me

Self Improve

nt

The Basis For

Community Develop
ment

Appreciation
In The Name Of Almighty Allah,
The Most Merciful Saviour, Our Deliverer,
Master Of The Day Of Judgement.
To Allah Alone Do We Submit
and Seek Refuge.

We thank Allah(God) for The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, who

produced this work of The Divine Mind. This is Minister Farrakhans Work
and we take no CREDIT for it.

We would like to thank Sister Evelyn Muhammad, Sister Lashun Muhammad

and Bridgette Williams-Laird of New York City for their nights of typing and
proofreading this material. We would like to extend a special heart felt
thanks to Brother Mahmud Ramza for his constant advice and counsel in
helping us to present this material, in this format to the public.

Siddiq Publishing
Box 1101
Bay Shore, NY 11706
631.766.4598
801.697.6429 Fax
SiddiqMarketing@netscape.net

SELF-IMPROVEMENT
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

I GREET YOU ALL IN THE GREETING WORDS OF PEACE:

AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM.
I want to say that I am very happy and honored to have this opportunity to be here in Phoenix,
Arizona tonight. And I want to thank all who made this evening possible. To Brother Jabril Muhammad and the Believers in Mosque No. 32, here in Phoenix; to all of the friends and well-wishers; to
the Chicano and American Indian Brothers and Sisters who welcomed me here; to the distinguished
pastors; to the members of the black religious community; I am very, very grateful ---to the staff of
the Plaza Symphony Hall; to the Police Chief and all of those who helped to make this evening a
peaceful evening; we thank you from the depths of our heart. Thank you, very, very much.
I would also like to thank Minister Don and Sister Tynnetta Muhammad and all of those who spoke
kindly of me and welcomed me to this beautiful city. I am very honored to come here. I am very honored to choose such a city in which to live and do the work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Mixed feelings and controversy surrounded the Honorable Elijah Muhammad when he first moved to
Phoenix. Likewise, those mixed feeling surround Brother Farrakhan in my coming into this area.
These mixed feelings of apprehension and fear and love and hope come because the man and his
message is understood by many in the black community, but misunderstood and purposely misrepresented by those in other communities and this is what creates such controversy around myself
---my person ---and the message that I represent. But, I am so grateful to Almighty God that all of
you are here tonight to listen for yourselves; to make a judgment for yourselves. I think that is the
most intelligent posture that we should hold.
If, in a court of law, a man is considered innocent until he is proved guilty, beyond a reasonable
doubt, then I would hope that you would save judgment of Brother Farrakhan until you have heard
what I have to say. And of course, those of you have heard me on many occasions, you are listening
to a man, who like yourselves hopefully, is constantly growing, constantly evolving. There is a song
that they sing in the Christian church, "God Is Not Through With Me Yet". So, you have to be careful
how you judge something that is on the move. In fact, the only time that you can judge a thing is
when God puts a period to their life and their testament is finished. But, while the Testator is still writing His Testament, be careful what you say; you might have to retract your words.

I have chosen for my subject: "SELF-IMPROVEMENT: THE BASIS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT". Now, there are many, many developers who buy land and develop that land into communities, towns and cities; placing on this land magnificent structures costing hundreds of millions, even
billions of dollars.
This activity of land development is going on in Phoenix and in cities around the country, and, indeed, around the Earth. However, to those who spend those hundreds of millions and billions of dollars building structures: unless we build people; unless the human potential of people is developed;
then man, in his underdeveloped state, will ultimately destroy the cities that he has built because of
revolution and war.
So, the Scripture is right in teaching, "What does it profit a man if gains the whole world and loses
his soul?" What would it profit us to build magnificent technology and the soul of those human beings are wretched and deprived and underdeveloped and rotting from within? How does one lose
one's soul? What is so important about the soul, or the essence of our being, that if we lose it, we
lose everything?
There is a verse in this Book, the Qur'an, that says that on the Day of Judgment that if a man owned
all of the wealth that is in the Earth, he would ransom it to keep himself from the chastisement of
God. Well, what is it about the chastisement of God that is so great and what is it about the wealth
that people abundantly seek that is so little, that you would give it all away to save your life in a time
of trouble? This is why I have chosen the subject, "SELF-IMPROVEMENT: THE BASIS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT". Because it is the improvement of each of us as human beings that is
lacking in the world, and because instead of human beings improving, they are degenerating. Then
there is no hope for the cities, there is no hope for the towns, there is no hope for the nations, for
they are all on a path of self-destruction.

It is written in the Holy Qur'an, which is the Book of Scripture for the Muslims, that Allah created man
to face difficulties. God has brought us all onto this Earth to face one difficulty after another and it is
the facing of these difficulties and the overcoming of these difficulties that helps us to improve our
character and improve ourselves.
Now, the key word is 'to face' a difficulty. 'To face' a difficulty means to look at it; to assess it; to summon the total strength of our being to oppose it; to overcome it; to have a determined, persevering,
courageous spirit to overcome the difficulty. There is no difficulty that man is faced with that man
does not have the ability to overcome, if he will summon the strength of his being against that obstacle in the pathway of his progress.
But, how many of us turn our backs on difficulties? Whenever the difficulty comes, we turn away
from it; try to find an easy road out of a difficult situation. I am talking to all of us. How many of you,
when a difficult situation arises in your life, summon the strength of your being to stand resolutely
and firmly in the face of that difficulty to overcome it? Or, do you turn away?
Brothers and Sisters, each time we turn away from the struggle to overcome difficulty, there then is
deterioration of character and there is destruction of the Will ---and the Will that is within you is God's
gift. It is His Essence that He gives to man and anything that deteriorates your Will destroys your
ability to cope with the problems of life. Struggle is ordained.
Struggle is ordained by God. God is not a vicious God. He is a Loving, a Beneficent and Merciful
God, but He ordains struggle. Because without struggle, you cannot bring out of yourself that which
God has deposited within you. It is something that has to be brought out and it is a struggle overcoming difficulties that manifest your own gifts and your own sublime qualities.
Struggle in ordained, but the Qur'an teaches that 'after difficulty comes ease'. God gives you difficulty then He gives you ease. It is like a blacksmith, if you will, who is shaping a piece of steel. He
puts it in the fire then he beats it and he cools it; he puts it back in the fire then he beats it, he cools
it. This is the way God forges men and women of character. He does not forge you into great men
and women without the fire, the water and the beating. These are the difficulties of life; we must face
them; we must overcome them. All Praise is due to Allah.

Look at the little bird. See how it pecks its way out of the egg ---the shell. It struggles to come forward. Then, that bird struggles to get its balance and it struggles to fly. But, when it flies, it's gone.
God has ordained struggle. Look at the caterpillar, how it struggles to get out of the cocoon and look
at human life as it struggles to come forth from the womb.
Coming to birth is painful. It's painful to the mother, but if the baby could tell you what it just came
through, the baby would have a story to tell; for oft-times, when the baby comes forth, it's head is
pained, there are bruises on the shoulder, because birth is painful. Likewise, you cannot go to new
levels of consciousness, new levels of awareness, new levels of power and development without
pain; and if you shrink from pain and won't face the pain and face the difficulties, you will never
evolve to the people that Almighty God intends for you to be.
This Book, the Holy Qur'an, teaches that man is created complete, yet incomplete. How is man complete, yet incomplete? There are stages of evolutionary development. We start, as the Qur'an
teaches (and biologists will bear witness), from a cloudy drop of water called sperm, mixed with
ovum. Then we evolve into a clot, then into an embryo, then into fetus, then we come forward
---complete, yet incomplete. You are today complete, yet incomplete.
Human life has a pre-determined goal. The pre-determined goal of all human life is not to walk the
streets of Phoenix with dope, no hope, no direction, no guidance. The pre-determined ---now listen
to this ---I didn't say 'determined', but, 'pre-determined'. Before you came into existence, there was a
goal set for your life and that goal for your life is written in the Bible and in the Qur'an: that goal is to
make that life meet with the Source; its Creator.
This Qur'an says that many of you deny meeting with God. Some of you think that the only way you
meet with God is that you have to die physically, and they say 'I am sending you' or 'You are going
to meet your Maker'. No, no, no, no, no, that is the wrong way to understand Scripture, Brothers and
Sisters.
Did you think that when you meet with God it's going to be a sit down ---'How you doing', God! Glad
to meet ya. Sure nice. I been thinkin' about you. Been prayin', now I get a chance to see you, talk to
you.'? This is not a meeting. To 'meet with', means to 'join' the essence of your being to the Essence
of The Originator of all of this life. To 'meet with', to 'join with', that is the pre-determined goal of human life.

Look at you, male and female. You have a pre-determined nature that makes you gravitate towards
one another. You just can't help yourself. If you make yourself other than that, that's what you did.
Nature has given you a goal to meet one another. I'll get off that. But that's all truth. We all have
problems and those who have that problem, I hope you will listen carefully; and all other problems.
Listen carefully to what Brother Farrakhan says to you tonight from The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and think about it, and I'll guarantee you that you will come away from here with a different perspective on your life tonight.
Now look. As we move towards union ---male and female ---or move towards union ---people with
people ---this union brings joy and peace in a measure. When you marry, that doesn't mean you are
united, that means your intention to unite has been sanctified in the presence of witnesses. You
have intended to come together as one. But, it takes years of struggle to overcome the problems
that keep male and female, which are made by God to be together as one, it takes years of struggle
to become one. But, when you become one, there is joy and peace in that union. When people
struggle to become one, there is joy and peace in that union.
I heard my Chicano brother say that the Mexicans and the Blacks should no longer be divided; the
Native Americans, the Mexicans, the Blacks, should no longer be divided. But I will say this: Humanity should no longer be divided. It is joy and peace when people can unite. But Indians and Mexicans
and Blacks can never become a united people without a struggle.
We must struggle to overcome the difficulties imposed by our desire to be united. There are always
attending difficulties. But how do you deal with it? Do you run away from it, or do you face it with resolve that our unity is more important than things that keep us divided with one another?
Now, Brothers and Sisters, the greatest goal of all is to meet with, or to form a perfect union with, Almighty God Allah. When there is a perfect union with God and when we become one with our Creator, then the Attributes of God come right across our own personality and character, so that we become one with the Source of life, so that when you see the person, you are actually looking at God.
Wait, now, I don't want to throw you off. I want you to follow this carefully. If you can become one
with the Creator, join with him in a perfect union, which is a great struggle, then His Attributes, His
own unique Personality, will impress

itself upon you and His own Being will come across your being, so that you die, He lives, in you
---through you. When they see you, they see Him, for you are in him and He is in you. Is that clear?
Are you alright?
This is what is meant in the Scriptures by the 'transfiguration' of Jesus of the Mount. It didn't take
place in the valley; it never does. You have to go up in the Mount. Why? Because to climb a mountain tests your will, tests your heart, tests your endurance, test all the fibers of your being. So, when
you reach the summit ---not the summit of a mountain ---but the summit of life's struggle when you
become one with your Creator. Then you can absolutely have His figure come across you.
This is why Jesus is so important in the New Testament. His life, according to the Qur'an, is a
'perfect example'. We need to understand why the life of Jesus is a 'perfect example'. I will touch that
in a minute. We are talking on "SELF -IMPROVEMENT: THE BASIS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT".
Now, all Muslims who are present, we have a ritual in Islam that is called 'Hajj' or 'Pilgrimage', where
once in a lifetime every Muslim is to make a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, in Arabia. I have
been blessed to make that wonderful pilgrimage. But, when I made that pilgrimage, it was clear to
me that pilgrimage was nothing more than a sign of another journey; the journey of the sperm to its
goal, which is not to meet in Mecca, but to meet with that which Mecca represents, that which the
Ka'bah represents.
When we get to Mecca, we say, 'labaika Allah-umma labaika', 'Here I am, O Allah, in Your august
Presence'. When you are in the Presence of God, when you meet with God, you have preformed the
real pilgrimage. And that, each one of us is to perform in our lifetime. Our whole life is a struggle to
meet with the Source of our life.
The Qur'an says when you meet with God, you become a soul at rest and it says, 'O Soul that is at
rest! Well -pleased with thy Lord and thy Lord well -pleased with thee'. When you reach that point in
your development where you have improved and developed to the point where you are a soul that is
no longer fighting, no longer struggling, but you have reached the goal and the soul is at rest; you
are well-pleased with God and God is well-pleased with you. That's the goal. But to reach this great
goal, there is struggle at every stage. After overcoming one stage, there is ease to build you up for
the next stage of struggle. This is the path to God and this is the path to Self-Improvement.

Now, if you look at the prophets, all of them are examples of this struggle. Every prophet that God
sent into the world is an example of this struggle to meet with God.
Though the prophets' examples are not what I would call a perfect example; (because) the prophets
struggled in the absence of God with Light from God that is considered, in symbolic language,
'moonlight'. Since the Moon represents the Sun, in the absence of the Sun it has no light of its own;
it borrows light from the Sun and reflects it to the Earth. But, they do not see. They are not a witness
of God's Divine Presence; they are only a witness that God is interested in the affairs of men. Do
you follow what I am saying? If you have a limited light, you can only be a limited example. The
prophets of God had limited light; therefore, their example is limited. It is not the apex example of human beings.
This is why in the Christian context, Jesus Christ is the Supreme Example. Why is Jesus the Supreme Example? Jesus is the Supreme Example because he is not a 'prophet', in the classical
sense of that name; he is the Master of prophets. He comes, not as 'a' star of God, but 'The Star' of
God ---for in Jesus is a witness, not that God is Coming, but that God is Present. Listen, listen, listen
now.
Jesus becomes the Supreme Example because he is not moonlight, but he is actually sunlight, or,
'The Light of the World'. So, Jesus gives man a glimpse of his potential. Jesus is not here for you to
worship him; he is here for you to follow his example, that where he is, you may be. Meaning that
what he has become you also can become if you follow that path. Do you follow what I am saying?
Listen, Reverend. You know, Reverend, we waste a lot time getting the people to worship Jesus,
when in reality, we should be getting the people to follow his example. If the group had followed the
example of Jesus, you wouldn't just have Jesus, Peter and Paul, but every where you look, you
would see another Jesus. Because if you follow that example, Jesus is only manifesting what is
really in yourself.
Are you following what I am saying? 'This is a different message from Farrakhan. I thought Farrakhan was telling us we should hate people.' You don't know where Farrakhan is coming from. You
really don't listen. You'll understand me better if you stop trying to pre-judge and do some post-judging. Listen to what I am saying about this man, Jesus.

He is the Perfect Example of human potential. Therefore, he should be shown to men, not as some
being that is out there in space, that we can never attain. That is the wrong way to preach Jesus. If
you make Jesus acceptable, he becomes reachable. But you put him out there on cloud 9, saying,
'Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Master, Jesus has control of the forces of nature', and you don't show every
human being that he was born of a woman and came through the vicissitudes of life, just like you.
He struggled and overcame and the last test that he had to overcome was death. Not this death that
you are thinking about. I'll get to that later on. Not too long from now, don't worry.
But, he overcame death to give us an example of how death is to be overcome. But, once you get
past a certain point, you are out there. It is like an astronaut going out in space. I mean, Brother,
those first few minutes ---they are rough. When they reach the ceiling of gravity, where there is pure
fire; they are going through fire; they have the heat shield around them. It's rough, Brother. But when
they get out in Space, they have gotten out of the pull of gravity of this sphere; then there is smooth
sailing. But, getting put there ---that is the test.
You know, when I was in church, we used to sing a song at Easter time ---in the Episcopal Church
---I don't know how they do it in the Baptist Church. But, it went like this: 'The strife is o'er, the battle
done, the victory of life is won. All glory to the risen Son, Allelujah!' Now, I sang that as a Christian,
but today I understand it as a Muslim.
Tonight, there are Christians and Muslims praying together, singing together, seated together. Why?
Because Farrakhan does not come into the Valley to divide people who believe in God, but to show
those who believe in God that, if you truly believe in God and seek to understand what you believe,
you find a way to connect things that appear to be diverse and different. Because, if we can connect
Indians and Mexicans and Blacks, who appear to be different ( and whites ), then what can you do to
connect Hebrews, Muslims, Christians. It should be easier to connect those who believe in God than
those who are culturally and racially different. Tonight, we are going to overcome all of that.
I am sure you will agree with me that there is a great problem with man. I am not talking about color,
now. The white man has a problem and is a problem to himself and others. Listen. Wait a minute.
'Now here come that racism.' No, no, no, you just be quiet.

The Black man is a problem; he is a problem to himself and he is a problem to others. Listen. The
Chicano is a problem, but he is problem to himself. The Indian ---Native American ---is a problem to
himself. All human beings are suffering from a problem and the problem is not somebody else; the
problem is yourself.
We have a problem. And tonight, what we want to do, quickly, is just analyze what is giving us all of
this hell. Will you help me to analyze this thing?
I am a Black man and I love Black people. I sit and cry over the beauty that I see in Black people
that perhaps others do not even see. I am willing to give my life tonight, if dying will make life better
for you. I would leave here tonight, and die for the Black man. I would rather live for you, but if dying
would do it, I would die tonight. I don't want to live seeing you in this condition; I do not care to live
and watch my people dying in my face and I do nothing to help them out of this condition. I cannot
take that. But, Brothers and Sisters, listen to me.
If every white person on Earth dies tonight, you would have a problem tomorrow. My Chicano and
Native American brothers and sisters, if the white man died tomorrow, you would have a problem the
day after. The problem is not the white man. The problem is something within yourself that you are
not facing up to. Listen to me. White people, there is something in yourself that you are not facing up
to. So, each of us has some facing up to do. But, somebody has to show you your face, so that you
can face up to your face and deal with yourself. Forget about you neighbor. I want you, tonight, to
deal with you, because you are your worst enemy.
I listened to the television this morning. Reverend was really preaching. He was preaching about
how the devil is seeking to rob you. The devil is seeking to take joy from you. The devil is seeking to
keep you from the Kingdom. The devil is going to do this, you can't let the devil do this. I mean, this
devil raises a lot of hell, doesn't he? And no one can get a handle on this devil and choke the hell out
of him. Tonight is the night I am going to let you put your hands on that devil that is giving you some
particular hell, and you can strangle the hell out of him tonight.
The Holy Qur'an and the Bible teach us that God has no need for any of His creatures. He is above
need of His creatures. He is independent of His creation, but all creation depends upon Him.

The Holy Qur'an, again, teaches us that man thinks himself to be self-sufficient. He doesn't recognize his incompleteness. Man is created in need and he or she goes about his whole life in pursuit of
fulfillment of needs; we don't even recognize our need for God until trouble afflicts us. The more
trouble afflicts us, and there is no one around to help us, then we call on God, making our prayer
sincere.
I went into the sweat lodge with our Native American Brothers and Sisters. If you have never had
that experience ---it is an experience. In there with fire; heat like you have never felt; darkness that
resembles the darkness of the womb out of which birth comes.
I was outside of the 'Inipi', listening to those who went in in front of me; I listened to how they called
on God when they were praying. When that heat got hot, I heard them say, 'Oh Grandfather!' And I
mean there was no insincerity in it. You could tell they were reaching for somewhere deep down
within. I heard the Muslims, in the 'inipi' saying, 'Oh Allah!' I mean, they cried His Name out with such
fervor, such sincerity. I said, 'Uh-huh God has to keep us in total trouble in order to get a sincere
prayer from our lips.'
And even those who think they don't believe in God. Just travel on these airplanes and wait until it
hits a severe (air) pocket and bumps. You see the Christian grab for his cross. You see the Jewish
person get the Star of David or the Talmud; a Muslim gets the Qur'an, or something divine. They
don't grab the pilot, because he is in trouble, too. They don't grab the navigator, because he can not
see where he is going. They reach outside the plane to somebody that they know, or believe, has
the power over this wind, over the forces that are tearing this plane apart.
And the Qur'an says: 'And lo! (When I get you safely to port), you set up other gods besides Me.
Surely man is ungrateful.' Look at how you get on the plane and the man says, This is Flight 242,
American Airlines. We will be landing in Los Angeles in 3 hours and 40 minutes. We will be flying at
speed of 450 knots, at an altitude of 36,000 feet and we are looking for an on time arrival.' He does
not say, 'God Willing.' He doesn't recognize that there is another Power here. He (thinks he) is the
power .
Listen to me carefully. That word, 'I', that personal pronoun 'I', represents 'independence.' 'I' will do
this. 'I' will say that... Don't worry, just as good as done. I will take care of it. It's the ninth letter of the
alphabet. The number nine(9) represents completion.

10

Man is complete, yet incomplete, but he does not want to recognize his incompleteness. He is not
sufficient, but he wants to think that he is self-sufficient, so his thinking of his self-sufficiency and his
completeness damages his perception of reality. So he says, 'I will see you tomorrow. Oh, yes, the
money I owe you. I will pay you on the weekend.'
Brothers and Sisters, we can not speak independently of God. We have no control of tomorrow. We
must always recognize Allah and remember our need of Him and our complete dependence upon
Him, lest we abort our development. The moment you say 'I' and you don't think there is another
Power and you don't recognize that there is another Power, you are setting up a state of mind, an attitude, that will abort your meeting (with God) and start you on a degenerative road.
Listen. The Bible says, when you speak, say 'I will do thus and so, if it be the Will of God.' The
Qur'an says, when you speak, say, 'I will do thus and so, Inshallah (if it be the Will of God).' Because
between today and tomorrow, there are forces that you know nothing of, that can interfere with all of
our plans. So our plans must be contingent upon whether God will permit it, or whether Allah will permit it, or Grandfather will permit it, so we must acknowledge Him, lest we make a serious mistake
and abort our own progressive development and improvement in character.
Moses is given to you (the biblical Moses) and me as an example. Here is a man that God chose; a
man that God taught; a man that God empowered; a man that led his people out of Egypt into the
wilderness. He used a rod that God gave him with Power and Majesty, but he was overcome and
said, 'Must I smite the rock and bring forth water?' And God said, 'What is this? What is wrong with
you, Moses? What do you mean, must you smite? Have you forgotten Me?' Moses quickly repented.
He said, 'Oh, I am sorry. ' God said, 'It's too late. For this, Moses, I am going to deny you the Promised Land.'
Now, here is a man who served God faithfully, but spoke independently of God, because power has
a way of making you forget. See, you that lust for power, you that have it; you that lust for fame, you
that have it; you that lust for money; you that have it; you that have some of these things that most of
us strive for; once you have it and people admire you, there is a tendency to forget Who it is that you
are dependent upon. When you forget, you lose something. Moses (biblical Moses) lost the Promised Land. What will you lose? See, you lose the Promised Meeting with God, by thinking that you
and I can do, on our own.

11

If Jesus is the Prime Example, and he said, 'I of myself can do nothing, but whatsoever the Father
Wills, that I do.', he is telling you he is dependent. He is not Sovereign Lord. He is dependent upon a
Power bigger than himself. Well, that example should be studied by us, for the Qur'an teaches us
that Allah loves not any self-conceited boaster, who goes about the land exultantly. In fact, the
Qur'an says the most hateful sound to God is the braying of an ass. Even if he gave the ass a voice,
he doesn't like to hear it. When you talk like the jack ass, going about in the land exultantly, a
self-conceited boaster, saying and thinking that you can do things which you really can not do, then
God intervenes to show you that you are not what you think you are.
Look at how many rockets have fallen out of the sky. With a few successful launches of the new program that came out of NASA, suddenly, every rocket they sent up exploded. See, there is another
Power and that Power is trying to tell you, 'Look, man, you are not God. You had better wake up and
recognize, you are coming out into My Universe, taking a peek at what My technology has built. Why
don't you bow down and recognize that there is some body bigger than you?'
************
Now. This part of the lecture is really the heart of it. This is very difficult and I want you to pay attention.
In this Qur'an, as well as the Bible, Allah says, 'I am going to place a ruler in the Earth.' And the Angles say to Allah, 'What will you place in it except that which will create mischief and cause the shedding of blood?... We celebrate Your Praise and extol Your Holiness.' But, God says to them, 'I know
what you know not.... I am going to place a ruler in the Earth and that ruler that I place in the Earth is
going to create mischief and cause the shedding of blood.' The Angles say, "you are Holy, Why
would you do a thing like this?" And God says, 'I know what you know not.' Listen carefully, now.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us a very clear interpretation of this Qur'anic passage. That
interpretation dealt with a ruler who is over the nations of the Earth, who has created mischief and
the shedding of blood. But God, Who knows best, said that even though a mischief-maker 'has become the ruler by My permission, nevertheless, at the end of the mischief-making and bloodshed
there is something that will wipe away the pain of his rule... I know what you know not.'

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Tonight, I would like to advance another interpretation of that scripture. You say, 'Wait a minute, Farrakhan. Who are you to advance an interpretation?' Really, nobody, just a student of a great teacher.
But you know, it is wrong for any man to think that any one interpretation of a divine word is the interpretation. How could this be God's Word and you treat it as though it is your word? If The God, Who
reveals the Book, gives a Word that is comparable to his own consummate knowledge of things,
then how could you dare say that His Word is limited to your meager interpretation, or mine? I would
like to offer this interpretation to you as another way to look at scripture.
Listen. 'I am going to place a ruler in the Earth.' Not on the Earth, but in the Earth. Where did you
come from? Your flesh is from what? The vegetation of the Earth. Your bone is from what? The
stone of the Earth. Your blood is from what? The water of the Earth. This lump of flesh and blood
and bone has to have a ruler in it. Something that rules it; something that commands it; that dominates it. Is that right?
Now look Who is talking. This is the Lord of Creation talking. 'I am Going to place a ruler in the
Earth.' And the Angles said, 'My God, what You are going to place is going to create mischief and
cause the shedding of blood.' Then He answered, 'I know what you know not.' Now, if God is going
to form this body and He knows that you are supreme above the Sun, Moon and Stars, above all the
creatures; you are the supreme existence ---Man and Woman. He is going to place in you a ruler.
But, the ruler that he puts in you has to come through stages of development and on it's way it is going to create mischief and cause the shedding of blood. I want you to follow me, because I want you
to see yourself.
'I am going to place a ruler...' In Hebrew, 'ruler' means 'Elohim' or 'God', 'Divine Essence', 'Will',
'Divine Force.' God shares Himself with Man and Woman. The only reason you can say 'I' is because the true 'I' has shared a part of His 'I am' with you, that you may be. Look, now. He, Allah,
God, places in you a Power from Himself. I am going to say this ---it may create a lot of trouble. But
you all are ready for trouble. When God gives you some of Himself, that is a Power that you have to
learn how to handle. You see some people get fame too fast; what happens to them? You have to
be spiritually equipped to handle the Power of God. When God shares Himself with you. He gives
you a problem to overcome. You have to struggle with the only force that is in you, which is the God
Force. There is no other force but God. 'But I thought there is a Devil.' Wait a minute. That is what
you become when you abuse the God Force and use it for negative ends.

