Growth For A Model Community in America

FOREWORD

Imam W. Deen Mohammed is the foremost leader of Muslims throughout America and in many other parts of the world. He is known for his depth of thinking, insight and faith. His perspectives are clearly Qur'anic based, with applications that cut across scriptural, religious, political, cultural and ethnic lines. He is at the very forefront of interfaith dialogue and cooperation. He is leading the call towards human excellence, refinement and salvation.

In this present work, which originates from a public address given December 10, 1994 in Hartford, CT Imam Mohammed offers that particular focused and insightful perspective which he has become known for, on various subjects. As clear and directed as possible, he brings forth developed points-of-view on education, culture, business, art, nature, extremism, balance, and history. He brings to life the remarkable transformation of pagan Arabia, 1400 years ago, into a God-conscious society under the leadership and example of Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) and the guidance of the last revelation, the Qur'an, the Glorious. His explanations bring the living legacy of the Prophet before the reader's eyes in such a way that one comes to truly appreciate the Prophet's patience, tolerance, intellect, wisdom, decency, justice, and vision. Imam Mohammed presents the Prophet's character so that it may be followed and emulated, and not merely imitated.

Imam Mohammed draws the connection between the marvelous transformation directed by the revelation of the Qur'an 1400 years ago, and the transformation of his father's (the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's) Nation of Islam. Imam Mohammed gives insights into the strategies and principles that he utilized to bring the vast majority of the Nation of Islam to the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) and the universal concept of Al-Islam. Over and over again, in various and diverse examples, he illustrates how the Qur'an was the constant basis for the successful mass conversion.

Utilizing the pregnant language of scripture, Imam Mohammed demonstrates the depth of the Islamic message and practice, and its relevance to today, to America, and to humanity. He offers direction for the future, solutions for the present, and understanding of the past. His voice is directed to the ear, the heart, and mind of humanity. He stands upon scripture and the living legacy of the Prophets left for all of us and preserved and perfected in Prophet Muhammed. If Elijah Muhammad could speak, I believe he would tell us to follow this man. If Al-Hajj Malik al Shabazz (Malcolm X) could speak today, I believe he would tell us to follow this man. If Dr. Martin Luther King could speak today, I believe he would recognize Imam W. Deen Mohammed as the leader of the human dignity movement and he too would say, follow this man. When you study the words and aspirations of these and other great men and women of God-conscious leadership, and study the words of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, it becomes apparent that he has inherited the leadership of the real Freedom Movement.

Imam W. Deen Mohammed is pushing back the wilderness of ignorance, superstition, selfishness, extremism, and greed, and not merely clearing the land, but also stimulating the cultivation of souls and society, by God's Will and Help. May the reader find the wealth of insights that lie on the surface of the following pages, as well as the great treasures that unfold with serious thought, study, and application.

Imam Plemon T. El-Amin
Resident Imam of the Atlanta Masjid
Convener of Muslim American Majlis Ash-Shura
Graduated from Harvard University
Received post graduate instruction from
Georgia State University in the field of Urban Life.
Growth For A Model Community in America


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wallace D. Mohammed, son of Elijah Mohammed and known to many as Warith Deen Mohammed, is Imam (Muslim religious leader) in the society of Muslim Americans and the Muslim American Spokesman for Human Salvation.
His service for the promotion of universal human excellence is well documented as he has established direct and genuine dialogue between the leaders of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. His clear and appreciable representation of the religion of Islam and unparalleled contribution toward building respect for Islamic life in America has merited him countless awards and many unprecedented acknowledgments.


Some in the last few years include:

The only American invited to formally observe the historic and critical 10th Annual Islamic Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Fez, Morocco.

*In early 1988, he represented Muslims at the World Parliament of Religious Leaders for Survival of the Earth and its Environment in Oxford, England. Later that year he was invited to participate in the symbolic signing of the First Amendment Charter for Religious Freedom held in Williamsburg, Virginia, where with a host of other American religious and social leaders including two former U. S. Presidents, he was the signer representing Muslims in America.

*In 1990, following the invasion of Kuwait he was invited and led a delegation of Muslim leaders, scholars, and educators to Saudi Arabia where he addressed the Islamic Conference on the Persian Gulf Conflict as the leader of Muslims in America.

*On February 5,1992, he delivered an historic address at the Pentagon on the fundamentals of the Islamic faith to military chaplains and other personnel in the interest of increased opportunities for Muslim chaplains in the American military. The very next day, February 6th, he became the first Muslim representative to deliver an invocation on the floor of the United States Senate. The following month in the state of Georgia, the state of his father's birth, he delivered to a standing ovation of elected officials the first address of a Muslim leader on the floor of the Georgia State Legislature. On September 10, 1992 he was cited for exemplary work in the religion of Islam by Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak with their highest and most distinguished religious honor. "The Gold Medal of Recognition."

*As part of the inauguration activities for President Bill Clinton, on January 20, 1993 in Washington, DC he was invited to participate as the representative for the religion of Islam in the Inaugural Interfaith Prayer Service.

*In October, 1994 the legitimate leader of the estimated 60 million Muslims of the former Soviet Union, Mufti Abdullah Mukkhtar of Uzebekistan, visited the United States for the first time for the purpose of kindling acquaintance with people of good will in America. His single public meeting and dialogue was with Imam W. Deen Mohammed at the historic Masjid Bilal in Cleveland, Ohio.

*In December, 1994 one of America's oldest and most revered schools of theology, the Hartford Seminary, saluted Imam W. Deen Mohammed for his trailblazing work in the area of Growth For A Model Community in America Muslim, Christian, Jewish relations with their highest and most distinguished 'Cup of Compassion' Award. *The first and unprecedented "Kindness Week" established in February, 1995 in Dallas, Texas where along with the legendary Rosa Parks, actor Dennis Weaver, and Martin Luther King 111, Imam W. Deen Mohammed served as an honorary co-chair.

