Nation of Islam: Cult of the Black Muslims/Chapter 6
VI. RESOURCES.
A. Sources of Income
"The prime source of funds for national obligations come from the Muslims' charity, frequently reminds the members in letters to the NOI temples throughout the country. "Muslims' charity" certainly begins at home, for soliciting cult funds, demands that members "should forget their rent, bills, wives and children, as when the Nation needs money you must give." Charity actually implies need, and benevolence and good will to the poor and suffering. But, if "Muslim charity" reaches the poor and needy, Elijah Muhammad must exercise the benevolence, for he controls all the resources of the cult and cannot, himself, be said to be suffering from lack of material things.
Other revenue to support "the Nation" is raised by members at bazaars, rallies, and dinners arranged by the various temples, through sales of the cult newspaper, and from the profits of businesses operated by some of the temples.
It is significant that every activity of the NOI is keyed to the raising of money. Those activities which do not produce the desired profit are abandoned and new activities are then stressed. 1. Funds
Every member of the NOI is required to make regular weekly contributions to numerous special funds collected in each temple. Money collected in four of these funds is sent directly to Chicago for use of the national organization:
- No. 2 Poor Treasury Fund--The prime charity of the cult, for the personal use of Elijah to support his family.
- Central Point Fund--For the expenses of the national organization and to assist in paying the salaries of various ministers.
- National Security Fund--For the defense of Muslims involved in trouble with the law.
- Savior's Day Fund--For a gift which is presented to Elijah at the Muslim convention held about February 26 of each year. Each member is requested to give from $100 to $125 in honor of the NOI founder, W. D. Fard, whose birth date
Elijah claims was February 26, 1877.
Other funds are used for the expenses of the individual temples.
Though the needs of the particular temple determine the number of special funds required, the following have been customary in various temples:
- Administration Fund--For salary and expenses of the temple minister.
- Rent or Mortgage Fund--For payment of temple rent or mortgage payments.
- General Treasury Fund--For general expenses of the temple.
- School Fund--For operation of school or special classes at the temple.
- Transportation Fund--For operation of autos used by temple officers. In addition to these regularly used funds, special collections are
frequently taken for specific incidental purposes. For example, when Elijah attends an NOI rally put on by a certain temple, the members usually must provide extra funds to cover his expenses. Often, when a temple officer needs a new car or some extra item, the members must make additional contributions.
The contributions demanded from members vary in individual temples from about $6 to $13.50 per week. Of course, not all members can meet these demands and this is a frequent cause for ridicule of or disciplinary action against the delinquent member.
NOI rules, which ministers constantly stress to members, include fasting on certain occasions, reduction of regular meals to one a day, and the nonuse of tobacco, liquor, and drugs. Ostensibly, these rules are for improving members' health, but one wonders if there also may be an economic reason behind these regulations made by Elijah. In their constant requests for contributions, ministers remind the members that Muslims who eat only one meal a day save $730 per year more than Christians who eat three meals a day; that, by following the rules against smoking and the use of liquor, they can save additional hundreds of dollars a year; and that, therefore, it should be no hardship for them to make their weekly duty contributions or their annual Savior's Day gifts.
2. Cult Newspaper
While serving as their main propaganda organ, the cult's weekly newspaper, "Muhammad Speaks," is another money-making enterprise. FOI captains regularly emphasize to members that "the number-one program is selling the newspaper." Though the number to be sold varies in individual temples, each FOI member is required to purchase and resell from 50 to 300 copies of each issue of the paper. Contests are held by the various temples. Teams are made up to cover certain areas of each city and prizes are awarded to top salesmen. A winning team of two young salesmen of one temple sold 1,800 copies of a particular edition. Currently, the paper is running a nationwide contest in which the winner, who "circulates" the most cult papers before June 30, 1965, is promised a new 1965 automobile.
