Character Analysis  Elijah Muhammad  Elijah Muhammad was the shy
and slightly sickly leader of the Nation of Islam organization
for some forty years from the mid-1930s. He and Malcolm first
met after extensive correspondence while Malcolm was in jail.
Malcolm, for the twelve years after he left prison and until his
split with the Nation of Islam, revered Muhammad as if he were a
god and served him as a minister and close advisor. Malcolm
credited Muhammad for much of his knowledge about the world as
well as for his rise from street-smart hustler to respected
leader. The two shared an almost father-son relationship.
Muhammad came from a very poor background in Georgia, where he
was born Elijah Poole. He had only a fourth-grade education and
was sickly but worked to follow and spread the teachings of
Master W. D. Fard. Fard taught Muhammad about Islam and that it
was the best religion for American blacks. Eventually, Muhammad
became a minister at one of Fard's temples and received the name
Elijah Karriem. Muha