. 261–262.
^ Martin Luther King, Jr., Telegram to Betty Shabazz, Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., February 26, 1965.
^ Evanzz, p. 301.
^ Clegg, p. 232.
^ Rickford, p. 247.
^ Kenworthy, E. W. (February 26, 1965). "Malcolm Called a Martyr Abroad". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20D15F73F5812738DDDAF0A94DA405B858AF1D3. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ Evanzz, p. 306.
^ Perry, p. 371.
^ Marable, pp. 305–306.
^ Perry, p. 372.
^ Kondo, pp. 7–39.
^ a b Lomax, To Kill a Black Man, p. 198.
^ Evanzz, p. 294.
^ Bush, Roderick (1999). We Are Not What We Seem: Black Nationalism and Class Struggle in the American Century. New York: New York University Press. p. 179. ISBN 0-8147-1317-3.
^ Friedly, Michael (1992). Malcolm X: The Assassination. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-88184-922-7.
^ Gardell, Mattias (1996). In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Durham, N. C.: Duke University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-8223-1845-8.
^ Rickford, pp. 439, 492–495.
^ Evanzz, pp. 298–299.
^ Kondo, pp. 182–183, 193–194.
^ Marable, p. 305.
^ Rickford, p. 492.
^ Wartofsky, Alona (February 17, 1995). "'Brother Minister: The Martyrdom of Malcolm X'". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/brotherministerthemartyrdomofmalcolmx_c0098f.htm. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
^ "Farrakhan Admission On Malcolm X". 60 Minutes. CBS News. May 14, 2000. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/05/10/60minutes/main194051.shtml. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "Farrakhan Responds to Media Attacks". The Final Call. May 15, 2000. http://www.finalcall.com/columns/mlf/2000/mlf-60minutes05-15-2000.html. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ Natambu, pp. 315–316.
^ Kelley, Robin D. G. (1999). "Malcolm X". Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. New York: Basic Civitas Books. p. 1233.
^ Terrill, pp. 15–16.
^ a b Lomax, When the Word Is Given, pp. 80–81.
^ Terrill, p. 184.
^ Lomax. When the Word Is Given. p. 91. "'I'll be honest with you,' Malcolm X said to me. 'Everybody is talking about differences between the Messenger and me. It is absolutely impossible for us to differ.'"
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 67.
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 171.
^ Lomax, When the Word Is Given, pp. 24, 137–138.
^ Malcolm X, Speeches at Harvard, p. 119.
^ DeCaro, pp. 166–167.
^ Malcolm X told Lewis Lomax that "The Messenger is the Prophet of Allah" (Lomax, When the Word Is Given, p. 80). On another occasion, he said "We never refer to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as a prophet" (Malcolm X, Last Speeches, p. 46).
^ Lincoln, p. 95.
^ Lincoln, p. 96.
^ Terrill, pp. 109–110.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 33–35.
^ Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary, p. 43.
^ Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary, p. 37.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, p. 90.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, p. 117.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 38–41.
^ Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 212–213.
^ Malcolm X, Autobiography, p. 391.
^ Gordon Parks, "Malcolm X: The Minutes of Our Last Meeting", Clarke, p. 122.
^ Cone, pp. 291–292.
^ Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2002). The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity. New York: HarperCollins. p. 97. ISBN 0-06-073064-1.
^ Perry, p. 379.
^ Turner, Richard Brent (2004). "Islam in the African-American Experience". in Bobo, Jacqueline; Hudley, Cynthia; Michel, Claudine. The Black Studies Reader. New York: Routledge. p. 445. ISBN 0-415-94533-4.
^ Perry, p. 380.
^ Sales, p. 187
^ Woodard, Komozi (1999). A Nation Within a Nation: Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) & Black Power Politics. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-8078-4761-5.
^ Cone, p. 291.
^ Marable, pp. 301–302.
^ Sales, p. 5.
^ Sales, p. 3.
^ Marable, p. 302.
^ Sales, p. 4.
