04/05/1996
IWDM Study Library
Industry and Excellence of Character
Chicago IL

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Speaker 1: The Khutbah by Imam WD Mohammed, Muslim American spokesman for human salvation, titled, Industry and Excellence of Character in Al Islam, was recorded April 5th, 1996 in Chicago, Illinois.
Imam WD Mohammed: Allahu Akbar Al hamdu lillahi rabbil Aalameen, [Arab language]. We praise G-d. We witness that he is one. We associate none with him in worship. We witness that Muhammad, to whom Qur'an was relieved about 1400 years ago or so, is the seal of prophets, the last of the prophets. The prayers and the peace be upon him, and what follows of that salute or that salutation to the last prophet. We thank Allah for our presence here, for our health, our ability to be present here today.
We thank Allah for making us Muslims, inviting us to the religion of Islam, making us Muslims, giving us the faith, enabling us to have a community. We praise Allah, who sent messengers one after another, prophets and messengers, one after another, prophets who are also messengers, one after another. Until the last, Muhammad about 1400 years ago, the prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace. He was the child of Mecca, where the Kaaba is, where we turn in prayer in that direction.
The qibla, our direction, our qibla. He was a citizen and a child of that city and he was also a member of the family tribe, the big tribe of Quraysh, the most respected tribe of Arabia, or of the Arabs of that peninsula called Arabia, Saudi Arabia now. We witness that it was that prophet who received the Qur'an, the last revelation, the last word from G-d, not just to the Arabs, of that peninsula, or to the people of that peninsula called Arabia or Saudi Arabia, but to the whole world, to the whole of mankind.
Allah says of Muhammad, the last prophet, that he's a mercy to all the world, that he is a mercy all the world. We witness also that the house, the Kaaba, or the base, the house that we turn to in prayer, directing ourselves in prayer all around this world. Over a billion of us, that that house was not just built for the local people of that land. That house was built for all people. G-d says, "Highly glorified is he. Sub??nahu wa ta'al?. Highly glorified is he."
He says that it is the first house built for the worship of G-d and for all people. (Arabic). Built for all people. We know also that G-d has cautioned us himself with the Qur'an, with the words of G-d in the Qur'an that we should not take that house, that symbol there, to our hearts and to our minds as something to be worshiped. We should not let it mystify us to the point that we think it has some power of its own. It's only stone, it's only stone.
As a symbol, it has a great message. G-d says that in that house is guidance. Guidance for mankind. In that house itself, that means in the symbol itself, if you understand the message in the symbol, that in that message that's in the symbol, or in the symbolic house itself that represents something else in abstract, though it's concrete, if you understand that, there is guidance in there for all people, for mankind. Don't worship the house. G-d says, "[Arab language].
For the people of the Quraysh. The Quraysh people. (Arabic), for their journey, and in the winter, through the winter and summer. [Arab language]. Worship, therefore worship the lord of this house knowing that He is the one who gave you food, He be provided for you your food, and saved you from fear. (Arabic).
The one who provided for them food in the time of hunger, (Arabic), and saved them and gave them security against fear. (Arabic), Therefore worship the lord of this house, not the house. Worship the lord of this house. (Arabic). The one who fed you in the time of hunger and saved you or gave you security against fear.
Now, G-d says also, "What is the matter with you?" Everybody didn't respond as they should. Have responded. G-d says, "What is the matter with you, that you don't respond?" When it is G-d and the messenger who calls you to life. Actually, the language is, "Who calls you to that which gives you life. Who calls you that which gives you life." We just heard the call to prayer for the Jumu'ah, the big gathering. The most sacred day in Islamic life, or in the Islamic community life.
Jumu'ah, Friday. We just heard the call to prayer on this day. On this very special day, the most holiest, the most sacred of days for Muslims. Jumu'ah, even more sacred than Eid al-Adha, than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Most sacred in any holiday, this day the Jumu'ah, that comes every week for us, every week for us. This great Friday. You just heard the call and the call said, haya alla salah. haya alla falah." Come to prayer, come to worship."
