CHICAGO -- The 22 children of Elijah Muhammad, the late founder of the Nation of Islam, are entitled to $5.7 million improperly turned over to the current leader of the religion, a judge has ruled.
Cook County Circuit Judge Henry Budzinski ended a seven-year court battle with his ruling Thursday that the disputed bank account at the First Pacific Bank of Chicago, now known as Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, was the private property of Muhammad and did not belong to the church of Islam.
After Muhammad's death, the Pacific Bank closed his account and transferred the funds into a new account of one of his sons, Wallace Muhammad. The younger Muhammad was later named the new leader of the Islam nation, which is now known as the Muslim American Community.
Eight of Elijah Muhammad's 22 children filed suit in 1979, contending the money belonged to their father's estate and not to the religious community.
The account totaled $3.3 million when Muhammad died in 1975 and has accrued more than $2 million in interest.
Budzinski ruled in favor of the estate in 1982 but the state appellate court asked him to reconsider the case with additional evidence in 1984.
