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Elijah was active in Detroit until late in 1934, when, because of trouble with local authorities over the operation of the cult school, he moved to Chicago. There, he established Temple No. 2, which became and remains the national headquarters of the NOI.

During the succeeding 30 years, Elijah Muhammad's teachings aroused the interest of many persons who joined the NOI. But Elijah's unorthodox approach and his demands for absolute control over the cult and its members disenchanted many after only short periods of membership. Still, the cult has a certain influence and a considerable following. There are now 38 numbered temples or mosques, one of which is inactive, and 31 unnumbered groups in the United States. Most are centered in the Midwest and the East, with a few groups in the South and a few in the Far West.

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