CHICAGO—The life and legacy of Mother Evelyn Muhammad was celebrated and honored on October 11 during a Janazah (funeral) service at Mosque Maryam in Chicago. A wife of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam, she was a “Mother of the Faithful.”
Mother Evelyn Muhammad passed on September 25, 2025.
Born Evelyn Williams on July 8, 1934, in Boston, Massachusetts, Mother Evelyn was described by friends and family as a “precious human being,” “Queen-like,” and “a soldier.”
“It gives me great honor, and I am deeply humbled to offer words of comfort and to honor one of the great servants of Allah (God), our mother, Evelyn Muhammad, a daughter, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,” Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, the National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, said in remarks during the service.
Student Min. Ishmael, a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, described Mother Evelyn as a master seamstress, prolific speaker, writer, and a master cook with a “singing voice of a nightingale.”
“She was graceful, soft, but strong and fierce in her belief and in her love for Allah (God), His Messenger, and the faith. (She was) a believer in Allah (God), a faithful follower and wife of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
“She represented her husband as an example of a Muslim woman, with dignity and grace, speaking and writing as a woman in Islam. She continued her dedication in her husband’s mission by helping the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s chief helper, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam. She did everything to help in the building of the Nation of Islam and the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam. May Allah (God) be pleased and award her for her sacrifice,” Student Min. Ishmael said.
Named after her mother, who passed shortly after giving birth to her, the family moved in with her maternal grandparents, the Johnsons, owners of a successful moving company. Over the years, young Evelyn began singing and studying classical music at the New England Conservatory of Music while her brother, Charles, studied piano and her father remarried.
Tragedy struck again, however, when a fatal car accident took the lives of her father, her step-mother, Esther, and her younger brother, Michael. Mother Evelyn’s mind and spirit were eased when her brother Charles and young Nation of Islam members introduced her to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. She joined the Nation of Islam in 1953.
Speaking as a panelist in 2010, on the history of the Nation of Islam, Mother Evelyn stated, “The word of Allah is an awakening sound. My brother kept trying and asked me to meet this brother in prison, Malcolm X. I finally broke down and said that I would go. I was 18. I couldn’t believe that this brother in prison could teach like this. Soon, Malcolm was released. We used to go to Mosque (Temple) No. 7 on the weekends.”
Mother Evelyn and her brother were passionate about inviting people to mosque meetings. Her brother knew Minister Farrakhan in high school, she said in her 20l0 remarks, and she sold her roller skates to get money to visit the temple in Washington, D.C.
Mother Evelyn was invited to Chicago to be a secretary for the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. At age 23, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad took Mother Evelyn’s hand in holy matrimony. Two beautiful daughters, Sister Eva Marie and Sister Shalamar, were born from this sacred union.
As secretary, Mother Evelyn handled correspondence on behalf of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad from people throughout the United States. Her drive and passion for the liberation of Black people, particularly women, led her to become a role model and speaker at meetings.
“I spent hours with Mother Evelyn in my office,” recalled former National M.G.T. and G.C.C. (Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class, the women of the Nation of Islam) Captain Charlene Muhammad. “She was easy to talk to, always making you feel comfortable in her presence. I will always treasure our special bond as I will always go out of my way to honor her.”
Sister Betty Muhammad of Gilbert, Arizona, was a secretary to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad when she met Mother Evelyn. “I worked inside the Nation of Islam’s National House. This is where I met Mother Evelyn in 1967, and we became close. Mother Evelyn was dear to my heart, and I have been friends with her family ever since,” she said.
“I used to always love to press her nerves because I would like to debate with her on subjects such as health, wellness, and fitness,” Bro. Abdullah Yasin Muhammad recalled with a smile. A son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Bro. Yasin said their conversations were often jovial.
“We thank Allah (God) for giving us this beautiful, precious human being,” he said. “I was blessed to know her from a very young age and growing up as a teenager. … She was such a refined and prudent Bostonian. I am going to miss our debates, and I am definitely going to miss who she was, an intelligent and model M.G.T. and G.C.C. May Allah (God) forever be pleased with Mother Evelyn Muhammad,” said Bro. Yasin.
Not only was Mother Evelyn a secretary, but she also wrote for the Muhammad Speaks newspaper, writing a column on the “Woman in Islam.” She was an ardent student of the Holy Qur’an and owned numerous copies in various translations, which she diligently studied.
Mother Evelyn witnessed many historic Nation of Islam events, including the 1957 Uline Arena address by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in Washington, D.C. Her dedication to the mission continued in her help of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in his rebuilding of the Nation of Islam.
She assisted in the first Saviours’ Day under Minister Farrakhan in 1981, and supported the 1995 Million Man March, the 2000 Million Family March and the 2005 Millions More Movement. She and Mother Khadijah Farrakhan, wife of Minister Farrakhan, were the original designers of the M.G.T. Vanguard uniform worn today by the young women in the Nation of Islam ages 16-35. She helped design fine robes worn by Minister Farrakhan, which included precious stones set in them in the Middle East.
Mother Evelyn Muhammad is survived by her daughters Sister Marie and Sister Shalamar, seven grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, her sister, Sheila Williams, many nieces, nephews, cousins and the believers in the Nation of Islam.
“My mother was the epitome of perfection; she was queen-like, she was regal, she was humble, and she was God-fearing,” said Sis. Shalamar Muhammad. “She was loyal and dedicated to Allah (God), His Messenger, and the Minister. My family and I are grateful to have had her and to have shared her with the Nation of Islam. More importantly, I would like to thank the Believers for loving her the way they did. May Allah (God) be pleased with her.”
To view the Janazah service of Mother Evelyn Muhammad, visit media.noi.org.