Yakub (Nation of Islam)

Lore & Background

After attracting a following and causing trouble, Yakub and his 59,999 followers were exiled by Meccan authorities to the Aegean island of Patmos. There, Yakub established a despotic regime, breeding out black traits by killing infants who were too dark. He died at age 150, but his followers continued the process for 600 years until the white race was created. The brutal conditions of their creation determined their evil nature, making them intrinsically prone to lying, violence, and brutality. According to NOI teachings, the white race was destined to rule for 6,000 years, ending in 1914, through 'tricknology.'

Reader's Guide

The story of Yakub is significant as a foundational myth of the Nation of Islam, originating in the writings of founder Wallace Fard Muhammad and developed by Elijah Muhammad. Scholars have traced its origins to various sources, including the Moorish Science Temple's idea of the Yakubites, the historical Battle of Alarcos, or suggest it may have been created with little basis in other traditions. The tale has been interpreted as an example of black theodicy, with similarities to Gnosticism where Yakub serves as the Demiurge, and as a reversal of contemporary racist ideas asserting black inferiority. The NOI's interpretation of the biblical Jacob has been criticized as antisemitic. Under current leader Louis Farrakhan, the NOI continues to assert the story is literally true and proven by modern science. Splinter groups such as the Nuwaubian Nation, the United Nation of Islam, and the Five-Percent Nation share belief in Yakub, though the Nuwaubian Nation teaches a distinct version involving intergalactic battles and gene-splicing. The figure is not part of mainstream Islam and has been routinely mocked. Starting in the mid-2010s, Yakub became the subject of ironic Internet memes, and the story has influenced popular culture, especially hip-hop, since the 1960s.

Did You Know?

• Yakub is identified with the biblical patriarch Jacob in NOI doctrine.
• According to the NOI, the white race was created with an evil nature and destined to rule over black people for 6,000 years through 'tricknology,' ending in 1914.
• The Nuwaubian Nation teaches a distinct version of the Yakub myth in which Yakub was born with two brains, making him a genius capable of gene-splicing.
• The story of Yakub originated in the writings of NOI founder Wallace Fard Muhammad in the early 1930s.