First Lady of the Nation of Islam remembered as the God-given helpmeet who helped the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan rebuild the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad
CHICAGO—On command, women in pristine white M.G.T. Vanguard uniforms marched in disciplined cadence toward the casket of Mother Khadijah Farrakhan Muhammad. Behind them came ranks of the Fruit of Islam, their tan uniforms pressed to perfection, synchronized footsteps moving through the sanctuary of Mosque Maryam.
When the command for the Nation of Islam’s original salute was given, hundreds of right hands of the Nation of Islam Honor Guard, and people packed in the sanctuary.
Snapped sharply to their brows in unison before slowly descending to each person’s side—a final tribute to the woman Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad later described as “a top soldier” and one of the greatest helpers Allah (God) gave to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
The Janazah (funeral) service that was both solemn and triumphant was not simply a farewell to the beloved wife of Minister Farrakhan, but a celebration of the First Lady of the Nation of Islam, whose quiet strength, unwavering faith and decades of sacrifice helped rebuild the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad while shaping generations of believers around the world.
Thousands filled the Nation of Islam’s international headquarters July 3 to bear witness to that legacy. The sanctuary overflowed with family members, believers, mosque officials, community leaders and dignitaries representing government, faith communities, civil rights organizations and the arts.
Mother Khadijah, returned to Allah (God) on June 27 at age 90.
Among those paying their respects were Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson; music legend Stevie Wonder; entertainer Janet Jackson; singers Stephanie Mills and Johnny Gill; actor and director Tasha Smith; hip-hop pioneers Chuck D and Doug E. Fresh;
Exonerated Five member and New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam; the Rev. Otis Moss III.; the Rev. Jeremiah Wright; Father Michael Pfleger; members of the family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. including, his widow Jacqueline Jackson, sons Jesse Jr., Yusef and Rep. Jonathan Jackson and daughter Santita Jackson;
Bishop Banza Mukalay; former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun; media personality, the Rev. Mark Thompson, Rep. Al Green, Attorney Londell McMillan, and social justice advocate Tamika Mallory and numerous elected officials, clergy, artists and longtime friends of the Farrakhan family.
An outpouring of condolences from around the world were also announced. Resolutions were received from Mayor Johnson, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, Rep. Danny K. Davis, Gary, Indiana, Mayor Eddie Melton and Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad.
Messages of sympathy arrived from Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dr. Cornel West, Don Lemon, Chaka Khan, Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle, Yolanda Adams, Tavis Smiley, Charlamagne tha God, Russell Simmons, Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes.
T.I., Damon Dash, Ricky Dillard, Harvey Mason Sr., Michael Eric Dyson, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Raheem DeVaughn, CeeLo Green, Baby and Slim of Cash Money, 2 Chainz and scores of other faith leaders, artists and public officials, reflecting the broad reach of Mother Khadijah’s influence.
A life shaped and prepared by Allah (God)
Despite the distinguished guests and worldwide expressions of sympathy, the service remained centered on its true purpose. In Islam, a Janazah service is not intended to mourn over the dead, but to bear witness to a righteous life lived in submission to Allah and to remind the living of their own accountability before God.
“Mother Khadijah cannot be measured by ordinary comparison because she was not an ordinary woman,” Student Minister Jeffrey Muhammad told the congregation. She belonged, he said, to “the category of women of discipline, dignity, intelligence, sacrifice and extraordinary love.”
The simplicity of the Janazah service reflected Islamic tradition. There were no musical performances or elaborate tributes—only prayer, remembrance and gratitude to Allah for a life devoted to faith, family and service.
Born Betsy Ross on Nov. 26, 1935, in Boston, Mother Khadijah’s life intersected with that of Minister Louis Farrakhan, at the time known as Louis Eugene Walcott in what many throughout the service described as Divine Providence. When Betsy was 8 years old, her older brother Richard brought home an 11-year-old friend after young Louis defended him from a neighborhood bully.
“Allah used young Richard as an agent of His perfect will to bring together two hearts, two souls and two minds,” the commemorative biography stated. The childhood friends became high school sweethearts and married on Sept. 12, 1953.
Two years later, while attending Saviours’ Day with their infant daughter, Mother Khadijah immediately accepted the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Minister Farrakhan would later recall that she accepted before he did. “She got up and went to the back and was joining on,” he remembered. “She joined before I did.”
Minister Farrakhan recounted how his uncle then came and encouraged him to get up and join as well. That decision marked the beginning of nearly seven decades of service to Allah, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam.