*In early 1995 Imam W. Deen Mohammed was selected as an International President for the World Conference on Religion and Peace and on March 7th he addressed its Governing Board Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a message on social development and the aspirations and responsibility of the grassroots in the United States.

*On March 26, 1995 the historic Muslim-Jewish Convocation in Glenco, Illinois, witnessing for the first time serious public dialogue between the top American leaders of Reform Judaism and Islam, featured the keynote address of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed is an avowed supporter of the cause of peace and justice for all of the world's oppressed. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, and a member of the World Supreme Council of Mosques, and an international President of the World Conference of Religion and Peace. Among the many publications he has authored are Prayer and Al-Islam, Focus on Al-Islam, and Al-Islam Unity and Leadership.

Imam Mohammed hosts a nationally syndicated television program, "W. Deen Mohammed and Guest" and is heard weekly on radio stations throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

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Growth For A Model Community in America

The whole world is changing. None of us are staying the same. It's wonderful to see people changing now to accept each other, understand each other, get to know each other and try to do something together to make life better for all of us on this earth. This is really a wonderful time we're living in! A time that brings Jews, Christians and Muslims together for a common cause in the spirit of fraternal or brotherly friendship.


A NEW IDEA - A NEW MISSION

To begin addressing Islam in America, I think first we should look at Islam as it began in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, over 1400 years ago. When we know how it began there, then we will understand better what we're doing now. I believe that I've been trying to do exactly what is communicated to me that 1 should do from the example set by our Prophet over 1400 years ago. Some of us think that our Prophet received the Qur'an and just started giving it to people. That's not the way it happened.

Our Prophet Muhammed first had to understand the heavy responsibility that God was putting on him. At first he didn't even understand himself. He sought help through his wife, Lady Khadijah (may God be pleased with her) who had an uncle who was knowledgeable in the religion of the Book. The Prophet had no previous knowledge of the religion of the Book; he knew nothing of Judaism, Christianity or any of the scriptures. He was having these experiences, and he sought solitude away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. You may ask: What kind of hustle and bustle was back then? However, they loved money, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle back then. 

The Prophet went away from Mecca, the market system, and sought solitude in the mountain called The Mountain of the Light. He went there with the heavy burden of his society on his heart, wanting to know how could that condition be changed. He didn't know who God was or how to address God, but he knew there was a God. There, God came to him, and the experience he had there was so unusual for him that it frightened him. Prophet Muhammed broke out in a sweat with chills and shaking. He went home and he told his wife, Lady Khadijah (may God be pleased with her) of his experience. She said: " I believe my uncle can help you. He knows something about the religion. He is a man who is familiar with the scriptures." From there he got a little relief and God communicated with him again, and again, and God told him that he was going to ease his way and make the burden easy for him.

This didn't happen quickly; it took a long time. For over ten years the Prophet was struggling with hardly any evidence of progress. He and the few who joined him, were burdened with many problems. They were persecuted and they suffered a lot of abuse and shameful kind of attacks*. (1. see references on page 33 ).

Finally, the day came when the people of Medinah made the Hajj or pilgrimage. Up until this time though, the Prophet knew there was a place for the Muslims, Abraham's place, that Prophet Abraham or Father Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) built there. Though he knew the value of that place, it was still under the care of the idol worshippers. The Prophet had to get permission from them to make pilgrimage there. But the good day came when the people of Medinah informed the Prophet that there were many people supporting him there and that people loved him. The Prophet was told that if he would come to Medinah he would find a good situation for his mission and for his work. He accepted and went to Medinah and there, the big change came. 

When the Prophet went to Medinah he took with him the people who migrated, who were called the migrants or the mahajars. The ones who opened their arms to the Meccan Muslims and helped them, they were called the Ansars, the Helpers. From that time on, there was a good situation for the Prophet. He had with him people who had left their homes and had come for one purpose only, to be with the Prophet and to follow him and to support his mission*. (2. see references on page 33 ) Imagine, they come to a friendly place, arrive in a friendly town where the people open their arms to them and say: "Whatever you'd like to do here, we welcome you. We support you." There in Medinah was a situation for the Prophet to establish an Islamic community.

Only when the Prophet found such a situation for establishing an Islamic community do we begin to see great evidence of progress. Now that should tell us something about what we should expect in America. Up until that time, prayer hadn't been established. The Muslims were praying, but prayer hadn't been established. In Medinah, prayer was established. It didn't take long, within five years or so, and the Muslims were in power. On that peninsula it didn't take long for a great victory to come. In about eleven years time the Prophet established phenomenal progress for a new idea and a new mission for a new people on this earth in an eleven year period. I don't think you can find that kind of progress paralleled in history, where someone comes with something totally different from what the people had and the whole land is transformed in a matter of just fifteen years. It was established forever, for as long as the earth abides. Now we have it in America, the new world.


A MODEL OF HUMAN DECENCY

The Prophet (PBUH) always began things with the shahadah. He said to his Meccan idol worshippers: "There is no God but One, Allah." Allah meant to them "The One God." They knew what Allah meant in Arabic, so he said, "There is no God but Allah." But he didn't say it before he put them on the spot. Muhammed the Prophet wasn't a man who just came up to you. Some of us may ask: "What should he have said first to them? Maybe he should have said: As-Salaamu-Alaikum, Bismillah." Some would think he should have said that and then began a Khutbah.

No, the Prophet dealt with what those people understood first. He said: "What if I were to tell you that there was an army, an enemy group coming this way?" They responded: "Oh El-Amin, you are the trustworthy one!" He then said: "There is no God but The One." He put them on the spot. As soon as they acknowledged that he was trustworthy and that they believed in him, he said: "There is no God but The One". This was at the time that they were worshipping three hundred or more idols. He said: "La illaha illillah."

