Notes from Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Sermon at Muslim Convention

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

Notes from Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s Sermon at Muslim Convention
Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)
E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com
Friday, August 29 1997 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Rabiy’-uth-thaaniy 25, 1418

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: Thanks to Allah, The Guardian, Evolver, Cherisher, and Sustainer of all the systems of knowledge, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is nothing worthy of worship as a deity except Allah, who is One and Alone without a partner in the rule of creation; and we witness that Muhammed, the son of Abdullah is His servant and Messenger. The prayers and peace be on him, his descendants, and his peace be on all his companions, and what follows of this traditional salutation.

Allah sent Muhammed, the Messenger of Allah, as a mercy to all the worlds. Allah says of Muhammed, that he is the unlettered Prophet from amongst the unlettered people. The scholars explain “unlettered” as meaning that he didn’t receive formal education. That doesn’t mean that he couldn’t write his name, or couldn’t write a nice letter. This doesn’t mean that he couldn’t read ordinary handwriting, or ordinary literature. It should be understood in the context of Scripture, being unlettered meant that he wasn’t schooled in religion.

Therefore, he was not able to read Scripture. He didn’t have any Scriptural experience prior to The Qur’aan being revealed. Nor did the Arabs have Scriptures before this. In The Qur’aan, Allah says, they are people whom no Messenger had come to before Muhammed. Praise be to Allah and the Prayers and Peace be on His Messenger. Allah said Muhammed is the liberator sent to break all the bonds of slavery.

We know that it is cited in the Bible the coming of an unlettered servant of Allah. We know that Muhammed of Arabia is the Prophet mentioned in the Scriptures of the Jews and the Christians. Allah revealed and taught His Word to him, Allah educated Muhammed, we know that, we are convinced of that without any doubts what so ever.

Muhammed, the Prophet is a mortal human being. Allah says, if the earth were populated with Angels, He would have sent an Angel as the Messenger. But we are a community of mortals, we are a community of human beings, we are not Angels. Allah says, “I” sent you a mortal Messenger. Meaning that he is not as it was claimed before The Qur’aan, that he was a mortal and Divine at the same time, a mortal and Allah at the same time. So it is made plain that no such claim is made of Muhammed. Allah says, tell them Muhammed: “ana bashirum mithlakum (I am a mortal just like all of you).” Allah corrected that fact saying he (Muhammed) is a mortal flesh and blood human being just like all of you are. He was not educated or tutored in the schools of this world, only by Allah. As a sign that Allah created everything and gave everything its constitution; and that Allah raised His product to be a teacher and a mercy to all people. To the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese, the Egyptians, to the Americans, to scientists, to politicians, teachers, and to the community leader.
That person would have to have a model situation as a testimony to all the worlds. That person would have to be free from all authority, except Allah. They (the Meccans) offered him the prettiest women, they offered him wealth. He responded: if you could put the Sun in my right hand and the Moon in my left hand, you could never get me to compromise my duty to Allah. Because of that, Allah said, “you are a free man of this city (wa anta hillum be haadhal balad).” When Allah says you are free, you are really free. He was authorized by Allah to get the situation intended by Allah in Madinah.

The Meccans persecuted him because they were disturbed with him for calling them to this message. The Meccans imposed a boycott, which contributed to the harsh circumstances that caused the early loss of Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). The people of Madinah (Yathrib) invited Prophet Muhammed (the Prayers and Peace be on him) to come there for security. He migrated to escape an assassination plot and the Meccans relentlessly pursued him and his companion. They took to a cave for refuge and a miracle occurred. A spider weaved a web over the entrance of the cave after they entered it, which created the illusion that the cave had been abandoned for a long time. Allah protected His Messenger, our Prophet, a mortal flesh and blood person just like us. Muhammed was all human, not part human, part Divine. Therefore, there isn’t any excuse for not following him, because we are human and so was he.

Allah never sent a Messenger from Himself other than a mortal just like us. Allah says to us very clearly, if He wants a son, He takes one from the men that He has already created. He is all-powerful; He creates what He wills.