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Many years ago, people thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Then they thought
that perhaps the Sun was the center of the Universe. So, we asked the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
one day, 'Is the Sun the center of the Universe?' He said, The Sun is very near the center.' He didn't
say any more. The Sun is not the center. God Himself is the center of what He creates. He makes
everything to revolve. If the Sun were the absolute God, it wouldn't move; it would just make everything else move. But the Sun is also revolving. It is near the center and there is an Unseen Reality
that makes the Sun move.
Look at a child. What makes a child want to be the center of attention? Have you seen your children? You have been one, probably you still are. How many of us want to be the center of attention?
'Hey, look at me, ha, ha.' Why do you think people go into show business? They want to get attention. And when people shower attention on them, they feel so good. They become a star; they become great. Then they begin to think they are different; they talk different. It takes time for the child
to mature, to realize that there are others in this world other than himself. I want you to look, now.
Don't look at anybody else; look at yourself, because I am talking to you.
If the child does not get attention, he resorts to destructive means to get it. God is a Lifegiver, but
God also Destroys. The same Power is within us; we can give life, but we can also destroy. So, if we
don't get attention, we break the party up. 'If the organization won't recognize my tremendous skill
and ability, I'll break the organization up.' Look at you. 'If the church won't recognize that I can sing
better than anybody in the choir, I'll break it up.' What kind of mind is that? What kind of power is
that, that you have misused? See, someone is creating mischief with a created thing. Your voice is a
gift of God, but it is the way you use it.
The child must learn to accept it's place with others. You are the center of nothing. And you are deluding yourself if you think you are. There is always a True Center and you are not it; neither am I.
Again, I am quoting from the Qur'an; the Qur'an says the 'Jinn' was created before Man. Some
scholars say that 'Jinn' means a being of fiery nature and temperament. Have you ever watched an
infant when you don't give it it's desire? The infant will cry so hard. watch it now; it cries so hard until
you see fire come right up in it's face; it may be black, but it turns red with fire of anger, because
'You didn't give me what I wanted! I am hungry! I want to be changed; not tomorrow, right now! And
if you don't change me, I'll raise so much hell, nobody in this house will sleep!' The infant is a creature of the Jinn comes before the Man, you must come through the fire of emotion before you can
become a developed human being. You have to learn to control these forces within your own being
that come from God Himself, before you can become a human being.

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The child wants gratification now. Allah says you must learn patience. And when you are patient, it
shows that you are maturing psychologically. The child is selfish. It wants everything for itself. And
so, a child has all of these forces within that have to be controlled; that is why God gives children
parents.
It is something to make a baby and not know what to do with it. Most of you, dear mothers, are wonderful, wonderful creatures, but you make babies and you don't know what to do with them. Poor father, he is just out there. He just plants the seed and runs away. He doesn't know what to do with
life. You are given the child, mothers and fathers, parents; we are given to exercise control over
these forces within the child. And you must feed your child knowledge, guidance, as you exercise
control, that child may grow into the proper use of the Divine Force. Therefore, when the parents
does his job, it turns the child over to institutions that become the stewards of the Life Force.
School is not school ---it is the steward of the Life Force in you and my children. It is the 'other
Mother', the other nurturer and fosterer of this child and it's development on the road to it's meeting
with God. Listen, now, schoolteacher. You have never been trained like this.
Church ---that is an institution. The pastor is supposed to educate the congregation in the matter of
control and guidance of their lives and the young lives of their children. Then, you have Government
---that is an institution. These are the stewards of the Life Force of the people. Therefore, you are
given the privilege to make laws to govern the people. But what have you done? You have created
mischief and caused the shedding of blood, because there is ignorance in the church; there is ignorance in the government. In fact, children rule over us.
Each of us has great potential, but a just and balanced home, governed by wisdom, fosters that potential. However, when the home, or the society, develops one child to the neglect of another, or one
people, to the neglect or detriment of another, we set up the destruction of that home, that school,
that society; for you are making devil. 'What did you say?' Yes, I said you are making devils. And,
when you make a devil, you ought to be responsible for what you make. You are making your destruction, in your homes, in the schools, in the church, in the society; we are making devils. Now,
wait a minute. 'My God, Farrakhan, this is terrible.'

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Look at all of you righteous people in the church. How come there is no peace there? Come on, all
of you saints; you sanctified ones. Who is raising hell in your church? 'Well, it's the devil.' Yes, the
devil in you. You don't want to come to grips with that, do you? I told you you are going to have to
strangle that beast before tonight is over.
Man can be an animal or Man can reflect God. You start in this world, like a fish, swimming in a bag
of water. You evolve out of that and you come forth crawling; like other crawling things on the Earth.
God never intended for you to be an animal. He wanted you to be a perfect reflection of Himself.
But, there must be a coming out of the animal stage of development into a moral consciousness,
where you have a spirit in you that accuses you for what you do, based on that which you know instinctively is right.
I remember once, I went to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. There was a young girl; she was about
twelve (12) years old and she had committed an act of fornication; she wanted me to go to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and plead her case, because she said her mama never taught her; that
she did this thing and she was ashamed, but if her mother had taught her about these things, she
probably would not have done it. So, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, 'Brother, don't let that
little girl put that stuff over on you.' He said, 'Her mama didn't have to teach her. Ask her where did
she do this thing. And, if she went and did it in the dark, which I am sure she did, then that meant
she did not want the light to discover her activities.'
Listen, now. Listen to what he said. When you are innocent of something, you do it in the open. But,
when have to find a dark place to do your thing, whatever it is, then this means there is something
about this that you know you should not be engaging in. So, he said, 'Go and give that girl time.'
Now, when he told me that, he said, 'God created the planets at right angles to the Sun and He created the brain cell of Man to think right. So when you think other than right, you think against the
grain of the brain cell; therefore, you damage your brain and the power of the mind.'

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There are things that you instinctively know are right; you don't have to be taught that. The nature of
you is created that way. There are other things that you have to learn, but most of us know right from
wrong. It is an instinctive thing that God puts right within the nature of you. So when there is a moral
consciousness, your mind says: 'I shouldn't do that. I am wrong.' Then you are coming awake. And,
when you are condemning you own actions, then there is an awakening of moral consciousness.
You are coming out of an animal stage into a moral stage of development; that is a very good sign.
But when you can do evil with impunity and don't feel anything, you are dead morally, dead spiritually and you are an animal in your so-called 'human' existence.
We live in a world that is spiritually and morally underdeveloped and man's potential to become human has not been realized. People all over this Earth exist on an animal plane. And that is why, in
the Book of Revelations, John the Revelator saw four great beasts in human form. And you yourself
have become a beast in human form.
God gives you, in Scriptures, a snake crawling in the garden and some of us have become just like
that. We slip up on our brother in a crooked, surreptitious, snakelike manner, whispering deceit. That
is a person with human potential, but who has generated into a viper. So Jesus said, 'You generation of vipers.' look at what he called people. He called them snakes. They weren't actual snakes,
but their actions were like a snake, because the Divine Force of the Divine Light within them was being used for negative purposes; therefore, they had become an enemy to God and an enemy to His
Will for themselves, as well as each other. They had become 'Shaitan', 'Satan', or 'Devil'.
I am not blind to what I am speaking of. Here is a man on drugs. His wife is clean. His evil has affected himself so that he does not want to stop at himself, so he goes to his wife and says, 'Baby,
you ought to try this.' I have seen men smoke reefer and blow the smoke of the reefer into their
baby's face. I have seen men feed their children beer or wine. Well, if you will abuse that life with
wine, whiskey, beer or drugs, you will abuse it sexually. Animals in human form. Beasts in human
form, demanding respect. Who can respect an animal with Divine potential? I can cope with a dog
when it lifts it's leg by the fire hydrant, but I cannot cope with a human being that acts like an animal.
That human being needs to be taught. The animal is instinctively an animal; but you, you can come
out of that stage that you are in.

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There is but one life and that is Divine Life. All life comes from water, is that right?
Water is H2O, is that right? It has three(3) stages, or, it can take three (3) forms, depending upon the
condition of the atmosphere. If the temperature falls 32 degrees and below, water changes form and
becomes what? Ice. If it 32 degrees and above, to 212 degrees, it becomes what?
Liquid. When it gets above 212 degrees, it becomes what? Steam, or gas. God gives you Divine
Life. Ice is the opposite of steam. God is the opposite of Devil. There is but one life. God gives you
life. Now, how do you live it? If you live it in a negative way, under the influence of your own life force
that you will not struggle to master, then you become a devil in your person. You become an opposer to the Will of God in your person. There is no devil outside of you giving you hell, it is you, the
devil of yourself, raising hell with yourself and on the Earth.
Does this negate what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught? No! This bears witness to what he
taught. The more you struggle to gain mastery over yourself, the closer you come to God. It is faith
in God that stretches you towards Him. It is your faith in Him that makes you move closer to Him to
connect with Him. And when you connect with Him, Heaven and Earth meet.
This is why, in the Book (I think it is Genesis), Jacob wrestled with an angel all night long, until his
life was preserved. You have to wrestle with the God Force in your own Self, in order to advance. If
you do not wrestle and overcome it with an intelligent, enlightened, mature mind, you become a
devil.
We have reached the point, or place in time, where the childlike, mischievous, blood shedding nature of man is threatening his own existence. Man's desire to become the center has ruined his own
world.
Now, I am going to speak specifically to Caucasian people ---without malice, without hatred, just
speaking to the facts. You have desired to be the center of the life of all other peoples of the world.
You want your color to be the center of beauty for them. You want your culture, your way of looking
at God, your way of looking at life, to be what they perceive reality as. And because you desire that,
like a child, to be the center of everything ; white folks, you are not the center; you have got to take
your place. Listen to me good! Your desire to be the center has ruined you, ruined your soul and ruined your nation and ruined your world. You are not the center. God has always been (the center),
but you won't recognize Him, with your proud, arrogant, haughty, self-conceited, boastful, mischief-making, blood shedding malice.

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It is this childishness that produces racism. 'Well, my color is better than yours. See, I am white.' Or,
the reverse, 'My color is better than yours, I am Black.' 'Well, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
taught us that Black is beautiful.' It is; it should be to you. But, if you take that to the extreme, you will
become what you condemn. If Black is so beautiful, and you are so supreme, how can you walk with
the Indians? How can you walk with the Chicanos? How can you walk with another human being? If
Black is supreme, then you want to be where? Above everybody. The center of everything. 'You ain't
got nothin' to say, Indian, because I am supreme today. I am the Black man. 'Well, you ain't so
Black.' 'Well, I'm Black enough.' Then it starts getting ridiculous. Chinese people saying, 'It's time for
the slanted-eyed people to rule. Only rice-eaters rule today.' Mexicans say, 'No, no, no. It's tortilla
time.' These are children. These are little children playing childlike games with the Divine Force of
Life . You cannot do it. This has messed you up, white folks. And it will mess you up, Black man. We
cannot play that kind of game.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught you Blackness, because the Caucasian had made you
hate what God had created you to be. He didn't teach us Blackness for us to be another mischief-making devil in the name of Blackness.
Sexism: 'I'm a man. I run this thing. Get in the home where you belong, woman. Shut up! You don't
speak here. Cook! Sew! And, above all, Have babies.' That is a hell of a mischief-making role to put
a woman in and make you a 'thing'. And you, with your silly self, you go along with it.
Here is a man who dresses you up like a piece of meat and you don't care to be anything but a piece
of meat for a man to look at and measure. 'I'm 36-23-42.' Sex is a created thing, that man, in his mischievous, childlike nature, wants to abuse now. Look at you little devils. We are messed up.
'My country 'tis of thee, sweet land liberty.' I can see President Reagan now, standing there with his
hand over his heart, tears running out of his eyes, as the Statue of Liberty is lit; a big, overgrown,
child. Mischief-making child! What makes America greater than any other nation? Nationalism is a
curse when you put your nation above others. It is righteousness, you are a self-inflated, self-conceited, selfish, self-centered, vain, egotistical, proud, arrogant six-day-old child.

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'More gold! More gold! Anybody got gold? Well, I'll take the gold. Alright, you Indians, I marched you
all out West, put you on the worst land I could put you on, now I find that you have the last energy
resources in America. Indians, I am coming after you one more time. I want the oil; I want the uranium; I want the gas; and I don't care how many human lives, how many babies I kill, because I am
a mischief-making, blood shedding, child. I am a Devil in human form.'
I know that there are 22 million Black people in South Africa, but we whites, we have the right to take
this land. We have the right! We built these cities, we built these towns. These niggers didn't do anything! Get in the mines and get the gold! Get in the mines and get the diamonds! That's all you are
good for. Your human life, your human potential, means nothing. You are Black! You are a devil.
This is Satan Botha talking, Satan Thatcher talking. They are deliberating over our lives. Satan,
Devil, Beast in human forms. 'I thought you stopped calling people devils.' I call you what you are.
I do not say this with hate; I want you to see that you are facing the challenge of your life, because
now your white racism is producing a backlash. Now, Black people want to assert their Blackness
and they have a better 'rap'. You tried to make us think we are inferior, and we produced you (you
didn't produce us)? How could we be inferior and your genes have their origins in our genetic structure? How could we be inferior and we slept in order to allow you to rule? We are waking up, now
you cannot rule us any more.
So the Yellow Man is coming up, asserting his power today. The Brown Man, in Japan, is coming up,
asserting his power, today. The Black Man, in Africa, the Caribbean, America and the Isles of Pacific, is coming up today, reaching for his power. But, it is a childlike reaching that is producing
bloodshed and more bloodshed. But God said, 'I know what you know not.'
'I know that he is a Mischief-maker, but he can come out of that. I know he is a little devil now, but I
am going to make him a God after a while. Yes, he is going to fulfill all of the evil that he can do, until
he is dissatisfied with his own rebelliousness. He is going to long for a change and that is when I will
come. I will come in fullness of Time. I will come after the works of Satan. And I will offer Man a
chance to redeem himself.' Look at it, Brothers and Sisters. This is your Bible, really, opened up in
front of your eyes. When the Bible talks about the resurrection of the dead, it is not

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talking about people coming up out of cemeteries, it is talking about the Divine Light of God coming
up out of you after it has been frozen in death of a child like existence.
In my conclusion: Adam fell and Adam's fall is only a picture of man's fall from his Divine position
with God. Adam was no shallow creature. Adam was a man who had power over angles. He was
born to take God's place in the rulership over this domain; born with that potential. But he disobeyed;
he transgressed and fell. 'Fall' does not mean he fell out of heaven onto Earth. 'Fall' means when
you fall from your spiritual power, your moral make-up. You become an animal in human form. That
is the fall, Brothers and Sisters. And I suggest to you, with deep respect, that Humanity has fallen
and become cheap, base animals in human form.
You could not do the things that you do, if you were not an animal in human form. You don't steal
from another human being. You don't beat up an old man or hit an old woman in the head. This is
not white people doing this; this is you, Black man, doing this to yourself. You don't take a young girl
and throw her down in an alley and rape her. She is not offering herself to you; that is the act of an
animal, a sick, depraved mind. You are a sick people and you need a doctor. This 'Black and proud'
stuff is not where it's at anymore, Brothers. You are sick and you need a doctor. You need to come
up out of that condition because you have become an enemy to yourself.
The Old Testament is a testament of law. Moses brought a law. You don't give laws to a righteous
people. Look at his law. 'Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not kill.' What kind of people is this?
God gave Moses a law for this world. As long as that law existed, the wickedness of man was kept
under the wrap of a righteous law. But, when Nimrod broke the civilization of Moses, he broke the
law. Once there was no law, wickedness rushed out of the people's souls, because they were
wicked and the law made them look right.
Jesus came into the world and the people said, 'He doesn't come preaching the law.' They were so
dark in their minds, they killed him. Now, we are 6,000 years from Adam. We are at the end of the
law. God doesn't come to control you with the law. Law is only a cover for your wickedness, it does
not make you better. Listen!

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I just came from Mecca, in Arabia. If you fornicate, they will cut your head off. If you steal, they will
chop your hand off. They don't have a lot of stealing there and there is not a lot fornication and adultery. That doesn't mean that people don't want to do it though. It just that the price is too high. So,
they think about it all night long. And when they get on that plane going to London and Paris, they
take off those holy garments and put on their jeans. The sheiks are in the disco; they fornicate, commit adultery, do anything that they are big enough to do. Then, when they return to Saudi Arabia,
they are 'holier-than-thou'.
You see, law is a cover for hypocrisy. It makes you look right when you are wrong, It is hell on the
inside. This is why Jesus said that he that lusts after a woman in his heart has already committed the
act; Jesus was not interested in you looking good on the outside, he was interested in purifying man
from the inside and the law will never do that. Someone has to grow man out of this childlike stage.
And what is the Force that grows, evolves, feed, nurtures, nourishes?
The New Testament is called the testament of love. And so, Love replaces Law. Man gets a period
of Grace and in that Grace there is Love. If that is rejected, then comes Destruction.
Now, what I am saying to you, when I speak to the Jews, is not hatred. I am concerned that you do
not end up being destroyed by God. I am saying to you, that what you have done to the Palestinians
is wrong. You don't like me. What did I do? I say, 'You are wrong.' I didn't do anything against you. I
am like your mother. A good Jewish mother will spank you when you are wrong. A good Jewish
mother does not care whether you desire a thing; if it is wrong, she will speak against it. You may
dislike her for awhile, but you will get over it. But Brother Farrakhan is Black. I don't look like your
Jewish mother, but I am better than she is by you, because you are wrong, and I must tell you that!
Whether you like or not is irrelevant and immaterial. But, if you will come back from your wicked
ways and grow up, you can return to God. You can not force yourself on Him as the chosen people!
God chooses whom He pleases and He doesn't choose you today! That is all that I am saying.
Unless you choose Him! If you choose Himand will submit and return and repent, then alright, come
on in! But don't attack Farrakhan! "Death to Farrakhan!" Death to me? For what?!
You don't want me in the Valley. What is so precious in the Valley that you don't want me here? You
are, according to what I heard on the news, ranked Number 5 in the country in dope. You should
want me all over the Valley.

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You think that man is physical, so you feed him physical things and you think that he is satisfied. You
cheapen women. You give them a fur coat: 'Here, baby. Wear this fur coat, darling. Here is a diamond ring, put it on, sweetheart. Bless your heart. Honey, what else do you want?' And you walk
away and tell your friends, "I know that she loves me." Then find her in bed with someone else and
you wonder why. It wasn't the diamond ring; it wasn't the fur coat. You have misjudged reality.
When you get away from God, you mis-perceive. You think she is a thing, so you give her things.
But her essence is the Essence of God. She can not be satisfied with 'things'. You have to give her
what her soul is born and created to feed on, and it can not feed on 'things'; it feeds on the spiritual
essence in a man that is made by the nature of God to complement what is in her nature. Listen,
Black man, and listen, all men.
You are not a thing and she is not a thing; Therefore, material things can not satisfy us. When I look
at the mountain, it is a 'thing'. But it is a thing of magnificence, because I see God, and I say, 'Glory
to the God Who created her!' Look at the beautiful trees; look at the insects; look at the life here.
This is magnificent. So what does it do? It feeds something in you that makes you want to go behind
the veil of the mountain, the veil of the valley, the veil of the flower, to see the reality behind the veil;
and the reality is God.
And so, Beloved, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen; for she has become a habitation of devils; a hole of
every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird. 'Babylon' is talking about America,
specifically, but the condition of the whole world, generally. It is a habitation of devils and a cage for
every hateful bird and a hole for every foul spirit.
Go out in the street. There are people drunk, filled with drugs; they hate you because you are Black,
you hate them because they are white, or Mexican or Indian. I listen to the cheap remarks that one
passes against another. It is wrong to degrade another human being who is already degraded. You
can't call him a nigger and degrade him; you can't call a Mexican a 'spic' and degrade him; he is already degraded. He is a devil. He has degraded himself; he has become an animal. You can't call a
white man a 'honky' and degrade him; he is already degraded. He is a devil. He deprived you of
what you of what God wanted you to have; therefore, in depriving you, he deprived himself. You
have become an enemy to God and an enemy to yourself. No one is holding you back; it is you. You
are in your own way.

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'A habitation of devils.' I did not come to Phoenix to add to these problems, but to use the teachings
of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to help solve these problems. And so, until we can face ourselves, until we struggle for self-improvement, self-development, then we can not see the good in
ourselves; therefore, we will not see the good in others. And it is only when you can see the good in
yourself, see the good in one another, that you can start building a true community.
You will start building better homes when you understand, parents, that you have a duty, you can
hardly fulfill your duty, because you have to work. Who is watching your children? You are working,
man; she is working. What are the babies doing? What about their emotions? Who is looking after
the fiery temperament of those children? Who is guiding them? Who is helping them and nurturing
them; fostering them? The street!
Send them to school, and what do they find there? A racist school? A white-centered school! I can
not send my babies to school and you are going to extol your race over all other people as though
we are just 'also rans' on the Planet! How is that good for your babies' minds? We ought to either
change the schools or take our children out of them, because the more your children get a racist,
sexist, materialist education, their ability to run the race of life will fail them. Their teachers have
failed them in the race of life, the government has failed in the race of life; therefore, they are unfit for
the stewardship of the Life Force in human beings.
Beloved, economic development must become a reality and we can not look to the government to
do it for us.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt started welfare and the welfare was alright, but when you keep a medicine going beyond the time, it begins to kill the patient. Welfare has grown to mean 'farewell' to productive living. No human being can be self-gratified waiting for a check to come on the first of the
month. This is degrading to the human spirit. It robs us of the ability to struggle to attain our own potential. We are only self-gratified when we earn our own way. So we must keep develop to the point
where we can say 'Farewell' to welfare.
With 206 billion dollars coming to Black people every year, there is no reason why we can not say
'farewell' to welfare. But we don't produce any of the things we consume. So we sit around and
laugh and make mockery of the Arabs, the Jews, the Chinese, the Koreans, and others who are in
our neighborhood, serving our needs; but we refuse to serve our own needs. Therefore, they take
the money out of our community into their communities. They live in Paradise Valley while you live in
South Phoenix, in a terrible condition. We have got to turn this around.

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We have decided that we are going to produce some products that we spend money for every day.
We have got to get some of that money back into our own hands to build institutions that serve our
people's needs. Indian, Mexican, Chicano, Black ---we must serve our own community.
I was on the Indian reservation and they said to me, 'Brother Farrakhan, why don't you come and set
up businesses on the reservations?' I said, 'No.' And they said, 'Why not?' I said, 'If I did that, I would
be no better than any other exploiter.' I said, 'What we will do is come and help you set up your own
businesses; then you make the money from your people.' We can not condemn exploitation and
then become exploiters.
You know, you must wash and be clean if you are going to come out of this condition. Bad smelling
and bad acting people, nasty and dirty, is not going to make it. You must clean up. Jesus said,
'Wash and be clean.'
So, we have come out with a new product called 'Clean 'n Fresh'. Brand-spanking new. 'Herbal Essence Shampoo.' Clean your hair; keep it clean. Don't have your hair in the condition where lice like
you, stay with you, cling to you, because you are unclean. And when you put shampoo on, you must
get the conditioner. You must keep your hair in good condition. This is a 'one-two punch'. And it will
knock out the dandruff and all of that bad conditioning of you hair and make it soft and easy to
mange. It is a good product, Brother and Sister. And we are coming into the Valley with a line of
products. We want to offer you a chance to sell these products and earn a living and make some
money and better your condition. Self-improvement must also mean economic advancement.
Here is a wonderful roll-on deodorant; a beautiful shower bath liquid soap; a beautiful hand and body
lotion. Here is a conditioner an hair dress. Brothers and Sisters, this is the first of a line of products.
Within the next few months, we are going to be coming out with a 'Power Plus' line of detergents for
household use. Our brothers and sisters who are out of a job; we want to create a job for you. We
will teach you how to sell and you go. And the commissions you make selling these products will begin to add to your own life. This is only the beginning. It is a humble beginning. It is not what we
want, but we must start someplace. When we start, can you imagine the money coming from this?
We want to help the school system in Phoenix, but we also want to build a school system that is
model for the school system that we desire to help. We must build our own hospitals. The Mexicans,

25

the Indians, the Blacks; we must have our own hospitals. We can not let others experiment on us.
We must care for ourselves, then God will bless the child that has his own.
And so, dear beloved Brothers and Sisters, I conclude by saying to each of you - you and I - we
must come out of an animal or carnal existence. We must become moral and act upon that which is
morally right. Community development is not building buildings. Community development is building
people and linking people with people.
'The strife is o'er and battle done. The victory of life is won. All glory to that risen Son, Allelujah!'
What strife is o'er? the struggle to meet with God. That struggle is over, the battle is done. The victory of life is won. All glory to the ascendant child of the Creator. Now, we can say, 'Praise be to
God! We have come from being animals and little demons and we have become godly and godlike.'
The challenge to the Chicano people is not to look for the enemy elsewhere. Conquer the enemy
within. When you conquer the enemy within, no enemy outside is more powerful, or is able to
weaken you.
Native Americans, it is not the white man that made you fall. It is you who fell from Grandfather. And,
in your fall, according to Indian tradition, the man -the two-legged man -is weaker than the four
legged, creeping things. Not because by nature you are made that way, but because in your fall you
are less than that. So, take on the wings of the eagle. Do not look at the eagle to carry your prays to
God alone, look to the eagle as a symbol of where you can fly if you mount up on the wings of
knowledge and power and conquer the weakness of yourself that caused you to fall in the beginning.
White people. You must struggle against this self-centered thing. You must struggle -- please listen
-against this thing that makes you feel 'white' must always be on the top and it is somehow degrading if someone of another race ascends to a position of glory. This is wrong. If you refuse to struggle,
your whole world will come down as it is coming down around you and it will never rise again. While
there is time, why not admit your fault? Repent of it. Struggle against the weakness of yourself , because you do not have an excuse; God has raised a prophet in every nation, and you, Caucasians,
have had prophets. So, you have had examples of moral Conduct that you could become if you
would struggle. If you do not struggle, then God will end your world.

26

Black man and Black woman, there is nobody to blame. Yes, the white people brought us into slavery. Very good. But, who ordained it? See, if you want to blame somebody, why not blame God?
You don't have the heart, do you? Because God is good, isn't He? He wouldn't let white folks do this
to you -but He did. What did they do this for? You have to struggle to prove there is character in you,
Black man. And that is why the last will be the first. And that is why the stone that the builders rejected is going to be the headstone of the corner. 'It is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our
sight.' You have no excuse, Black people. Nobody to blame; look within and conquer the enemy of
self that makes you an opposer of your own journey toward God. And you put that internal enemy to
flight. There is no external enemy that could handle you.
The challenge now is your and mine. I hope that you and I will be able to say like Jesus, 'the strife is
o'er ...'. The battle is done, man. The victory of life is won; I got it. I made it. Not number one in football, not number one in singing, dancing and clowning, not number one in this and that, but the victory of life, meaning that the Divine Life that God gave you, you finally have connected to the Source
of it.
And now you have become one with God, so there is no more struggle, no more strife, the ballet is
over, the victory is won and you have become a risen child of that Creator that has ascended to the
heights. Then we can say, Allelujah, for Praise belongs to God!
Thank you for listening and may God bless you as I greet you in peace,
As-Salaam Alaikum!