The Prophet was a general who was a master strategist. God created him and then missioned him. The Prophet was tolerant. He didn't say: "No matter how few we are, we have to take this holy, sacred place from these idol worshippers." No, he tolerated them being in the authority, although he knew they couldn't stay. He knew they had to go, but he had the patience to wait until the proper time. He waited until the circumstances were right for doing the thing he had to do. He didn't go and declare war on the heathens. He just kept making the efforts strong for the propagation of Islam. The result, he knew, would be that they would become so enraged and there would be a point in which they couldn't stand it any more and they would attack. Then he would be justified in returning the attack. So the Prophet never declared war on anyone, until they had already declared war on him. He was not an aggressor. He was one who defended justice and defended his rights.

That's Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). This took a patient man and an intelligent man, a wise man. It took a model of human decency to restrain himself like that. Some will say: "He was the underdog, because he had the inferior position. They had the superior position." When he was victorious over them on the day of conquest, when they couldn't do anything but submit to his authority, what did he do? He forgave them. He forgave them of their evil deeds. He forgave them of their brutal and savage deeds and said: "If you accept the peace of Islam, you don't have to fear that there will be any more killing or any more bloodletting. You don't have to fear for your property. Nobody will harm you."

The people of the Book had prophesied that there would come that one who would gain great victories and who would pardon his enemies. That happened at the time of Prophet Muhammed. Some of you can't have a discussion with non-believers without calling them Kafirs and then start a Jihad (war) against them. How many of us are willing to accept that our relatives do not believe what we believe? The Prophet Muhammed kept friendship with relatives who didn't accept him as the Messenger of God. They were good, decent, loving relatives. He didn't break friendship with them.

Some are so dead set in their ways, you'll hear them say: "He's coming from unauthentic sources." The Qur'an is authentic, isn't it? Allah says in Qur'an: "If your parents try to make you accept something of God for which you don't have any knowledge base, don't follow them. But keep good company with them in this life*." (3. see references on page 33 ) That's what God says. God says to us that if our relatives don't accept Islam or don't believe in God the way we believe in God, that is no reason for us to be unkind to our relatives. No, we are supposed to do good by them. We are supposed to be loving and kind to them. This is the way of the Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him. This is the true understanding of the great character of the Prophet: his patience, his wisdom, his strategy, his tolerance is what we need in America now. This is what we need to be successful in America. We need Mohammed, the model of human decency, prayers and peace be on him. We need him before us all the time, so that we know how we're to advance this cause in America.

Our circumstances in America now are much better than before. We have people in America today who will look Muslim leadership up and invite Muslim leadership to come with them and discuss, in a very fraternal and peaceful atmosphere, the problems that all of us are facing here in America and in the world. This is not a time to be sharpening swords or teeth. This is a time to put on your best human dress and go out in human excellence and human refinement to propagate this religion. This is the time!


THE HISTORY OF ISLAM IN AMERICA

We know that Muslims from overseas, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Egypt and a lot of places, have been in parts of America for a long time. Before any of us African-Americans knew about Islam, they were over here. They, themselves, document how they came in the beginning of the migration from the old world to this new world. Like the Jews, they say that they came with the first boats that sailed across the ocean to these parts. It was not in great numbers, but there were a few of them.
We know that in cities like Detroit and Dearborn Muslims from Lebanon and other places have been living there for generations. We see signs in Chicago and in other cities where they had huge Mosque-like structures. I don't know if they built them to be Mosques or not, but it shows that they had a longing for their culture. 

They had huge Mosque-like structures that they eventually moved into other areas of Chicago. They left those structures, which afterward became beautiful theaters. Arabic inscription is still on the wall of one of these buildings. It's a beautiful structure and I imagine it may be seventy to one hundred years old. Now it is in the hands of a very aggressive African-American businessman, Mr. Joseph Gardner of Chicago. They're using it as a cultural center and call it The New Regal Theater. The Regal Theater is really an African-American tradition or a historic idea or place for African-Americans in Chicago. This African-American businessman, Mr. Gardner bought this beautiful Mosque structure and re-opened the Regal Theater, just as it was done in Harlem, N.Y. by Mr. Percy Sutton, who bought a theater and re-opened the historic, African-American Apollo Theater.

An Arab told me that they used to have an Arab community in this area of Chicago. They had their stores and that building was actually a Mosque. Others say they wanted the Mosque there, but they built it and they had to do other things with it. So they built a smaller building and you can still see the small one about half a block from the larger building on the main street of Chicago's South side. You can see the same architectural design of a Mosque in the smaller building, although a church is now in that one.


THE ARAB BUSINESSMAN ISLAM IS INTRODUCED TO AMERICA

We know that Arabs, Muslims from overseas, came to America and were here for a long time, for generations. This is their country just like it is our country. They have made contributions here just like we have. You can't stay in this country and not be on welfare - unless you make contributions. I don't know of them being on welfare. They might sell
yard goods and pedal rugs and sell carpets on the corners of vacant lots and things, but I don't have any knowledge of them being on welfare. So those of you on welfare, shouldn't criticize them; you get off welfare first. Some are in hell-fire, they don't have a job or anything lawful, but are always ready to say who is not supposed to be in America.


THE NATION OF ISLAM: ISLAM IS POPULARIZED IN AMERICA

These Muslims who came here would be happy to meet you if you were Muslim. I met some of them when I was a young man. They would say: "Are you Muslim?" I'd say, "Yes." They'd say: "Ah! alhamdulillah, as salaam alaikum?" I'd say, "Wa alaikum as salaam!" And they were so happy to hear that. They wondered, "How do you know about Islam?" And I would tell them no more than I knew then about Islam. I wouldn't try to drop Yacub's history on them. So, I kept their friendship, gave them the greetings, and went on about my business. The Lord blessed me with the sense of the wise, and I had a good teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I saw him meet people. He wasn't always talking Yacub's history, that was for his Temples' audience. When we began to hear Islam in the public, we knew who had caused that. It was the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and his followers that caused the name "Islam" to be heard in the public; that caused the name "Muhammad" to be heard in the public; that caused the name "Allah" to be heard in the public. I don't think any of us would disagree that Malcolm and Muhammad Ali (along with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's and our efforts) were the two people who did more to popularize Islam in America than anyone else.

