Afro-Islamic Philosophy, Black Liberation and the Intellectual Efforts of Blacks to lead Meaningful Lives in American Society

The purpose of this study is to locate the "African" personality within the geographic and socio-religious domains of American society. Working on the assumption that, although Christian philosophy has traditionally exercised the greatest influences on the way blacks have constructed an American identity, Islamic and proto-Islamic philosophies have been increasingly adopted by blacks posing a rival narrative of self-definition. To better understand the black paradigm shift from predominantly Christian understandings to the expanding influence of the Islamic narrative, this study closely examines the writings and publications of black Christian leaders speaking of racial progress through religious duty. Using an inquiring lens of Theodicy, the data collected is analyzed for responses to questions of reconciliation between an "all knowing" God and black suffering in the religion of this God. The study further examines the Philosophy and Sociology of two of the most effective religious movements in proselytizing a distinctly 'African' worldview in Islam: the Moorish Science Temple (MST) and the Nation of Islam (NOI). Data collected, from the scriptures each produced, shows how both sects specifically designed theologies to address the concerns of black Americans who predominantly held Christian views. Additionally, many of the titles, uniforms, themes, and lessons of both the MST and NOI bear a striking similarity to those of freemasonry. In searching for clues pertaining to the space from which the Islamic African personality is derived, the data closely examines the masonic interactions of the acclaimed teacher of Noble Drew Ali, one Abdul Hamid Suleiman, with the black freemasons (Prince Hall). The data will ultimately illuminate the efforts of Africans from the continent and in America, to return or restore the African personality to blacks through Islam. A final synthesis illuminates a process by which Islam proselytized to black Americans, through Noble Drew Ali and Honorable Elijah Muhammad that included genuine efforts to re-construct the African worldview.