Noble Drew Ali: Harlem’s Mystical Prophet of Moorish Science and Manifestation

At The Universe Unveiled, we uncover the forgotten architects of spiritual power—those whose teachings predate and shape what we now call manifestation. One such figure is Noble Drew Ali, the mystic prophet who founded the Moorish Science Temple of America and taught that your identity is the key to your reality. Long before the Law of Attraction became mainstream, Drew Ali was showing seekers how to reprogram the subconscious mind, align with their Higher Self, and manifest a new destiny through thought, word, and spiritual law. This isn’t just a story about history—it’s about the hidden roots of your power to create, and how one man in a Harlem turban unlocked a frequency that still echoes through every affirmation, visualization, and miracle made real.

The Alchemist of Harlem – A Prophet’s Origin Story

In the early 20th century, amid the jazz and ferment of Harlem’s Renaissance, a spiritual light began to shine. It started far from New York, in the rural Carolinas in 1886, where a boy named Timothy Drew was born under humble circumstances. Little did anyone suspect that this child—born to parents who had been enslaved, according to one account—would transform into Noble Drew Ali, a figure revered as a prophet by his followers. His early life is shrouded in legend, told in whispers and lore. One Moorish account says young Timothy was raised by a strict aunt until destiny intervened. At age 16 he left home, joining a band of wandering “gypsies” who carried him across the ocean to mystical lands. In this telling, the youth journeyed through North Africa and the Middle East—Morocco, Egypt, Palestine—and there, at the feet of ancient sages, he discovered secrets hidden for ages. It’s said that adepts in Egypt recognized something exceptional in the young seeker and initiated him into forgotten wisdom. Whether fact or fable, these stories paint the journey of a soul guided by an unseen hand, much like the hero of a Paulo Coelho novel following omens across deserts and oceans in search of a treasure of truth.

🎧 Listen to the Podcast: Noble Drew Ali & the Law of Attraction

By the time Timothy Drew resurfaced in America in the 1910s, he had reinvented himself as Noble Drew Ali. He claimed the title of Prophet and bore a message he believed would “uplift fallen humanity.” In 1913, at just 27 years old, Drew Ali founded a movement in Newark, New Jersey known as the Canaanite Temple, planting the seeds of what would become the Moorish Science Temple of America. Like Coelho’s alchemist who returns home with newfound wisdom, Noble Drew Ali returned from his travels (real or imagined) carrying an esoteric scripture he called the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America (also known as the “Circle Seven Koran”). This sacred text, he said, contained the divine lessons needed to redeem his people. “The reason these lessons have not been known,” the Prophet wrote in its foreword, “is because the Moslems of India, Egypt and Palestine had these secrets and kept them back from the outside world… and when the time appointed by Allah [came] they loosened the keys…and for the first time in ages have these secrets been delivered in the hands of the Moslems of America”. In other words, Noble Drew Ali presented himself as the chosen vessel to unveil ancient wisdom that had been guarded in the East until the dawn of a new era. This blend of mystical narrative and mission gave a powerful mythos to his ministry. Here was a black American man teaching that African Americans were of Moorish descent, inheritors of a grand forgotten heritage, and that he had brought them nothing less than a lost spiritual key to reclaim their identity and agency.

Harlem, 1920s. Imagine a warm evening in the Village of Harlem: jazz pouring out of speakeasies, streetlights haloed in cigarette smoke, and soapbox orators on 125th Street proclaiming new visions of hope. Into this scene strides Noble Drew Ali, clad in a regal robe and a red fez, the traditional headdress of the Moors. He often wore such attire—fez or turban, silk sash and crescent pins—symbolic armor for his divine mission. In photographs from the 1920s, a Moorish-American leader cuts an impressive figure: dignified, serene, and draped in garments that blend the look of a caliph and a priest. (Image: A vintage portrait of a Moorish-American spiritual leader in ornate attire, early 20th century.) His presence was magnetic. Followers addressed him as “Prophet,” and he carried himself accordingly, with a quiet confidence and compassion that inspired love and loyalty. Yet, unlike many preachers of his day, Ali’s message was not orthodox Christianity—it was something far more eclectic and esoteric.

Harlem in the Age of Awakening: A Cultural Context

To truly appreciate Noble Drew Ali’s impact, we must picture Harlem during his era. The 1920s in uptown Manhattan saw an explosion of Black creativity and consciousness known as the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem wasn’t just about art, poetry, and jazz; it was a cauldron of new spiritual and intellectual movements. Black Americans who had migrated from the Jim Crow South converged here and found not only racial pride but religious experimentation. Uptown, “a whole universe of esoteric and alternative spirituality flourished parallel to the jazz clubs”. On any given night one could find storefront churches of Black nationalist Christianity, mosque-like gatherings of proto-Islamic groups, circles studying Theosophy or New Thought, and lodges practicing Masonic rites. It was a hotbed of religious and metaphysical exploration that rivaled its reputation for nightlife and arts.

Within this vibrant spiritual marketplace, Black prophets and mystics rose to offer hope and identity to a people in search of both. Harlem embraced leaders like Marcus Garvey, whose UNIA movement preached Black self-reliance and whose parades filled Lenox Avenue with African regalia – and notably, Garvey’s speeches often invoked mental empowerment and affirmations drawn from New Thought ideas. Harlem also saw figures like Father Divine, the charismatic preacher who claimed to be God incarnate and espoused a gospel of prosperity and positive thinking; Rabbi Wentworth Matthew, who led a Black Jewish congregation; and even occult entertainers like Black Herman the magician.

Noble Drew Ali’s Moorish Science Temple was very much at home in this milieu. Though he headquartered his movement in Chicago by the mid-1920s, his influence coursed through Harlem’s veins. Black Harlem “embraced leaders like Father Divine (who proclaimed his divinity and preached prosperity theology), [and] Noble Drew Ali (who founded the Moorish Science Temple blending Islam and metaphysics)”. These diverse leaders had a common aim: to offer Black Americans a new vision of themselves. No longer the downtrodden “Negroes” of America’s racial caste, they were told they were descendants of ancient sages, divine beings with creative power. This message resonated deeply in a community facing daily discrimination – it was psychological liberation. As scholar Judith Weisenfeld notes, groups like the Moorish Science Temple, Father Divine’s Peace Mission, and the Nation of Islam all traded the imposed identity of “Negro” for a “rightly tuned religio-racial mind” that could unlock new potential. In the Moorish Science Temple’s case, that meant teaching Black Americans that they were Asiatics, Moors by nationality, heirs to a glorious Moorish Empire rather than an enslaved past. This reclamation of identity was not just political but metaphysical in its implications: by believing themselves to be Moors and children of Allah, they could overcome the “European psychology” that told them they were inferior.

Harlem’s energetic blend of New Thought and Black nationalism formed the backdrop for Noble Drew Ali’s rise. Indeed, historians note that the Harlem metaphysical scene of the 1920s “connected with broader New Thought and mind-power movements in America”. Marcus Garvey himself (whose offices were on 135th Street) had been influenced by New Thought; he peppered his rallies with affirmations of mental power and employed anthems composed by Arnold Josiah Ford – a Black rabbi and mystic – that spoke of Ethiopia and divine destiny. It was in this charged atmosphere that Noble Drew Ali’s ideas found fertile soil, and his Temple’s Harlem branch attracted seekers hungry for a new identity and spiritual empowerment. The Moorish Science Temple’s little newspaper, The Moorish Guide, was sold on Harlem street corners, spreading the Prophet’s teachings of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice. Street orators wearing the red fez – the Temple’s distinctive symbol – became a common sight in Black neighborhoods by the late 1920s. This was the environment in which Moorish Science thrived: an era when, as one writer beautifully put it, “the same era that birthed jazz poets and painters also nurtured prophets and sages”. Harlem’s legacy, therefore, is not only artistic or political, but also deeply spiritual.

