"...We must see the Qur'an and scripture preceding it as we were taught to see it by our leader. In quoting and translating it he said, "it is a discussion on what went before and a conclusion to that discussion."
We have been taught by our leader that it was reported that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah reward her and be pleased with her said, "if you want to know him, he is the Qur'an living amongst us." It is necessary to note here that Imam W. Deen Mohammed informed us where to look for answers. It was not essential for him to sit at the feet of the ulema and find scholarly truths so as to impress ourselves with scholarly questions and answers. It fell to Imam W. Deen Mohammed to protect humanity and thus it has fallen to us in his line.
Our first obligation is to work for the best possible human life for all with the Qur'an as our leader and guide. Knowing that we are of the uneducated in the schemes of the world and thus unscathed by its deceptions, G'd guided us with the pure and direct message. Often Imam Mohammed would quote and translate, "and take from it the best thereof." And he would quote and translate, "you are the best community brought out for the good of all people."
What he emphasized is our guidance. How many remember him saying, "leadership is in our resourceful people."
The logic for leadership in the Qur'an for our people is that which uniquely qualified us, all of us, for leadership - "that He would raise a people, loving G'd and He loving them and loving the Messenger and not fearing the criticism of any criticizer."
Because he was guided, so are we if we follow him. He told us to "throw out useless knowledge and remake the world."
If we accept where Imam W. Deen Mohammed placed emphasis then we will know that 1) the Qur'an is our leader, 2) that the siraat (vertical path shared by all humanity) is higher than the sunnah (tradition), 3) that the defenders of humanity are its leaders, and that 4) we are within the reasoning of Islamic faith upon the tradition (millat) of Abraham to struggle within our own minds and experiences with G'd's help to relieve our own suffering and build a great establishment of faith.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed taught us that. Not an imam from Arabia or Persia or India or Harvey or Oakland or Atlanta or Dallas or Norfolk.
Leadership is in us by siraat (the vertical path) granted and protected by Allah, the Most High, and taught to us by the one Allah chose to lead us out of the darkness of the fujur through the first door and the veils of darkness into the sunnah of establishments.
The matter for leadership is left to the people, not to any imams with meetings in louisville. It is left to the students of the Qur'an as Imam W. Deen Mohammed explained it and where he placed emphasis. It is left to a person or persons who convince us that they are working in that logic. It is left to those who defend the people's innocence and intelligence. It is left to those who keep the shroud of Imam Mohammed clean and pure by exercising strength and firmness when they encounter weakness and inferior knowledge."
- dr. Delaney W. Karriem
(Exerpt from Interview with dr. Delaney W. Karriem)
Posts
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteIs there any doubt that G-d is with this effort? The spirit of the people is identifying with the correctness of this process and are wanting to see this become a success. Is there any doubt that there is leadership for the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed?
We want to see the success of human life, yes. Whatever necessary steps that are needed the right minded will do. We all have leadership qualities in the community of Imam W. Deen Mohummed and prayfully our intent is sincere enough to follow through with real commitment!
ReplyDeleteMay Allah accept our efforts and quide us through, Amen.........
After listening to a conversation between two Health Care professionals going to school for their Masters Degree and continued education, the thought occurred to me that if those Highly trained and needed individuals such as Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Givers are required to have continued education in order to maintain their license to practice in their fields; how much more education does the leaders in the religious world need to keep up with the changing time that we live in.
ReplyDeleteWhat were required of a leader in our community in the past are not the same requirements at this time. The circumstances that face individuals are rapidly changing and the schemes that entrap the souls of man are becoming more intricate.
While the base of the schemes and circumstances in the human development remain the same the schemes have become more complex. It is the schemes that we are charge with fighting against. How can we say that we are qualified as leaders if we are ill prepared to identify the schemes that are coming against the human condition?
We say we have the blueprint to the human experience and the answer to resolve the problems of human society... I was in a discussion with a young man not too long ago over the phone and he ask me a very interesting question... How does one teach or learn the method that Imam W. Deen Mohammed used in order to enter into the Qur'an and come out with the concepts that are to be used to address the issues that are facing us now and those that will face us in the future?
How did Imam Mohammed approach the Qur'an, Scripture, Religion and the logics of the world and what was the process of bringing out the correct emphasis to help us address the ills of the world?
This question, I believe is one of the most important questions that our community can seek an answer for. Why? Imam W. Deen Mohammed is not physically with us to do that work for us anymore. We are responsible for entering into the Realm of knowledge that he lead us in and be representative of his vision for our community and the world.
More than that, it is incumbent upon us to identify with the one or ones that are able to place the emphasis where it is suppose to be placed so that we can have a collective vision for our future. That one or those individuals are to be identified as the leader.
I think that the planning of this Leadership Summit by those that are able to do so is a wonderful thing... I am however concerned that the influence and the motivation that sparked that idea is somehow being neglected. We should be able to multi-task. We should be able to plan this great event and continue with the discussion that brought about that activity. If this discussion was able to inspire one such activity from among us, what else can the continuing of this discussion do for the public of our community?
I am guilty of this neglect as much as any other person here. So I am making a commitment to at least inform others through this medium of what I am observing as the spirit of the public of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
My observation has been that we are in need of a better educated leadership, better educated in the Religion of Al-Islam and how to use the Logic Pattern of our Leader in order to help the public’s of our people.
Mr. Smith
seek for truth with prayer and be contance and ask for allah guidance,research the quran and the life of phohet muhammad and how he lived his life.
DeleteAs-Salaamu-Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteTo me, the statement "Leadership is in the resourcefulness of the people..." describes a mature community. One who's common citizen is free from the burdens of oppressive thinking and has at his/her disposal the wisdom to advance the individual life and the life of the whole.
This statement requires each citizen in the Community of IDWM to take responsibility for the development of their person, their community and the proper engagement of all available resources.
Resources take many forms and each individual is a resource. We must be Man and Woman enough to put aside false egos and engage them in a dignified manner.
Imam E. Abdulmalik Mohammed, and others who have worked with him in the advancement of the Qur'anic Vision of Community Life as presented, clarified, and rehearsed to us by Imam W. Deen Mohammed, are a great resource. Indeed, they are a greater resource than our icons. Their work is redefining the term "Imam" as we have been mislead into understanding it.
It would be foolish of us to ignore what he and those close to him represent to the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and the establishment of the first Islamic Community since the time of Muhammad the Prophet.
- Wali Mohammed
ASA,
ReplyDeleteIt has come to my attention that a Book has been published from those in the Old World of Islam that lists what they call or describe as The 500 Most Influential Muslims of 2009. What is problematic with it that I find, is not the fact that it has a lists of names of persons the world sees as extremists, terrorist, fundamentalist or others, nor that fact that the Two most important names were left out.
What I find problematic with this publication is the fact that they are seeing themselves in a position now to, with authority, say these persons are the MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS.
This act says that they are seeing themselves as THE authority in the Muslim World and that these are the persons that the world should pay attention to for Islamic Leadership.
Because the list includes Billionaires and Powerful Dictators over so-called Muslim lands, those that are singled out from the African American Community may see their names as a compliment and not as a ploy to bring the Muslim African American under the rule of influence of those that see themselves as Father Figures in Islam.
As brother Wali our Friend has pointed out, our task is to produce the true Islamic Model the likes none have seen since the time of Muhammed the Prophet. We are in the best situation to do this as our life is as Sons and Daughters of Slaves and Ex-Slaves have been charged with this task. No other Member in the family of man can look at their life and say that they have been so prepared to produce the Community of Mohammed. We represent PEACE and STABILITY in the world. This knowledge and this Logic have set us apart from those that would cause harm in the world with a warped idea of Islam. We don't seek the notoriety of you paper recognition. We require that every human soul finds its self-worth and can see its own place of value in our Community Establishment.
Our desire is to support all good structures and secure for our future an avenue to make clear and measureable progress. In this 2nd month of our New Year, 1 AWDM, we are on that road of progress. Stand with us and produce the life that your soul has called for.
Adam P. Ford
As-Salaamu-Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteBro. Adam provides some good FOOD FOR THOUGHT in pointing out that no one in the family of man is better situated to bring into reality the Model of Community Life, as presented by Muhammad the Prophet, than the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
The entire world shares in the responsibility of our being denied a place at the table of human dignity. Our peculiar social condition is represented in the story of Joseph in scripture. Each of his brothers was responsible for his imprisonment. But what Joseph provided in terms of guidance and insight to the Powers That Be placed him in a unique position to shape the society and guide its development so that even those who persecuted him were able to benefit from the role Allah had charged him with.
In order to qualify ourselves for this role, we must resist the call to the foolish and wasteful exercise of our natural impulses. This is demonstrated when Joseph resisted the beckon of the king's wife, or in the universal sense, the negative and seductive influences in the halls of power, or the society at large.
Such impulses take many forms; the impulse to enjoy ourselves, the impulse to pursue material gains, the impulse to engage our mates, the impulse to acquire knowledge, the impulse to support leadership. Each and every impulse has its correct application, and in the case of the latter two, are especially important to the establishment of Our Life.
But what kind of knowledge is it that we are seeking...and from whom?
And more importantly, to what leadership are we offering our allegiance?
These are questions we must seriously consider as we move forward to establish our life and fulfill our destiny. Again, it is food for THOUGHT.
- Wali Mohammed
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteI just realized today that we were continuing our conversation on another page. But I became aware of it at a most excellent time. This question of leadership is essential to our community; we know that. But even more important to knowing that is for us to recognize that each of us is responsible in some way for shaping and promoting that leadership. That is, we cannot sit back and wait for others to establish us. We all have to do it. Is that not why Imam Mohammed said that leadership is in the resourceful people? He did not say it was in the hands of a couple or a few. He said that it is in the hands of the resourceful people. What do we make of that word resourceful? It is defined as “able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations.” Can you think of a more difficult and pressing situation than this? Can you think of a group of people more resourceful than us? Who? I can think of no one, and I know, I am biased. But I have to be under the circumstances. You share my sentiment. Allah is calling us to something greater than we can imagine. Imam Mohammed was that voice for us and the entire world. I see it and feel it in my soul. We cannot act like we do not hear it. We cannot ignore our responsibility to be diligent in pursuing this cause. Sometimes we resist and say, "It's not for me to say." But if it is not for you, who is it for? We must see ourselves as leaders in everything we do, in our everyday life. It may seem strange to some, but if we practice this, we will not be afraid to commit our time, effort, and energy to a cause greater than ourselves. Thus, when we are called to act, we will have the courage to do so. I see it like this: We are on a stage coach with precious cargo inside. We are blazing a trail that will lead others to that most beautiful final destination. The chief driver is unable to complete this trip, but the journey must continue. Now, the chief driver was wise. In everything he did, he was instructing. We may not have realized it, but we were always apprentices, being prepared for the day that the driver could not continue. Who will pick up the trail? Will we just let the coach ride without us, unguided, driven by animals, and cutting paths in dangerous areas that will be followed by the innocent who trusted us to put them on the right course? Or will we jump aboard, pick up the reins, and press forward knowing that Allah will protect and guide us? I choose the latter, and if you cannot pick up the reins because you do not have experience at the reins or need more practice driving, than know that the chief driver always had at his side a shotgun guard—always ready to protect the precious cargo. Hence, the twentieth century term riding shotgun which we have all heard and understood.
What am I saying? Essentially, get to work. For weeks, we have been planning the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit. We have made considerable progress, but how much more progress could we have made with your input and action? Many voices are always stronger than one. We want and need your input. We are asking you to make this happen. We want and need this to be a community effort, not this sister or that brother’s effort. We would not be true to the Prophet (PBUH) or our Islamic heritage in America if we did not follow the Mujeddid’s practice: “Leadership is in the Resourceful People.” I implore you to take the reins and/or be that shotgun guard. There are no other options.
ASA,
ReplyDeleteYour input is very important to us. Please visit http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB229UXNHXGHU to express your thoughts. Forward this website to all of the believers you know, and ask them to do the same. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome, and trust that we are listening and working to get your voice the platform it deserves. Thank you in advance.
Interesting, in the scheme of things, that the gathering for giving thanks that began with the pilgrims from the old world to a new world and the celebration that is identified with the successful journey of pilgrims from all nations is only a day apart.
ReplyDeleteBoth acknowledge a new beginning for the social life the people, after having come into a new perspective of how to govern through mutual consultation with others. The Pilgrims return with a since of enlightenment and bring that enlightened spirit and new found education back to their people in order to make progress for their condition in the world.
These celebrations both have at their core the idea of having made contact with other productive people in the world that may offer new ideas and new resources that one could not have gained on one’s own. The context that we find both of these celebrations in is that we have made connections that have enlightened us on our journey and on the road of progress for our family and that we have found new relationships that will make that journey easier for us.
There is no coincidence that these two celebrations have come so close together... it is our obligation as the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed to make the connections and present the logic to the world so that the public understands correctly the concepts of Al-Islam. We are in charge of presenting Al-Islam to the world its correct light.
Now that Imam W. Deen Mohammed has shown us Christ and Muhammed together it is our obligation to keep that picture before the people, in order to build better relationship and build a more progressive society that benefits us all. It is our job to establish Al-Islam in the world again.
C. A. Numan
It is important to mention that it is not only that we benefit from others that make these two celebrations special for us, but the fact that others recognize our value and our ability to contribute to the future of the world that elevated our social spirit.
ReplyDeleteWe can see that in the change in the social spirit of the African American people upon the nomination and election of our President Barack Obama. I make mention of this because our Late Leader told us that we should identify President Obama with the Successful Completion of Hajj and that includes the E'idul Adha.
C. A. Numan
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed our obligation to protect and present the proper image of Al-Islam to the world. Imam Mohammed helped us to know what Islam is and how to live Islam, if you will. I can remember meeting and talking with people who were not Muslims and had preconceived notions about Islam. But after talking with me and other in the Community of Imam Mohammed, those same people became our friends and protectors. We were witnessing the words from Sura Al-Ma'ida, or the Table Spread that say, "Nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, 'We are Christians' because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. And when they listen to the revelation received by the Apostle, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth: They pray 'Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the witnesses. What cause can we have not to believe in Allah and the truth which has come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to the company of the righteous" (85-88).
We know the truth of how Islam has changed our lives in the most profound ways. We know the beauty of this way of life after experiencing conditions that were the most horrific and dehumanizing in the entire world. Who then but us to lead the call to all of humanity to their G-d given natures? Who is more qualified to address the world on matters of social development? Think of it. Is this not why Imam Mohammed said that we are Bilalians? And who did Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) see first in Paradise? ---Bilal. Who was the first to call the people to prayer, all the people even those who formerly thought him inferior? It was Bilal. That is our lineage. That is our pattern. That is our legacy. That is our charge. We must not only set the table, but we must determine the menu, and invite other like-minded individuals to join us there. I am reminded by these words and those expressed by some of the other contributors above of that timeless poem by Langston Hughes titled “I, Too” or “I, Too, Sing America.” Look deeply at his words and if they do not speak to that most excellent Bilalian lineage in us, I do not know what does:
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America.
Now, I do not want to take you to school, but can you see the symbolism and hope in those words? The tumultuous past leading way to the brightest future. I know Allah is with us. Imam Mohammed told us so many times.
It is us, dear people. It is us. Praise be to Allah. Let us not miss the blessing that is waiting for us.
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteWe are now witnessing the birth of a new mind into the world...this new mind is neither male only nor is it female only, but human completely. By virtue of this birthing room and the good doctor that presides over it we are able to identify the new life springing forth from our mother. The crowning process of Labor (actual work) has produced what can be identified as a new life form. At first it has trouble recognizing itself in the world but when it does it is filled with a spirit to accomplish big things. This new mind sees itself in the scheme of things and knows it value and what it is worth and knows how to leverage itself and stand up. It is this NEW MIND that is the Leader in this world for us The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and the world. Who is this that we speak of? It is you the Worker. It is you the Thinker and Planner. It is you the concerned citizen acting upon your concerns making things better for the whole people.
This is the true model of Islamic leadership in the world. Yet, there is something over your spirit to produce, that which gives you the situation to see your own worth your on value and your own influence in the scheme of community and human existence. Had it not been for this birthing room and its good doctor this new life would not have found its light.
We recognize that over our desire to accomplish in the world is a spirit that interlinks us as a social group and as a species, Our Ethos. We recognize that it was W.D. Forty, The Honorable Elijah Mohammed and Imam W. Deen Mohammed, for the African American family that set the tone for our family's ethos in America. Following in the singular spirit of persons like Fredrick Douglass and others.
We have among us persons that know how to follow that design and that blueprint that set a whole people on a journey towards a true Human existence; that established our group as the blessing for humanity and let spring out of it leadership for the whole world.
We recognize our leader in this movement in our souls whether you recognize him or not, whether he speaks publicly or not whether he is seen by the masses as worthy or qualified or not. It matters not to us.
We know and understand the Time and What Must Be Done.
HASHIM
Contemptuous! Is the word that I must use to describe what I witnessed this past weekend with the Saturday Class and Sunday lecture titled: "The Time and What Must Be Done", By Loseus Farakhan. There was no sign of truth justice or reality in the words that he spoke for his crowd and the Church in which he spoke.
ReplyDeleteWhat has happened to those that were supposed to be guardians of our social history? Do they think that they will live forever? It has become increasingly obvious that those that have held positions of authority are quickly being moved aside for the coming of this New Life that our brother has described here.
They have no choice in the matter, and we have no choice in this matter, we must stand up and be the resourceful people that we know that we are.
It has only been a little while since the passing of late leader the Mujeddid, but it seems as if it has been years since we have seen him. Why is this the feeling in the minds of the people? It is because they have been so far removed from him they did not know our leader while he was physically with us. So for most of our people he was not in our lives for longer than just this past year. He was out of the lives of the public of our community for a long time and now that the preacher imams are free to suck the life out of the people we see something happening, something stirring in the souls and in the minds and hearts of the people that says we will not stand for this anymore. The Common Citizen will not allow that the value that G-d chose to favor be destroyed by pretenders to the right of leadership left to them by our late leader.
The Common Citizen of The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed will not let up, will not stop until they see true life established for themselves their families and their children’s families and for all Humans.
We understand the command left to us by our leader that this community be left the way he set things up and put them in motion. We understand the principle of local leadership in the context of Scripture in the light of Qur'an in this Ayah 4:1 " Oh Social Man, Regard the lord that created you from a Singular Personality Trait, And Created of Like Nature it's Mate and from them Both Scattered (like seeds) Countless Men (Leadership Models) and Women (Social Structures)..."
We know that in order to have affective community we must have a collective vision as a people. Community is not everybody doing the same thing that the other is doing, we don't need a people that are all doctors or all cotton pickers or farmers we need that there be a diverse group of people seeing the same goal for the future. We need Bankers and Lawyers and Doctors and Farmers and School Teachers and Politicians, we need that they all see the same thing and be moved by the same spirit. This is the Idea in the Ayah presented here. This is the true spirit in the message left to us through Yayah Abdullah from our Imam, our Mujeddid.
If there is a better way to view this then bring it to the light for the people to see.
Leadership IS in the Resourcefulness of the People.
Mr. Smith
As-Salaamu-Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteWe live in an age of communication. Within the word communicate you see the word community. And within the word community, you see the word unity.
The means through which we communicate are not only avenues through which information is passed, but a representation of Our Voice, our unity and oneness as a people. It should express the best of our collective aspirations, the dignity of our life, and the clarity of our purpose.
In whatever media they exist, sensationalism and reaction-based strategy are the byproduct of malnourished thinking and emotional immaturity. They are not reflective of a people established by Diving Guidance and lead by the clear logic of Qur'an. They do not represent the Voice of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
The officials in charge of the Muslim Journal have disqualified themselves as stewards of our national media outlet. Placing an interview with Minister Louis Farrakhan in the centerfold, only a short time after Imam Mohammed's passing, as well as the subsequence headlines dealing with the incident at Fort Hood are Clear Evidence that they neither understand nor are they equipped to provide the dignity and clarity that our community needs in this most serious of times.
That no one has resigned in protest, nor voiced any of the public's concern is further indication that the system itself (and not simply one or a few individuals) is no longer capable of fulfilling its obligation. It is time for a complete overhaul.
Whether done knowingly or unknowingly, the actions of Mrs. Ayesha K. Mustafaa and the entire Muslim Journal staff constitute a clear and present danger to the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
I call for their immediate and unconditional removal from office and the appointment of qualified persons to oversee the publicaion of the Muslim Journal.
- Wali Mohammed
ASA
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement with you brother Wali! It has been to long since I have felt a since of pride in the Muslim Journal and what it has to offer the public. I often wondered who was responsible for the climate change in the Muslim Journal. I often heard our Late Leader admonish the staff at the Muslim Journal for their lack of professionalism and for their moving away from the goals and emphasis that he placed before our community.
Now with Imam W. Deen Mohammed no longer here to check them it falls on us the well meaning and informed student and follower of our Late Leader to stand up for the interest that he placed before the people.
I also thought often about who owns the Muslim Journal and what steps it would take to remove persons that have become toxic to our national voice and image. I think this is a wonderful step in the right direction, knowing that there is much more that can and should be done.
I look forward to hearing from others that have the same concerns for this matter. This blog is a useful tool in the hands of the believers.
Ali K.
Where are we going? What is the direction of this Community? What are the objectives that we must seek to fulfill and what are the obstacles that stand in our way?
ReplyDeleteThere has been no guiding voice of reason for this community coming from any of those that have held positions of authority in our community and those that hold the most powerful influence in the community are pointing their fingers in the direction of persons that seem to have lost their light in the world and are now satisfied to play Cloak and Dagger games with the minds of the people.
I have heard no voice in this time post our late leader that makes any sense or that speaks to the concerns of the common person besides that of dr. Delaney W. Karriem. No matter what is said of the approach or of the method that is being used to introduce light and life into the soul of the people I say that it is his voice that is deserving of our ear.
In a book titled "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" the Author goes by the name Mark Twain, we all know him as Samuel Langhorne Clemens and we accept that his works are chronicled among the best in American Classical Literature. His Books are even called the Great American Novel; his influence through his novels on the cultural climate is well documented. His life as Samuel L. Clemens is seen as more important than his name as the author of those American Classics. Yet it is his authorship that brought his life as Samuel l. Clemens into focus.
Why is it that we can accept Mark Twain without knowing or even trying to know him as Samuel L. Clemens as having a legitimate influence in the lives of powerful and influential people and even the common people and we can't seem to get past a name here that is obviously designed to make us reflect on our best life. Whether this dr. Delaney W. Karriem is an actual person or simply a Pseudonym we owe it to ourselves and to the debt we owe our late leader to listen to this voice of reason.
We are and have been watching as these no count black leaders fall into disarray groping for answers trying to hold on to any sense of power or authority that they have. Many of them have come to the conclusion that they must stand aside in order to make way for what Allah has planned for this Community. It is wise of them to resign...
Those that are defiant are being removed without a fight and we make our prayers for them and hope that Allah forgives them their transgressions.
The Light is on and it is almost time for Moses to return from exhale.
I say this again I hear no other voice of reason in this time other than that of dr. Delaney W. Karriem's that calls us to our best life and has called forth the highest caliber of leadership for this community.
C. A. Numan
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah,
ReplyDeleteThe leadership model we have as Muslim African Americans is unique in the world and unique in the context of modern African American leadership. It demands the best of us and gives the best of itself.
What we see presenting itself before us today is not in that tradition. The concept of "leadership is local" has been twisted from its original meaning and is being used to weaken the community and destroy the proper understanding of Leadership.
"Leadership is local" was not meant to signify that we do not need national representation. It was meant as a warning to those we now see aspiring to national prominence. A warning that they remain in their local areas and keep their brand of leadership confined to as small an area as possible.
The voice of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed demands dignified representation before the world. WE WILL NOT BE TRICKED INTO THINKING THAT IMAM MOHAMMED DID NOT INTEND FOR US TO SELECT A NEW LEADER UPON HIS PASSING. His example and his logic will serve as the template from which all leadership is developed and presented.
The Knowledge Body that is Imam W. Deen Mohammed is what establishes this community. A parallel can be drawn to the way the constitution established the United States of America. The logic of that document calls for the choosing of a leader to "preserve, protect, and defend".
From the logic provided by the Knowledge Body that is Imam W. Deen Mohammed we will chose the best among us to represent us before the world. WE, THE COMMUNITY OF IMAM W. DEEN MOHAMMED, WILL DO THIS WITHOUT FEAR OF ANYONE OR ANYTHING. But this can only happen if the VOICE of the COMMON CITIZEN is both free and respected. We can only make progress when each Citizen is free to act on his/her own innocence and to speak openly to those in positions of influence.