Muhammad Ali's situation as the world's greatest fighter helped to popularize Islam and Muslims. Malcolm because of his youth, intelligence, articulate speech and aggressiveness, believed that what he had deserved an audience and public attention and in his opinion could not be defeated. Anyone who knew Malcolm, knew that he never anticipated defeat; it didn't come to his mind that anyone could defeat him. So because of that he became so popular, and he helped the Hon. Elijah Muhammad popularize Muslims in America. I always loved God, Allah. I always loved the Prophet Muhammed. I loved the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and all the Muslims who supported him and loved him. They became dear to me just like close relatives in the home, and I still feel that way about them. I also loved the life of a Muslim under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and I still love it. I have retained what he taught. He taught us not to drink, not to lie, not to steal, not to be dishonest, to respect authority, to respect ourselves and others. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us a lot of wonderful things. He taught us to be thrifty. He taught us to be industrious. He taught us to take our affairs into our own hands and be responsible for them. I loved it and I still love it, and I thank Allah that I haven't departed from any of those teachings. And that's why I'm the man I am now.

If I had departed from some of those teachings and went back and started breaking the laws, going against the good teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I wouldn't be where I am now; and many never would have supported me like they have. So, I wouldn't be where I am now. I am very indebted to the life that I was given from my mother and father for where I am now.
So when we talk about Islam in America, I want you to know that we had a very wonderful experience before we even came to truly know Islam. We didn't know true Islam. Now, we thank God for His mercy on us again. I can say that now we know Islam. Don't be ashamed to say: "I appreciate the good that the Hon. Elijah Muhammad passed on to me." I have been bothered by people from overseas and also at home telling me that I shouldn't even mention his name. Clara Muhammad's name shouldn't be on the school. Elijah Muhammad's name shouldn't be on the Mosque. Well, we stopped calling it Elijah Muhammad's Mosque and we called it Muhammad's Mosque. But when it came to Clara Muhammad's School, I couldn't go along with them at all.

People were trying to tell us who was kafir (one who rejects faith), and they don't know the people like we know them. I know my mother and father and I know that they had patience with me. I know that they did things to help me get where I am today. I should be at least as kind to my relatives as Muhammed, peace be upon him, was to his relatives. My relatives were not knowledgeable like those were in his day who were knowledgeable of him.

They were knowledgeable of his beginning; we were not. I should be at least as kind to my relatives who were not with me in this religion, as he was to his relatives who kept friendship with him, even though they didn't accept what he taught. My mother for a long time couldn't accept my teachings, but she had faith in me. She would say: "What you are doing, son, worries me. I don't know what Allah has planned for you." But she had faith in me. My Father hardly ever would go against me until someone else reported me and brought me to him for some violation against what was expected of the Muslim belief. My father would treat me very kind. He never showed anger or hatred, but if I would insist sometimes he would be very disgusted. I knew his irritation wasn't because of what I was believing in. His irritation was because he wanted me to be like he was: "What means and methods shall be used. Son, get it done. You know what you have to do now, so do it and worry about it later." He believed in obeying the strict law of the temple of Islam, The Nation of Islam, a restricted law. "Obey it! If you got something, keep it to yourself. If you don't tell anybody, I won't tell them. Just keep quiet."

At one time, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad used the words that were used with Omar: "You can't put two swords in one sheath." The Honorable Elijah Muhammad used that phrase by saying: "Son, one man at a time." In fact, I had no intention of trying to replace him. For as long as he lived, I had no intention of doing that. In fact, my desire was to give him support.
I thought that the situation was becoming uncertain for the Nation of Islam's good image and good future. I was feeling kind of desperate myself to see that certain things would be said and certain things would reach the Nation of Islam to prepare them for trouble ahead. That was my main interest. I wrote him a long letter once. When he saw me he said, "Son, I got your eleven-page letter."


"SON, PREACH THAT GOSPEL"

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad tolerated me being different. He could have exposed me before his community as someone who had different ideas in his head. He could have told his national leaders to beware of me and never give me any support. But instead, he did things to help me get into the position once he was out of it. So if a man does that, what should we do? There was the leader of Ethiopia who gave political protection or asylum to an envoy for the Prophet. They were being severely persecuted by the Meccans. They went to Ethiopia to seek refuge there and their Christian ruler heard the plea of the Muslims and granted them protection. The Meccans came on their heels demanding that the Christian ruler turn their citizens over to them, and he refused to do it. 

How did the prophet treat that Christian? When he heard of his passing, he lead the Janazah prayer for that Christian ruler. Allahu-akbar! That's the model we need. My mother, before her passing, told me: "Son, you go on and do what you have to. The people will follow you." The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said before his passing in front of his staff: "Son, go on anywhere you want to go. Son, preach that gospel." On the tape that they brought to him to get me thrown out of the Nation, that is what he called "that gospel." So how is he a disbeliever? If someone had told the Prophet: "Oh Muhammed, go on wherever you like on the earth and preach that message." We wouldn't call him a kafir, would we? Just because the Honorable Elijah Muhammad didn't come to "the high priest" before he died and say: "I confess to you that I've been wrong, and now I make the sha-hadah to you," you call him a kafir.


