This story is one based on my personal experiences.  As President of the Akron Branch of the TS, Adyar I had the good fortune of meeting people from all walks of life.  One of the very most interesting was a person who eventually ended up being the Vice-President of our group.  Her name is Janieceann El Amin.  Janieceann was a member of the Nation of Islam and was well acquainted with it's leaders, including The Hon. Elijah Mohammed, and his son Warith Deen Mohammed, as well as Louis Farrakhan.

Janieceann discussed how in their classes they would have copies of the Secret Doctrine out, along with books by Manly P. Hall, Alice Bailey and others.  They would spend many hours, and sometimes even days on one page.  The floor of the study room was carpeted in books, pamphlets, newspapers and even pictures, such was the eagerness to understand.  It seems that someone forgot to tell them that the 'Theosophical' way to study was to pass a book around and read it. I recall staying up till 3am on more than a few nights in the deep study mode.

Such is my experience in directly seeing how the Nation of Islam approached the Secret Doctrine.  Now the history, or at least as fragmentary as I can document it...

The story begins in the 1920's, according to author Karl Evanzz, when Wallace Fard met up with Mohini Chatterji.  Chatterji, many of you recall was a 'chela' who was quite active in India, then the London Lodge before coming to America.  Fard founded the Nation of Islam and eventually passed the mantle to the Hon. Elijah Mohammed.  As such there is a connection between these two movements, and for many the connection is still real. 

I recently found a blog posting on the Daily Grail site, from a Fahim A. Knight-El relating to his study of the Secret Doctrine and the reverence for the work. A further examination of Mr. Knight-El's views is to be found here.

It would be quite interesting to hear what others have found in connection with the ties between Theosophy and other groups, such as the Nation of Islam, both historically and doctrinally.  I have just barely scratched the surface.  Though we may not agree with views expressed by others, that doesn't mean we throw out what is useful and wise.