Is there a man who only had a human mother and no father? Yes! This is a khutbah, and this is the most sacred day of the year for the Muslims. There is a claim that a man before our Prophet was the son of Allah. However, the same Scripture from which they take that idea says that he traces his genealogy back to Adam, a mortal person. Genealogy relates to human lineage, the biological links that we trace our heritage to.

Not a person sitting on this floor is too dumb to get what I am saying. If it is clear enough for you to understand, it is clear enough for the world. You are as real as heaven and as false as hell at the same time. So, if you understand, everybody else will. This is a must to understand the human person Muhammed as a model for the whole world.

Scripture promises that someone would come with faithful and true inscribed on his thighs. It is said that there would come one like David. The Psalms are essentially the praise of Allah.

Don’t get tired, you are in the wilderness, but you can’t go back to Egypt. Egypt was one big lie in our life and I know you are hungry and lonely in the wilderness. There is no place to go until the forty years are up, so we better get it together.

The Prophet said if you haven’t had dealings with a person you don’t know him. Muhammed was perfection as a human creation. He had no camel caravan that was just for him; he didn’t have a wardrobe that required an entourage of caretakers to care for it.

The media called Elijah the most powerful black-man in America. No ordinary man could take me away from my father. Only Allah’s perfect man could take me away from my father. He is the answer for that need in us to see the perfect model for our life. A handwriting teacher expects to teach perfect penmanship. Likewise, the same is required of us, and that is Allah’s answer in Muhammed for us. Allah has given us the perfect teacher to follow. If we can’t see Muhammed, then we can’t see the community. We have to know Muhammed clearly and that is a must.

Madinah, the lit up shining city with the light of revelation. The old Scripture speaks of New Jerusalem. Where is that New Jerusalem, what is that in The Qur’aan and Hadith? Check yourself, you will find it if Allah blesses you with knowledge as He has blessed me with.

I began this khutbah with attention on Muhammed. Next, we want to go to Al-Islam; it is the Deen (way) of Fitrah (original nature). Allah says: He is The One who originated the skies and the earth. Allah says: you want to question Allah, question your own beginning. How did you get here, that is so plain, so logical, and so factual?

Praise be to Allah, this is not every day, this is the one-day of the year that we gather like this on Jumu’ah day. The One who made creation from the first time, only Allah is able to bring about our creation. Man went for centuries trying to find out what Allah is and what is man? All Christians do not believe the way many Christians believe. Because of your state of mind, this is very important; you are the product of a Christian environment.

Allah says, “I” have chosen for you Al-Islam as your religion. That means that whatever need you have for religion in your life, “I’m” giving you Al-Islam. The religion of your original pattern in nature. The one that He patterned man upon. It has its own logic and Allah patterned our life to be designed upon that pattern. If we accept it as Muhammed illustrated how we are to live our lives, Al-Islam will become the pattern of your life. Then you will become the model that Allah has created to be fit for heaven. You lost Adam, now Muhammed lives again and he is the model for all people. He is enough as a model for all people. After we understand the Prophet, we can understand Islam.

Also, it must be understood that we are created to live life to the fullest extent in a community setting. There is no way for us to live life fully if we do not have community. We are individuals but in our nature and spirit we are plural. No person should want to live without community. The mystics tried it through the exercise of nihilism and all they discovered was another state of trance.

The city of Light is the model; we have the first city as a model. Allah speaks of Muhammed’s community as a model and as a witness for Allah. This is the way Allah wants you to live. Allah says, you are the best of communities evolved, brought out for all people. What does Allah say of this religion? “I” have perfected for you your religion.

Think! Surely thinking brings out great benefit for people. The same Allah that made the perfect human model has made religion perfect for us. This day “I” have perfected for you your religion. Who is Allah speaking to? “You (kum)” is here used in plural, this reference you is the generic plural for everybody. The same Allah says, you cannot create the perfect religion, nor can you create perfect human nature. Allah created it and He is the only One that can perfect it.