WHEN YOU FIND THE LIGHT YOUR NATURE SAYS "WELCOME IT" 

Putting our indebtedness to the Honorable Eiljah Muhammad aside, let's look at what happened in Saudi Arabia and in the Middle East. God revealed and the Prophet said that the people who were of good behavior with him in Islam were also the people who were of good behavior before Islam. Didn't he tell them that he appreciated their goodness even when they were idol worshippers? Even when they didn't believe in Islam, before they were Muslims. We know a lot of them were not idol worshippers, like we know everyone does not follow the religions we have today. Some people are just neutral. Although they weren't Muslims, many of them were not drunkards either. Some would drink alcohol and behave uncivilized, but the best of them became the Prophet's followers. He said: "Those who have good behavior now are those who had good behavior before." Now, I can tell you those who are with me now with good behavior, they had good behavior under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

It's something that you have that makes you good. It's your nature. It's what you like that makes you good. When you find something better, when you find the light, your nature says: "Welcome it." That's why we are where we are now, because we were well-meaning back then. We have the same good intentions we had then. God has rewarded our innocence and our good intentions with this great membership we have in the international community of Muslims. We know the history of the Temple of Islam, the Nation of Islam in America. So, let's look at Islam in America in reality. We should be aware of history. We should have a studious group of intellectuals or at least academic-minded people, studying our history and studying the present circumstances and predicting for us future circumstances. 

They should give us guidance for the future circumstances that we will have to face twenty years from now, in the year 2015. That responsibility should be on our scientific-minded people. We have some well trained people in this community. We have some bright minds in this community. I remember as a boy, it was hardly heard of that we had a college person in our community. The time came when the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, with business, attracted a few college trained people. I remember when Dr. Lonnie Shabazz and Dr. Abdul Salaam were the only ones who were professional people, with degrees, that you could point to. But overnight, even in the times of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we saw that number increase. Now we have people with their doctorate degree in practically everything - science, education, social sciences, and these people should be studying our history. 

You never completely get rid of your past. So these professionals should be studying our history to better understand us now. They should be predicting what we have to face down the road in twenty, thirty, forty years from now. They should be writing books on this that will prepare us and our coming generations to live better in America. From the model of Muhammed, peace be upon him, and the early ummah, they should have that model before them. They should be critical of our model in America, in light of what that model stands for and advises. If you see what is in that model, it advises us what to do in our own time and life and circumstances. They should be seeking to improve what we're doing.

We have not finished. I'm not twenty-five any more. At twenty-five, I thought I could be champion of the world with this physical body. Thank God I never got a chance to find out. But I was real good at boxing. I would wear the average boxer out and I used to spar with professionals. My mother wouldn't let me fight, so 1 sparred with professionals. One told me: "lighten up." He'd told me about all the professional fights he'd had, so I thought I didn't have to lighten up on him. Still, I wouldn't have wanted to go out the way a lot of those fighters go out. And I see now that it is a savage sport. When I was a young man I liked it. But it is part of the heathenism that's still in America: Two people, two human beings trying to knock each other out for sport and money. And all the people in the audience are accepting a role as a savage also. They come to see two people knock each other out, cheering them on. Now I'm not against fighting, I'm for fighting those who fight us.


FOR THE GOOD OF ALL PEOPLE

We are a community and that's the key. We are not just religious people or only a people of faith. We are a community. God calls us believers and God addresses us as a community. God says, to let us know that he has made us a community, He says, "You are the best community evolved or raised up out of the world for the good of all people." That's what Allah says to us in the Qur'an. Now that's enough right there to let us know what we should be about. God says that you are the best community, raised up from this world for the good of all people.

Believe me, I understand Qur'anic Arabic. And if you're a Muslim, you belong to Islam and you are obligated to have an interest in the welfare of all people on this earth. God says the purpose for making you a community was for you to be of good benefit to mankind at large*. (4. see references on page 33) We can't just be believers in this religion and go about our separate business. No, we have a focus for our interest. The focus is community life. All of us are supposed to be contributing to community life. That means more than masajid. That means more than schools. That means also cultural centers. 

That means we should be trying to provide cultural outlets for Muslims. That's community responsibility. We should have Muslim theaters, because theaters are powerful for influencing the behavior and thoughts of people. We should have Muslim Art. We have in Chicago, a great artist who works as Director of Graphics and Layout in our Muslim Journal newspaper, and is responsible for many things in their office. He is Brother Atique Mahmood, who is as I said a great artist and does not use his talent except for Allah's pleasure. We should have that in this community, and he is training another person now, Brother Bahayyuddin, who is doing fine. Pretty soon that brother also will be able to do Islamic art work.

Now what is Islamic art work? It is anything that doesn't offend what we are as Muslims. It doesn't conflict with Qur'an or Qur'anic principles. It's not in conflict with Muslim modesty and it is not imitative. The worse thing that you can do is imitate the world. You get no dignity imitating the world.


MUSLIM APPETITE - MUSLIM SPIRIT 

Don't ever imitate people outside of your life. Your life is Muslim life. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said: "Those who have the behavior of others outside of our group are not with us." In ignorance, some people will do that; they imitate non-Muslim behavior. You can't do that. You're suppose to have Muslim spirit in you. You're suppose to have Muslim appetite in you. If you have Muslim appetite and Muslim spirit, those should reflect in everything that you create. We should see the evidence that this is coming from a Muslim. Music has improved greatly over the years. When you first started you were so proud of your singing up there bouncing around on stage and sounding like the do-whops. Now, I can see you coming into your Muslim awareness. In time we're going to have a different music and I'll never be satisfied with your music until it sounds different. It's not supposed to sound like the western music. It's not supposed to sound like Christian music. It has to sound different and then I will be happy with it. Your Lyrics should be different and in time we will get there.

This is why I say we need a theater. Because in a theater, we could have experienced people, trained people working on these problems and creating new music with new expressions. Out of that theater, it can grow and spread and pretty soon you'll have several theaters. Soon we're on the television with a new music and a new expression.

