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 The only nonfamily member among Elijah's national leaders is known in the NOI as Elijah's son and grandson, when they left the cult, advised that  is an opportunist who is in the cult only for the financial opportunities and status he can maintain through cooperation with Elijah. Both claimed that he is completely untrustworthy, has misappropriated cult funds, and is "loose morally."

Though troubles have erupted among members of the cult on many occasions in the past, none had publicly involved the solidarity of the national hierarchy. Many people have wondered what caused the rash of defections and expulsions of former leaders of the cult during the past year. It would be difficult to state for certain, because it must be remembered that the dissident former members and leaders who later loudly condemned Elijah and his present hierarchy for their many faults, until recently, were all among his top supporters and recruiters.

But Elijah does have trouble in his "royal family." The first outward signs of a growing dissidence were revealed after Malcolm X made