Life in abundance: Diet, Black health and spirituality in the Nation of Islam, 1930–1975

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the relationship between the Nation of Islam and dietary rules, as well as to show how its doctrinal component is linked to a quest for an African American redemption. Although this Black nationalist organization claims to remain within the fold of the Islamic religion, historical research conducted in the 1990s and 2000s has stressed that its message is characterized by peculiar beliefs and religious practices. The author’s analysis relies on writings that were produced by the Nation of Islam – mainly, the two volumes of How to Eat to Live, authored by Elijah Muhammad. These dietetic teachings appear to bond the movement to various new religious movements, mainly of Christian inspiration. It appears probable that this set of beliefs was influenced by the German naturopath Arnold Ehret (1866–1922), thus leading to a significant difference with Sunni Islam.