If we could take five or ten African-American non-Muslims, I believe we could say and be correct in saying that at least one of them has Islamic history in his past. Africa is not a country of heathens. Africa is a country of Muslims. Heathens are not in the majority. And most likely, if you just take any African-American off the street, we might be grabbing on to a man whose ancestors are Muslims. We have a definite Islamic heritage that we need to learn about and appreciate. Am I being eastern, if I want to have a tambourine-like music that resembles what I hear in the Middle East? No, I'm being myself. If you want to find what you should be doing, go to Africa among the Muslims and see what they're doing and make some improvement on it. Go to Saudi Arabia and see what they're doing and make some improvement on it. That's what you should be doing, because that's where your past was before you were be-boppin and do-whoppin. This culture is entertainment for them. So they decide how you will behave next year; it's a game for them. It's their entertainment.


STRONG BUSINESS

We must also have strong business. Allah made the first man from the ground. We know production, produce and profit all come from the ground; so does gain, income, resources and surplus. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a surplus at the end of the year in the bank account? We need to concentrate on business. We have to concentrate on business. In the beginning of our history as a people, God made the man from the ground. And what does God say to us? He says: "From the earth you shall be taken, and from the earth you're going to get all of your needs." Your provisions, your means of livelihood are going to come from the earth. The earth will also be your place of meetings. You're going to have to get together and meet each other on the earth, and congregate there on the ground. You will have to socialize and build your social establishment there on the ground and be gathered there together for judgment. God will ask of you: No work on the earth? You didn't even till the soil as much as an ant does? Well, right to the hell fire you go."

You know we are punished more by some lazy people than we are punished by adultery. On the higher level of this language adultery makes for idle people too. But on the common man's understanding of adultery, idleness is a bigger sin than that. Idleness hurts society more. God says: "On this earth you will be gathered and from this earth you will be taken again." Your whole cycle for your existence is in the earth. You're made from it. You prosper upon it. You survive on it. One day you have to go back to it. God promises a resurrection from it. So this earth to us is sacred. God says of it: "The earth is My Mosque." That's what God says in the Qur'an. Look at the respect we are supposed to have for the earth.

Many of the people who studied the decline in business and the economy of this country in the West say it's due much because of people breaking that bond they used to have with the soil. The farmer and his family that knew their meals had to come out of that ground, they valued it. They respected it. They had a living relationship with the earth itself. That's what we need*. (5. see references on page 34 ) I don't think that we have to be farmers to get that because I never was a farmer. I got that from reading the Qur'an. When Allah talked about the earth, it just endeared me so much to His creation, to His earth. This made me feel like its my birth place; it's my future. It's a gift from Allah to me, so I respect it. I treasure it. I walk on the ground now and my feet are in love with what it's touching. My feet are in love with the ground I'm walking on. The ground is sacred to me.

One day I hope I live to see our people with a workable productive relationship with the ground, with the earth. It has to come, because we are a community! And if we are a community, we have to make a contribution to the community, to the establishment of the community and to the progress of community life*. (6. see references on page 34 ) What strategy should we have? We need a strategy. Because in any country, you either have a dictator, a government that's imposing it's will upon all of the citizens and using it's citizens just to preserve itself in power, or you have a liberal situation were the government wants to see the people free and prospering and realizing their own aspirations. That's a great situation to be in. No matter what difficulty we have in America, that's the good situation we have. In America, you are encouraged to think for yourself and to have dreams of your own, to have aspirations of your own, and to seek to realize those things in your life.


ADVANCE AGAINST THE WILDERNESS

Yet, don't think that because that's the way of America, you're not going to have difficulty trying to pursue that or trying to realize that. No, America gives that same kind of encouragement to everybody. So you have an ungodly person encouraged to do the same thing. Maybe the ungodly person looks at you and says: "I'm going to get him and his resources." So here we have a peculiar kind of freedom. We have the freedom of a man-made wilderness. That's what it is. The designers of this wilderness insist upon it remaining a wilderness. What do I mean by wilderness? It is survival of the fittest. They encourage their top leaders to preserve this character of America's freedom. It must continue to be this wilderness, while encouraging humanity. We look at the crime problem and the problem of self abuse we have in America and we see that the idea of wilderness is preserved and promoted, just like the idea of civilization is preserved and promoted. 

It depends upon the people who are motivated by God and who are motivated by decency. It depends upon them, whether the wilderness consumes them or they advance against the wilderness. We want to advance against the wilderness. We want to push the wilderness back. But let's not try to push the wilderness out of the United States, before we push the wilderness out of ourselves, out of our homes, out of our neighborhoods - if we have them. Let's push the wilderness out of the Muslim community. That's what we should be doing. Now if we push the wilderness back and we don't have anything to put in it's place, the wilderness will come back. The wild beast, the strange creatures, the indecent monsters are not running all over the place any more. The land is just out there vacant and peaceful.

We need to first support everything that we have going for us that's good. That's what Allah says. He tells us to be supportive of all that is good and be against all that is bad. Now if we would just apply this advice that God gives us, to be supportive of all that is good and be against all that is bad, look at the rewards we would have in this community. Are we going to reward criminals in business? We know a person is a criminal, but he has a business. Will you go and reward him by buying his goods? No, I don't care if his name is Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah, you shouldn't support him. You have the other kind of brother who thinks just because he is in business, you're supposed to rush to his door because you're his brother. 

He doesn't care about treating you right. He's not interested in getting products that make you feel good. He's not interested in introducing you to better quality things. He doesn't have that interest in excellence at all. He's not interested in your welfare at all. He's not caring about how you're going to feel after you eat his soup or his beans or his chicken. He just wants you to come in and buy it. But if he cared how you were going to feel while you're eating it, and how you feel when it's digesting, and how it's going to effect your health next week and next year, that's the kind of man or woman you should be supporting in business.

