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Nation of Islam

Nation of Islam

1 7.1
A religious and political group in the United States that combines Islam with Black nationalist ideas
  • noun
  • /ˈneɪʃən əv ˈɪzlɑm/
  • US
translation icon : Nación del Islam
  • Many prominent figures, including Malcolm X, were once part of the Nation of Islam.
  • Nation of Islam

And very gently, he hands me the paper and it's the Nation of Islam newspaper.

Examples

  • Under Malcolm XS charismatic leadership, the Nation of Islam grows exponentially.

  • The Nation of Islam advocates for social justice and equality for Black Americans.

  • And very gently, he hands me the paper and it's the Nation of Islam newspaper.

  • But I think it's pretty clear that many people in the Nation of Islam wanted Malcolm dead.

  • This precept had already been central to the Nation of Islam's teachings and continued in many ways among African Americans at Shabazz.

    Academic text (2009)
  • After leaving the Nation of Islam, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca and converted to mainstream Sunni Islam.

    Academic text (2009)
  • From Garvey to the Nation of Islam to Shabazz himself, in these pages we see black America's royal lineage.

  • This foundational doctrine was much like the Ten-Point Program Malcolm X scripted in 1964 for his Organization for Afro-American Unity, regularly published in Muhammad Speaks, the weekly newspaper of the Nation of Islam.

    Academic text (2014)
  • During the 1960s, the Nation of Islam gained significant attention for its teachings and activism.

Surface Forms

Morphology

nation + of + Islam

The words 'nation' and 'Islam' transparently signal a community or collective related to Islam, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer it refers to a group associated with Islam. However, because 'Nation of Islam' is a specific U.S. religious and political organization rather than a literal nation, and its historical/political connotations are not deducible from the words alone, the phrase is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Nation of Islam uses Nation to mean a strong community, not a country, and Islam to show the religion they follow. So the name helps you remember that it is a group working like its own 'nation' to build power and independence for Black people.