Teachings of Noble Drew Ali: Moorish Science and the Power of Mind

Noble Drew Ali’s teachings, collectively known as Moorish Science, were a unique fusion of religious ideas. He wove together threads of Islam, Christianity, Freemasonry, New Thought metaphysics, and Pan-African identity, creating a spiritual tapestry to uplift his people. At the heart of his doctrine was the insistence that Black Americans (whom he called “Asiatics”) reconnect with their true divine identity. “If you would ask me what to study,” Drew Ali instructs in his Holy Koran, “I would say, yourselves; and when you have well studied them, ask me what to study next, I would reply, yourselves”. This call to Know Thyself was more than a cliché – it was presented as the key to salvation. The Moorish Science Temple taught that every person has two selves: a Higher Self, which is divine, and a lower self, which is the ego full of selfish desires. The Higher Self is the spark of God (Allah) within; the lower self is the source of evil and delusion. “The only devil from which men must be redeemed is self, the lower self,” Noble Drew Ali wrote. “If man would find his devil he must look within; his name is self. If man would find his savior he must look within”. Such words, penned in the 1920s, uncannily echo modern self-help and spiritual teachings: our only demons are our negative thoughts and ego, and salvation lies in conquering the self by awakening the divine within.

Let’s explore some core concepts of Noble Drew Ali’s teachings, with direct quotes from his own “Holy Koran” to feel their flavor:

• Divinity of the Self: Moorish Science proclaims the unity of man and God. “Teach them that Allah and man are one,” instructs Drew Ali’s scripture, “but that through carnal thoughts and deeds, man tore himself away from Allah”. In chapter one of the Moorish Koran, the creation of humanity is described in striking mystical terms: “But man himself is not the body, nor the soul; he is a spirit and a part of Allah.” Man is depicted as a thought of Allah, infinite and immortal: “Man is a thought of Allah; all thoughts of Allah are infinite… The thoughts of Allah are the everlasting of the past unto the never ending days to come. And so is man, the spirit-man.” In other words, our true identity is divine and eternal. This teaching gave Black Americans a radically empowering self-concept – they were not “sinners” or mere ex-slaves in the eyes of God, but incarnations of God’s thought, with the same divine potential as any other people.
• Mind as Creator: In Moorish Science, thought is a force that shapes reality, a concept that foreshadows the Law of Attraction. One passage reads: “The ethers cause these powers to be, and thought of Elohim, of angel, man, or other thinking things, directs the force; when it has done its work the power is no more.” This dense phrase suggests that underlying all physical powers in the world (wind, wave, lightning, etc.) is a spiritual force (“the will of Allah”), and that thought is the agency that directs this force into manifestation. In modern terms, we might say consciousness guides energy to produce outcomes – a very Law-of-Attraction-like idea. Noble Drew Ali’s text also speaks of man’s original role as a co-creator with God: “Man is the lord of all the plane of manifest, of protoplast, of mineral, of plant, of beast,” it declares, “but he gave up his birthrights just to gratify his lower self. But man will regain his lost estate, his heritage…”. Here we see the notion that human beings were meant to have dominion (over self and nature) but lost it by identifying with the lower self. The goal of spiritual life is to regain that birthright – essentially, to remember our creative power bestowed by Allah. This resonates strongly with New Thought teachings that say we create our reality through misuse or right use of mind. Moorish Science taught that by purifying one’s heart and aligning with the “Higher Self” (the divine will), a person could literally alter their conditions. As one Temple elder in 1928 explained, once he learned the truth of his identity from Noble Drew Ali, he believed “the tools of a rightly tuned mind could overcome…the mind’s subjugation” to false ideas and “activate the powers of the higher self.” Thought, in Moorish doctrine, is the toolkit Allah gave man to shape his destiny.
• On Love and the Law: Noble Drew Ali’s spiritual system was not just airy metaphysics; it had a deeply moral and practical side. The Moorish Science Temple’s core principles were encapsulated in five words: Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice. Members were expected to live clean, ethical lives—no smoking or drinking, a high standard of personal conduct—and to obey the law of the land. As The Moorish Guide stated, “We are friends and servants of humanity. We are dedicated to the purpose of elevating the moral, social and economic status of our people…through a wide and comprehensive program embodying the principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice.”. This meant charity to those in distress, efforts at community betterment, and economic self-reliance. Drew Ali even established businesses (like the Moorish Manufacturing Corporation which sold herbal medicines) to create jobs for his followers. All of this was framed as part of spiritual duty. He taught that material progress and spiritual progress went hand in hand. A striking example: in one article he wrote, “We shall be secure in nothing until we have economic power. A beggar people cannot develop the highest in them, nor can they attain to a genuine enjoyment of the spiritualities of life.”. This holistic view—combining mind science, moral living, and practical uplift—set Moorish Science apart as both mystical and pragmatic. It wasn’t enough to meditate on divine unity; one had to also improve one’s character and conditions here and now.
• Universalism and Syncretism: Although aimed at Black Americans, Moorish Science had an underlying message of universal human unity and respect for all faiths. Noble Drew Ali taught that the major prophets and religions brought essentially the same truth. In the Moorish Holy Koran, Jesus (whom the Moors revered as a prophet) travels through India, Tibet, Egypt and learns from sages of various faiths. The lessons within draw on Christian gospels, Sufi poetry, and even Eastern philosophy. For example, one “Holy Instruction” in the Moorish Koran titled “Know Thyself” advises: “Know thyself and the pride of His creation… behold a part of Allah Himself within thee; remember thine own dignity; nor dare descend to evil or to meanness.” This reads like a blend of Islamic monotheism with a very New Thought or even Hindu-sounding idea of the Divine Self. In another chapter, the text plainly states, “Man cannot die; the spirit-man is one with Allah, and while Allah lives man cannot die” – reflecting a belief in the eternal soul and its oneness with God. This syncretic scripture was “divinely prepared” by Noble Drew Ali, but in truth he compiled it from earlier occult and New Thought sources (for instance, portions were adapted from The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi Dowling, a New Thought mystic, and from Masonic/occult wisdom texts). By including these materials, Ali effectively brought New Thought-style ideas into the context of an Afro-centric, Islam-inspired movement. It’s no surprise, then, that Moorish Science bears many conceptual similarities to the broader metaphysical spirituality of its day.

To sum up Noble Drew Ali’s teaching in modern terms: God is within us (“Allah and man are one”); our thoughts and beliefs shape our reality; by knowing our true divine self and living by love and truth, we can transcend limitation and manifest a better life. This was the core of Moorish Science Temple doctrine – a mix of age-old mystical ideas and pressing social empowerment for Black Americans. It was, in effect, a form of “mind science” meets Black liberation theology. And it set the stage for many movements to come, bridging the gap between early 20th-century New Thought and later 20th-century New Age/Black nationalist spiritual movements.

Connecting Moorish Science to Modern Manifestation (Law of Attraction and Neville Goddard)

It is fascinating to recognize how Noble Drew Ali’s ideas connect to today’s popular concepts of manifestation and the Law of Attraction. While Ali himself did not use terms like “Law of Attraction,” his teachings clearly anticipated them. The Law of Attraction (LOA), as popularized by films like The Secret and by authors like Neville Goddard and Esther Hicks, centers on the idea that thoughts become things – that our mental and emotional state attracts corresponding experiences. Noble Drew Ali taught nearly a century ago that thought is a force and that man’s inner condition dictates his outer reality. This parallel is not coincidental; in fact, Moorish Science was part of the same metaphysical current that gave rise to New Thought and later New Age philosophies.