Each of us must be clear and assertive when dealing with the issues confronting our life. Each of us must preserve, protect and defend. This is our tradition, this is our inheritance.
- Wali Mohammed
ASA,
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly with Brother Wali's words! Each Citizen is a resource and resources must be developed and refined in order to be able to draw the maximum benefit from them. Each of us has a responsibility to engage the logic Imam Mohammed demonstrated and to act bravely upon what we understand.
The understanding of how to move the community forward in the time after Imam Mohammed is lost on the local imams and many of the Common Citizens. Now is the time to reevaluate our perception of those we see before us, and of those we do not see before us. Now is the time to make use of the resources available in those individuals who have "preserved, protected and defended".
We should not be afraid of personal shortcomings or allow small matters to detract from clear and principled understanding. This clear and principled understanding is lost on these local imams, on the staff of the Muslim Journal, and on those who have poisoned the public consciousness with a false perception of autonomy.
Peace!
ASA,
ReplyDeleteI would like to add some comments about the growth of and the progressive failing of the Muslim Journal. It is overwhelmingly obvious that the Muslim Journal has been a source of controversy in the last year. But more importantly it has been an objective of our projected hopes as a community as it has been the longest lasting Physical structure that our community can say that it has as an establishment.
That being said, we must look at its relevance in our community and what it was designed to do and rationally assess whether or not it has played its role for our community or not. We must ask ourselves, with the current staff will that Mission be sustained for years to come or will it continue as it has these past few years to devolve into a paper like any other paper full of sensationalized news pointing to problems and giving updates on events with no conclusive direction for the advancement of our community's interest...
What the Muslim Journal in my thinking was supposed to be doing was to inspire in the people the need for our own Media Outlets in the world, which carried our light and our emphasis. It was not to remain only a paper. It was to evolve, it was and if it remains, it must inspire in those among us the desire to be productive journalistic. Not just contributing article writers because you don't have a staff of Journalist. Yes, the Journal should be used to introduce the voice of the Common People in their own words, just as this Blog is doing. But it must be able to foster job opportunities as well. It must be able to advance our vision in the world and it can't do that pointing away from that which gave it its authority in the world.
If necessary, we as a community should be willing to completely deny our support of weak appreciation of our Leader's Vision and directions. They have failed us and it is made clear that they have failed. This establishment should not be in dire need of community resources in order to simply survive. I am sure that the staff at the Muslim journal is asking themselves, why has the readership of the Journal fallen off these past several years? I will tell you... You are giving the people what they can get in any town (News Outlet). You are following the majority, instead of being the leader in the industry.
Answer this question..."What will make you the Leader in the industry?"
If you are not aware of what makes you the leader in the Industry or what will open up the opportunity for the Journal to regain the title of Leader in the Industry than you should with a good mind sit down and allow new leadership to move the paper forward.
I say to our public and to all Citizens of our Community that if they do not, then we should deny them our support and create a new Paper and News Outlets that will follow the logic that Imam W. Deen Mohammed put before us in order to advance the News Industry.
If the staff is going to continue down the road that they are now traveling and have the nerve to ask us for our hard earned money than they are insane to think that they will get my support.
Ali K.
Upper Darby, PA
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteBrother Ali K. brings up a very good point in dealing with understanding what made the MJ the leader in its INDUSTRY. Unique that I was having a similar conversation with another brother a few days before, about identifying and understanding what is our special quality that makes us the Leaders in the world, both of Islamic and Religious Knowledge and in the world in general?
What does it mean to be a leader?
Most of us will reply well it is the Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed that makes us the leader... I will respond "Can you be a little more specific." What do you mean the language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, what do you mean his Tafsir”, you see to most of us those are just words, catch phrases and if pressed to give an answer to what that really means most would be stuck trying to find words to express what their hearts are feeling.
I have heard on many occasion, while listening to others speak about so-called imams in our community, "Oh, He has Imam Mohammed's Language!” What are you meaning by that? What is really in your heart is that you heard Imam Mohammed saying that before or that you heard words expressed by Imam Mohammed like this brother is saying.
I must openly say to you all that to hear someone repeat words or speak like Imam W. Deen Mohammed did does not mean that THEY have Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Language.
But my subject here is, What makes us the Leader in the World. It can't be simply hearing the words, there must be something more. (It is also important to note that persons in our community have a bad habit of limiting the affect and the sphere of influence that Imam W. Deen Mohammed demonstrated in the world to only Islam.)
What makes us the leader is the introduction of new, productive and stabilizing(balanced) thinking into all the "Systems of Knowledge", ask yourself this question, who has made the most advancements for human life in the world and through what philosophy has that thinking stemmed? If they answer is not US and through the ideals of Al-Islam than there is much work to be done in order to qualify us as leaders in eyes of the world.
When I say us I mean the followers of Imam W. Deen Mohammed those that say that they have his LANGUAGE or his LOGIC. Why do I say this, The rest of the world has seen the LOGIC and has apply it whether they admit to this or not their acceptance of him and what he presented to the world was and is the Reviver of stability in civilized thinking.
Where does that leave us, those that associate with his LEADERSHIP in the world? WE are his inheritors, yet most of those that have been so close to our Leader don't seem to know in what direction we are to be headed as a people. They are telling us follow them in their local settings and that that is sufficient. That is neither the model that Imam W. Deen Mohammed established nor it that what left as an inheritance.
Our major problem in this community is that we have not truly seen or heard Imam W. Deen Mohammed, "What do you mean brother and what makes you so sure you know how to see and hear Imam Mohammed?"
I have seen his actions and have heard his words and the things that you say and do are in direct contrast to what he has pointed us towards and required of us as a duty in the world.
Stop trying to break down the Arabic words and stop having mental orgasms over some deep concepts that you discovered only after Imam Mohammed told you its meaning. If you are a so-called imam in our community and you are still telling moral tales and are not motivating the believers in your area to be builders of Industry and innovators in their fields. Then you are not fit to be an Imam. You should sit yourself on the floor of the building that you are renting and listening to someone that can tell you all how to become a self-sustaining community using the logic found in the life of Mohammed the Prophet.
Leadership is in the Resourceful People.
HASHIM
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteLook at our neighborhoods look at what we have as establishments. Now look at what the WHITE world displays as a neighborhood model, look at what they have built with the advancement of technology whether theirs or other people's.
Now look at the spirit of our children, look at the level of dignity on their faces and in their behavior, Now look at the Faces of the WHITE children in our society, look at their level of dignity that they display in the world look at their spirit and their desire for a productive life.
Tell me what is the difference between the two?
It is the sense of pride in what they know is their inheritance that inspires the child's level of Dignity and dignified behavior in the world. Look around you at the cities in which you live, who has designed its infrastructures, who produces the industry that produces jobs for the majority of the people? Who is it that is responsible for the NEW construction in the Downtown areas in your Cities who is responsible for building NEW housing units? Who is responsible for the Management of your Money through Investments and Securities in whose bank you deposit your money?
Who is responsible for putting the cloths on the selves by which you cloth yourself? Who is responsible for the farming of the animals that you feed your family with?
Do you see where I am going with this; and you wonder why we are losing our children to things that the mature mind sees as senseless. It is our obligation to give our children an Honorable Inheritance and a dignified life.
It is our obligation to see our interest as the American Interest. "HUH?! What do you mean fella?" "How do we see our Interest as the American Interest, we have no Business in those countries, that is not our war."
Please listen to what you just said, (WE HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THOSE COUNTRIES) you are right you have NO BUSINESS there and that is why you don't feel the need to protect the interest of those that do have BUSINESS there. If you would invest some time in establishing Business ties that could lead to feeding our community then you would see the need to bring stability to regions around the world. We would then have a vested interest in the outcome of the Diplomatic Policies of our Government and we would be in a position to be respected for our opinion in matters of security. We would be as Imam W. Deen Mohammed was, sought out for our advice on matters of high concerns. They would identify with us as the true model and representation of Al-Islam in the world.
What will be our children's and their children's inheritance in the world?
It is not too late for any of us, we are not looking at age, whether you are older than 55 or younger than 25; we are wanting to identify with those that have a productive mind and spirit and a desire to stay at the forefront of advancing human life no matter your age with the tools that have been provided us by our Late Leader. We know that it is our youth that it the muscle that will enliven our body, but the covenant is with the whole group, the whole people and as long as you are alive you are required to be moving the life forward.
You have something to offer.
Leadership is in the Resourceful People.
HASHIM
ASA,
ReplyDeleteWhat we see lacking in the life of our community, is a unified sense of direction based upon the Qur'anic logic presented, interpreted, and rehearsed to us by Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Many of us are confused and searching. Our sense of direction has been manipulated by ignorant people posing as leaders, but who themselves refuse to support the true model of Islamic Leadership we have in Imam W. Deen Mohammed. This lack of unity leaves us susceptible to fragmentation and blind to the universal need of human beings to recognize and support leadership on all levels―and that includes the National Level as well.
It is foolish of us to go forward with this twisted notion of "autonomy"―presently pimped by so called imams―leading us to conclude we need no one to represent our collective interests before the American people and the international community.
If that was the case, if we do not need national leadership, if Imam Mohammed did not intend for us to have representation before America and the world, then he himself would never have operated in that capacity. My assertion is not that we look to some form of centralized authority to govern us. The role of a leader is not to govern the lives of citizens but to defend and exemplify that which does, e.g. the Qur'an and the life example of Muhammad the Prophet.
We should look at the example Imam Mohammed set and identify one who best follows that example and support him as our representative, as our leader, as our Imam.
I cannot stress enough how dangerous a position our community is in if we continue on with this notion that autonomy and national representation are mutually exclusive, that one can only exist in the absence of the other. Imam W. Deen Mohammed said that no one will succeed him. To whom was he speaking? Was this "no one" in reference to a certain group of people? What does the term succession mean, especially in the western mentality?
As students of Imam Mohammed, we are required to think deeply, to avoid a face value interpretation, to mate our minds with our hearts so that we transcend animal nature and become Human Beings of thought and action able to recognize ONE from amongst our ranks who best represents that transcendence, ONE to lead us in Congregational Salat (social establishment and reform), ONE who we recognize and salute as Imam.
This is the innocent nature of the Human Being.
The problem that I see is while we MUST use Qur'anic Logic in order to advance our lives; it seems that the majority do not understand what Qur'anic Logic IS.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with both Ibrahim and Hashim.
We must ask these very important questions in an OPEN and CANDID way. And we must seek answers to these very important issues.
I have asked the question and have been asked the question, "What is Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Language?" Also, "What is his Logic and how do we follow it?" These questions were asked to me by those that had just made their Shahadatan, and were told that they should get to know the Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and told they should study his Tafsir of the Qur'an.
While that was the best advice that the one that gave them their Shahadatan could give them, it left them a bit confused and out of touch. I spoke with a few of those that had that question after some time had passed and I see some of them in the same mindset as many of those that have been in this Community for years. They would tell me that they had listened to the tapes of our Late Leader and found them very stimulating, but if you would ask them did they feel obligated to do what they had heard on the lectures again they would be confused at the question.
Ask any in our community what is their obligation to move the community forward they will look at you as if you charged them with a crime, This because they have not been truly connected with the logic of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. They have not been given any clear examples of what is Qur'anic Logic or what is The Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Most of us know instinctually what the Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is but as Hashim said if asked to put it into context it would be a very difficult task for most.
I read somewhere on the internet that a group wants to introduce Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Language to the public of America, what will you do give them a tape or a Ramadan Session excerpt or Booklet? Let us think with a rational mind. It was Imam W. Deen Mohammed himself that could present in real time what his logic was. It will require one that is able to articulate what is Imam W. Deen Mohammed's language and what is the Logic of Qur'an and put those in context for the people to be our Leader, our Imam. Just as it was only Imam W. Deen Mohammed that could put the Logic of W. D. Forty and the Honorable Elijah Mohammed into context for us and Put the Life of Muhammed the Prophet into context for us and put Scripture back into Context for all humanity, that made him our Leader.
In order to advance we must see our life and all the tools of progress in our life in the proper context.
Our Imam is one that can show you the context and form a plan in which that context will function correctly.
“Which of the Favors of your Lord will you deny?”
Adam P. Ford
I was just sent an email informing the public that a certain Black Leader has been trying to pass himself off as the leader for all the Muslims in America.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that it took an Italian Islamic group to say that they do not recognize that person as a Leader in Al-Islam.
While their perceptions are skewed, on what is the history of the our social development and the Logic that formed it, it says a lot to the on-looker that these persons would NOW stand up and denounce such a brazen move by this noted BLACK leader. I think that even this BLACK leader is now recognizing that his protective shield has been removed and that if he does not follow the Leadership that originates from the Following of Imam Mohammed he will faded into obscurity as an irrelevant and insignificant footnote in our social history.
Mr. Smith
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteIt has been a little over year since this Blog has been established. At the onset dr. Delaney W. Karriem asked that I help by conducting a series of Interviews with him and with those that were regular contributors to the discussion here. Those interviews where some of the most enlightening conversations and revealing comments that the community could witness at this time in our development.
In the spirit of progress we would like to revisit that process and interview YOU, the Common Citizen, we will be calling on dr. Delaney W. Karriem to give an interview, giving his words and observations on what has transpired within this year’s time.
We will be asking some very important questions that will help us gauge our progress and set our vision towards the task ahead.
We are calling on Ibrahim, Bilalian, Marshelle Sultana, Lari, Catylst, Khathurm, and a few others to make themselves available for interviews. If you are interested in this process either in simply observing it or participating in it please respond here letting us know what your thoughts are.
I await your response...
Your Brother and Friend,
HASHIM
Our numbers are increasing; those that are seeing the need for correct representation of Al-Islam and proper representation of the Face of this Community are standing up side by side in ranks.
ReplyDeleteWe will not stand for those persons that are still calling their secret meetings; we will not stand for those sending out emails announcing that they have consulted with foreign governments in order to give us conformation on our Islamic Traditions or our Religious Affairs. We are strong enough to do this for ourselves.
We will not stand for those that are calling themselves imams in our association that see no value in having an association with us. They only want an audience from us to hear their weak understanding of religion and to show us how superior their Qur'anic Arabic is over you the common person. We will not stand for such things.
Look at how we define ourselves, In order to have any respect in the eyes of our community we look at how supportive of Imam W. Deen Mohammed we were and are. How well of a student we were and are to our Late Leader.
How supportive are these persons that are calling these behind closed doors meetings, closing out the public, gambling with the life of the people and the future of leadership for Al-Islam in America and around the globe.
We are standing up; those that are responsible for the planning of the Leadership Summit have offered the public of this Community their own future in their own hands. More and more people are accepting that invitation to define our future based on what we have chosen to define ourselves by.
More and more people are throwing off bad leadership in their local areas, turning towards this effort that has inspired hope after such a painful loss to this community. I have traveled around and have seen that this effort has been an affective and inspirational influence in the life of our people.
We must continue this work; our lives depend on us, you the Common Citizen making a difference.
"Allah will not change the condition of a People until they change what is bothering, affecting, influencing their very soul."
C.A Numan
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteIt is always my pleasure to come here and follow your discourse. It is brilliant like a newly-installed bulb and a light for those afraid of losing their way. We continue to do that work which defined Imam Mohammed--what is best for the people? What is best for the community? Even if some resist, we will not stop. Even if some turn away, we will not stop. We are moving forward on the path we have recognized is best for us. We do not need approval from other lands or other people to see the value in this. The vigor that we have is inspired. When someone is inspired, she/he must take flight. We are resourceful because we are the leaders that we need to move this community forward.
I am bothered by the condition of our community and cannot be content with just saying in my heart, "I hate that." No, resourcefulness calls for more than that. Perhaps that is the beginning, but it should not be the end. I am pleased to be a part of this effort and welcome the opportunity to discuss this further.
Peace unto you all,
ReplyDeleteI recently visited a local center in my area. As I’m sitting there listening to a brother try to explain our religion without connecting to anything logical, I’m thinking to my self what has happened to us as a group of people that causes us to differ responsibility and leadership to other people??? I’m looking around this place and all of the men are dresses like Arabs or there pants were rolled up 6 inches above the ground! The sisters were locked in a room and the one sister I did see had a veil! The most shocking part of all of this was that they all were African-American!
The brother speaking was trying to explain to a group of young people about one of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) who had his hands chopped of in the battle of Badr! I have never heard Imam W. Deen Mohammed even try to explain something morbid like that!
Why is it that African-American Muslims have such problems with the leadership of the Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed??? I thought of what a brother shared with me awhile ago. He said “That as African-Americans there is a program that runs in the back of our minds (slave negro virus) that causes us to look at what we have been given and our potential as a group as inferior! He went on to say “That if you were born in the community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed you were free from this condition!” If you are with Imam W. Deen Mohammed as your leader he gave you the vaccine or the antidote to heal yourself from this condition!
Naim Akbar, Louis Farrakhan, Siraj Wahhaj, and others were there when the community began to form. They new the direction our leader was focused upon yet they turned there backs on our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed! What was the reason for this???
Part 1
These are my two posts from the other section of the blog, as I said usually wait to see the emails and I follow the link back to the Website. Thanks I look forward to hearing from you.
ReplyDeleteAs-Salaam-Aliakum
Even though it was a negative this last post called my attention back to this very important question asked but M. Madyun. I was looking over the answers given to these questions and my attention was drawn to one set of answers or one poster in particular. Catylst. His answers seems to satisfy something deep in my soul for what I have been searching for in trying to find an understanding of how to put things together.
I would like to hear more from Catlyst on this subject if possible. I think that we all could benefit from his presentation.
I don't know Hashim but it seems to me that he has nothing but the best interest of the community in mind through what I can observe of his postings. I know that Allah will make manifest everyone's true intentions in time and if He or any other person here is as the anonymous poster has suggested they will be shown to us for what they really are.
Sa'id Muhammed
December 21, 2009 3:21 PM
Sa'id Muhammed said...
As-Salaam-Aliakum
I'm not use to coming directly to this Website; I usually wait on the emails that I have become accustomed to seeing in my inbox. I have grown to love and appreciation reading the comments that are posted to this forum. As I said in my last post I was reminded of this very important question and as I read over the responses to it, the answers from Catlyst stood out in my mind.
I haven't read any posts by that person in some time now, so I am not sure if he or she will respond to this question that I have that stems from their answer to Statement #2.
My question simply this, you said,
“I believe that being in the forefront of the Islamic world is not the goal, but it will be a bi-product of the application of the same skills and presentation of Al-Islam that will place this community in the forefront of the communities of the world itself. The skills that are necessary begin with developing the correct sensitivities/concerns."
Can you please explain what you mean by sensitivities and concerns and in your estimation what are the CORRECT sensitivities?
I will tell you what I am getting from what you are saying; please let me know if I am in the ball park.
I know a lawyer friend of mine and she likes to watch the News and the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. But she only likes to watch programs that deal with animal behavior and when she watches the News she only likes to watch the weather and sports scores or what happened in the games no matter the sport. I asked her why does she only like watching those programs, she said to me that she enjoys watching other programs but those types of programs help her to identify with her profession. I asked well why only the weather and sports scores, she said well I want to know how I should dress for court and I want to know what the guys will be talking about so that it helps me in my negotiations for deals in the court room.
She said, "I want to be sensitive to what they are talking about", those were her exact words to me.
I am wanting to relate this conversation that I had with my Lawyer friend with what you are saying in your comment about Al-Islam and being in the forefront of world communities as a bi-product of having or acting upon some skill set.
You gave some help in your other response, but could you elaborate on what things Imam Mohammed was concerned with and sensitive to when observing things in order to help guide the people?
Sa'id Muhammed
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteI believe that Imam Mohammed was concerned with developing the human life and assuring that the human essence was respected and equally developed. When you are concerned about the essence of a thing, you do not give way to political affiliation, wealth or lack thereof, race or creed or any other superficial concerns. Your heart and your mind have been set on the path to help develop the community life that will benefit all people. With that knowledge in mind, I approach you hoping to connect with your humanity to produce that which will help us expand and grow as creatures of Allah (SWT). I will recognize that socially, we shake hands when we greet or hug. Some concerned with power and oppression would admonish me for shaking hands with a man, but in my business, it would be inappropriate not to recognize this cultural norm. If my only concern is that a man touched my hand and now somehow I am tainted, I have not only a very narrow perception of Al-Islam, but I have alienated the other party who meant me no harm. How can I help develop human life when I am overly-concerned with rituals and personal behaviors that are questionable in their intent?
Developing the correct sensitivities and concerns means that I am not only able to see the bigger picture of developing humanity, but I am also able to act and respond to the needs of humanity. That is, by leading the life that promotes the dignity of the human being, all other portions will fall into place. It is a natural progression. If I am concerned with giving the people a voice in the development of their community, I will promote and participate in those activities which meet that aim. Those of like heart and mind will join me or I them. We will grow and our influence will too. The pattern that we will establish will be imitated by those hoping to develop their community life too. Because we all seek to know how we can advance humanity, we will look to those who have shown the way. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has shown us the way. He is our example. If you study his history, you will see how he handled situations using intelligence and sensitivities. He was teaching us how to use that sensitivity to bring even our enemies back to their human essence. It was Imam Mohammed who taught us that; we learned about this through his mind that Allah inspired and embraced. We saw how he responded to the public; he was sensitive to the level of understanding of the people he addressed. He did not go into an interfaith dialogue and tell the people there that they were disbelievers and going to hell. No! He pointed out the universal connection we all have to Allah—we are to serve Him, and we serve Him best by helping others to see the excellence in themselves. We then ask them to use that excellence to promote the life that Allah (SWT) wants for all of us.
We are developing the Community of Imam Mohammed, following the pattern taught to us by Imam Mohammed. If we follow this pattern, we will be in the forefront of the world as the example others embrace to develop all of humanity. Our history in America has prepared us to understand the sensitivities of others as we have been so closely connected to the development of America even when our treatment was ugly and inhumane. We take our experience and recognize that we are uniquely qualified to address matters of human value and dignity. This is one of the reasons why Imam Mohammed was respected all over the world and lovingly referred to as “America’s Imam.” This is our lineage and our history. He is our Imam; we continue his work, and as long as we do so with the same sincerity and vigor as he, we will have the world’s ear and eye.
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteHow we see ourselves and how others see us plays an important role in fashioning our future. In that spirit we as the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed should endeavor to take a long hard look at our life in community and the situations that define our lives as students, workers and leaders in the Islamic world and in the Broader society. We have here on this Blog site several persons that through their time and effort have shown that they are capable of helping this community see itself in its proper context and gauge for the future where we should place our focus and our interests.
Today we will be speaking with Imam Ibrahim from California who is an accomplished Film Maker and Producers. We will be looking at the spirit of progress and the atmosphere of change that has taken place over these past several months and in general after the passing of our Late Leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
We ask that all comments concerning any question posted in this Interview please be posted after the conclusion of the interview Thank you.
And Now, Imam Ibrahim if you have something that you would like to say before we get started, please feel free to do so.
ASA,
ReplyDeleteThank you Imam Hashim. I would like to express my gratitude and congratulations to all the students of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Your thoughts, words, actions and the irresistible force of your spirit here and elsewhere are the foundation upon which our future advancement and all future human accomplishment will be based.
The aspirations that Allah has placed within the soul of Man are expressed and made manifest in YOU and YOUR EFFORTS. Please continue, your influence and potential is immeasurable.
We all are thankful for the gifts that Allah has placed in our possession.
ReplyDeleteAs you are aware the loss of the Physical Presence of our Late Leader came as a shock and a great pain in the hearts of those that loved him and those that respected his vision for humanity. Are you aware of the climate change absent his presence, and have you seen or noticed a change in the overall spirit of what we know as the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed both on the Local Levels and on the National Scene?
Share with us some of your observations.
With regards to the Common Citizens, there is a thirst and a keen desire to see Imam Mohammed’s vision of Community Life Established. I don’t mean to suggest that this was not the case before now, but within today’s climate the effort to APPLY Imam Mohammed’s Language is taking precedent within the collective consciousness and activity of the community.
ReplyDeleteThe physical passing of any leader will send different signals to different mindsets. If our mindset is tuned toward social establishment and human cultivation (what the Adhan calls us to) then we will understand the narrative being presented and in doing so, understand our role and the role of others.
Lady Khadijah’s cousin understood the narrative presented by the establishment of Muhammad in prophecy. He didn’t “need to know” who Muhammad was as an individual, per se, or what he did on the weekend. The broader context of Muhammad the Prophet and his role in the narrative of human establishment was more important.
