Prophet Noble Drew Ali — Uplifting a Nation
A forgotten Islamic prophecy, attributed to Prophet Mohammed himself, foretold about the end of the world and what would happen thereafter to his community. Muhammad replied that the world will come to an end when the most perverse and worst people appear to a part of his community who will still be inhabiting “an island situated in the extreme west“. Because of their worldliness and neglecting the religious law, God would subject them to a people worse than themselves. As a result, they will become captives to foreigners, their land stolen, forced to eat pork, and subject to killing and conversion. They will endure other oppression’s to the point of hopelessness and despair, until Allah – the Avenger – would send someone to rescue them. However, the prophecy warned that their salvation would only come with their return to the religious law.
According to the prophecy, the sign signaling their redemption would occur when the Islamic New Year falls on a Saturday. The Islamic New Year (1st Muharram) falling on a Saturday is nothing special in itself. That happens every 4 or 5 years. However, the prophecy mentioned that it would be accompanied with “a sign consisting of a cloud of birds, …along with much cloud, scarcity of water, trees bearing extra fruits, and other signs in that year”.
As fate would have it, Noble Drew Ali was born in the state of North Carolina on Friday January 8th, during the record setting Blizzard of 1886. The Islamic New Year fell just 3 months earlier, on Saturday 1st of Muharram 1303 A.H. (Oct. 10th, 1885). That fall, the first of signs began to appear. Birds began flying south earlier than usual, beavers were seen collecting more wood than normal for the winter ahead, and some cattle grew thicker and shaggier coats. The blizzard kicked-off what came to be known as “The Big Die-Up” of 1886-87. The summer of 1886 was unusually hot and dry nationwide, with numerous wild fires and water sources often dried up. Noble Drew Ali, the Prophet, had arrived.
The Early Years — Canaanite Temple and the Divine Movement
Early in his years, he traveled abroad, and became an adept student of Egyptian mysticism (Sufi). He supported himself by utilizing his extraordinary teaching and abilities.
At the age of 27, he founded the Canaanite Temple in 1913 (Newark, New Jersey). The organization had a purpose to “uplift fallen humanity” here in the Western Hemisphere. He began to do this by advocating that terms such as “Negro/ Black/ Colored/ and African-American” were relics, incidents, and badges of slavery that must be abandoned in favor of returning to their Moorish heritage. In addition, Drew Ali taught his members the true creed of Islam using the same Holy Bible already familiar to them. His scriptural mastery of the Bible allowed him to make its mysteries plain. His mission grew exponentially as word of his doctrine and success spread. On May 1st 1916, he founded the Moorish Divine National Movement for the uniting of the Asiatic States of North America.
Our Prophet, and His Divine Mission
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them as a tale (that is told). So away with a people who do not believe” — Quran, Sura 23:44
Noble Drew Ali was the first to teach that, during the time of slavery, the nationality and divine creed of the Moors was taken away from them in the Americas. Subsequently, the words Negro, Black, Colored, Ethiopian (and now African American) was given to their descendants. They were also stripped of their familial and tribe names. These things are called incidents and badges of slavery. Sadly, our people unwittingly carry these relics of Slavery to this day without understanding the spiritual and political ramifications. These relics of slavery are (in law) the reason why “Black Lives [Don’t] Matter“.
The New Jim Crow, Police killing with impunity, are some of the legal consequence (and reality) of not proclaiming your nationality to the government in which you live. This is because Black means (legal) death, and you cannot kill what is already dead (in law). See the legal terms: ‘Civiliter Mortuus‘ and ‘Nullius Filius‘
Prophet Noble Drew Ali declared it a sin to carry these relics of slavery— when “just 2 hours in an up-to-date library” would reveal the true identity of these de-nationalized people.
Therefore, the Prophet began to redeem the Asiatics of America, who are of Moorish descent, by returning them to their ancient forefathers divine creed (Islam), nationality (Moorish), and tribe names (EL and BEY). The result will be thier earthly and divine salvation.
The covenant of the great God-Allah: “Honor they father and they mother that thy days may be longer upon the earth land, which the Lord thy God, Allah hath given thee!”…”Come all ye Asiatics of America and hear the truth about your nationality and birthrights, because you are not negroes. Learn of your forefathers ancient and divine Creed. That you will learn to love instead of hate”. —Moorish Koran, Chapt. 48:9-10
The Divine Movement Spreads Nationwide
In the early 1920’s, Noble Drew Ali moved the Temple from Newark NJ, to Chicago, IL, and incorporated as a civic corporation under the name Moorish Temple of Science. On August 1, 1928, it was changed to a religious corporation, “because the work was largely religious”. By 1928 there were 15 temples in various states, nationwide. Noble Drew Ali mandated Temples become spiritual, economic, and political entities.
Noble Drew Ali made the Moorish family the focal point of his movement. Members were encouraged to marry and raise their children to become “guiders of the nation“. The Temple issued Moorish Nationality & Identification Cards to members. This strengthened their group economics and had a deep psychological effect to strengthen our national unity.
Most temples had some sort of enterprise of their own, such as: restaurants, catering, laundromats, real estate, or grocery businesses. The Prophet formed the Moorish Manufacturing Corp. to package and consign his Ayurvedic-based “Moorish Mineral & Healing Oil“, “Body Builder & Blood Purifying Tea“, and “Antiseptic Bath Compound” to the various temples nationwide. This was a means to serve the community with tangible healing of the body and identity, while simultaneously being industrious. Therefore, products of the Moorish Manufacturing Corp. became tools to transform Moorish bodies into a “clean and pure nation”.