Your destiny as a human being is no more dependent upon a human person. The perfect human being can be created over and over again by the perfect religious pattern. Allah created the perfect religious pattern and is creating perfect human beings over and over again; multiplying them with the germ of His word. He hasn’t left us lonely, Muhammed lives within us.

If you are following me, you are in the light. Allah created Al-Islam as the destiny of all created human beings. Then, now, and the time to come as a future. There is nothing else that you need to ask Allah for. Muhammed knew nothing about Allah before he went up into the mountain. Allah qualified him to be the leader and the liberator for all the worlds.

Allah says, this Book (The Qur’aan) is guidance for all people. All people have guidance; the world is full of guidance. This guidance (The Qur’aan) is guidance for all people, all humanity. It is the rule and the logic for debating what is guidance and what is not guidance. Allah is Greater!

Now that we have had our say about Al-Islam answering the need in the human soul. The Book is a must for human salvation in the world. The Book is the life. Come living for prayer. Come pray with us, the prayer is the food for your life, the prayer is the life, pick it up and be alive. Come to Salaat, what is Salaat? The Qur’aan, The Qur’aan is the life of the world. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with Allah, and the word took on flesh and dwelt among men. Not flesh, the word, the word is salvation.

Now, if you are with me in the light, you can come with me to New Africa. It is going to be the brightest light coming from black coal that you have ever seen in the history of man. It is going to outshine Timbuktu, Mali, and Songhai. It is going to be a light modeled after Madinah the city of Light under the greatest human person that ever walked this earth, Muhammed ibn Abdullah (the Prayers and Peace be on him).

All you need is enough political numbers, financial strength, and human excellence. Newark can be renamed New Africa, New Africa is anyplace; anywhere that you can establish Al-Islam is Islamic territory. So we can establish New Africa anywhere in America. It will be New Africa territory and it will be Islamic territory. New Africa for us is a new chance for us to establish Al-Islam with our own hands. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Yes! We must establish community life with our own hands. Our own hands, not somebody else’s hands. Allah is with us, and me, and I guarantee it.

As Muslims, we can’t be satisfied in our souls until we establish community life on a piece of geography. A physical piece of geography in these United States of America. I’m speaking to all Muslims in America. This is the direction that Imam W.D. Mohammed suggests to you. You cannot fulfill your religious life in America until you have a piece of land and own masaajid, schools, hospitals, businesses, and banks.

You must manage the neighborhood. You must call the time for the Adhan on the job. You must regulate the industry to accommodate our spiritual life. No one else can do it for us. Allah, when He prescribed Al-Islam for us, He put us in a position where we cannot satisfy the need in our soul until we satisfy the obligation that He gave to us from the hand of Muhammed (the Prayers and the Peace be on him). That obligation is to establish Al-Islam on a physical piece of this earth.

It doesn’t mean that we have to challenge the government or do away with government, or go to war with anybody. No we are going to peace with the establishment. But we are going to insist upon having the freedom to build a model community so that the establishment will have an opportunity to look at what the Islamic community really should be and really is. Then they can decide whether they want to continue life as they have it; or adopt Islamic life, as it really should be for them.

This world don’t have a choice until we present the excellent societal life that Allah has revealed in The Qur’aan for us and Muhammed’s example. So I’m motivated by so many strong interests, not only personal, although I have a personal one too. Every one of us has a personal motivation. We don’t want to meet our Maker and haven’t done anything for Allah to say in the Judgment, “welcome in My presence fine creature that I have made.” But as a Muslim community the biggest motivation should be to have this life in totality and completion as Allah wants for us. He wants us not only to be shining individual models; He also wants us to be shining plural models. More importantly, the collective model, the society model, and the community model. That is our goal, our destiny, and that is our commitment. You are the best community brought out for all people. When Allah said that He took His covenant from one people and put it on another. He said to the Muslims, now “My” covenant is with you and you are obligated to establish community life on this earth.