27

THE WILL OF GOD PART 1

WELCOME
GREETINGS TO YOU. I AM MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN, SPEAKING TO YOU LIVE TODAY
FROM THE HOME OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARE WITH YOU MORE OF THE TEACHINGS AND THE WISDOM OF GOD, REVEALED TO
THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
OUR THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE LISTENING ON RADIO STATION WBEE AND OUR
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE LISTENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND EVEN
FROM THE CARIBBEAN, BY WAY OF A NATIONAL RADIO-TELEPHONE HOOK-UP.
IT IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE IN THE HOME OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD; A HOME WHICH ALLAH(GOD) BLESSED HIM WITH; A HOME THAT IS REALLY A SPLENDID MANSION, WHICH HE REFERS TO AS THE PALACE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET EXCITED OR UPSET AT THE REFERENCE TO THIS MANSION AS A "PALACE". FOR A "PALACE",
OF COURSE, IS THE "RESIDENCE OF A KING OR EMPEROR". BUT A "PALACE" IS ALSO THE
RESIDENCE OF A "DISTINGUISHED PERSON".
THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD IS BIGGER THAN AN EMPEROR AND HE IS BIGGER
THAN A KING; AND CERTAINLY HE WAS, AND IS, A DISTINGUISHED PERSON. AND THOSE
OF US WHO ARE CONNECTED TO HIM ARE BEING MADE DISTINGUISHED BY THE WISDOM,
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT HE IS IMPARTING TO US FROM THE ALMIGHTY
GOD, ALLAH.
WE WELCOME YOU INTO THE HOME OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. AND FROM
THIS HOME, YOU MAY EXPECT THAT PARTICULAR GUIDANCE THAT WILL RAISE US FROM
A DEAD LEVEL AND INFUSE US WITH A NEW MIND, A NEW SPIRIT, A NEW DIRECTION.
IT WILL ALSO CAUSE THE RESURRECTION OF THE TOTALITY OF HUMANITY.
(OCTOBER 26, 1986)

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

Dear Brothers and

THE WILL OF GOD.

sisters,

our

subject

matter

for

discussion

today

is

titled:

Everything in creation is the manifestation of the Will of God. All of Creation expresses the Attributes or Characteristics of this Mighty Being, The Originator of the Heavens and the Earth. But the
Will of God is the Power behind the throne. The Will of God is the Power behind the Universe: it's
creation, it's maintenance and it's sustenance.
The Holy Qur'an constantly reminds us that Allah's command is just "Be!" And it is. But this is not
some spooky term such as "Abracadabra!" or "Open, Sesame!". When Allah(God) says "Be!", He
summons the Power of His Own Being, His Creative Mind and Will, to bring about that which He
Wills.
When Allah says, "Be!", this is an expression of His Will. But it is more than just the expression of
His Will, for when He says, "Be!", He arranges forces, resources, angels, people -according to a
Plan -to bring about the Fruition of His Will.
Allah's Will never fails. There is no plan by any scholar or scientist, no power in the Heavens above
or in the Earth beneath, that can circumvent the Plan of Almighty God. In fact, the plans of the present world leaders were all taken into consideration. Before they were even a thought in the mind of
their father, their plans were known. Their scheme was known. And Allah took their plans into consideration. He places His Hand over their plan; He places His scheme over their scheme, so that
even their wicked schemes help to bring about the Fruition of His Will. That is a Mighty, Powerful
Being we are dealing with. When He says, "Be!" it is.
What a wonderful thing, that Almighty God, Allah chooses to share this Power with Humanity! Think
of that, Brothers and Sisters! Almighty God, Allah, Who has created everything by His Will, shares
His Power with you and me! We, today, have the ability to Will. We have the ability to plan, to organize and to bring into fruition our plans. We, too, can say "Be!", go to work, and it is.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us that the brain of Man is "infinite". I want you to think
on it -THE BRAIN OF MAN IS INFINITE. If the brain of Man is infinite, then Man can bring into existence whatever he conceives in his mind; the repository for Allah (God), the place for the God to
dwell. God is infinite in the brain of Man.

In the New Testament, Jesus says that he knocks and if we will open up to him, he will come in and
sup with us. This does not mean that he is a visitor standing outside your door (although it could
mean that, too) , but just as you would open the door of your home to allow into your home one who
is a friend, likewise we should open the door of our ears, the door of our heart, the door of our mind,
to let Almighty God, Allah come in. For there He wishes to dwell: in the Infinity of the Brain of Man!
The Will is the Real Power of Allah (God) in Man. However, the Will must be buttressed, or supported, by Faith and by knowledge. Let us look at will and its meaning; Faith and its meaning; and
Knowledge. Let us look at what Allah (God) has given us of His Will. And what do we have of Faith ?
What do we have of Knowledge, to buttress and support the power of own being?
"Will", according to Webster's, is "the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action." There
is no action that is not preceded by a conscious thought, planning and then the carrying of a plan
into action. "Will" is the power of control that the mind has over its own action(s).
To be able to Will is to have a creative force within that actually can change the conditions of our
lives, the condition of our homes, the condition of our community, the condition of the Nation and the
condition of the World.
But Will without Faith; Will without Knowledge; is Power without direction. It is power that can be manipulated. It is power that can actually be used by a smart, crooked deceiver to make slaves of the
totality of the human family. Therefore, all of us must be possessors of Knowledge and Faith.
Faith, of course, is "confidence or trust in a person or thing." Faith is having confidence in your own
ability or in someone else's ability. In the Divine Scheme of things, Faith is having confidence or
trust in Allah (God). Having Faith is having confidence and trust in His Word: knowing that His Word
never fails; His plan never fails: His Will never fails. When we put our trust completely in Allah (God)
and in His Word, we have the ability to see beyond our knowledge -for what we know is limited.
Faith can be as big as a mountain: Faith can be as big as the Universe itself. Regardless of what
you know, you must have a greater Faith than your Knowledge. For your Knowledge is, of a surety,
limited, no matter how much you know. But if your Faith in Allah (God) is great: your Faith in his
Word is great; then that Faith will lead you to greater and greater Knowledge.
We must be faithful men and women, but we must also be possessors of Knowledge. There are so
many of our people who have a lot of Faith but very little Knowledge. We need both: Faith and
Knowledge; to buttress and support the power of our being, which is our Will.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, nearly 1400 years ago, 'One who goes out in
search of Knowledge is in the Path of God until he returns.' Why did Prophet Muhammad make such
an utterance? It is because when we go out in search of Knowledge, we should never return. For
Knowledge is the Path of God. And Knowledge, like God, is Infinite. When you go out after Knowledge, never say, 'I found it!', for when you have said you have found it, you have stopped searching.
You have stopped seeking. When you stop searching, stop seeking, you reach a plateau of learning. That plateau leads to the death of your society; the death of your own power; your creative energy. Unfortunately, this is what has happened to this world in which we presently live. Man has
amassed a lot of knowledge, but, unfortunately, he believes that he has found it. And in finding it, he
has lost it and is no longer in the Path of Allah (God). So the knowledge that he possesses leads his
society to greater and more complex problemswhich his own knowledge gives him neither the light,
nor the ability, to solve. This is when Allah (God) steps in ---when our own knowledge fails us.
Knowledge without Faith is like a ship without water. Can you imagine a ship without water? No
wonder the people in the days of Noah laughed at him because he built a ship and there was no water. But Noah knew what the people did not know; he knew that water was, indeed, coming.
What about you with this tremendous skill in science, mathematics, physics, chemistry? Don't you
realize that you are yet, a baby? You have a little bit of knowledge and very little Faith in Allah(God).
Consequently, your knowledge takes you nowhere but to self-destruction. And so, Beloved, each of
us would want to develop the power of our own being; to use that power to better ourselves, our
families, our community, our people, our Nation, the world. We must seek Knowledge and we must
develop Faith. For it is knowledge and Faith that buttress and support that great power of Allah
(God) in Man: Man's ability to Will.
The Will is protected and also sustained, not only by Faith, but also by our Attitude, which demonstrates the degree of our Faith. We cannot have a powerful will and a weak attitude. The Attitude
that we have is for the protection of the Will. Change your Attitude and you might redirect your Will.
Attitude is "the manner, disposition, feeling, position" with which we regard a thing. It is a "tendency
or orientation, especially of the mind." Think of these words. It is a "tendency" or an "orientation" of
the mind. In fact, Attitude can give you or damage -your ability to perceive reality. Mood can color
your perception. So we have all of these things that affect the Will, and, in fact, redirect the Will. Beloved, we must be careful of our Attitude. ( We are going to talk about that a little later on in this program, but I want to lay this base before we discuss Attitude.)

Will is Power, but Power must be guided. Guided by what? The Power of Will must be guided by
Knowledge. But there is an emotional force that gives direction to Will. And the emotional force
-which is the creative force upon which the emotional Universe is constructed -is Love. And it is out
of this awesome power of Love that the Will springs up; it springs up out of this emotion, and it is directed and guided by that emotion. When you couple will and knowledge and Love, then you have a
balanced individual, whose Will is being used in a creative, constructive way; not in the way of destruction.
Let us take a look at the things that adversely affect the Power of Allah (God) within Man. From the
time that the baby comes into the world, we see a demonstration of Will. Mother is not teaching the
child from "day one", yet the child accomplishes much in that first year of life. From What? From the
Will.
The Will moves the child to grow and grow and grow. The first year of life is the strongest year of
educational development. It learns more in the first year; and without a teacher! The teaching
comes from within. What does that tell us? That there is a Power within every human being that
can teach and direct. That Power is connected to its Source. It can be a Source of comfort, guidance, protection and deliverance for every human being.
Let us look at the things that adversely affect the Will:

(1) FEAR
Did you know that Fear is what the enemy of Allah (God) at hand, uses to restrict the Power of your
own Will? What are you afraid of? Once someone can make you afraid, they restrict the Power of
your own being to express itself.
Look how many people today live in fear. 'I'm on a job and I am afraid that I am going to be fired' (by
a cantankerous boss or foreman). Think of it. So the foreman is threatening your security. You are
afraid, so it restricts your Will. And, in a sense, it helps to make the individual not just a worker on
the job, but a salve to the job.
Anytime we are afraid to think, to move, to express ourselves, for fear of being censured; for fear of
losing a job; then you need to get away from that type of job, for you have lost the most precious
thing that you could have and that is a Free Will. That is what Allah (God) has given you. But if your
choices are made out of Fear, then you have made yourself a salve.
Fear is a distressing emotion; aroused by impending pain and danger. Of course, the Scriptures
teach us that the Fear of Allah(God) is the beginning of Knowledge and that, of Course, is true.

The Fear of Allah(God) is restricting, but it does not restrict us in a way that damage our development. The Fear of Allah(God) frees us to act in accordance with His Will.

(2) VANITY
The next thing that hurts the Will, redirects the Will, redirects the Power of our being in a negative direction, is something called Vanity.
Vanity is excessive pride in one's qualities, one's abilities and/or one's achievements. It is Conceit.
Vanity can lead to Arrogance. And, of course, anything that is done with the spirit of Conceit lacks
real value. In fact, it is hollow and worthless. And those of us who are self-conceited; who are
overly concerned with ourselves and who see too much importance in ourselves in our relationship
to others; our acts are shallow. Our words are hollow; they have no real value. Consequently, we
are considered, in the Eyes of Allah(God), Worthless.

(3) PRIDE
The next terrible distortion, or that which distorts the Will, is pride. Pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit or superiority. Whether this is cherished in the mind or
expressed openly by our bearing or conduct, makes no difference.
Once the mind is beset with Pride and we swell up with Pride, this directs the Power of our being.
So we do things to enhance our merit, our superiority, our sense of importance. And we come
blinded, by Pride, to the Will of Allah(God); to the Power of Allah(God). Pride makes you think of
yourself as the Power and not God as the Power. Pride will make you pay lip service to Allah(God)
and even feign humility, while in reality, the heart is a boiling cauldron of False Pride which has now
corrupted the Will and redirected it toward an end that makes man a slave of his own self-conceit,
importance and, really, Delusion.
I am sorry to depart from this lecture and make this kind of statement; but such a statement -that
which I am about to make -can be proved true. This (Pride) was the condition of Pharaoh's mind
and it caused Pharaoh to make terrible blunders which led to the destruction of his power, his people
and his nation. This has been, and is, the state of mind of most leaders in the world. And, unfortunately, it is the state of mind of the President of the United States. It is also the state of mind of the
Powerful men and women that are gathered around him. They have for so long thought of their own
importance above obedience to the Will of Allah(God) that their own Pride, now, is speeding them
toward a hasty destruction.]

(4) ENVY
This is another emotion that can absolutely corrupt and redirect the Will. Envy is a feeling of discontent, usually with ill-will, at seeing someone else's superiority, advantages or success. How many of
you -how many of us -are plagued with this disease of the heart, right now? You are angry with
someone whom you feel has an advantage or a success that you believe should be yours. This is a
terrible corruption of the will of Allah(God); of the Will of Man.
[So these enemies of the Will; Fear, Vanity, Pride, Envy, must be gotten rid of. But how can we get
rid of the enemies that keep us from full development?]

(5) LUST
Lust is a voracious appetite; a sexual appetite that is inordinate. It is out of the Divine Law. It is out
of the way of the Order of Allah(God). It is something that we feel we have to do. It is a compulsion.
And we allow that drive, that sexual drive, that Lust, to actually corrupt our Will and direct our will towards ends that are nonproductive of good.

(6) ANGER
To those of us who are angered much, Anger can direct the Will. Anger directs the Power of our being toward the object of our Anger. And ofttimes, in our Anger, we can do very destructive things to
Self and others. Anger is something that must be controlled.

(7) GREED
And of course, lastly, there is Greed. Greed is the accepted inordinate or rapacious desire for
wealth, power, food or drink. Allah(God) wants us to be satisfied. But when we are overcome by
Greed, this lust for wealth or power or food or drink, it manifests itself in our conspicuous consumption. It manifests itself in our directing our Will to destroy those who stand in the way of our assumption of Power. It leads to obesity, where one destroys one's health because of one's Greed; or
destroys one's health because of our uncontrolled urges.
**********

When Allah(God) asks us to become His servants, He asks us to give Him the best part of ourselves. What does Allah(God) ask us for? He asks us for our Will. What does He ask us for? He
asks us for the Power of our being.

Since He gave it (Power of our being) to you and you say 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh
away', then if Allah(God) has given you a bit of His Own Power (which is His Will) then he asks you
will you give it back in surrender, what should our word to Almighty God be? Of course we should
say "Yes. I submit my Will to do Your Will." Not by force, but willingly.
And this is the meaning of the Arabic word "Muslim". To be a Muslim is not some strange thing. To
be a Muslim doesn't mean being radical or being an extremist or being a parrot. To be a Muslim
means that you recognize that your Will that has been given to you by God, as His Gift to you. And
He is requiring of us, obedience to His Will; submitting our Will to His. And when we do that, we are
called Muslim.
And the religion of obedience to the Will of Allah(God) is called, in Arabic, Islam. And so we say to
you, Beloved, that every prophet of Almighty God, was, by the action of that prophet, a Muslim,
though he may not have called himself Muslim as such. But his act of submitting his Will and time to
do the Will of Allah(God) is an act of surrender, that, in Arabic we say he is Muslim, his religion is Islam.
So when we are asked to submit to our Will to do the Will of God, He takes that Will and He fashions
it. He makes that individual unto Himself. So when The Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked us,
'Who is The Original Man?', he is gently directing you back to your original state, since your original
state is to submit.
You came into this world not knowing anything. You came into the world plaint, ready to be taught,
to be shaped, to be guided, to be developed, to be evolved, to be nurtured. And so, you submitted
when you came in. Your original state is one of submission to Almighty God, Allah. And if you return to that state, you can become the Cream of the Planet. For those who submit to the Will of Allah(God) rise above all of those who reject obedience to His Will. By submitting to the Will of Allah(God), we can become the Fathers of a brand new civilization; a civilization superior to those who
have rebelled against His Will.
In fact, we can become that which the Holy Qur'an calls "Caliphat", or, "one who takes the place of
God"; God's Vicegerent. We can become the Supreme Ruler of the Universe Itself. It starts with
obedience to the Will of Allah(God). Because of the awesome power that Man can come into obeying Allah(God), he must learn valuable lessons.

Brothers and Sisters, whenever Allah(God) has chosen a People, He chooses them for Eminence.
He chooses them for Greatness. He chooses them for Exaltation, but he requires of them obedience to His Will.
If we submit, Allah(God) starts exalting us. There is a requirement -a prerequisite, if you will -for Exaltation. And Allah(God) gives us that prerequisite in the very first verse of the Holy Qur'an: Alhamdu li-llahi (The praise belongs to God.) It you submit your Will to the Will of Allah(God), The
Most High, and He begins to exalt you, to nurture you into greater power and creativity and greater
influence, then there should be in us obedience.
So Humility is the state of mind that each one of us must be in, in order for Allah(God) to continue
His Plan of Exaltation for any of us. And, unfortunately, History tells us that every time Almighty God
chose a people for exaltation -when He gave them Power, when He gave them Wealth, when He
gave them Influence, they began to forget Him. They lost their Humility. Their Will became corrupt.
They became hypocritical. They began to speak what was no longer in the heart. And so, Allah(God) chastised those people and He brought other people in their place.
Dear Listeners, this was the fate of Israel. According to the teachings of the Bible and the Holy
Qur'an, Allah chose Israel for exaltation. But He wanted them to submit. He made Israel above the
nations of the Earth. But when she got to a certain stage in her development, she lost her Humility.
She became all of those things that corrupt and redirect the Will. So her Will was no longer the Will
of Allah(God); it became the selfish will of Israel, with God's Name added to that Will. So Allah(God)
punished Israel and made her an example for us today.
The Prophets and their magnificent accomplishments that make them of regard in this world and
worthy of regard in the Hereafter, are all due to the quality and the degree of their submission of
their Will to do the Will of Almighty God, Allah.
The only reason that we call the names of Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon and the great worthies
of Allah(God) is because they distinguished themselves by doing a mighty work. They submitted
their Will to do the Will of God. They are on the pages of history as an example for you me.
But what about the breaking of the Will? Whenever another individual wants to make you a slave,
he wants to break your Will. He wants to absolutely interfere with the faculty of conscious, deliberate
action on your part. He wants to take control of our minds over our own actions.

This is terrible, Brothers and Sisters, but all over the world today, humanity is enslaved by people
who come in the name of Allah(God). People who come in the name of politics, medicine, religion or
science. But their aim is to make you and me submit to them as though they are God besides Allah.
And the knowledge of no leader, no teacher, no prophet is absolute. The prophet only gives you a
knowledge of how to reach the Absolute. The prophet's knowledge may be absolute for that time,
but it is not absolute for all time. He brings you a knowledge that you can rely upon, but it is a knowledge that must lead you to Higher Knowledge, or leads you to the Absolute. And the Absolute is Allah(God) Himself.
Why, then, must you be enslaved to a textbook by one whose perception of reality may or may not
be proper? One whose mind may be damaged by one or more of these damaging things: Envy,
Fear, Greed, Lust, Anger, the swelling of Self-Importance? This kind of thing, that comes out of the
textbooks of learned men, can corrupt our Knowledge if we take our doctors of law and our monks
for lords besides Allah(God). No, no, no! Their knowledge is not perfect.
We must not take imperfect men or textbooks as the Absolute and build our complete world on that
which is an assumption or theory that has yet to be proved true. Only Allah(God) knows how to direct the Light which He has given, for He alone is the Light-Giver. When we submit ourselves to
these 'Johnny-come-lately(s)' and become slaves to preachers or teachers who come in the name of
Allah(God), or in the name of science or education, then we put ourselves under the control of a
mind that is lesser. We become, in the words of a movie, 'The Children of a Lesser God'. Why
should we be the children of a lesser god, when we can be the children of the One True God?
Every day that we live there is someone trying to break our Will. In fact, Black brothers and sisters,
that is what made us slaves. Our Will was broken; our ability to control our own minds was broken.
Somebody wanted to make us a slave, white people, who are the descendants of the slavemasters,
have made themselves slaves.
Now they are slaves to their own material world. Slaves to the Lust for Power. Slaves to Greed.
Slaves to their own Self-Importance. Look at all of these slaves that are in the world. So any of us
who come today in the name of Jesus, in the name of Muhammad, we come to redeem and to free a
world of slaves. Some know that they are slaves and some know not. Many Black people under the
sound of our voice think that they are free. How foolish could we be? You are not physically enslaved to Caucasian people, but you are enslaved to false ideas and concepts espoused by those
who know how to trick and deceive the mind and fill you with false delusion; breaking your Will.

Today, there are people who are fat -just plain fat. Fat for what? You eat too much. What do you
want to do about it? 'Oh, God, I'm so fat...I'll go to my doctor, maybe he will give me a pill.' A pill?!
A pill to do what? A chemical? To slow down your Lust for food? Or, 'Maybe I will go into surgery
and he will put a balloon in my stomach or clip my stomach.' Clip your stomach?! Oh, Brothers and
Sisters, what fools we have become. We are relying on surgery, when the very thing we have to clip
our stomach -the very thing that we should be developing that will give us Power over our actions, is
our Will.
But your Will has been broken. Your Will is destroyed, so the Power of Allah(God) in you is almost
non-existent. You are, in fact, slaves. Oh, Brothers and Sisters, your knowledge is undermined and
your Faith in God and Faith in Self is broken. How many preachers I hear on Sunday morning talking about Faith in God.
But they do not demonstrate this Faith. They are afraid to make a move because of political consequences. 'I am afraid to do this because I am afraid. I will not walk with Farrakhan because it will
hurt me. I will not speak to him publicly because it may hurt me. What is it? It is Fear that restricts
you and it is Desire and Lust that make you a slave to your own desires. This is a shame, for men
whose Will is to be leaders, to be bound and shackled and fettered with such demoralizing chains
and yet claim to be leaders of the people.
This is the way it is with politics. These politicians are the weakest of leaders. One should never put
a vote of confidence in a politician, because he is like a leaf which blows whichever way the wind is
blowing. How can we put our hand in such leaders' hands? Politicians, it is corruption of your Will,
the breaking of your Will and the making of yourselves a slave. Again, the Government of the United
States is guilty of misdirecting the people's Will. You can be angry, justifiably, but suppose someone
lies to you. They make you angry and then the Anger directs your Will and your Will becomes destructive of the object of the person for whom you have this Anger.
Can you imagine that just a few weeks ago, it came out in the newspapers that the President and his
staff sat down and agreed to a Lying Campaign. Oh, they give it a nice-sounding name:
"Disinformation". What is 'disinformation', but a big, bold, Lie? What is the plan behind the Lie?
The plan is to create Anger by lying on Qaddafi.
You create Anger against Qaddafi. When you lie on Qaddafi, you make the people angry then you
direct their Will against him. So now, the government, which is to do the Will of the People, says
'We must destroy Qaddafi.' Then you bomb the home of a Head of State. 'We are not doing wrong,
we are doing the Will of the

10

People.' But who manipulated that Will? You manipulated it by lying. And you have the audacity to
quote Winston Churchill to justify that, by saying that in war, the truth must be protected and surrounded by a big platter of lies. What are you saying, Mr. Schultz? That you are a Liar? And that
you wish to make slaves of the people, misdirecting their Will? And those who will not go along with
you, you will put out a propaganda campaign against them in hopes of breaking their Will.
But you have noticed, that no matter what you say about Farrakhan, you have not broken my Will,
nor can you. As long as I submit my Will to do the Will of Allah(God), then the Power of Allah(God)
sustains my Will.
That is what made Jesus so dangerous. That is what makes Muhammad of the Holy Qur'an (Peace
be upon him) so dangerous. These two men attract the Will, give buttress and support for the Will,
show Man how to increase the Power of his Will and strengthen his Will. This means the breaking of
the back of all pharaohs, all slavemasters, all slavemakers. This is why the true message of Jesus
is a message that the totality of the human family needs. The true message of Muhammad is a
message that all of us need.
In building the Will, Jesus asked his disciples to fast. Many of the followers of the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, here in Chicago, have been on a three-day fast. This fast is to develop the Will. It is to
develop the Power of your and my being. Why? Because it is only when our Will is developed and
properly directed, properly supported and properly encased, that we have the awesome Power to
change the reality under which we live.
The support for your Will has to be Prayer. Prayer gives you the humbleness of mind that allows
you to develop properly -to submit your Will to the Will of Allah(God).
Fasting gives you the Power to reject food when you want it; reject drink when you want it; reject sex
when you do not want or need it or when you are not in the presence of those whom you are married
to. Think about this! It is the destruction of your Will that has made you less than a man, less than a
woman -even less than the animals and the beasts of the field.
Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, gave his disciples the "Be (attitudes)". He wanted his disciples,
who were with him in a work of redemption, to develop a "Be (attitude)". What is he saying? Develop a mental posture that will support and encase His Will so that your Will is not subject to the
things of the world that come to break your Will.

11

Jesus said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' Now no man that is
poor is blessed. I want you to get out of it, of that thought, that your poverty is a blessing. But those
of you who are poor of the energy of life; poor in the control of yourself; poor in the Will or development of the Will and poor in submission to the Will of God -for you, Jesus said, is the Kingdom of
Heaven. For Allah(God) is going to give you someone that will give you all that you have been deprived of that has made you poor so that you will once again be rich indeed.
Solomon said, 'The House of Knowledge is the House of Mourning.' Because the more you know,
the sadder you are about the reality under which we as Black people and all humanity lives. We
who mourn over human beings living like animals, to us the Scripture says: 'Blessed are you who
mourn, for you shall be comforted.' We know that Allah's(God's) Will is to redeem us; to save us of
this condition; to heal us of this broken Will, this broken Spirit, this broken Faith that has corrupted
us. When you know that, you don't look at the conditions and fall into despair and let the mood of
despair cause an attitude that will redirect your Will in a negative direction.
Jesus said, 'Blessed are you when men shall revile you and say all manner of evil against you
falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.' Jesus is
saying, again, take the Attitude that you are blessed when people speak evil of you, persecute you,
say all manner of evil against you falsely for his sake. Don't think that this is a curse. Think, 'This is
a blessing.' Keep that attitude and your Will will grow stronger to resist the persecution and the evil
speaking of those who speak evil against you.
'Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the Earth.' 'Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall see God.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God.'
I say to you, Brothers and Sisters, that you are the Salt of the Earth. But if the Salt has lost its flavor,
wherewith shall it be salty? You that have been guided by the Message of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, by the Light of the Truth, you are the Salt. You can give flavor to the Light of Black people. You have a knowledge of God and a strong Will that can give flavor to the lives of Humanity.
But if your Will and your Faith is broken, and your Knowledge is undermined, then what good are
you? Your salt is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men.
And so, Beloved, in my conclusion of this broadcast, I hope that you will do everything in your Power
to strengthen your Will.

12

Next week, be it the Will of Allah, we will reopen the Final Call Building, which is undergoing some
repair ---both spiritually and physically. And on November 9th, we hope that you will be present and
we will be broadcasting, God Willing, from there.
Until then, until next week, strengthen your Will. Do not be a slave to any man. Bow down only to
Allah(God). Fast and learn to strengthen the discipline of your Will, that you may be able to eat,
drink and live the good life, without the obstruction of all of the forces that come against the Mighty
Power of your Will.
May Almighty God, Allah, bless and keep you, as I greet you in peace, in the Arabic language,
thanking you for these few moments of your time:
AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM!