For some, the narrative presented by the establishment of this blog is clear and they’ve responded with great enthusiasm, energy, and effort. The “need to know” who the author is does not prohibit them from understanding the broader context of the author’s role in our establishment and our role in it as well.
What signal is your brain (a transmitting and receiving device) tuned into?
You point to Lady Khadijah's cousin and his awareness of the narrative played out in scripture through Muhammed the Prophet, just as it was then, we have those that are well established in identifying the narratives in the world in order to help advance the world of man. They may not all be a part of the religious world. They knew and respected what our Late Leader presented to the world through his instructing US, his family i.e. The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your perception of how the world at large is viewing our community at this point and what affect has the discussion on this blog had on the perceptions of others as it was and is the Language of Imam Mohammed that created for our present life the narrative, What do you see is our role in anchoring the Community in the true spirit of the Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed?
To the world paying close attention to this community, it is clearer now, than it was a year ago, that Imam W. Deen Mohammed has succeeded in reproducing his mind within the Life and Life’s Work of his students and that they are able, willing, and ready to manifest the reality of that mind within the context of Allah’s entire creation.
ReplyDeleteFor the world at large, the question still is: what will they do now that their leader has passed? There is a lot of work that needs to be done in communicating to the broader world that we are keeping with Imam Mohammed's vision.
The words being spoken here are shaping the language environment in which leadership, social establishment, and human advancement is defined and presented. I am aware of several instances where the posts of this blog's contributors are being reiterated in other circles. And as some of you may be aware, many of the national icons have changed the tune of their rhetoric to more closely resemble the thinking being presented here.
With regards to our role in anchoring the true spirit of the Language of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, simply put: we are to provide a contrast to the false logic that often presents itself as heir or partner to the Logic and Language of our leader.
Some will be familiar with this example: if you place a glass of dirty water in front of someone who is thirsty enough, they’ll drink it. Our job is to provide a glass of water that makes it clear what dirty water is. In essence, we must provide opportunities for the community to act on its best instincts, to judge for itself and follow the logic of that judgment.
Providing this clear glass of water does not mean engaging in direct debate with pseudo scholars and icons, or of challenging them on everything they say. Our work, our efforts, and the results that manifest from them will provide contrast to the useless thinking patterns of those who were condemned time and again by Imam Mohammed.
The clear glass of water is our productivity as Common Citizens.
dr. Delaney W. Karriem once said that it was their denial of and their stance against the Honorable Elijah Mohammed and the Nation of Islam and our Social history that defined the life of many that did not come by way of the Nation of Islam and through the teaching of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the Immigrant community included, Do you see the same thing happening with those that complain about or speak out in some negative way against the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Discussion?
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely. By denying and going against what is being done here, the critics invariably make the argument that this effort is established and guided by Allah, and in doing so, they define their role as the enemy of man. I do not mean to suggest that anyone who does not agree to join us or adopt our strategy is wrong. I am addressing those who see what is being done here and then commit to working against it.
ReplyDeleteHow you see yourself in relation to the narrative presented in this discussion and elsewhere will determine your role in the narrative of human kind. It will take many kinds of roles to get the job done. Some will be contributors or defenders, others may invite or monitor.
Your interpretation of the narrative will dictate your present and future condition.
You mentioned earlier that the Learned in religious scripture did not need to know who the physical person of Muhammed the Prophet was in order to recognize him in his role. All they needed to see was the strategy or the action steps being acted upon to recognize the, as you phrased it "The Narrative".
ReplyDeleteWhy is it important that these action steps that are being taken by those that have commented on the blog and are now participating in the established of the Leadership Summit be taken seriously? Why should the public of our Community take what we are doing here seriously and Is there any reference in Islamic history and in our own history that says what we are doing is what Allah approves?
We spoke earlier about the perception of our community in the world at large. It is important to understand that the action steps that are being taken to establish the Leadership Summit will be directly responsible for communicating to the world at large that the work of Imam W. Deen Mohammed did not die with his physical passing, that we will not remain a community without an Imam, that the destiny of a people crushed by the circumstances of their enslavement is alive and being fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThe progression of humanity on the vertical path of its potential, within the framework of the whole creation, is manifested in the words and actions of Common Citizens who have come together, via this blog.
Within the context of Islamic history, the reference couldn’t be more plainly expressed. A slave, who maintained his decency and belief in Allah despite wretched circumstances, was charged with the task of calling the world to social establishment and human cultivation.
Another reference can be made with our Prophet’s ascension. We as a people, through Imam W. Deen Mohammed, ascended through the many levels of human understanding and power. Allah established Imam Mohammed as Their Imam and though our efforts and work, Allah will establish him not just in the highest levels of power and understanding, but in a level even higher: the common life of human beings.
Part of the effort of 'calling the world to social establishment and human cultivation' as you mentioned earlier is the bringing together of those that are truly concerned with the life of our community and its security and longevity; to that degree, We are now involved in the establishing of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit, what is its focus and what do you look to as the outcome of such an event?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important question and it gets to the heart of much of what is being discussed on this blog. Let me give an example:
ReplyDeleteIf you knew two people (one male and one female), both were single and needing the establishment and protection of a mate and whose nature complimented each other, what would be your role? How would you go about facilitating the marriage or coming together of those two parties? Would you bring them together in a manner where they were unable to engage each other freely and openly?
Now, here our community is with little and in some cases no access to leaders (persons with specialized resources). On the other hand, some are aware of persons with specialized resources but who are not established as leaders because they lack access to the Public Resource.
The goal of this Leadership Summit is provide an avenue through which the Public Body and the Leadership Mind can freely and openly engage each other, where they can mate and spread seeds of development in all areas of human society.
In the short term (1-2 year’s time after the Summit) we estimate that we will see greater coordination among our businesspersons in terms of new ventures, collective purchasing, and capital growth. Also, a nationally unified direction for our Clara Muhammad School System, innovations in arts and culture, and institutional effort to correctly preserve the Knowledge Body that is Imam W. Deen Mohammed as well as the complete historical record of our social experience.
Over the long term, in 10 to 15 years, we see our business activities becoming global market forces, Clara Muhammed Schools being preeminent among educational institutions, and the work of our artists will spark new waves in music, art, film, tv, etc.
The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit is not designed for a party mentality. It is an avenue for WORK THAT PRODUCES TANGIBLE RESULTS. We intend to bring before the Common Citizens our most resourceful people so that together they can develop solutions and strategies to establish our life.
We pray that our work in this effort is successful!
ReplyDeleteIn your last response you referred to those areas in the country or in our community that seem to have no access to leadership, What is your advice to anyone that notices a need in their local community that the leadership there is not able to or is unwilling to address, Where can they find support for what they should do?
My advice is to consult the interpretation and understanding of Qur'anic logic as presented by Imam W. Deen Mohammed. And from there, follow your best instincts. Do not feel as though you need anyone's permission or blessing.
ReplyDeleteIf you personally lack certain specialized skills and need support, seek out like minds and hearts who are skilled, or simply develop the skills yourself. Also, do not limit your choices of support to the Islamic Community. This is not the example of Muhammed the Prophet nor that of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Be universal in your approach.
Thank you very much for your words of advice and your spirit of encouragement Imam Ibrahim.
ReplyDeleteWe have been greatly increased by this conversation and the observations made by you. We look to speak more with you in this type of open and candid discussion concerning our community. We also look to read more of your insightful posts as the Discussion on this Blog continues.
I invite you to close this Interview with your own thoughts.
We thank you for taking the time out of your day to spend here with us.
You are welcome and I thank you for your continued work and dedication as well as all others who desire to see Our Life established.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that there remains much work to do in the coming weeks and months. This blog and the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit are only the beginning. Let us understand the narrative and our role in it.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteI would first like to thank Imam Hashim and Imam Ibrahim on an excellent interview. The logic they present is a guiding force in our community. The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit will be an excellent opportunity for our community to take inventory of itself and its leaders and begin the process of formulating strategies for advancement.
I've read Sa'id Muhammed's post and Sister Marshelle's response with great interest. I was planning to add a few of my thoughts, but I obeyed Imam Hashim's request to hold off until the interview was over.
Sister Marshelle's response expresses the true nature of our place and mission in the world. Sadly, however, the spirit and logic of her words are lost on 99.9 percent of the so called resident imams and national icons.
I wish to reiterate the need we must all have for being sensitive to and concerned for the conditions faced by the Common Essence of Man. That must first begin with our Community, namely the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. From there it extends to the African-American Community who has always looked to our example for leadership and inspiration. Finally, from there, it extends to the whole of mankind and creation.
When we are sensitive to developing the essence of the Common Citizen and are concerned with the continual progression of that essence on the vertical path, we become leaders and defenders of society. Developing those concerns and sensitivities means that we must be engaged with the people and not remain isolated behind a title or position.
The way in which we communicate must be such that it is of a benefit to those we are communicating with. I've attended many Jummahs and community programs in which the language was so saddled with useless religious interpretation that I wanted to leave halfway through.
The manner in which many imams approach their following is one that does not respect the value of the individual. The Common Citizen of most of our Mosques feel as though they are not qualified to lead because they are not scholars in Arabic or religious matters.
These imams will not make a doctor, lawyer, musician, etc. feel as though their expertise holds any benefit for the community. They will not approach such persons on the basis of that individual's strength and experience. In other words, they are not sensitive to or respectful of that person's essence.
When you can bring people together based upon an appeal to be productive in whatever areas they are capable, then your concern is universal and you have developed the right sensitivities.
- Wali Mohammed
As Salaamu Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to thank bros. Hashim and Ibrahim for the interview presented on this forum. They have provided an insight and an understanding for us to focus upon. It is beautiful to see the voice of Imam W.Deen Mohammed among us.
The citizen must see themselves in the community and they must see the best of themselves in the leaders. This is one reason the Leadership Summit is so important. I have read this portion of the blog at least four times before commenting here. I think what is being said here, now, is so important. We are talking about a continuation of a life and logic that Allah has put in motion for establishment. What do we have as our tools, our guidance, our knowledge? We have the Quran,and the life of Prophet Mohammed(saws),we have W.D.Mohammed and the logic he brought us for success and we have faith. I recall two statements that i heard a while ago,
1. "read the Holy Quran and find yourself there in it..." 2." ..find yourself in your community...use your talent for the benefit of your community." One was from E. Abdul-Malik Mohammed and the other was from Imam W.D. Mohammed. This says to me, among other things that the individual must see themselves in accord with their human nature, their essence,the Quran and the place where they live their life, their community. This says that we do not live life in suspended animation, mocking reality. We have a task. Whether our job is as a leader or as a support or as an encouraging voice we all have a job a place that upholds and advances Al Islam and the Community of W.Deen Mohammed. Each individual is important. We have favors upon favors. We are obligated by our mere presence at this time to acknowledge them, work with them, protect them and live the life of gratitude for them.
kautharmm
10/21/2005
ReplyDeleteRamadan Session
G_d guides the sincere followers after their leader passes
By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Perception. That is what we have in focus now for this discussion. But not perception from the English dictionary or any other dictionary, not perception from my thinking or your thinking; no, perception as it is used in the context of revelation. When you get yourself focused right then you can follow and understand better. Have patience and believe Allah (swt) will guide you after I'm gone the way He has guided me. It is open to everybody but you have to be sincere. You have to want it not selfishly, not to show people you know something or have something. You have to want it not for yourself, but for all people who will receive it and remember those who need it most and take it to them first.
What kind of doctor would go to a strong and healthy people and start administering something to them? They would say, "Doctor I'm alright maybe I can take an aspirin," and there is somebody over there who needs his leg amputated and needs a head on his body. I know what I'm saying. Someone who has no eyes, born blind and this particular doctor can take care of all those needs but he goes to one who has no problem and asks, "All you need is an aspirin, here let me get my aspirin out." He would be insane or deserving of death right on the spot. What is wrong with some of these Imams who think I shouldn't address the serious needs of the African American people? I am one and I live in their neighborhood. I can't get away from them. I am one. I'm in their community. I have to live with them and I am comfortable living with them. I don't want to live with other people. Why should I want to live with other people? Something would be wrong with me and if they want to live with us and not their own people something is wrong with them. So this is just natural.
Allah (swt) is with us and He is going to be with us whether I'm here or not. And I see signs that He is with many of us, both males and females. He is going to stay with us. Don't think, "What are we going to do when Imam W. Deen Mohammed is not with us anymore?" The same thing we did when the Honorable Elijah Mohammed was not with us anymore. Allah (swt) is going to show us the one we are supposed to support. Don't worry about that and this is no farewell message.
I'm saying this for some of you, not for all of you. I don't need to say it for myself or my family. They know I'm full of life and I'm buzzing more than I buzzed in all of my days. I never have been buzzing with life like I am buzzing now, praise be to Allah (swt). And the spirit is just like it was when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. The spirit is the same.
What I mean by, "The spirit is the same," I don't feel anymore sick or aged or dying than I did back there when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. G_d is my Witness. I feel nothing but youth and relief from burden. It is not the body. It is the spirit. When you come alive in the spirit that is the life and it even can help your body deal with problems, avoid problems, and sustain itself, or keep its youthfulness.
As-Salaam-Aliakum
ReplyDeleteI came back to this webpage in order to give a reply to Marshelle Sultana and Wali. As I scroll down to get to the Post A Comment box I couldn't help but to re-read the wonderful and inspiring conversation that went on between Imam Hashim and Imam Ibrahim.
I would like to say that this type of dialog should be going on in our local masajid all over the country. I would like to know how to get in contact with either of these two brothers and invite them to my area to give some type of taleem or something. I think what they have to offer in a real sense and in real time could show the people here the difference between the clear glass of water and the dirty glass of water.
My response to Marshelle Sultana and Wali is this, Thank you. The thoughts and ideas found in your remakes are profound and clear for any person looking to understand what sensitivities and concerns we as students of Imam Mohammed should be endeavoring to cultivate.
Here is another one of my concerns, I am looking at what the Atlanta Masjid is doing has done in their electing a new Imam a young brother Imam Sabree, this while the former resident Imam is still alive. This says a lot to me as a follower of Imam Mohammed, one is that it is good that the former Imam there stepped down, but he has not removed his influence in that area nor that of the person that they call Sheikh. So in affect they are running the show from behind the curtain if you get my meaning.
It says to my mind that they know that the correct path for the Community is to recognize as someone has said here, a new Leader for the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and that subtly they are the best example for the community to follow. I maybe reading too much into things but this is what my instinct tells me about what has happened.
I still would like to hear from Catlyst.
I see so many different things happening in this community it is becoming confusing to try and keep up with all this craziness that I am seeing. So, I come here looking for a sense of sanity. Thank G-d I found it.
Sa'id Muhammed
ASA,
ReplyDeleteBro. Sa'id Muhammed,
I would be more than willing to be of assistance to you and/or anyone else in this great effort. I can be reached at:
imamibrahim.ca@gmail.com
Peace!
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteI am also available and willing to assist you as long as the effort is within the focus of what we are establishing here. You and those interested in working in this effort for the future of our community and wanting to build supports in your area may contact me at:
acleanglassofwater@live.com
I look forward to working along side you.
HASHIM
Part 2
ReplyDelete“Life it self is the last battlefield. Human life is the core life of humanity. The human essence is what counts for that core life. Our classic scriptures give us that comparison. Human essence or human life is as a seed for plant life. For plants, seed lost future lost. For humans, essence lost, future lost.”
Our Mujeddid Imam w. Deen Mohammed from the book “Life the Final Battlefield”
Anyone person or force that tries to separate you from this idea is trying to oppress you! This concept is everything that Mohammed the Prophet (pbuh) stood for! What else is more important than this! This is the foundation for everything that our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed stood for! He worked and preached this over many decades.
When our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed began defending the human essence some believed that we should have focused on Afrocentricity. The African within us (Naim Akbar). How has this concept worked for the African? The Africans didn’t reach there full potential until they understood the value of the human essence that was taught to them by Mohammed the prophet (pbuh)! The human essence is what was lost to the Africans that have put them in the situation they are in presently! Afrocentricity is not the right idea!
Some believed that the best situation for us would be to build on our superiority as blacks (Louis Farrakhan). This idea nearly imploded the Nation of Islam! Our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed said that there were others in the Nation of Islam that was unraveling the mysteries of Professor Fard just as he was! When he came forward with his discoveries those members gave him there support! Is this Louis Farrakhan???? No! Louis Farrakhan recently made statements that the community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed should follow him???? Follow him based upon what???? Imam W. Deen Mohammed tried to help Louis Farrakhan. Louis Farrakhan removed himself from the path!
Our holy book says that Allah guides to his light whom he wills! The Arab world never believed that Islam could flourish in America. They gave no support to the idea that Islam could thrive in America until Imam W. Deen Mohammed led the largest delegation at that time to hajj in 1977. The Arab world began to recruit from this group to influence there perception of what Islam is based upon whatever political agenda they may have had (Siraj Wahhaj). To this day the Arab world still gives Siraj Wahhaj support and gives him money!
While our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed was defending the human essence he began to receive criticism from Afro-American muslims calling themselves Sunni’s and Salafiyya (Siraj Wahhaj). Mohammed the Prophet (pbuh) never made those distinctions!! Imam W. Deen Mohammed taught his following that Mohammed the Prophet (pbuh) is in us all! Imam W. Deen Mohammed taught his following that when you go from sajda to the jalsa (sitting) in prayer that you’re sitting on your own throne of human excellence!! If organizations like MANA (Siraj Wahhaj) gave more attention to the human essence and the fact that Mohammed the Prophet is in you, you would not have members being investigated by the FBI!
Turbans will not get you closer to Mohammed the Prophet! Long red beards will not get you closer to Mohammed the Prophet! Sandals will not get you closer to Mohammed the Prophet! Give more attention to Mohammed the Prophet in you and you will kill the negro (virus).
Peace unto you all
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "By his good character, a believer will attain the degree of one who prays during the night and fasts during the day." -
Abu Dawood, Hadith 2233
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "G-d does not judge you according to your bodies and appearances, but He looks into your hearts and observes your deeds."
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "G-d did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy." - Sahih Muslim, Hadith
The Prophet Ibrahim has passed away, where is Ismail and Isaac? The Prophet Moses has passed away, where is Joshua? The Prophet Jesus has gone away, where are the 12? The Prophet Muhammed has passed away, where are the rightly guided Khalifs? The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has passed away, where is Wallace D.? The man G'd chose to lift up out of the discarded race to bring the light of truth in all of its brightness Imam W. Deen Mohammed has passed away, where is his representative? Don't be foolish people. Expect him to return and welcome him.
ReplyDeletePeace To You All!
ReplyDeleteImam W. Deen Mohammed wanted us to make connections, he wanted that we come to the correct conclusion ourselves, so he gave us hints and clues that would direct our minds toward the solutions to whatever issue we needed to address.
Here on this blog we are dealing with the issue of leadership, what it is and what role we play in its development. As Muslim African Americans, our life is guided by the Narrative of the Qur'an and so we look to it for the solutions to our dilemma. Imam W. Deen Mohammed shared with us the translation of the Qur'anic Ayat: Alhamdullilahir Raabil A'alamin as The Praise Belongs to Allah The Guardian, Evolver of All the Systems of Knowledge. The question comes to mind, how does Allah Guard and Evolve All the Systems of KNOWLEDGE, and whose knowledge is he evolving? It can't be his own for he knows all things.
Let us look at another phrase or description. Muhammed the Prophet is described both as the Qur'an Living and Ar-Rahmantil A'alamin, here most of us even those that claim to be students of Imam W. Deen Mohammed translate this phrase to mean “A Mercy to All the Worlds...” We hear it all the time, Muhammed the Prophet was a Healing and a Mercy to All the Worlds. Remember we want to make connections and remember that we are talking about leadership and our role in its development and the establishment of it in the world.
Why is it that after having heard and having repeated what our Late Leader has said concerning Raabil A'alamin, The Guardian, Evolver of All The Systems of Knowledge, we still say of that description of Muhammed the Prophet, that he is A Mercy to All The Worlds? We should more readily say, He is THE Mercy to All The Systems of Knowledge.
When we say "A" mercy we imply that there are other mercies. WE recognize him as THE MERCY. Are we still looking at Muhammed the physical human person or his other description "The Qur'an Living"?
So the question remains whose Knowledge Systems are being Guarded and Evolved and through what means and methods?
We say when addressing a man, that he is Abdul-Ghani, Servant of the Wealthy or wealth giver, Abdul-Baqi, or Abur-Rahman, we say these and know that we are working to be servants of that interest that Allah has in MAN. We are not these things only servants of those particular interests. Just the same we are to serve the interest of the idea in the word Raab.
It is through his human creation that Allah Guards and Evolves The Systems of Human Knowledge which resided in his Creation. We must patterns ourselves after the life of Muhammed and become” The Mercy to All the Systems of Knowledge”, if we are to be the Leaders of and in this world. It was and is Muhammed the Prophet The Prayers and Peace be upon him that is the Model of Human excellence and it was Imam W. Deen Mohammed that brought us to this understanding. The Islamic world was once the leader because it once understood what I am sharing with you now. Through us the Muslim African American soul will establish Leadership in the world as the vessel through which All Systems of Knowledge are Guarded and Evolved and as The Mercy to All the Systems of Knowledge.
Leadership is with the Resourceful People!
HASHIM
acleanglassofwater@live.com
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteIn an earlier statement a question was asked, "What makes us the Leader in the world?"
The response that was given was:
What makes us the leader is the introduction of new, productive and stabilizing (balanced) thinking into all the "Systems of Knowledge".
Even earlier in the discussion on this blog Adam P. Ford directed our attention to the need for Guardians of Our Social Development, again I stress the need for us to make connections and seek to come away with the correct conclusion and answers for understanding our role in establishing leadership in the world.
When we look at what our lives in its Narrative is suggesting to us as a destiny we are better able to see where we should be placing our emphasis when we are looking at identifying a voice and a face for The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
There is a saying that I use to hear from my father he would say, "Son, I can read you like a book." I knew at those particular times when he was saying that to me that he was identifying something in me that he was displeased with, that I thought I could hide from his vision through childish manipulation. But he knew me. He would also often say "Boy I saw you when you came out."
What that suggested to my mind even as a child was that he knew what I was capable of doing by virtue of the fact that he knew my origin and therefore knew my destiny through my choice of actions and thinking.
What am I pointing toward? I am saying to you all that you know the life of our community you know its origin and you know what it has produced. Read its Narrative.
Follow the logic to the correct conclusion.
HASHIM
Peace to you all,
ReplyDeleteLeadership and what it encompasses along with the identity of community is what is being established in our discussion. This requires reflection, vision and action based upon rightly guided knowledge. Ask yourself what is language, what is its purpose and how are we to use and see it? Very briefly, language is a way of communicating what is happenning in a persons mind,their thoughts and some their feelings, etc. It expresses ideas and produces links to a particular life and to life itself, to nature, etc. It is a continuing evolution of communication. A word, an action, a group of people may also be a language. Example- body language, scientific language, the language of technology, mathmatical language, baby language, scriptual language. The word of G'd expressed in nature and the essence of things. A community is a language. There are living languages and dead languages. The language of Louis Farrakhan and others is dead. Think about that! The language of misguided people and societies, nations produces death and a language of death. Al- Islam calls us to life and to respect life. It calls us to come alive. This is the language it produces. A language the calls us to the life of our human essence and the essence of human society. Part of the language of W.Deen Mohammed is his vision and his work. Ask yourself what is his vision, what was/is his work. He spent a life time among us. Look! i would say in reference to his leadership,the words ringing in my ear are Allah, Mohammed, Holy Quran, rational mind, community, human love, love for Allah, faith, responsibility, work and life. Community i.e., nucleus, embryo, solar system, universe, heart. The language of W.D.Mohammed is a living language. Where will you find this living? Look around you. Exercise the words given to you by our great Imam, W.D. Mohammed. Read the Holy Quran and read his words, his language and look at his work and his vision. Identify yourself within yourself and if you do this correctly you will realize the natural order of leadership within community. And you will realize that community is an expression of a language, an idea, a way of life, a unified vision, a living union that produces life and progresses life. Long live Mohammmed!
Leadership is in the resourceful people.
Peace.
kautharmm
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteIn the spirit of the successful interview with our brother and friend Imam Ibrahim we will be interviewing another concerned citizen from our community. Next week we will be interviewing The Bilalian. We will be looking at the affects of influential ideas and persons in our social history and what affect they have had on our outlook of ourselves and our application of our religious philosophy in the world. We will also be investigating the recent events that seem to portray the leadership of the Muslim African American as inept and divisive in the eyes of the world.