The prophets Muhammed and Abraham (the Peace be on them) fulfilled their obligations. Muhammed fulfilled his obligation; he left us with a community model on this earth. It is not just dhikr and Salaat; there are five structures of Islam. There is testimony to the oneness of Allah and that Muhammed is His Messenger, there is worship (Salaat), one of them is Zakaat, which offers a blueprint of an economic system for the Muslim society. And there is fasting and Hajj (pilgrimage) for the International community to realize and keep its sense of direction. Also, there was private enterprise, an economic system, a political system, healthcare, education, science, and industry that Muhammed established as the best model for all times.
So we want the opportunity to do the same.

I believe this is the reason why many Muslim nations that is almost 100% Muslim can’t really free themselves to be the excellent people that Allah guides us to be with this Qur’an and Muhammed’s excellent example as the human model. Because this world challenged by new ideas that was borrowed from Islam, from The Qur’aan, and a lot borrowed from Muhammed’s leadership. Now this system is threatening to become the dominant order for every society, for every nation. I’m talking about America’s idea of freedom and democracy. So it is using that great strength, the new ideas to unlock the mysteries. Those who are learned in the Christian order are able to unlock mysteries and now they are following what they identify as the light of Christ Jesus.

How did they get that light they call the light of Christ Jesus? How did they discover it? With the keys that came when Muhammed received The Qur’aan and demonstrated Islamic life on this earth. That’s how they got it and now no other ideology stands against them. The only ideology that can stand against them and show them up is the Islam found in The Qur’aan and in the life of Prophet Muhammed. That is the only life that can meet the challenge of American democracy to show up the flaws, defects, and shortcomings in it. But only The Qur’aan and only the life of Prophet Muhammed can do that. And I believe that Allah has chosen us in America to bring that challenge to the world and we are going to do it. If not in our generation, this idea is too potent to die when we fall dead. It is going to live in our children; it is going to be stronger in our children than it is in us now.

Allah is with us, highly glorified is He. So I hope that I have made my point very clear. I don’t want to talk to you about how we are going to have a Banking system and what we need to create a Banking system. I don’t want to talk to you about how we are going to run the town or how the electricity is going to be supplied; that is unnecessary. You can get that from any school, as it is said in The Qur’aan, go to any Egypt. What I am giving you will put you in the situation to make the best benefit of everything.

So we don’t worry about these disciplines in the academic circles or the political circles. We have people who are motivated by this message and they are going to be honor students because of this great injection to make them energetic. What I have here can’t be matched because it is coming from the word of Allah and Muhammed’s life. If you take it you are going to be able to compete with the secular world and spiritual quarters. Nobody will be able to make you ashamed of yourself. Believe and go forward.

Muhammed is described in The Qur’aan as a caller calling to faith. Allah says in The Qur’aan, “Who is the best judge, who is the best to care for His creatures”? The one who just came about or the One who has been here for all times? The Eternal, never was He born, He never dies, He never came into existence, and He never changes, that’s Allah, The Eternal.

I hope you will keep dear to you what you have gotten from this khutbah (address) so it will help you and me to get us to the destiny in America. We have a destination we want to reach in America. New Africa, it is a vision that we want to use, it is a logic that we want to apply, and it is a life that we want to live. Praise be to Allah, Allah is Greater.

There is much that I want to say to you but I have already gone overtime, past the time for Jumu’ah. So Allah willing next year we will meet again and we will have the khutbah, and we will be helped by Allah to carry this further.

You know, I have never wanted the spiritual life of most people that I have observed. I haven’t, I’m not talking about individually. I am talking about as a society or groups. I have not seen any religious group, any people that I wanted to take on their spirituality. And for that reason I haven’t liked pointing you to spiritual life. I have not liked doing it and I guess some of that is because of the conditioning that we all experienced when we followed the Nation of Islam or the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, may Allah forgive him his errors and give him paradise. But I have come up now with a satisfying understanding of just what is spiritual life and I feel very comfortable with it. And I know that spiritual life is the real life, it is the true life, and it is the greater life. So don’t put too much value on our political aims, our economic aims, or our community aims and forget that the spiritual value is the highest, the best, and the most enduring. In the end down the road when we face our Allah in the Judgment it will prove to be the most rewarding. Thank you very much, Allah is Greater.

