Naeem Abdullah, is an African American raised from childhood as a Christian. His personal quest to find God began after hearing numerous speeches delivered by the late Malcolm X, s...view moreNaeem Abdullah, is an African American raised from childhood as a Christian. His personal quest to find God began after hearing numerous speeches delivered by the late Malcolm X, speeches that he often attended in Harlem, N.Y. in the late 50’s. Before that he had taken matters of religion for granted. Going to Church each Sunday with his parents in the small N.J. town of New Brunswick, were part of his weekly activity, never questioning anything at all about his Christian faith. Malcolm never advocated violence but stated facts, many of these facts were visible in his daily life. After listening to numerous speeches Naeem put much of what he heard in the back of his mind, with the intent of one day verifying the many facts that he. heard concerning blacks, and their connection with the religion of Islam. Years later after moving to Michigan, from N.J,
After reading scores of books his interest was heightened. Naeem says that he now could easily see the connection between African Americans and Islam. Naeem says a short time he joined the Nation of Islam, joining under its founder the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. After the passing of its founder in 1975, the movement split. One group followed minister Louis Farrakhan and remained the “Nation of Islam” while the group that remained with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s son Warith Deen Muhammad, was brought slowly into to the Sunni path of the prophet Muhammad. Naeem chose the Sunni path. Naeem says: “I have not always found it easy to practice Islam in America, mainly because of the misguided biases that many Americans have against Islam. Today I am assured that the struggle has indeed been worth the outcome. I am at home in my soul now I’m at complete peace with my God, my self and all of humanity. I truly believe that--after difficulty comes ease.”view less