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THE WILL OF GOD PART 2

WELCOME
GREETINGS TO YOU. I AM MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, THE PREACHER OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY TO
THE BLACK MAN AND WOMAN OF NORTH AMERICA AND, REALLY, A LEADER, TEACHER
AND GUIDE FOR ALL OF HUMANITY.
(NOVEMBER 2, 1986)

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

My Dear Brothers and Sister, it is once again my privilege and honor to have this opportunity to use
these airwaves over Station WBEE, to broadcast live to you from the home of the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, that Great Guidance and Truth that will indeed make us all free.
To those of you who are listening via telephone hookup throughout North America, it is once again
my great privilege and pleasure to have this opportunity to share some of the Teachings of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad with you.
This week, we would like to discuss Part II of "THE WILL OF GOD" and those impediments that
keep us from practicing Allah's (God's) Will.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has said to us that to know and to do Allah's (God's) Will is absolutely our salvation. But the question must then be asked, 'How do we know Allah's (God's) Will?'
Some wise persons can, by reading the Creation of God, come to a definitive understanding of His
Will. For everything that Allah(God) created is a result of His command to "Be!". And everything
that Allah created has an aim and a purpose.
Since nothing in this Creation is without aim or purpose, when we learn to read Creation, we read
the aim and the purpose of Allah(God). And to read Allah's(God's) aim and purpose is to know Allah's(God's) will for His creatures.
Of course, one must be very studied to read Allah's(God's) purpose in the Heavens above and in the
Earth beneath. Since many of us are not that learned or not that studied [unfortunately, many of us
do not even care to read the Heavens and the Earth], therefore, we need another way to become
acquainted with the Will of Allah(God).
In the Bible, it teaches us, 'How can they know, except that they have a Teacher? And how can they
have a Teacher, except he be sent?' Whenever a man loses the ability to read Allah's(God's) will in
that which is around him (or her), then it is incumbent upon Almighty God, Allah, out of the Abundance of His Love and Mercy for humanity, to raise a Prophet; a Messenger; an Apostle to teach us
the Will of Allah(God) and to give us the privilege and the opportunity to submit our Will to do the Will
of Allah(God) and come into favor with Allah(God).

My Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters, we can see that we live in such times today. For even
though we have scholars and scientists who absolutely are reading Creation, they are not reading
Creation to find the Will of Allah(God). They are reading Creation to learn how to use the powers of
Creation for their vain, self-seeking and self-serving ends. So Allah(God) must step in to confuse
the scientists, to confuse the scholars and to bring their knowledge to a naught. This is because
their knowledge is not serving them in the service of Allah(God) and humanity, but their knowledge is
destructive to them and to humanity.
What about the poor and the ignorant who 'take their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah?' They need to know the Will of Allah(God). So Allah(God) must intervene in our affairs,
lest all of us be destroyed!
There were those who did the bidding of Pharaoh and Pharaoh's bidding was not 'right-directed'.
This tells us that Pharaoh made the people to submit to do his Will and his Will was in opposition to
Allah's(God's) Will. Pharaoh's Will was not righteous; Pharaoh's Will was not 'right-directing'
---Pharaoh's Will was Evil!
What about 1986? What about right now? The chiefs, the leaders of this country, and the President
himself, want all of us to obey the laws of this government and to obey their bidding.
That is right; we should obey the law, we should respect the law. For without laws there is no order
and without order, we have anarchy and the total disruption of the society.
If [President] Reagan and his chiefs were obedient to Allah(God), it would be easier for us to obey
them. But, when their direction is not 'right-directing', yet they order us to join their armed forces to
fight on the side of the oppressor; they tell us we will go to jail if we do not obey them; then,
'Respectfully, kind sir', we must decline to obey Pharaoh or to submit to his bidding.
We now hear the Call of a Higher Calling. We hear the Will of Allah(God) being articulated to us
through warners, reminders and teachers that Allah(God) Himself is inspiring. So, we would rather
obey Allah(God). And this brings us into a clash with the Government of the United States, on a national level, on a state level and on a local level. We can obey you if your Will is 'right-directing'; if
your bidding is 'right-directing'. But, if your bidding is in contravention to the Will of Allah(God), then
we have to respectfully say, "Go to Hell!".

Prophets, Messengers and Apostles teach us Allah's(God's) Will; specifically, for a certain time period. Whenever Allah(God) sends a Prophet, he gives that man a temporary message; that temporary message is based upon an Eternal Message. Both messages embody the Will of Allah(God).
The temporary message is the Will of Allah(God) to cure a particular specific) spiritual, moral or
physical ill of the people of that day and time. And, of course, that temporary teaching which embodies Allah's(God's) Will is a cure, is sitting upon a permanent teaching; immutable principles that
never change, no matter what time or what season. And in these immutable principles is the Immutable, Unchanging Will of Allah(God).
Prophets bring a temporary message for their contemporaries. And Prophets bring an Eternal Message. Whenever a new Prophet appears, he abrogates much of the temporary message of former
Prophets. This, of course, is an abrogation of that temporal Will of Allah(God), for the curing of a
particular disease at that time. We do not need the medicine after we have effected the cure.
But no Prophet has ever come and abrogated the Eternal Will of Allah(God). All Prophets bear witness that God is One and His Eternal Will is One; all of the Prophets spoke to us of that Eternal Will
of God.
The Muhammad of the Holy Qur'an (Peace Be Upon Him) is called the Universal Prophet. He is
called the Universal Prophet because he brings a message that fits all people, all conditions, for all
times, up to the Resurrection and the Judgment of the world. He is called the Universal Prophet because the message that he brings makes it unnecessary for a Prophet ever to have to appear again.
For that message will be internalized in the hearts and minds of the people. Therefore, there will
never again be a need for a Prophet or a Messenger.
Beloved Muslims, I ask you to reason with us. The Message of the Holy Qur'an has been preached
for 1400 years and that message has nearly been spread to the ends of the Earth. But the Will of
Allah(God) contained in that message is practiced only by a few.
Even among the nearly one billion (1,000,000,000) Muslims the Will of Allah(God) is practiced, but it
is practiced in a vain way. It is practiced in a self-effacing way. The charitable aspects of the Will of
Allah(God) is missing in much of the teaching of Islam. In fact, Islam was to bring us an entire world.
But nationalism and factionalism is absolutely corrupting the Spirit of Islam.

And so the world of Islam is in convulsion today against itself. It is in revolt today, against itself.
Why? Because there has been a negation of the practice of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him). Therefore, there is a need today for a Reminder. There is a need today for a Power to be in
the world, that the will of Allah(God) may be implemented.
The Will of Allah(God) can never be implemented on talk alone. Talk is cheap! Prophet Muhammad
(Peace Be Upon Him) was sent to teach us, but he fought. And in fighting against the opponents of
Allah's(God's) Will, Allah(God) blessed him to prevail ---until the Muslims became corrupt.
Today, what is needed is the presence of the Mahdi. Who is The Mahdi? He comes to guide us on
the right path, that we may be successful. Why do we need to be guided to the right path? Because
Sahaitan (Satan) has come to us right in the straight path and has made 95% of the people of the
planet Earth deviate from the teachings of the Prophets, Messengers and Apostles.
Today, all we have is a good word on the Book that is not being practiced. A good word among the
Muslims, a good word among the Christians, a good word among the Jews, a good word among
those who have received Prophets throughout the world. And who is practicing these good words?
Evil, now, has taken the upper hand over the people of good. Hypocrisy has gained strength over
the leaders. Therefore, people profess from their mouths what is not in their hearts. The practice of
good has gone down the drain.
We do not need a Prophet anymore; we do not need a Messenger anymore. Dear Brothers and Sisters, you are right; the Message is here. What do you need? What do we need? We need the presence of a Power in the world that will not compromise and does not come to teach anymore, but to
execute those who have violated and refused to submit to the Will of Allah(God). And that Being is
in the world.
It is that Being that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad represented to us in the Person of Master Fard
Muhammad, to Whom Praise is due Forever. A Human being, but a Human being Who is born into
the world, is nurtured and grows into wisdom and Power to destroy the wicked from the face of the
Earth. To break the head of opposition [to bowing to the Will of Allah(God)]. This is what makes it
unnecessary for a Prophet to ever have to come again. For as long as there is no enforcement of
law, the preaching of law is folly. It is Vanity. As long as we preach righteousness but there is no
structure to make righteousness real, then our preaching is in vain. And as long as we have
churches and mosques and synagogues that preach the Will of Allah(God) but there is no enforcement of that Will, then our preaching needs to cease. In fact, it is brought to naught by the wicked
doing of those who say they believe in Allah(God).

Jesus is called in the Scripture "The Eternal Guide". Jesus is called "Eternal Guide" because he is
more than just a Prophet ---Jesus is called "The Christ". This word "Christ", in Greek, means 'one
anointed to crush the wicked.' This is why Jesus was hated even before he was born into the world.
The wicked expected this Messianic figure ---this Mahdi ---to be on the scene. They knew the time
of his arrival. Therefore, since they knew that he was to be a Human being, they watched the
women who were pregnant at the time he was scheduled to arrive. They knew that a star would herald his birth.
Herod sent out a decree that all boy babies should be killed from two(2) years old and under, because he missed the birth of this Mahdi; of this Messiah; of this Christ. Jesus is called "The Eternal
Guide" because he doesn't represent Allah(God) in the absence of Allah(God), Jesus is a Witness of
Allah's(God's) Presence in the world ---in Man.
You say, 'But this is contrary to the teaching of Islam!' If you only look at the face of it, it is contradictory to the teachings of Islam. But if we look deeper into Christian theology, we can reconcile that
theology of the Holy Qur'an.
Jesus represents Allah's(God's) presence in Man. In the Book of Isaiah, it says that a child will be
born; a virgin will conceive him and the child's name will be called 'Emmanuel', meaning 'God is with
us'. How will you know that God is with us? Because an ordinary human being, born of a woman,
making deaf hear, the dumb speak, the lame walk and raising the dead to life, is not ordinary. It is
Extraordinary. No prophet ever did that.
But the Messiah, according to both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an, was to have that kind of power.
When such a man appears in the world doing such kind of work, then Allah (God) Himself is present
in that man. And when that man is backed by the Power of the Lord of the worlds, he crushes the
wicked, he crushes all opposition to Allah's(God's) Will. And when the opposition to Allah's(God's)
Will is finally crushed, then the Victory of Allah(God) ---The Truth ---is established. Then you don't
need a Prophet; you don't need someone to remind the people anymore of the Will of Allah(God).
Because then, Allah's(God's) Will is established and those who live after the crushing of the wicked
will have no other alternative but to willingly obey Allah(God). If the people willingly obey Pharaoh
---a manifest fool ---why would not they willingly obey Allah(God) in Righteousness and Power?
Today, when we ask someone to obey Allah's(God's) Will, some of us, it is like asking us to deny our
own right to think and act of independence. 'Will you obey Allah's(God's) Will?' The people say, 'I
don't want to be a slave...I ain't obeyin' God's Will...I am an independent thinker...I'm a free thinker.'
You

free-thinking fool! Brothers and Sisters, I do not mean to insult you. But if you think that you are a
free thinker you are absolutely foolish. Today, the Government of the United States of America is
spending millions of dollars to perfect the art of 'mind control'. They are spending millions of dollars
in the development of new and sophisticated drugs that they can put in the water and put in the food
that make you easily submissive to 'subliminal suggestion'. They have learned to program your
thinking through the artful way of touching your subconscious without your conscious mind ever realizing that you are being programmed. Yes, it will be a struggle to obey Allah(God) when Shaitan
(Satan) is fighting now for all that we have, because he knows that he has but a short time left to
rule.
So we must fight, too ---to obey Allah(God). Beloved Brothers and Sisters, Allah(God) does not
want to make us His slaves. But in obeying Allah(God), we are truly free. So many of us think that
when we obey Allah(God), again, it is a negation of ourselves. That is not true.
You are already in a state of Self-Negation and you do not even realize it. What do I mean by that?
Negation means "to deny". It is a negative denial. It is to deny that which is true and that which is
correct and that which is proper. Self-Negation is to deny that which exists, therefore making ourselves nonexistent. Self-Negation is to nullify our existence.
I must respectfully say that 90% to 95% of the human family of this Earth have already nullified their
existence. Allah(God) did not create Man to live on the plane of lower animals. If the aim and purpose of Allah(God) for Man is that Man be His Vicegerent: His Khalifa, His Successor in this realm.
Man is to rule in this realm ---we are not doing that. We are living a life lower than the animals. And,
therefore, in the Bible, in the Book of Revelations, the Revelator is saying that the rulers of the Earth
are titled, or given, the names "Beast" "Dragon". These are not good characteristics. Great Beasts
ruling humanity? A Dragon ruling humanity? A Serpent ruling humanity? This is a nullification of
who and what we are ---Human beings. This is an absolute denial of your our own existence as a
True Servant of Almighty God, Allah.
If you are not going to serve Allah's(God's) Will, why should you live in His Creation? He is justified
in removing you and me if we do not want to bow in submission to His Will. If the Sun can bow and
you depend upon the Sun; and the Moon and Stars can bow and without them we have no life; if the
very orange whose juice you squeeze into your throat to give you vitamins and strength has submitted to a law(otherwise it could not come not existence); and everything that you eat is submitting to
Allah's(God's) Will, but you refuse, then why should you eat?

Why should you breathe? Why should you drink? Why should you live in a Creation of Almighty
God and deny Him? By denying Him you have nullified your own existence and you are practicing
Self-Negation.
Yes, Reverend, you are preaching Self-Negation. Yes, Pope of Rome, you are preaching
Self-Negation ---not Self-Denial. Anytime a Human being can call himself or herself a Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Muslim, or whatever you call yourself and you do not continue this process of evolution (and you and I come to the Perfection of God) and we abort that development, then in the abortion of that development, we are practicing Self-Negation. Therefore, we have nullified our right to
exist and Allah(God) is justified in removing us from the face of the Earth.
Jesus never taught Self-Negation. He taught Self-Denial and there is a difference. Submit to Allah's(God's) Will. Will you submit if you know Allah's (God's) Will? Jesus, when he spoke to his disciples, asked his disciples to deny themselves.
Do you remember when Jesus met a young Jew who was under the law and teaching of Moses?
This young man asked Jesus, 'How can I obtain the Kingdom of Heaven?' And Jesus said unto him,
'Do the law and the commandments of Moses.' And this young man said, 'I am already doing that.'
(The young man felt, 'Well, I've got it made, I've got you beat into Heaven already.') And Jesus said,
'You're doing that, that is good. Now go and give away your wealth to the poor. Deny yourself. Pick
up your cross and fellow me.' That young man who was doing the law did not want to follow Jesus
that day, because Jesus was demanding something more of that man than that man was willing to
give. He said, 'Look, I am already doing the Commandments; that's the Will of God. Well, I must be
Heaven-bound.' But Jesus came in a time period with a specific Will of Allah(God) for Man. And if
that man who was working the Will of Allah(God) through the law of Moses was not willing to go one
step further with Jesus, he was denying himself entrance not the Kingdom of Heaven. At that point,
even though he was practicing the law of Moses, he nullified his right to exist. He was practicing,
then, Self-Negation, because he would not practice Self-Denial.
Why did Jesus say to him, 'Young man, go and get your wealth and give it to the poor.'? Why did he
say that? He said that because Jesus came into the world with a specific message and mission to
the poor who were crushed under the foot of the powers of that day.
The Will of Allah(God) is Freedom, Justice and Equality, which can be discerned in all of His Creation. But the Will of Allah(God) through Jesus, represented Redemption, Salvation, Eternal Life,
Resurrection and Judgment. What do these terms mean?

Jesus said, 'I did not come into the world to be ministered unto. I came into the world to minister. I
came to serve the poor. I came to heal the sick, the blind, the lame; I came to raise people who are
dead to life. If you recognize that I am doing the Will of Allah(God), I ask you to submit and help me
to help more. Help me to feed the poor; help me to better the condition of the poor. And in order to
do that, I am not asking you to negate yourself, I am asking you to deny yourself. I am asking you to
sacrifice your own personal desires to help me establish the Will of Allah(God) for the good of yourself and others. I am asking you to be unselfish.
Moses asked that of you to a degree. He asked you not to steal; he asked you not to covet; he
asked you not to lie; not to murder. He asked you to honor you Father and Mother. That is basic to
righteousness.
But Jesus wanted to take you a step further. In fact, he wanted to give you your degree, so that it
would never be necessary for another Man of God to come to you. For you, in your own life, would
be a Witness of Allah's(God's) Presence. And if Allah(God) is present in your life, in your being,
manifested in your words and in your actions, then you have closed the door on Prophethood; you
have closed the door on Messengership by the fact of Allah's(God's) Presence in your life.
We live in that time. The man, Jesus, that came 2,000 years ago, did not come in the time of Redemption and Salvation and Healing. He came 2,000 years too soon. And so, Paul saw him as a
man born out of 'due season'. But we are at the right time now. And a man has appeared in the
world to redeem Man; to reconcile Man to Allah(God); to cause us to see and hear and know the Will
of Allah(God) and then inspire us to willingly submit our Will to do the Will of Allah(God).
That is what that name, "Muslim" means. It is a big title. It is a great title. It is a most distinguishing
and distinctive title that a man or woman can be given. In fact, it is better than "Emperor" or "King"
or "President" or "Secretary of State" or "Attorney General" or "Governor" or "Mayor" or "Senator" or
"Congressman". You glory in these titles: "Your Right Reverend Worshipful Master." You glory in
these titles! But Allah(God) has come to negate those titles, because you have already negated
them by not using those titles in service to the Will of Allah(God).
And so, Kings are falling by the wayside today. In fact, there are just a few left and they are going
soon. Presidents are being overturned. There is revolution in every house, every nation every government. Governors cannot govern. Mayors cannot

'mayor'. And Worshipful Masters are not being worshipped as Master anymore. You are suffering
loss. And it is grievous for you to see, because all your righteous titles have not led you to obedience to the Will of Allah(God). So the biggest title that a man or woman could have is that 'I am one
who has submitted my Will to do the Will of Allah(God). I am a Muslim.'
'How can they know Allah's(God's) Will except that they have a teacher? And how could they have
a teacher except that he be sent?' The rulers of this world are not going to send you a teacher that
will give you power or thought to go against their bidding. Pharaoh is not going to send you anybody
to teach you against his bidding, even though his bidding is not 'right-directing'. Likewise, Mr.
Reagan and Company and the former Presidents of the United States are not going to send you a
teacher. The rulers of this world, Black People, are not going to send you a teacher that will give
you the spirit to go against their wicked direction.
Allah(God) has to intervene and give you a Teacher. So, when we say that Allah appeared in the
Person of Master Fard Muhammad, we are saying that the Will of Allah(God) the Spirit of Allah(God), the Power of Allah(God) has been manifested in a man who came among us. And that
man reached down into the bowels of America and raised up a man from among Black people ---The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad ---and filled him with the Aim and Purpose of Allah(God), the Will of Allah(God) and asked him, 'Will you submit?' And The Honorable Elijah Muhammad ---of the Black
people of America --- said, 'I am the first of those who submit. My prayer, my sacrifice, my life and
my death, are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.'
You cannot say that your prayer, your sacrifice, your life and your death are all for Allah(God) then
you refuse to obey Allah(God) and refuse to fight and strive in the Way of Allah(God), for the Cause
of Allah(God). What is His Cause? He came to redeem Man; to reconcile Man to Himself and that
means Woman, too. He came to find that which was lost. All humanity is lost, but the Black man of
America is the most lost of all human beings, crushed under the foot of the nations of the Earth.
By redeeming you and me first, He gives us a test. 'Will you, who have been crushed under foot,
help Me to reconcile the nations of the Earth, who are lost to Allah(God)? Will you help Me to restore the Earth to its pristine purity and its original beauty? Will you help Me restore Man to his original state, as Cream of the Planet Earth and God of the Universe? Will you help Me to do that? I do
not need help, I can do it Myself, but I want to give you the privilege of entering into my Kingdom by
asking you to willingly give up your Will. Curb your personal desire(s) to help Me put over My desire
for you.'

When I met the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, thirty-one (31) years ago, I was a Musician. My whole
life was music; I knew nothing but my music. And thirty(30) days after I met him, he said, 'It's either
your music or me. I am not asking you to play your music, because I don't need a Musician right
now. I need someone to help me establish the Will of Allah(God). Farrakhan (I was Louis at that
time), will you deny yourself? Will you then pick up the cross?' It does not mean an actual cross
---string one around your neck, drape one over your wall or write it on the door ---'Pick up your cross'
means to suffer for the sake of righteousness; to suffer for the establishment of the Will of Allah(God). This is because the Scripture teaches that when you practice the Will of Allah(God), some
of you will be put in prison. Some of you will be killed for the Will of Allah(God). But are you willing
to go through that for Allah's(God's) sake?
The Scriptures of the Holy Qur'an say that Allah will certainly try us with something of fear, hunger,
diminution of fruit, loss of property and loss of lives; but give good news to those who are patient and
steadfast under trial.
You don't submit to Allah(God) without trial. You don't submit to Allah(God) without tribulation. But
when it comes, you seek refuge in Almighty God, Allah. And in Him is your repose. And in Him is
your and my Sanctuary. When we go to Almighty God, Allah, we get the strength to endure the suffering; to endure the denial and the rejection, the persecution, the evil treatment, the jail, the beatings and even the death, for the sake of Allah's(God's) Plan.
I don't know about you, but I sure want to be one. I want to be one who submits to the Will of Allah(God). Oh, you can call me National Representative or The National Spokesman or the Minister.
You can call me The Supreme Minister and, if I want to run for some political office, it's Congressman. If that is what I want, that is Vanity. Because all of that is coming to a naught, in just a few
minutes. I want to submit my Will to do the Will of Allah(God). I don't want to negate myself by continuing in vanity. I don't want to deny myself. And I am willing to suffer for the sake of the establishment of Allah's(God's) Will. So now, I am a follower of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad ---The Jesus of Today.
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters, I am saying to you that you are being asked to submit to the Will
of Allah(God). And that Will of Allah(God) is very special. It is the same as the Will of Allah(God)
brought by all the Prophets. But with us, it has a special difference. It is dealing with the Resurrection of the minds of Black people, because our minds are even less than the animals. You need a
new way of thinking, Black Man and Woman.

10

And a new way of doing. Not only do you need it, humanity needs it. Who is going to teach humanity? Who is going to help them to see the correctness of the Will of Allah(God)? We must do our
part. And this is the way we earn our way into the Kingdom of Allah(God).
Those, of course, who do not care to submit to Allah(God), do the bidding of Pharaoh. And those
who do the bidding of Pharaoh are Self-Negating. Pharaoh represents the powers of the world.
Reagan? Yes. I say the Pope, yes. The religious teachers of the world, yes. They are all out of the
way. Now, you may say, 'Well, Farrakhan, why would you say a thing like that?' Because its the
Truth.
All of these religious leaders met in Rome; to pray. For what? To pray for peace. Do you think that
Allah(God) heard their prayer? That's the prayer of Hypocrites. Why should you pray for that which
is clearly written in your Book; that 'they shall seek peace, but they shall not find it.' Allah(God) is
going to plague the people of the Earth because of their denial of His Will. They have negated their
right to exist in peace. Peace is the fruit of obedience to the Will of Allah(God). It is a Gift of Allah(God). And you want it without submitting? You want peace without obeying Allah's(God's) Command? What a fool you are!
You deny Jesus and you want peace? You reject Muhammad and you want peace? You kill the
Prophets in between and you want peace? There is no peace for the wicked! And there is no peace
for this world. So Reagan can pray for peace. There is no peace for Mr. Reagan! There is no
peace for America! There is no peace for Russia! There is no peace for the nations of the world!
For you deny Allah(God). And in denying Allah(God) how can you have peace? You first must
make peace with Allah(God) in order to make peace with Man. And you are denying Allah(God)
when you reject obedience to His Will.
So look at you. The country(America) is going to Hell on a rocketship. The rocketship (Space Shuttle 'Challenger') up and into Space and blew up in a blaze is a sign to you that all of your mathematical calculations that you think will put you in orbit; that will give you perpetuity, are designed to bring
you into a flaming, fiery Hell. And that is exactly what you deserve for denying the Will of Allah(God).
You have negated yourself, Reagan. You have negated yourself, Government of America, because
you deny Freedom, Justice and Equality to the people in your midst. You crush the poor under your
feet; the poor of America and the poor of the world. How can you have peace? There is no peace
for the wicked. Pray for it! Gather all your scholars and scientists together and pray, one and all.
There is no peace.

11

The Lord has commanded us to tell you Death and Destruction shall be at your door, henceforth,
now and forever until you submit.
What is your Number One (#1) disease in America? Heart failure! What are you suffering from
America? Heart failure. Young men dying of heart attacks. What is your problem? Stress. Why
are you stressed? High blood pressure. 'I'm getting a stroke...' Who is talking? You say, 'Well, I'm
eating too much." You have eaten too much; but Allah(God) intends to see that you eat less ---by
giving you a Famine. Allah(God) intends to see that you don't stuff yourself. Allah(God) intends to
give you a loss of appetite. The Holy Qur'an says, 'By the time! Surely man is in loss, except those
who believe and do good.' You can't just believe; you must do good. And doing good means being
in harmony with the Will of Allah(God).
The Bible teaches that we shall see signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars. And on Earth, the distress of
nations, as men's' hearts fails them with Fear because of what they see coming upon the Earth, the
sea and the waves roaring. Today, this heart failure is because you refuse to submit; you won't do
Allah's (God's) Will. So Allah(God) is negating your Will. And when He negates your will, that
causes you to grieve, because you are suffering loss now. Why shouldn't you lose? You are being
canceled out by the Power of a Superior Will. And that is the Will of Allah(God), coming through The
Mahdi, Master Fard Muhammad, Himself. You are being negated. You cannot oppose Him and
win! You will lose. And you are continuously losing because in denying the Will of Allah(God), you
have negated your right to exist.
Beloved, I appeal to you, Muslims and Christians, all of you, take this prayer that The Honorable
Elijah Muhammad gave us and put it into practice: "I seek refuge in Allah from anxiety and grief."
To seek refuge means to find a shelter or protection from danger or trouble. To find shelter in anything that one can find recourse in for aid, relief and escape. And I am telling you that there is no escape except in the God Who is negating your Will to establish His Own. He is On Time. He is Present in the world.
You have anxiety, distress or uneasiness of mind, caused by apprehension of danger and misfortune. You are in grave danger. You are going to suffer great misfortune and great anxieties because you refuse to bow to the Will of Allah(God). What about grief? Yes, you will suffer pain, mental suffering and distress over affliction of loss. You are losing your homes, you are losing your cars,
you are losing your loved ones. You have lost your minds. President Reagan is not in his right
mind; he has the heart of a beast today, like Nebuchadnezzar. You will continue to suffer loss and
ruin because you have negated yourself by denying the Will of Allah(God). You do not want to put
forth an effort to obey Allah's(God's) Will.