Come to prayer, come to worship, haya alla falah. Come to success, come to success. This is a religion that invites us to worship G-d and G-d alone. To make the proper proper prayers to him, the salaat, which are five in number, and follow the way of Muhammad, the tradition of Muhammad, the last prophet. Prayers and peace be on him. Follow his, what is called his Sunnah, His way, His tradition, His life, His life that he set before us, and as he practiced the religion under G-d, under G-d's order, and under G-d's invitation.
This religion says, haya alla salah. Haya means life, living, living. Haya means living. There is a proverb in the bible and it's reasoned to be an Arab proverb, by the theologians of the bible, the christian theologians themselves. It says, "A living dog is better than a dead lion." [Arab language]. The Arabs know this saying very well. A living dog is better than a dead lion. So this is a religion that the Arabs appreciated because they were a band of the people, band of many tribes banded together, or divided one against another.
You know that when Muhammad brought the Qur'an to them, Arabic), prayers and peace be on him. They were disbanded, they were not united, but some of them band together, some of their tribes band together and the stronger ones would band together, or the more numerous would band together and impose their way on the others, until Islam came and united them and made them one community. All of those tribes came under one community, the community of Al Islam.
That tribe we mentioned, that most respected of all the tribes that the prophet was born of, the tribe of Quraysh, it was known for its strong, strong spirit of community. The Quraysh tribe had the strongest community spirit of all the other tribes. It was known to have most social life, more social establishment, most social principles, most social laws than all the other tribes. Its history, especially preceding the birth of Muhammad the prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, for about couple of hundred years or so.
Its history was a history of strong community life. It was a prophet out of that the tribe, out of that most noticeable and most respected of all the tribes, it was the prophet out of that tribe that was chosen to be the prophet to the whole of humanity. G-d says or us, that this community (Arabic). This community of yours is one community. (Arabic) , (Arabic). I am your lord, therefore worship only me. This is the word of G-d to us. You can see in the words that I've given you so far in this kutbah on this very special day. You can see the emphasis on community, and the Kaaba then is a symbol for the unity of the community, the Kaaba, the symbol. For the unity of the community, and this community wasn't intended to be just a local community. This community is intended to be a community covering the whole world. G-d says again, [Arabic language] You are the best of the communities, evolved for all people, (Arabic) you, the many you of you, all Muslims.
[Arabic language], that's the most useful, the most beneficial of all the communities. [Arabic language] evolved for all people. Moses is a Prophet. Upon him be peace. Who's very special in the prophetic projection of the word and plan of G-d. Muhammad the Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, is established in the Quran and in the tradition as a Prophet like unto Moses.
We know that Moses is known to have led a people outside of another social system, outside of another political government, or political power, and outside of their social and cultural system into an independent social and cultural system. That's what we know of Moses. The same thing we know now of Muhammad. G-d bless him to lead the community of Muslims into a sense of government. They realize the first government in the city of Madina, Munawwara, the city of the light or the enlightenment.
They realize the sense of government, they became a government, their kingdom was established on earth right there. It's still there and it's still lovely place, beautiful place to visit and it's still the second of the most sacred places for Muslims on this earth, that place. Where the Prophet established his home for the purpose of establishing a system for the social life of the Muslims, or government system. That is to spred until it covers the whole earth and raise everybody.
Not that everybody will be a believer or everybody will accept it, but it is to invite everybody and some from everybody will come. Some from everybody will come. This religion has not just an attraction for whites, an attraction for Arabs, or attraction for blacks. We know that the Prophet in his last sermon, he played down the importance of these things over the importance of the word of G-d in the community of Muslim.
He said there's no superiority of a black over white and no superiority of a white over black. Then he addressed nationalism. There's no superiority of Arab over non-Arab, or of a non-Arab over an Arab. He did away with all of that. In Islam there can be no nationalism as a part of our religion. Our religion does not permit us to have nationalism as a principal or a concern for our religion. It doesn't submit us to have racism or racial arrogance or racial supremacy at all.
There is no superiority of one color over another and there's no superiority of one nation over another. We know that this is the confusion that was in scripture before. People claiming to be G-d's chosen nation, and that their nation was going to be the nation for all the world to recognize and for all the world to bow down to and to pay homage to. We know that was in the religion but Islam kills it, it takes it out.