Consider the Moorish teaching that the only devil is one’s own lower self and that the savior is the divine self within. This reflects the mind science principle that negative experiences are self-created by our lower nature (fear, hatred, ignorance) and that salvation or “deliverance” comes from enlightenment within – aligning with higher nature (love, faith, knowledge). In Law of Attraction terms, we might say low vibrations (lower self qualities) create undesirable reality, whereas high vibrations (higher self qualities like love) create harmony. Noble Drew Ali’s emphasis on tuning the mind rightly was essentially an early articulation of what LOA circles today advocate: raise your consciousness and your world will reflect it.

The connection becomes even more direct when we bring Neville Goddard into the picture. Neville Goddard (1905–1972) was a prominent teacher of manifestation who taught that imagination is God and that by assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled, one can create reality. Neville was not black, nor a member of the Moorish Science Temple, but interestingly he learned his techniques in the early 1930s in New York under a mysterious Ethiopian Jewish mystic known as Abdullah. Abdullah was part of Harlem’s metaphysical scene and very much a peer to figures like Noble Drew Ali and Father Divine. In fact, history shows that Harlem’s spiritual community in that era was small and interconnected – it’s likely Neville’s teacher Abdullah and Noble Drew Ali knew of each other, even if they never met. Both were teaching spiritual empowerment to people who flocked to Harlem’s “mystery school” atmosphere.

Neville Goddard credited Abdullah with teaching him truths about Scripture and the mind. Under Abdullah’s guidance, Neville practiced imagining his goals as if already achieved – a classic manifestation technique. Abdullah himself was steeped in various traditions; he studied Kabbalah, Christianity, and possibly Islam-influenced ideas circulating at the time. Harlem’s mystics all drank from the same well of New Thought philosophy, and we see its imprint in their teachings. For example, Father Divine taught positive thinking and even used affirmations of health and abundance (clearly New Thought-derived). W.D. Fard, who founded the Nation of Islam in 1930 (just a year after Noble Drew Ali’s death), also taught a kind of “Supreme Wisdom” to Black Detroiters that included mental empowerment and re-identification as Asiatic Muslims. Noble Drew Ali was a direct forerunner to Fard and Elijah Muhammad – indeed, Fard seems to have borrowed from Moorish Science (early Nation of Islam members had Moorish Science Temple certificates) and just gave it a new twist.

So Noble Drew Ali stands as an early bridge between New Thought and later manifestation spirituality, especially within the African-American context. His influence on the mindset of his followers was profound. He taught them not to accept the labels and limitations society imposed (“negro, black, colored” were terms he said were given in slavery). Instead, by speaking affirmations of their true identity as Moorish Americans, by seeing themselves as part of the divine human family, and by living by higher principles, they could literally change their reality. This is very much in line with what a Law of Attraction coach today might say: change your self-concept and your world shifts. In the Moorish Science worldview, this wasn’t just personal wealth or health at stake, but the entire fate of a “nation” of people. It gave the LOA a collectivist, liberation bent: manifest freedom and dignity as a people by believing in it and living it.

One can draw concrete parallels between Noble Drew Ali’s key concepts and those of Neville Goddard (one of the LOA movement’s heroes):

• Imagination as Divine: Neville taught that “your imagination is God” and “imagining creates reality.” Noble Drew Ali taught that man’s imagination and thought are empowered by Allah’s will, and that man is literally a part of God’s mind. Both see the human mind not as a mere byproduct of brain, but as a channel for the Creator’s power. In Moorish Science, Jesus in the Temple of Lamaas says “Allah and man are one… heaven and earth and hell are not above, around, below, but in [man]; …Allah is all.”. This inner-focus mirrors Neville’s insistence that all of Scripture is psychological and internal.
• Law of Assumption / Faith: Neville’s hallmark method was assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled and having faith that it’s done. Noble Drew Ali likewise emphasized faith and belief as steps to realization. In the Moorish Koran, faith is defined as “the surety of the omnipotence of Allah and man; the certainty that man will reach the deific life”. It even outlines a three-step ladder: belief, then faith, then fruition (the actual manifestation of truth in one’s life). “Man is saved,” Ali wrote, “when he has reached deific life; when he and Allah are one”. This progression from mental acceptance to lived reality is very much the law of assumption in religious language.
• Vibration of Love: Modern LOA often stresses a high vibration of love/gratitude to attract good. Moorish Science places Love at the apex of its virtues. “When the demon self has been dethroned, the savior, Love, will be exalted to the throne of power”. Drew Ali taught that love is the only savior of the world and that Allah’s love manifested in flesh as prophets to show the way. He instructed followers to cultivate love in thought, word, and deed, even towards enemies – which in turn, they believed, invokes Allah’s peace and blessings (we might say attracts positive outcomes).
• Changing the Conception of Self: Perhaps the most fundamental connection is the idea that a change in self-concept leads to a change in reality. Neville Goddard’s core message was “change your conception of yourself and you will automatically change the world you live in.” Now listen to what a Moorish writer (Sister M. Whitehead-El) recalled of Noble Drew Ali’s impact: the prophet declared, “I have mended the broken wires, and have connected them with the higher powers.” After Noble Drew Ali’s appearance, she noted that by tuning their minds to the truth of their identity, members “harnessed a universal power” grounded in their Black metaphysical heritage. In plainer terms, Noble Drew Ali “mended” the disconnection Black folks felt about themselves and plugged them back into Source (higher powers), allowing them to draw on that power. This is both poetic and literal: empowering people by changing their self-image from powerless to powerful. It’s exactly what modern manifestation gurus aim to do for individuals, and what Ali did for an entire community.

Interestingly, scholars have noted that the Harlem Renaissance spiritual scene (which included Noble Drew Ali, Abdullah, Father Divine, et al.) “helped sow the seeds of what would become a global New Age fascination with manifestation and the law of attraction.” The cross-pollination in Harlem was such that white mystics like Joseph Murphy (author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind) and others quietly learned from Black teachers like Abdullah (and by extension were influenced by the milieu Noble Drew Ali had helped create). This early 20th-century ferment gave rise to much of the mind-power and positive thinking culture that spread worldwide. In a sense, Noble Drew Ali was teaching “The Secret” long before Hollywood made a movie about it. But he couched it in religious terms suitable for his audience: by proclaiming their Moorish nationality and practicing the principles of love and mental discipline, his followers expected to manifest freedom, prosperity, and respect. This was their collective law of attraction in action.

Neville Goddard himself never mentioned Noble Drew Ali (Neville moved in different circles), but the philosophical resonance is there. Neville’s famed line, “Imagining creates reality,” could sit comfortably alongside Drew Ali’s proclamation that “man’s thoughts are infinite and cannot die” or “Man is the lord of all the plane of manifest”. Both men would agree that the spiritual imaginal activity of man is the ultimate creative force.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Noble Drew Ali also connected the idea of thought-power with communal uplift in a way that modern LOA sometimes overlooks. He wasn’t interested in just helping individuals get a new car or a promotion; he was trying to manifest a “clean and pure nation” of Moorish Americans. This echoes Marcus Garvey’s influence: Garvey used phrases like “mental emancipation” – free your mind and you will free your body/nation. Noble Drew Ali took this to a metaphysical plane, arguing that by collectively assuming the mantle of Moorish nationhood under Allah, Black people would escape the psychological shackles of racism. It was manifestation as social revolution, achieved through a shift in consciousness. In today’s terms, we might call it a group manifestation or egregore: the Moorish Science Temple created a shared vision so strong (reinforced with rituals, new names like “Bey” and “El,” and fez caps as daily attire) that it altered the realities of those who believed. Many members reported improved health, prosperity, and confidence through the Temple – in their eyes, miracles brought by the Prophet’s teachings.