Again, we are looking at ourselves to understand our role in establishing Leadership in the world.
We all have something to offer.
Leadership is in the Resourceful People!
HASHIM
As-Salaamu-Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteEvery people in history are established upon a story, a narrative that reflects their aspirations, hopes, and fears. How they see themselves in that narrative informs their perception of the world and their role in it.
When we look at Roman society, it is easy to understand and predict their behavior based upon the narrative of their myths and how they saw themselves in that narrative.
What we are presented with here is similar. Unfolding right before our eyes is the narrative of the establishment of a New People in creation. One who have been approved of and chosen by Allah to be the manifestation of his model for Human Life.
We should study closely the events unfolding around us as well as those leading up to them. Then, let us understand the role we play as individuals and groups. How we see ourselves will make clear to us what steps we must take. It will also better enable us to discern between friend and foe.
- Wali Mohammed
ASA
ReplyDeleteHow should we understand this concept of "The Narrative", that we are seeing being addressed here by our Friends?
I was speaking to a Friend earlier about how we should identify with "The Narrative". He was sharing with me the idea that the most important part in making a connection with The Narrative is being able to understand the Narrator. He shared with me that the Narrator plays the most important role in making sure that the audience feels connected to and shares a bond with the characters in The Narrative.
He said that it is the Narrator that moves the story along, gives it its flavor and character, but does not necessarily determine the outcome even though the Narrator knows what the outcome is to be.
The Narrator is the Voice of the Author, yet the Narrator may not be the Author. The Author places the words in the mouth of the Narrator, which without, the Narrator could not speak.
I asked him, "Is the Narrator exclusively one person"? He said, "Every Narrative varies". In some narratives the narrator is the Main character or is a group of Main Characters that share their View Point on the events that are unfolding around them. In other Narratives the narrator is exclusive and away; not attached in any way to the characters in the narrative and there are some narratives that combine the two techniques and they are usually your best narratives; Epics even.
I believe that there are only those special humans that understand the birth of and the establishment of leadership in this way. They understand how to identify with the narrative and allow the Author to speak through them. They keep the consistency and the Balance.
Muhammed the Prophet was such a Human.
As Imam Hashim said, let us make the correct connections.
Adam P. Ford
Be mindful of what your tier bosses and bond bosses are doing to you through their lecturers. Look at the language that they are using and how they insinuate things and what they are pointing at.
ReplyDeleteHere you have a Black Leader that has been outside of our community structure preaching his brand of BLACKNESS calling it his teachers telling you that this Community and others should follow him. Insanity!
At the other end, you have those that have been in our community assumed to be icons as one brother calls them, subtly telling us that we should look to the Arab world for the answers to understanding our religion. Insanity!
What am I talking about?
I heard with my own two ears one of these preacher imams the one that gave the khutbah at the Muslim Journal affair say to a crowd of people, believers, "Imam Mohammed told us (meaning imams) that the purest sources for Islamic knowledge are in Suadi Arabia and that the further you get away from Suadi the more polluted and diluted the knowledge of Islam is". I heard him tell this to the people on more than one occasion! Why?! Why, would you tell the people such a thing and it not be something that our leader promoted.
Here you have his partner in crime telling the people that in order to understand the Qur'an you have to have the Arabic, not, that you have to have the logic that Imam Mohammed gave us but the Language of Arabic. What non-sense.
The Arabs after the passing of our Prophet and even before had Arabic even the Fus’ha Arabic that we find in the Qur’an and were not able to do a thing with it until Muhammed the Prophet and in our Day they were unable to understand the Qur'an in their own language until Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave them insight into it, gave them a logic to work with.
Do not be deceived brothers and sisters. There is a plot against your innocence happening through them.
We here on this Blog will not let these matters pass unchecked. We will expose their plots and show you their tricks.
We are charged with keeping the record straight, as those in positions of assumed author can't seem to be honest with the public and will publish any LIE.
I was made aware of an Article in the MJ stating that this brother Earl El-Amin from Baltimore says that he was the one responsible for arranging the meeting between Pope John Paul II and our Late Leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed. This is a BOLD FACE LIE! Those that printed the article and those that allowed the article to be printed knew that it was a lie; they knew by virtue of them having been there and knew what actually transpired.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave credit to Imam E. AbdulMalik Mohammed for having understood what he wanted and his desire to have a meeting with the Pope and worked hard to make that meeting happen, by having introduced him to Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore. This is the truth of the matter.
If we have a newspaper that will post these blatant LIES, giving credit for one man’s actions to another, what else will they do that is underhanded and deceitful? We have already seen them give their attention and allegiance to Farrakhan. This is not acceptable.
We will not be played as fools. In keeping with the dialog on the blog, we will not allow you to re-write the Narrative to fit your personal agenda; The Narrative is Divinely protected and cannot be corrupted.
Mr. Smith
ASA,
ReplyDeleteI think we have guardians of the faith on this blog. Men and women who are knowledgeable, sober, consistent and balanced. I thank them and the developers of this blog.
Consider the knowledge that Imam W.Deen Mohammed gave us. Knowledge that made the various schemes that have been devised clear. Let's be clear. Farrakhan is not qualified to be a leader of the Community of W.Deen Mohammed. The knowledge that Imam Mohammed gave to the world surpasses that of the knowledge given by Min.Farrakhan. Do you really want to go back into darkness after receiving the light? From the begining Imam Mohammed taught the Holy Quran, the life of the Prophet Mohammed, the life of human life and the path of logic established by Allah. What did Min. Farrakhan teach his followers and for how long? We are not to be duped, by anyone or any group of people. The Muslim Journal needs to be checked by our community. The paper if we are to support it needs to reflect the intelligence and the legacy of Imam Mohammed. The paper has a long history, before some of the people who are working on the paper now were born. If the people who work on the paper cannot support the vision of W.D.Mohammed, then let them go work with Farrakhan's paper and follow him and his Final Call. This is to say that the vision and the knowledge of the two are different. The Muslim Journal belongs to the Community of W. Deen Mohammed, evolving out of the Nation of Islam and the Mohammed Speaks. Shall we evolve into another paper? Let us follow the logic in our everyday life. Who are the persons who continue to promote distorted images of reality and lies for the public to ingest into their minds? Let us not have some good food with some bad food. We do not want food that will make us sick. There are so many good images i am sure that the Muslim Journal staff especially the editor can come up with better. I suggesting to the Muslim Journal that they do better. Maybe you will have better patrons. Do better, do your best to be true to the faith and knowledge that W.D. Mohammed brought to you. If you cannot do better then get someone who can. We want better. At this time you are not definitely representing the Community of W.D.Mohmamed in its goodness. And goodness is on the rise. We want and deserve the best. Follow the narrative as mentioned on this blog.
peace.
kautharmm
It's no wonder that the Muslim Journal is struggling to hold on to its readership. They have made it very clear who they prefer as their leader. To take a paper that has been significant in our history and use it to undermine and attack the interests of the people, is criminal. It is not innocent nor can it be attributed to a lapse in judgment. I think their mentality has been with us for some time. When Imam Mohammed was with us physically, he checked them when they were out of order. Now, we are that voice of reason, balance, and stability. We must check them. We do not appreciate the actions that the Muslim Journal has taken. Farrakhan is not our Imam and if he was not given a prominent voice in our affairs when the Mujeddid was with us, he should not be given one now. All over the country, believers are withdrawing their support to those efforts which seek to remove the Imam from our memory and best practices. You are right to do so. I tell you that you are engaged in a fight for what is clean and correct. Fight, fight with all your might to protect our heritage as Muslims in America under the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Do not fall prey to tricks to steal a most excellent future from us. Do not let anyone or anything corrupt your memory and understanding of our Imam. Walk on the path that he has shown us. ASA.
ReplyDeletePeace To You All!
ReplyDeleteWhenever Imam W. Deen Mohammed spoke he spoke in a context and introduced to our thinking concepts not in a vacuum, but in context of a strategy that pointed our vision and our actions towards a destiny, a goal to be obtained.
Whenever introducing commentary on the Qur'an, whether it was on ayats or the condition that Muhammed the Prophet and his people were in while receiving revelation, it was always in a context for us to perceive the task of structuring community life.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed never spoke exclusively for shock affect; Shock affect may have been a tool to introduce some needed medicine, but never as a way to endure his audience to him as a personality.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed cared about the PEOPLE and loved the people and defended the rights of the people through publishing his massage to the public of the world. He never excluded the people from seeing themselves as The Leader Right along with him. "The people up high respect me because I represent YOU..." IWDM
Under the Instructive Language and Logic of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, leadership for our community has always been local. Here is an example of what is meant by that: The Mosque Cares is an Independent functioning structure that associates itself with the community vision of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, The Muslim Journal is an Independent owned and functioning institution that claims to support the leadership vision of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. They both separately have nothing to do with each other but we see them as functioning parts of our community. Their Leadership in their own areas has produced benefit for our collective community image. But standing alone they are seen as small time efforts. They are seen as small, by themselves because without the vision and direction of the Leader pointing them in the right direction they fall short of their greater potential.
The same with the Clara Mohammed Schools, The same with the local Masajid, Standing by themselves the represent little to nothing. But put them together under the correct focus they represent something big, bigger than their own small interests. So, local leadership is nothing new to our community as some would have you believe. Local Leadership has been our model from the start of Imam Mohammed's leadership. The struggle in our community has been choice. Does the local leadership choose to follow the vision placed before them by the one we recognize as The Leader?
Now that the one that we recognize as The Leader is no longer with us physically to continue to guide us with the knowledge body that was established long before his passing, what is our obligation to the people? Will we chose to follow the Leadership Vision that has been set before us? Will we Chose to recognize A New Leader that will continue in the Leadership Model of Mohammed?
We must establish sound leadership that will continue to guide the life of our community with the knowledge body that is Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Ask yourself this question, if your local leader were to pass today what would be your obligation to that congregation? Your obligation to the larger body the collective body is the same.
Leadership is in the Resourceful People!
HASHIM
acleanglassofwater@live.com
Brother Hashim,
ReplyDeleteAs Salaam Alaikum,
I read your post and am a bit confused. Can you break it down in a simpler way? Thank you.
“Elijah Muhammad has been able to do what generations of welfare workers and committees and resolutions and reports and housing projects and playgrounds have failed to do: to heal and redeem drunkards and junkies, to convert people who have come out of prison and to keep them out, to make men chaste and women virtuous, and to invest both the male and the female with pride and a serenity that hang about them like an unfailing light. He has done all these things, which our Christian church has spectacularly failed to do. (James Baldwin)”
ReplyDeletePeace To You All!
ReplyDeleteToday we would like to re-introduce to the public a voice of reason and concern for the African American spirit and condition in the world. Our brother and friend that prefers to be recognized by the Title that our late leader gave to us as a people The Bilalian, In my opinion he exemplifies this spirit and souls urge in our people to be identified and respected as a people. He is a well known Business man in our community and has been a Student and True Follower of our Late Leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed for many years.
He has shared with us many of his concerns and helped to guide the community vision post Imam W. Deen Mohammed here on this Blog. We would like to thank you Bilalian for taking the time to do this interview with us and share with us some of your concerns as to the direction of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
If there is anything that you would like to address before we get started please do. The Floor is yours.
I ask all that are viewing this blog at this time to please hold your posts until the conclusion of this interview thank you in advance for your cooperation.
HASHIM
I just want to thank you and all of the other contributors to this effort who have inspired me to share.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Peace be unto you all.
We thank Allah for you and the other contributors here. This forum is a guard against complacency and apathy in our community. Our Late Leader gave us a warning against such a spirit in us after his passing. He shared with us many things to watch for after his passing. In 2004 Imam W. Deen Mohammed spoke about a plot against the community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed by foreigners that would present themselves as his friend and our fathers and that it would be acted out by those that we saw as his closes supporters. In your opinion is such a plot being carried out at this time against the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed? What is our obligation to stop such a plot?
ReplyDeleteMy obligation is the same as every common citizen’s obligation and that is to defend our leader and this community. I believe that opposition was there when Imam W. Deen Mohammed was chosen as the leader in 1975. I believe there was a plot then and it still exists to this day. Our situation is similar to the Hebrews in scripture. Although they knew there deliverer was Moses they still rejected him and the guidance of G-d. So I understand African-Americans who rejected the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed who at that time may not have known in what direction he was going. I don’t agree with them but I understand. What I don’t understand is how in the world can you reject him in this time we are in now???? I say to them do you not want a future for Islam in America???? How can you call yourself a believer and not give support to the man who was building Islam in America???? There are serious issues being discussed here that are not being talked about in many places around the country. I see us as trying to stand up and establish what our leader wanted us to establish. If you’re an imam in this community and you cant participate and share in this discussion I have to question if you were ever really with our leader!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you should put it in those terms, we have a very interesting history when we look at how perceived leadership has taken shape over the years and who the public sees as Black Leaders and why. We must for the sake of our future look at the relationships that our Late Leader established with other African American Leaders.
ReplyDeleteWe know that many in the African American community outside of The Honorable Elijah Muhammed's Nation of Islam respected and followed his leadership and the same with Imam Mohammed, Those like Reverend Jesse Jackson.
We have recently seen things that make us question others loyalty to our Leader's Vision and to our community. They point us in the direction of Minister Louis Farrakhan with the logic that they saw Imam W. Deen Mohammed embracing him and calling him his (Imam Mohammed's) friend.
Imam Mohammed DID embrace Farrakhan and called him his friend. What do you make of those actions on the part of our leader, what was he trying to tell us?
I think our Mujeddid was saying that Farrakhan represents his people in the Nation of Islam. Whatever scheme Farrakhan has, his people for most part are innocent! Also consider the fact that our leader felt more comfortable working and encouraging the membership of the Nation of Islam than he did with some of these Salif and Sunni Negroes calling him a kafir! Our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed was a leader of a big universal idea. Farrakhan is the leader of a small idea. That means that it can’t last forever. As soon as the people awaken to there true purpose and see that G-d wants them to be established on the universal path they will leave him behind. That is why it has taken him so long to establish Al-Islam for the congregation. Farrakhan knew about Al-Islam in the 1960’s. Our leader was telling us he is a friend not our leader!
ReplyDeleteIn the past you have mentioned the Salifyyah Movement and its presentation of Islam. Can you tell us a little how this idea came about and how it found its way into the lives of Muslim African Americans?
ReplyDeleteAnother term for this is Wahhabism. It’s named after Muhammed Ibn Abdul-Wahhab who along with Muhammad Ibn Saud began to form the Kindom of Saudi Arabia and a more rigid form of Islam. If you look at the history of Abdul-Wahhab you would see that his way was not the way of Mohammed the Prophet (PBUH). What they are missing is Allah’s protection is on the Quran! Everything else can be corrupted! This idea has found its way into African-American poor under established communities around the country. I believe the reason for this is that they were targeted. They take advantage of the weak and poor and tell them that the reason you are in this condition is because of the government so reject this government! They never say that there are no Islamic governments on earth! I have personally seen this happen! The first thing they do is show up and discredit the leader (Imam W. Deen Mohammed)! Then they give the people a super-spiritual ritualistic interpretation of Islam! As soon as they have the peoples support, and all the brothers and sisters are dressed alike, they go and build a Masjid somewhere else! They leave the people with a crazy Imam and the same poor conditions and more problems then they had before!
ReplyDeleteThese Ideas have been around for years in the African American Community and have caused great harm to many.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the agenda of those that have devised and introduced the Ideas of the Salif into the lives of the Muslim African American?
It is not because they love African-Americans. I would like for African-American Muslims to think about this. How were you introduced to the word Islam? How were you introduced to the word Mohammed? It wasn’t by any sheik overseas. Where were the sheiks overseas when we were swinging from trees! We were introduced to Islam without the influence of any sheiks! Our introduction was a powerful introduction! Allah chose the African-American, the ex-slaves to call the Athan in American (Bilalian)! If the right idea grows and flourishes then there idea will perish! There will be no room for them to promote there political agenda anywhere in the world! Also some of them feel themselves superior to us! Most Muslims are familiar with Mohammed the Prophets (PBUH) last sermon especially when he addresses racism before racism was threat to mankind. He said “an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.” I recently visited a local masjid and saw the Prophet’s last sermon in a trophy case and saw that this part of the Prophets statement had been changed! It said ‘’we are all the same except by good action.’ That doesn’t really speak to what Mohammed the Prophet (PBUH) was addressing directly! Siraj Wahhaj had just visited them and had a fundraiser. It said to me what they really feel about us and him!
ReplyDeleteYou point to something very serious in our own social development and history as a people. There are those among us that have left their social history and identity in search of something in space or the trappings of another person's idea of their self worth. There are those in our community that tend to lean towards the ideas of BLACK pride as an Expression of Islam, other than the last sermon of our beloved Prophet, does Al-Islam offer us a solution for those that take their race pride to an extreme?
ReplyDeleteBecause as you know, Our social history tells us that we at one point united under an Idea of Black Supremacy. Imam W. Deen Mohammed exposed to us the scheme behind that idea.
What can and should be said about those that still use that Powerfully Magnetic Language for their own benefit?
Any person or force that tries to separate you from your human excellence is trying to oppress you!! Giving a person a false sense of there creation is definitely oppression.
ReplyDeleteOur Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed explained this many times. He gave us the Quran and put it in our hands so that we could understand it and apply its logic to our everyday lives. He told us the Quran says that “every child of Ahdam is noble and honorable!” This logic addresses the ethnic mind (segregated) and focuses it upon the excellence of its human creation (universal). Our Imam also explained that this verse also addresses the idea of man being born in sin. The human being is born noble and honorable not sinful. Look at the situation of those in space who have accepted another group’s idea of there worth? Most of them are burdened and angry.
We are addressing leadership and the influences that affect leadership in the world especially for the Muslim African American and one such influence is the introduction of foreign ideas in Religion placed on us without a true standard by which to judge authentic Religious presentation. You described such an Influence in your response to my question about the Salif Movement. That brings us to a very touchy issue that faces us as we move forward. As you know our efforts here are to shed light on issues of leadership and how Al-Islam is presented in the world and offer guidance.
ReplyDeleteThere was an incident in Detroit that cost the life of an imam and incarcerated several others. Why do you suppose this happened and what advice can you give to those that still follow in their mindset?
I was a very unfortunate incident really. It’s unfortunate for the brothers’ family. It also cast a negative light on African-American Muslims who for the most part have avoided negative press and desperate actions in the media. The worst part of all is that the brother lived in Detroit. I know he was aware of Professor Fard and the Honorable Elijah Muhammed and how this community began to form in Detroit. Our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed visited Detroit many times. Imam W. Deen Mohammed taught his following that if we are being unfairly judged and criticized by the society that it is strategically wise for you to dress down! Why bring unnecessary attention to yourself? If you read some of the articles about the killing of Imam Luqman you will see that almost all of them were written by immigrant Muslims insinuating some sort of conspiracy again playing on our emotions! Siraj Wahhaj formerly known as Jeffery 12x was his leader so we must look t him and what he is teaching. Siraj Wahhaj went to Mecca and studied for 4 months 1978. Our mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed was teaching Islam as a young man in 1959 and its recorded! How do you become a scholar in 4 months????
ReplyDeleteI have no idea...
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed that those that are noted as either scholars or powerful BLACK leader by the world public come from or through our social history? Whether they are sound in mind at this point or not they have their roots in The Honorable Elijah Mohammed's Nation of Islam and more so they have their LIFE safe and secure because of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and his Leadership.
With that said I would like to look at this factor in our development and maybe you can give us some help.
I have heard people say here recently that our life under the Honorable Elijah Mohammed and his Nation of Islam produced the most productive life for our people. Can you tell us how were our lives under those disciplines suppose to assist us in our life now, after we have been given the true, clear and honest picture of Al-Islam that Imam W. Deen Mohammed presented?
I believe it is similar to Quraish tribe. This was this most evolve tribe at that time. Although they did just about everything to stop Mohammed the prophet, there were certain things that they didn’t do because of the respect of the tribes’ code. That context formed Mohammed the Prophet (PBUH). He was raised by them! It is the same for us! That context is responsible for us receiving Islam! That cocoon was necessary for us to develop the way we did so we would be fit to call the athan in America and invite the world to Islam again. I know the Nation of Islam at that time had the most evolved African-Americans in the country. It is related to the comment I posted earlier by James Baldwin. He was highly impressed by what he saw from the Nation of Islam.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteAs did many others and we know that the world looks to us even still. Which brings me to my next point.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed desired that we have an established social life that could be identified through our culture expression. What are a few ways that we can establish a cultural identity under the logic that we have been given?
I think the world is waiting to see what cultural expressions will come from this community. The world knows that our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed was cultivating us for the most excellent cultural expression. Right now it can be see but not in its full expression. When the serious minded people get together and began to acquire material resources that will lead to the development of real community life, you will see our cultural expression in its brightest light when that time comes.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that has identified this community as an Institution and has fallen short in the expectations of it is our Muslim Journal. We have heard recently that the subscriptions in some areas have dramatically decreased and some have even cancelled their subscription with the Muslim Journal all together.
ReplyDeleteIs this something that the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed should accept? How should we address this issue?
As you know, our Leader Pointed us towards establishing Business Success, I have been studying our condition as a people and as a community of believers and it seems that when we were dealing in Mythology we had access to large amounts of wealth or at least we were willing to give and we made great financial gains in the world. What has happened to us that we are not prepared to handle or gain control of wealth for ourselves and our community vision?
No! We should always embrace the Muslim Journal and its history. Look at our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed. He was very critical of the Muslim Journal publicly and privately. But he would allow them to print his speeches in the paper every week. This is because the Muslim Journal is a business and at the end of the day they have to make money in order to survive. One week the paper may have a controversial title but controversy sells papers. This is a time when print media all over the country are having trouble selling papers. We should all get subscriptions and then hold them accountable to us!
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, planting seeds in the ground gives the seed the protection it needs until its time for the world to see what that seed will produce. This is myth. People us myth to hide knowledge and also protect knowledge. Myth can protect a truth or an idea until a group or community become strong enough to defend and protect that truth hidden inside of the myth! Our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave a speech on this subject called “Separating Religion from Myth” on Feb 22, 2004 (D41) in Detroit. In the Nation of Islam the myth was the only idea! There was no real opposition to the myth! When our leader separated religion from myth he is also revealing the truth as to what kind of seed (myth) was planted in the soil of Detroit Michigan in 1931. Professor Fard planted seeds intending for us to grow an appreciation on our own for Al-Islam the Quran and Mohammed the Prophet! Now the enemies who could not unravel the myth began to attack the community’s legitimacy. As hard as our leader tried to protect us, the community at this stage became fragmented under the influence of many different ideas! It went from the Nation of Islam idea to Hanafi, Sunni, Salafi, Afrocentricity, the streets, drugs ect. We are all aware of the imam filters and there poor representation of want our Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed stood for and was trying to accomplish. I pray to Allah that this blog will continue to promote our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed in the best light. With the right idea we can move toward our destiny and fix all of the problems that have plagued us for so long.
With that said I would like to ask you one last question, what should our effort here on this blog signal to those other personalities and influences in the environment vying for our attention and allegiance?
ReplyDeletePlease feel free to share with us any other concerns that are on your mind. We would like that you close this Interview out with what you see as a focus and goal for this blog and for the community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed
I would like to tell them that this is our destiny! Our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed called it divine intervention! So all of the other ideas except the right idea will not make it! That means that this is what Allah has chosen for us as a group. He has chosen a group to establish Islam in America and the world. As long as we want the responsibility Allah will give it to us. So I say to all the others we have leadership. We’re going to hold on to the Quran, our beloved Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and our leader who showed us the Quran and introduced us to Mohammed the Prophet. I hope that those who share on this blog continue to promote our leader in the best light and continue toward our community destiny. It is not that far away! Thanks for allowing me to share.
ReplyDeleteWe would like to thank our Beloved Brother and Friend “The Bilalian” for his time and all his efforts. We look forward to hearing more from him in the days and weeks to come.
ReplyDeleteOur next Interview will be with one of our esteemed Sisters and will be focused on the Mental Health and Moral Stability of Leadership. We will be addressing women’s roles in leadership and our equal partnership with our women in this effort to move our lives forward.
Again, we would like to thank those of you that have been contributors to this blog, as it a light in the dark places and a healing and a mercy to us all.
Thank You
Peace To You All!
As-Salaamu-Aliakum!