Let us not jump into these traps that were designed by people, generations before us, and thousands of years before us. Don't drop into their old-rusty traps, but accept Islam the refined and beautiful religion that appeals to every decent sensible human being. It appeals to your heart, it appeals to your mind, it appeals to your spirit, it appeals to your flesh, and blood.
This religion is a religion that unites you with your own self, and unites you with your own people and with other people that belong to you by distant relationship. Established upon the belief that Adam is the father of us all, it enjoins you with G-d the creator of us all. That religion gives you peace in your heart, in your soul and you feel good. Don't even think about having somebody sell you something different. Allahu Akbar.
Congregation: Allahu Akbar.
Mohammed: May we praise G-d that has called us to faith. That we have heard a caller, calling to faith, and we have responded saying we believe. Praise be to Allah. That caller we know that (Arabic), who was calling is Muhammad, that's one of his attributes. That was Muhammad the last Prophet calling us to faith, and we have responded and accepted faith. We know also that G-d calls us to life. That means we also must accept the life.
We praise G-d who created everything, and planned the whole creation, to support his aim. His will and his aim. Which is to have the best of creation. Serving him and him alone. The best of creation is rational man and the rational human community that accepts the guidelines of G-d, and form their community accordingly, and worship G-d only, and works for G-d's pleasure to make themselves better and better, more excellent more excellent in his life every day and every year until the end of time.
We praise G-d for his creation of Muhammad the Prophet. He created Muhammad the Prophet. We praise Allah for his creation Muhammad the Prophet. We accept him as the messenger of G-d and as still the prophet of the land. We praise Allah for the messenger of G-d, Muhammad and we follow his tradition. We don't follow any other man's tradition over our Prophet's tradition. We don't follow any other man's ideas over our Prophet's way.
We don't follow any other man's ideology over what has been given to us in the Quran and in our Prophet. We don't let any of our ideology come in the way of Quran and what Prophet has given us, from himself, from his own life. Whether it be education, the secular world's knowledge, or whether it be their Bibles, their scriptures, or whether it be their political ideology, that nationalism, we reject it all if it conflicts with what G-d has given us in the Quran and in the Sunnah, in the life of the Prophet.
Praise be to Allah. Allah is greater, Allahu Akbar Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen. Praise be to G-d the Lord of all the worlds. The Sustainer, the Cherisher, of all the world. Walilah alhamd, and for G-d is the praise and the thanks, all of it. 
Al hamdu lillahi rabbil Aalameen. Praise and the thanks to Allah for, Allah the Lord, Sustainer, the Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher of the universe.
We witness that He is one and one alone, He has no partner in the rule of the heavens and the Earth and we witness that Muhammad, to whom the Quran was revealed about 1430 years ago, is the seal of the Prophets and is prophesied in the scriptures. The last of the prophets. The prayers and the peace be upon him, Sal Allahu alaihi wasallam wabaat, and what follows of their salute to the last Prophet.
We pray to Allah, give strength to our weak people, and to our aging people, and to our sick people. Give them health and strength to live to see their life out as they want it to be on this Earth, and we hope that Allah will increase this community, it's members, in knowledge, the knowledge of Islam, first of all. We hope that Allah will increase this community in the knowledge of Islam, and the knowledge of Islam is to be found in the Quran first, and in the life of the Prophet whom the Quran was revealed.
If we read the Quran, we can't help but learn of Muhammad the Prophet. The Quran was revealed to him, the words came through him, the language was first spoken, the language we read on the pages of the book in Arabic now translated into a hundreds of languages, by Saudi Arabia, the King of Saudi Arabia within the last few years have made available the translation of the Quran in more than a hundred languages.
We know that that language, when you read the language, the words itself that human being speak, we know that that language came from the mouth of Muhammad the Prophet. It didn't come from anybody else's mouth. It was his mouth first, even though we know the angel was the medium Gabriel, Jibril. He was the medium to bring it Muhammad the Prophet from Allah G-d himself, but that language, the words did not come from Jibril's mouth. Jibril does not have the mouth of a man.