More than Betsy, more than Khadijah
Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, urged mourners to look beyond the chronology of Mother Khadijah’s remarkable accomplishments and instead consider the Divine Hand that shaped her life.
“We read the beautiful obituary, which gave us a snapshot of her 90 years of living,” he said. “But she was so much more. Her real history has not yet been written. When it is told, we will see her even better.”
Even her names, he explained, reflected Allah’s purpose. Her birth name, Betsy—derived from Elizabeth—means “God is my oath,” symbolizing unwavering faithfulness to God. “She fulfilled her oath,” Student Minister Ishmael said. “She made her word bond.”
Years later, Minister Farrakhan gave his wife the name Khadijah, after the beloved first wife of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first believer to accept Islam and the woman whose steadfast support sustained the Prophet during the earliest years of his mission. Student Minister Ishmael explained the parallel was unmistakable.
Just as Khadijah stood beside Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Mother Khadijah became the first supporter of Minister Farrakhan’s decision to rebuild the Nation of Islam.
“When the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan decided to rebuild the Nation of Islam,” he reminded the audience, “she was the first to say, ‘Go on with it. I’m with you.’”
“For nearly 73 years, she did not stand behind her husband,” he said. “She stood strongly with and by his side in the mission of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.”
Then came the line that resonated throughout the sanctuary. “She was the greatest helper Allah gave to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.” Cries of “Allah-u-Akbar (God is great)” echoed throughout Mosque Maryam.
Student Minister Ishmael challenged the audience to think beyond titles such as wife, mother and grandmother. “She was more than what the eye met,” he said. She was fashioned by Allah to uplift a people, preserve a Nation and help fulfill a Divine Mission whose influence continues to reach around the world.
The woman behind the mission
While Minister Farrakhan became the public face of rebuilding the Nation of Islam, Mother Khadijah quietly helped construct the foundation upon which that work would stand.
Serving as the Nation’s first National Secretary and first National Accountant, she maintained financial records, processed correspondence and helped establish the administrative systems that supported the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam.
She also helped produce the earliest editions of The Final Call newspaper, which began in the basement of the Farrakhan family’s South Side Chicago home. Student Minister Ishmael noted that Mother Khadijah and her daughters “had her hand” in those first editions, performing the countless unseen tasks that kept the new publication alive.
An accomplished seamstress from childhood, she transformed that gift into a ministry of dignity.
Student Minister Ishmael drew a striking comparison between the historical Betsy Ross and Mother Khadijah. The first became known for sewing the American flag. The second, he said, became the “needle and thread of Allah,”
Helping stitch together the moral fabric of a people through the uniforms she designed for the M.G.T. and G.C.C. (Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class, the women of the Nation), the M.G.T. Vanguard (women ages 16-35) and other official garments that became symbols of modesty, discipline and righteousness.
“They represent the righteousness of God and the purity of heart that should be under the garment,” Student Min. Ishmael said, encouraging Muslim women to wear them “with dignity and grace.”
Her vision eventually became Newell Apparel, clothing thousands of women throughout the Nation of Islam and beyond. More than garments, those uniforms reflected a civilization she helped build—one stitch, one family and one believer at a time.
A mother to a Nation
If Mother Khadijah Farrakhan Muhammad helped build the institutions of the Nation of Islam, those who knew her best said her greatest work was building people.
Together, she and her husband raised nine children while opening their home to students, guests, dignitaries and believers seeking guidance. Family life revolved around prayer, discipline and service to Allah.
The values she instilled extended beyond her immediate household to dozens of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and generations of spiritual children who affectionately called her “Mother.”
Her nurturing spirit reached throughout the Nation. For more than two decades, she sponsored the Children’s Village during Saviours’ Day conventions, creating educational and cultural experiences that introduced thousands of young people to science, history, recreation and the principles of Islam.
Adults gathered at Mosque Maryam smiled as they recalled childhood memories shaped by her vision, while others quietly wiped away tears remembering her gentle encouragement and unwavering belief in Black children.
Her ministry also extended around the world. Accompanying Minister Farrakhan on diplomatic missions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia and the Middle East, Mother Khadijah met presidents, kings, queens and heads of state with the same grace she showed ordinary people.
Their daughter, Sister Khallada Farrakhan, recalled that wherever they traveled, her mother’s attention naturally turned to women and children, especially those whose needs were greatest.