Our Lord! Give us good in the world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the fire. O Allah, send prayers on Muhammed and send prayers on the followers of Muhammed, like you sent prayers on Abraham and the followers of Abraham. O Allah, bless Muhammed and bless the followers of Muhammed, like you blessed Abraham and the followers of Abraham, in all the worlds, surely You are Praised, Glorious.

MY IMAAM

My Imaam
(1975 – 2008)

In the later 70’s after listening to my Imaam over a series of live national telephone broadcasts, a window of opportunity opened up to meet my Imaam face-to-face. Thanks to Allah, the late Sister Bekka Rasul, Muhammad Rasul and I were summoned to meet with him during the taping at a local television studio. Incidentally, the daughters of Sister Bekka and Muhammad Rasul grew up and joined Imaam Warith Deen Mohammed during a later appearance here in Pittsburgh speaking at an event sponsored by the Muslim Students Association at the University of Pittsburgh.


Words are inadequate to document the real impact of my Imaam’s spirit on my life. Suffice it to say he has been the culmination of “The Dynamic African American Soul, the Champion We All Have In Common.” His keen insightful words that I welcomed in my ears gave birth to a starving intelligence for thirty-three years as I traveled throughout the United States seeking knowledge to empower men and women whom no one other than he cared enough about to devote his whole life and mission to remaking minds and hearts to revive human beings that many others had given up on.

My Imaam planted his soul into the fertile soil of thinking people the world over and for that reason a harvest of intelligence, love, compassion, common sense, courage and love of G’d and His Messenger and humanity is growing annually into eternity.

Long Live The Spirit of My Imaam Warith Deen Mohammed.

The Imaam

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

The Imaam

Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, October 24, 2008 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Shawaal 24, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this devout invocation.

In the Qur’an, 21:73, the constitution of our Imaam, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَﺍتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلوة وَإِيتَآءَ الزَّكَـوةِ وَكَانُواْ لَنَا عَـبِدِينَ -

According to the regiment of prayer in Al-Islam and the logic that follows the scriptures that came with the Prophets (ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢﭐﻠﺴﱠﻼﻢ) in pre-Islamic history, everybody is responsible to follow the guidance and inspiration given to them. In order to do so we must learn the teachings of the Imaams, in public, and in the privacy of our own souls. These are the good acts (فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَﺍتِ) that have been established in open devotion which is meant to guide all people to the original source of their inspiration (أَوْحَيْنَآ).

Unfortunately, just like everything else, sacred devotion have been claimed as exclusive property of the brazen commercialists who have found a way to render faith-based practices as a proprietary product just like all the rest of the commodities that we know of that is bought and sold in the marketplace of life. It is up to you and me as followers of the practices of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) to take back; reclaim our rightful heritance by giving our minds, time and energies to learn the constitution of the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed.

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْماً

An instructive Qur’anic prayer, 20:114 teaches us to seek Allah’s blessing for education.

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) speaks the truth; the truth is the soul of His servants that He revealed to guide us in public life and private life. What is right and doable for one of us is the same for all of us. The teachings of the Imam is not something spoken only as a prayer by him; formal established prayer in Al-Islam is one and the same for all of us, the teachings of the Imam is a body of knowledge to be replicated in the life of every man, woman and child who stand in prayer. The teaching of the Imam is the same body of knowledge that leads us in public life and in the depth of our souls in private life. This is the way that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) empowers every, man, woman and child in Al-Islam.

وَلاَ تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْءانِ مِن قَبْلِ إَن يُقْضَى إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ This is the command (وَلاَ تَعْجَلْ), which means; do not rush (with the Qur’an)! مِن قَبْلِ إَن يُقْضَى إِلَيْكَ (before its revelation to you is completed). Listen to it and gain the right understanding of the teaching of this sacred body of knowledge and then replicate it in your life as it your Imaam in the same way that Allah’s servant (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) did through obedience; this is an obligation for all of Allah’s servants in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed.