As-Salaamu-Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank The Bilalian and Imam Hashim for an intelligent and insightful interview. The Bilalian's words on the Muslim Journal were especially helpful to me. In recalling how Imam W. Deen Mohammed dealt with the Muslim Journal, he caused me to rethink my own position toward the paper.
Also, the picture he presents of our current social condition and the interior and exterior forces acting upon it will be very useful in formulating strategies for development.
Let us take what is provided here and share it with others.
I have a question for the Blog members and for the general public of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
ReplyDeleteThis question comes in light of a conversation that I just had; What is the purpose of the Saviors Day observance?
What was Imam W. Deen Mohammed addressing when he re-instituted the Saviors Day observance for those that Follow his leadership?
The reason that this is on my mind and it should be on yours as well is that there is a movement from among those that have been attached to the leadership personae of Imam W. Deen Mohammed that are presenting things outside of the fabric of logic that our late leader established for those that support, follow and study him.
It was brought to my attention that Imam W. Deen Mohammed did not see the Saviors Day as a means to acknowledge Status i.e. Titles and Accomplishments. He used that special time to educate the public on our special history and the reasoning behind it and to show you how to gauge your life by what produced it (your life).
We have a serious rodent and pest infestation that needs to be dealt with. Those that Know what our Late Leader was doing strategically should stand up and stop allowing persons to whisper into their ears that they somehow know better than YOUR FATHER.
What is the matter with you?
Will we allow that the true picture of Al-Islam that Imam W. Deen Mohammed reintroduced to the world be divided into sections? Having a group over here and a group over there saying that we are with Imam Mohammed and you are not because you aren't following our SHIEK or Scholar? This is insanity to allow such a thing to happen.
Where are our best supports for what our leader was doing in the world? Will we allow the light that President Obama is shining and the door that he is opening for us to close or be turned out because we are not prepared for our roles as leaders in the world?
There is a whole lot that I will say on this, But this blog is not for us to write a book in one sitting. So I will come back and add to these comments at a later date or time.
Please, answer the question for yourselves though, What is the purpose of the Saviors Day observance?
What was Imam W. Deen Mohammed addressing when he re-instituted the Saviors Day observance for those that Follow his leadership?
Mr. Smith
ASA
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank Imam Hashim and The Bilalian for their timely interview. I believe that if studied it contains needed solutions to much that ails us as a people taking up the covenant of religious leadership in the world.
I was listening to Imam W. Deen Mohammed last night and I heard him describe LANGUAGE. He said LANGUAGE is a living organism and grows and expands with time. I had to think about that for a moment and came to see that in context of 'The Narrative" of this community and how we are to be ever evolving as a knowledge body. What do I mean? The knowledge body, the language that is Imam W. Deen Mohammed IS all of us, his special students and supporters. We, his community, those that identify with this social history this special design and strategy for the African American soul, are a LANGUAGE delivering a message to the whole world. We are his words in a special form; COMMUNITY.
Again, he said that Language is a living organism that is ever expanding, ever growing, ever evolving. This tells my mind that we must continue to grow and evolve and that new terms and new ideas and new models will spring up from us that we never knew before. Yet, those new terms, ideas and new models will mean nothing if they do not have a context in which or through which to be expressed.
It is our job to offer the people the correct context. COMMUNITY
We are concerned citizens saying that our life must be preserved and our light must be advanced in the world. The best way to preserve a way of life is to live it. The best way to preserve the Knowledge Body of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is to establish it within ourselves and within the public of the world.
This will in fact be establishing Al-Islam in the world the way Muhammed the Prophet envisioned it for all humanity.
The Narrative of our life as a people as a community IS LIVING Scripture, Let us follow that guidance and be successful.
Adam P. Ford
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteImam Mohammed once said that the Muslim World had gotten away, not from the Qur’an, but from the life example of Mohammed the Prophet. This is manifestly true, and could be said of our national body of resident imams. Why then should we look to them for leadership in establishing our life?
The flaw in their thinking is in placing emphasis on the word as opposed to the Word Brought to Life and advancing continually in the life of the people. In their approach, both Mohammed the Prophet and Imam W. Deen Mohammed become distant figures whose greatness is unattainable. Because they are unattainable and cut off from the Common Life, we are given no choice but to accept less than their standard.
The revelation of the Qur’an to Mohammed the Prophet is the establishment of the Human Mind on the vertical path. Because that path is ever expanding upward the Qur’an is ever being revealed and the full breadth of its knowledge and guidance are constantly unfolding.
Should we then expand our perception of Mohammed beyond a particular time, place or individual, and see Mohammed as constantly evolving and expanding in our Common Life? Does it not then naturally follow that Allah (SWT) will raise leaders from among our ranks to initiate, guide and nurture that evolution?
Abstain from that which has the world around you placing its emphasis on dead things (idols) that have no power to improve Human Life. Seek out the Night of Power (the expansion of the soul and intellect).
This expansion is the understanding that our material and spiritual life share a common destiny that is continually being revealed in the Qur’an through leaders who have been raised from AMONGST US as inheritors of the Mantle of Mohammed.
Peace,
Wali Mohammed
AsSalaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest problems facing our community concerning leadership, is the fact that most if not all of our Imams, in most cases have lots of knowledge of the religion of Al Islam yet seem unable to command the attention of the people. The main reason or a major contributory factor to this fact is their inability to demonstrate a holistic expression of this great religion. Most seem to think just having a scholarly grasp of some aspects of the religion qualifies them to be looked at favorably as effective leaders.
Imam Muhammad once said if he should walk into a room put down his hat and coat pick them up and walk out the room he would have said more than what most Imams would say in a lecture. Very little emphasis is placed on the aspect of Prophet Muhammad's life (PBUH)in which he joined the ordinary believers in doing tasks in the Masjid. Maybe sub consciously many of our Imams remind us of the Caucasian man in how he related to us as a boss. Only giving orders and leaving all the manual work or work they consider beneath them to us. Imam Muhammad worked in the food processing plant. Elijah Muhammad worked while he was leader cutting meats in the meat market. How many Imams who claim to be scholars do we see doing any kind of physical work in any Masjid. That is not the brand of Islam Prophet Muhammad demonstrated. I have read of many instances where people would go looking for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and although he was there had to ask for him. I can go in almost any Masjid and as long as the Imam is present in a few seconds I could identify him. I can also go to any Caucasian establishment and immediately identify the CEO of that organization by his demeanor.
As a result of the attitude of the Imams the average Masjid seem divided. The scholars and the workers. This is not a reflection of the example Prophet Muhammad demonstrated. Think of the average person working in an environment where they work all week and see certain folks too big, too above the average person to do certain tasks. Go to the Masjid and see an Imam or other officials acting like they are not supposed to do anything they seem to consider beneath them. Prophet Muhammad brought us the Holy Quran and he was seen sweeping floors, going to the market, mending his own clothes etc, yet folks who come into a fraction of what he brought see themselves too important to do what the average believer does or is expected to do.
In conclusion I'll say this there are many stars much bigger than the sun in our solar system and we see those gigantic stars as twinkling stars. The ones among us who have much more knowledge than the average one of us, they are like twinkling stars to us cause often they live outside the reality most ordinary folks live in. Lets remember stars are only seen at night.
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteThere is a correction to what I posted. what I should have said is that there are many suns much bigger than the sun in our solar system and yet appear to us as twinkling stars cause of their being out of our solar system.
ASA
ReplyDeleteMy friend, Vic Mateen, I must agree with you but at the same time disagree to this extent, The so-called imams in our community most of them do not have Islamic Knowledge, they have book knowledge from those that have lost the true essence of Al-Islam that Muhammed the Prophet brought and because they refuse to accept Imam W. Deen Mohammed as their leader in Islamic Knowledge and Understanding they are unable to command the respect of the people. If they had real knowledge of Al-Islam they would be building models of community life that are reflective of the life of Muhammed the Prophet and his Community.
I agree with what you have said, as I have heard Imam W. Deen Mohammed give a similar description of them as Tier Bosses and Bond Bosses. He also described a situation where in the local masajid there are people that represent 40 watt light bulbs and their local leader is a 60 watt light bulb and when a 100 watt light bulb comes from among the people the local leadership wants to shut them out, keep that one or those ones away from the people because they are giving the people their light. This is what is happening in our community.
We here have the opportunity to give the people our 100 watt light without restriction. So let your light shine my brother, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Adam P. Ford
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteProphet Moses (PBUH) was sent to a people very much like the people we are in Imam Mohammed's following. The people following Moses were disobedient and they were left to wander in distraction for 40 years in the desert. 4 could be the 4 essential areas in community life and 10 being consciousness, so in essence they were unproductive for a specified period in their development. Allah in the Holy Quran was not only speaking to jews but to any people that are disobedient to guidance he sends to them. 1975 -2015 =40 years. Any leader who began to follow Imam Mohammed in 1975 and was 35 yrs old would be 75 years in 2015. By this time I feel on safe ground saying the vast majority if not all the disobedient and rebellious leaders would be gone by 2015. From about 2015 this community would make remarkable progress towards the vision Imam Mohammed pointed us to. By 2020 we would see with clear vision where we should be headed as a community. When you have good vision its described by opticians as having 20/20 vision. So until around 2015 we would continue to hear great speeches about how much these Imams know and we would continue to see many awards and folks being praised and honored. Little or no community advancement would accompany this charade.
The language this society use is proof they have a much deeper understanding of scriptures. Allah speaks about duality in the Holy Quran. This society use the terms Estate and Real Estate. Property and Real Property. Following that logic we see hunger and Real Hunger. Real hunger is not the hunger generated by lack of physical food but the hunger for completeness of the life we were created for. Our leaders seem incapable of satisfying that hunger. Real Ageing is not the deterioration of life but the deterioration of faith, enthusiasm, the will to progress etc. No one seems able to address the ageing we see in the community. I'll close with this thought. I've heard this Hadith repeated many many times. A pious man was brought to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)They were asked who supports him, when they said we do , they were told they are better than him. Now I am thinking, if any Imam in our community, truly understood the underlying principle of this Hadith, they should be very hesitant or reluctant to quote such a Hadith and continue to have a hands free approach to community building. Peace to all.
Vic Mateen
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteI try to generate as much love in my heart as I could expressing these words. We are obligated as Muslims to correct a wrong when we see it. The Imam in today's Jumah spoke about the ill effects of anger. The Chinese have a saying which supports him in that position. They say the raging fires of anger burn the angry. A man once asked Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) a question and he replied to that man telling him on three occasions Do not become angry.
A major contradiction I hear from many Imams is the Hadith or saying that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)was described as the Holy Quran WALKING. Now here is someone representing the office of Prophet Mohammed telling us he Prophet Mohammed is the Holy Quran WALKING, yet the only exposure or interaction we have with that person is him STANDING before us teaching us. Now I am sure in many cases these contradictions do not reach to the conscious level but sub consciously something in us cause us to reject whatever these leaders tell us cause we sense a deep disconnect in what they say and what they do. Lets not forget that old saying actions speak louder than words.
When Imam Mohammed 1st took office as our leader he told us that as black folks we are critizing white America yet imitating white power in America. Almost 40 years later and nothing seems to have changed. When the Caucasian displays his sense of power he has the support of a community and the resources to support that position. When we adopt a power stance in this society we risk making ourselves objects of ridicule and mockery, where is the community support and the resources to support that artificial position. This society is afraid of Al Islam because it exposes the inequality this society needs to sustain itself.
If a parent comes home and find disorder in the home its not unusual for the blame to be put on the children for that disorder, in most cases if not in every instance, its a reflection of the leadership in that home. I have heard many Imams blaming the people for the condition of the community, I can see if they at least say the blame is two fold both leaders and the people but to lay all the blame on the community, such an Imam is unfit to be a leader.
In conclusion I'll say the community is what positions us for success. Bees and ants, the only expression they have for their lives is through their collective efforts. These life expressions were designed as guides for times like these, when humans have lost their sense of direction and purpose. May Allah bless us all with the light of understanding.
Victor Mateen
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteMy friend Adam P.Ford, I like the example you gave of the light bulbs. At one Ramadan session in which all the top scholars were in attendance the Imam was teaching and he asked an open question. I think he was talking about Pharoh. He asked what was meant by Pharoh ordering bricks be made without straw. He waited for a few minutes someone attempted to answer the question and Imam Mohammed immediately stopped him, he said don't use what I gave you to answer my question. He waited a few more minutes no one of these scholars even attempted to answer the question. When they were out of the Imam's hearing you would swear these folks were on the same level as Imam Mohammed. So as I see it we are at a stand still as far as the community advancing because these leaders are attempting to establish Islamic knowledge using the Caucasian man's sunnah and not Prophet Mohammed's sunnah. They would not be successful, even if they got double the knowledge they presently have. The Caucasian man could use the method he used building his society because he had us as free labor. Imam Mohammed when he took office urged us to study this society at all levels not to embrace it but to conquer it. In closing I'll say this, its a warning Imam Mohammed gave to these leaders. He predicted a time is coming when the younger men coming into our community, once they understood the vision he pointed us to would begin to physically remove these unproductive Imams. May Allah continue to bless us in our efforts to put this community on the path in which it could evolve naturally as God intended for it to evolve. Peace to all.
Victor Mateen
ASA,
ReplyDeleteIn the interest of fairness and openness, I will share with everyone here an email I received from an official in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was in response to a message I sent to as many as I could.
For various reasons, I have removed the name of the email's sender. The message is in regards to a formal letter which was signed by three of the resident imams in the area. In addition to the email, I will also include my original message, my response to the email and the official letter itself.
My original message is as follows:
As-Salaam-Alaikum,
As many of you are aware, the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit will take place on October 29-30, 2010 in Charlotte, NC. Imam Mohammed placed great emphasis on the role of the Common Citizen's voice in charting the course of our development as a people. Unfortunately, this voice has been absent in many of our local and national efforts.
Since Imam Mohammed's passing a little over a year ago, there has been no OPEN and CANDID discussion on how to move forward as One Community.
The goal of the summit is to introduce new leadership that allows our Common Voice to set the agenda and formulate the proper strategy for improving our life.
Across the country, town hall meetings are in the process of being established so that the summit will be informed by what the public demands. These discussions are free, open to all, and candid in addressing our concerns.
On Sunday, February 8, the California Town Hall Meeting in Moreno Valley at the Islamic Development Center. If you live in this area, YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL. For a copy of the flyer, send an email to imamibrahim.ca@gmail.com.
Pass along this message and the flyer to anyone else you may know. If you are not from this area but have contacts here, let them know as well.
Again, the discussion is open to all and your insight is needed.
Sincerely,
Imam Ibrahim El-Amin
Here is the email sent to me by the official in Charlotte:
ReplyDeleteAs-Salaam Alaikum
Imam Ibrahim,
Your email inviting people to Charlotte in October for a “Leadership Summit” was forwarded to us here at Masjid Ash-Shaheed and other masajid in the Charlotte area.
I am including an email that the three imams of masajid here in Charlotte under the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed sent out to the community to let them know that they do not support this “Summit.” In the email, they indicate that they feel that the summit is unnecessary and unnecessarily divisive. They speak for themselves quite eloquently, so herein, for the rest of this email, I want it to be plain that I am speaking for myself.
I am personally very mystified as to the motivation for this summit, and why Charlotte was chosen as a location.
Your email was disturbing on several levels. First of all, it implies, by omission, that the Summit is supported by the community here in Charlotte. It is not.
Additionally, you neglect to mention that the language and legacy of Imam Mohammed is alive and well is this region. As (we hope) you are well aware, there were two widely publicized and well attended national meetings of Imams to discuss the path to be followed in the future to continue the work of Imam Mohammed. Additionally, there have been regional meetings of Imams and local meetings as well to continue the work that Imam Mohammed began. Now, you may not agree with the conclusions of those meetings, but it is both arrogant and duplicitous to state that there has been no “there has been no OPEN and CANDID discussion on how to move forward as One Community.” (emphasis yours). What do you know of what has been done across the country? Have you attended every masjid or even been contacted by members of every masjid who report on what is going on? How do you determine what is “open and candid” - Does that mean that the conclusion is the one YOU would have wanted?
The proper, and by proper, I mean to say Islamic, thing to do if you have an issue with the leadership here or anywhere else, is to approach that leadership and make your case. When a leader is in error, the right and the duty of the Believer is to bring it to their attention as we do in prayer. Once we have brought it to their attention, the righteous leader will, if they agree that they are in error, will make the necessary corrections. If they feel that they were not in error, they will explain what they are doing and why. In the course of doing so, they may bring something to your attention that you were not aware of that clarifies things for you and make you see their point. If not, at least you have done your duty and afterwards, if the issue is serious enough, you take other steps such as calling this Summit.
However, it does not appear that you did any of that. You just put yourself out there as the savior and arbiter for the entire community. I do a lot of conversing with Muslims across the country, both in my position as secretary for this masjid and a Muslim who has lived all over the country and still have friends and family from California to New York. In my discussions, I have not heard an outcry from people who feel that the Imam’s voice is being stilled. Indeed, I hear a lot of admiration about how well people are continuing to push his programs and how strongly the community is staying on the path he laid out.
Is everything perfect? No, but it wasn’t perfect when the Imam was alive. We strive for perfection and move as fast as we can towards the goal, but we realize that we can only move as fast as the slowest among us.
The rest of the email:
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, among other cities, is doing very well in keeping on the path. If we felt we needed you and your Summit here, we would have reached out to you and begged you to come. We didn’t do that. If your heart was right, you would have contacted Imam Abdul Pasha, Imam John Ramadan or Imam Khalil Akbar (none of which heard from you – or have even heard OF you) and said something to the effect of, “Brother Imam, I am planning to come to your city and hold a Summit to discuss this topic.” That is only right. But you chose not to do this. You claim to be working to continue developing the Imam’s program, but you fail to even show the basic respect for the people that Imam Mohammed accepted as his representatives in this city. Imam Mohammed himself came to North Carolina several times, and NOT ONCE did he show up without informing the local leadership that he was coming in.
Understand, I am not saying that you shouldn’t have your opinion about what is going on in the community, or that you don’t have the right to go anywhere and hold any summit if you choose to do so. All I am saying is that if you are serious about what you claim to be the reason for this summit, you are going about it in a manner that is guaranteed to piss off many of the very people you need to be reaching out to.
Charlotte is known for its’ Southern hospitality, but as the email below shows, the leadership, at least, is not feeling very hospitable right now.
You have the opportunity to rectify this. Reach out to the local leadership, discuss your plans, and go from there.
Your brother in Islam,
Here now is the letter that was drafted by the resident imams there in Charlotte:
ReplyDeleteAs-Salaam Alaikum
This is to inform you that the program announced in the email below is not being supported in Charlotte by the local Imams nor their publics who identify in the following or Association of Masajid supporting the vision and leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
We are offended that these planners have not bothered to talk to any of us in Charlotte regarding our work and the results realized. To paint the picture that no one locally or nationally have bothered to discuss how to move the community forward as One Community is simply not true.
Are the planners aware of the meetings convened in Louisville, Ky on two occasions to discuss the very concerns they are raising as a rationale for this so-called conference? If they are aware then they have to know that a significant majority of the Masajid and Centers participated in those gatherings and that each participant was charged with soliciting the opinion of their masjid Membership and bringing their concerns to the table before voting. They should know that these meetings yielded the following results which are keeping with the wishes of Imam W. Deen Mohammed:
1) The Imam's desire not to establish a national organization was preserved.
2) Leadership would remain local
3) The Masajid would remain autonomous and establish inter-relations through Shuura Bayynahum;
4) This process would be established through the state Imams from each region;
The rest of the letter:
ReplyDelete5) each region would select a Convener on a rotating basis who would represent us regionally and nationally to manage matters affecting the whole community; and
6) All of the priorities of Imam Mohammed were discussed and agreed upon as very important for us to continue working toward achieving.
So contrary to presumptuous remarks of the Planners, discussion on how to move forward in charting the course to develop our people is very much alive in many cities.
We pray that Allah will save us from being arrogant in this response! But it is nothing less than arrogance and disrespect on the part of the Planners to plan a meeting in this city without any consultation with Masjid Ash Shaheed, Masjid Ali Shah and Masjid Ar-Razzaq, all of which are Masajid in the Association of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. We cannot stop such a gathering - nor do we want to; but let it be known that this program will not be supported by us!
The big question is why Charlotte, a place that have been mostly free of the unnecessary fitnah that has taken root in some of our cites? We have enough to occupy our time when we are busy planning to expand our community on eight acres of land where a new Mosque, built from the ground up now stands -a mosque that was dedicated by Imam W. Deen Mohammed and was blessed with a subsequent visit from him prior to his passing.
We are hosts to the National Business Conference, April 30 - May 02, and the M.A.L.I. Conference June 11-13, 2010. If communication was established with the local leaders, the Planners would have known Masjid Ash Shaheed plan to have its well-known Moral Summit Weekend October 22-24, 2010 in Charlotte. The Moral Summit Weekend was established to introduce Imam W. Deen Mohammed to the Charlotte area and to which he was invited by the political and business leaders of Charlotte,
Furthermore, both Masjid Ali Shah and Masjid Ar-Razzaq are well established and are strong supporters of the Imam's vision and priorities. The Imams of those masajid are long time members of Imam Mohammed's Community here and helped lay the foundation upon which we are all building in this city. We have good cooperation between us and we have no desire to be burdened with any more confusion.
Please forward this email to any one you know who may think that the Masajid in Charlotte associated with the Leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed are sponsors of this event. We are not!
Peace be on you.
Imams Abdul Pasha, Resident Imam, Masjid Ali Shah
Imam John Ramadan, Resident Imam, Masjid Ar-Razzaq
Imam Khalil A. Akbar, Resident Imam, Masjid Ash-Shaheed
Now, here is my response:
ReplyDeleteWa-Alaikum-As-Salaam
We note your words as well as the words of the resident imams there in Charlotte. And by “we”, I mean the Common Citizens who have initiated the planning and execution of The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit. This effort was born out of the blog discussion at: http://imamwdeenmohammedleadershipdiscussion.blogspot.com/2009/11/leadership-is-in-resourceful-people.html.
For the past two years or more, this blog is where many believers have continually expressed their concerns regarding the direction of the community and the absence of their voice in charting that direction. We have made, and will continue to make, every effort possible to include any and all who are willing to join in this effort, not as resident imams or sheiks, but as Common Citizens.
As is evident on the event pages at facebook.com and youracreator.com, the planning of this summit is open to ALL and we exclude NO ONE. We hold weekly conference calls in which many believers from across the country participate. Some actively engaged in these calls, others simply listen. It is a completely open process.
With regards to choosing Charlotte as the location, it was agreed that based upon its distinguished support for Imam W. Deen Mohammed, as well as various logistical considerations, that North Carolina and Charlotte in particular would be the ideal location to hold an open forum where every Citizen of this community is free to publicly voice their concerns and engage the leadership in order to focus efforts and formulate strategy.
Note, there were a host of other states considered and we are continuing to make an attempt to establish contact with the believers throughout North Carolina and the Southern region of the United States.
Our thinking is that the direction of the community is not determined by meetings of resident imams. We support nothing less than our shared freedom space, where titles do not warrant deference, and where each Citizen can OPENLY and CANDIDLY speak their voice.
Meetings of resident imams do not reflect the logic upon which our freedom space can be established and nurtured. Imam Mohammed mistrusted them as a group and made his thoughts clear on more than one occasion in a very open and candid manner. We are all saviors of The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and we fully intend to be arbiters of its direction and preservation. We do not need to be appointed to such a task, it is our birthright.
The Common Citizens who are working to make this Summit a success are from all walks of life. I, myself, am a filmmaker living in Southern California. I have not heard of imams Pasha, Ramadan, or Akbar any more than they have of me, but I extend the greetings of peace to them, as well as an invitation to participate in this effort, not as “sponsors”, but as Common Citizens.
My humble greetings of peace to all the believers in North Carolina, to you, and to all who identify with the Common Voice.
Respectfully,
Ibrahim El-Amin
It is no wonder why this community has not made the progress that it has within it to make. Persons like these so-called leaders still perceive themselves as the BOSS over cities and states as if they are some government official. It is sad to read these words and at the same time it shows us the common citizen where we must go in order to free ourselves from such oppression.
ReplyDeleteThey would like that we submit to their will and bow to their wishes, it will not happen, Thank you Imam Ibrahim for standing up for our rights as individuals, having the right to gather where we want when we want without restriction.