For many gathered inside Mosque Maryam, those countless acts of kindness explained why the sanctuary was filled beyond capacity. They had not come simply to honor the wife of one of the world’s most recognized religious leaders. They had come to pay tribute to the woman who had quietly mothered an entire Nation.
Gratitude over sorrow
That spirit of thanksgiving reached its emotional climax as the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, adored in all white, rose to address the congregation after spending much of the Janazah seated not far from his wife’s casket.
Before speaking of his own loss, Minister Farrakhan thanked Allah, acknowledged the moving remarks delivered by Student Minister Ishmael and expressed his appreciation to those who had traveled to honor Mother Khadijah.
“I want to thank Allah for the wonderful words spoken by His (the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad) son,” he said. “I want to thank all of you who came so that you could pay your respect to this wonderful, wonderful wife of mine—and mother of all.” His voice remained steady, though emotion was unmistakable.
The sanctuary fell silent as all eyes fixed on the Minister. “This is the hardest day of my life,” he said. “Not to say goodbye,” Minister Farrakhan continued, “but to thank Allah openly and confess openly that this woman is the greatest gift that I have received, except the Coming of God, the raising of the Messenger and giving me life.”
For those gathered inside Mosque Maryam, the statement carried extraordinary weight. It came not only from a divine servant who has addressed presidents, scholars and audiences across five continents, but from a husband reflecting on nearly 73 years of marriage, partnership and shared sacrifice.
Then came the words that distilled decades of history into a single sentence. “She was and is the wind beneath my wings,” Minister Farrakhan said. “And I hope, with all my heart, that every man would be gifted with a woman like Khadijah.”
Before him sat rows of brothers of the Fruit of Islam, sisters of the M.G. T. and G.C.C. dressed in brilliant white, children, grandchildren, longtime believers and friends from diverse religious, civic and cultural communities. The Nation he and Mother Khadijah had labored to help build was gathered before him.
“I am so proud,” he said, “that Allah put it in my heart to rebuild the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and to lift His name again before the world. I defended him and taught on five continents about this great, great leader, teacher and guide.”
Gesturing toward the congregation, he smiled.
“I’m so proud of my wife … and the sisters and the brothers … and the beauty of all of you standing in unity as a mark of the high civilization that the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad wanted to see among our people.”
The congregation responded with sustained applause. Some embraced. Others nodded through tears. For a brief moment, sorrow yielded to gratitude. Minister Farrakhan closed not with a farewell, but with a charge to continue the work that he and Mother Khadijah had devoted their lives to building. “So, let’s keep it moving,” he said. “Let’s march on—till victory is won!”
A final salute
As the Janazah concluded, members of the F.O.I. gently lifted Mother Khadijah Farrakhan Muhammad’s casket and carried it from Mosque Maryam as family members and close friends followed.
Before departing for Oak Woods Cemetery, sisters moved through the sanctuary distributing peppermint candies, a tradition taught by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. As the candy dissolves, Student Minister Ishmael explained, only its sweetness remains—a reminder that while the bitterness of loss fades with time, the sweetness of a righteous life endures.
Outside, believers quietly lined the walkways. Some stood at attention. Others embraced family members and lifelong friends. The motorcade slowly assembled for its final journey as rain fell from the sky.
For nearly 73 years, Mother Khadijah Farrakhan Muhammad faithfully stood beside the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan as he labored to rebuild the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
She rarely sought recognition, yet her influence touched nearly every chapter of that work—from the Nation’s earliest administrative offices and the first editions of The Final Call, to the Children’s Village, Newell Apparel and the countless lives she nurtured through quiet acts of service.
As the procession departed Mosque Maryam, one truth had become unmistakably clear. Mother Khadijah’s earthly assignment was complete. But the family she helped nurture, the Nation she helped rebuild and the civilization she helped strengthen continue to march forward.
Mother Khadjah Farrakhan is survived by her husband, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, seven children: Sis. Betsy Jean (Maurice), Sis. Maria (Alif), Sis. Donna, Student Supreme Captain Mustapha, Sis. Fatima (Kamal), Sis. Khallada and Bro. Abnar (Toni); over 47 grandchildren, over 67 great-grandchildren, and counting, her sister Sylvia Diamond, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and a grateful Nation of Islam.
Perhaps no words captured that enduring legacy better than those spoken earlier by Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad. “Her real history has not yet been written.” Judging by the thousands who filled Mosque Maryam to honor her life, that history will be told for generations to come.
To view the Janazah service of Mother Khadijah Farrakhan in its entirety, visit media.noi.org.
