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Islam in Philadelphia
The gradual rise and spread of Islam in Philadelphia is traceable to the 1950s
following the founding of the National of Islam. Many historians and scholars of religion
consider the founding of the Twelfth Temple in Philadelphia as one of the inaugural moments
that spurred the rapid spread of Islam in Philadelphia and adjacent regions. Predominantly,
the Islam took hold within the African-American community, which seemed particularly
receptive and fascinated by the teachings and doctrines. Scholarly interest in the gradual rise
of the religion has often been attributed to the social afflictions and racial tensions that
imperilled the lives of many African-Americans. Overall, origin and spread of Islam in
Philadelphia is considered as a consequence of the anger, frustrations, social afflictions,
earnest search for a sense of belonging, and the shared consciousness among the early
African-American adherents of the religion.
The impact of the founding of the Twelfth Temple went beyond its basic utility value
as a place of worship to a unifying symbol of hope among the African-Americans (Gibson
42). The Nation of Islam began and flourished at a time when the African-Africans were
fending off the afflictions of poverty, dispossession, crime, drug abuse, racially-motivated
killings, and police brutality. As a minority group, the African Americans endured systematic
subjugation as the powerful and well-resourced white majority. The founders of the group
shared the feeling that an alternative religion other than the white dominated Christianity
could provide some hope for the downtrodden (Curtis 131). Years before the rise of Islam in
Philadelphia, the African-American community had begun to question the value of religion in
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the society given the fact that their affliction proceeded unabated despite their devotion to
Christianity.
Discourses on religion had fostered doubt among large sections of the African
American community because many of them felt that the Christian doctrine sanctioned their
underprivileged status. As elements of Islam gained favour among the radical sections of the
African-American community, some Islamic teachers began projecting the view that the
oppressed black community and their oppressors could never share the same religion and the
same God (Curtis 78). As the social suffering and racial divisions grew, so did the desire to
seek for spiritual fulfilment from alternative centres. The cultural factor also played a crucial
role in the reconfiguration of the minds of the early adherents. Given the fact that religion
constitutes a non-material element of culture, it was widely held that the continued devotion
and contribution to the growth of Christianity could only entrench the aspects of the
oppressive white man’s culture (Curtis 54).
In a practical sense, Islam held the promise of providing a completely new set of
cultural values that would shield the afflicted from their tormentors. Subconsciously, the
African-Americans were in the active search of clean sweep that would replace the old
religious order that they had inherited from the times of slavery (Griffin 26). The
Philadelphia society noticed significant differences between the teaching of Christianity and
the doctrine of Islam in the sense that Islam was more through-going with regard to its impact
on their lives. Apart from religion, the teachings focussed on lifestyle matters such as diet,
dress code, interpersonal relations, character, and important duties. The overall idea was to
change the ways of lives of the African-Americans in such a way that would restore their
hope in life (Griffin 86). Many households in Philadelphia endorsed Islam after noticing the
persistent initiatives of the Islamic ministers to rehabilitate addicts, outlaws, and other
miscreants within their midst.
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As the National of Islam continued to expand its reach, new temples were founded in
many parts of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley (Griffin 30). The spread of the temples was
a strategic move that meant to demonstrate the growing population of the Islamic faithfuls
and also delegate the leadership and functions of the organization. Volunteers would devote
time and resources to the inculcation of Islamic values to the new members who joined the
ranks of the organization as its influence continued to surge within the community. Many
residents who had grown disillusioned with the frustration of the neighbourhood were
determined to improve their lives through Islam (Gardell 59).
Charismatic leadership is widely considered as one of the foremost factors that
contributed to the popularity of Islam in Philadelphia. As the influence of Islam continued to
spread throughout Philadelphia, the profile of Elijah Muhammad grew in a way that projected
him as the unifying factor of all the faithfuls (Gardell 44). Among the major contributions of
