Who was the founder of the Nation of Islam?

Wallace D. Fard, originally from Saudi Arabia, founded the Nation of Islam in 1930 in Detroit. He established a temple, the University of Islam and a corps of male guards called the Fruit of Islam that year. According to the group’s website, Fard preached that African-Americans belonged to “the Tribe of Shabazz from the Lost Nation of Asia,” who had been enslaved in America for more than three centuries.

“His mission was to teach the downtrodden and defenseless black people a thorough knowledge of God and of themselves and to put them on the road to self-independence with a superior culture and higher civilization than they had previously experienced,” the website states.

The group mixed the belief systems of Islam -- they read the Quran, worshipped Allah as their God and accepted Muhammad as their prophet -- with Black Nationalism. Fard believed that African-Americans should prepare for a race war and Christianity was a religion for slave owners. Members’ given names, which he believed originated during slavery, should be replaced with Arabic ones.

In June 1934, Fard reportedly disappeared in the woods. His followers believed he was an incarnation of Allah. Today, they celebrate his birthday, known as Saviours' Day, on Feb. 26.