12

And so you can sit in the Mosque all day long; it doesn't make any difference, because if you will not
work the Will of Allah(God), you have denied His Will. Therefore, you are sitting in the Mosque in a
state of Self-Negation, not Self-Denial. You have a ruined soul. "Seek refuge in Allah form cowardice." And what is cowardice, but a lack of courage to face danger, difficulty and opposition? He
never promised you a rose garden. He never said the road would be easy. But if you do not have
the courage to face the opposition, to face the difficulty, then you will suffer grief, fear loss, anxiety,
stress and strokes and death ---because you have negated your right to exist.
I appeal to you in the name of Allah, and I appeal to you from the guidance of The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad: Let us do the Will of God. Not do this selfish, 'I don't smoke, I' don't drink, I don't fornicate, I don't commit adultery. Yes, I am a good person.' Good for whom? Good for yourself? You
are good for nothing! Unless you are working to change the conditions around you. You cannot
change those condition without programs; you cannot change those conditions without methods;
you can not change those conditions without direction. So if you deny the direction coming from the
Director ---The Honorable Elijah Muhammad ---there again, is more Self-Negation.
So sit up in the Church and die of Self-Negation. Because your righteousness is a filthy rag because you are not involved in the effort of redeeming yourself and others, healing the wounds of others, along with wounds of yourself. You are not involved in that divine work. So if you are not involved in that work, then wherever you are sitting, you are negating your existence. It is so sad that
you can be in the House of God sitting in the House of Refuge. And God is destroying His Own
House.
The other day, the roof fell in on some church. An airplane fell out of the sky a few years ago and
fell on a "Pillar of Fire Church" and sent it up in smoke, killing the people in it. These are signs to
you, that the Church has become a mausoleum with dead men's bones in it; singing hymns of praise
to vanity.
You think of your righteousness, you think of your goodness, but you do nothing to make another
person good. You walk by the weak and you walk by the wicked and you walk by those who hunger
and thirst for a better life and you care nothing for them. You have negated you own existence because you are denying the Will of Allah(God).
You are out there every day seeking to make a dollar. There is nothing wrong with making a dollar;
Allah promises He will give you that. But to seek a dollar and to deny the Will of Allah(God); to seek
a dollar and take the dollar to fatten you bank account; to go and buy fine homes and fine cars and
will not

13

work for the poor, work for the underprivileged, work for those who are denied Justice in the society.
I think you have negated yourself. And this is why Jesus said, 'It would be easier for a camel to go
through the eye of an needle than for a rich man to see the Kingdom of God.' This is because a rich
man is not willing to deny himself and help the poor and underprivileged.
Beloved, I am appealing to you in this prayer that The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us to say
seven (7) times a day: "O Allah, I seek Thy Refuge from anxiety and grief. And I seek Thy Refuge from the lack of strength and laziness. And I seek Thy refuge from cowardice and niggardliness. And I seek Thy refuge from being overpowered by debt and the oppression of
men. O Allah, suffice Thou me with what is lawful and keep me away from what is prohibited.
And with Thy grace make me free from what of what is beside Thee."
I don't want what is beside Your Will. Make me obedient to Your Will. Make me a Muslim. The
Christians say, 'Fix me.' They don't want a position where they choose for themselves. They say,
Lord, fix me. Lord, fix me. Lord, make me...' What do you want to be made? I want to be made,
like Jesus, to say, 'Not my Will be done, but Thy Will be done, in the Heavens above and the Earth
beneath.' And when we can say, Thy Will be done and not mine' and mean it, then go to work to
know God's Will and then to do God's Will, we have to become the Righteous. We have come to the
path of God's Divine Favor. Is this what you would like to be? If you would, then from this point on ,
I tell you, know God's Will and then do it.
So let all Muslims and Christians and Jews who hear this broadcast know that the Mosque, the
Church and the Synagogue is no House of Refuge. There is no House of Refuge for anyone except
in the Lord of the Worlds; in doing the Will of God. Do not get angry with me if we point out your failure(s) in working the Will of God. But your wickedness is working your own vanity and calling it the
Will of God, so do not blame me. Blame yourself. I am just a Reminder. I am just Warner. I am just
one who comes in the name of my Father, the Sender, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. For without Him, I would have noting to say. Without Him, I would have no guidance to give. I come in his
name as it is written, as a Comfort to you, a Warning to you and a Reminder to you.
May Allah(God) bless you, each and every one of you, to hear this Reminder and not to just take it
lightly; but to make up your mind that you are going to be one of those who does the Will of God.
Thank you for listening.
AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM!

14

THE WILL OF GOD PART 3

GREETINGS TO YOU. I AM LOUIS FARRAKHAN, MINISTER OF MUHAMMAD'S MOSQUES OF
NORTH AMERICA, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, THE
PREACHER OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY TO THE BLACK MAN AND WOMAN OF
NORTH AMERICA.

(November 9, 1986)

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

I GREET ALL OF YOU WITH THE GREETING WORDS OF PEACE IN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE:
AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM.
Once again, it is my extreme pleasure and privilege to have this opportunity to share with you some
of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Once again, we are coming to you live from
the Palace, the home of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which we, his followers, have been
blessed to repurchase, renovate and rededicate to the furtherance of his teaching and mission.
Our subject today is PART III of "THE WILL OF GOD". All of us know or should know that the Will of
Allah(God) is Righteousness; the Will of Allah(God) is that which is Good. No man or woman can be
considered good, except that we are doing the Will of Allah(God). Certainly there are acts of kindness and there are acts of goodness that all of us know are universally recognized as good, but we
cannot be considered a good people; this cannot be considered a good people; this cannot be considered a good nation(America); nor can we, the Muslims, be considered good, unless that goodness is rooted in our doing the Will of Allah(God).
The Holy Qur'an teaches us "those who believe and are the doers of good to others, there is no fear
for them, nor shall they grieve." The Holy Qur'an and the Bible are very clear on this point. One
must not only do good to Self, but the doing of good to and for Self should lead us to the doing of
good to and for others.
The Book of James says "faith without works is dead". The Holy Qur'an teaches that "mere belief
counts for nothing except that belief is carried into practice." For us to consider that being good
means doing our five (5) daily prayers (if we are Muslims), or saying our prayers if we are Christians
or Jews and paying ten percent (10%) of our wages in tithes or 'zakat' or offerings ---this is only a
portion of good. For that is the Will of Allah(God), but the doing of His Will has very specific requirements for each era of time in which a Messenger or Prophet appears.
Here we are in 1986 and we are living in the Time of the Mahdi, the Great One Who was to come to
guide all of humanity to the right path. We are living in the time of the Messiah, that One Who was
prophesied to come and who, along with the Mahdi, would save the people and redeem them from
the path of wickedness that they had been treading upon.

The Will of Allah(God) today is very, very specific. No man or woman, sitting in a church, mosque,
synagogue, temple, or in the street, can be considered doing the Will of Allah(God) by singing songs
or hymns of praise. Even preaching sermons of praise and honor to Allah(God), or performing rituals of religion ---this is not yet the Will of Allah(God). The Will of Allah(God) means the doing of
good and that good is very specific. That specific good, by the Help of Allah(God), I shall outline to
you in today's broadcast.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that there is no birth record to Islam; Islam is older than
the Sun, Moon and Stars. Islam did not originate with Prophet Muhammad of Arabia, nearly fourteen hundred (1400) years ago (Peace Be Upon Him). Islam did not originate with the Holy Qur'an.
Islam did not originate with the teachings of Moses or the teachings of Abraham. Islam was before
Abraham. Islam was before the Sun, Moon and Stars.
What is Islam? Islam is the Nature of God Himself. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us
that Allah(God) is Self-Created, meaning He was not begotten. He had no mother nor father. He is
the Originator of Himself and of all things. In His Self-Origination, His act of Creation by His Will is to
create man or to make man. In creating us, He created us from the Essence of Himself. The Holy
Qur'an teaches us, "O people, keep your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being
and created its mate of the same kind and spread from the two many men and women."
We, the Original People of the Earth, are the First Creation of Allah(God). He created us from a single Essence or Person and that Person was the Essence and Person of Himself. If we are from His
Essence, then His Nature is our nature and as He is Divine, that same divinity and spark of divinity is
likewise in the Original Man. The Holy Qur'an calls Original Man "Adam". And, of course, we are
wrangling over this subject matter, but the Holy Qur'an teaches us that Adam was created from
black mud and fashioned into shape. All human beings have some color, or are from the essence of
what color comes from or what color is.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that the Black man is the Original man. He is not trying
to teach you racism or racial superiority, he is making a statement of fact: that we are the First Creation of the Originator. We came here from His Essence; the Essence of Allah(God) is Islam. We are
taught that the law by which a thing comes into existence determines its nature. The law by which
we, the Original People, came into existence, is by Order of the Will of the Creator. Therefore, our
Nature is to submit to His Will.
When we accept Islam, we are not accepting the Arab religion, we are not accepting some new way
of civilization, we are accepting ourselves. The nature of the Original man is obedience to the Will of
Allah(God). That, in Arabic, is "Islam".

The very nature of the Original Man or the Original People or the Black People of the Earth is Islam.
We are Muslims by Nature.
Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi, Who was the Teacher of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and is our Guide today, gave us six(6) words. These six (6) words summed up the scope of His
Teachings to us and these six (6) words are: Accept Your Own and Be Yourself. The Christian
world has gone to the extreme [in the use of the word "conversion".] Certainly, "conversion" means
to change. However, when Master Fard Muhammad taught us, He said to us accept what is 'our
own'.
To be 'our own' means that it belongs to us; we are its natural, rightful owners and possessors. We
are the owners of Islam. It is our Nature, it is our Divine Right. When you are asked to accept Islam,
we are not asking you to join a church or to join a mosque or to join an organization. We are asking
you to accept the Nature in which you are created; then we are commanding you, by the order of Allah(God), to Be Yourself! Be Yourself!
What is Yourself? So many of us are confused over our identity. We are Black. We are African.
We are this, we are this, we are that, we are the other. But this question is asked of us in our lessons from master Fard Muhammad to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad: What is Your Own Self?
And the answer is Your Own Self is a Righteous Muslim. Now of course, there seems to be some
redundancy here, because if a Muslim is one who submits his Will entirely to do the Will of Allah(God) and the Will of Allah(God) is good and the Will of Allah(God) is right, then when you say
"Muslim", you are saying "righteous". When you say "Muslim" you are saying a good person, a godly
person.
"Your Own Self is Righteous Muslim." Why is the word "Righteous" put on this? It is because the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that your nature is right, but we have been living other than
our own selves. So even though Allah(God) has declared us to be Muslim, or to be Righteous, yet
we now have to live up to that title, live up to that name, live up to that nature, by being upright.
In the Holy Qur'an [30:30] it reads: "So set thy face for religion, being upright, the nature made by Allah in which He has created men. There is no altering Allah's creation. That is the right religion
---but most people know not ---". Allah(God) is asking us in the Holy Qur'an to set your face, set
your mind, set your eyes, set your heart, set your being. Get set, be firm and ready to receive a way
of Truth, a way of religion that is in the right state, in the Nature made by Allah. Set your face for religion, being upright.

My Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters (in the Nation of Islam, or those of you who are Black People), your identity is not your color; your identity is not the landmass from which you come or originate; your identity is the Nature in which you are created. Since your Nature is to obey the Will of Allah(God), your Nature is Islam. You are by Nature a Muslim and any name other than that is not a
proper name for you. You are a Muslim. Accept Your Own and Be Yourself.
Are there any Muslims other than Righteous? In our lessons it is answered, "I beg your pardon, I
never heard of one." In the Bible it says that Allah(God) would wink His eye at sin. Certainly the
whole Muslim world is full of sin. The whole of humanity, who by Nature is to obey Allah(God), is full
of sin. But Allah(God) now is saying to a specific people of His choice; not that you are not sinful,
but that He will forgive you your sins altogether. In the Bible it reads "a virgin shall conceive and
bring forth a child and His name shall be called Jesus and he shall save His people from their sins.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad had taught us that this is not referring to the great Prophet of Allah(God) that lived two thousand(2,000) years ago, but it is referring to the Messiah Who would
come in the last days of this world of disobedience to the Will of Allah(God).
This world is a world of rebellion to the Will of Allah(God), and this is why this world has a limited
time to rule and exercise power and authority over the peoples of the Earth and he shall save his
people from their sins.
Today, we are very happy to say to the world that the Messiah, that One that was to come is now in
the world and has come to birth among a people that were no people at all. And today, He calls us
Muslim, He calls us Righteous, but His aim is to save us from the sins of Caucasian people that we
have adopted and now from the sins of our ownselves that we have poured upon by our rebellion
against a Teacher that Almighty God has placed in our midst.
Today, Black people of America and humanity have involved themselves in religion. But religion is
not as it was intended to be for religion, in a sense, seeks to change what is unalterable. The Holy
Qur'an says you cannot change nor alter Allah's creation. But religion today seeks to change the nature of the Righteous and make them into that which they [religious leaders] purpose.
I am speaking specifically now of this brand of religion that has been given to Black people by the
Caucasian slave masters and their children. This that is called 'Christianity' is so far removed from
Christ. This is a concoction given to us by our slave masters and their children to make us better
tools of service for themselves.

They have misused the Bible and the teachings of the Prophets and corrupted it in such way to
make us salves of theirs in the Name of Allah(God).
This is why the Black man and woman today are absolutely powerless. We have a powerful Nature,
but if you submit to Satan, thinking that we are submitting to Allah(God), than we do the bidding of
Satan, thinking we are doing the bidding of Allah(God). Then we get weaker and weaker; less powerful and less powerful, until we become total salves to the powers of this world. The preachers of
Christianity, for the most part, are enslaved to the powers of this world. I am sorry to say this, but
the preachers of Islam are for the most part enslaved to the powers of this world, in the name of Allah(God).
What better way for Satan to come than to come in the name of Allah(God), in the way of Allah(God), in the path of Allah(God). According to the Bible, Satan will transform himself into an Angel
of Light. And the Holy Qur'an teaches us that Satan will come after the righteous: ' I will certainly lie
in wait for them in Thy straight path' and 'I shall cause them all to deviate.' And Allah(God) says to
him, 'whoever of them will follow thee, I will certainly fill hell with you all.'
Look at you and look at the condition that you are in, that your family is in, that the church is in, that
the mosque is in, that the synagogue is in, that the world is in. You are in hell, sitting up in church
praising Allah(God) in an empty, vain way. You are singing hymns of praise while your life is a desecration of all of the things that we preach. We have become hypocrites, feigning to do the Will of Allah(God), but doing the Will of Satan in the name of Allah(God).
Away with such religion! Away with such people! Today, Almighty God is asking humanity to 'set
your face for religion, being upright' the Nature of Allah(God) and the Nature in which Allah(God) has
created man.
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters, when we submit to the Will of the True God and do His Will, we
come into power, we come into eminence, we come into greatness. Then the shackles of this world
are easily broken, for the shackles of this world are compared to a spider's web and 'surely the spider's web is the frailest of houses.'
What is the Will of Allah(God) for us today? In the Bible, it is written, 'for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered, nor come to mind. '[Isaiah 65:17] The
Book of Revelations bears witness to what Isaiah prophesied, only from the Book of Revelations, the
man is seen making the declaration that Isaiah prophesied he would make, "Behold, I make all
things new." In the illuminating book, Our Saviour Has Arrived, by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,
Page 153, Paragraph 3, it says, "First Allah makes a new mind for us and a new way of thinking."
Let us stop there. Is this in harmony with the Bible prophesies?

Brothers and Sisters, if you are a "Negro" or some reasonable facsimile; if you are "Colored"; if you
are "Afro-American"; if you are "Black" (in the sense of the nationalistic term); you think you are on
the right path, but, Brother and Sister, Allah(God) wants to make a new mind for us and a new way
of thinking.
If Allah(God) is going to make all things new, He has to make a people; He has to take a people and
make them new. He is not going to do it easily, He is going to do it as the Originator did it in the Beginning. He took nothing and created something. In the end of the world, Allah(God) takes a foolish
people, a people who are nothing, a people who are the rejected and the despised. Both the Bible
and the Holy Qur'an refer to this people as a 'dead' people. And He takes that dead matter and He
puts in it a new mind, a new way of thinking; He gives it a new form and a new expression. 'Behold,
I make all things new!'
The scriptures of the Bible are in perfect harmony with the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and His teachings are in perfect harmony with both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an. For Paul
says 'put off the old man which is of the lusts of this world and put on the new man which is after
Christ Jesus.' Then Paul says, 'Be ye not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind.'
Dear Brothers and Sisters, we cannot say that we are doing the Will of Allah(God) if there is not
transformation taking place in our lives; if there is no constant renewal taking place in our minds; if
our thoughts are not being made better, closer, more akin to Allah(God) and His Will. No! No! No!
Then we are only using religion as a cover, as a shield.
We are sitting in the seat of one who is to be made new, but we are following after the old, exemplifying the old, demonstrating the old, acting after the old, bringing works out that are akin to the old.
Then we are hypocrites, for Allah(God) demands of us to be new creatures!
Let us go on. He teaches us a different education, one that we have never had before. I know that
we honor and respect the education that we have received from the institutions of learning of this
world. Certainly if I had a degree from Harvard I would probably be more respected that I am now,
not having one and that is a fine degree to have. It is a wonderful degree, from Harvard, or Yale, or
Radcliffe, or Princeton, or Cornell, or Oxford, or Howard.
But what does the Honorable Elijah Muhammad say here, 'He teaches us a different education.'?
Who is 'He'? Allah(God), is He Who teaches us a different education, one that we have never had
before. Let us look at this education then, if it is an education we have never had before.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad goes on to say that He gives us an education on the wisdom,
knowledge and understanding of God. Not of the prophets, but of the God of the prophets of the
past. Let us try and understand this. A prophet is a Servant of Allah(God). Almighty God, Allah, today, is not trying to get you to be after the mold of a prophet; He is not after making you a servant;
He is after making you like He made Adam.
Muslims, I want you to think over these things. If Adam was made powerful enough that the angels
were forced, or asked by Allah(God) to bow down to Adam and here Jesus is called a 'second Adam'
and Adam is a man that angels attend and serve and according to the scripture, this Jesus is put in
power over all of Creation except God Himself; then He is making of Man a God.
This is not strange. You say, 'Well, there is not God but Allah.' Yes, that is true. But we are aware
of the Essence of Him, we are in His Nature. He allows us to wear His name. He asked to be our
Teacher and if we submit to Him, what will He make us into? He will give us power over the Heavens and the Earth and over the laws that govern both. This Will make us a God, but lower than Himself in obedience to His Will. He makes us Gods.
This is a pretty powerful education, then, isn't it? He is going to give us education, not of prophets,
but of the God of prophets. 'He builds our minds' (The Honorable Elijah Muhammad talking)
'according to the way Gods think and not the way of thinking of servants or prophets.' The prophets
of the past were inspired and their inspiration was true, but since Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is the
Seal of the prophets, he ends the prophets. We do not need prophets today; we have passed out of
the time of the time of prophets. We are in the Time of God and He is not making prophets, He is
making Gods: men and women with power to change reality. Prophets did not change realities.
In the last six thousand(6,000) years, the ruler of the wicked was the Master of Prophets. Even
though they came from the Lord of the Worlds, they were mastered by the God of this world. Therefore, the Bible teaches us that God's Coming is after the workings of Satan. Moses could never be
entirely successful; neither could Jesus or Muhammad. And this is why the Holy Qur'an today is accepted, yet rejected, by those who claim to believe in it. They put it behind their backs. Why? Because the God of this world has mastered the prophets and has come up and twisted the work of the
prophets, until today it looks like no prophet was ever on the scene!
We do not want a prophet's knowledge; we do not need a prophet's knowledge; we want and need
the knowledge of Allah(God). We want to will a new existence, then bring that existence into Reality
and crush the opponents of that Reality.

This is what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is leading us to in the Nation of Islam. Beloved, we
ask the question, 'Why do we enter the Nation of Islam enrolled as student?' You cannot come into
the Nation of Islam except you become a student and recited what is called your "Student Enrollment". Why does each of us come into the Nation of Islam as a student? If we are going to get an
education, the like of which we have never had before, then do not come proud; do not come thinking that what you know is satisfactory. What you know can be used, if it is used in harmony with the
Will of Allah(God).
If you are ever proud of your knowledge, which Allah(God) rejects, He is not going to build His world
on the knowledge of this one; He would make a fool of Himself if He builds His Kingdom and He borrows something from this Kingdom. No! The automobiles of our world will not look like this; the airplanes will not look like this; the vegetation will not look like this. Nothing will be the same as this
world. He is an Independent God and He makes all things new.
He is inviting you, Black man and woman, into His classroom and through us, He is inviting the
whole of humanity to come into the classroom. Yes, yes, yes. He is going to prepare you to teach
the class in His absence. You say, 'Who, Me?!' Yes, you! The scripture says, 'This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our sight' that He would take the rejected and the despised and make them
the cornerstone of a new world order. So when we come into the Nation of Islam, Beloved we come
as students.
What is a student? A student is a person who is formally enrolled in learning. A student is any person who studies, investigates and examines thoughtfully. We are students. I am a student. A student knows he has lessons to learn, therefore, the student does not act as though he is the Teacher.
The student always knows he has more to learn. That is the way we come into the Nation of Islam.
What does the Bible have to say about this? What does the Holy Qur'an have to say about this?
Both books agree. Jesus said, 'except that you become as a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.' When the disciples were rebuking the children, he said, 'suffer the little children to
come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.'
What was he saying to his rather foolish disciples? He was saying to them, Give me the children,
you are making a mess of things with your silliness. You are acting foolish; look at you. Peter and
James and John are arguing over who is going to sit at my right and my left in the Kingdom. What is
the matter with you? Give me the children, give me the babies, for of such is the Kingdom. It seems
to me, that you hear me, but it is going

in one ear and out the other, because your mind is so filled with the education and civilization of this
world, you do not recognize that Jesus the Christ brings a totally new civilization. He wants to make
you a new people, but you cannot be made new if you hold on to the way of foolishness of the old
world. You must become as a child. A child is one that has to be nurtured and when you are thinking of yourself as a child, you become humble to your Teacher, then your Teacher can reshape, remold and make new.
What should the attitude of the student be? We cannot come to Allah(God) arrogant, we cannot
come to Allah(God) proud, we come to Allah(God) humble. Look at the scriptures: 'Naked came I
into the world, naked go I out of the world.' I brought nothing in, I can take nothing out. When one is
naked, one is fully exposed. When one's knowledge has been so completely exposed, one is naked
and then one needs to be clothed again.
Easter, in the Christian way of looking at it, and in the old symbolism of pagan rites, represented the
putting on of a new garment. Even as the Earth looks like it is covered with a new garment in the
spring, we must pull off the old garment of this world's knowledge, wisdom, understanding and way
of civilization. Pull it off and become 'naked' and then let Almighty God, Allah, through His Apostle,
make a new garment for you. Put on the new man, take off the old man. This is the Will of Allah(God). There must be a transformation in our lives.
Brother and Sister, if Allah(God) wants to bring and establish His Will in the world, He has chosen
the United States of America: the most powerful adversary of His Will in the world. Though America
claims to be a Christian country, she is not 'new'. Her way is the way of the world; her way is the
way of evil. When you measure the way of America, when you measure the way of the government,
when you measure the deeds of the government and her record against the law and Will of Allah(God), the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is absolutely correct she is the habitation of devils. And
if she is such, and she is, then to follow her is to go down into Hell with her.
Allah(God) has said to the Black people of America, "You are the descendants of the Earth. You are
a people who are an original people of the Earth. You are by nature a righteous people." You have
the same nature as God Himself; you were born by nature of the righteous. Accept your own and be
yourself. If you would accept that call to be yourself, which is a righteous Muslim, then you will come
into a degree of power that you have never known before. If you will come into a degree of power
that you have never known before, how will this sit with those who have made you slaves and want
to keep you groveling at their feet? Will they want you to have any power? Of course not!

The Will of Allah(God), whenever it is revealed through a prophet or an apostle, must go out and find
people, transform their lives and then organize them for the establishment of His Will in that location.
Brothers and Sisters, it is one thing to tell the truth, but if the truth is not organized, if the people who
believe in the truth are not organized for the work of establishing the truth, then telling the truth is of
no value at all. We need organization as much as we need truth.
In 1977, at a police convention here at the city of Chicago, I spoke to some highly-placed Black policemen. A man that worked very closely with the police told me that the denial objective of the
United States government for Black people was that we must never be allowed to truly organize.
Have you noticed that no matter haw much truth we know, we can never seem to organize effectively; to move ahead with our own aims, plans and purpose? Why?
Revlon says, 'In two(2) years, we are going to take over all Black hair care companies buy them out.
They will not even be in existence in a few years.' I am very happy to see the stir among our people,
but if it is an emotional reaction to Revlon, Revlon is not making an emotional statement. Revlon is
making a statement based upon plans, organization and strategy that is already in the works. But
you cannot get members of the same Black hair care products into the same room; some of them literally hate each other. How, then, can we stave off organized Revlon with disorganized emotionalism in response to Revlon's challenge?
We are silly and it is only when we start acting like mature people; when we come into a new way of
thinking; a new mind with new ideas, will we overpower the Revlons of this world. And whether you
know it or not, you are destined to overpower not only Revlon, but General Motors, Ford, ITT, IBM,
etc. You are destined to overpower all of them.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi, is at work
right now, tearing down this world. Why can't they (powers of this world) get their act together? Because another Power is tearing them down. Why can't they, with all of their knowledge, balance
their budget? Another Power is tearing them down. Why is the dollar falling? Why is General Motors closing? Why are more and more jobs being lost to the American market? It is all because another Power is interfering with their power. They cannot put their Will over His Will, He is forcing His
Will and His Will is the end of this world. Behold! He makes all things new!
Black Brothers and Sisters, Muslims, we must organize. We must see ourselves as students. We
must be of the mind and spirit of a student. We must have the mind and the spirit of a child, for a
child knows that it must be nurtured; a student knows that he or she must be taught. We cannot
come to

10

the Honorable Elijah Muhammad like we know; we must come humble, because the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad proved in his forty(40) years among us that he knew better than anyone among
us, for His word stands.
If we know that we carry the Will of Allah(God) to transform the lives of our people for His sake and
righteousness, then we know that we cannot transform our people without organization. This is War.
Let me say it again: THIS IS WAR. Do you think that you will put Allah's(God's) Will over and the
Will of this world is not going to oppose it? There is bound to be opposition, severe opposition.
THIS IS WAR. It is not a bloody battle, because we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against
principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness that is in high places ---but it is War!
In Economics, when Black people go into business, it is another form of war; when you begin to take
money out of white companies and bring it back into the Black community, it is an act of war. That is
the way they see it. So why don't you get into the mind of war, the frame of war, the spirit of war
---and don't lay down your weapon until the war is over and the victory is won!
This world is not giving up; this world is not going out like a lamb with a sweet lullaby; this world is
going out with a great noise. So we must be ready for the battle. And I say to those with the title of
Muslim, those in the Nation of Islam and that means all Black people in North America We must be
organized.
The moment we start to talk about organization, people think, 'Now here's what I want to be, I want
to be this in that whole, consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, especially for harmonious
and united action. Now let us think about that. I hope that you will follow me carefully in what I am
about to say.
If 'to organize' means 'to form as or into a whole, consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts,
especially for harmonious and united action', then there can be no organization without interdependent relationship. There can be no organization without coordinating the different functions. There
can be no organization without harmony. There can be no organization without a common cause
that is above the function of each part that makes up the whole. If that is true, and it is, then let us
look at the organization of this world. This world is sick to death over titles, for title distinguish us
from others. And then we take the title and we make mischief with it.