^ "Malcolm X". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104797/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. "The Best Films of the 1990s". Combustible Celluloid. http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/bestof90s.shtml. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ Rich, Frank (July 15, 1981). "The Stage: Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad". The New York Times. http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9D0CE5DA1F38F936A25754C0A967948260. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "The Greatest". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076111/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ "King". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077038/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ Goodman, Walter (May 3, 1989). "An Imaginary Meeting of Dr. King and Malcolm X". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED91E31F930A35756C0A96F948260. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "Roots: The Next Generations". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078678/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ "Death of a Prophet". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179757/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ Henahan, Donal (September 29, 1986). "Opera: Anthony Davis's 'X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X)'". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE3DE1631F93AA1575AC0A960948260. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
^ "King of the World". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219857/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ "Ali: An American Hero". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0229973/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ "Ali". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248667/. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
^ McMorris, Robert (March 11, 1989). "Empty Lot Holds Dreams for Rowena Moore". Omaha World-Herald. http://www.brothermalcolm.net/2002/omaha/jpeg/moore1.jpg. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "National Register of Historic Places – Nebraska, Douglas County". National Register of Historic Places. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ne/Douglas/state2.html. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "More Nebraska National Register Sites in Douglas County". Nebraska State Historical Society. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/douglas2.htm. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "Nebraska Historical Marker". Malcolm X: A Research Site. http://www.brothermalcolm.net/2002/omaha/jpeg/marker1.jpg. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
^ "Malcolm X Homesite". Michigan Historical Markers. http://www.michmarkers.com/startup.asp?startpage=S0455.htm. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
^ Yancey, Patty (2000). "We Hold on to Our Kids, We Hold on Tight: Tandem Charters in Michigan". in Fuller, Bruce. Inside Charter Schools: The Paradox of Radical Decentralization. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 67. ISBN 0-674-00325-X.
^ Gay, Kathlyn (2007). African-American Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations. Detroit: Omnigraphics. p. 284. ISBN 0-7808-0779-0.
^ Thaai, Walker (May 20, 2005). "Berkeley Honors Controversial Civil Rights Figure". San Jose Mercury News. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6597411_ITM. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
^ Lee, Felicia R. (May 15, 1993). "Newark Students, Both Good and Bad, Make Do". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFDC153CF936A25756C0A965958260. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
^ Cotant, Pamela (February 25, 1991). "Shabazz School Gets Special Visit". The Capital Times. http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/1991/02/25/9102250463.php. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
^ Witkowsky, Kathy (Spring 2000). "A Day in the Life". National CrossTalk. http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0500/news0500-citycollege1.shtml. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
^ Bodovitz, Sandra (July 20, 1987). "What's in a Street Rename? Disorder". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6DA1531F933A15754C0A961948260. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
^ Rickford, p. 419.
^ Scoville, Jen (December 1997). "The Big Beat". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20041229062251/http://www.texasmonthly.com/ranch/bigbeat/beat.edec.97.php. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
^ Marable, pp. 303–304.
^ "Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center Launches". Columbia University. May 17, 2005. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/05/malcolm.html. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
References
Carson, Clayborne (1991). Malcolm X: The FBI File. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-88184-758-5.
Clarke, John Henrik, ed. (1990) [1969]. Malcolm X: The Man and His Times. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press. ISBN 0-86543-201-5.
Clegg III, Claude Andrew (1997). An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-18153-1.
Cone, James H. (1991). Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. ISBN 0-88344-721-5.
DeCaro, Jr., Louis A. (1996). On the Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm X. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 0-8147-1864-7.
Dyson, Michael Eric (1995). Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509235-X.
Evanzz, Karl (1992). The Judas Factor: The Plot to Kill Malcolm X. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 1-56025-049-6.
Helfer, Andrew; Randy DuBurke (2006). Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography. New York: Hill and Wang. ISBN 0-8090-9504-1.
Karim, Benjamin (1992). Remembering Malcolm. with Peter Skutches and David Gallen. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-88184-881-6.
Kondo, Zak A. (1993). Conspiracys: Unravelling the Assassination of Malcolm X. Washington, D.C.: Nubia Press. ISBN 0-9618815-1-13.
Lincoln, C. Eric (1961). The Black Muslims in America. Boston: Beacon Press. OCLC 422580.
Lomax, Louis E. (1987) [1968]. To Kill a Black Man. Los Angeles: Holloway House. ISBN 0-87067-731-4.
Lomax, Louis E. (1963). When the Word Is Given. Cleveland: World Publishing. OCLC 1071204.
Malcolm X (1992) [1965]. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. with the assistance of Alex Haley. New York: One World. ISBN 0-345-37671-4.
Malcolm X (1989) [1970]. By Any Means Necessary: Speeches, Interviews, and a Letter by Malcolm X. George Breitman, ed. New York: Pathfinder Press. ISBN 0-87348-150-X.
Malcolm X (1989) [1971]. The End of White World Supremacy: Four Speeches by Malcolm X. Benjamin Karim, ed. New York: Arcade. ISBN 1-55970-006-8.
Malcolm X (1990) [1965]. Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. George Breitman, ed. New York: Grove Weidenfeld. ISBN 0-8021-3213-8.