Noble Drew Ali – The Human Rights Champion You Never Heard About
Noble Drew Ali advocated that Moorish unity was key to true wealth and power. He proved his claim by recruiting prominent Moors of the local communities to be members and officials of the Temple. In Chicago, that included members such as: “Chicago’s first Black Banker” – Bro. Jesse Binga; president of Binga Bank; IL Rep. George Blackwell Bey; 2nd Ward Alderman Louis B Anderson; Congressional Rep. Oscar DePriest; and Supreme Grand Business Manager of the Temples – Atty. Aaron Payne El.
The Chicago Temple #1 successfully endorsed the candidacy of Alderman Anderson, Rep. Blackwell, as well as Chicago Committeeman, Oscar DePriest, for the United States Congress in 1928. The endorsement of DePriest came at the opening meeting of the Moorish Science Temple of America’s first annual National Convention, held in Chicago on October 16, 1928. Despite the fact that many others were afraid to express their open support for Bro. DePriest – out of fear his campaign might not be successful – Prophet Ali and his Moors cast their endorsement publicly with the Moorish Guide National Newspaper. Prophet Drew Ali prescribed many things for the members of the Moorish Science Temple of America, and its government, the Moorish Divine National Movement. A considerable amount of it has been taken out of context by outsiders, and those posing to represent the MSTA. However, “The Moorish Guide” articles from 1925-1929 will provide a truth seeker the best insight to the intent and context behind many things our Prophet said and did.
Long before the Civil Rights laws, Prophet Drew Ali organized 5,000 members of the Chicago Temples, and 100,000 members across 15 states, as one united bloc of national voters. Dubbed the “Free National Ballot“, it was the jewel in Drew Ali’s turban. Members of the several temples voted locally according to instructions from their Grand Sheik. State level instructions for the ballot came from their Grand Governor. Prophet Noble Drew Ali instructed all members on casting votes at the federal level. Members of the Chicago temples were residents of the first Congressional District of Illinois. With Drew Ali at the helm, they proudly cast their unified vote for Luis Anderson and Oscar DePriest. It propelled them both, but made DePriest the first person of African descent to serve in congress in the 20th century, and he was the only minority voice for 30 years.
After negotiating campaign promises, Prophet Drew Ali orchestrated a vast voters registration drive nationwide. The Free National Ballot bloc members were so enamored with the Prophets’ sincerity, vision, and strategy, they were willing to cast their individual vote as instructed by leadership, for the collective success of the group. Drew Ali attended Governor and Presidential Inaugurations, and there courted for the Moorish vote. What were the results? Contracts for Moorish businesses, good jobs for members, access to negotiated resources, and enhanced Moorish socio-economic status nationwide.
The Divine Plan of the Ages – An Everlasting Solution
The Free National Ballots’ (FNB) concentrated style of voting took place 30 years before the Civil and Voting Rights Acts existed, and at the very same time that Negro/Black/African American voters were still being subject to poll taxes, poll tests, lynching and other forms of voter discrimination, nationwide.
The photograph below serves as evidence to the practicality of Ali’s strategy and its efficacy. It memorializes the MSTA hosting local power brokers for the Prophets Birthday celebration (Jan. 8th 1928). It illustrates the culmination of proclaiming “nationality”, and leveraging the divine rights of citizenship by means of a peculiar and impregnable political engagement strategy that leads to social and economic transformation for Moorish Americans as a national group. He called it “The Divine Plan of the Ages“.
(2nd at the Rear) Alderman Louis Anderson, (Rear center) Prophet Noble Drew Ali, (Rear right) Congressman Oscar DePriest , (Front center) Supreme Grand Historian & Editor of the Moorish Guide Newspaper – Richard Ross Bey.
I feel that with the help of Moorish Americans in this city, that I have won!” — Hon. Oscar DePriest
Below we see a press release from February 1929, broadcasting who the Prophet instructed the Moors to vote for. In addition, we see the next phase of Drew Ali’s Divine Plan confirmed… “MOORS ENDORSE VILLAGE IDEA“.
Prophet Noble Drew Ali’s Passing — The Movement Declines — Its Reemergence
The “Divine Plan” More Relevant Than Ever
Armed with the success of consolidating and wielding their collective voting power, the Prophet set his sites on establishing a Moorish Village using the very same consolidation of power. Unfortunately, he passed on July 20th 1929 before it could be brought to fruition. However, the Divine Plan was left for us to adopt and implement. Isn’t it more relevant now than ever?
With the advent of the Prophets death, membership dwindled and leadership lacked resources to execute. However, the internet age has brought a resurgence of interest in the MSTA, Moorish Nationality, and Prophet Noble Drew Ali’s teachings. Temples are growing again, and we think it important that Prophet Noble Drew Ali’s Divine Movement receive the proper perspective.
As a national group, Black/ African Americans Moorish Americans are still enduring the oppression mentioned in the Islamic prophecy first mentioned above, because they have failed to honor the divine and national principles of their forefathers. As a result, our people continue to be oppressed without justice. We still hold less than 1% of America’s wealth. We have no political power because we have failed to organize ourselves as a national group. On the bright side, a Prophet has come to prove the possibilities that exist. He has proven that all is obtainable with active unity, allegiance to one-another, and adherence to Divine and National principles of the Moorish Movement.
The pilot was a success. The case study is before us. Our path has footprints clearly cut out.
The leadership of the MSTA has resolved to pick up where the Noble Prophet left off. The Divine Plan of the Ages is being resurrected, and we invite all Asiatics and true American citizens to support us.
Allah willing, this has clarified what the Moorish Movement is really dedicated to. We pray this information has motivated you to join us in uplifting fallen humanity… However, that begins with uplifting ourselves. Therefore, proclaim your nationality and JOIN NOW.
