Islam. Black Nationalism and Slavery is a documentation of the encounter between Islam, Christianity and enslaved peoples of North America. Working on the assumption that religion is the foundation of the African-American's struggle for freedom and self-knowledge, the book traces their history from the time of slavery to the present.

Beginning with the origins of Islam in Arabia and extending to the African empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai, Mr. Rashad examines the influence that Islam had on the peoples of the African continent and the impact of slavery on African Muslims brought to the Americas.

The book offers several biographical sketches of pre-Civil War Muslim slaves and how Islam was reintroduced into the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the course of his investigation and analysis, he identifies the major landmarks in this history, including the Christian contributions to Black Nationalism by such leader as Henry Highland Garnet, Alexander Crummell, Edward Wilmot Blyden, and the irrepressible Bishop Henry McNeal Turner.

He tells us about the early Muslim slaves of the antebellum period and also discusses the rise of modern Islam in the cities of America. He shows how powerful historical figures such as Marcus Garvey, Noble Drew Ali and Fard Muhammad featured in the drama.

Coming to the present period, Mr. Rashad analyzes the contemporary situation and the various groups that claimed to be the true inheritors and custodians of the Black Power movement and the Muslim faith in America. He presents vivid portraits of such powerful historical figures as Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and many others who have contributed to the present African-American consciousness.

He contends that Black Nationalism in North America has been affected by Islam and Christianity and vice versa, concluding that Islam is now a part of the American social landscape and that Muslims must be taken for what they have become -- part of the United States of America.