Do they really think that highly of themselves as if the common person’s voice means nothing to them. As if they are made out of some different substances then the rest of us humans. The letter says that they are offended that the Planners of the Summit did not consult with them, I am equally offended that they have taken on positions all of them, such as Sectional Conveners and the like and did not consult with ME or anyone that I know.
Who gave them the right to place themselves in such a position saying that they represent the forward movement of The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, When they in fact represent a backwards retardation of the life and image of Islam in America. Leadership is local? I don't recognize any of them as my leader, I don't know any of them, who are they?
I am glad that you published this hurtful letter, not hurtful to me but hurtful in the sense that it shows that there are still persons who think that we govern ourselves by Kings and Lordship in our community.
Our method of governance is that of Al-Islam and We The People will abide by that and that alone.
C.A. Numan
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteBrother C.A. Newman I agree with you in saying that there is amongst us folks who think we govern according to Kings and Lordship.
When Imam Muhammad 1st began the Ramadan sessions it was only for Imams. Most were so selfish with what they got, that he opened it up to everyone. Early in Imam Mohammed's leadership, some of these Imams tried to establish a priest class. As long as we expose their un-Islamic practices, they would not be successful in implementing this caucasian style leadership, in which a leader is treated with preferential treatment unlike the example Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) demonsrated.
The more people see the contradictions in what they say and what they do is the more folks would wake up and demand they follow the example we all are supposed to be following.
In conclusion I'll say that if you observe birds in migratory flight mode, they are going to a better situation, you'll see a leader, but the ones being led also have knowledge as to the destination. When these birds are on the ground feeding, socializing,etc You don't see anyone strutting around as a leader. Peace to all.
Victor Mateen
I was speaking to a group of people recently about irony. As I read that letter, I was reminded of that discourse. I remember that we took great care in considering the location of the Summit. Chicago, Philadelphia, and North Carolina were mentioned, and we debated on the merits and challenges of each. We came to consensus on North Carolina BECAUSE we recognized it as a place that was receptive to new ideas, we recognized it as a place that supported and encouraged the youth, and we recognized it as a place that was always very receptive and diligent in promoting Imam Mohammed. There was no question that North Carolina was the place for bringing the people together. How ironic is it that we thought so highly of them when they have thought so lowly of us and have been acting to destroy our efforts when we were so clear about our appreciation and support of theirs? To suggest that we have done nothing to contact the people in Charlotte is not true. We have spoken to people on the ground in Charlotte who sought to help us. Lately, they haven't returned our calls--well, now we know why. How sad is today that an effort that is so necessary and so right to have been so disrespected by those who have acted on their own egos, without the best interest of the people? It is sad. It is tragic. I am one of "those people” who is interested in giving our community a forum to address their concerns, hopes, and wishes for our community. I know something about team development as it is my job, my passion, and my life's work, and when I sit down at the table with my team, I remind them that what will guide our discussion, work, and decisions is what is best for the people. I have a town hall meeting every time I sit down with one, ten, or ninety people. Prophet Muhammad gave me that example, and Imam Mohammed taught me to know that. Does that validate me as a leader for those who would question? I guarantee you my team has never questioned my ability to lead neither them nor the students we serve as I am the protector of those innocent ones because Allah said so and inspired me to know it.
ReplyDeleteI am a real person, not Imam Ibrahim or Imam Hashim. I am a voice, hopefully of reason, which has been passionate in my appeal and thought. To suggest that we are not sincere and not needed is the arrogance I see. Who is most valuable to her community? The one who is working for the progress of her community. Is your work greater than mine? If my name were Imam Sultan and I were male, would my appeal suddenly be boosted? Would you hear me then? Well, I am none of those things, and still, I have plenty to say. The fact that I supported your city as a place of solace for our people should be sufficient to display my sincerity. I ask nothing for me as my reward is with my Lord. I am happy to count myself as one of "those people" as I have great company--Harriet Tubman was one of “those people” and so was Frederick Douglass. You know which people I am talking about--those whose vision was early and accurate. They acted even when so many were against them, and they did not yield when told to stop. Thank Allah that they didn't! Thank Allah that I was born to learn of them and burn the embers of truth, justice, and equality with their stories as the spark. We know of others like the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and our dear leader Imam Mohammed who acted in the same vein.
To say I am disappointed in the three Imams from North Carolina is an understatement. You are wrong on so many levels, and as your sister, I point you to your wrong. Perhaps, Imam Ibrahim will send this to you to help you to correct your vision and perception, or you can just read it on the blog as you were given the address. We will continue planning this Summit which falls on the birth date of our Imam. Surely, you don't question that timing? Even if we knew about the Moral Summit, that date would not change for obvious reasons. Peace be with you.
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteIf a river stops it flow we don't examine the river bed to seek answers as to why the life of the river is negatively affected, we go to the mountain top where the source of life is for that river, that mountain that feeds the river may be bald, lifeless and unable to generate new life.
We love our teeth , they help us to produce a good smile, they also help us to prepare our food for proper digestion. As much as we love our teeth when they go bad we immediately go to have them pulled. We love our leaders but like bad teeth if they show defect that is hurting the community's life, like bad teeth we have to have them removed.
If the leadership is good why did our leader spend so much time chastising them and taking the kind of drastic measures he took against them. It was not the nature of Imam Mohammed, may Allah be pleased with him, to talk to the leaders like he did. Like the winds we see in Spring that clear away the weak and dead matter in preparation for the emergence of new life. This blog plays a vital role in the identification and removal of the forces of death working in our community impeding the progress we should be making. I am convinced that as soon as certain elements in the leadership of this community is removed, the rapid progress accompanying that removal would be a strong indictment of the failed leadership that has stagnated the community's progress.
In conclusion I'll say we need leaders that are capable of accelerating the process of us evolving socially and intellectually where we can utilize the power we have as a community. The life and example of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) and the clarification Imam Mohammed gave of the Prophet's life which he constantly pointed us to are the tools needed. Lets always remember Allah has given us guidance for all the problems we encounter. Peace to all.
Vic Mateen
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
ReplyDeleteIn Ramadan 2008, the immigrant Muslim community, in the city adjacent to the one in which I reside, hosted an iftar to which they invited a number of city officials. The mayor and the police chief (or their respective representatives) were among those present. The desired purpose of the gathering was to foster greater understanding, cooperation, and communication between the groups present.
Name tags had been printed for those who had registered in advance for the event. A local imam, in our association, was one of the early registrants. When he received his name tag the title IMAM had been, for some reason, omitted.
Official after official rose to address the attendees and spoke of the timeliness and historic nature of the gathering. The imam, however, spent the better part of the evening complaining, to those of us who had the misfortune of being seated at the table with him, of how he had been disrespected and the the omission of his title on the name tag had been intentional. Needless to say he refused to wear the name tag but more significantly his egotistical fixation on such an insignificant matter as HIS title caused him to miss out on what was really important at the time.
Since the inception of this blog, just over a year ago, our intentions and motivations have been open and forthright.The invitation to participate and share in this historic and timely discourse has been extended to ALL without regard to rank, position or status. This is a meeting place for The Common Citizen,
When planning for the Leadership Summit began in October 2009, the conference calls were publicized with equal openness and transparency via this blog and other sites. Nothing has been hidden! Nothing has been made exclusive! I think the level of our open, candid, fair and inclusive approach should be indication enough of our respect for the three imams and the hundreds of other Common Citizens in the city of Charlotte.
May you be guided to see the really important matters.
Peace.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteDear brothers and sisters,
It is more important than ever to keep the proper focus. The efforts of many resident imams are aimed at shifting our attention to personality, mysticism, and a childish fascination with moral tales.
In California, Faheem Shuaibe is giving a series of lectures on the importance the motion picture “The Book of Eli” has to Muslims. My question is: what in the blue moon does this have to do with establishing Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s vision of community life?
Imam Mohammed made it clear that he was concerned with Shuaibe’s language and how it played into the hands of secret orders. If Shuaibe is honest, he will admit this as it is a well-known fact. Does he not then take heed to the warnings of the one who taught him?
Faheem Shuaibe’s language regarding this film does nothing to ground our understanding as an un-established people seeking community life. Shuaibe’s moral riddles and hyper-active fascination with cinematic mysticism are DANGEROUS and DESTRUCTIVE. They rob an unsophisticated community of the ability to grow unhindered by mystical language and it presents the Enemy of Man as being far more powerful that is the reality.
He is being used as a tool of those very forces he claims are at work behind Hollywood.
In a related matter, Qasim Ahmed will be appearing in San Diego to lecture on the importance of Imam Mohammed’s Leadership and to present his own new method for reading and understanding the Qur’an. Again, I have some questions:
1. What is the nature of his record of service to Imam W. Deen Mohammed that now qualifies Qasim Ahmed to stand before us and lecture on the importance of our leader and teacher?
2. Is Qasim Ahmed’s method for reading and understanding Qur’an better and more useful than the method Imam Mohammed presented to us? If so, why didn’t he present it when Imam Mohammed was physically with us?
Though delivered rhetorically, we should think about these questions and present them directly to those influenced by the Faheem Shuaibes and Qasim Ahmeds of the world.
Their monumental failure in serving and supporting Imam W. Deen Mohammed disqualifies them from any position dealing with serious, semi-serious, or completely non-serious matters.
It is our responsibility to refuse an audience to those who refused our leader. It takes courage to do this and we all have the best model of courage before us. Look how Imam Mohammed dealt with the oppressive power structure that existed in the Nation of Islam. We should demand no less of ourselves in defending our community.
- Wali Mohammed
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteI would like to bring a few things to our attention as members in the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and as Students of Imam W. Deen Mohammed as Muslims as Believers and as African Americans...
I would like to point out that it is of great importance that we keep our focus, our minds, our thinking on what has the greatest value in our life. We must give our attention to what is the bigger or greater influence for our life's destiny.
We must value our human life, its existence and its worth in context of creation and what it brings to the table of the cosmic design and we must guide that human life by its best models of moral excellence.
If we can identify with these ideas than our picture as a human is secure our identity as a Muslim is sound and our occupation as torch bearers is well in hand.
The strength of a nation is weighed in essence by what that group is able to bring to the marketplace not only of "Ideas" but the Marketplace that provides tangible resources to others i.e. silks, cottons, rice, copper, gold, silver, diamonds etc., resources that are under your authority and management. I was getting on the bus here in Philadelphia looking for a sit as I headed towards the back of the bus I noticed an empty space between two women one White and one Black. The Black woman noticed me and turned to look out the window the White woman noticed me and began to remove all of her bags from the sit beside her to make room for me, she looked up at me smiled and said "Oh, I just take up the whole world don't I?" I smiled back and said, “I only want some of it..."
The Black woman simple clutched her small purse closer to her without removing it from the seat that she was not occupying. I shook my head.
Please dear people ask yourselves this question, what are WE bringing to the TABLE as Members of this Community, and please don't say we are bringing The Imam's Language, That is HIS accomplishment and Achievement in the world, not yours... We can say that we are following him, but even that is suspect.
I know you are saying "Ok, wait a minute now brother you stepping cross the line we love Imam Mohammed he is our leader he is our Savoir..." Yes and your life has no meaning without his accomplishments.
You want to be able to proudly say that you are a supporter, follower, student of Imam W. Deen Mohammed? PRODUCE! I don't mean go on tour or become the Muslim versions of Televangelists or go sit in the audience of your favor iconic figure from our community thinking that you are supporting the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. I am talking about "Some of This Earth or Else."
The climate has changed for those of us that can see what our destiny is, we are to produce the life of business in our community and we are to do so following the best light from our Late Leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
We are to produce institutions of education for our publics following the model that our leader set before us. We are to have a clearly defined cultural expression that educates the public not denigrates the public, our culture express should be the praise of the world sought after for study and imitated for its excellence not used as a tool to bring low the cultures of others.
We must produce new industries that allow us to preserve the logic language and vision scope of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, whether it is through technology or art we must find a way to inculcate the language into the vocabulary of the world without it being seen as brow beating.
When we have more than words to bring to the Marketplace of the world we will have made true progress. Muhammed the Prophet had more than words he established true society and community life such as Trade, Architecture, Science, Horticultural, Mathematics and more much more.
Let us follow the BEST and break down the walls of ineptitude and lack. Let us move forward into the land of promise.
HASHIM
As Salaam Aliakum
ReplyDeleteMy question would be after having read your post Hashim is, What would be the process of producing a tangible community existence? When I listen to Imam Mohammed I guess I have been trained to hear concepts that are suppose to aid my life as a muslim but to be honest I never really gave much thought to what it takes to build a community. My local Imam does not really emphasize the importance of community building in the way you describe; it is more along the lines of making sure that the Masjid Life is maintained. By that I mean making sure that the doors are open for the five daily prayers, that the electric bill is paid and that the sisters cover properly. We do have what I think of as a daycare for the muslim children that is attended more by the immigrant muslim children than by those in our community. It is suppose to be a Madressah but I don't think any of us here really know what that means.
The only business activity that we see here is our Friday dinners and during the summer our Saturday fish fries, that are meant to help pay the Masjid's bills. I am very interested in learning more about what it takes to produce a community. I feel that that is why I became a Muslim.
Aminah
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
ReplyDeleteSince Imam Mohammed's passing, there have been deliberate and diabolic attempts to divert the focus, attention, and purpose of his followers by the so-called 'big imams' jockeying to stand in the spot light.
The egotism and megalomania that drives these I(m)am(s) has blinded them to the realization that they are playing right into the hands of the shaitaan. They are HELL-bent on securing for themselves a following from among the weak-minded among us by presenting stage(d) performances to rival those of Chris Angel Mind Freak.
Delving into the mutashabihaat of a Hollywood production will not secure for our community the economic, cultural, social,or educational dignity and respect that Imam Mohammed envisioned for us and worked so tirelessly to achieve. The movie, 'The Book Of Eli' is just that--a movie, and one that I personally enjoyed. However, for a self-proclaimed follower and student of Imam Mohammed to rob the people of their resources of time and money with a tiresome discourse of the movie's signs and symbols, so forth and so on, is a betrayal of the respect Imam Mohammed had for this same audience.
Also, Imam Mohammed gave us the proper and appropriate tools for reading and understanding the Qur'an. Methods that resemble mere parroting or speaking in tongues will not secure for us the understanding that is vital for the Qur'an to be the useful and viable text that it is meant to be.
One final note. Imam Mohammed WAS a guest of Pope John Paul, and his presence there was the result of the tireless efforts of his trusted National Representative.
Perhaps this other fellow was there at some time as a nun(none).
Peace To You All,
ReplyDeleteThis great effort to establish community life and leadership is authorized by G'd and instituted by Prophet Mohammed and the Holy Quran. Imam Mohammed brings us to this recognition and to continue with this banner held high. Medinah the city first established with this banner should cause our mind to move with strength, purpose and intelligence. Imam Mohammed let us know that if we only have eight blocks, those blocks should reflect the model community life of Al Islam. Those blocks should contain a Masijid, Schools, Homes, Businesses, Healthcare. A secure community. We are free citizens. Thank you Imam Hashim and Sis. Sultanah you are so clear and right.
peace.
kautharmm
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteAminah thank you for your question and for your concerns and desire to see and work for the Model Community for Humans.
As one of Imam W. Deen Mohammed's best students here on this blog has pointed out in the last post our model is the model of Medinah Al Munaruwah, The Enlightened City and the Model life that was established by Muhammed the Prophet and those that stood with him and obeyed his authority to the letter and with the correct spirit.
We can identify in your post a common theme in most of our Islamic Centers around the country that associate with the Leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Many of them unfortunately do not know where to place their emphasis and sadly we have those that are identified as his top students pointing the public of our community in the wrong direction. These so-called Iconic figures, top students have become no more than puppets for the Shaitan.
What do I mean? I am saying that they have chosen by their actions of self-aggrandizement and seeking to teach the people something other than what Imam Mohammed taught, they have become an enemy to our progress as a people and instruments in the hands of those that seek to marginalize this Community.
The blueprint to our future home is clear; it is the same blueprint that established Muhammed (The Prayers of the Righteous and Peace of Allah Be Upon Him) and those that we call his companions. What is required of us is FAITH, faith that in following the blueprint that is laid out before us that we WILL be successful.
They, the first community designed as a model for humanity, followed faithfully the narrative, seeing themselves as a part of scripture unfolding, knowing that the words spoke of them in a context for future reference, Their objective to demonstrate to the family of man the great potential that lay within each individual and how the collective group should advance as human in the best human model. This too is our objective.
You ask what is the process, the book that we guide our life by says that G-d forms us as a social unite based on a shared body of knowledge and then advances us by way of forming scripted models based on that knowledge body and that if we follow this method we will unlock new and never before seen resources for our life.
Our first step in following the guidance from this first revelation of The Qur'an is to establish a means to come together and form dialog based on our life and what produced it and to make sure that we stay attached to that which gives us LIFE and HONOR in the world. So we here are establishing the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit and are inviting you and all that receive these transmissions to join as common citizens attached to the knowledge body of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Our blueprint is The Qur'an and how Muhammed the Prophet demonstrated it and How Imam W. Deen Mohammed directed our eyes to see the correct focus on those two tools for the advancement of all Humanity.
WE have to look at all these tools with proper eyes.
HASHIM
ASA
ReplyDeleteAmazing the influence of this internet tool, the english term "Common Citizen" Much like the Arabic term "Abd" or "Slave" is Being Elevated in a higher statue in the minds of the people.
Thank Allah for this blog discussion.
Adam P. Ford
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteIn the Spirit of SAVIORS DAY I am reposting this comment...
_______________________________________________
Peace To You All!
Look at our neighborhoods look at what we have as establishments. Now look at what the WHITE world displays as a neighborhood model, look at what they have built with the advancement of technology whether theirs or other people's.
Now look at the spirit of our children, look at the level of dignity on their faces and in their behavior, Now look at the Faces of the WHITE children in our society, look at their level of dignity that they display in the world look at their spirit and their desire for a productive life.
Tell me what is the difference between the two?
It is the sense of pride in what they know is their inheritance that inspires the child's level of Dignity and dignified behavior in the world. Look around you at the cities in which you live, who has designed its infrastructures, who produces the industry that produces jobs for the majority of the people? Who is it that is responsible for the NEW construction in the Downtown areas in your Cities who is responsible for building NEW housing units? Who is responsible for the Management of your Money through Investments and Securities in whose bank you deposit your money?
Who is responsible for putting the cloths on the selves by which you cloth yourself? Who is responsible for the farming of the animals that you feed your family with?
Do you see where I am going with this; and you wonder why we are losing our children to things that the mature mind sees as senseless. It is our obligation to give our children an Honorable Inheritance and a dignified life.
It is our obligation to see our interest as the American Interest. "HUH?! What do you mean fella?" "How do we see our Interest as the American Interest, we have no Business in those countries, that is not our war."
Please listen to what you just said, (WE HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THOSE COUNTRIES) you are right you have NO BUSINESS there and that is why you don't feel the need to protect the interest of those that do have BUSINESS there. If you would invest some time in establishing Business ties that could lead to feeding our community then you would see the need to bring stability to regions around the world. We would then have a vested interest in the outcome of the Diplomatic Policies of our Government and we would be in a position to be respected for our opinion in matters of security. We would be as Imam W. Deen Mohammed was, sought out for our advice on matters of high concerns. They would identify with us as the true model and representation of Al-Islam in the world.
What will be our children's and their children's inheritance in the world?
It is not too late for any of us, we are not looking at age, whether you are older than 55 or younger than 25; we are wanting to identify with those that have a productive mind and spirit and a desire to stay at the forefront of advancing human life no matter your age with the tools that have been provided us by our Late Leader. We know that it is our youth that it the muscle that will enliven our body, but the covenant is with the whole group, the whole people and as long as you are alive you are required to be moving the life forward.
You have something to offer.
Leadership is in the Resourceful People.
HASHIM
As-Salaam-Alaikum!
ReplyDeleteSister Aminah:
I would just like to add a little to Hashim's response to your question. Building a community requires the creation and refinement of resources. Those resources can be material, social, economic, spiritual, cultural, technological, etc.
Imam Mohammed indicated that our leaders are our resourceful people as they are the ones capable of initiating change and development. Understanding this makes it clear where we should place our emphasis and to whom we should lend our attention. Community building is the organizing, application, and expansion of our ability to affect change in the Human Life.
One of the reasons our community has not developed in the manner it should have is because the focus has not been on developing our ability to create new circumstances. Instead, what we have are icons who are busy hustling schemes for understanding movies or reading Qur'anic Arabic.
Community Building is like building any other structure:
- The design is determined and established
- Those who WILL help in the construction are identified
- Materials are gathered
- A strategy for carrying out the construction is implemented
The most important ingredient in Community Building is the understanding the Common Citizens have of their identity as a people in The Plan of The Creator. We have been blessed in that Allah—working directly through the social evolution of African-Americans—has established within the Modern World an understanding of the Human Identity and its destiny. That establishment is the Knowledge Body Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Allah himself has established this identity fully and without the need of any other social philosophy or religious interpretation(s). Now that the design has been set and the narrative written, our goal is to go to work in applying that design in our life.
ASA
ReplyDeleteI repost THIS in the Spirit of Saviors' Day, Our leaders voice is always the best to adhere to.
Adam P. Ford
_______________________________________________
10/21/2005
Ramadan Session
G_d guides the sincere followers after their leader passes
By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Perception. That is what we have in focus now for this discussion. But not perception from the English dictionary or any other dictionary, not perception from my thinking or your thinking; no, perception as it is used in the context of revelation. When you get yourself focused right then you can follow and understand better. Have patience and believe Allah (swt) will guide you after I'm gone the way He has guided me. It is open to everybody but you have to be sincere. You have to want it not selfishly, not to show people you know something or have something. You have to want it not for yourself, but for all people who will receive it and remember those who need it most and take it to them first.
What kind of doctor would go to a strong and healthy people and start administering something to them? They would say, "Doctor I'm alright maybe I can take an aspirin," and there is somebody over there who needs his leg amputated and needs a head on his body. I know what I'm saying. Someone who has no eyes, born blind and this particular doctor can take care of all those needs but he goes to one who has no problem and asks, "All you need is an aspirin, here let me get my aspirin out." He would be insane or deserving of death right on the spot. What is wrong with some of these Imams who think I shouldn't address the serious needs of the African American people? I am one and I live in their neighborhood. I can't get away from them. I am one. I'm in their community. I have to live with them and I am comfortable living with them. I don't want to live with other people. Why should I want to live with other people? Something would be wrong with me and if they want to live with us and not their own people something is wrong with them. So this is just natural.
Allah (swt) is with us and He is going to be with us whether I'm here or not. And I see signs that He is with many of us, both males and females. He is going to stay with us. Don't think, "What are we going to do when Imam W. Deen Mohammed is not with us anymore?" The same thing we did when the Honorable Elijah Mohammed was not with us anymore. Allah (swt) is going to show us the one we are supposed to support. Don't worry about that and this is no farewell message.
I'm saying this for some of you, not for all of you. I don't need to say it for myself or my family. They know I'm full of life and I'm buzzing more than I buzzed in all of my days. I never have been buzzing with life like I am buzzing now, praise be to Allah (swt). And the spirit is just like it was when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. The spirit is the same.
What I mean by, "The spirit is the same," I don't feel anymore sick or aged or dying than I did back there when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. G_d is my Witness. I feel nothing but youth and relief from burden. It is not the body. It is the spirit. When you come alive in the spirit that is the life and it even can help your body deal with problems, avoid problems, and sustain itself, or keep its youthfulness.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteIn these most serious of times we should be especially sensitive of the need to keep the proper focus on those matters that DIRECTLY AFFECT our ability to live free of dead thinking.
Our immediate and extended environment is rife with influences that direct us otherwise. The magnetism of these influences, especially on those of the African-American social experience, should not be taken lightly or dismissed in any way.
Because we are a people unfamiliar with the methods for establishing society, it is easy to be distracted by religious mysticism, conspiracy theories, and old time thinking patterns that do nothing to ground our consciousness in the reality we are faced with. The acceptance of these distractions serves as a miserable prosthetic for material establishment.
In light of these influences as well as the monumental failure of the national leadership to obey Our Leader and produce results, the case for New And Focused Leadership is even more compelling. Out strategy in identifying such leadership is to:
1. Understand CLEARLY what Imam W. Deen Mohammed's focus is
2. Identify one and others like Him who demonstrate the highest allegiance and OBEDIENCE to that focus
3. Create circumstances that will afford our New Imam, as well as us, greater operational strength
If compiled together as one, the individual service records of Qasim Ahmed, Yahya Abdullah, Faheem Shuaibe, Ibrahim Pasha, Plemon El-Amin, Abdul-Kariem Hasan and many more fail in nearly every respect to demonstrate the proper obedience and allegiance to Imam Mohammed that would warrant even the glancing attention of WE, HIS STUDENTS.