In summary, Noble Drew Ali’s Moorish Science was an early prototype of modern manifestation philosophy, especially within a marginalized community. It blended age-old mystical ideas about thought and divinity with a practical program for change. The lineage from Moorish Science to New Thought/LOA is not direct in terms of organizations, but it is deeply connected through shared principles. Noble Drew Ali and New Thought leaders were all drawing from the same well of metaphysical idealism that emerged in the late 19th century. They believed in “mind over matter,” in the divine potential of humans, and in the idea that faith and imagination can shape one’s destiny. Those ideas are the bedrock of today’s Law of Attraction teachings. Thus, spiritual seekers today who follow Neville, or read Think and Grow Rich, or practice creative visualization may be surprised to find a kindred spirit in Noble Drew Ali – a mystic in a fez who preached these truths in the ghettos of 1920s America, leaving an unsung yet indelible mark on the metaphysical movement.

Moorish Science and New Thought: A Comparative Look

It’s illuminating to compare Noble Drew Ali’s concepts side-by-side with the New Thought movement (the broader spiritual culture from which Law of Attraction sprang). New Thought began in the late 1800s with thinkers like Phineas Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy, emphasizing healing through mind and the idea that God is an indwelling presence. By the 1910s–1920s, New Thought had popular teachers and churches (Unity, Divine Science, Science of Mind, etc.), and its ideas were “in the air” – including in Black religious circles. Noble Drew Ali’s Moorish Science can be seen as a unique Afrocentric branch of the New Thought family tree. Below is a structured comparison highlighting both parallels and differences between Moorish Science and classical New Thought philosophy:

Divine Immanence (God Within): Both Moorish Science and New Thought assert that God (or the Highest) is present within each person. Noble Drew Ali taught: “man is a spirit and a part of Allah” and “Allah and man are one”. The New Thought movement similarly proclaims that each human has a Divine Spark within. As one New Thought summary puts it: “God is all there is, and everything is God… humans are individualizations of the Divine.” Because of this, “we all have access to Divinity within ourselves”. In practice, both teach that you do not need an external intermediary to reach God; by going within (through prayer, affirmation, meditation), you commune with the God-part of yourself. There is no absolute separation between Creator and creation. This notion was revolutionary for many: Moorish Americans learned to see themselves as part of God’s family, not God-forsaken, and New Thought adherents stopped seeing God as a distant man on a throne, embracing Him/Her/It as an Infinite Presence permeating all.

The Power of Thought: Both traditions place tremendous emphasis on thoughts as causal forces. Moorish Science: as we saw, says “thoughts of Allah are infinite” and that human thought directs creative force. It teaches that by thinking right (and thus tapping the Holy Breath or Holy Spirit), man can restore harmony with Allah. New Thought: explicitly espouses that our thoughts create our reality, often citing Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” A New Thought writer summarizes: “Because we all have Divinity within… we can use spiritual laws to influence our reality. This is why New Thought stresses that our thoughts create our reality.”. Both see mental attitude as paramount: think health, speak health, visualize health, and your body will align; think success and you will attract opportunities; think defeat and nothing will save you. Noble Drew Ali’s frequent admonition was essentially mental discipline – to study oneself, control one’s lower nature, and focus on positive virtues (love, justice, etc.), which reprogram the mind for success. This mirrors New Thought techniques of affirmations and positive thinking popular in the same era (e.g., repeating “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better”). One difference: Moorish Science couched this in religious duty and community uplift, whereas New Thought often focused on individual prosperity or healing; but the underlying mechanism (mind power) was shared.

Identity and Self-Concept: Moorish Science introduced a radical shift in self-identity for its followers – from “negro” to “Moorish American,” children of Allah. By taking on new names (adding Bey or El to signify Moorish heritage) and seeing themselves as part of a divine nation, Moorish devotees experienced a psychological rebirth. This was an application of what New Thought would call mental reconditioning or assumption: assume the feeling of being noble and divinely guided, rather than downtrodden. New Thought, being a predominantly white middle-class movement in its origins, did not have to address racial identity; instead it often focused on transcending sin identity (“I am not a miserable sinner; I am a spiritual being”) which is analogous. New Thought followers were taught to see themselves as expressions of God with inherent worthiness, rather than guilty worms needing salvation. Both groups were, in essence, rewriting the narrative of who they were. The Moorish Science Temple literally issued “Nationality cards” to members declaring their new identity and rights, a powerful tangible token of a thought transformation. New Thought didn’t issue cards, but it gave its adherents mental tools to declare “I and the Father are one” or “I Am” (invoking the divine name in oneself). In both, the shift in self-concept is the cornerstone for further spiritual and material progress.

View of Evil and Suffering: Moorish Science rejects a personified devil or eternal hell. Evil is the result of the lower self’s ignorance. As we quoted, “this evil is a myth; these gods [of other religions] are made of air” – strong words debunking the reality of any devil outside our own negativity. New Thought is on exactly the same page: it generally teaches evil has no ultimate reality, it’s a result of “error thinking.” New Thought pioneer Emma Curtis Hopkins said “evil is a lie, and lies have no truth.” They don’t deny people experience illness or misery, but claim these are ultimately illusions that can be corrected by aligning with Truth (God). Both thus emphasize personal responsibility – you can’t blame a devil for your troubles. Moorish Science says if you have strayed, it’s because “through carnal thoughts… man tore himself away from Allah”; New Thought says if you are sick or poor, it’s not God punishing you, but likely your own consciousness (fret not – change your thinking and conditions will change). This outlook was empowering but also challenging: it asks the individual to take charge of their soul’s condition. The upside is, no external evil can hold you down if you awaken. The downside (critics note) is it can verge on “blame the victim.” Moorish Science tempered this by a strong ethic of mutual aid – members helped one another to improve, recognizing not everyone can just snap out of bad thinking without support.

Religious Syncretism vs. Christian Framework: A notable difference is cultural packaging. Noble Drew Ali framed Moorish Science in Islamic terms (referring to God as Allah, scripture as Koran, members as Moslems, etc.), even though in practice it was very unorthodox and included apocryphal Christian and Eastern teachings. He did this because he believed Islam was the heritage of African Americans before slavery (via Moorish ancestry in Africa), and thus a return to Islam was part of reclaiming identity. New Thought generally framed itself in Christian language, especially in the early days – many New Thought writers quoted the Bible and identified as “metaphysical Christians” who saw Jesus not as savior but way-shower. Unity Church, for example, interprets the Bible symbolically and speaks of the Christ within. Science of Mind (Religious Science) by Ernest Holmes was more interfaith but still spoke of spiritual laws in a way palatable to Christians and scientific-minded folks. Moorish Science’s scripture mentions Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and Confucius all as prophets, a very broad tent. In that sense, Moorish Science was multi-religious (Ali even said the Holy Koran he published was for people who love Jesus, giving them new lessons). But on the ground, Moorish Science functioned much like a new religion or a sect, separate from churches or mosques. New Thought, on the other hand, often existed within or alongside mainstream churches (some New Thought followers still went to traditional church, or their services looked church-like). The organizational difference is that Moorish Science was a single movement founded by one man (with temples, conventions, a prophet at the top), whereas New Thought was a diffuse movement with many independent centers and leaders. This meant Moorish Science had more uniformity of teaching (at least while Ali lived) and a strong group identity, while New Thought was more individualistic and varied from group to group.