11

In the Bible, Paul gives the example of the supreme organization of the body. This is a magnificent
structure and a magnificent example of organization, coordination, harmony, interdependent relationships and united action; because there is one cause that is above all things and that is the life of
this organism. So all the parts work to sustain life.
Imagine the "I am" principle coming into the body: " I am the Brain"; "I am the Heart"; "I am the
Liver"; "I am the Kidney". You may laugh, but that is what has destroyed every organization and now
it is threatening the government itself. It is the "I am". "I am the President." Who are you? Why does
that make you special? Are you better than another functioning part of a whole?
The object is the maintenance, the preservation of the Republic, and that is why you serve it. You
are not greater than the Republic, you are not the Republic. You are just a servant of the Republic.
But we make so much over who the Heat is, who the Chairman of the Board is, who the President is,
who the Secretary is, who the Vice-Chairman and the Potentate is. We destroy the organization by
building up one against the value of another, when that one cannot function without the other. Think
over that.
What does the head look like without a foot? I saw a man in the Marathon. He had hit a mine in one
of the wars and it below off part of his hands and his feet. He finished the marathon four(4) days
later. He had the Will. He had a great head, but he did not have the legs. But that man struggled
against those odds to make it and whatever he had left was working together, united in action harmoniously for the sustenance of that man's life. And even though he could not compete in that race,
he well can compete in the race of life.
Beloved Brothers and Sisters, in this world, men and women study many years to qualify themselves
to wear a title: Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Priest, Father, Reverend, The Right Reverend, The Most
Worshipful Master. And ofttimes, these titles are used to motivate men and women to strive for
these positions of influence and power, but the very means by which men and women ascend to titles ofttimes is the destruction of the organization which the title were meant to serve.
Who wants to be the foot? Someone should want to be the foot; it is very important. So Paul says,
'suppose all members were eyes.' If the body were just one big eye, where would the hearing be?
Somebody has got to be eyes, somebody has got to be ears, someone has to be a tongue, someone has to be a brain, but each must recognize that they are nothing without the other. And it is only
when they work inter-dependently and coordinated in a way that produces harmony, that there will
be success of that organization.

12

Beloved, the striving of men and women for positions of influence in power over others does not
serve the need for organization. 'We're Number One!' Look at the Chicago Bears. Last year they
were 'Number One'. This year everybody is after them. It is very difficult to be Number One two
times in a row. Everybody is after them. It is this madness of competition in a negative way. We
strive to be the best: 'And he rose through the ranks to become General.' As though whatever he
was before meant nothing. And so 'he rose.' How did he rise? He cheated, he robbed, he played
politics, he was a bootlicker, whatever he was he did all of that to get where is he and now he is
chairman of the Board. What kind of organization will that be with a fool like that at the helm?
Brothers and Sisters, I do not mean to make light of this world's order, but you know that this world's
order is closing down. Because men and women have titles and functions, but these persons of title
and function are devoid or character.
Men are called 'Your Eminence, Your Grace, Your Lordship, The Right Reverend, The Most Honorable, Your Excellency.' And they are none of that. But the title gives them the appearance of what
in character they are not. So they are themselves the means of the destruction of their nations, their
government their cities, their states, their towns.
Allah(God) has set His Hand against this world and its leaders for that very reason and this is why
the scriptures foretell the fall of kings and rulers, the destruction of governments and nations because there is no integrity in their character and their function has proved to be alien to the Nature of
Allah(God) and the nature in which He created things.
Beloved Brothers and Sisters, we need organization. We need organization, but we first must understand that we are common to organization and without us, no organization survives. It does not
exist for the person of the leader, or the chairman, or the rulers, but it exists for the purpose for
which the organization was set up. In the next lecture we will go into the aim and the purpose of the
setting up of the Nation of Islam.
Thank you for listening.
AS-SALAAM ALAIKUM!

13

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND
THE NATION OF ISLAM

December 3,1986
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Fellow Laborers:
May this letter find you well and good spirits.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. Woe to the cheaters!
2. Who, when they take the measure (of their dues) from men, take it fully,
3. And when they measure out to others or weigh out for them, they give less than is due.
4. Do they not think that they will be raised again,
5. To a mighty day? "
6. The day when men will stand before the Lord of the worlds ...
HOLY QUR'AN 83:1-6
It has come to my attention that some of the Laborers are withholding commissions on sales of
Clean 'n Fresh products from the Believers, and Asking them to donate the profit back to the Nation.
If this is so, I am asking all Labors to stop this immediately. These products are designed to
strengthen the pocketbook of the Believers so that they can, of their own free will and volition, contribute to charity if they so desire.
Nothing should be forced upon them to give back money that they have already earned. In the price
structure, there is something for the Mosque, something for the Nation and something for the individual who sells the product.
Give to each his or her due.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother and Servant,
Minister Louis Farrakhan
National Representative of
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and
The Nation of Islam
LF/am

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND
THE NATION OF ISLAM

December 19,1986
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Brother and Sisters:
May this letter find you and the followers of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the best of health
and spirit.
Enclosed please find the study guide material which we promised. We would like your study group to
begin on Friday, January 2, 1986, 7:30p.m., at your central meeting place.
The Believers are to be formed in circles of 10 or more (as many circles as necessary), with a Study
Group Coordinator over each circle.
Pay special attention to helping your Study Group Coordinators promote lively, fast-moving discussions, involving all who come. The Study Group Coordinator, brother or sister, is the key to a successful study session. Therefore, care must be taken to choose the right persons and to allow them
sufficient time to review the material and instructions that accompany this package.
You are to reproduce and spiral bind the study package according to the number of persons you expect to study along with us. The total cost for each guide is approximately $1.50; this cost should be
borne by each student. Please do not ask the students to pay more than the actual cost of the material.
In the study guide material, you will find a questionnaire which is to be filled out by each member of
the study group. They are to be collected and mailed to Headquarters to my attention. Keep an accurate record of the participation of each Believer. The Holy Qur'an and the enclosed speech comprise the main course material.

May Allah bless us to bring about a transformation in our lives and in the lives of our people, for then
we can truly say that we are Helpers of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the Cause of Allah.
Thank you for reading these words.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother and Servant
Minister Louis Farrakhan
National Representative of
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and
The Nation of Islam
LF/am

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND
THE NATION OF ISLAM

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Helper in the cause of Allah:
This letter is to introduce you to the new study guide material. These study and training units are
based upon a speech which I delivered September 21, 1986 in Phoenix, Arizona.
This speech, in my judgment, formally ushers in that which is the launching pad of a worldwide
movement.
Each study session is designed on the guidance of Allah to produce: self-examination; self-analysis;
self-correction; and, to quicken in each of us, the self-accusing spirit. For, it is only when we are
awakened morally that we have to face the self-accusing spirit which leads to our resurrection.
Resurrection is that process that begins with the self-accusing spirit and does not end until we
become one in perfect harmony or peace with Allah and His Creation.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. Nay, I swear by the day of resurrection!
2. Nay, I swear by the self-accusing spirit! 2606(footnote)
3. Does man think that We shall not gather his bones?
4. Yea, We are Powerful to make complete his whole make ...
Holy Qur'an 75:1-4 Muhammad Ali Translator
Note that Verse 2 of Surah 75, Al-Qiyaman (The Resurrection), is explained in footnote 2606 as
indicating a spiritual resurrection. the rising to life of the spiritually dead and the Great Resurrection
are one and the same. And the first stage in our spiritual resurrection occurs through the stimulation
of our self-accusing spirit; that is, when the inner voice speaks, guides, warns, reproves, exhorts and
accuses us of going contrary to what is right.

If you will notice, this inner voice does the work of a Messenger of Allah(God). Would you knowing
kill one of Allah's(God's) prophets or messengers? What would be the punishment if you did?
Every time we act to still the voice of correction, coming from within ourselves, we are in fact murdering the messenger of Allah(God). The result is spiritual blindness, leading to spiritual death, leading
ultimately to an untimely physical death.
If we desire to stay alive spiritually, we must never still the voice of Allah(God) within. We must protect it, for in our moral awakening, it is the best friend that we have; for it is Allah(God) working on
the inside of us.
The more we feed on the truth and right guidance from Allah(God) the stronger the voice becomes.
That inner voice is like a seed which can ultimately grow into its perfected state, to be the Mind of
God Himself in you.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ... Philippians 2:5
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to me that if he could choose any symbol to represent His
Work, it would be the trumpet; for the trumpet is the symbol of resurrection. It is a man, a voice and a
truth that is capable of quickening to life the inner voice, the spirit, the essence of Allah(God) in man.
This quickening to life and the process of heeding the truth and right guidance is the process which
brings about a transformation in the Believer. As you know, mere belief counts for nothing except
that it is carried into practice. This phase of our development is designed, by the help of Allah, to
bring about a transformation or complete change in our lives. This is done by stimulating self-analysis and self-correction in us. Our self-improvement actually brings into fruition the awesome power of
Allah(God) to make complete his(our) whole make. 75:4
No Believer is exempt from this study. Those whose desire is to be qualified as laborers, must be
foremost in study and self-analysis in this transformation of our lives.
Each student, after studying the principle under analysis, must then analyze self and critique self.
The study sessions, while leading the student to self-examination, first; self-analysis, second;
self-correction, third; must simultaneously be therapeutic. Therefore, these sessions must be twofold, consisting of both theory and practice. The practice will refine the theory.
The student will receive assignments which allow him or her to apply the principle just learned. At
the following session, the student will relate his or her experience in applying the principle and what
the results were. The discussions will also consist of narratives from the students: when, in our personal experience, we failed to apply the principle and what were those results.
Let us remember: that the mosque is place where people can repair or come out of a world that
represents death and inhale the spirit of life in an atmosphere of peace, harmony, freedom, justice
and equality; which is to give a prototype of the Kingdom of Islam(God). Today, however, the
mosque must also be a launching pad for our activities, to establish the Kingdom of Islam(God) on
Earth. Therefore, self-development is an absolutely essential component of this microcosm of the
new world.
It is not enough that we grow horizontally through the acquisition of farms, factories, banks, industry,
trade, commerce, money, good homes. As you can see by the daily news, Allah(God) is destroying
and rendering bankrupt, people who have money and good homes. Why? Because horizontal
growth alone is death. All dead things are on horizontal level. Therefore, we must grow vertically;
grow in uprightness, or we will be overcome by our horizontal growth.

In all of our prayers in which we ask for the blessing on Muhammad, we ask Allah to ...bless Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, as Thou did bless Abraham and the followers of Abraham... The Qur'an says that Abraham was an upright man and he was not of the polytheists.
These study sessions and practical application, if it be the Will of Allah, will strengthen us both vertically and horizontally.
May Allah bless you in your endeavors to do His will for yourself and His people.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother and Servant,
Minister Louis Farrakhan
National Representative of
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and
The Nation of Islam
LF/am

STUDY SESSION 1
MIXED FEELINGS AND CONTROVERSY
HOW DO WE HANDLE IT?
Reading Material
SELF-IMPROVEMENT

7:59-141
Paragraph 1-3

FACT:
Both the Holy Qur'an and the Bible place great emphasis upon the lives of the prophets of Allah
(God) and the mixed feelings and controversy surrounding them and their message. Both books
make consistent reference to the chiefs or leaders of the people and their attitude toward the prophets.
DISCUSSION:
1. Let us focus upon the views of the chiefs/leaders of the people concerning some of the
prophets:
Noah,
Hud,
Salih, Lot,
Shu'aid, Moses
and Jesus.
The Holy Qur'an mentions prophets that are not named in the Bible and the Bible mentions prophets that are not named in the Holy Qur'an. Some prophets, such as Moses and
Jesus, are named in both books. The Holy Qur'an teaches us, And (We sent) messengers
We
have
mentioned
to
thee
before
and
messengers
W e
h a v e
n o t
m e n t i o n e d
t o
t h e e . . .
4 : 1 6 4
The prophets who are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an are named because they have a specific bearing on the life of Muhammad and his life touched and aspect of all of their lives.
Consequently, to know the lives of the prophets is to know Muhammad and to know that
we will face as followers of Muhammad. What did the leaders think of their prophets?
What did they say of them? What action did they take concerning them?
2. How did the view of the leaders affect the view of others? How did the view of the leaders
affect the view of the followers of the prophets?
3. Who were those who had a proper view of the prophet? Why did they have a proper view?
What is the significance of the Qur'anic references to the attitudes of the opponents of the
prophets with such adjectives as blind, arrogant, haughty, guilty, transgressors, mischiefmakers, etc?

(continued....)

4. Let us look at the prophet himself. What effect did the attitude of the leadership in power
have on him? What emotion did he experience on receiving his call from
Allah(God)? How was he affected by the overwhelming power of the opponents of his
message? How did he deal with opposition? With being despised and rejected?
5. How was the Honorable Elijah Muhammad received by the chiefs/leaders? How did their
views affect the people? How did he handle the way he was received?
6. How is Minister Farrakhan being received today? How does the view of the chiefs/leaders
affect the people? How does it affect you? How does Minister
Farrakhan handle the mixed feelings and controversy surrounding him and his
message?
7. How do you handle mixed feelings and controversy surrounding your belief, when it is directed at you? By what method or process will you produce and change in others?
8. Give an example of mixed feelings or controversy surrounding yourself. How did you handle it? Looking back, how could you have done it better?

STUDY SUPPLEMENT No. 1

Question 1
What the leaders thought of the prophets, what they said of them and the actions they took concerning them are to be extracted directly from the Scriptures.
Question 2
A definition of 'view': 'Manner of looking at things; opinion; judgment; belief; power of seeing; range
of vision
Persecution manifests weakness in people. Go to the scriptures to demonstrate that the view of the
opponents prevailed over the people. Noah, Lot, Hud, Salih, were unable to convert a significant
number of people.
It is through affecting the view of the follower of the prophet that the opponent of the prophet is able
to inject his own thinking to the midst of the prophets' followers. When a believer can be made to
doubt, to entertain evil thoughts about the prophet, to ultimately disbelieve, yet remain in the ranks,
then a hypocrite has been produced in the midst of the followers.
Question 3
Those who had as power view of the prophet are called 'Believers.' What distinguishes the Believer
from the opponents of the prophet?
The answer lies in the review of the Qur'anic descriptions of attitudes of the opponents.
What is the relationship of 'arrogance' 'haughtiness', to 'blindness'? Noah's people are called 'blind'.
What attitude did they possess that rendered them blind?

(continued...)

Here is an excerpt from THE WILL OF GOD (PART 1) to guide analysis of the attitude of the opponents:
'Attitude is the manner, the disposition, the feeling, the position, with which we regard a thing. It is a
tendency or orientation, especially, of the Mind. Think of these words, it is a tendency or orientation
of the Mind. In fact, Attitude can give you "-or damage "-your ability to perceive reality ...'
Vanity is the excessive pride in one's appearance, one's qualities, one's abilities and one's achievements. It is Conceit. Vanity can lead to Arrogance. And of course, anything that is done with the spirit
of conceit lacks real value ... Pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance,
merit or superiority ... we become blinded by Pride, to the Will of God.
In the discussion, we want to bring put the fact that arrogance, pride, haughtiness, etc. are states of
mind which lead to blindness, or the inability to see the truth of the message the prophet brings from
Allah(God).
Since Arrogance led the opponents of the prophets to blindness and resulted in their becoming
transgressors and mischief-makers, the converse is true. That is, the Attitude of those who had a
proper view, the Believers, had to be the opposite of Pride, which is Humility.
The Holy Qur'an teaches that you will know the righteous, they walk the earth in humbleness.
Another excerpt from THE WILL OF GOD:
'...So Humility is the state of mind that each one of us must be in, in order for God to continue His
Plan of exaltation for any of us...Jesus said, ' Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom
of Heaven.' Now, no man that is poor is blessed. I want you to get out of it, that poverty is a blessing...But God is going to give you someone that will give you all that you have been deprived of, that
has made you poor...'
The poor man is humble; he is open to the message, a word of hope, for he is searching for the light
to bring him up out of his condition. He is receptive to the prophet or messenger. He is joyful to hear
the message.
Jesus said come as a little child. The child is open to be taught, open to instruction, open correction.
The child knows he is vulnerable and in need and is happy to receive guidance and help.
A definition of 'humble': 'Lowly in condition; unpretending; submissive, meek.'

Question 4
We are looking at the development of prophets.
The first emotion we experience at birth is Fear. The first emotion the prophet feels on being called
is Fear. But the prophet does not remain afraid very long. Allah gives him assurances that there is a
Power with him infinitely greater than the powers opposing him. He gives comfort and encouragement to the prophet when no one else can, strengthening His servant in the knowledge that 'There is
no God but Allah'.
Because of his great love for his people, the prophet experiences grief, sometimes despair, over
their rejection of the message, for he knows that their destruction is inevitable unless they accept the
Truth. Allah relives him of his pain and sorrow, brings him out of his depression.
The prophet deals with opposition, rejection, by seeking refuge in his Lord, in Allah(God). He is refreshed and rejuvenated by his communication with the God and he stands firm, resolute, in the face
of opposition and rejection.
Question 5
Clearly, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was received with bitterness, hostility and vehement opposition. The attitude of the opponents did affect people greatly.
He would always say, 'Flee to Allah' and practiced what he preached. He always sought refuge in Allah. He did not go to the bottle, to drugs, to the things of the world to escape his pain; He drew comfort from the only True Source of Comfort there is: Allah(God).
Question 6
Analyze the reaction of the Jews, the government, the Negro leadership, etc. to Minister Farrakhan.
This must have some effect on those of us who say we are with him. The study group should be
asked whether they have encountered opposition from family, friends, people they respect, who tell
them they are fools, mad, in error, etc. because they are with the Minister. In fact, they say the very
same things that were said to the prophets.
Minister Farrakhan is dealing with the mixed controversy around him the same way the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad did. He seeks refuge in Allah. How else could he with stand the pressure, were
there not an infinitely greater Power with him than the powers that are against him?
Question 7
What we want to do here is arrive at the conclusion that the way to produce a change in people is by
setting an example. You can not change people by force. You must be a living example of the principles you enunciate, if you truly want to produce a change in the thinking of our people.
Question 8
The study group coordinator should be the first to give an example. Choose a situation where you
mishandled the situation as a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, under Minister Louis Farrakhan, with the intention of handling the situation properly, but you failed because of the manner in
which you dealt with the situation. Then briefly explain how in retrospect you see where you could
have done it better. Then have the members of the group give examples.

STUDY SESSION 2
BUILDING HUMAN POTENTIAL
Reading Material:
Holy Qur'an

22:5-7; 23:12-14; 32:6-9; 14:32-34;

86:5-12; 96:1-5

Self-Improvement:
Page 2; Page 4, par. 3-6; Page 5, par. 5,6;
Page 6; Page 7; Page 8, par. 1,2
Fact:
The Bible and The Holy Qur'an both teach us that man's beginnings are in mere "dust". Yet, both
books also teach us that Allah(God), the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, has created us from
dust and given us dominion over His Creation.
QUESTION:
Would Allah(God) give us power and dominion over His Creation if we lacked the potential to rule it?
What does this signify concerning what is in you?
DISCUSSION:
1. First, let us review some key words and their definitions. Please look at the GLOSSARY.
2. Read Surah 22:5-7. This Surah is called "The Pilgrimage". Why, in this chapter, does
Allah speak to us of our creation from dust? Is the process of Resurrection similar to the
Pilgrimage? If yes, why is it similar?
3. Read Surah 23:12-14. This Surah is called "The Believer". The same process
described in the previous chapter is repeated. What is the significance of mentioning this
process in a surah of this name, "Believer"?
4. Read Surah 32:6-9. This Surah is called "The Adoration". What is the significance of this
word, "Adoration", in the process of resurrection?
In the same chapter, Allah(God) declares that He created man from "dust" and made him of "...an
extract, or worthless water." What is the "extract" referred to here? What makes it worthless? Does
The Black man have worth in the eyes of Civilization?
Did he ever have
respect and worth? Can he have it again?

Study Session 2

Page 2

4. (continued) What parables are we given in the Holy Qur'an to assure us our own potential
to be consequential?
5. Read Surah 14:32-34. This Surah is called "Abraham." In It, we see that Allah(God) has
made the Sun, Moon, Heavens, earth, all "subservient" to us. What is the meaning of
"subservient"?
Are we being served by nature now?
Are we in control of
nature?
Do we have the potential to gain mastery of the forces of nature?
What
evidence
is
there
that
we
have
such
potential?
What is the connection between the man Abraham and the mastery of man over the
forces of nature?
6. Read Surah 96:1-5. Have you ever seen a blood clot? Was it Beautiful to behold? Is a
Nation of unlearned people a beautiful sight in the eyes of Civilization? By what means
does a clot develop into a complete human being?
By what means must a
people evolve into it's beauty?
7. Read Surah 86:5-12.
What is the significance of the process of man's own
development from sperm being described in this Surah, called "The Comer By Night"?
8. What is the significance of the life of Jesus to one who is studying and seeking to build human potential in himself and others? What is the significance of the life of Muhammad in
the study of building human potential?
What is the significance of studying the life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as an example for
us in building our own potential?

Supplement # 2

Page 3

DISCUSSION
4. The "extract" is sperm. Sperm issues from the same part of man's body as waste fluid, therefore
it is lowly, even despicable in man's sight. But the sperm is the quintessence of every part of the
human body. In the act of conception, the essence of man is extracted from him; his being, his
genetic make-up.
Sperm is only worthless because of the state that it is in.
The Holy Qur'an repeatedly speaks of a barren, dry Earth, that appears dead, but when Allah
causes clouds to come over it and water falls from those clouds, the life that is in the earth swells
and blossoms.
Sperm must be placed in the right environment, i.e., the womb. What is the proper environment
for spiritual development to take place? The Mosque. Review what Minister Farrakhan said of
the mosque in his letter.
The Qur'an says: "Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit." What makes
us complete is the Spirit of God. This is manifested in the language of the Holy Qur'an. Once Allah has breathed His spirit into man, He ceases to refer to him in the third person, "him" and begins to refer to him in the second person, "you". He says, "...and gave you ears and eyes and
hearts; little it is that you give thanks!" Man is thus addressed as a spiritual counterpart to whom
the Creator has given ears, so that he can hear the Message; eyes to see clearly with the vision
of a Divine being; a heart for love and understanding and compassion. Yet, with all of these divine gifts, we are ungrateful.
5. Abraham is the example for us of what we must do in order to be given dominion over the world
as Allah planned for us. Abraham represents belief in ONE GOD and total submission to His Will
and His Alone. Review the Minister's letter where he gives us excerpts from the Muslim opening
prayer.

Supplement # 2

Page 4

6. Allah says, "complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you..." When you and
I come forth we are complete yet incomplete. How do we become complete. By being fed and
nourished. Food develops the body. Words develop the mind. Just as we must eat the right
food to grow right physically; we must read right, from right material, to grow our minds properly.
7. The 86th Surah, "Al-Tariq" contains an invaluable lesson. The Comer by Night signifies that we
must never give in to the darkness of despair and hopelessness. Remember the Minister's
words last Sunday: In the darkest mind there is a spark of light" There is a Being the same Being
that delivered Moses, and Noah, He will deliver you and me.
If you even think of being in despair, then do what the 86th Surah says, "let man consider of what he
is created..." The same God Who brought that sperm through that tortuous journey to meet the egg
and become you and me; that same God will deliver us.
Master Fard Muhammad came "unobserved", and in the darkness He gave us the Word to Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The Word is symbolized by Water. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, filled
with the Word, became as a "cloud giving rain" to you and me. He built men and women from nothing into that which the world had never before know.
And so this Surah says "It is a decisive Word...and not a joke" This means we must not play with the
teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Supplement # 2

Page 5

DISCUSSION 8
Review the statements made by Minister Farrakhan in SELF-IMPROVEMENT, pertaining to Jesus.
Be ever mindful in the discussions, of potential for complete harmony with those who profess Christianity, through our own understanding of the man Jesus.
There are profound statements made by Minister Farrakhan about Jesus in this speech. For
example:
"...in Jesus is a witness, not that God is coming, but that God is present...Jesus gives man a glimpse
of his potential. Jesus is not here for you to worship him; he is here for you to follow his example,
that where he is, you may...Because if you follow that example, Jesus is only manifesting what is
really in yourself...He is the perfect example of human potential...he was born of a woman and came
through the vicissitudes of life, just like you."
*********
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad accomplished what he accomplished through the guidance of
Master Fard Muhammad, the Holy Qur'an and many, many books. Though he had only completed
the 4th grade, he followed the first command from His Teacher: "Read." For 7 years, while on the
run from the hypocrites, he managed to go back and forth to the Library of Congress (Washington,
D.C.) reading 104 books as assigned to him by Master Fard Muhammad.
If Malcolm X, with an 8th grade education, accomplished what he accomplished under the guidance
of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, read every book in the prison library, beginning with the dictionary; if individuals and people can manifest hidden beauty and potential through reading, then each
one of us must challenge our aversion to reading and begin to: READ. READ. "READ IN THE NAME
OF THY LORD WHO CREATES MAN FROM A CLOT. READ AND THY LORD IS MOST GENEROUS, WHO TAUGHT MAN BY PEN, TAUGHT MAN WHAT MAN KNEW NOT..."
These are the 2 lost arts among our people: Reading and Writing(the use of pen). If there is one
among us who cannot read, that is one too many. If one of you is unable to read, then we shall establish a Mosque reading class.

Page 6
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Your assignment (to be completed by December 26, 1986) is as follows:
1. Re-read the Holy Qur'an references from Study Session # 1 and the references from
Study Session # 2
2. Continue to read SELF-IMPROVEMENT.
3. Read a newspaper each and every day. Read The Chicago Tribune and/or The Sun
Times. In addition to one of these two newspapers read the Chicago Defender.
Do not read the sports section, leisure, etc. Read the NEWS.
4. Read the article entitled "ONE MEAL A DAY" from HOW TO EAT TO LIVE (Book One) by
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Be prepared to discuss this article next Friday in your
study circle.

GLOSSARY
BUILD(verb): To frame, construct, mold form or create. To establish, increase, strengthen, prepare
in stages.
HUMAN(adj.): Pertaining to or characterizing man. From "humus": a dark, organic material in soil,
produced by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter essential to the fertility
of the Earth.
POTENTIAL: A latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed; capable of being or
becoming; possible but not actual; having capacity for existence but not yet existing.
(Potent, Powerful)
EXCELLENCE: Possession of eminently good qualities; great merit; superiority in worth or value.
PILGRIMAGE: A journey, especially a long one, to a scared place as a action of devotion. A long
journey undertaken in quest of something for a particular purpose.
EXTRACT: To get, pull or draw out. To obtain, derive or elicit. a concentrated form.
DUST: A particle of matter with no use or function. Powdery earth or matter in bits fine enough to be
easily suspended in air; anything worthless.
SUBSERVIENT: "That which is useful, helpful, of service, especially in an inferior or subordinate capacity."

