Khadijah Farrakhan Dies At 90 After 72 Years With Minister Louis Farrakhan

Khadijah Farrakhan, the 90-year-old First Lady of the Nation of Islam and wife of Minister Louis Farrakhan for 72 years, has passed away.

Minister Louis Farrakhan lost his partner of seven decades when Mother Khadijah Farrakhan passed away at 90 on Saturday, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the Nation of Islam and influenced Hip-Hop culture for generations.

The First Lady of the Nation of Islam stood beside her husband through his rise to prominence, serving as an anchor for their family and the movement itself.

Born in 1935, Khadijah converted to Islam in 1955, two years after marrying Louis, and together they built a life rooted in faith, discipline, and service to their community.

Their marriage lasted 72 years, producing nine children and weathering the kind of public scrutiny that comes with being at the center of one of America’s most influential religious organizations.

According to the Chicago Crusader, the Nation of Islam released a statement saying she was “a loving wife, mother, a faithful devoted follower of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad.”

Two of their sons, Louis Jr. and Joshua, predeceased her, passing in 2018 and 2023, respectively.

From their home in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood, they led the Nation of Islam at Mosque Maryam in the South Shore, becoming fixtures in the city’s spiritual and cultural landscape.

Khadijah’s influence extended beyond the mosque walls into the broader Black consciousness movement.

When she took the stage at the 1997 Million Woman March in Philadelphia, following her husband’s organization of the 1995 Million Man March, she delivered a message that resonated across generations: “A nation can rise no higher than its women. We focus on women but cannot lose sight that we must rise as a family, men, women and children.”

Her words reflected a philosophy that Hip-Hop artists and activists would echo throughout the decades, as the Nation of Islam’s relationship with Hip-Hop culture became increasingly visible through artists like Nas, Tupac, and Jay Electronica.

Behind every major figure stands someone holding the foundation together, and Khadijah was that force for Minister Farrakhan.

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