Race and Mission: Perhaps the biggest difference: Moorish Science was explicitly focused on uplifting a specific racial/ethnic group (African Americans), while New Thought aimed at a general audience (which in practice was mostly white at first, though there were notable Black New Thought leaders like Rev. Ike later). Noble Drew Ali’s program involved civil rights avant la lettre – encouraging voter participation (the Moorish Science Temple openly supported a Black candidate, Oscar DePriest, who became the first Black congressman of that era), condemning lynching and injustice, and pressing members to be industrious and proud citizens. In The Moorish Guide, Ali often wrote about issues affecting “our people” and the need to separate morally and culturally from “the pale skin nations” that had oppressed them. His stance was paradoxically separatist (each nation under its own vine and fig tree) and integrationist (be loyal to the United States, be model citizens) – but always focused on Black emancipation. New Thought leaders of the time, by contrast, seldom addressed racial or political issues directly; their focus was on spiritual principles they saw as universal. It was largely apolitical, or at most quietly progressive. The New Thought movement did inspire some social initiatives (such as prosperity ministries and healing ministries), but it did not tackle systemic racism in the way Moorish Science inherently did by redefining Black identity. This makes Moorish Science quite unique: it was a New Thought-type mind-power teaching used to fuel a Black nationalist movement. Later movements like the Nation of Islam, and even figures like Malcolm X, would continue this trend of combining racial justice with esoteric teachings (Malcolm’s mother, notably, was a Garveyite who had interest in these circles; Elijah Muhammad was directly taught by Fard who borrowed from Ali).

Practices: Both Moorish Science and New Thought encourage practices like affirmative prayer and study of spiritual texts. In Moorish Science Temples, members would often recite affirmations from their Catechism (a pamphlet of “101 Questions & Answers” Ali prepared) – e.g., “Who made you?” “Allah.” “Who is Allah?” “Allah is the Father of the Universe.” Such Q&A drills functioned like affirmations, instilling a new belief system. They also greeted each other with phrases like “Islam, Moor” and used “Peace” as a benediction, creating a constant positive atmosphere. New Thought practitioners might similarly affirm “God in me is infinite health” or use visualization techniques taught by people like Neville and Joseph Murphy (who coincidentally also had contact with Abdullah in New York). Meditation, creative visualization, and breathwork (Moorish Science referred to the Holy Breath frequently as the activity of God) were valued in both, though formal meditation was more explicitly taught in some New Thought circles. Healing was a big focus in New Thought (think Christian Science influence), and interestingly Noble Drew Ali began his public work as a healer too – known in the 1910s as “Professor Drew, the Egyptian Adept,” he gave herbal remedies and performed healings in Chicago. Healing practices in Moorish Science included natural remedies (teas, oils) and prayer; in New Thought, it was primarily mind cure (affirming wholeness, denying illness’ power). The ethos was the same: spirit over matter.

In essence, Moorish Science Temple’s doctrines were a convergence of Islam, Freemasonry, and New Thought – with a heavy dose of Garveyite racial uplift. Scholar Richard Brent Turner described it as “drawing from the currents of American occult metaphysics and the racial consciousness of the Harlem Renaissance” – a beautiful encapsulation. Meanwhile, New Thought was blossoming as the philosophical ancestor of what we now call the “mind-body-spirit” or “manifestation” movement. Noble Drew Ali and the New Thought leaders were like different branches of the same mystical tree, one branch growing in the rich soil of Black America’s struggle, the other in mainstream (mostly white) America’s search for alternative spirituality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Noble Drew Ali, Moorish Science, and Manifestation

Q: Who was Noble Drew Ali?
A: Noble Drew Ali (born Timothy Drew in 1886) was an American religious leader and mystic who founded the Moorish Science Temple of America in 1913. He is revered by his followers as a Prophet who brought a new revelation for so-called “Asiatic” (Black) people in the West. Noble Drew Ali taught that African Americans are of Moorish (North African) ancestry and Muslim heritage, not “Negroes,” and he sought to instill pride, self-knowledge, and spiritual uplift in his community. He created the Moorish Science Temple, a movement combining elements of Islam, Biblical lore, Eastern mysticism and New Thought metaphysics. By the 1920s, he had a following of thousands across several cities (Chicago, Newark, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, etc.), all studying his Holy Koran (Circle Seven Koran) and calling themselves Moorish Americans. Noble Drew Ali passed away in 1929 at age 43 under murky circumstances (officially illness, though rumors of foul play circulated). Despite his early death, his movement continued and he remains a key figure in the history of Black American Islam and the mind-power movement.

Q: What is the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA)?
A: The MSTA is the religious organization Noble Drew Ali founded. It’s often considered the first documented Islamic-oriented movement in the U.S. led by African Americans (predating the Nation of Islam). Established officially in 1928 as a religious corporation in Illinois, the Temple functioned as a combined church, civic league, and fraternal order for its members. Its teachings, called Moorish Science, assert that Black people in the Americas are Moorish by nationality and Muslim by faith, descendants of the Moabites and Canaanites of biblical times. The MSTA provided members with a structured path: they attended weekly Holy Day meetings (often on Fridays), learned prayer and the Moorish American creed, and studied the Holy Koran of the MSTA. The Temple also ran businesses (e.g., restaurants, a laundry, a printing press) and had a charitable mission. Members adopted the surnames Bey or El, wore fezzes or turbans as religious headcoverings, and carried identification cards declaring their Moorish nationality. The Moorish Science Temple was relatively prosperous in the late 1920s – for example, they owned a spacious Chicago temple that hosted conventions with hundreds of delegates. After Noble Drew Ali’s death, the movement splintered into factions, but several Moorish Science Temple groups still exist today in the U.S., each tracing its lineage to Ali’s founding. They continue to practice his teachings, holding dear the motto “Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice.”

Q: What are the key teachings of Noble Drew Ali?
A: In summary, Noble Drew Ali taught: (1) Identity: Black Americans are not Negroes or colored people; they are “Moorish Americans,” descendants of the ancient Moors, and as such should reclaim their true nationality and religion (Islam). (2) Divinity of Man: Each person has a Higher Self (of divine origin) and a lower self (the ego). The Higher Self is one with God (Allah). Therefore “Allah and man are one” at the spiritual level. (3) Holy Koran of MSTA: Ali presented a scripture he compiled – the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple – which contains mystical teachings and narratives (many about Jesus traveling in the East) intended to awaken people to their divine nature and moral duties. (4) Mental Mastery: There is a strong emphasis on mind science – thoughts are real forces, and by controlling one’s thoughts (overcoming the “lower self” of anger, greed, lust, etc.), one aligns with Allah’s will. “Man is a thought of Allah,” the scripture says, and “man’s thought must be developed by the exercise of strength” – meaning life’s challenges are there to strengthen us. (5) Universal Love and Peace: The MSTA’s creed stresses love as the saving power. It rejects hate or vengeance; even as Ali advocated racial pride, he taught respect and cooperation among all “nations.” A famous line from their literature: “Every nation shall and must worship under its own vine and fig tree and return to their own”, implying each people should be true to themselves and then enjoy peace with others. (6) Prophethood of major figures: Noble Drew Ali acknowledged Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and Confucius as prophets who all taught essentially the same truth, and he regarded himself as a prophet in that line, sent to the West to uplift his people. (7) Practical Uplift: In day-to-day terms, he preached industry, self-reliance, healthy living (no alcohol, no tobacco, a decent diet), clean morals, and being law-abiding. He famously instructed his followers, “Imitate me. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke”, and, “A beggar people cannot develop the highest in them” – urging economic activity. Summed up, Ali’s key teachings blend spiritual enlightenment with social restoration. It was about saving souls and saving a downtrodden people simultaneously.