ONE MEAL A DAY

Eat one meal a day or one meal every other day, and it will prolong your life. Do not think that you
will starve. On the contrary, you will be treating yourself to life, and a life filled with sickless days.
You can hardly get sick eating this way. I know because I have this experience. If you eat the
proper food which I have given you from Allah (in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad to Whom
be praised forever) in this book -you will hardly ever have a headache.
In eating once a day or once every other day, you must not eat between meals. And, you should try
to eat at the same hour tomorrow as you eat today. Do not change your meal hours if you can help
it. That causes your stomach to react to various hours of the day for a meal, and will set up gas on
the stomach. Do not even drink juices, milk, or soft drinks between meals.
And, do not eat candies or fruits between meals. You are welcome to drink water, but I know you
will not want too much water between meals since your stomach will not call for it. You may drink
coffee between meals, but do not fill your cup with half sugar and half cream and pour coffee on top
of that. (smile) This (that I am trying to teach you) is the way that He (Almighty Allah) has taught me
for you. I have given to you in this book the type of food that you should eat as Allah has given it to
me.
Again I say, many vegetables are good to eat; also many fruits. But the vegetables you have been
warned against eating -such as collard greens, turnip salads, black-eyed peas, field peas, lima
beans, butter beans and soy beans -should not be eaten. Be sure that you do not eat the large-size
navy bean; eat the small size navy bean.
Surely sugar diabetes can be controlled and driven out with your abstinence from eating sugar and
starchy foods. And, with your corrected way of eating once a day or once every other day (if started
in time), you will become negative of sugar in your blood. If you are a victim of sugar diabetes, you
should not eat white or sweet potatoes. And even if you are victim of diabetes, you should not eat
too much of any starchy food (such as potatoes) -and positively no sweet potatoes. You should be
careful of eating this type of food.

STUDY SESSION 3
OVERCOMING DIFFICULTY
Reading Material
HOLY QUR'AN

Surah 21 "THE PROPHETS"

Surah 93 "THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE DAY"
Surah 94 "THE EXPANSION"

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Page 3; Page 4, Par. 1,2;

Page 5, Par. 1-4

FACT:
Allah has said in the Holy Qur'an that He has created man (and woman) to face difficulty.
It is a general law of nature, that as night follows day, likewise, ease follows difficulty.
Both the Bible and Holy Qur'an teach us that struggle is ordained for man by Allah(God).
QUESTION:
What evidence is there in nature that proves Allah(God) has ordained struggle for man?
DISCUSSION
1. First, let us review some key words and their definitions. Please look at the
GLOSSARY.
2. Why has Allah(God) ordained struggle for you and me? What is our ultimate goal in life? Is
a struggle necessary to obtain that goal? Is there any life form that comes into existence
without a struggle?
3. Minister Farrakhan has said that, "If Allah(God) has created man to face difficulty, then a
'Difficulty Factor' is present that intensifies as man moves closer to the goal...the 'Difficulty
Factor' is attached to everything of value."
4. Is your life valuable? Was there a Difficulty Factor attached to our coming into existence?
What was it?
Does the Earth contain valuable resources? Name some of them. Knowing what is in the Earth is
one thing. Is there a 'Difficulty Factor' attached to getting the resources out of the Earth? What is it?

STUDY SESSION #3

Page 2

Is Marriage (the desire to unite) valuable? Is there a Difficulty Factor attached to Marriage? What is
it?
4. Read Surah 21:1-10. In these verses there is an example of the Difficulty Factor encountered by
the Apostle. What is it?
Is there a difference between the rejection encountered by the Apostle in these verses and the
rejection encountered by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Farrakhan from our own
people today? Are our people valuable? Are they difficult to reach?
If our people are resisting the Message as did people before them, then will they not be destroyed for rejecting knowledge? If they are going to be destroyed, then why should Minister Farrakhan continue with his mission? Shouldn't he just give up and go home? If he should not give
up, why not?
5. Is there a Difficulty Factor attached to following a man with a message? Why?
6. Read Surah 21:16-18. Who is the "WE" who did not create the heaven and earth for sport; who
did not take a 'pastime'; who 'hurl the Truth against falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and lo!
it vanishes...'?
What is the significance of Falsehood having 'brains'? Is it difficult to hurl the Truth at the brains
of Falsehood?
Have you watched Minister Farrakhan 'hurl' Truth at Falsehood from the rostrum? What happens to the false concepts we carry when the Truth is hurled at them? Has Minister Farrakhan
encountered any difficulty as a result of hurling Truth at Falsehood? Describe the difficulty. Has
he turned away from the mission as a result of the difficulty factor?
What is your duty when you encounter Falsehood? Do you think it will be difficult? Will you turn
away from the difficulty? Why or why not?
7. Read Surah 21:51-58. Abraham took an action. What was it? Why did he do it?

8. Read Surah 21:59-68. What was the response of the people to what Abraham did? Why did they
react in the manner that they did? What was the response o f the Jews to Minister Farrakhan
when he spoke the Truth about them? Why did they react in the manner that they did.
9. Read Surah 21:69-71. What did Allah(God) do when the opposition attempted to kill His servant.
Read Surah 21:74-91. What do we see in these verses concerning the prophets of Allah(God)
when they find themselves in distress? What is the response of Allah(God) to their calls for help?
In what situation did He fail His servant(s)? What does this tell us concerning what we should expect in times of distress if we call on Allah(God) in sincerity? Who or what did the prophets call
on besides Allah?
10. Have you ever faced a difficulty and turned away from it? How did that make you feel? What
caused you to turn away? Was it a Fear of some kind, perhaps (loss of job, loss if income, loss of
friendship, etc.)? After tonight's session, who do you consider the source of your security?
Have you ever faced difficulty and overcome it? How did you feel afterwards?

SESSION 3 (SUPPLEMENT)
DISCUSSION
1. Explained in GLOSSARY.
2. The Holy Qur'an teaches us that Allah does not desire hardship for us. 2:185. Further, it is His
desire to please us. 93:5. Even so, we can find no life form that came into existence without a
struggle. Whether it is the lowest form of insect or man himself, we see that overcoming adversity
is a necessary part of life, since life cannot come into being without it.
We must struggle in order to obtain our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to meet with Allah(God). Difficulty is an essential factor in the journey from being a speck of dust to being one
with Allah(God).
We know struggle must take place by understanding what struggle causes us to do. Review
SELF-IMPROVEMENT, P.3, par. 5: "without struggle, you cannot bring out of yourself that which
God has deposited within you. It is something that has to be brought out and it is a struggle overcoming difficulties that manifest your own gifts and your own sublime qualities..."
What God has deposited in us, as seen in our previous study sessions, is the potential to be one
with Him.
When we face difficulty, we struggle; we are forced to turn to the One God for help. On Him alone
we must rely.
3. Of course your life is valuable. It is invaluable. It was not obtained without intense suffering. The
journey of the sperm to the egg is beset with difficulty. It is a tortuous journey. While many sperm
are killed, many just give up and die. Their tragic end, lying dead in the middle passage, serves
as a lesson to us that we cannot even come into existence without overcoming difficulty, since
each and every one of us represents the resolve of a tiny sperm who overcame difficulty.
Gold, Oil, Uranium, Diamonds, are valuable to us. They are in the ground. There is tremendous
difficulty involved in getting them out of the ground before we can benefit from their value.

SESSION 3 (SUPPLEMENT)
Marriage is the desire to unite. The marriage vow is the statement of intention to unite. Immediately
thereafter, difficulties arise. The difficulties are generated by our desire to unite in that they bring the
man and woman together in a trying situation. Because while God created man and woman to incline toward one another and to seek unity with one another, He also made it a difficult thing to do.
The process of uniting through marriage is a replication of the process of uniting with God. If we run
away from the difficulties of marriage, we diminish our ability to face the difficulties of seeking to become one with Allah(God).
Why do people get divorced? Why do people join an organization to unite, only to leave?
"The desire to attain a goal brings us face to face with difficulty. When we undergo the trial of difficulty, the trial may be so intense that it extinguishes the light of the desire to attain the goal."
4. A man brings a people a beautiful message. But, the Holy Qur'an says, the message comes
"while they sport" and "their hearts (are) trifling." Trifling does this sound familiar? Are there not
many of our people who are more interested in the football game on Sunday afternoon than
hearing the Minister lecture? Are they not more interested in sport and play than in a word which
might help them out of their condition?
So in this state of mind and heart, what do the people do? They "counsel in secret". They come
together and talk about him. They say, 'He is a poet!'. Compare this to what is said of Minister
Farrakhan: charmer, skillful, magician. etc.
The Minister should not give up and neither should we who say we are with him. Why not? Remember last week's lesson. We came from dust. Look again at 22:5-7. If you are in doubt about
the Resurrection, know that "Allah will raise up those who are in the graves."
5. Yes. Because we encounter constant attempts by people to try and diminish our intelligence:
'What are you doing following him? I know he's trying to take your money ... He's a charlatan....etc., etc.'
Remember, the Human Potential. We have difficulty seeing divinity in a man or a woman because in
this world we are so far beneath the thoughts and ways of Allah(God) that we don't know what a
complete man or woman looks like, therefore, we don't recognize a man or woman with a message
and mission from God right in our midst.

6. The WE is YOU AND ME. We would like to know that we are unanimous in agreement that each
of us had the potential to be included in the WE. But there is a journey we must undergo in order
for that to happen.
Falsehood has brains. That is, LIES are conceived of and perpetrated by THINKING MEN &
WOMEN.
Sunday (12/21/86) was an example of Truth (There is no such thing as a big fat white man coming down your chimney and leaving gifts) being hurled at Falsehood. When forced by Minister
Farrakhan to find logic in one man going to every house in the world in one night, in a sled,
through the air, carried by reindeer, what happened to the myth? IT VANISHED. Why? Because
it never existed. It was a Fantasy to begin with.
7. Abraham destroyed the idols to help his people see the error of their ways; that these man-made
'thing' could not be Lord of the worlds.
8. The leadership was angry and hostile. They had been exposed as fools. They were humiliated
and they hated Abraham for it. The Minister exposed the myth perpetrated by the Jews that they
are the chosen people of God and immune to criticism, free to engage in evil. The Minister
showed the world that this is a lie. Their reaction was vile hatred and just as Abraham's people
said "Burn him!", the Jews cried, "Death to Farrakhan!" This is not over yet. They continue to plan
against him.
9. Allah always delivers His servants. The prophets are examples to us that on Him alone must we
rely.
10. The exertion of energy in facing and overcoming difficulty strengthens character. Each time we
face Difficulty and use our faith in our Lord to overcome it, there is a reward. This reward gives
us the incentive to try and try again.

SESSION 3

Page 7

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
When you leave here tonight, we want you to purchase and take with you a product. You are to sell
the product before you come back next Friday.
There is a Difficulty Factor in sales.
Selling is accompanied by a certain degree of rejection.
Do you fear the possibility that someone will tell you 'No.'?
How do you handle that?
You know that you have a good product. There is someone out there who wants the product.
Will you be successful in getting to the many people who will say 'Yes' if you are immobilized by fear
of the 'No'?
What is the reward of overcoming the difficulty?
Is there an immediate reward? What is it?
Is there a lasting reward? What is it?
NEXT WEEK:
Please come prepared to discuss your experience with the product you have chosen.

GLOSSARY
DIFFICULTY: The condition or fact of being difficult.
Something that is difficult, as a hard problem or an obstacle or objection. Trouble, distress, etc. or a cause of this.
EMINENCE: A high or lofty place, thing, etc., as a hill. Superiority in rank, position, character,
achievement, etc.; greatness; celebrity. A person of eminence.
FACTOR: Any of the circumstances, condition, etc. that bring about a result; element or constituent
that makes a thing what it is. Any of two or more quantities which form a product when
multiplied together.
PASTIME: A way of spending spare time pleasantly; anything done for recreation or diversion.
OVERCOME: To get the better of in competition, struggle, etc.; conquer. To master, prevail over, or
surmount (to overcome obstacles).
EASE: Freedom from pain, worry, or trouble; comfort.
Freedom from difficulty; facility. Freedom from poverty; state of being financially secure;
affluence. Rest; leisure; relaxation.
RELIANCE: The act of relying. Trust, dependence, or confidence. A thing relied on.
SUBLIME: Noble; exalted; majestic. Inspiring awe or admiration through grandeur, beauty, etc.
INVALUABLE: Extremely valuable; having value too great to measure; priceless.
ADVERSITY: A condition of hardship or affliction; misfortune.
DESIRE: An earnest wishing for something; longing; yearning. A request or prayer.
TRIFLE(TRIFLING): To pass, as time, in an idle and purposeless way. To act without dignity or seriousness.

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND
THE NATION OF ISLAM

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Fellow Students:
May this little reminder find you well and enjoying your course of study and practice.
All of the prophets(worthies) of Allah(God) are given to us in the Bible and especially in the Holy
Qur'an as examples.
We study the biographies of great men and women, for in their lives there are circumstances, successes and trials that stimulate the motives, the intentions and the desires of us along certain lines.
We study the lives of the prophets, for we are engaged in an endeavor to raise Black people up in
America and throughout the world, from a state of spiritual and mental death.
The lives of the prophets, their trials, tribulations, successes and failures; their opponents and
their complete reliance on Allah(God), is a prerequisite to motivate us and give us confidence in the
eventual success of our mission.
The lives of the prophets will cause us to see the ups and downs, the ebb and flow of our lives,
when we are committed to a very consequential mission. This knowledge will not permit us to give
up because of a temporary setback. Like the prophets, we will press on, knowing that the bitterness
we taste in every setback is temporary and will be removed by the sweetness of the taste of the ultimate victory over all opponents to the rise of Black people. The Truth that Allah(God) revealed to us
for our resurrection and the resurrection of the righteous will be established.
Study the lives of the prophets, for their histories are given to us as signs of the one who would be
raised up from among us, the Lost-Found members of the Nation of Islam in the West, in the Fulfillment of Time.

MINISTER TO FELLOW STUDENTS

Page 2

The mixed feelings and controversy that surrounded the prophets, surrounds the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad. Their complete trust in Allah(God) in the face of overwhelming opposition, the tenderness of heart that they felt for their people, are but signs to us of the demonstrated commitment of
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
He said, of Himself, "I am a Fulfiller." He is not a carbon copy of any prophet or messenger, he
comes as the quintessence of their collective experience. Study the life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad carefully, for His is the path that we have chosen to follow.
May Allah continue to bless you with deeper and deeper insight into these lessons and a stronger,
ever-determined will to succeed.
As-Salaam Alaikum

Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of The Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West

LF/am

STUDY SESSION 4
THE STRUGGLE FOR BALANCE
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN

Surah 55 "THE BENEFICENT"

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Page 4, Par. 1

FACTS:
In our scriptural reading assignment last week (Study Session 3: Overcoming Difficulty) we saw that
Allah(God) created the entire Solar System, including the great symmetry of its arrangement and the
motions of the various planets, placing each in its own orbit. Holy Qur'an 21:30-33
The Planet Earth is inclined on its axis at approximately 23 degrees, 30 minutes, to the plane of its
own orbit. This inclination, along with its rotation on its axis and its revolution around the Sun, makes
life forms as we know them here. If the Earth were to alter its motion, it would lose its balance and
leave its orbit.
QUESTION: What is the meaning of BALANCE to you as an individual?
DISCUSSION:
1. First, let us review some key words and their definitions.
Please look at the GLOSSARY.
2. Read Page 4, Paragraph 1 of SELF-IMPROVEMENT. What is the first struggle the bird
experiences after overcoming the difficulty of pecking its way out of the shell? What is the
significance of the bird's experiences to you and me?
3. Read Surah 55:1-9. Why is this Surah called "The Beneficent"? What is Allah's (God's) intention for us concerning "balance"? Has He taken any actions to help us attain it? What
does He say He has done for you and me?

Study Session 4/Supplement

Page 2

4. Are you in a state of balance today? Why or why not? If asked to evaluate your marriage
or any interpersonal relationship you are currently in (parent/child; brother; sister; friendship), would you say that it is balanced? If not, why not?
5. By what means can balance be restored to you personally and in your interpersonal relationships? What is the source for balance.
6. When each of us achieves balance in our individual lives, what effect do you think it will
have on the community we live in, if any?

STUDY SESSION 4/SUPPLEMENT

Page 3

FACTS:
Approximately 75% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. It travels around the Sun at 1,037
1/3 m.p.h. "The Sun draws this water up into the Earth's rotation (which is called gravitation) in a fine
mist that the naked eye can hardly detect...as this mist ascends higher it increases with other mists
of water in different currents of the atmosphere until it becomes heavier and the gravitational pull
causes it to distill back to the Earth in the form of drops of water(or drops of ice, depending upon
how heavy the mist was in the current of air it was moving in)... the reason it rains (down) on our
Planet is because it (water) cannot get out of the Earth's sphere with its high speed of revolution
around the Sun..."
The Earth is not perfectly round; it has a wobble. Allah(God) compensates for this imbalance by the
imposition of a law regulating motion. Pursuant to that law, the Earth possesses a natural inclination
to the plane of its own orbit. This enables us to live on the Earth's surface without being disturbed by
its imbalance.
Thus, we see in Creation that in order to achieve balance, it is not necessary that the weight of a
thing be equal on each side; Allah(God) shows us that balance can be achieved or brought about by
placing the fulcrum(support) at the point which will bring it about. That is, the center of gravity can be
placed in such a way as to make a balance where imbalance previously existed.
DISCUSSION:
1. See GLOSSARY.
2. The bird must obtain its balance before it can fly. This is a sign to us in nature that part of
the ordained struggle for us includes overcoming the difficulty we must encounter in order
to achieve balance; this difficulty must be faced and overcome in order to proceed on the
journey to meet with Allah(God).

STUDY SESSION 4/SUPPLEMENT

Page 4

3. Allah(God) brought things into existence for the sustenance of man before his creation.
That is, we did not earn the things we need and use to sustain life, but out of His Beneficence, Allah gave them to us. Out of His Beneficence, He has taught the Qur'an, taught us
expression, for this necessary to our spiritual development. Our ability and mental sustenance, just as the vegetation of the Planet is for our physical sustenance.
We see in verses 5-9 that even as the Sun and Moon follow a reckoning, Allah has set up
the measure "that you (speaking of you and I) may not exceed the measure, and keep up
the balance with equity, nor fall short in the measure."
Also, read Footnote 2407 in the Maulana Muhammad Ali Translation of the Holy Qur'an for
the meaning of the Arabic word, "mizan", which means "a measure" and also signifies
"justice".
3. Allah(God) placed in male and female, a natural inclination towards one
another (biologically, physiologically, spiritually). He also placed this inclination, in another
way, between mother and child. The power or force that is the source of the inclination is a
need in the two (man and woman; mother and baby) for one another. The need causes us
to incline toward that which will fulfill the need. The baby needs the milk in the breast of
the mother and she needs to give the baby the milk, in order for each of them to be in a
balanced state of health.
Let us each reflect on the emotion of Love. When we love someone, really love them,
what does that feeling generate in us regarding that person? We think about the object of
our love and affection. We think about them, we speak of them often, and whenever possible, we communicate with them and most of all, want to be with them. We give them
symbols of love (cards, gifts, etc.)
If we fall in love with a man or woman because a need we have is fulfilled through creating a bond, then what should our feelings be about the One Who has provided for all of
our needs. Who, indeed, is the Creator and Sustainer of the man or woman we love, as
well as ourselves? If we call our loved one on the telephone at every opportunity, how often should we call on The One Who brought us into existence from a speck of dust out of
His love for Himself and us? We should think of Him not only once a day, or even 5 times
a day, but moment to moment.

STUDY SESSION/SUPPLEMENT

Page 5

5. Let us analyze this situation: why do our relationships in life invariably bring discontentment,
disaffection,
and
in
most
instances,
dissolve?
It is because our inclination towards other human beings is not a primary inclination; it is
secondary. We cannot find fulfillment in any secondary need if we ignore the primary
need. Our primary need is for Allah(God). Though He is the true Center of our existence,
we have replaced Him with secondary needs, which cannot be successfully done. When
we put our personal relationships ahead of our relationship with
Allah(God), we are guilty of "shirk", which is the Arabic word for belief in more than one
God. When we set up gods besides Allah, not only do we bring about the degeneration
and
d e s t r u c t io n
of
those
relationships,
but
we
destroy
any
h o p e
o f
a
r e l a t i o n s h i p
w i t h
h i m .
Then what is the means by which we learn to love our Lord the way we should? How is
any true love created, nurtured and brought to fruition? By repetition of those actions
w h i c h
i n c r e a s e
t h e
b o n d
t h a t
i s
L o v e .
The child sucks from the breast over and over again. Each time the child draws the milk
and the satisfaction that comes with it, the child's love for its mother grows; her love for the
child grows as she draws satisfaction from giving him the milk.
Our love for Allah(God) is nurtured from repetition of acts of devotion to Him. Each time
we pray and draw the incredible feeling of happiness and satisfaction that comes from
prayer, our love for Him grows. Each thing we do in His way increase our Love. And as
our love for Him grows, we recognize Him as the True Center of our existence and the
source of balance for our lives. Once we are right with Him, and only when we are right
with Him, do we have a hope of right relations with others.

STUDY SESSION 4/SUPPLEMENT

Page 6

(Note on imbalance)
Each of us has experienced overcompensation. E.g., the human body needs iron. When
the iron supply in the body is depleted due to one thing or another, the result is a condition
known as anemia. In order to correct this imbalance, or iron deficiency, we ingest certain
foods
which
are
particularly
rich
or
abundant
in
iron
in
o r d e r
t o
r e s t o r e
b a l a n c e .
Mental imbalance results from the taking away of some component necessary to mental
stability. In order to restore that imbalance, the missing component must be restored or
compensated for.
6. Black people are not balanced; nor is humanity in general. Allah(God) created us with a
natural inclination towards Him. That inclination causes us to move in His direction from
the very beginning of life to the end. But the journey to Allah(God) has been aborted because of Falsehood and the acceptance of Falsehood.
Our brains were created to think right. Falsehood, which is untruth or deception produces
a spiritual and chemical imbalance in the brain. And since the nine(9) systems of the human body all rely upon the brain, it imbalances results in a malfunctioning of the entire
health system. Even though there may still be a regular heartbeat, normal blood pressure,
etc., there is a very real dysfunction that ultimately shortens life because Allah(God) intended for us not be nearly balanced, but we are made to achieve exquisite balance.
The proof that humanity is imbalanced is the absence of the three(3) essentials of balance: Freedom, Justice and Equality. This is due to the oppression and mistreatment of
people by one another. It is reflected in our speech, our walk, our personal habits, our interpersonal relationships and our relationship with Self.
It is a pitiful sight to see humanity trying to compensate for the imbalance, each in his or
her own way and not Allah's Way. We have failed to recognize Him as the center of our
existence, so we are doomed for dissatisfaction and disappointment.
And so, marriage is not rewarding. It does not provide contentment because the marriage
consists of two imbalanced parts instead of one belief and faith in Allah(God). And so the
husband tries to compensate by working in his career day and night; the wife pours herself
into her art and music, etc. Our job, our pastimes, etc., become the source of balance and
of course are incapable of providing balance, so frustration builds. Instead of facilitating
balance, marriage exacerbates the imbalance. So the restoration of balance to the individual is the key to the balance of the society.

GLOSSARY
PLANET: One of the non-luminous bodies of the Solar System that revolve around the Sun as their
center of motion and their source of light and life.
ORBIT: The path in space along which a body moves about its center of attraction. The course of
one's life or range of one's activities.
BALANCE: The state of being in equilibrium; equipoise; equality; also, mental stability, sanity. An instrument for weighing; the scale by which deeds and principles are weighed and destinies are determined; a symbol of Justice. To bring into, keep or be in equilibrium; to
keep in due proportion.
MEASURE: The extent or dimensions of anything. See footnote 2407 in the Maulana Muhammad Ali
translation of the Holy Qur'an. The Arabic word "mizan" (measure) signifies justice... the
giving of their due to those who deserve it.
FULCRUM: The support on or against which a lever rests. Any prop or support.
GRAVITATION(GRAVITY): The force of mutual attraction between all bodies, equal to a constant
times the quotient of the product of the masses of the bodies divided
by the square of the distance between them; an act or process caused
by this force. The force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to
fall toward the center of the Earth. From the Latin word "gravis", meaning "heavy".
AXIS: The central part of anything. A line on which something rotates or around which something is
symmetrically arranged.
SYMMETRY: The balance or beauty of form or proportion resulting from the correspondence of opposite parts in size, shape, and position.
INCLINATION:(INCLINE) A set or bent, especially of the mind or will; a liking or preference; a tendency toward a certain condition. To have a preference or be disposed
towards; to deviate from the vertical by slanting, bowing or bending in a
certain direction. To listen with favour or willingness.
RECKONING: Count or computation; calculation; a measuring for the future; the settlement of rewards or penalties for any action (day of reckoning).

STUDY SESSION 5
BUILDING THE WILL (PART 1)
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN:
THE WILL OF GOD PART 1
SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Surah 11 "HUD"
Page 3; Paragraphs 4 & 5
Page 7; Paragraphs 1 & 2

FACT(S)
Both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an teach us that the Will of Allah(God) is the Power behind the
Universe: its creation, its maintenance and its sustenance.
Will is the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action.
Both books teach us that Allah(God) has given each of us a FREE WILL. This faculty of divine
power distinguishes man from all other life forms in Creation.
"Brothers and Sisters, each time we turn away from the struggle to overcome difficulty, there then is
deterioration of character and there is destruction of the Will ---and the Will that is within you is God's
gift. It is His Essence that He gives to man and anything that deteriorates your Will destroys your
ability to cope with the problems of life. Struggle is ordained." (SELF-IMPROVEMENT p.3)
DISCUSSION:
1. First, let us review some key words and their definitions. Please look at the GLOSSARY.
2. You have read Surah 11, "Hud", in preparation for this session. In the lives of the prophets, we see examples of strong Will, or, "conscious and deliberate action." Just as the
physical body requires food(nourishment) to stimulate and sustain it, there is a primary
source of nourishment required to build the Will. What is it?
3. Let us review 11:36-49. The Prophet Noah obviously had a strong Will. By what means
or method was his Will strengthened? Did he attain his objective? What happened to his
opposition?

