Imam Warith Deen Mohamed: America's Imam

Known as America's Imam, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed served as a spiritual guide and a tireless advocate for human salvation. He called people of all faiths—leaders and ordinary citizens alike—to return to the purity of their traditions. Defining and shaping Muslim life in America, he devoted his life to promoting freedom, justice, and equality for all. He demonstrated that Al-Islam is not only compatible with democracy but helped inspire its core principles, showing that one could live fully as both a Muslim and an American.

From 1975 to 2008, Imam Mohammed traveled the globe, fostering interfaith cooperation for the common good. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he envisioned a world free from discrimination and supremacy, where humanity could achieve excellence and peaceful coexistence.

Born Wallace D. Mohammed in 1933, he was the seventh child of Elijah and Clara Muhammad, founders of the Nation of Islam. Upon his father's passing in 1975, he became its leader. Honoring his father's work in uplifting African Americans, he called the movement to the pure worship of God, pledging to keep only what aligned with the Qur'an and let go of the rest. Within a decade, he transformed the Nation from a theology centered on the divinity of man to the universal message of Al-Islam as taught in the Qur'an and exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This transformation marked one of the largest mass conversions to Islam in the 20th century. In 1977, he led the largest Muslim American delegation in history to the Hajj pilgrimage.

Imam Mohammed introduced the Qur'an as the ultimate source of human identity and dignity, initiating the Committee to Remove All Racial Images of the Divine (CRAID) in 1978. CRAID's work sparked dialogue among Christians and Muslims, leading to the removal of Caucasian depictions of God from numerous churches and restoring dignity to African American worshipers.

He was recognized as one of the most significant religious leaders of the 20th century, serving in leadership roles such as at the Parliament of the World's Religions (1995) and speaking at the Muslim-Jewish Convocation. His unprecedented relationship with the Catholic Focolare Movement and its founder, Chiara Lubich, led to his historic address at the Vatican in 1999, before an audience of 100,000 people, at the invitation of Pope John Paul II. His honors include the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award, the Cup of Compassion from Hartford Seminary, and honorary doctorates. His portrait hangs in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel alongside global icons like Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

Imam Mohammed refused to align his community with foreign governments, affirming support only for the good they did. He rejected sectarian divisions like "Sunni" and "Shia," urging Muslims to follow the example (uswaah) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). As a guest of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1997, he called for unity beyond sectarian labels. In 1992, he became the first Muslim to offer an invocation in the U.S. Senate.

Deeply aware of the shared struggles of African American Muslims and Christians, he taught that they must remain united as one community, bound by heritage and history. He also championed the advancement of women, dismantling gender-segregated organizations, promoting women's leadership, and creating programs such as the Muslim Women's Development Class and the Committee to Enhance the Role of Women in Society (CERWIS). Education remained central to his vision, leading him to rename the University of Islam schools after his mother, Clara Muhammad.

In 1977, he introduced New World Patriotism Day, encouraging Muslims to take on civic responsibility. In 1984, he led the first Muslim Political Convention in Washington, D.C., rallying 10,000 Muslims under the theme "Building Political Responsibility."

In the 1980s, he articulated the vision of "New Africa," affirming both his Islamic faith and African American identity. He encouraged economic self-sufficiency, collective ownership, and the building of model communities. While he moved beyond race as the primary organizing principle, he celebrated African American contributions to Islam—reminding his followers, as Bilal once called believers from atop the Ka'ba, that their destiny was to call all humanity back to worshiping the One God.

Emphasizing unity within the Muslim community, Warith Deen Mohammed also asked the American Muslim community to establish a new school of fiqh, a code of conduct for the observance of rituals, morals and social legislation in Islam. He told Islamica magazine in 2008 that he felt that the madhhab—the schools of thought within fiqh—were geographically influenced and should be regionally developed, suggesting that "I think we are gradually getting a sense of madhabs in America, especially those like me. We are gaining an understanding of the madhabs. And with the coming generation, I think we will gain a much stronger sense of it. It is coming more and more." However, his call for a new madhhab came under fire from mainstream Muslims globally, who questioned his motivation for desiring such an unprecedented action.