Q: How did Noble Drew Ali’s teachings relate to Islam? Was the MSTA part of Islam?
A: The Moorish Science Temple is often described as a form of Islamic new religious movement, but it is not orthodox Islam. Noble Drew Ali did incorporate many Islamic elements: members use the Arabic greeting “Islam,” revere the name Allah for God, honor the Prophet Muhammad (Ali called Muhammad the founder of Islam and himself the finisher of it in the West), and the organization’s structure with temples and sheiks echoes Muslim terminology. However, the MSTA’s scripture (Circle Seven Koran) is very different from the Qur’an of mainstream Islam – it includes stories of Jesus, discussions of Egyptian and Hindu philosophy, etc. The MSTA did not practice the “Five Pillars” of Islam (no requirement of daily salah prayers or Ramadan fasting in early MSTA, for example). Instead, it taught that being Muslim is one’s birthright and focused on nationality and divine creed in a broader sense. One could say MSTA offered a proto-Islam tailored for Black America, mixing in Christian and Eastern wisdom. This was deliberate: Ali believed the major religions all carried truth, and he borrowed from each to reconnect Black folks to a faith that affirmed their worth. In the 1920s, some Black Muslims who later joined more orthodox groups first encountered Islam via Moorish Science. Interestingly, the Nation of Islam (NOI) which emerged in 1930 took some inspiration from Moorish Science – Fard Muhammad (NOI’s founder) was reportedly briefly involved with the Moorish movement and told early followers similar ideas about original identity and the rejection of terms like Negro. Over time, groups like the NOI moved toward more orthodox Sunni Islam, whereas the Moorish Science Temple remained unique. Today, some MSTA members consider themselves Muslims and do study the Qur’an (in addition to Ali’s Koran), but the movement as a whole is best seen as a distinct faith with Islamic, Christian, and occult roots. It’s somewhat analogous to how the Bahá’í Faith relates to Islam – an offshoot with its own scripture and prophet-figure, though Moorish Science has not had the global reach of Bahá’í.

Q: Noble Drew Ali’s “Holy Koran” – what is it exactly?
A: The Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America (often called the Circle Seven Koran because of a red “7” on its cover) is the holy book compiled by Noble Drew Ali and first published in 1927. It is not the same as the Qur’an used by Muslims worldwide. The book is in two main parts: Chapters 1–19 consist of narratives about Jesus’s life from ages 12 to 30, years not described in the Bible. These chapters depict Jesus (often called by the orientalized name “Issa”) traveling through India, Tibet, Persia, Egypt and learning from wise men of other religions. These stories were taken almost verbatim from an earlier work: The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (1908) by Levi H. Dowling. Ali essentially reprinted Dowling’s esoteric Christian text with minor edits. Chapters 20–47 of the Moorish Koran are a collection of “Holy Instructions” – moral and spiritual teachings on various topics (family, duty, charity, knowledge of self, etc.), as well as some cosmology about the origin of nations. Many of these passages were adapted from 19th-century esoteric and Masonic texts such as Unto Thee I Grant (The Teachings of the Buddha) and possibly works by the mystic Albertus Pike. Ali wove these sources together and presented them as divinely prepared lessons for Moorish Americans. The Holy Koran thus reads like a mix of biblical style prose, noble exhortations, and metaphysical philosophy. Example verses include: “Know thyself and Allah; Allah is the one true God”, “Man’s highest self is Allah’s omnipotence personalized”, “If I could get you to thinking, you could save yourselves” (the latter from Ali’s oral sayings). The purpose of this scripture was to give Ali’s followers a sense of having their own book (much as Christians have the Bible). It served as the basis for sermons and studies in the Temple. Ali often said it contained everything needed to restore the people to their divine station. It’s important to note that followers consider it divinely guided scripture, even though scholars clearly see the human sources behind it. The book is relatively short (less than 100 pages) but covers a wide range – from how children should obey parents, to the unity of all life, to prophecies about a new era (“The end of time is drawing near,” says Chapter 48, urging Moors to proclaim their nationality). In the context of manifestation or mind science, the Moorish Holy Koran provides many quotable lines about the mind’s power, the illusion of matter, and the innate godliness of man, which we’ve explored above. It remains the central text for Moorish Science devotees.

Q: How does Moorish Science relate to the New Thought movement? Did Noble Drew Ali borrow from New Thought?
A: Moorish Science is closely related to New Thought – one could say it is a New Thought-influenced movement with an Afrocentric and Islamic twist. Noble Drew Ali borrowed from or was influenced by New Thought literature of his time. As mentioned, part of his Koran came from The Aquarian Gospel (Dowling’s work, which is a New Thought/occult text envisioning Jesus as a yogi). Noble Drew Ali also began his public career as an “Egyptian Adept” healer, offering cures to illnesses through mystic means in the fashion of New Thought “mental healers”. Key New Thought ideas like the creative power of thought, the unity of all religions, and the divine nature of man are all present in Moorish Science teachings. Historian Arthur Fauset in the 1940s noted that MSTA’s philosophy was essentially New Thought with a thin Islamic veneer (e.g., affirmations, correspondence between man and divine). Judith Weisenfeld, a contemporary scholar, describes Moorish Science as part of a broader “Black metaphysical imagination” that characterized movements of that era, linking it to New Thought, Christian Science, and other metaphysical currents. Noble Drew Ali himself likely encountered New Thought ideas in the cities he lived in (Newark and Chicago had thriving metaphysical bookstores and lecturers in the early 1900s). In fact, Marcus Garvey’s movement – which Ali interacted with – had New Thought influence; Garvey’s wife Amy Jacques was a follower of metaphysical teacher Katherine Dunham, and Garvey’s papers often talked about positive thinking. It’s reasonable to assume Ali imbibed these ideas and applied them to his own program. However, Ali reframed everything in terms of fulfilling prophecy and nationality for his people. While New Thought mostly spoke to individual spiritual seekers, Ali made it about collective destiny. So Moorish Science could be viewed as New Thought meets Black Nationalism. The comparison table/section above details similarities (like belief in indwelling divinity and thought-power) and differences (like focus on race and having a prophet figure). In summary, yes, Moorish Science Temple is part of the extended New Thought family. It even anticipated some developments of New Thought: for example, later New Thought preachers like Rev. Ike (who was African American, in the 1970s) would famously teach prosperity and self-image psychology to largely Black audiences – a trail arguably blazed by Noble Drew Ali decades prior.

Q: What influence did Noble Drew Ali and Moorish Science have on later movements (Nation of Islam, Civil Rights, etc.)?
A: Noble Drew Ali’s legacy is significant though often unacknowledged. The Nation of Islam (NOI), founded in 1930 by Wallace D. Fard and led to prominence by Elijah Muhammad, owes a debt to Moorish Science. In its early years, the NOI’s teachings about original man, refraining from pork/alcohol, and even titles like “Temple” and “Mosque” show Moorish Science influence. Many early Nation of Islam members had been in the Moorish Science Temple but left after Ali’s death and turmoil in the movement. Elijah Muhammad himself noted that Chicago’s Temple #1 of NOI included former Moors. The NOI however developed a more millenarian theology (with myths of a scientist Yacub, and Fard as God incarnate) which was different from MSTA’s approach. Still, both movements share the core idea of changing the ex-slave mentality through a new identity (MSTA said “We are Moorish, not Negro”; NOI said “We are Asiatic Black Muslims, the Original People, not Negro”). During the Civil Rights era, Moorish Science was not as publicly visible as, say, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or Malcolm X, but it persisted quietly. By giving Black Americans an organized religious identity outside of Christianity, Noble Drew Ali paved the way for Black Muslim identity to be normalized. Malcolm X’s parents were Garveyites in the 1920s and would have been aware of Moorish Science too, as it was part of the same Black uplift zeitgeist.

