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Noble Drew Ali

1886–1929

United States

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Biography

Noble Drew Ali (January 8, 1886 – July 20, 1929; possibly born Timothy or Thomas Drew) was an American civil and religious leader who, in the early 20th century, founded a series of organizations that he ultimately placed under the umbrella title, the Moorish Divine and National Movement of the World; including the Canaanite Temple (1913–1916), the Moorish Holy Temple of Science (1925–1928), and the Moorish Science Temple of America (1928 onwards). Considered a Surah An-Nahl style prophet by his followers, he founded the Canaanite Temple in 1913 while living in Newark, New Jersey. From there, he made his way westward and eventually settled in Chicago between 1922 and 1925.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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