Imam Mohammed was sensitive to the potential impact of using images and symbols in religions. In a 1975 article, he explored this topic, and in 1976, he published his first article about the subject in the Bilalian News (later the Muslim Journal). Titled "A Message of Concern", this article has run in every subsequent copy of the publication. He also spoke about the subject. For instance, during a June 17, 1977, Friday service, he taught his followers about "The meaning of colors in Scripture and the Natural Powers of Black and White", describing ancient scriptural symbolism and its effect on modern-day scriptural and religious interpretation. He also elaborated on how colors in scripture have triggered racist influences in religious societies. In 1977, he formed the Committee for the Removal of All Images that Attempt to Portray the Divine (CRAID).

Warith Deen Mohammed's first wife was Shirley Mohammed, with whom he had four children. By 1994, according to The Los Angeles Times, Mohammed had been married four times and had fathered eight children. Mohammed married Khadija Siddeeq in 2004. Mohammed's eldest child,

Beyond his public role in religion and politics,

Imam Mohammed has business in real estate, clothing imports, and skin care. During his excommunication from the Nation of Islam in his 30s, he served as a laborer.

Mohammed died in Chicago in early September 2008 of a likely heart attack. His body was found in his home by his assistant, Rafa Muhammad, on Tuesday, September 9. In addition to cardiovascular disease, Mohammed had diabetes.

According to the Final Call newspaper, "The Janazah prayer service was delayed for close to an hour so the huge crowd that had assembled could be organized and situated." The Chicago Tribune wrote that 8,000 Muslims attended his funeral. His funeral was at the Islamic Foundation Masjid in Villa Park, Illinois. Imam W.D. Mohammed was buried at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens (South), Glenwood, Cook County, Illinois.

He authored the following books.

• The Teachings of W. D. Muhammad, Muhammad's Mosque #2, Chicago, 1976

• The Lectures of Emam W. D. Muhammad, Muhammad's Mosque #2, Chicago, 1976

• Book of Muslim Names, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Mosque #2, Chicago, February 1976

• The Man and the Woman in Islam, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Mosque #2, Chicago, February 1976

• As the Light Shineth from the East, WDM Publications, Chicago, 1980

• Prayer and Al-Islam, Muhammad Islamic Foundation, Chicago, 1982, Library of Congress Card Number: 82-61077

• Religion on the Line, W.D.M. Publications, Chicago, 1983

• Imam W. Deen Muhammad speaks from Harlem, N.Y. Book 1, W. D. M. Publications, 1984

• Imam W. Deen Muhammad speaks from Harlem, N.Y.: Challenges That Face Man Today Book 2, 1985

• Meeting The Challenge: Halal Foods for Our Everyday Needs, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Masjid, Chicago, 1986

• An African American Genesis, M.A.C.A. Publication Fund, Chicago, Illinois, 1986, Library of Congress Card Number: 86-63266

• Focus on Al-Islam: Interviews with Imam W. Deen Mohammed, Zakat Publications, Chicago, Dec. 1988, Library of Congress Card Number: 89-090728

• Al-Islam: Unity, and Leadership, The Sense Maker, Chicago, 1991, Library of Congress Card Number: 91-061449, ISBN 1-879698-00-5

• Worst Oppression Is False Worship "The Key Is Tauheed-Oneness of Allah," WDM Publications, Chicago, 1991

• Growth for a Model Community in America, WDM Publications, Chicago, 1995

• Islam's Climate for Business Success, The Sense Maker, Chicago, 1995, Library of Congress Card Number: 95-071105, ISBN 1-879698-01-3

• Mohammed Speaks, WDM Publications, Chicago, 1999

• Blessed Ramadan – The Fast of Ramadan

• Plans for a Better Future: Peace, Inclusion, and International Brotherhood

• The Schemes Of Satan, the Enemy of Man

• The Champion We Have In Common: The Dynamic African American Soul Books 1, 2, 3, & 4, The Mosque Cares Publications, August 2005

• A Time for Greater Communities, Volumes 1–4

• Securing our Share of Freedom

• Prayer in al-Islam, A Learner's Guide with Instructional CD, WDM Publications, Chicago, 2007

• Return to Innocence: Transitioning of the Nation of Islam, The Sense Maker, Chicago, 2007

• Life The Final Battlefield, WDM Publications, Chicago, 2008