Malcolm X (1991) [1968]. The Speeches of Malcolm X at Harvard. Archie Epps, ed. New York: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-479-5.
Marable, Manning (2009). "Rediscovering Malcolm's Life: A Historian's Adventures in Living History". in Marable, Manning; Aidi, Hishaam D. Black Routes to Islam. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-8400-X.
Natambu, Kofi (2002). The Life and Work of Malcolm X. Indianapolis: Alpha Books. ISBN 0-02-864218-X.
Perry, Bruce (1991). Malcolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America. Barrytown, N.Y.: Station Hill. ISBN 0-88268-103-6.
Rickford, Russell J. (2003). Betty Shabazz: A Remarkable Story of Survival and Faith Before and After Malcolm X. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks. ISBN 1-4022-0171-0.
Sales, William W. (1994). From Civil Rights to Black Liberation: Malcolm X and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Boston: South End Press. ISBN 0-89608-480-9.
Terrill, Robert (2004). Malcolm X: Inventing Radical Judgment. Lansing, Mich.: Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0-87013-730-1.
Further reading
Alkalimat, Abdul. Malcolm X for Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers, 1990.
Asante, Molefi K. Malcolm X as Cultural Hero: and Other Afrocentric Essays. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press, 1993.
Baldwin, James. One Day, When I Was Lost: A Scenario Based On Alex Haley's "The Autobiography Of Malcolm X". New York: Dell, 1992.
Breitman, George. The Last Year of Malcolm X: The Evolution of a Revolutionary. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1967.
Breitman, George, and Herman Porter. The Assassination of Malcolm X. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1976.
Carew, Jan. Ghosts In Our Blood: With Malcolm X in Africa, England, and the Caribbean. Chicago: Lawrence Hill, 1994.
Cleage, Albert B., and George Breitman. Myths About Malcolm X: Two Views. New York: Merit, 1968.
Collins, Rodney P. The Seventh Child. New York: Dafina; London: Turnaround, 2002.
Davis, Thulani. Malcolm X: The Great Photographs. New York: Stewart, Tabon and Chang, 1992.
DeCaro, Louis A. Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and Christianity. New York: New York University, 1998.
Doctor, Bernard Aquina. Malcolm X for Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers, 1992.
Friedly, Michael. The Assassination of Malcolm X. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1992.
Gallen, David, ed. Malcolm A to Z: The Man and His Ideas. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1992.
Gallen, David, ed. Malcolm X: As They Knew Him. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1992.
Goldman, Peter. The Death and Life of Malcolm X. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1979.
Jamal, Hakim A. From The Dead Level: Malcolm X and Me. New York: Random House, 1972.
Jenkins, Robert L. The Malcolm X Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Kly, Yussuf Naim, ed. The Black Book: The True Political Philosophy of Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz). Atlanta: Clarity Press, 1986.
Leader, Edward Roland. Understanding Malcolm X: The Controversial Changes in His Political Philosophy. New York: Vantage Press, 1993.
Lee, Spike with Ralph Wiley. By Any Means Necessary: The Trials and Tribulations of The Making Of Malcolm X. New York, N.Y.: Hyperion, 1992.
Maglangbayan, Shawna. Garvey, Lumumba, and Malcolm: National-Separatists. Chicago, Third World Press 1972.
Marable, Manning. On Malcolm X: His Message & Meaning. Westfield, N.J.: Open Media, 1992.
Myers, Walter Dean. Malcolm X By Any Means Necessary. New York: Scholastic, 1993.
Shabazz, Ilyasah. Growing Up X. New York: One World, 2002.
Strickland, William, et al.. Malcolm X: Make It Plain. Penguin Books, 1994.
T'Shaka, Oba. The Political Legacy of Malcolm X. Richmond, California: Pan Afrikan Publications, 1983.
Wolfenstein, Eugene Victor. The Victims of Democracy: Malcolm X and the Black Revolution. London: Free Association Books, 1989.
Wood, Joe, ed. Malcolm X: In Our Own Image. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.
External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Malcolm X
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Malcolm X
Wikisource has original works written by or about: Malcolm X
The Official Web Site of Malcolm X
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
malcolm-x.org
Malcolm X: A Profile
The Malcolm X Project at Columbia University
Malcolm X Reference Archive
Malcolm X: A Research Site
Interviews
Interview with Louis Lomax, from When the Word Is Given (1963)
Interview with Dr. Kenneth Clark, Spring 1963
Video interview with Herman Blake, October 1963
Interview with A.B. Spellman, May 1964
CBC television interview, January 1965
Other links
Malcolm X's FBI file
The Smoking Gun: The Malcolm X Files
Malcolm X's gravesite