Warith Deen Muhammad

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Warith Deen Muhammad (born Wallace D. Muhammad on October 30, 1933) is an influential American Muslim leader. He is now known as Warith Deen Muhammad or Imam W.D. Mohammed. He is the son of Clara and Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad, also referred to as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was the leader of the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, an organization which preaches Black nationalism. Elijah Muhammad died on February 26, 1975.

After his father's death, Warith Deen Muhammad was accepted by followers of the Nation of Islam as their leader. He brought about many reforms, which brought the followers of the Nation of Islam closer to mainstream Islam. He renamed his organization a number of times. He is now the leader of a new project called The Mosque Cares, and most of his followers make up a portion of the worldwide Muslim community and have accepted Islam proper. He also changed the spelling of his last name from the Nation of Islam’s preferred “Muhammad” to the more accepted “Mohammed.”

He rejected the literal meaning of his father's theology and Black-separatist views. For example, the Nation of Islam taught that Black people were God's original people. With his new understanding, based on his life long study of the Holy Qu'ran and the life example of Prophet Mohammed of Arabia, he accepted whites as fellow worshippers and attempted to forge closer ties with mainstream Muslim communities, including Latino Muslims. There are an estimated 7 to 10 million Muslims in the United States of America.

A number of dissident groups resisted the changes in the Nation of Islam. Among these was Louis Farrakhan who announced a revival of the Nation of Islam name for his group in 1981.

W.D. Mohammed gave the first invocation in the U.S. Senate ever by a Muslim. In 1993, he gave an Islamic prayer during the first Inaugural Interfaith Prayer Service of President Clinton, and again in 1997 at the second Interfaith Prayer Service.

Currently, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed is working on fostering positive interfaith dialogue through nationwide lecturing and involvement in the Focolare Movement. His message is no longer exclusively focused on the African American community; it is now inclusive of every race. His lectures are focused on both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. He also is placing a great interest on the establishment of Muslim-owned businesses, schools, and communities in America.