▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁propag ated ▁peace fully ▁at ▁first ▁by ▁solit ary ▁Ara bo - Ber ber ▁travel ers ▁to ▁certain ▁Black ▁k ings ▁and ▁not ables , ▁who ▁then ▁spread ▁it ▁about ▁them ▁to ▁those ▁under ▁their ▁juris diction ". ▁Many ▁first - gener ation ▁slaves ▁were ▁often ▁able ▁to ▁retain ▁their ▁Muslim ▁identity , ▁their ▁descend ants ▁were ▁not . ▁S la ves ▁were ▁either ▁for ci b ly ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁lands ▁or ▁were ▁bes ie ged ▁with ▁gross ▁incon ven ien ces ▁to ▁their ▁religious ▁practice ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁American ▁main land . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁dec ades ▁after ▁sla very ▁and ▁particularly ▁during ▁the ▁de pression ▁era , ▁Islam ▁re emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁highly ▁visible ▁and ▁sometimes ▁controvers ial ▁movements ▁in ▁the ▁African - American ▁community . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁of ▁note ▁was ▁the ▁Mo or ish ▁Science ▁Temple ▁of ▁America , ▁founded ▁by ▁No ble ▁D rew ▁Ali . ▁Ali ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁influence ▁on ▁Wal lace ▁F ard , ▁who ▁later ▁founded ▁the ▁Black ▁national ist ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁E lij ah ▁Muhammad ▁became ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 . ▁Much ▁like ▁Mal col m ▁X , ▁who ▁left ▁the ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁many ▁African - American ▁Muslim s ▁now ▁follow ▁traditional ▁Islam . ▁ ▁Many ▁former