CHICAGO—Sister Chloe Muhammad was born on August 24, 1928, in Chicago, where she would later join the Nation of Islam in 1967.
She and her four sisters grew up on the South Side of the city with their parents until their passing. The siblings then lived with their aunt until adulthood.
Sister Chloe was introduced to the Nation of Islam one day as she was walking down the street, and a Muslim brother sold her a Muhammad Speaks newspaper. “The brother asked other people to buy the newspaper, but he didn’t ask me.
I bought the newspaper to find out what he was trying to sell to everybody else. I took the paper home and tried to read it, and I couldn’t understand it, it was like a foreign language. Two years passed, and I heard Malcolm X on television getting into those White folks,” she said.
“I didn’t know what he was talking about. I was just happy seeing White people getting told by a Black man. One day I told my neighbor that I wanted to visit the Temple, and I didn’t know anything about Muslims.
My neighbor’s friend had a sister who was a Muslim, and she called me and walked with me to the Temple. I never realized the Temple was just three blocks away from me at that time.”
“I was so excited to attend the Temple that I went to the stores to find something appropriate to wear to the Temple. During that time, miniskirts were in fashion and that’s all the stores had. I didn’t buy anything;
I went home and took the hem out of my skirts in order to add length, and that is what I wore to the Temple until I became a member and started wearing the Muslim garment,” she shared.
That day Minister James Shabazz was teaching on the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. After being in the Nation of Islam for some time and leaving a corporate job, Sister Chloe worked in the production department of the Muhammad Speaks newspaper. She would eventually move down South.
“The Nation of Islam went through a trying time when the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad departed. During that time, I moved to Atlanta for five years. I was in search of something similar to the Nation of Islam. While I was in Atlanta, I would talk to Black people about pooling our resources and doing for self, but they were not listening,” Sister Chloe reflected.
Upon hearing that the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was rebuilding and restoring the Nation of Islam’s teachings as taught by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Sister Chloe returned to Chicago.
She has remained a consistent member ever since and still attends mosque meetings and M.G.T. Class (women’s class). Sister Chloe is a loving mother of two sons and a daughter, a grandmother to a host of grandchildren, and she is a great-grandmother.
“I love to learn so I love to read. My love for learning and my love of books led me to selling books. I enjoy helping and sharing knowledge with Black people,” said Sister Chloe. “My advice to Sisters in the Nation of Islam is to practice obedience to Allah. Obedience is the key.
Do what the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, it does not matter if you think you know better because you do not,” stated Sister Chloe.
