In the long and gloried, if still often hidden history of Islam and Muslims in this land, there is little doubt that the figure that continues to influence and inspire more than any other, even today, forty-six years after he was assassinated, is Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz). For those who are serious about trying to learn from the life of Malcolm X, the best resource of how he understood his life story and the lessons he wished to be drawn by others from his life remains his autobiography, published posthumously and written with the assistance of Alex Haley. Drawing primarily, though not exclusively on that work, here are five of the major lessons that I think one should draw from the life of Malcolm X.
“I had to work continuously since I had to do the chores of all the occupants and when I wanted to take rest due to tiredness, they inserted the nail in my body as a punishment,†she said. “I had to work from dawn to dusk. I hardly slept. They beat me and threatened to kill me and hide my body.†She added that she arranged her travel documents to return home on her own expense. “They were really devils with no mercy at all,†she said.
The issue of salvific exclusivity (that understanding that Islam is the only true path to salvation) versus soteriological or salvific pluralism (the notion that there are many different paths which lead to salvation) is one which is a highly relevant theological issue for Muslims living in modern (or postmodern) pluralistic societies.
Muslims in the U.S. have long touted the fact that the community is racially diverse and highly educated relative to other religious communities in the country. What may be surprising about the results to some, especially in terms of general perceptions of Muslims are some of the findings with regard to gender.
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