The words came from Muhammad's mouth. Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, the prayers and peace be upon Him, came from Him. Just as you're hearing my voice now and my words now, me speaking of what G-d revealed to Muhammad the prophet, when they were sitting before him in Arabia 14 centuries ago or more, they heard his voice. They didn't hear a word from the Quran until they heard Muhammad's voice, and then the scribes, began to write it down and preserve it for generations to come.
Understand the reality, don't let the spookism kill the reality. Keep your eyes open and understand the reality. The reality is your foundation, the reality is your strength, the reality is your key for the victory in the future. Stick with the reality and don't let spookism or mysticism take you off of the reality, the foundation of reality. Now, in my conclusion, concluding this Khutbah, I said I was going to speak for only 15 minutes and conclude it within 25. I think I'm going a little bit over the time.
[laughter]
Mohammed: Praise be to Allah. In my conclusion of this Khutbah, on this wonderful, special day, this most sacred of days for the Muslim community of the whole world, the international Ummah, or international Muslim community. I want to invite you, all of you, to read what had happened since 1975. Read it not on pages, page for page. Read it in your recollection. Read it in the effect it has had on you.
Read it, and when you read it you will see that we are in accord with G-d's plan that he has for all people in the Quran. That plan is to motivate them, to give them the spirit to want to be a community and to want to be responsible for community life. To be responsible for community life you have to appreciate life first of all. We are told that Islam is a comprehensive religion. Meaning it leaves out nothing important for the life of people.
It is a comprehensive religion, but you should first understand that life is comprehensive itself. Human life is not satisfied with just having hymn books. Human life wants more than that. It wants more than just the hymn books. We find that the human life when it's established and it's strong and it can accommodate places for the hymn book readers. We find that it's supported by something a little bit broader than the hymn book reader. It's supported by knowledge, science, faith, knowledge, scientists.
Not one science, scientists. Many scientists. And a community of people that appreciate that and raise their children to appreciate that and raise their children to qualify in the avenues of intelligence, in the avenues of knowledge. G-d says, "Knowledge." He has created us that we should have knowledge. Then he brings our attention to the fact that he has made us rational. He made us to look for logic. He made our minds to want to look for a logic, to look for understanding. To get out of confusion.
To free the mind from ignorance and confusion. He said he has made us like that. Then why don't we respond to the Quran, the book from G-d that respects the best of us? The Prophet said, "G-d had not made anything better for human beings than his ability to reason." If He didn't have the ability to reason He wouldn't be any higher than the animal on the totem pole of evolution. Because he has the ability to reason, to think himself into another vision for the future, to think himself into another idea for his life.
He has the ability to reason and break from all molds, and all restraints, and all laws, and all ways, and all culture and come into another house of knowledge, culture, morals, et cetera. That gives him a different behavior. In my conclusion, I want to invite you to look at what has happened since 1975. Review it in your own mind and your own memory, in your own life experiences. Review it. Even though it touched you maybe just 5% or maybe 2%, review it and see where we are today.
Listen to the voice today. Try to identify the spirit today. The spirit today is community. That's what the spirit is. You have to now take on that spirit so that that spirit will affect your behavior. Your behavior will become the community behavior. You won't be behaving like black people divided against each other, or like black Muslims divided against other Muslims. You will take on a new spirit, and as a result of that that new spirit will form in you a new behavior.
A new behavior. You will be ready then to follow us on the road to a new destiny. The destiny is great community. Great community, providing all the needs for human life as G-d intended. Great community under G-d. Under the Quran. The real destiny. We ask Allah to always give us guidance, forgive those who err, show us mercy. Turn to us and accept our prayers for forgiveness. Have mercy on us and give us guidance.
Give us the guidance that you provide, the guidance that you have provided the Quran. Oh Allah, we pray as Muslims pray all over this world among the learned. Make the Quran accessible to us. Make the obtainment of it easy for us. Keep us in this way and let us be witnesses to the Prophet that we are the people of the Quran and the people in the following of Muhammad the Prophet and the people for justice under G-d.
Congregation: Amin.
Mohammed: Amin. Allahu Akbar.
Congregation: Allahu Akbar.
[00:26:30] [END OF AUDIO]