According to the 9^th narration in Hadith Qudsi, the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said,

"إِنَّ أَوَّلَ مَا يُحَاسَبُ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ صَلَاتُهُ. فَإِنْ صَلُحَتْ فَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ وَأَنْجَحَ، وَإِنْ فَسَدَتْ فَقَدْ خَابَ وَخَسِرَ، فَإِنْ انْتَقَصَ مِنْ فَرِيضَتِهِ شَيْءٌ قَالَ الرَّبُّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: انْظُرُوا هَلْ لِعَبْدِي مِنْ تَطَوُّعٍ فَيُكَمَّلَ بِهَا مَا انْتَقَصَ مِنْ الْفَرِيضَةِ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ سَائِرُ عَمَلِهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ".

The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the day of standing is his prayers. If they are in order then he has prospered and succeeded; and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (mighty and sublime is He) will say: 'See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers.' Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.’

Muslims hosted an outing at a local Park, after the Adhaan and prayer; one of our Imaams informed me that someone had the audacity to caution us against the use of the term Imaam amongst native Muslims in America insinuating that we are not competent to qualify for what constitutes an Imaam. Thanks to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) we all have access to the constitution of the Imaam in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ).

We are reminded what constitutes an Imaam in the Qur’an, 17:71, as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

يَوْمَ نَدْعُواْ كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَـمِهِمْ فَمَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـبَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَـبَهُمْ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً -

Our book (the Qur’an), is what constitutes an Imaam, it is the revealed knowledge body for leadership in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ), it is our duty to know what constitutes the Imaam in our life. We are obligated by the very first word to remake our world word by word with this truth that has been in effect since its birth in man over 1,429 years ago.

In the Qur’an, 25:74, the knowledge based constitution of the Imaam in our life, we pray as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم

"The Best of You is He who Learns The Qur'an and Teaches It"

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

The Best of You is He Who Learns the Qur’an and Teaches It

Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, October 17, 2008 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Shawaal 17, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this devout invocation.

In the Qur’an, 96:1 Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ -

A reference that gives insights associated with the verbal command (read!) “the ability to interpret written material, the ability to interpret signs and symbols, the ability to understand something intuitively,” therefore, we come to the conclusion that this process is a gateway to education. It is essential for first generation Muslims in America to do all within our ability to learn how to become independent students of the unadulterated Qur’anic language.

With this in mind we have been working with the Qur’an for thirty-three years to develop and formulate the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in America. By researching his history and how he applied the inspiration from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) in making judgments in all matters; this is the methodology (ﻤﻧﻬﺎﺝ) for making the best effort, taking precious time to do the painstaking research it takes to exert intelligent devotion, using the skills of independent judgment (ﺍﺠﺗﻬﺎﺪ) based on the inspiration and fundamental truths that we get from trustworthy sources.

Thanks to Allah we have looked past the horizon and we see what came out of our mind elevated and taking its rightful place among the heavenly constellations piecing darkness that had engulfed us for hundreds of years. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has guided us to the straightway and has given us an uncompromising love and allegiance to The Qur’an and Sunnah filling our minds and hearts with illumination that is radiating like the brightest stars with the purest light ever seen since in the history of man coming from black coal like shining polished diamonds in the skies of man’s heaven, his mind.

‘A’ishah (ra) said that the first thing that begin happening with the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) from revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. We also know that darkness as a term is used sometimes as a metaphor to describe circumstances when people are illiterate, like the times known as the “dark ages.” Prophet Muhammed’s (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) first instinct as reported in hadith gives us a picture of how he responded to the introduction of sacred language in his life; according to his own words,

فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء

“And I said: I am not a reader.” Therefore, we know that before Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) taught His Messenger (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) sacred language, he was not a student of sacred language in the Torah that was before him; he was not a student of the sacred language in the Injeel that was before him; the sacred language that Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammed is the perfected and the completed favor as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said in the Qur’an, 5:3

