Noble Drew Ali was born in the State of North Carolina, January 8th 1886, born of Cherokee descent, destined to become the first Patriot of the fallen Moors here in America. At the age of 16 he traveled to Egypt to begin his journey of Prophet hood and study where all the masters were to be taught. He was anointed as ‘El Hajj Sharif Abdul Ali’ by the heads of Egypt and the Holy City of Mecca to return to North America as the Last Prophet in this era of time and Founding Father of the newly risen Nation of Moorish Americans who’ve been branded ‘Negro’, ‘Blacks’, ‘Coloreds’, ‘Indians’ and ‘Latinos’. At the age of 27 he established the Old Canaanite Temple, a civic organization to bring the fallen Moors back into the constitutional fold of government and mend the connection between us and our ancestors that had been severed due to our identity crisis.
In this electrified age men are racing into this life without complete knowledge of where they are going, or what the end will be, when riches seem to be their only pursuit, to be obtained anyway and at any cost; when selfishness, avarice, greed and lust dominate their very being; when humanity in general is left at the mercy of those who have no mercy in them. It is truly wonderful and astounding to see one come into this mad human drama for the sole purpose of saving humanity. Losing all sight on those things worldly and yielding absolutely to a cause higher than has ever yet been attained. This picture is the likeness of Prophet Noble Drew ALI. who is serving humanity.
Coming as he does with a message for the nations in somewhat the same manner as did Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius and other prophets of their day. Only the things of this prophet's day differ from the ills of the days of the past; and yet the remedy for the ills of today is about the same as the remedies for the days past; all turning about the pivot Love -love for humanity.
Humanity must be lifted from the unwholesome depths of poverty, misery and suffering and placed on the solid rock of salvation. There are some who claim to do this but upon investigation, one finds that they have slouched under the wings of their cross to extract from those who come to them, means by which they can have the pleasures of this life, while they point their followers to joy after death. While they "feed their sheep" they also shear them while eating. At the close of their day the Master will be heard to tell them, "You have your reward, get thee hence."
Rare is it that you find a real prophet whose mission is the salvation of the nations. The land is full of false prophets whose mission is to fleece the people.
The time was and now is that there should come into the land a prophet in the likeness of his brothers, to redeem them from sin and slavery. Truly this Prophet Noble Drew Ali is the man, bringing with him the message of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice. which alone can save the nations. Like the coming of Jesus, he does not come from the elect, nor the rich, nor the mighty in worldly power, but all power is given unto him to do good. This power is from Allah.
It will be his works that will make men of every nation accept the truth that he brings. It will be through his teachings that the nations of the earth will understand the will of the Master; it will be through him that "Peace on earth and good will to all men" shall come. It will be through his work that humanity will be brought from the slime of life and placed on the solid rock of salvation.
After leaving North Carolina, he moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he worked as a train expressman. In 1913, Drew Ali formed the Canaanite Temple in Newark. He left the city after agitating people with his views on nationality. Drew Ali and his followers migrated, while planting congregations in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C., and Detroit. Finally, Drew Ali settled in Chicago in 1925, saying the Midwest was "closer to Islam." The following year he officially registered Temple No. 9.
There he instructed followers not to be confrontational but to build up their people to be respected. In this way, they might take their place in the United States by developing a cultural identity that was congruent with Drew Ali's knowledge on personhood. In the late 1920s, journalists estimated the Moorish Science Temple had 35,000 members in 17 temples in cities across the Midwest and upper South. The ushers or heads of the Temple wore black fezzes. The leader of a particular temple is known as a Grand Sheik, or Governor. The Moorish Science movement was reportedly studied and watched by the Chicago police and eventually investigated by the FBI who had several Moors as informants against the Movement.
Drew Ali attended the 1929 inauguration of Illinois Governor Louis Lincoln Emmerson. The Chicago Defender stated that his trip included "interviews with many distinguished citizens from Chicago, who greeted him on every hand." With the growth in its population and membership, Chicago was established as the center of the Moorish Science movement.
Internal split and murder
In early 1929, following a conflict over funds, Claude Green-Bey, the business manager of Chicago Temple No. 1 split from the Moorish Science Temple of America. He declared himself Grand Sheik and took a number of members with him. On March 15, Green-Bey was stabbed to death at the Unity Hall of the Moorish Science Temple, on Indiana Avenue in Chicago.
Drew Ali was out of town at the time, as he was dealing with former Supreme Grand Governor Lomax-Bey (professor Ezaldine Muhammad), who had supported Green-Bey's attempted coup. When Drew Ali returned to Chicago, the police arrested him and other members of the community on suspicion of having instigated the killing. No indictment was sworn for Drew Ali at that time.
Shortly after his release by the police, Drew Ali died at age 43 at his home in Chicago on July 20, 1929. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown. Despite the official report on his death, many of his followers speculated that his death was caused by injuries from the police or from other members of the faith. Others thought it was due to pneumonia. One Moor told The Chicago Defender that "The Prophet was not ill; his work was done and he laid his head upon the lap of one of his followers and passed out." His funeral took place on July 25, 1929, with hundreds attending. The services were held at the Pythian Temple in Chicago, followed by the burial at Burr Oak Cemetery in nearby Alsip.
The death of Drew Ali brought out a number of candidates who vied to succeed him. Edward Mealy El stated that he had been declared Drew Ali's successor by Drew Ali himself, while John Givens-El, Drew Ali's chauffeur, declared that he was Drew Ali reincarnated. However, the governors of the Moorish Science Temple of America declared Charles Kirkman-Bey to be the successor to Drew Ali and named him Grand Advisor. All three factions (Kirkman Bey, Mealy El, and Givens El) are active today.
Wallace Fard Muhammad, the founder of Nation of Islam, was previously a prominent member of the Moorish Science Temple of America, where he was known as David Ford-El. After Drew Ali's death, he claimed to be the Prophet reincarnated. When his leadership was largely rejected, he broke away from the Moorish Science Temple, moved to Detroit, and founded the Nation of Islam. Nation of Islam leaders denied any historical connection to the Moorish Science Temple of America, until February 26, 2014, when Louis Farrakhan acknowledged Noble Drew Ali's contribution to the Nation of Islam.
In 1986, the Moroccan Ambassador to the United States officially recognized the Moorish Science Temple's Islamic linkage to Morocco through Drew Ali.