The Martyrdom of Malcolm
Feb. 24th • Written by Sanjay Subhag
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, was a Black Muslim leader who championed the civil rights movement. What differentiated Malcolm X from other leaders was his courageous vernacular, his undying passion, and the development of his faith. Malcolm never failed to speak a true word in the eye of an oppressor despite being shunned and ridiculed by society. A large part of modern history has shut out Malcolm X from the mainstream, orthodox view of what social justice should be. When compared to his civil rights counterpart, Martin Luther King Jr, the narrative is often painted that Martin Luther King Jr was the perfect representation of social justice and civil rights advocacy whilst Malcolm X was one perceived as being harsh, immoral, or hate-spewing. Although some aim to reduce Malcolm’s message, he was a man who looked in the face of adversity and approached the world unafraid to die for truth. Despite being martyred over fifty-five years ago, Malcolm X’s teachings still hold immense impact to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Malcolm’s work went beyond our definition of civil rights today. Of the prevalent issues Malcolm tackled was the breaking of inferiority complexes of Muslims and Black people. Muslims to this day struggle to reconcile between identity and the colonized mindset that has shaped our form of living. Malcolm’s message was not one of hate but the complete opposite. Malcolm preached a healthy self-love, one that encouraged and still encourages both Muslims and Black people to love the color of their skin. The inferiority complex that forces us to believe that there is something wrong with darker skin is one that has ran rampant across not only Muslim communities, but the entirety of the world. We see this namely in the amount of “skin whitening” brands that subtly promote an agenda insinuating that having a lighter complexion is somehow better. “Fair & Lovely” cosmetics are one of the most purchased skin-creams meant to lighten our complexion, promoting and contributing to colorism in Muslim societies. One of Malcolm’s missions was to break this stigma that we must conform to the Eurocentric outlook of life.
Malcolm did not preach self-love without balance. He rejected the concept of racial superiority and echoed that in his widely popular letter from Hajj. Malcolm writes to his wife, “There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.” Such a statement represents what was relayed to us by our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over 1400 years ago when he ﷺ said that “there is no superiority of a white man over a black man, or a black man over a white man, except by piety.” This hadith is often used to prove there is no room for racism in Islam and the color of one’s skin has no bearing in his ranking with God. Malcolm even called upon Americans, citing the true teachings of Islam as the only solution to its race problem. True brotherhood was the one characteristic of Islam that hit home with Malcolm; brotherhood that was not defined by race, but by sincere worship to one God.
When reading Malcolm’s letter from Hajj, we naturally associate it as an “identifier” of who Malcolm X was. Imam Omar Suleiman says in his article, “Malcolm X is still misunderstood -- and misused” to be weary of restricting Malcolm to this letter the way Martin Luther King Jr is often restricted to his “I Have a Dream” speech. One of the most profound lines from this article is when Imam Omar Suleiman says, “Malcolm was a proud Muslim who never stopped being black.” Becoming Muslim did not change Malcolm X and what he stood for. Becoming Muslim strengthened his cause and allowed him to grow into the best possible advocate for change. There was no contradiction in Malcolm X being Muslim and the way he stood up against the oppression of black people in his community. Malcolm himself stated in a news broadcast that despite having a new Muslim name and completing Hajj, he has a responsibility to continuing to do work for the people he belongs to. Malcolm X had quite the unique story, from going to prison to becoming the voice of the NOI, to going on Hajj and accepting orthodox Islam. Malcolm was the man who stood up for black rights while also being the man who cried when he heard the recitation of the Quran.
It would be remiss to not mention advice to those who claim to support social justice, yet use verbiage that contradicts the message that Malcolm X preached. You cannot claim to love Malcolm X if you are using racial and ethnic slurs meant to defame and diminish someone’s race, skin color, or background. Not only is it against the progress of minorities in society, but it is un-Islamic for non-blacks to use the “n” word and justify it as “slang” or something “everyone says”. You are doing an injustice to the work of Malcolm X if you refuse to believe that Black people have been undermined and neglected both in Muslim and non-Muslim communities. You cannot claim to be a Muslim who stands for the rights of others if you are silent in acts of oppression, irregardless if the one oppressed looks like you or not. There is no better time than the present to embody the work of Malcolm X in the way we speak, the way we collaborate and the way we unite as one Muslim body. Muslims who are in privileged positions should be educating themselves on the problems that Black Muslims face, and how we are contributing to the issue at hand. Racism does not end just because we no longer want to think about it. Motions to solve race problems start with ourselves, and trickle down to our families.
It was Malcolm X who said, “It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country.” The legacy of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz should be one championed by American Muslims and non-Muslims of all backgrounds and races. Islam in America would not be what it is today if it was not for the legacy of Malcolm X, a man who courageously spoke truth to power in the face of oppression and ignorance. Never stop telling the world about Malcolm, but never stop practicing what he preached, too.
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