They failed to ensure the success of Imam Mohammed's economic initiatives as well as the clear representation of his message. Our task now is to turn away from them and toward that which they turned away from.
If perhaps you feel that we are being too harsh, let us ask this question: what have any of these officials established that assisted Imam W. Deen Mohammed in his mission and where is the evidence of their effectiveness?
Our intent is not to condemn them as individuals, as Muslims, or even as followers of Imam Mohammed. Our goal is to illustrate, quite simply, that they lack the operational capability, the clearness of direction, and the quality of understanding required for national and regional leadership.
We do not need seminars on the significance of the "Book of Eli", nor will subconscious methods of understanding the Qur'an serve to establish the direction Imam Mohammed presented. And we do not need to appoint sheiks from Atlanta, Chicago or anywhere else.
None of these thinking patterns reflect the direction of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and some would not have been acted upon if he were still in our physical presence.
Let us keep the focus.
- Wali Mohammed
What has happened to our community? After having observed this past weekend’s Saviors Day happenings, I must say that my soul is hurting and longing for something greater then what those inept presentations produced. Imam Mohammed was obviously the GLUE that held this Community together. It is a shame that those in charge of namesakes are going away from HIM, his vision and presentation.
ReplyDeleteFor those that were unable to attend The Mosque Cares’ presentation of Saviors Day, you can find it online via their YouTube channel. My heart broke thinking about how poorly these persons that are publicly recognized, by name, as the Inheritors of the business of Imam Mohammed's Ministries, represented our late Leader's Vision of Saviors Day.
The Defectors in Detroit fared no better in their attempt at capturing our attention with their Name dropping event and those in Houston got their share of mystic preaching and subliminal suggestion training from one of the Arabic Wizards.
As a result of these poorly constructed events that strayed so far from the mark, when looking at what that other leader of BLACKNESS produced, you would think that he had the better show. It is a sign that the majority of our people are given to superstitious preaching and conspiracy theory rhetoric that is a dangerous road for anyone to travel.
None of these spectacles produced an ounce of direction for the life of community either for Muslims, African American, and Americans or as Believers of any faith. I think that they all should go back and review what they produced in light of what Imam Mohammed said Saviors Day meant and regain the true meaning of this event and any other institutionalized event that Imam Mohammed established before they have any other productions in the future.
Just look at your turn outs, you have lost the favor of the overall community you have lost our support in these things not because the event is not important, but because you don't know where to place emphasis.
The leader of BLACKNESS, look at your crowd full of those that are uneducated and drunk on personality worship, look at how you had to keep feeding them the idea that you are somehow the return of Christ... So when you depart from this earthly plan your works will fall apart and with you the Name of the Nation of Islam will die out of history.
Our history as a people are at risk of being wiped from them face of this earth, are you all not concerned with the things that you are seeing? Are we here on this blog alone in what we see? Speak up people we cannot let these things just happen, we must fight for our life and what we want out of life, no one will stand for us but us.
Stand Up and Go Forth...
Mr. Smith
After reading the statements from the imams of Charlotte there are a few things that definitely need to be addressed. The first thing is that they are obviously afraid of something. How can imams who say they follow the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed feel threatened by a group calling themselves “Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed?” For a leader who brought so much light to this world, it is not translated by the leadership who say they follow him! The Quran obligates every Muslim to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong! A good Christian would first investigate to see what a particular group has to offer before openly rejecting them! Before the imams of Charlotte came to there conclusions were there congregations consulted to see if it was something that they would support????
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be rooted in a twisted concept that leadership should remain local. There is no evidence from our leader to suggest such foolishness! Bilalian are you saying imam Yahya is a liar?? I am simply asking the questions that need to be asked. You say the Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed wanted leadership to remain local?? Where are your witnesses?? Where is the example from 50 years of commentary from our leader that we have in the form of CD or DVD or tape? Is it possible that Yahya has misinterpreted what was said? Maybe our leader meant that he should remain local! Maybe the Mujeddid knew that his students would choose leadership for themselves in the same tradition of excellence exemplified by him! Our leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed clearly wanted to decentralize his leadership in an attempt to break up the power plays and the blockage of access to him that some of the imams were exercising over community members. This is absolutly true! Using this logic, doesn’t this insane idea of leadership remaining local go directly against the reason for our leader decentralizing the community????
So now the community has returned to the same problems it has had in the past. The imams are now telling the community that our fate has been decided by a two meetings in Louisville, KY. The only way those meetings would have been legitimate was if the best minds of the community had been invited! Bakerah Mohammed is the daughter of the Mujeddid Imam W. Deen Mohammed. If I were a betting man I would bet that Bakerah Mohammed could offer more in terms of leadership and direction for this community than any of imams that attended those meetings. I have been a guest in her home and I know she is a very valuable asset to our community. So if the imams don’t support our efforts don’t be discouraged! There are individuals like that all over the country and it’s our responsibility to seek there assistance and ask for there participation. Maybe what we have to offer will be of some benefit to the citizens in the city of Charlotte.
Peace be unto you all
“When 3 persons set out on a journey, one of them should be appointed as the leader.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)
“One who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance [to an Imam] will die the death of one belonging to the days of ignorance (Al-Jahiliyyah).” (Sahih Muslim)
Mohammad the Prophet [PBUH] said: "He who enjoins right and prohibits wrong is the vicegerent of both Allah and His Messenger on the earth."
Mohammed the Prophet [PBUH] said: “When so ever my Ummah undertake to enjoin right and prohibit evil and associate in establishing benevolence, they live happily and prosperously; but when they stop doing so, the blessings will be taken off from them."
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things which I believe played an important role in the appeal Imam W. D. Mohammed may Allah be pleased with him had, especially with the members of our community, is the fact that his actions were in accord with what he said.
I'll give a few examples of what I am saying, on one occasion very early in his leadership of the community Imam Mohammed was speaking about the importance of us pooling our resources. Imam Mohammed said that he was thinking about asking us to give up the use of telephones and pool that money saved, and use it to advance our community's economic plans. He then said that after thinking how most would react to such a proposal he decided against following through with that plan, now that was very early in his leadership. I have never seen Imam W.D.Mohammed as busy as he was, ever using a cell phone in public or even heard one ringing on his person.
After a Ramadan sesion I was walking through the parking lot and saw some very expensive cars, Imam Mohammed came out and went to his car, which was a very simple and inexpensive automobile. Most leaders here in the west live way above the average person they are supposed to be serving.
We are a people coming from a tradition in which a preacher was very often the most respected person in the community.
The wise made mockery of the preachers, unlike other members of society like teachers, lawyers doctors etc they the preachers, were given a black collar that buttons in the back, and has a white patch close to the voice box. What they are saying is that these preachers, the knowledge they have is limited to their speech and in the books they read from, nothing is in their heads.
In conclusion I'll say that too many of our leaders seem to think just giving a good speech showing how much they know, is the most important aspect of leadership. This is not the example Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) left with us. Without a solid material foundation all that we do would be held in suspension. Peace to all.
Victor Mateen
ASA,
ReplyDeleteThis past Sunday, California held its first Town Hall Meeting to discuss the condition and direction of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. All praises are due to Allah! The meeting went VERY well and we plan to have our next meeting Sunday, March 28, 2010.
The comments made by many in attendance reflect the same spirit, concerns, and aspirations expressed on this blog.
It is important that we ALL begin the effort to establish means by which Common Citizens can address the conditions in our life. The first step in this process is to facilitate OPEN and CANDID discussion that is not dominated by resident imams or any other official.
This strategy will bring forth New Leadership that is capable of maintaining focus on those matters that Our Leader presents as most important.
The crippling winds of emotion have never blown harder against This House since the passing of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. We will not give audience to those who bow and sway in these winds.
Our concern is greater than the interior life of the mosque. Our intellect demands more than moral tales and cultural mysticism and our vision sees father than leadership that remains local.
We are a House built upon Divine Wisdom, a Community moving up the Siraat (Vertical Path) and we fully intend to discharge our duties as Saviors in this Day: the Day of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Dear people, it is your continuing effort that has established the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit as the most significant national event in our history since February 26, 1975.
Peace,
Imam Ibrahim El-Amin
California
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteASA
ReplyDeleteImage if you will that you tell your child that there is a foul odor coming from the litter box and that in order to keep that smell out of the house they are responsible for maintaining the removal of the animals waste from the litter box and making sure that there is fresh kitty litter there for the animals to use. Now months go by after you have explained this to your child that you love and are wanting to take responsibility of the Shared Space that you live in, and now they have company over, you watch and observe their interactions, Your child notices that their company’s face registers the foul smell of the kitty litter which embarrasses them which in turn embarrasses you.
Your child did not do as you had instructed and the issue of the foul smell remains in the house. After their guest leaves they come to you and say you know you told me about that problem and you were right you told me over and over again and you were right. You respond, “And yet the problem still remains and until you take care of it, it will continue to be a problem for this house.”
Why is this small narrative important to our development as a community following the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed?
I hear often how relevant what Imam Mohammed's message is that he gave over 20 something years ago is for us at this time. I am not saying that his message is not timeless, but if we are dealing with the same issues that he addressed back then at this present time than that is a sign that we as a community have not done our job in this shared freedom space. If we are still dealing with these renegade preacher-imams then we have not done what our leader instructed of us. If we are still struggling to pay bills in buildings that are not ours (paying rent for Masajid buildings) and have nothing of community life to show, than we have not been good students of our leader.
Let us not be confused, we owe our life as believers to the vision set before us by Imam W. Deen Mohammed, but we are greatly disrespecting his leadership and our own life if we are still seeing the things that he talked about and addressed as Major Concerns for our life in community as Major Concerns at this point in time.
Let us look at revelation, When the Qur'anic Ayats were reveled they were addressing issues and concerns for the life of the people, they gave clear explanation of what was happening and a strategy of how to deal with those concerns. NO revelation came down until those issues were addressed by the people following Muhammed the Prophet. Hence the time frame of 23 years of revelation. Because those that followed Muhammed the Prophet strictly adhered to the principle of addressing the concerns of revelation they were successful in establishing the model community that we witness in Medina Al Munaruwah.
It is my belief that we are to address the Major Concerns that our Leader placed before us with the focus on establishing community life. If we as a community work to resolve this issues we will make the progress that we have been wanting. But until we do that we will continue to see these things plague our lives.
We will not receive a new situation for continued help from G-d until we can look at what Imam W. Deen Mohammed has said as completed assignments, not as work yet to be accomplished.
Adam P. Ford
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ReplyDeleteAs-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteAs students and followers of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and in dealing with issues that directly and indirectly affect our lives, we are required to exercise our intellect and ability to respond.
The analogy that Adam P. Ford drew in his previous post clarifies one of the most serious drawbacks we face: our inability or unwillingness to see and act upon connections between what Imam Mohammed presented and the reality of our immediate condition.
We have no one clearly before us, who is capable of providing the proper focus on those matters that Imam Mohammed demonstrated as most important. That is an indisputable fact.
But how do we address such a condition? What are the principles that Imam Mohammed presented and rehearsed through which we can derive strategy for solving our Leadership Crisis? How do we go about recognizing this New Imam when he appears?
There is an old saying, which I will reinterpret here: When the community is ready, the Leadership will appear. Imam W. Deen Mohammed is our teacher irrespective of whatever form his logic takes, even if it is in the person and character of another Human Being.
Our task now is to bring into reality the proper conditions for the emergence of this New Imam and those who are his helpers by developing leadership in ourselves, for WE ARE his helpers.
WE MUST have the courage, strength, and willingness to turn away from the religion wizards and pseudo Arabic scholars.
WE MUST smash and obliterate the inferior knowledge of moral tales and movie mysticism.
WE MUST remove the fear of living as free citizens and the “slave impulse” to ask anyone’s permission to improve our life conditions.
WE MUST break free of burdensome mosque life that is constantly in need of zakat but provides no direction or means through which to establish community life outside of jummah, youth ta’lims, and potlucks.
In short, WE MUST keep the shroud of Imam W. Deen Mohammed pure and clean.
Imam Ibrahim makes some important points, as well, with regards to our history and its similarities to our present time. The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit and its strategy of engaging the concerns, aspirations, and consciousness of our public is an excellent way of creating the proper conditions in which this New Leadership can emerge.
All praises due to Allah, our work has been united and given focus, through this blog, by Our Leader’s Partner and Close Friend. His work has inspired many of us to increase our efforts in following the pattern of Khalifah, recorded and foretold in Scripture, established by Muhammad the Prophet and given its full clarity through the African-American experience and the manifestation of its highest aspirations: The Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
- Wali Mohammed
“And if I fall dead right now! You look for one that came up like I did! Say: ‘hey where is one that don't follow sheikhs and, don't follow anybody else but this idea. Come on Brother you have to take Imam W. D. Mohammed's place.’ That's a need that we have inherited from the soul of our Ancestors.”
- Imam W. Deen Mohammed
April 9, 1982
Sedalia, NC
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ReplyDeleteAs-Salaamu-Alaikum!
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to announce that the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit has launched its OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
AResourcefulPeople.com
From here, you can view the event schedule, download flyers, pay for registration and book hotel rooms. You can also view a calendar of the town hall meetings which serve to inform the agenda.
This is an excellent way to stay in touch with the progress of the Summit as well as the local town hall meetings which will be taking place across the country.
Peace!
ASA
ReplyDeleteThe Qur’an demands of us that we take charge in the construction and support of viable structures that serve as tools for the advancement of Human Life.
Further, that we uphold the utmost concern for keeping the leadership of these structures free and clean from ideas and people that are incapable of demonstrating how best to approach the Human Life that Allah establishes and approves of and that is pleasing to our own nature.
Our focus is the application of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s logic. What is his focus for our schools, businesses, and cultural institutions? How can we begin the process of formulating plans to materialize that focus?
It begins with our intention to obey the best model of leadership. It requires open discussion, the fair exchange of ideas, and the intrepid spirit for Human Life that our Leader and Teacher demonstrates.
We refer to him in the present tense because he is still here. His logic is taking form in us. His words and example are manifest in those who serve as his Partner in this great work. His mind is expanding in our consciousness and showing, perhaps more clearly than before, the path to our destiny.
But we must not hesitate in following that path. We must not deny him when we see his work in others, no matter how young or unfit the Whisperer causes them to appear.
Dear people, be firm, even in the face of those we love and respect. Turn away from people who see themselves as our sheiks and Arabic scholars and are positioning themselves as leaders.
Our intention is not to disrespect, but let us remember. Remember the courage, innocence and determination that Supreme Minister Wallace Muhammad exemplified in the early days of his leadership.
What we often recognize as the national leadership is in a miserable state and unable to provide the proper focus.
Our vision is of a community justly balanced. Our minds must engage with and remain obedient to the voice of Our Soul so that our perceptions are a support for the human aspiration for freedom, justice and equality.
Such an existence will not come into being unless we first remove the rock from our shoe that has caused such great distraction from our most important tasks of choosing Leadership, Building Community, reading Nature, edifying the Human Condition, expanding our Intellect through Faith, fulfilling the African-American destiny and purifying the Cultures of the mankind.
Our community needs to hear these messages! There is no comparison to Imam W. Deen Mohammed in this time but our community is slowly detaching itself from his logic! Just look at the Atlanta Masjid who are now participating in the Mana regional conference! Look at the presenters. After Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) passed away there wasn’t an immediate decline for the muslims at that time. It was a slow steady decline that eventually returned them to the same state of ignorance they were in before they had received revelation! You know there is a clip on youtube calling Siraj Wahhaj Imam of America! We need leadership who cares about the people enough to speak out against such foolishness! Because we don’t, Imam W. Deen Mohammed will speak for himself!
ReplyDeletePeace be unto you all.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BilalianSpeaks?feature=mhw4
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteBrother Bilalian, you are absolutely correct. The actions of many who are influential in our community have the effect of slowly shifting our focus away from that which has established our life.
While we don't discourage building relationships with other Muslim groups for the purpose of strengthening the Islamic image, we must always be mindful of the example that Imam W. Deen Mohammed demonstrated.
When attending the events and programs of others such as Imam Wahhaj, Imam Mohammed acted as a representative of our best interests as a unique, vital and distinguished people. He was not there to buy into and participate in their agenda, insomuch as it related to the matter of how best to establish our life.
We should seriously question those who we see operating in contradiction to this strategy. Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s example demonstrates that we should look among our ranks for one who is best capable of maintaining the focus on that which has established the best in our life.
- Wali Mohammed
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
ReplyDeleteWe are now seven months away from the Leadership Summit. In these months since we began planning for the event we have been heartened by many positive occurrences, distracted by some negative ones. But we have been discouraged by nothing. Our focus must remain firm in light of any real or imagined opposition from any quarter. Let the naysayers, doubters, and saboteurs, wherever they are, make their predictions and conduct their un-G'dly affairs but let them be reminded that Allah Is the Best of Planners.
What we are about is what our leader Imam W.D. Mohammed is about and that is serving the pleasure of Allah--establishing dignified models of society in which the excellent nature within the human being is allowed to flourish.
As-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteOur task as the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is to bring into existence and exemplify the best model of human life and society for all mankind, for all time.
In the degradation of our humanity, the annihilation of our identity, and the separation of our body and soul from it’s inherent dignity, no social experience in recorded history comes close to that of the African-American.
Allah intervened directly and allowed to be placed within our midst a mythology so unique, complex and effective that it had the singular effect of establishing a new people, lifting the world from darkness and destroying the false religious concepts that had plagued the human soul and mind for several millennia.
The most important task is to maintain our unique expression and leadership, to remain independent of those who seek to establish our institutions for us.
It is not their task to build our Mosques, Schools, and Industries. They should desire to see us accomplish that with the dignity of a unique, vital and independent people.
Who are those that distort Imam W. Deen Mohammed, claiming that he saw fit that his community remain leaderless upon his passing?
Who are they to stand before the Common Citizens and assert that our local model of leadership and national model of leadership exist in contradiction to each other?
Let us examine their logic. Are we to assume that our local communities select Imams to maintain the proper focus but that our national identity reflects no similar concern?
Who are they to say that we should not look amongst our ranks and recognize the best record of service and loyalty to Our Brother⎯whom Allah chose as our leader⎯and then support this New Imam to represent us and speak to our concerns and aspirations as students and followers of Imam W. Deen Mohammed?
May Allah seal the tongues, eyes and ears of those who spread ignorance and chaos amongst our ranks and may Allah guide those who follow but are without real understanding.
Of those who manipulate this logic that “leadership is local”, let us ask of them this question: “When Imam Mohammed was in our physical presence, when and to what degree did you engage him on the matter of leadership in the time after he had passed?” Truth be told, you were too afraid.
You felt that to even mention the physical death of Imam Mohammed was an act of treason. For the sake of your own condition being pleasing to Allah and to your own soul, STOP ESPOUSING THIS IDEA!
Dear people, we deserve more than this! We deserve good, sound, and dignified leadership whose loyalty, service and commitment to Our Leader is without fail! Even in the animal world, nowhere do you find a community without a physical manifestation of leadership.
This concern and aspiration has nothing to do with “centralizing” the community. When Imam Mohammed spoke on this matter he was referring to the centralization of control over resources. That will never happen when we choose one from among us who best understands Imam Mohammed’s vision and focus.
But, if we accept this idea of “leadership is local” as it is being presented we will be like a heard of sheep who have broken up and spread across the field and are awaiting the jaws of the wolf.
Prophet Muhammad is our example and the Prince of Leadership. He was lost to his people when they allowed their brothers to be sold into bondage.
Now, he has been reintroduced to the entire world through the Son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad who demonstrated without an inkling of defeat how best to follow Muhammad’s example of service to Allah through the proper engagement and cultivation of His creation.
(CONTINUED)
(CONTINUING)
ReplyDeleteThe Mission of Muhammad the Prophet continues and finds life in Imam W. Deen Mohammed and thus his Community. It then follows that whosoever is in the best service and understanding of that mission is now our New Imam.
We must seek him out by developing within ourselves greater qualities of leadership, understanding, humility and productivity. Let us begin.
- Wali Mohammed
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteBrother Wali, you have placed clearly before our eyes the plain objective of our life. (Our purpose) From that stand point we are to focus our ears on how we hear our late leader. We are to listen intently to what he is saying not as a spiritual energy boost but as a student or a soldier in a war room preparing for battle.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed is giving us the Strategy of how to form social structures and how to maintain those social structures for years to come. Most of us have not learned to hear our Late Leader in this way. We listen to him as a spiritual leader only or as a motivational speaker in some respect.
Imam Mohammed brought to our attention the details of building our tangible life and set us to the task of constructing it in our local areas. We have failed in many respects in accomplishing this task, simply because we have not trained our ears to hear instruction nor have we trained our bodies to follow through with real action. We listen with the thought of being amazed by conceptual language.
"Wow, that was deep...did you hear that? Imam Mohammed was dropping something heavy today boy!"
That is the conversation of the uninformed and the under informed person. We have to elevate our thinking and hear Imam Mohammed giving us the battle plans of successful community building.
We have to see the Qur'an not as a book of spirituality, but a Book designed to form Government.
We have a big work ahead of us and no matter the opposition, we will never quit, we will never stop, we will never cop out, we will never give in, we will never back down, WE WILL be successful.
HASHIM
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteASA
ReplyDeleteAre we afraid to promote our contributions to Al-Islam in the world? The Muslim African American experience is the Savior and Protector of Al-Islam in the world... Our presentation of Al-Isalm is the stablizing force for all civilized nations. How did this come to be? We should seek to know and seek to Promote our Social... History just as these other groups Promote their history and Islamic experience in the world. We should not allow others nor ourselves to marginalize our contributions in and to this world.
Adam P. Ford
It is the ORIGINAL Strategies used by those that formed us that will continue to guide us and revive us when we fall into a slumber.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the affairs of Black Leadership and those that think they represent the best of our interests, they think that going back to the old teachings is our Savior. They are sadly mistaken. It was never the teachings that saved the lives of the African Americans or Bilalians in America. It was a call to develop their own lives with their own hands.
The Satirical Language of the Old Nation of Islam was a Gated Wall; in our time after the passing of The Honorable Elijah Mohammed it was a wall in ruins that needed attention. While it held treasure for us we were unable to extract it ourselves. We had to be prepared to extract the treasure from it. A wise man gave it attention and prepared it for us to extract the treasure when it was the proper time.
Now is that time. We have reached our age of Maturity.
We don't need to look for Mother Wheels in the sky and be taught Yakub's History that is not our salvation. Our Salvation and the salvation of the Muslim world as Brother Adam pointed out is in the actualization of what that satirical language pointed us to. That language held in it the building blocks of any civilized society.
Can you see it? Are your eyes open?
The strategy that produced the Honorable Elijah Mohammed and his son Imam W. Deen Mohammed is what our life requires now. This is the Natural Birthing process.
A new life is here ready for service and ready for a productive life.
Mr. Smith
ASA,
ReplyDeleteI really thought what Adam Ford said on March 7, 2010 is important and we need to focus again on what was said.
Let us complete a task. The model community was established at Medina Munaruwah. And the process by which to establish the community was given through revelation and Mohammed the Prophet. It was re-given by Imam Mohammed with an emphasis on the culture and condition of the African American in the United States. And it was a universal appeal for the same. We must use the standards and measures of success given by G'D. If G'D gives you a way of doing something, how can you go and do your own thing. Those who don't want to adhere to revelation in the past and now go and do there own thing. There are those who would not do what was asked of them to do by Imam Mohammed. They thought that they should do there on thing and encouraged others to do the same. I am not saying that we don't have individual freedom, but when that individual freedom goes against the model given to man by the Creator, then we have a problem. The task of the Community of Imam W.Deen Mohammed is to stand as a model, a secure city/community, for free men and women, citizens of a particular knowledge and intelligence and faith that is a light for the world.
How shall we go about completing an assignment?
First what assignment shall we chose? The assignment of at least one model communtiy in these United States. This is important on so many levels. We need a representation of Al Islam that is sane, humanly beneficial, that offers safety for all humanity and balanced. We have been given the best by Imam W.D. Mohammed. That includes some of his family and sincere students. Some of his sincere students are here on this blog others are not. His family, specifically Bakerah Mohammed, who served her father faithfully and constantly needs to be consulted at this time in our history. What wisdom, insight and vision she must have as one devoted to Imam W.D. Mohammed
personally and in the sense of community. Surely, at the least, she can point the way to leadership and provide clarity. We need to honor those in our community who deserve honor.
