Muslim Women's Book Club discussion
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
July 2020: Reading 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' together
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I got the book from the library, 2001 edition.
I've never read such a long foreword before, but it's probably useful for me since I have very little previous knowledge of Malcolm X.
(view spoiler)
I've never read such a long foreword before, but it's probably useful for me since I have very little previous knowledge of Malcolm X.
(view spoiler)
Chapter 6I read a few pages of the foreward and then skipped it lol!
Am 6 chapters in, a lot is familiar after reading biography not sure why read biography when there has always been autobiography now tbh but to hear it in his own words something else all together. Am excited to read about his initiation into the Nation of Islam but part on now - his crime phase is still good.
A part liked a lot - "...we were huddled in there , bonded together in seeking security and warmth and comfort from each other, and we didn't know it. All of us - who might have probed space or cured cancer, or built industries-were instead, black victims of the white man's American social system."
It's interesting to hear you compare reading a biography vs an autobiography. I was thinking the opposite, maybe you get a more objective picture when you read it from someone else. But at the same time, as you said, it's something else to hear it directly from the person.
Chapters 1-5:
Many of Malcolm x's uncles were murdered, and he thought that he too would die by violence! Hmmm...
I can't imagine the distress of his mother suddenly being alone with 8 (!) children!
I didn't get why the Welfare people were so eager to split up the family. Tough childhood!
Disturbing to read about how he felt like he was treated like a mascot, people were talking about him as he wasn't there. Racism was such a big part of the society, and no matter what he did, I guess he always was reminded of his skin colour, which clearly reflects in the quote you wrote.
I liked this quote: "... a very important lesson in life- that anytime you find someone who are more successful than you are, you know they're doing something that you aren't."
Chapters 1-5:
Many of Malcolm x's uncles were murdered, and he thought that he too would die by violence! Hmmm...
I can't imagine the distress of his mother suddenly being alone with 8 (!) children!
I didn't get why the Welfare people were so eager to split up the family. Tough childhood!
Disturbing to read about how he felt like he was treated like a mascot, people were talking about him as he wasn't there. Racism was such a big part of the society, and no matter what he did, I guess he always was reminded of his skin colour, which clearly reflects in the quote you wrote.
I liked this quote: "... a very important lesson in life- that anytime you find someone who are more successful than you are, you know they're doing something that you aren't."
Chapters 6-9:
'This was the worst of the Ghetto, the poorest people, the ones who in every ghetto keep themselves narcotized to keep from having to face their miserable existence.
When you become an animal, a vulture, in the ghetto as I had become; you enter a world of animals and vultures. It becomes truly the survival of only the fittest.'
What a sad and miserable description :(
There were several nasty parts of this part of his life that I skipped. I was wondering why he narrated so many horrible details of his life, then at the end of chapter 9, I got his answer:
'I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, then I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when- soon now, in prison- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life.'
Subhanallah, over to the better part of his life journey...
'This was the worst of the Ghetto, the poorest people, the ones who in every ghetto keep themselves narcotized to keep from having to face their miserable existence.
When you become an animal, a vulture, in the ghetto as I had become; you enter a world of animals and vultures. It becomes truly the survival of only the fittest.'
What a sad and miserable description :(
There were several nasty parts of this part of his life that I skipped. I was wondering why he narrated so many horrible details of his life, then at the end of chapter 9, I got his answer:
'I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, then I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when- soon now, in prison- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life.'
Subhanallah, over to the better part of his life journey...
Wow subhanAllah that is such a poignant and beautiful summarisation and part of the book. Those chapters were hard to read - what happened to his parents hard to believe less than 100 years ago, when he goes through his years of drug abuse in such detail have such respect for the brutal honesty especially in this day and age when all about PR and editing etc and just using such details for attention.
Am just starting the part where he is learning about the Nation of Islam he really goes into detail of its origins and teachings.
Chapters 10-12:
Interesting perspective of his honesty, I hadn't thought about it that way...
Yeah, all that fake stuff about Islam!
I found it interesting how he tied his past to accepting the truth:
'Only guilt admitted accepts truth'
' The very enormity of my previous life's guilt prepared me to accept the truth'
Chapter 10 ended thought provokingly with Malcolm telling the Muslims of the East that ' their silence left a vacuum into which any religious faker could step and mislead our people'.
I found the chapters about Malcolm's life in prison interesting.
He was inspired to start reading because of a well spoken inmate. Really, he wrote the whole dictionary?!
He didn't even think about being imprisoned: ' I never had been so truly free in my life'.
In the foreword he said that after college, prison is the best place to go to think, he he...
' I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. '
I related to his nice words about reading; reading really stimulates your mind :)
Interesting perspective of his honesty, I hadn't thought about it that way...
Yeah, all that fake stuff about Islam!
I found it interesting how he tied his past to accepting the truth:
'Only guilt admitted accepts truth'
' The very enormity of my previous life's guilt prepared me to accept the truth'
Chapter 10 ended thought provokingly with Malcolm telling the Muslims of the East that ' their silence left a vacuum into which any religious faker could step and mislead our people'.