In a broader sense, Moorish Science contributed to the idea of Black pride and self-determination that fueled movements through the 20th century. The Moorish Science Temple was preaching “Black is beautiful” (in so many words, by valorizing Moorish/Asiatic heritage) long before the 1960s slogan. They were also early practitioners of economic self-help and community business ownership – principles later echoed by the Black Wall Street concept and others.

On the spiritual side, Moorish Science introduced many African Americans to concepts of meditation, yoga (indirectly via the Jesus-in-India stories), vegetarian tendencies (some temples advocated minimizing meat), and alternative medicine. This holistic approach prefigured the later “Afrocentric wellness” movements. Even the current trend of young Black people exploring indigenous African spirituality and esoteric knowledge has parallels to what Ali was doing – reclaiming a non-Western paradigm for Black spirituality.

Interestingly, in recent times, a problematic offshoot of Moorish Science has popped up: the so-called “Moorish Sovereign Citizens” movement, where individuals misappropriate MSTA concepts to claim they are exempt from U.S. laws (citing bogus treaties, etc.). The Moorish Science Temple of America leadership generally disavows this behavior, clarifying that Noble Drew Ali urged obedience to law (one of his tenets was loyalty to government). The sovereign citizen phenomena shows how influential Ali’s nationality idea has been – even distorted, it still attracts those seeking empowerment through legal/spiritual claims.

Finally, among Black American Muslims broadly, Noble Drew Ali is seen as an honored precursor. The Afro-American History Association calls him the first in the lineage of Black prophets (preceding Elijah Muhammad). In academia, he’s studied as a pioneer of American Islam and new religious movements. His blending of religion and race has been a case study in how spirituality can be used for social change. The phrase he used – “uplift fallen humanity” – resonates beyond his group. It speaks to the universal impulse to improve the condition of mankind, starting with improving one’s own mind and heart.

Q: Did Noble Drew Ali really travel to Egypt or was that a myth?
A: It remains a matter of legend versus verifiable fact. Within Moorish Science tradition, it’s believed that Noble Drew Ali traveled to Egypt and other Eastern lands where he received divine instruction and possibly the lost texts that became the Circle Seven Koran. A popular story is that he met the Sultan of Morocco who gave him the title “Ali” and permission to teach Islam in America – however, there’s no historical record in Morocco of such an encounter; this appears to be part of the mythos that elevates Ali’s authority. Academic historians have not found evidence of Timothy Drew leaving the United States. Census records and news clippings suggest he was in the US during the years he was supposedly abroad. It’s more likely that he traveled in a metaphoric or local sense: he definitely interacted with Eastern, Egyptian or Syrian people in America (there were immigrant teachers of Islam and occultism in cities like New York and Chicago). For instance, some sources say he worked with a Cherokee medicine man as a child, or that he apprenticed under a Chicago occultist. These claims are also unconfirmed, but they point to him gaining knowledge through various channels available in the US (like books on Eastern philosophy – his notes show he read such texts). In any event, the Egyptian travel narrative served an important symbolic purpose for the Moorish Americans: it tied their Prophet directly to the East, providing a sense of authenticity and exotic prestige. Whether or not Ali set foot in Cairo, he effectively brought Cairo to Chicago by introducing Egyptian symbols, Arabic words, and a consciousness that Black Americans have a stake in that ancient heritage.

Q: How do Noble Drew Ali’s teachings compare to Neville Goddard’s teachings?
A: Both Noble Drew Ali and Neville Goddard taught about the power of the mind and the divine nature of humans, but they did so in different contexts and language. Noble Drew Ali’s teachings were framed as a religious doctrine for a specific people – he spoke of Allah, prophets, nationality, and drew from a syncretic holy book. Neville Goddard’s teachings were framed as a mystical interpretation of the Bible for a general audience – he spoke of the law of assumption, imagination as Christ, and rarely mentioned race or collective identity. Here are a few direct comparisons:

• God Within: Ali said “man is a spirit and part of Allah”; Neville said “God became man that man may become God” – in Neville’s view, your human imagination is actually God doing the experiencing. Both posit God and man as ultimately one, though Ali maintains an explicit Creator/creature distinction (you are a part of Allah, not the whole Allah), whereas Neville can sound like pure pantheism (you are all of God in potential).
• Imagination/Thought: Ali emphasized thought and will (often calling it the “Breath of Allah” or the activation of the Holy Spirit in man) as the key to change. Neville built an entire system on imagining an end result and feeling it real. In practice, a Moorish Science adherent praying for something might affirm “If it is Allah’s will, it is already accomplished” and visualize it, which isn’t far from Neville’s “assume you have it and you shall” – except Neville might not invoke an external Allah at all, he’d say your own wonderful human imagination is the operant power.
• Scripture and Sources: Ali’s references: the Holy Koran of MSTA (with its Eastern occult content), plus the Bible and Quran occasionally. Neville’s references: almost exclusively the Bible, which he reinterpreted psychologically. Interestingly, Neville did speak of the Kabbalah and was influenced by Abdullah who had studied various traditions, so on a hidden level Neville’s stuff is also syncretic. But outwardly, Neville stuck to biblical language to frame LOA (e.g., “Whatever you desire, believe you have received it, and you will” was a favorite Bible quote of his).
• Purpose of Teaching: Ali’s aim was to uplift a downtrodden people and restore what he saw as their true status before God and nations. Neville’s aim was to share a “law” that anyone could use to improve their life and to awaken individuals to their true nature as God. Neville did not form a church; he gave lectures and wrote books. Ali formed an entire community and government-like structure. So Ali was more of an institution-builder, Neville more a teacher/lecturer. This means Ali’s teachings also include governance, community norms, etc., which Neville’s do not.
• Tone: Ali often used a prophetic, imperative tone – “Teach this, do that, know yourselves”. Neville’s tone was more didactic and testimonial – “I discovered this principle, here’s how you can use it.” Neville also had a sense of promise – that if you follow his methods, you’ll prove them in your life. Ali had a sense of destiny – if his people follow his teachings, they’ll fulfill prophecy and rise as a nation.

Despite these differences, many spiritual seekers today find complementarity in both. One can read Neville to delve into the mechanics of imagination and read Noble Drew Ali to feel the soulful, identity-affirming energy of a prophet. Interestingly, both talk about Name: Neville said assume the name of your desired state (“I am wealthy,” etc.), and Ali gave people new names to assume (Bey, El, identifying as Moorish). Both recognized the power of what you call yourself.

In short, Noble Drew Ali was like a Neville Goddard + Marcus Garvey + a dash of Eastern wisdom, all in one figure. Neville was solely focused on metaphysics of imagination with a Christian flavor. If Neville’s work is a manual for manifestation, Noble Drew Ali’s work is a manual for manifesting a new collective reality – a nation, a restored people – using metaphysical and practical means.