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الأِسْلاَمَ دِيناً

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) speaks the truth; His word, “I perfected” (أَكْمَلْتُ) is spoken in language the speaks to us at this present time in a clear and dynamic way that didn’t become static at the time when it was first revealed more than one thousand, and four hundred years ago. This perfection is spoken in the present time voice for you, me and anyone else to come until the end of time and that is the exact word of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) right now; and this is truth for the presence time regarding the perfected religion until the end of times. Allah’s truth deserves intense sessions where we give complete devotion to searching for the best understanding of sacred language. Listen to the mandate in Qur’anic Language, 49:1, as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُقَدِّمُواْ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Which means we don’t put our matters of concern before Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) concern, we don’t put our matters of concern before Allah’s Messenger (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ); and if we obey and respect this mandate, this is a prescription for success, freedom, justice and equality in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in America and the world at large. A lot more could be said, for now, keep the faith until we meet again.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم

Without Zakaat: The Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed is Deficient

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

Without Zakaat: The Islamic Community of Prophet Mohammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) is Deficient

Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, October 10 2008 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Shawaal 10, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this devout invocation.

In the Qur’an, 2:177, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ وَالْكِتَـبِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِى الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَـمَى وَالْمَسَـكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءَاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـهَدُواْ

It is pointed out here that mimicking rituals (لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ), such as adopting somebody else’s voice, gestures, or appearances are not in itself righteousness. Praise be to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), first generation Muslims in America, do we hear what Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) revealed to help us understand the meaning of righteousness? Far too often we go to extremes mimicking the perceived dress, copying talking points, and appearances of the righteous models in history or iconic figures in contemporary times as a prophylactic measure to protect us from being thought of or seen as being different from the revered sources that we are trying to imitate. In other words, the essence of this faith is implementation (ﷲ ﺃﻜﺒﺮ); such as…

The articles of faith, along with distributing from our possessions/wealth to humans who we are commissioned to be responsible for, and distributing the portion of the property which to due to the poor (وَءَاتَى الزَّكَوةَ) as a means of growth and purification as we work to build the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in our lives.

There is a hadith regarding distributing wealth to others in spite of love for it (وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ) that the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said,

أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ، تَأْمُلُ الْغِنَى وتَخْشَى الْفقْر

The best charity is that charity that you give away while still healthy and thrifty, hoping to get rich and fearing poverty. This implicit message speaks to those of us who like to put off doing charitable acts fearing that what we have is not enough to share with anyone else. The Poor-rate (الزَّكَوةَ) is an obligation on all adult Muslims in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ).

Those of us who are first generation Muslims in America may at times feel inadequate in consideration of the lack of resources that we think we should have to practice our faith in the way that we believe it should be practiced. At times the only thing that we have to call our own is a superficial identity that we are ready to sacrifice by assuming that our rituals have endowed us with some kind of mystical powers to transform us into a type of angelic being.

There is a noteworthy lesson is Prophet Ibrahim’s (ﻋﻠﻴﻪاﻠﺴﱠﻼﻢ) story in his devotion to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) to the point he was willing to sacrifice his flesh and blood offspring. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) intervened and showed him a lamb in a vision to sacrifice other than his beloved son. The lesson is that it is better to sacrifice our passive lamb-like nature; don’t be so willing to sacrifice a life (your natural identity).

It is very important the we pay close attention to what Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said (لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ) if we hope to understand the roots of the psycho-cultural warfare that is being waged against first generation Muslims in America and Muslims around the world as a campaign to condemn and ostracize the alleged practitioners of innovations (ﺒﺪﻋﺔ) that contradicts the established teachings of the pious predecessors. A new trend (ﺃﻠﺴﱠﻠﻔﻴﺔ) has been developing among the ranks of Muslims questioning the creed (ﻋﻗﻴﺪﺓ) of all Muslims and erecting a wall of separation between the estimated 1,400,000,000 people in the Islamic Community of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) alleging that anyone who hasn’t bought into their way (ﻤﻧﻬﺎﺝ) is a heretic (ﺴﺒﺤﺎﻦﷲ). In the Qur’an, 4: 59, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِى الاٌّمْرِ مِنْكُمْ

Which means we don’t question Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) authority, or His Messenger’s (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) authority or Allah’s Book, the ultimate authority over all Muslims now and forever, as the Messenger (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said, "I am leaving you two things and you will never go astray as long as you cling to them -- they are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

The True Nature of Mankind

Documented by Jibril Abdul-Hafeez (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, October 3, 2008 / Yaum-ul-Jumu’ah, Shawaal 3, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this devout invocation.