Sales by the NOI's unpaid "newsboys" plus income from advertising net the cult approximately $30,000 from each weekly edition of "Muhammad Speaks."
3. NOI Businesses
Most of the larger temples of the cult operate restaurants, grocery or meat stores, clothing stores, or service-type enterprises; and, in nearly all other areas where the cult is active, many additional businesses are owned and operated by cult members. Because these businessmen derive most of their income from sales to other cult members, they buy advertising space in the NOI paper. Then, reaping double benefits, the cult demands sizeable contributions from these business owners.
Elijah constantly preaches that his followers should trade only with other Muslims and stresses the importance he places on Muslims' developing their own business enterprises completely separate from the white society.
Despite Elijah's emphasis on members' operating their own businesses, the cult's many rules restricting its members make the successful operation of a business very difficult. The member who owns a business, just as any other member, is required to attend cult meetings several nights a week and on weekends and is expected to sell his quota of the cult newspaper. For a cult member whose establishment should stay open evenings and weekends, these requirements cause him a loss
of income. Additionally, many of the businessman's customers are cult members who frequently buy on credit. This further restricts the businessman's income because, as mentioned earlier, members are advised to pay their cult dues before paying their bills. 4. Public Activities--Bazaars and Rallies
Other favorite fund-raising activities of the NOI are rallies and bazaars held by the various temples during the year.
Amid much publicity, bazaars are supposed "to focus public attention on the economic potential of the Negro community by displaying the wares, products, and services of Negro businessmen." Some form of musical entertainment is provided, and the Muslim minister and some Negro celebrity usually appear as speakers. Of course, admission is charged, and refreshments and craftwork are sold. ,known in the cult as , is a great drawing card for the NOI and has appeared at bazaars in New York, Boston, and other cities.
Individual temples also hold rallies at which Elijah or some other member of the national hierarchy usually delivers the main speech. Busloads of cult members from nearby temples attend these rallies, and visiting ministers precede the main speaker to "warm up" the crowd with praise of Elijah. Collections are taken from those in attendance, and frequently the host temple arranges a dinner where those in attendance may purchase meals following the rally.
The most important public rally of the cult is the annual convention, called the Savior's Day convention of the Muslims. The 1965 convention was a three-day affair held February 26 through 28 in the dingy, 65-year-old Chicago Coliseum. As at all Muslim rallies, after passing through the searching procedure, the visitor entering the hall was met by Muslim guards holding out buckets for contributions. Elijah appeared and spoke on only two afternoons, the 26th and the 28th. On Saturday afternoon, the 27th, a Unity Bazaar was held. This is a regular event of each annual convention, but for this bazaar there was featured a special boxing exhibition by "Muhammad Speaks" had announced that tickets would be on sale at cult business places for "donations" ranging from $10 for ringside to $1.50 for third-balcony seats. scheduled second exhibition that day was cancelled for an undisclosed reason. Frequently, these Muslim bazaars fall short of the claims set forth for them in advance press notices.
On the last afternoon, the 28th, Elijah spoke before about 3,000 in the hall which could hold 7,500. Because of Malcolm's assassination a few days earlier, violence was expected, and one former Muslim was beaten and forcibly ejected just before Elijah was to speak. The United Press has reported that Elijah's rambling speech lasted over three hours and that "even some of his devoted followers were leaving the Chicago Coliseum as he droned his way through the last hour." Concerning the contents of Elijah's speech, the United Press reported that it "ranged from economics to moon flights, from Islam to short skirts on women, and from the threat of death to men on Mars. He confided that 'Allah takes pictures of people on Mars. They're tall and skinny, they're about seven to nine feet tall, not intelligent as we are.'" The 1965 convention was no glowing success. Attendance at all functions was considerably less than at previous conventions.
B. Wealth
As previously mentioned, all NOI funds and property are under the complete control of Elijah Muhammad. Although most real estate is owned in the names of various temples, members of Elijah's family, or the Progressive Land Developers, Incorporated, Elijah, as the "Messenger of Allah" and absolute ruler of the NOI, makes or approves all decisions involving the financial policies and holdings of the entire cult.
