Ruby Muhammad — Mother of the Nation of Islam

Ruby Muhammad ·

Her Story

A Reflection

Ruby Muhammad stood as a woman of grace, devotion, and quiet strength within her family, community, and faith. A wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and spiritual anchor, she shaped the lives of those around her through the warmth of her presence, her wisdom, and her unwavering care for others.

Her story spans generations of labor, faith, sacrifice, and love. Raised in the rural South and shaped by hardship early in life, she carried herself with both resilience and tenderness — qualities that made her a stabilizing force for her family and the community she served. In the 1950s, she moved from Georgia to Minnesota in search of a better life and greater opportunity for her family, and later relocated again in the late 1960s to California, continuing to build a life rooted in faith, strength, and perseverance. Through the mosque, she dedicated herself to supporting fellow believers, particularly women and children, extending compassion, guidance, and protection wherever she could.

She loved deeply, traveled often, valued her health and well-being, and believed in caring for others while still embracing life fully. In her later years, she became the keeper of stories, memory, and wisdom for generations who knew her simply as Mother.

This memorial is dedicated to her memory, her words, and the legacy of love and faith she leaves behind.

From Her Granddaughter

A Dedication

She was strong, yet ethereal. Small but mighty. Her life was rooted in compassion, community, and dedication. Strength was simply a part of who she was, but it was her grace and warmth that made others love her so deeply. Nana, as I called her, had a smile and laughter that were entirely her own, yet she carried a stern voice that let you know when she was to be taken seriously. In her lifetime, she witnessed so much. She told stories. She lived in her truth. She was a mother of the nation. But to us, she was the matriarch — the quilt of our family, carefully stitched together through care, sacrifice, support, and protection, holding us together through it all. She was love.

— Salatha Helton, 2026

Her Journey

Life & Legacy

1900s — Tennille, Georgia

Origins

Born Ruby Lee Grier in the early 1900s in Tennille, Georgia, a suburb of Sandersville, and raised in Americus, Mother Ruby was raised by her aunt, whom she lovingly called Nannie, after the passing of her maternal grandmother when she was five years old. Although she never knew her mother and met her father only once, she was raised through the care, labor, and protection of her extended family within a close-knit community. Like many Black children born in the rural South during that era, she held no official birth certificate, leaving parts of her early history to be carried through memory, oral storytelling, and family accounts. Her early life, shaped by hard work, storytelling, faith, and collective care, laid the foundation for the strength and compassion that would define her life.

1940s–1950s — Her Faith & Calling

Entering the Nation

After encountering members of the Nation of Islam who treated her with dignity and called her “sister,” Mother Ruby found a sense of belonging, identity, and spiritual purpose. The Nation became not only her faith, but also a place where her voice, service, and nurturing spirit could fully emerge.

1940s–1970s — Marriage & Family

Building a Home

With a seventh-grade education, Mother Ruby built a life rooted in resilience, faith, and devotion to her family. While living on Hilliard Street in Atlanta, Georgia, and married to John Pittman, she worked as a cook in the 1940s, earning $364 a year while working nearly 70 hours a week across 50 weeks of the year — a reflection of her dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to providing for her family. Later in life, she married James Hyder, whom she regarded as her deepest love, building a life grounded in companionship, strength, and enduring connection.

1970s–2000s — Service & Sacrifice

Her Ministry

For decades, she served faithfully within her community and through the mosque, offering care, guidance, and emotional support to those around her. Dedicated to supporting the people of the mosque — referred to as “believers” — she extended particular understanding, compassion, and support to women and children. Beyond her service, Mother Ruby believed deeply in caring for herself and embracing life fully. She loved to travel, valued her health and well-being, and carried herself with both strength and grace. Through faith, family, and everyday acts of sacrifice, she became a stabilizing and nurturing force for many.

Later Years

Elder & Matriarch

In her later years, Mother Ruby became the keeper of stories, wisdom, and memory for her family and community. Her presence anchored generations, and her words, laughter, and strength remained deeply woven into the lives of those she loved.

Enduring Legacy

The Nation She Mothered

Mother Ruby’s legacy lives on through the generations she nurtured, protected, and inspired. Through faith, sacrifice, storytelling, and love, she helped hold together not only a family, but also a wider community that continues to carry her spirit forward.

Words She Left Behind

Wisdom & Teachings

“Happiness is not what you want, but what you have. It is not the length of life, but the depth of life. And the soul of life is being able to share it with someone else.”

Ruby Muhammad

“Living a long life is about movement — and as long as you have feet, use them.”

Ruby Muhammad

Mother Ruby deeply believed in the emotional well-being, support, and education of young girls. She often spoke of her dream of one day creating a school for girls that would continue her legacy of guidance, care, and empowerment.

“I can still see Grandmother cheering, saying, ‘Hey, hey, we did it!’ She was the biggest San Francisco Giants fan.”

Her Grandson, Darryl Mearday