If he's in the clothing business, he should love to bring you items that he is proud of. He should love to bring you good garments. He should say: "This garment here, how do you like it? I shopped around for a long time to find this garment in the market. I thought the Muslims would love it. Do you like it sister? Do you like it brother?" That's the man you support. Now I'm teaching you African-Americans how to do this; you have to change your ways. The average one of us doesn't know this. All you say is: "I got enough money, I'm going to open up a restaurant." All he knows is the picture of a restaurant. He knows what a restaurant looks like. He knows that he's seen them over and over again. He goes and he reproduces what he's seen in that picture. Every time the cash register rings two or three times, he opens it up and looks in. He doesn't go and check on the customers and ask: "How's the soup today? How's the chicken? Do you like the meal we've prepared?" He just says: "Okay, I'll see you all in about thirty minutes. I'll be back." So after a while, we don't see him in business any more. Or, if he's still in business, he's got the business supported by drugs, and the business is a front. Yet, you're going away full.

The first thing we should learn, is how to support all that is good and be against all that is bad. Don't reward people who mistreat you. We will never have a community if we do that. The only way we will grow as a community is to refuse to support people who don't have any sense of decency. They don't have a sense of respect for each other or for customers. We can't reward those people, we have to punish them. Punish them by denying them our support. Reward the ones worthy of our support with our support.


HUMAN DECENCY A STRATEGY FOR GOOD BUSINESS

We need a strategy! And that's a strategy of good human sense. We can't open up a business like the American people do. We can't think that just because the lights are on, the food is done, someone is bringing it out to them, the cash register is going, and the packages are being wrapped, that that's all business is. It's business to have the intelligence to know what is good for your business, to know what is bad for your business, and to go after all that is good for your business. That's the strategy of the sane-minded and decent people. But for them, it's not a strategy, it's their nature.

Regarding education, it's not good enough just to say: "Oh, we have parents here, the children are here, and we have qualified persons who can teach the children. We should start a school." That's good, but that's not enough. We need to look down the line. You know what our life is ascribed as? A path. It's ascribed as a path to Allah. And the path to me is a street, it's a road, an interstate road, the road that takes you from one state to another. It carries me all over. Now, you get on a path, and you don't have your mind on anything but where you are going now. Where will you go on that path? The vehicle you'll ride in is the guidance of God.

So here you are in your vehicle, and you're just looking to where you are right now. To move on a path you have to look out in front of you. You have to cast your sights ahead. You have to look beyond where you are, in the direction that you want to go in. Can you imagine someone trying to drive a car but only looking at where he is? He would have nothing but accidents. I think that's the state of the African-American people. They're driving the vehicle down the road, down the path of human activity and they're not looking anywhere else. "Oh, how did I get off here in the corn field?"

Anything we get involved in, we need to not think about where it is right now. We need to be thinking about where it should be going tomorrow, next week, next year and twenty years from now; what shape I'm going to have it in when I pass it on to these youngsters whom I'm teaching in school right now. This is the thinking we need. But, we don't need just schools We have to have a Muslim Teacher's College. We have to support the Muslim Teacher's College We have to see growth and expansion for the Muslim Teacher's College, until we see one in every major city.

We must obligate those teachers to not just teach as American citizens. They have to teach as Muslim citizens. That means they have to have a vision separate from the American vision. They have to have a vision in education that is serving the present needs of the Muslim community and our children. We just can't copy a curriculum from the American public school systems. We have to make a curriculum for our own life and future as Muslims. We must utilize that school to the fullest. If that school can also provide for cultural theaters, then the school should have fine arts. The school should have a theater right inside. In Chicago, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad allowed us to do that. We had a stage right in the school that we used for Islamic plays, Muslim plays, Muslim entertainment. We should be doing the same thing now, only in a much bigger way.


WHAT WE WANT FOR ISLAM IN AMERICA

We should be pioneers for the establishment of Muslim community life here in America. To pioneer means that we should have unorthodox methods, plans, and ways of doing things. What is meant by unorthodox? This means that you don't find it everywhere. It means that it's something new, something different. This is something against the regular way it is done. We need to come up with some very unorthodox ways, means and methods of supporting business development in this community.

To begin with, I'm starting a club. Yes, I've already selected some people for a club of pioneers in business, pioneers who will meet together, plan together, put our resources together and advance business in the African American community and especially in the Muslim community. I hope that some time in 1995, I'll be able to present to you, if not a catalog, at least a booklet with nice beautiful glossy pages, with quality items that we can give to you at competitive prices, for the strengthening of this community. You have to have that! We will use "real" camera shots, so you will see the item just the way it will look when you get it.

We hope to be able to present that to you and invite you to support Muslim business, and to support the Muslim consumer. Our interest is not only the businessman. Our interest is to support the consumer with better treatment and better quality, for at least the same price, or less. Also, our idea is to give opportunity to brothers who have businesses, industrious brothers who are not waiting for welfare. They are going out working and trying to make money. We want to give those brothers an opportunity to come into bigger and better business. They will be able to handle a product that we can bring to them. We can bring products from around America, Mexico, or Canada and also from overseas. We could bring products from Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and many parts of the world, including items from Saudi Arabia. We can do this. We are not going to rush into it. We're going to go very carefully into it, selecting and moving very carefully so that we don't have to regret anything we do.

The people that I'm bringing together all love this religion. They all love to see our people come into a better life and have a better future for a better life on this earth. I'm selecting them very carefully. I'm sure we're not going to have many problems. But it's good to let people know what to expect. It's not going to be easy. I know some people may say: "Oh, I'd like to join. I'd like to get in and be a member in that club." Well, your credit has to be good first. If you can't go to an airline and get a ticket or go to a hotel and get a room with your credit, forget about it. One of those "credit card" people will have to work with you. Good credit is truth of a person's sincerity, honesty and industry.