Q: What is “mind science” and how did Noble Drew Ali use it?
A: “Mind science” generally refers to the set of teachings found in New Thought, Christian Science, and similar movements that emphasize the mind’s role in health and affairs. It’s the idea that spirit/mind is the true reality and matter conditions reflect the state of mind. Techniques of mind science include affirmative prayer, visualization, denial of negative appearances, etc. Noble Drew Ali used mind science principles in his doctrine. He might not have called it that (though he did name his movement Moorish Science, implying a systematic study of the divine laws), but clearly many aspects are there:

• He taught that belief and faith have tangible results (“man will reach deific life” through sure faith).
• He engaged in mental healing and provided herbal remedies, showing he believed in holistic wellness (the mind-body link).
• He framed much of the religious narrative in terms of knowledge vs ignorance (aligning with the mind science notion that ignorance of Truth is the cause of suffering).
• The MSTA also had a Q&A catechism where questions like “Where is the higher self? In the heart” and “What is truth? Truth is art, etc.” were memorized – this functioned like auto-suggestion, reconditioning the mind of members.

So, Noble Drew Ali applied mind science at both personal and group levels. Personally, a Moorish member was to use these teachings to improve their character, habits, and circumstances (for example, many testified that upon joining, they stopped drinking and transformed their lifestyle, which they attributed to the new mindset Ali gave them). Collectively, Ali used mind science to attempt a sort of alchemical change of Black Americans’ social status – by holding a thought (we are a noble nation, not an oppressed race), he believed, in time reality would conform (and indeed, the Temple members conducted themselves with such dignity that some contemporaries noted a visible change in those people, as if they were nobility).

In a broader historical sense, mind science was a tool for marginalized groups to assert control when external control was limited. Ali was savvy in recognizing that mental emancipation precedes physical emancipation – a principle also echoed by later figures (like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who although from a different tradition, once said “psychological freedom, a firm sense of self-esteem, is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery”). Ali gave his followers that psychological freedom through teachings we can rightly call mind science, blended with religious tradition.

Q: What is the Law of Attraction (LOA) in simple terms, and did Noble Drew Ali foreshadow it?
A: The Law of Attraction is the idea that like attracts like – specifically, that our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs “vibrate” and attract experiences of a similar frequency. In practical terms, if someone constantly thinks about success with confidence, LOA posits they will draw opportunities and success to themselves; if they dwell in fear or lack, they will continue to experience struggles. It’s often summarized as “thoughts become things.” It’s a concept popularized in New Thought literature for over a century, and in recent decades by books/films like The Secret.

Did Noble Drew Ali foreshadow LOA? Yes, in many ways. He didn’t use the phrase “law of attraction,” but he taught that mental states directly impact external reality. For instance, he wrote that when man fell from Allah’s love into a state of carnality (negative thinking and living), he lost his harmony and caused chaos in his life. But by restoring the mind (“the Holy Breath” or divine spirit renewing one’s thoughts), harmony and peace return. This is essentially saying: align your mind with love (a high vibration) and your life will become peaceful (attracting peace). Align with carnal thoughts (low vibration) and you experience separation and turmoil. Ali also taught a kind of cosmic unity where everything is interconnected through thought. One powerful line: “All forms of life were but the thought of Allah, clothed in the substance of their ether planes… Because all forms of life on every plane are thoughts of Allah, all creatures think, and every creature is possessed of will, and… has the power to choose.”. This suggests a worldview where the universe is mental, and choice (thought intention) is a causal agent – that’s aligned with LOA’s underpinnings.

Additionally, Noble Drew Ali’s own story and prophecies sometimes sound like LOA in action. There are anecdotes of him performing “miracles” or knowing things psychically – e.g., telling his followers “I’ll be in the East” shortly before he died (and indeed the Temple split, some saying he reincarnated). Those border on manifestation lore. While one must approach such stories critically, in the eyes of devotees Ali proved LOA by manifesting his movement from nothing against great odds – he envisioned a nation and spoke it into existence. That is perhaps the grandest demonstration of the law at work.

Q: Are there Moorish Science Temple members today who still believe in these manifestation ideas?
A: Yes. The Moorish Science Temple of America still exists (in multiple factions) and members continue to study Noble Drew Ali’s teachings, which include the metaphysical ideas discussed. In contemporary times, some Moorish adepts explicitly draw parallels between Ali’s lessons and modern New Age or LOA concepts. They might say, for example, that “high vibrating thoughts” correspond to the Holy Breath, or they use the term “thought is cause, experience is effect” which is a New Thought axiom. Many young Moors on social media share quotes from the Circle Seven Koran alongside popular spiritual quotes. There is a sense of pride that their Prophet anticipated things now commonly talked about in the wellness/spiritual community. However, mainstream Moorish Science Temple practice remains grounded in its religious framework – they don’t typically use the jargon “Law of Attraction” in temple meetings; they speak in their traditional terms. But if you converse with an open-minded Moorish scientist, they will likely acknowledge that what authors like Rhonda Byrne or Neville Goddard teach is not new – it was essentially what Noble Drew Ali and others were teaching in the 1920s, just under different guises. Some Moorish Americans have also branched into broader esoteric studies (from yoga to astrology), seeing no conflict with their Prophet’s core message, which was to seek knowledge and “learn to love instead of hate”.

In summary, the ideas of mind science and manifestation are alive within Moorish Science, though often couched in Quranic or old-timey language. Noble Drew Ali’s followers still greet each other with “Peace” and “Islam” (which they interpret as an acronym: I Self Law Am Master, signifying the mastery of self – a very metaphysical spin on a common word!). The continuity of these principles from Ali’s era to now shows the enduring appeal of empowerment spirituality.

Q: What is one lasting inspirational message from Noble Drew Ali for today’s spiritual seeker?
A: Perhaps the most inspiring message is the power of self-knowledge and identity in transforming one’s reality. Noble Drew Ali taught that knowing who you truly are – a child of God (Allah), not the labels society gives – is the beginning of all freedom. In an age where many feel lost or powerless, that message rings loud. He would say: You are not who the world told you you were; you are much greater, with a noble origin and purpose. Coupled with that, he emphasized personal responsibility: “If you would ask me what to study, I would say, study yourselves.” Don’t look outside for saviors – look within. That aligns perfectly with the Law of Attraction’s emphasis on inner change for outer change.

Another gem: the idea that love is the savior. In Ali’s teachings, when the lower self (ego) is conquered, “the savior, Love, will be exalted to the throne of power”. This suggests that love (in the sense of divine love, compassion, unity) is the highest power in the universe – a very comforting thought for any spiritual seeker. It means no matter what conflict or negativity we face, the answer is to bring more love into the situation, for love harmonizes and attracts the best.

Finally, Noble Drew Ali’s life itself is a testament: He was a man with little formal education, from a marginalized background, yet he managed to synthesize complex philosophies and ignite a movement that changed lives. His example tells us no dream is too big and no person is too small when aligned with a higher calling. As the Moorish Holy Koran says, “Man cannot die; the spirit-man is one with Allah, and while Allah lives man cannot die” – which to a modern reader can be taken as: our true self is indestructible, connected to the source of all life. Therefore, we should live boldly and righteously, unafraid of failure, knowing the universe supports our divine mission.

In conclusion, Noble Drew Ali’s story and teachings carry a mystical, inspiring quality that transcends their time. His message combines the mystic’s vision (we are all one with the Divine) with the activist’s zeal (we must uplift ourselves here and now). For followers of the Law of Attraction and modern mystics, discovering Noble Drew Ali is like finding a spiritual ancestor who was teaching “manifestation” before it was cool – and doing so not just for personal gain, but for the liberation of an entire people. His life reminds us that by changing our minds, we really can change the world.

Sources: Noble Drew Ali, Holy Koran of the MSTA; Judith Weisenfeld, New World A-Coming; The Immanent Frame (Weisenfeld); The Universe Unveiled – Abdullah; Bria Rivello, “What is New Thought?”; Moors in America – Prophet Noble Drew Ali; Wikipedia – Noble Drew Ali, New Thought.