I found the chapters about Malcolm's life in prison interesting.
He was inspired to start reading because of a well spoken inmate. Really, he wrote the whole dictionary?!
He didn't even think about being imprisoned: ' I never had been so truly free in my life'.
In the foreword he said that after college, prison is the best place to go to think, he he...
' I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. '
I related to his nice words about reading; reading really stimulates your mind :)
Same I loved how he spoke about reading in prison! The way it opened his horizons completely see the importance of educating yourself instead of just what told to read at university was inspiring and so relatable the amount of knowledge he consumed and his love of reading was so inspiring.Yea that was so true lack of unity/ silence of majority leaves other groups vulnerable to such ideas
Chapter 16-18How did you feel about Malcolm's betrayal from the NOI leader?
Thought it was amazing how he gracious he was about it.
His experiences in Hajj r really heart warming make even more excited for when my time comes InshaAllah and do weird dhul hijjah starting today.
Yeah, I was thinking the same... But I was more preoccupied with being shocked by the false prophet, how he said his evils were 'fulfilling prophecy', gross! So many people followed him ( or was it Malcolm they were really following..?).
Like a tiny preview of the coming of Dajjal. May Allah protect us.
It's interesting that the King of Saudi Arabia said to Malcolm that there was an abundance of English literature about Islam, so that there are no excuses for ignorance, and no reason for sincere people to allow themselves to be misled... Either way, alhamdulillah, we have so much better access to knowledge these days, but you have to be interested and sincere in gaining this knowledge...
Yes, his stay in Mecca was heartwarming!
I can't imagine the overwhelm of emotions I would feel going there :'(
And how Malcolm's sister gave him her own hajj savings, for him to go to hajj, so sweet :)
It was interesting to see how he got totally new perspectives when he went to Saudi and Africa; looking at America and it's problems from outside.
And he finally got to see people of all colours peacefully together as brothers and sisters in Islam.
Like a tiny preview of the coming of Dajjal. May Allah protect us.
It's interesting that the King of Saudi Arabia said to Malcolm that there was an abundance of English literature about Islam, so that there are no excuses for ignorance, and no reason for sincere people to allow themselves to be misled... Either way, alhamdulillah, we have so much better access to knowledge these days, but you have to be interested and sincere in gaining this knowledge...
Yes, his stay in Mecca was heartwarming!
I can't imagine the overwhelm of emotions I would feel going there :'(
And how Malcolm's sister gave him her own hajj savings, for him to go to hajj, so sweet :)
It was interesting to see how he got totally new perspectives when he went to Saudi and Africa; looking at America and it's problems from outside.
And he finally got to see people of all colours peacefully together as brothers and sisters in Islam.
How do you feel about Sister Betty? She was an awesomely supportive wife! It was hilarious, the way Malcolm proposed to her, haha :D
This book has left an impact on me, I think it's because he was so fearless and so committed to his cause. He worked tirelessly and gave 100%.
What's your most important lesson(s) from this book?
This book has left an impact on me, I think it's because he was so fearless and so committed to his cause. He worked tirelessly and gave 100%.
What's your most important lesson(s) from this book?
Yes she was and that story was funny! The way he spoke of her putting up with him was very honest and funny also.I felt emotional as book was ending definitely had an impact on me also, you know what is going to happen and worse still so did he - like how strange he knew how he would die. May Allah Swt blesses him and Sister Betty to a high rank in Jannah for all their sacrifices.
He did work really hard such a formidable force so honest! I admire so much people that confess to be flawed and don't deny when they make mistakes or try to cover them up afterwards.
My most important lesson was to always seek knowledge, sometimes feel as though need further education or something on paper but the amount of knowledge he had from reading was astonishing and inspiring showing that power is in my hands to seek it don't need to spend an extortionate amount of money.
What was your most important lesson?
Sorry also, I'm still angry even after reading biography years ago about how he was treated by the false messiah/founder of the NOI. Ultimately though Allah Swt is Just and everyone eventually gets their due.
Ameen. Mashallah, what a great lesson, you're totally right. I heard someone say ' his life represents constant growth', that's so true! He also shows you how anyone can change, how huge potential people have.
Most of the interesting stuff I've learnt is outside of a school setting. I was so tired of school that I started hating reading. But when I was done with University and got to choose myself what I want to read and learn, I just started loving reading again. So let's keep learning and growing :)
One of my biggest lessons was learning about the deep effects of racism, how ugly it truly is. How it forms the people who grow up in such a corrupt society.
Yes, Allah is the most just, the most merciful. Jazakallah khair :)
Most of the interesting stuff I've learnt is outside of a school setting. I was so tired of school that I started hating reading. But when I was done with University and got to choose myself what I want to read and learn, I just started loving reading again. So let's keep learning and growing :)
One of my biggest lessons was learning about the deep effects of racism, how ugly it truly is. How it forms the people who grow up in such a corrupt society.
Yes, Allah is the most just, the most merciful. Jazakallah khair :)
Write the chapter number you are writing about as the headline, so that anyone reading the book don't accidentally read a spoiler. You can also use a spoiler tag: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2...