The idea that we have doesn't require the money up front. You've seen home shopping on television. You trust those people enough to send your money to them. They tell you: "Give us two to four weeks and we'll send your item to you". I'm not in this alone. We've been discussing this now for about five years or more. We think we're ready now. We've got Muslim men and women from Milwaukee to Hartford and down through the south. Some already have money. One brother told me just last week: "Brother Imam, my $30,000 is still waiting. You just let me know when you need it." He wants to invest his money. I'm going to be responsible for holding people accountable for what we have promised, for what we said and pledged ourselves to do. That's al I I'm responsible for. What I mean by that is each person stands on his own. The only benefit they have is our reputation and what we can get because of that reputation outside of our community and inside of our community.


TRUST IS AN ASSET

You know trust is the most valuable asset you have. If you trust me, we all can benefit from that trust. Look what happened because of one who was called the trust-worthy one. Muhammed, the Prophet was called the Trust-Worthy One. A great nation and a new world were built upon the character of Prophet Muhammed. I'm very thankful to Allah and I'm thankful to you, because I know most of you trust me throughout this country, south, north and wherever I go. Especially where I have lived with people, they trust me. I lived with the people in Philadelphia for a while and if something is happening in Philadelphia and I go there next week, or next month, you'll see the response we'll get. It will be great. I also lived in Oakland California. They have a great Imam there, Imam Faheem Shu'aibe. He has been there since I left. I'll go there now and you'll see the response there. I've lived in Chicago, and the Imams there need five years out of the community, each one of them, for doing nothing. But, if I go there and tell the people that I want to be their Imam, you would see the great response there.

The people are there and we have people all over and they want to see us produce something. They don't want to hear just talk. They're tired of hearing just talk. We've been planning first to identify people who can work with us; intelligent, serious, truthful and dedicated people. We want to Identify them and acquaint them with the idea and get their commitment to it. Now, I think we have enough people and enough understanding of this simple business plan, to start it. I hope we will have it on the way in 1995, insha-Allah, we'll be on the way. I hope that we'll have at least the beginning of a catalog by that time. We can show it to you and you'll see exactly what we will have.

We don't want to encourage you to buy a lot of luxuries. But a good watch is not a luxury. Common people need good watches now. We are told that we could get watches. It's going to be terrific! We have a source. If everything turns out to be exactly as I've been given it, it's going to be terrific. We will be able to put brothers and sisters in the watch business and pretty soon you'll be able to compete with the watch businesses downtown. You'll be able to compete with anyone else. You'll be able to give the same price that those big shops give downtown. That's what we need!

Once we have people like that established in business, making good money and are good people, you'll see the difference in this community. They'll go from that into other businesses. They'll invest in other businesses. Pretty soon, we'll be employing ourselves. We'll be entrepreneurs. We will be a community of business people, a community of entrepreneurs. That's going to happen. That's what we want. We'll be employers not employees.

This is what we want for Islam in America. We want to see a community grow here. We want to have Muslim neighborhoods one day with thriving businesses, Muslim businesses. We want the people to come as tourists and not just go to Chinatown. We want the people to come to African-American Muslim Town. It doesn't have to be a town. When we say town, some of us think we have to have the whole city. The Chinese just have a business district. Others just have a business street, one long street with a lot of stores. There are Chinese grocery stores and Chinese restaurants and they call it Chinatown. I'd like to see us have our town, with tourists coming there.

We want to have restaurants so fine and businesses so fine, that people come from Sweden and say: "I'm going to Hartford. There's one of those African-American Muslim Restaurants there. I read about it in Charter, an airline magazine. I'm going to have to visit that restaurant. I have to see that restaurant." We have a brother who's very popular with his small restaurant. He has a fine product in the west and is one of the members of our community. His restaurant hit the front page of his local paper. He had people coming from different ethnic groups just to buy food at his restaurant. We're not talking about a dream! We're talking about something that is already happening. We need to do it in a bigger way!


REFERENCES

* 1. "Instigated by the Quraysh, every clan and tribe began to attack its Muslim members to dissuade them from their faith. One unbeliever threw his Abyssinian slave, Bilal onto the sand under the burning sun, laid a heavy stone on his chest and left him there to die...Bearing himself gallantly under his torture,  Bilal  kept on repeating,  'God  is One, God is One'...Umm Jamil, Abu Lahab's wife, used to throw the refuse  from  her home  onto  Muhammad's door...While Muhammad was praying near the Ka'bah, Abu Lahab threw on him the entrails of a goat sacrificed to one of the gods.", Muhammad Husayn Haykal, The Life of Muhammad, North American Trust Publications, 1976, p. 91.

*  2. "He (Prophet Muhammed) ordered them to exit from Makkah in very small groups so that they would not give cause to Quraysh to suspect or attack them...when the Quraysh realized what they were about, it began to return those whom it could catch to Makkah to suffer punishment and torture...The Muslims, nonetheless, continued to exit from Makkah and to emigrate to Yathrib". Haykal, The Life of Muhammad, p. 161.

* 3. "But, if they strive to make the join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; Yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn to Me (in love): In the end the return of you all is to Me, and I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that you did". Holy Qur'an, translation by A. Yusuf Ali, 31:15.

*4. Holy Qur'an, 3 :110

*  5. Booker T. Washington, reflecting on what he and his-staff desired to teach the initial  group of students  at Tuskeegee Institute, about the value of farming, said, "We wanted to be careful not to educate our students out of sympathy with agricultural life, so that they would be attracted from the country to the cities, and yield to the temptation of trying to live by their wits. We wanted to give them such an education as would...cause them to return to the plantation districts and show the people there how to put new energy and new ideas into farming, as well as into the intellectual and moral and religious life of the people". Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery, Airmont Books, New York, p. 83.

* 6. The Prophet's saying (Prayers and peace be upon him): "The best of you is the one whose contribution benefits the people (all humanity)."