In recent years, Elijah apparently obtained professional aid to protect his real-estate holdings. The Progressive Land Developers, Incorporated, was organized in January, 1963, "to own, operate, manage and maintain, subdivide and otherwise develop and promote real-estate business." Officers of this company are FOI and an old-time member who has no authority but whose name is frequently utilized in the cult's financial transactions. The title to many of the recent real-estate acquisitions of the cult has been held in this corporation's name. For many years, the NOI transacted all of its business in cash; but, since late 1961, the national organization and several of the individual temples have utilized banking facilities. Claiming to be a religious body, the national organization opened corporate accounts, both checking and savings, in the name of "Muhammad's Temple No. 2 of the Holy Temples of Islam." During the 26 months prior to August, 1964, nearly $1,750,000 passed through these accounts.
The Chicago Temple also utilizes individual savings accounts for each of the various funds to which members of MM No. 2 donate money for temple expenses. Many other temples also maintain savings accounts in their home cities for temple funds.
Elijah have personal accounts in banks in Chicago and Phoenix. Rumors have circulated that Elijah and his wife have also secretly deposited funds in foreign banking institutions. Foreign deposits could have been made by Elijah's wife and some of his sons who in recent years have made numerous trips outside the country; however, there are so many ways by which funds could be sent out of the country secretly that it would be virtually impossible to prove this allegation.
C. "Muhammad's 3-Year Economic Savings Plan"
Many persons over the past few years have credited the Black Muslims with helping American Negroes to better themselves through the various NOI programs. One of these programs which the NOI has proudly advertised in its newspaper and by signs on public transportation vehicles is "Muhammad's 3-Year Economic Plan." This so-called self-help savings plan deserves close examination.
Elijah Muhammad began laying the groundwork for his new savings bank program in two articles on economics which appeared in the July 3 and 17, 1964, issues of "Muhammad Speaks." In these articles, Elijah renewed his often-repeated claims that "the white man's time is growing shorter" and that "Christianity has never been able to produce the right leadership for our people--and never will." He again berated the "black man in America" as "a people who do not want to accept their own responsibility," who are "begging and praying to the white man to accept you." Elijah complained that "it is difficult to plan an economic system for a people who are subject to the whim of another people. You are limited in your jobs, salaries and income by the white man. But you can still learn not to be reckless and wasteful spenders."
Elijah advised his readers, "You can save hundreds of millions of dollars--even billions--if you would accept the right economic program and stop using things which destroy your health, such as tobacco, which doctors warn us can cause cancer. X-rays are known also to be dangerous and produce cancer .... Scientists now warn you against gazing into TV sets for any long length of time, because this can produce cancer in the body."
Elijah warned, "The only salvation for you and me now is in unity and being under the guidance of Allah through his Messenger and His program for us all .... Our problem is to be solved by a divine solution of Allah's Messenger. Follow me and live. Reject me and die as people without the help of God and friend."
The first public announcement of Elijah's "divine solution" appeared in the August 28, 1964, issue of the cult paper. Large headlines proclaimed, "Muhammad Calls for--3-Year Savings Plan for Negro." The article by Elijah contained the following excerpts:
"I appeal to all Muslims, and to all the members of the original Black Nation in America, to sacrifice at least 5 cents from each day's work to create an 'Economic Savings Program' to help fight unemployment, abominable housing, hunger, and nakedness of the 22 million Black People here in America who continue to face these problems."
"Send your 25 cents every week to Muhammad's Mosque No. 2--Chicago, Illinois. This 25 cents will be banked until we have a million dollars to begin building a banking system.
Let the entire nation sacrifice...
"
"As soon as we have enough finance in our bank to purchase farm lands sufficient to feed the 22 million black people, we will build storage warehouses to store our produce for the necessities of life for our people."