In the Qur’an, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفاً فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ -

The first word implies that this is a mandated action (أَقِم); an order to be obeyed [past, present and future]; another characteristic of this word is that the action is not caused by us. Therefore, it is essential to understand that this action is an imperative that carries a practical benefit to whoever carries out the objective of this instruction. The root letters [ﻕ], [ﻮ], and [ﻡ] of this word (أَقِم) contain a vast amount of knowledge whereby different meanings can be derived just by the placement of vowels, prefixes, ect; such as: (ﻗﺎﻢ) a past tense verb, meaning, ‘he stood ;’(ﻳﻗﻮﻢ) a present tense verb, meaning ‘he is standing’; and (ﻗﻮﻢ) is a noun from the same root letters (qawm), which means, “a nation, a tribe, a party, or, a people.” Therefore; set you face to the religion! How (حَنِيفاً)?

“Haneef” which means: “One inclined towards a right state or tendency; inclining to the right religion; an upright man; straight forward; one who has turned away from all that is false (sin, worldliness, especially worshipping idols).” And this is the true nature (فِطْرَةَ) that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has pattern mankind upon (فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا). And it is reported in hadith that the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said,

مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلَّا عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ،كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ؟

No child is born except on the true nature, then it is his parents that make him a Jew, or a Christian or a Magian just as each animal produces an animal like itself, do you see any of them that are born mutilated? (لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ) Don’t change Allah’s creation! (ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ) That is the straight religion, but most of mankind does not know.

Fitrah (فِطْرَةَ) is the original nature created by Al-Faa-tir (ﺃﻠﻔﺎﻄﺭ) / The Originator who deposited the phenomena called “human nature” in mankind.

We can only estimate the hundreds of millions of people who have trained their carnal appetites and abstained from their personal, cultural, ethnic, and national habits for the sake of obedience to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for a whole month. This has been an experience that teaches us about the oneness of human nature. Your hunger and my hunger is the same, your thirst and my thirst is the same, and your natural carnal appetite is the same as mine; our natural carnal appetites is shaped and molded by social forces that brings about the cultural norms that every man, woman and child lives with.

During the sacred time in the month of Ramadan we were brought nearer to being the natural type of person that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) created us to be, we were all brought into one humble accord with one another on a global scale by controlling our natural carnal appetites and following the obedience of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and sunnah (لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ) of Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ).

Let’s remember what Prophet Muhammed (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said,

“No child is born except on the true nature, then it is his parents that make him a Jew, or a Christian or a Magian just as each animal produces an animal like itself, do you see any of them that are born mutilated?”

Far too often, first, second or third generation immigrant Muslims in America speak from their own cultural perspective (i.e. ‘Arab, African, Turkish, Asian. etc.) when given the opportunity to address first generation Muslims in America like us and they demonstrate a serious lack of cultural competence by conveying a double conflicting double message. They tell us to give up our cultural identity. Those of us with identity issues will immediately give up our identity to imitate the carnal culture of the messenger of that culture. However, upon closer examination, this is not what the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) is calling us to. ‘Arabs, etc. we all have a certain uniqueness, our preferences and cultural appetites is generally on display for all onlookers. In other words we should stay out of the business of trying to make everybody in the image and likeness of our carnal appetites. (وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَـذَا الْبَلَدِ) You (Allah’s servant) are a free man in this city.

And in the Qur’an, 49:11, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُواْ خَيْراً مِّنْهُ

Don’t look down on people (لاَ يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ)! It may be that the latter are better than the former (people). And the Messenger of Allah (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) has said,

الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْصُ النَّاس

Arrogance is disrespecting the truth and belittling people