We, have Wallace Mohammed, one of Imam Mohammed's sons. He has faithfully made available to the community the words of our great Imam, in the form of cd's and dvd,s and print. We also need to be thankful for him for his continuing effort.
Our tasks. Possibly, we can choose a state in the U.S. and begin to focus all of our attention on it and build a model community within one of its cities. Schools, businesses, masijid, houses, clinics,etc. Maybe, we can concentrate our attention and work on this goal. Instead of having a school in this state and a mosque in another state and businesses in another. Possibly just concentrate on one area as a community. What state, what city will open their arms to the establishment of a balanced community life of Al Islam. What city, what state will be as the people of Medina at the time of the Prophet. And who will be the leader or leaders of the Community of W.Deen Mohammed for this task in the west. I don't know about you, but i want a better life environment for my children and grandchildren and on. And i want a better picture presented today of Al Islam. Those of you who are planners, developers, construction workers etc., prepare yourself for a great task. We must all be available for great work and bring our resources.
Remember to register for The Community of W.D. Mohammed Leadership Summit, Oct. 29th, 30th, 2010 in Charlotte, N.C. This will be a great time to come together and work. We will be hoping to here from Bakerah Mohammed, Wallace Mohammed, Imam Hashm and others on this weekend. I am a common citizen and i look forward to working with and hearing from the best of our community.
peace.
kautharmm
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt from a teaching session by Imam Mohammed on "Our Future as People of Faith" is most fitting, and it will ring in your soul and conscious as it does mine. Beyond simply calling to your conscious, let it call you to work for the betterment of the community of Imam Mohammed. If you understand what that terminology entails, you will recognize that model, that pattern for our success.
"G-d wants us to establish many community models throughout society as a life pattern or picture for the ideal society. So this is the biggest task that we have as Muslims, to use our brain, our thinking people, the best of our thinking people, male and female. We are to use our brain to imagine a bigger, better and more productive environment for human beings to live in. And we are to work together for that, to realize that, to see that materialize. We're to have a select number of leaders working for that all the time, devoted and working for that all the time. G-d wants us to establish our self in community. That's the universal law. No human being, no single member of society can establish him or herself, except in community life. You can't have your career. You can't have your great future to yourself. It's impossible. That's not reality. You can only have it in community life. So we have to select a community life that we identify with and love and feel comfortable with and want to invest in. We want to invest our whole life in and we want to establish our contributions in that community for ourselves, for personal benefit, for the benefit of our wife, our mate and for the benefit of our children to come, for generations. That's what we have to do. This is the plan of the planners who live and abide when everything else has gone. All nations and civilized efforts will deteriorate and will go from the earth like dust taken by the wind. But those who plant themselves in G-d's Plan and then work it in the earth to establish that as a reality, they abide forever, for as long as the earth abides. This effort of mine, you think it's just for now or just for your children to come? It's just for the year 2000, 3000? No, this is for as long as the earth abides. If something should happen on this continent to make it impossible for human beings to live here, if you have my spirit, you will be with those who leave this continent and go to a place to restart their life all over again."
Praise be to Allah! Dear people, it should be clear for you by now. There is no fuzziness or muddy areas in what must be done. Imam Mohammed has always been and remains clear. Just ask yourself, “What will you invest, contribute, participate in, and/or sacrifice for this effort? “ As the Imam indicates, we cannot establish ourselves as individuals absent a community life. It is that life that shapes and grooms us. I ask myself, “Is the community life I am currently presented with, we are presented with, suitable for our development?” It is not. It is deformed, all legs and arms with no head. It is quite a sight to see—arms taking, directing, and accusing while the legs are running to and fro at one moment and refusing to budge at another with no head to correct this grotesque posturing. You know my language; you understand my meaning. Let us establish a community life that binds, a life that gives hope and direction. We have the blueprint. As Salaam Alaikum.
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteImam Mohammed may Allah be pleased with him, on many occasions spoke about the lack of support he got from Imams who were supposed to be following him. He knew many of the people in the congregation of these Imams supported him. Despite him chastising these Imams, many of the people continued to support them. Now we have a situation where our leader is no longer physically present with us and the talk of a national leader has surfaced.
Now I have heard Imam Mohammed once saying that whenever Allah produces something for the advancement of the human family Satan quickly prepares a duplicate and presents it.
Now we have to be very careful about just constantly talking about a leader and at the same time no progress is being realised in the vision our leader left for us. We have clearly demonstrated that as a majority we have not internalised the teachings of Imam WD Mohammed.
Satan is very clever he could see, here is a people that were left clear instructions and instead of doing what they were encouraged to do, being responsible for self and community, instead are focused on who is the leader.
Satan could very well present us a leader. The progress the community has made is a clear indictment of the failed leadership of the Imams who claimed to be following Imam Mohammed's leadership. Imam Mohammed once said after he is gone Allah would in time bless us with a leader just like him. While he was present with us he did not get the support a leader of his calibre deserves. As a community we did not drive out the Imams the leader chastised. I am unable to see the logic of us clamouring for national leadership when we have not shown appreciation for what we were given. When we leave school we dont go looking for another teacher to teach us what we have already been taught we seek employment. In closing I'll say this. Imam Mohammed on many occasions was asked about who leads after he is gone and he very skillfully evaded the question, when we show that we have understood the vision Imam Mohammed pointed us to, as individuals and as a community by OUR WORKS. I feel on safe ground saying a leader of Imam Mohammed's calibre would emerge to take us to a higher level. Peace to all.
Victor Mateen
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteWe would like to thank all those that have participated in our Test Run of our Radio Broadcast. For those that have visited our blog home page you will notice that our radio broadcast is playing there. You will be able to hear all the new broadcasts live at this blog site you will be able to call in and have your voices heard and openly discuss your thoughts and concerns.
We would like to think Imam Ibrahim and Victor Abdul-Mateen for their help in hosting the broadcast and we would like to Thank Siter Marshelle Sultana for her help and her question that help to focus and guide the conversation. We look forward to hering more from her and from the other contributors to the blog.
We would like to Thank Khathurm for her help in setting up the radio broadcast and her quaterbacking this effort.
Our prayer is that this work continues to grow and produce the best from us.
HASHIM
10/21/2005
ReplyDeleteRamadan Session
G_d guides the sincere followers after their leader passes
By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Perception. That is what we have in focus now for this discussion. But not perception from the English dictionary or any other dictionary, not perception from my thinking or your thinking; no, perception as it is used in the context of revelation. When you get yourself focused right then you can follow and understand better. Have patience and believe Allah (swt) will guide you after I'm gone the way He has guided me. It is open to everybody but you have to be sincere. You have to want it not selfishly, not to show people you know something or have something. You have to want it not for yourself, but for all people who will receive it and remember those who need it most and take it to them first.
What kind of doctor would go to a strong and healthy people and start administering something to them? They would say, "Doctor I'm alright maybe I can take an aspirin," and there is somebody over there who needs his leg amputated and needs a head on his body. I know what I'm saying. Someone who has no eyes, born blind and this particular doctor can take care of all those needs but he goes to one who has no problem and asks, "All you need is an aspirin, here let me get my aspirin out." He would be insane or deserving of death right on the spot. What is wrong with some of these Imams who think I shouldn't address the serious needs of the African American people? I am one and I live in their neighborhood. I can't get away from them. I am one. I'm in their community. I have to live with them and I am comfortable living with them. I don't want to live with other people. Why should I want to live with other people? Something would be wrong with me and if they want to live with us and not their own people something is wrong with them. So this is just natural.
Allah (swt) is with us and He is going to be with us whether I'm here or not. And I see signs that He is with many of us, both males and females. He is going to stay with us. Don't think, "What are we going to do when Imam W. Deen Mohammed is not with us anymore?" The same thing we did when the Honorable Elijah Mohammed was not with us anymore. Allah (swt) is going to show us the one we are supposed to support. Don't worry about that and this is no farewell message.
I'm saying this for some of you, not for all of you. I don't need to say it for myself or my family. They know I'm full of life and I'm buzzing more than I buzzed in all of my days. I never have been buzzing with life like I am buzzing now, praise be to Allah (swt). And the spirit is just like it was when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. The spirit is the same.
What I mean by, "The spirit is the same," I don't feel anymore sick or aged or dying than I did back there when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. G_d is my Witness. I feel nothing but youth and relief from burden. It is not the body. It is the spirit. When you come alive in the spirit that is the life and it even can help your body deal with problems, avoid problems, and sustain itself, or keep its youthfulness.
I think that this post that was shared with us by someone and then reposted by Adam P. Ford addresses clearly the topic matter that Victor Mateen brings up.
ReplyDeleteI agree that leadership will evolve naturally; I also see that this process here on this blog is helping that natural process along, like a gardener in his garden or a Doctor aiding a mother in her delivery of a new child.
We should keep in mind that while Imam Mohammed was not voted in to office nor was he elected to represent us there where circumstances that were placed in our life history that pointed to him as the Leader after his father... That was in a plan and the plan was designed by a man of insight and that plan had to be divinely sanctioned or we would not have had Imam W. Deen Mohammed as our leader.
C.A. Numan
Peace to all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words you shared with us. I agree with you that Imam Mohammed's leadership was divinely sanctioned, his role was predicted even before his birth. He was to be a helper to his father.
Now I am thinking leaders like Imam Mohammed are not replaced a few months after their passing. If we get another leader now, what is this leader going to tell us that Imam Mohammed may Allah be pleased with him did not tell us from 1975 to 2008.
The Holy Quran Chapter 2 Ayat 256 begins by telling us " Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error."
Allah also tells us in the Holy Quran that he would not change the condition of a people until they change what is bothering their souls, till they correctly address the distortions in their psychological make up.
If we should get another leader now, who is to say that the same process would not repeat itself with us wanting to know who would replace him. In closing I would like to reiterate some of the words that CA Numan posted. Imam Mohammed urged us to be patient and believe Allah would guide us the way he was guided but we must be sincere, the way is open to everybody. We must seek not for selfish purposes. May Allah continue to guide us on the right path and bless us with the light of understanding.
Victor Mateen
ASA
ReplyDeleteI have been hearing more and more about the idea of Leadership since this blog began and even more since the introduction of this new radio broadcast that is being done by those on this discussion forum. I would like to congratulate you all for the excellent work that you are doing.
My concern that I would like to address here is that when people think of what is being said here they have an Idea that we are seeking to elect a new leader over the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. In my opinion that is so far from the truth it hurts.
I believe that the majority of us here understand that there is no true way of nominating and voting in some person as the LEADER or the IMAM of our community. What we need to look at is this concept: Ask yourself this question, Was Muhammed the Prophet elected to his role as Prophet or Messenger of G-d? How did that come about? What was the process of the people, in them accepting his leadership?
I think that if we ask and answer these vital questions we should be able to more clearly identify with this process here.
Muhammed answered a call that was given to all humans and is given ‘til this day to all humans. He heard and understood the need to explain the condition of the people and give the human family guidance based on the natural order of creation; he, as introduced in revelation followed the guidance given to those before him in order to establish the model for human society.
He saw the Guardians of Social History in those that had guidance before but had strayed from their roles. So he took up the charge. When he began his mission and I say HIS mission because at first he had NO support in his social history as a standard for his actions, so when he started his mission he had only his good character to stand upon. He had only what the good people knew about his life before he began his work.
It was Allah G-d that ordained this man, it was none of us. I mean no human ordered him to do what he was doing, no human gave him permission and no other human approved of his method at the time. He did what HE thought was best as guided by the order given in the Skies or Heavens.
What is different now? There is no difference, only that more of the people are hearing that Call that Mohammed heard. But only a special few can actual follow through on the call.
In his Beginning he had only his wife and a hand full of supporters with him knowing what should be done. This was the natural process of the birth of the LEADER for the Ethos of the Human Family. It will continue to be the process.
We here are not looking at only the leader for our small numbers, we are seeing that Imam W. Deen Mohammed was the Leader of the Ethos of all Humanity and our special group has in it the life germ to reproduce other such special leadership.
Give that some thought.
Adam P. Ford
I have a question for you all, based on the last post by our friend Adam P. Ford.
ReplyDeleteWho gave Imam W. Deen Mohammed his title "IMAM"? For our community, were there any "IMAMs" in our community before Imam W. Deen Mohammed gave us that language?
Before our late leader gave us that title who among those that hold that title now can say that they knew what an 'IMAM" was.
Did any of you brothers or sister vote to call our leader EMAM Wallace D. Mohammed, as it was back in that time period?
NO?! Okay, so what is it that gives you the authority now to tell me what it is for you to be an IMAM or who I should see as an IMAM?
These are some questions that are brought to my mind after having read the post of our friend Mr. Ford
Mr. Smith
Peace To You All!
ReplyDeleteAfter having participated on a radio program last week concerning religious terminology and how it should be applied, I came to realize that many people in our association are not clear on who the leader is for our growth in America and the World when it comes to our perception of Al-Islam. It was also made clear to me after having talked to others in our association that most are unsure or unaware of what the terminology Ummah or "Community" is suppose to connote to their minds and how it is to focus their conscious efforts.
It is important for us to identify that it was our late leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed that formed for us our language context and how we are to see Islamic knowledge in perspective of building our life based on his emphasis on that knowledge.
At this point in time I believe that we must truly define what it is when we say "Community". Are we talking about a local masjid building in which we congregate in order to make our ritual prayers? Are we talking about having a strip mall and a few properties owned by members of our association that attend a local center or Are we talking about a group of believers that come together and talk about Islamic terms and academic concepts of Islam on Sundays?
What is our perception of what is Community? How should Community look and what is the process by which we establish our model community life? We do have the answers to these questions, but our first step is to come together based on an agreed logic that will guide our life moving forward. To do that without fear and with true conviction, just as the first followers of Muhammed the Prophet and those that formed the Nation of Islam in our relatively current social history and development did.
We can not overlook our own social history as a relevant happening in moving human life forward for all of humanity. What has happened to the evolution of human society? In whose hands is it to be left? Should we agree to allow the Ung'dly to have charge of human destiny? Should we seek their permission to take our rightful place as the the people of Promise foretold in scripture?
Our life requires that we evolve and produce situations that form new life. The Ung'dly have a plan for you, stay as you are and live the life that they have designed or Stand up with what we have from our late leader and Remake The World!
Your Choice...
HASHIM
We should all make a conscious effort to expand this conversation beyond the confines of the internet and beyond the simple nature of conversation.
ReplyDeleteFor those who are listening, but have yet to begin the task, you have an obligation to ACT upon what is being said here. Failure to do so constitutes a failure to obey Allah, His Messenger, and the one who Allah established as an authority in our life as a people.
We are all sick and tired of the ill-prepared and incompetent performance of the resident imams and other national figures in our association.
The question is how will we demonstrate that we are worthy of intelligent, thoughtful leadership that is obedient to the logic that Imam W. Deen Mohammed established? How can we sit and talk about the progress we should be making as a community when our actions blatantly contradict our words?
That a gang of pseudo Arabic scholars and motion picture analysts are able to draw an audience by preaching inferior knowledge and peddling their sermons is an indictment against our willingness to follow Imam Mohammed.
We need no one to explain the "importance" of his leadership. We know and understand its importance because he explained and demonstrated it.
Many here on this blog have pointed to Imam E. Abdulmalik Mohammed as one who is qualified to provide leadership in materializing Imam Mohammed’s vision. That may be so. But sitting around and waiting for him to descend out of the sky and make a speech is about as practical as trying to satisfy your hunger by staring at a picture of a Big Mac.
We should start the work and in time Allah will bring us together behind the one who is best fit to demonstrate leadership. Whether that person is Imam Abdulmalik or not, I cannot say.
The important thing is that we start now.
Leadership for this community does not rest in the administrative personnel of a mosque or center. It does not rest in those who are classified as sheiks, pioneers or scholars of Qur’anic Arabic. It does not rest even in the title of Imam. It rests with us.
With that, let us get off our asses and away from jackasses. Let us work freely, not fearing the criticism of any imam or title-holder. Locally, let us begin discussing on a regular basis those issues that Imam Mohammed demonstrated as being most important.
- Wali Mohammed
I agree with Wali. We need to come up with a way(s) that those on the forum can get together, perhaps regionally, even before October. We need to know each other. Our families need to know each other before we can even discuss tangible projects toward establishment.
ReplyDeleteI have attended a couple of Muslim Youth Speak Out forums here in NYC and it's clear that the networks of families that we once had are no longer. The youth are not feeling supported within the community and we are not providing them, or supporting them in community networks where they can meet and socialize with other Muslim youth. We need to get that back.
The disappointment with many of the imams and teachers is that they have pushed their own personal agendas rather than group-based, community building agendas.
The radio program is great. I've been getting up to date with it. It's okay to critique local "leaders" but we have to do it in the context of a more productive agenda than theirs, not just criticism.
Personally, I operate in a family context. I'm married with a teenager and would love to hook up with other Muslim families who share the sentiments and devotion to the gift of Imam WDM that's been expressed here. Families who haven't actually lost their young people for lack of us adults doing what we're supposed to do.
Note: Is there anyway to put a 2010 tag up top so folk visiting or checking in won't think the discussions are not active?
Makéda A.
As Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteI was just on the radio broadcast, and the conversation turned to the youth in our community who are absent and fading. We begin to discuss how a great deal of our youth have not been given the opportunity to lead. This is a subject that is very close to my heart as a young person who wanted so much to work in this community but found no opening until now. This is the plight for many of us, and it is devastating our community and social order. I was inspired to write this poem. I hope it encourages change.
18-40
I think it must have been the day Sister Annie died,
May Allah bless and keep her and give her Paradise,
Those who came to wash her were elderly and moving slow,
I remember thinking, who will do this for them when its their time to go?
Because I looked around the room and no one did I see,
That had the same age, passion, and motivation as me,
Now, I do love my dear elders and learn as much from them as I can,
But the reality is upon us, the opinion of the youngster is not in much demand.
Our masjids are graying and there is no youth in them to replace.
What will become of our community? We’re supposed to be the benefits to our race.
How could this have happened? What caused this to be?
While I hate to admit it, the truth is it was a failure to decree,
To decree that we appreciate our youth and encourage them to thrive,
As assets to our community, but instead most of them we drive,
Away, afraid to take, listen to, or follow their lead,
And as a result, we only see them come to complete some ritualistic deeds.
We do not offer them, an equal place at the table,
We only appeal to them when we are not able,
To purchase a new roof or maybe a pretty rug,
But never has our expectations of them risen above, this.
We are told to get an education, and our success will be fixed.
But seldom were we told that this was our inheritance!
That long when you are gone, we must carry on this work,
When did we teach and empower them that this is the Book,
That will guide this community to our destined place,
And it was Imam Mohammed who helped us see our natural place.
So I feel rather neglected, and troubled by this pose,
How can I be a value in the world, and my own community sits in repose?
And let all my talent, energy, and efforts essentially go to waste,
Meanwhile the community is fading and gaining a distaste,
In the mind and heart of that young person who sees she or he has no place.
To grow and be valued as the ones to continue the fight,
Instead what we have is young professional Muslim flight,
Running away from this attitude that we have seen for far too long,
So now I charge you—what are you going to do to keep our young people home?
What will you do to stop this bleed?
You had better do something, or we will cease to be.
I think it must have been the day Sister Annie died,
That my young soul grew tired and just begin to cry,
And those tears are flowing in each and every one of us,
Will you offer a solution or let things continue to be as such?
ASA,
ReplyDeleteI cannot stress enough the importance of this blog as a vehicle for addressing THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES that we find ourselves faced with as a community.
In their comments above, Bro. Wali and Sis. Makéda are absolutely right: we cannot wait around for something magical or non-magical to happen or for one person to come in and change our situation overnight. We have to start ourselves.
The Community of Imam W. Deen Leadership Summit (AResourcefulPeople.com) is a great opportunity to address the issues facing our growth. But this effort is futile unless we begin, right now, in our local areas to discuss openly matters of leadership and community building.
We should then document these discussions so that we will be able to learn from what others across the country are doing and facing. We have used the term "town hall meeting" to describe the manner in which these discussions should proceed. It should be open to all and without domination by title-holders or anyone else.
I call on all believers, resident imams and mosque officials in my state of California (and indeed the entire west coast) to begin the task of fostering open dialogue where everyone is free to speak and express themselves regarding these matters and to do so without fear, trepidation or doubt.
The anger and frustration of the Common Citizens should not be feared. Only weak and ignorant leaders fear the true feelings of their people. A wise leader works to channel anger, calm frustration, and safeguard the vehicles through which the Collective Soul finds expression and fulfillment.
This is the standard of Leadership for the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
Ibrahim El-Amin
We've made reference to our "graying" population as well as to our youth. Both, of course,are very important. But what of the roughly 25-60 year olds. These are the workers amongst us, the examples (or not) of love life, the mothers and fathers etc. These are people who many entered the community under the Imam's leadership - people who were not in "the first". Many toiled in masajid for years and finally threw their hands up. There are sisters in this group who have never been married or who haven't been married for 20/30 years. Many are mothers with children observing that she's been unmarried since they were small. How is this pathology of the "middle group" effecting how our youth are seeing marriage and the practical benefits of this way of life we verbally laud but are clearly not sustaining. We have brothers in this "middle group" that we've been seeing in the community for years but never with a wife or family. So this "middle group" are the ones to lay the foundation for the youth and provide some rest for the elders. Yes, the youth should lead. But the baton is passed after a lap has been run. We can't ask then to start from scratch and run the whole race and we can't take the same advantage of our elders that many resident imams have.
ReplyDeleteI think those of us in the "middle group" - those here and of similar like minds need to think not just in terms of hashing out the concerns (which we need to do) but in addressing them even in small ways.
I've been told by some single sisters that the singles functions that we've traditionally had have been embarrassingly uncomfortable. A small but consistent group of us, here in NYC, have been bowling once a month. We're trying to get more families and more single brothers into the group - we have single sisters. So any who are committed to what this site is about are welcomed. In a quick minute we can challenge a Jersey team or a Philly team.
Also, how can we develop a city-by-city contact list. A list of folk who don't mind being called when believers of like minds are in town to maybe get together or just give some direction to. My family had been so blessed in the past to meet great Muslims as we traveled the states see the Imam and for a time, his National Rep. We were blessed to meet a fabulous family in Ohio years ago. The brother took my husband to get our tire fixed while his wife made sure my baby and I were safely in the hotel. They came back to escort us to the event. Wonderful experience. We met a few others all along 95 over the years.
So, I'm just saying, let's think about things we can do between now and October.
Makéda A.
Concerning the talk we had last week about relationships, I note something the Imam talked about years ago : We want respect for our roles but don't want to accept the responsibility for those roles. Understanding the ghosts of the plantation, the economy, racism, etc - how do we as Muslims separate, or elevate, ourselves above the problems of the general African American population since we supposedly have something which they don't?
ReplyDeleteMakéda A.
I would just like to know who is Dr. Delany W. Kareeim. I am asking because I have never heard of him in the community, where does he hail from and where is he residing?
ReplyDeleteAs-Salaamu-Alaikum-Wa-Rahmatullah!
ReplyDeleteThe focus of our attention as a community should be the building of structures and strategies that will serve to advance our life.
It is important that we remain sensitive to influences that can and will initiate such growth. Too often our attention is focused on personalities and we are distracted from the work that needs to get done.
To the Anonymous poster listed directly above me, the real question is who are you? Where in the community do you reside and what have the efforts in your area produced for our condition? I have never heard of you in the community. You are attracted to this blog for a particular reason, that much is clear. But your first question has not addressed any of the concerns that several of our common brothers and sisters have raised. Why is this not the first thing on your mind?
The author of this blog has not posted anything for what seems like over a year. Still, this blog has been an invaluable tool in serving to facilitate dialogue that has produced a great effort in the form of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Leadership Summit.
I am only echoing the words of its planners who state that their goal is to have an open dialogue between the common people and our best experts in order to form strategies for building the most vital areas of our life. I do not know all of the planners very well and some I would not be able to identify by face. But the work they are calling the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed to deserves our attention and support.
They have mine.
- Wali Mohammmed
Hollywood, CA
Please post under the current conversation listed as 2010. Unless, someone happens to be perusing the archives, they will not see your post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteis there any update for 2011 coming soon
ReplyDeleteAppreciating the persistence you put into your blog and detailed information you present.
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same out
of date rehashed material. Fantastic read! I've saved your site and I'm adding your RSS feeds to my
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