"Please respond and help yourself. Each and everyone of you will be sent a receipt which will be recorded in our books for the Muslims' Three-Year Economic Program for the Black Nation in America. You will be receipted for every penny you sent to this office, which you will keep as your record"
"I await your response."
The next issue of "Muhammad Speaks" contained another article by Elijah in which he claimed great progress with the "3-Year Savings Plan." Following are excerpts from this September 11, 1964, issue:
"This plan has been accepted by both Muslims and non-Muslims .... Let us continue this most essential work: give all we can and stop buying that which we can do without.
"I am asking that we (the whole nation) sacrifice for the next three years, and when we get enough in our bank we will put it to work to make more money .... "
"We would like to raise at least $500,000,000 in the next three years. If all would contribute willingly and honestly all that they could to this economic plan .... we would soon have billions .... "
"There are millions of your dollars lying in the white man's banks, doing nothing for anyone;..."
"I am appealing to you--each and every one of the 22 million black people of America--to send every penny, nickel, dime, dollar, hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars, and millions of dollars that you can spare to this 'Three-Year Economic Plan;' MUHAMMAD'S MOSQUE NO. 2--5333 South Greenwood Ave.--Chicago, Illinois 60615."
"... When our mark of one million dollars is accomplished, we are going to build a national reserve bank for the black people of America."
To the casual observer, this program may appear plausible. But using a little arithmetic, we find that before Elijah Muhammad could accomplish his goal of $1,000,000 to open the national reserve bank, he would need considerable help from non-Muslim Negroes. For, if every one of his known active followers faithfully contributed the 25 cents per week which Elijah has requested, it would take over 15 years, or well into 1980, to collect that amount.
Even more unlikely of accomplishment is his proposal to raise $500,000,000 in the next three years. To reach this goal, well over 12 million persons would have to contribute 25 cents every week for the next three years.
Could it be that a friend of the NOI applied some arithmetic to Elijah's "divine solution" and pointed out its inconsistencies? At any rate, there appeared in the September 25, 1964, issue of "Muhammad Speaks" a coupon to be clipped, signed, and mailed to the Chicago headquarters of the "3-Year Economic Plan." In fine print was the pledge:
"I am going to enclose 50¢ with this coupon, and every coupon hereafter that is printed in this Newspaper..."
Soon issues of the paper contained more than one coupon. The November 20 issue had five. Perhaps it was felt that if "every coupon" was forwarded to Chicago, Elijah's proposed bank could be started earlier than 1980.
D. Educational Center
Elijah Muhammad apparently desires to initiate programs frequently to show his earnestness in aiding the "so-called Negroes" in America. With his "3-Year Economic Plan" under way, he has renewed an earlier plan for an NOI educational center to be built in Chicago.
This earlier proposed center was announced in 1958. In the following two years, Elijah's constant appeal for contributions began with $3,500,000 and grew to $20,000, 000. Though land was purchased in Chicago, it was condemned later for city use by the Chicago Park District, and the NOI was compensated for its return. Whatever funds were collected in this two-year drive never have been publicly accounted for.
Now, Elijah has revived his drive for a new educational center. In January, 1964, the cult newspaper began the campaign with articles and drawings regarding the proposed center. The plans are even more extravagant than the earlier ones, however, this time Elijah does not set a figure for the amount he needs before beginning the project. Each issue of the paper requests "all
so-called Negroes" to "send your contributions today to: Muhammad's Mosque No. 2 Educational Fund. 
AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER
As seen through the eyes of cartoonist Eugene Majied of Muhammad's idea
(AN ARCHITECT'S DRAWING WILL BE PRESENTED WHEN SUITABLE GROUNDS ARE SECURED)
LET US HELP HIM TO BUILD!THE UNITY OF MILLIONS CAN DO THIS!
Proposed Educational Center