SESSION 5

Page 2

4. Let us review the "MAKE YOUR WORD BOND" Pledge Card which is attached to this
guide. What is a "pledge"? Why would the Honorable Elijah Muhammad ask us to strive
to build schools, housing, businesses, when there are already a multitude of these things
already in existence around us?
5. Please give some examples of the prophets' encounters with opposition as given in Surah
11. Why are we given these histories to study throughout the Holy Qur'an?
6. Has Minister Farrakhan encountered any opposition? Why do you think he has been singled out of the thousands of men who claim to carry the Word of Allah(god), and is the
subject of such vicious attacks? Do you encounter any opposition as one who believes
with him and supports him in our mission? What do you do when you encounter opposition? After completing this study session, including the reading of the 11th Surah, what
should you do when you are opposed in your mission?
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Select one bad habit that you DESIRE to break. Beginning tonight, you are to focus your WILL on
overcoming that habit. Whether it is smoking, drinking, gossip, excessive eating, oversleeping, too
much television ---whatever it is, you are to stop it as of NOW.
At our next session, BUILDING THE WILL PART 2, be prepared to speak on your progress in overcoming the habit (it is not necessary to state exactly what the habit is, but you may do so if you
wish).
May Allah(God) bless us all with success and the Will to do HIS WILL for ourselves and others.

SESSION 5/SUPPLEMENT

Page 3

1. See GLOSSARY
2. Before He said "Be!", Allah(God) had the DESIRE to BE. DESIRE is the food that builds the Will.
Desire causes us to strive to achieve whatever the object of our desire is. You will recall that Desire was defined in the GLOSSARY in Session #3, "Overcoming Difficulty". Remember Minister
Farrakhan's words from Self-Improvement:
" The desire to attain a goal brings us face to face with difficulty. When we undergo the trial of difficulty, the trial may be so intense that it extinguishes the light of the desire to attain the goal"
As we embark upon this course of building the Will, we see the importance of keeping alive the light
of Desire. For the Will Is exercised only as long as there is a desire. Continuing, perpetual Desire
generates continuing, perpetual exercise of the Will.
Without Desire, we have lost the nourishment to strengthen our Will, which weakens and is ultimately starved to death. It is the absence of the Desire to read that makes it impossible to achieve
literacy; we must have the Will to read so that when difficulties are encountered in learning how to
read, we will be able to overcome those difficulties and accomplish the goal.
A child who is crawling does not realize he has the ability to walk until he performs the act. What
triggers his conscious and deliberate action of walking? Desire. His mother or father may call him,
"Come to Mommy" or "Come to Daddy" and out of his desire to do so, he stands; he wobbles; he
achieves his balance; he walks. Or, a brightly-colored ball is placed in his range of vision. He is delighted; he wants to touch it; he wants to pick it up and handle it. His desire for the object leads him
to exercise his will to overcome whatever difficulty he must overcome in order to walk.
We learned in Session 4, "The Struggle For Balance", that our primary inclination is to Allah(God).
In our nature is the ultimate desire for Allah(God). But because we have been made other than ourselves, or other than the nature in which we were created, we may not realize our ultimate desire,
but, as the Holy Qur'an teaches, we take our low desires as our God. Before we can build our Will
our balance must be achieved, so that we move forward with Allah(God) as the center of our existence in our conscious mind and in our hearts.

SESSION 5/SUPPLEMENT

Page 4

3. In the history of Noah, we find the definitive portrayal of a man with a strong Will to do the Will of
Allah(God). The nourishment for his Will was his Desire to please Allah(God). While his Knowledge was limited, his Faith was not. His Faith in his Lord was manifested in his constancy at his
task. His ultimate objective was Allah(God); his specific objective was to build the ark. His Desire set the path of the direction of his efforts.
There was opposition to Noah and those with him. The chiefs of the people mocked him and
caused the people to mock him. But the mockery actually strengthen his Will. Will is Power. In the
physical body, it is the muscle that is the power. As we exercise muscles and develop them by lifting
weights, we exercise the Will in the same way: by overcoming resistance. If we don't meet and
overcome resistance, our Will cannot develop.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen." Though the ark was
built on dry land, Allah(God) knew He would inevitably destroy the wicked with a flood. The water
came just after Noah finished the ark. He achieved his objective; he and those who believed with
him. His opposition was destroyed in the flood. Allah(God) had told him long before, "Surely they
will be drowned." Holy Qur'an 11:37.
We see in these verses that Noah was not weak and equivocal in his Faith; contrary to the misconception of many of us, men of God have always been and must be, strong-willed. The opposition, on
the other hand, is always self-willed. Noah prevailed and did not yield, for he had submitted his will
to the will of Allah(God) and therefore could not be defeated.
When the chiefs of his people laughed at him, the Holy Qur'an tells us that he returned their contempt for the making of the ark with his contempt for their opposition and their plans to destroy him:
"He said: If you laugh at us, surely we, too, laugh at you as you laugh at us." Holy Qur'an 11:38.
The "us" and the "we" means those who were with Noah. They were vastly outnumbered by the
disbelievers, as the Holy Qur'an teaches, "...And there believed not with him but a few." 11:40.

SESSION 5/SUPPLEMENT

Page 5

4. Here, our pledge (security) that we put up is our word.

This act of giving our word is our first step toward overcoming the resistance we meet in the inertia
of self. This is necessary because we cannot build a Nation without improving self for the benefit of
ourselves and others.
There is no point in the consistent reference the prophets and their struggle to overcome difficulties,
unless these references serve to motivate and inspire us to say, "I will do exactly that; I will achieve
my objective." And so, when Allah(God) asked Noah to build the ark on dry land, this is symbolic of
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad asking us to build in the midst of buildings. That is, to the disbelievers, it appeared that Noah's work was not only unnecessary and useless, but foolish.
Noah, by faith, was certain that water was coming. What did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, by
faith, know was coming? He knew that the schools would fall, that housing would deteriorate and
businesses would close down.
Allah(God) told Noah to build the ark (a place of security) "under Our eyes". We are not IBM, we are
just a group of Black people, putting together that which to this world seems no more than planks
and nails; we are ridiculed for our efforts, but we who believe know what the disbelievers know not
---that what we build, no matter how crude compared to this world ---will provide us with safety and
security in a world that is coming down around us. Just as Allah(God) told Noah, "Surely they will be
drowned", we see the signs that in 1987, this world will go under.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad called us to build a nation. In accordance with this call, Minister
Farrakhan said he is determined to develop a Mosque to the glory of God. And he is doing it
through building human potential. We said we want to help him. We gave our word (pledge). By
working to build the ark each day, Noah's will was strengthened. Every nail he drove in took him
closer to his goal. Every newspaper you sell, every thing you do in the way of this work, takes us all
a step closer to our goal. Every one and every action counts. Every prayer we say every day, every
good deed, is a nail in the plank and the sound of building drowns out the sound of the mockery from
our opposition.
There is no such thing as a member of a nation who does not count. That is why they take a census
in this country. They want to count the human potential, the human resources available. We must
build self to build a community.
5. After discussing Hud, Abraham and Lot, Salih, Shu'aib, Noah; review the accompanying letter to
us from Minister Farrakhan.

SESSION 5/SUPPLEMENT

Page 6

6. We know that our Brother is encountering not only opposition, but vehement opposition, which
grows as his words manifest as true at a rapid pace. If we are even minimally active in the work
of the resurrection of the mentally and spiritually dead, we too are encountering opposition. But
Allah has ordained struggle. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says that you cannot be a champion without an opponent. That is, we can all think we are determined, but how determined we
are cannot be determined until opposition comes.
Allah(God) is set to prove that He is the One God. In order for Him to manifest his Power, He allows His enemies to attempt to destroy His servants, to destroy His Plan, so that He can show them
He is with us and His backing of us will cause us to prevail over the most powerful enemies that He
has.
Opposition is vital, necessary. Without opposition, it cannot be proved that a tender plant cannot
just be plucked up out of the ground. When we go to pull on it, we find out it is rooted in the ground;
it has a strength that is not apparent just looking at it. This shows us that Allah(God) is with the
plant, which is of His Creation.
Until we have tasted the fierceness of opposition, the depth of our roots in the Faith will not be manifested.
Study the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:18-23. The seed aptly stands for the World of Allah(God), that is , The Truth, because when implanted in the heart and conscience, it grows develops and bring forth spiritual fruit. The sower scatters the seed not only on good ground, but on the
bad, as an example to those who would preach, not to neglect the unreceptive or even the wicked in
their ministrations. The seed falling by the wayside, or rather on a hard, beaten track across the
field, is the case of those of us whose attention on our business, social and other worldly affairs, renders us unreceptive to the Word; even while the word is being preached, immediately return to our
usual affairs and contact with the world sweep away any recollection of what we did hear.
'Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts' (MARK)
The seed falling upon the rocky places, where there is a thin layer of soil above and hard rock beneath, is the case of those who are quickly susceptible to religious influence, but wanting in spiritual
depth, so no permanent impression can be made. Some of us start out enthusiastic but tire easily
and fade away.
The seed falling among thorns is the case of those of us who have every capacity for developing the
highest spiritual gifts; but we fail because we deliberately attempt to serve two master, which is impossible.

SESSION 5/SUPPLEMENT

Page 7

The seed falling on good ground is the case of those of us who are not only receptive to being
taught, corrected and renewed, but who respond to the teachings in proportion to the spiritual capacity and unique insight which Allah(God) has blessed us with individually.
Look over the statements the prophets made to their opposition about their complete trust in Allah(God). Look over the fact that Minister Farrakhan invited the Jews and the entire government of
America, in the midst of their persecution of him, to come against him with all of their power and then
to double it. These are the strongest indicators we will ever receive that we must call on Allah(God),
for on Him and Him alone, can be rely.
We are powerless without Allah. Noah was able to build the ark because he submitted his Will to Allah's Will. He bent (arc) his own will so that God's Will could be done through him. What makes us
stand upright and strong is the power of Allah(God), so to Him we must submit. This is a true state
of balance.

GLOSSARY
FULFILLER(FULFILL): One who fills the requirements of; satisfies a condition, or answers a purpose. (To bring to an end; complete; perform; realize one's ambitions and
potentialities; to carry out something desired, promised, expected or predicted.
ARK: A refuge or place of security.
ARC: The part of a circle representing the apparent course of a heavenly body; any unbroken part of
the circumference of a circle or other curved line; a bowlike curved line or object; a curved
structure that supports the weight of material over an open space; any part of a curve, especially a circle.
ASCENT: Movement upward from a lower to a higher state, degree or status; advancement; act of
climbing or traveling up; a procedure toward a source or beginning.
INERTIA: Inactivity; sluggishness. The property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its
velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force. That
which is inert, having no inherent power of action.
INFINITE: Unbounded, unlimited; endless; inexhaustible; immeasurably great.
ENDEAVOR: To exert oneself to do or effect something; make an effort or strive.
EXTREMITY(EXTREME): Of a character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average; exceeding the bounds of moderation; the terminal point, limit or part of
something.
CONSTANT: Not changing or varying; uniform; regular; continuing without pause or letup; recurrent;
persistent; faithful, unswerving in love or devotion; steady.
CONSEQUENTIAL:

`Following as an effect, result or outcome; resultant; following as a logical

conclusion or inference; of importance.

PLEDGE; A solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something. To stake, as one's
honor; security for the fulfillment of a promise, as one's word; an assurance of support or
good will.
PLAN: A scheme of action or procedure; a design; a definite purpose;
OPPOSITION:

The action of resisting or combating; antagonism or hostility; the state or position

of being placed opposite. Set against.

OBJECTIVE: something that one's efforts are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target.
ULTIMATE: last, furthest, farthest; ending a process or series. Maximum, decisive, conclusive; representing a limit beyond which further progress is impossible; the final result.
WAY: A method, plan or means for attaining a goal; passage or progress on a course; a path leading from one place to another; course or mode of procedure that one chooses or wills; range
or extent of experience or notice; condition, as to health, prosperity or the like; a road, route,
passage or channel.

STUDY SESSION 6
BUILDING THE WILL (PART II)
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN

Surah 70 "THE WAYS OF ASCENT"

Surah 90 "THE CITY"

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Pages 10 and 11
Page 12 (to end of Par.2)

THE WILL OF GOD (PART I)

Pages 4 -7
Page 8 (to end of Par.6)

FACT(S):
The Bible says, when you speak, say 'I will do thus and so, if it be the Will of God.' The Holy Qur'an
says, when you speak, say, 'I will do thus and so, Inshallah(if it be the Will of Allah).' [Holy Qur'an
18:23]. Because between today and tomorrow, there are forces that you know nothing of, that can
interfere with all of our plans. So our plans must be contingent upon whether God will permit it or
whether Allah will permit it, or Grandfather (Native American expression for the One God) will permit
it, so we must acknowledge Him, lest we make a serious mistake and abort our own progressive development and improvement in character."
[SELF-IMPROVEMENT (Page 11) ]
DISCUSSION
1. First, let us review some key words and their definitions. -Please look at the GLOSSARY
(Also continue to refer to the GLOSSARY for STUDY SESSION 5) *SPECIAL NOTE: Begin to incorporate the terms from the study guides into your conversation, so that as they
are woven into the pattern of language we use, the intellectual and spiritual level of our
communication will rise.
2. Please read Surah 70, verses 22-35. Desire is the food source of the Will. (See, STUDY
SESSION 5.) In addition to nourishment, the Will needs direction and support. What are
the principles of action which direct and support our Will in the Way of Allah(God)?
3. Why is Allah(God) called, in Surah 70, verse 3, "Lord of the ways of Ascent"?

SESSION 6

Page 2

4. In Session 5, we discussed the exercise of the Will by overcoming resistance. We studied

examples of external opposition that we must face and overcome.
Please read Surah 70 verses 17-21. What internal resistance(opposition) must our Will
overcome in order to attain the goal of meeting with Allah(God)?
5. Please read Surah 90, verses 4-11. What insight does this give us into the relationship between hard struggle and our personal spiritual advancement?
Please read verses 12-18. What actions are we to take which will support and direct our
Will in the way of Allah(God)?
6. Please read pages 4-6 of "The Will of God (Part I). What are some of the emotional forces
that adversely affect the Will?
Please discuss a personal experience where you desired something vain and/or destructive and you
used the power of your Will to obtain it. What were the results? How did you feel afterwards? Discuss an experience where you used the power of your Will to obtain something positive. How did
you feel afterwards?
PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT:
At the end of Session 5 last week, you were asked to break a habit which was destructive to your
Will. This is a continuing assignment. Please report on your progress tonight.
Tonight, please resolve to develop a habit which is constructive to your Will. Come to next week's
class prepared to discuss your experience in your effort to be consistent in performing a positive action.
May Allah(God) bless us all with success!

SESSION 6/SUPPLEMENT

Page 3

DISCUSSION:
1. See GLOSSARY (Sessions 5 and 6)
2. Five(5) "pillars" support the Will of one who desires to completely submit his or her Will to the Will
of Allah(God). When we consciously desire to do His Will, we are acting in accordance with the
nature in which we were created, therefore, He has provided the means by which we may attain
nearness to Him until we reach the goal of becoming one with Him.
These principles of action which direct and support the essence of our being are: Prayer; Zakat(Charity); Fasting; Hajj(Pilgrimage); Jihad(using one's utmost efforts in contending with an object
of disapprobation).
While each of these pillars is necessary to our balance, it is Prayer that-is given the greatest prominence in the Holy Qur'an, followed closely by Charity, which is often mentioned together with Prayer.
This course, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, is centered around the action of Prayer as the root of our success or failure in fulfilling our purpose in life. Prayer is the most humble and the most exalted state of
man at the same time.
We are engaged in the development of SELF; we will each attain what we individually strive for. Allah(God) has given us a man from among ourselves as a Guide, to show us the way; but in the end,
our personal success will depend upon our personal effort.
"And that man can have nothing but what he strives for; And that
his striving will soon be seen. Then he will be rewarded for it with
the fullest reward: And to thy Lord is the goal."
(Holy Qur'an 53:39-42)
Allah(God) has given the place of Prayer such prominence in the self-improvement of man and
woman, that in the Call to Prayer, the words, "Hayya 'ala s salah" (Come to Prayer), are immediately
followed by the words, "Hayya 'ala l falah' (Come to Success)!
Please reflect upon the divine relationship between Prayer and Success.

SESSION 6/SUPPLEMENT

Page 4

In Prayer lies the root-of that which leads a man or woman to give his or her life in the Cause of Allah(God). The realization of His Essence within our hearts makes us think as He thinks; feel what He
feels.
'But there is an emotional force that gives direction to the Will. And the emotional force ---which is
the Creative Force upon which the entire Universe is constructed ---is Love. And it is out of this awesome power of Love that the Will springs up; it springs up out of this emotion and it is directed and
guided by this emotion..." [The Will of God (Part I) Page 7]
Note carefully the fact that Prayer is mentioned first and last in verses 22-35 of Surah 70, for it is
Prayer which generates the Desire to perform the other principles of action, out of Love and Adoration for the Creator.
For example, the second Principle of action after Prayer is Charity. The Arabic word for Charity is
"Zakat", which originally means "Purity"; "li-l-zakat" means "for the sake of purity", or "to attain purity". So constant Prayer feeds, directs and elevates Desire so that our Desire is to do the Will of Allah(God), the Beneficent. Thus, we become one "in whose wealth there is a known right for the beggar and the destitute." .
Acceptance of the Truth; fear of Chastisement of our Lord; Restraint of our sexual passions outside
of the sanctity of marriage; Keeping our Word and making good on our Promises(Covenant); Uprightness and our Testimony; these attributes are generated by Prayer and sustained by Prayer;
thus, verse 35 tells us to keep a Guard on our Prayer."
There is no such thing as personal success without Prayer, if our conscious Desire is to build our
Will that we may do His Will. In previous study. guides, you were asked to read Surah 23, "The Believers", where, in verses 1,2 it reads: "Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their
prayers." The Arabic word used for successful is "aflaha", which signified the achievement of complete development; "faliheen", which means "farmer", or "one who cultivates", signifies the divine
method of achieving success: we must cultivate our own souls as the farmer cultivates land. And,
even as we cultivate self, we must remember that in the study of the prophets, in the study of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad, in witnessing the life experiences of Minister Farrakhan, we know that
without exception, they relied(rely) upon Allah(God) for guidance, direction and power to overcome
the opposition. They submitted (submit) their Will to His Will.

SESSION 6/SUPPLEMENT

Page 5

'Since He gave it (power of our being) to you and you say, 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh
away', then if Allah(God): has given you a bit of His own Power, which is His Will, then He asks you
will you give it back in surrender, what should our word to Almighty God be? Of course, we should
say 'Yes. I submit my Will to do Your Will.' Not by force, but willingly.'
[The Will of God (Part I) Page 7 ]
On February 26, 1957, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad published a small book entitled, "Muslim
Daily Prayers". If you do not have a copy of this booklet, you will receive one in the near future. He
says: "The knowledge and practice of these prayers will earn you great reward with Allah and bring
about great spiritual advancement in you."
Please study pages 135-160(PRAYER SERVICE) in MESSAGE TO THE BLACKMAN.
3. "Lord" means nourisher unto perfection'. It signifies "the fostering of a thing in such a manner as
to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of completion.'
Lord of the ways of Ascent indicates that Allah(God), the Author of all existence, has given to the
whole creation its means of nourishment and has even ordained for every single one of us, a sphere
of capacity. Within that sphere, He has already provided us the means or ways by which each of us
attains to our goal of perfection in that which He has given us.
Every human being has a unique combination of sublime qualities which he or she is capable of becoming absolutely perfect in manifesting. There is a precise way in which that divinity is to be developed in order to be brought into the perfected state; Allah(God) is the Lord over that way. He is Lord
over every way of ascent.
Look up the word "WAY" in the GLOSSARY (Study Guide 5).
4. Discuss verse 17-21 of Surah 70. These are forces which battle us from within. We must overcome the force from within that would cause us to retreat and turn our backs on the difficulties we
must overcome; we must resist the internal force that causes us to hoard and withhold; we are
created impatient, that is, we are fretful when under stress and niggardly when we receive the
benefits of life (from the Beneficent). The Holy Qur'an tells us plainly, that we possess these
traits, whether we admit it or not, and we will continue to walk under the weight of them,
"EXCEPT THOSE WHO PRAY...WHO ARE CONSTANT AT THEIR PRAYER..." and proceeds
to list the qualities of the Believer.

SESSION 6/Supplement
5.

Page 6

Study footnote 2736. Review Study Session 3, "Overcoming Difficulty". Our personal advancement, not only spiritually, but physically, lies along a path of hard struggle. We have never made
a serious conquest of any obstacle without overcoming difficulty.

We are told in verse 11, that we "attempt(s) not the uphill road." Thus, we must overcome that within
us which causes us to seek the path of least resistance, that we may be successful in our journey to
meet with Allah(God).
The path of least resistance will lead us away from the goal of meeting Allah(God). He is not the
Lord of the ways of Descent. We cannot get to Him without going up. This is an uphill climb; it is not
an overnight experience. This is the effort to save our souls.
"...[T]he Scripture is right in teaching, 'What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and
loses his soul?' What would it profit us to build magnificent structures, beautiful buildings, magnificent bridges, built with magnificent technology and the soul of those human beings are wretched
and deprived and underdeveloped and rotting from within? How does one lose one's soul? What is
so important about the soul, or the essence of our being, that if we lose it, we lose everything?"
(Self-Improvement Page 2)
Prayer is necessary, but Prayer alone will not improve us. We must engage in acts of kindness and
work in the Cause of Allah(God).
Verses 12-16 tell us that to free a slave; to feed the hungry; to care for the orphan and -the poor
man; these are actions which will cause us to actually understand the struggle, not just be intellectually aware of it. Comprehension is understanding and understanding only comes through trials.
6. Please conduct discussion of personal experiences with the forces described in the selected reading material.

GLOSSARY
PILLAR:

A long, slender, vertical structure used to support a superstructure; a support in form and
function,

GUARD: To keep from harm; watch over and protect; defend; shield; to hold in check; keep from
escape or trouble.
CHASTISEMENT(CHASTISE):
PASSION:

To discipline, especially by corporal punishment. To inflict

suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement.

Strong amorous feeling or desire; extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, desire for

anything; violent ,anger; any emotion or feeling, as love, anger, hate, fear, grief, joy,
hope, etc., when of a powerful or compelling nature.

PATIENCE: The bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, pain, etc., without complaint, loss
of temper, irritation or the like; an ability. or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance in waiting; quiet perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence; composure;
stability; self-possession submissiveness. Denotes the ability to bear exertion, hardship
or-suffering without implication of moral qualities required or shown.
HOARD(verb):

To accumulate for preservation, future use, etc., in a hidden or carefully guarded

place.

NIGGARDLY: Reluctant to give or spend; stingy; meanly small or scanty; miserly.

SUNDRY: Various or diverse. Akin to "sunder", which means "to separate".
CITY: a large or important town. Collective of citizens. (a "citizen" is a native or naturalized member
of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection)
CIRCUMVENT: To avoid by artfulness or deception.
REPOSITORY: A-person to whom something is entrusted or confided; that in which something is
placed.
COMPREHEND(COMPREHENSION): To catch hold of; seize. (The act of grasping with the mind.)

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

February 6, 1987
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum.
Dear Helper in the Cause of Allah:
After nine(9) weeks of study and practical application, we should begin to see changes in our pattern
of thought, reflecting itself in changes in our behavior.
I hope that you are not discouraged by the ups and downs of the struggle with Self. Remember, the
race is never to the swift, but to the one who can endure to the end.
Whether you realize it or not, you have embarked upon the, greatest struggle of all and that is to
master Self.
That which is happening to us can be likened to the vision of the King of Babylon which was interpreted by Daniel. The King had dreamed of a great image of gold, silver, bronze and iron. He then
saw a stone, "cut out without hands", which destroyed the great image by breaking it into pieces.
Then the stone 'became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.' Allah(God) blessed Daniel to
understand the meaning of this dream, which was the establishment of the Kingdom of God and the
destruction of all kingdoms of this world, Daniel 2:44,45).
There was no sound of hammer or chisel, yet the workers were in the quarry and the stones were
being prepared. As we improve ourselves, we hear no tool being used to shape us to be placed into
the structure of the "Great Mosque". But the Bible says of us, "Ye also, as living stones, are built up
a spiritual house, an holy priesthood..." (1 Peter 2:5).
Through our continued self-examination, self-analysis and self-correction, according to the standard
or criterion given to us by Allah(God), we are doing that which the Christians sing of: "Working on
the building, laying a new foundation.'

Page 2
May Allah(God) continue to bless each of us not to get weary or faint in this great struggle for SelfMastery.
Best wishes for your continued success,
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of The Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY SESSION 7
BUILDING THE WILL (PART III)
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN

Surah 58 "THE PLEADING WOMAN"

(Verses 14-22)
Surah 70 "THE WAYS OF ASCENT"
(Verses 19-35)

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Pages 12-16

THE WILL OF GOD (PART I)

Pages 8-12

FACT(S):
Again, I am quoting from the [Holy Qur'an]; the [Holy Qur'an] says the 'jinn' was created before
Man.(15:27) Some scholars say that 'jinn' means a being of fiery nature and temperament...If the
'jinn' comes before the Man, you must come through the Fire of Emotion before you can become a
developed human being. You have to learn to control these forces within your own being that come
from Allah(God) Himself, before you can become a human being..."
"Man can be An animal or Man can reflect Allah(God). You start in this world, like a fish, swimming
in a bag of water. You evolve out of that and you come forth crawling; like other crawling things on
the Earth. Allah(God) never intended for you to be an animal. He wanted you to be a perfect reflection of Himself.(11:7) But, there must be a coming out of the animal stage of development into a
moral consciousness, where you have a spirit in you that accuses you for what you do, based on
that which you know instinctively is right."(75:2)
SELF-IMPROVEMENT (Excerpts; Pages 14-16)
DISCUSSION:
1. Please review the GLOSSARY. Remember to make an effort to incorporate terms from
the study guides into your "functional vocabulary"(conversation).
2. In Study Session 6, we looked at some of the ways Allah(God) has given us to support
and direct us in the ultimate goal of our meeting with Him. We also looked briefly at some
of the forces that impede us in our journey.

SESSION 7

Page 2

Please read Surah 58, verses 14-22. What is the significance of these verses as they relate to
our struggle to overcome the internal impediments to obtaining our desire(s)?
3. (a) Read verse 19 of Surah 70. Now read verse 5. What is the natural force within that has
the ability to extinguish the light of our desire(s)?
(b) Why does Allah(God) create us impatient, then exhort us to be patient? What relationship does this struggle within have to building the Will?
(c) Read verse 20. What does 'fretful' mean? In what way does this emotional force adversely affect the Will?
(d) Read verse 21. What does 'niggardly' mean? In what way does this force adversely affect the Will?
4. In view of tonight's lesson, why must we be "constant" at our prayer? Discuss some of the
natural forces which are impediments to prayer. Why are we told to "guard" our prayer?
5. Read verse-26 of Surah 70. What are the impediments within us that may cause us to reject the truth of the Day of Judgment?
6. Read verses 27 and 28. What are the natural impediments to our need to remain
fearful of the chastisement of our Lord?
7. Read verses 29-31. In what way does the force of sexual passion adversely affect the
Will?
8. Read verse 32. What impediments within us cause us not to be faithful to our trusts and
our covenants, or upright in our testimonies?
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
This week we want to test impatience.

SESSION 7

Page 3

PRACTICAL APPLICATION (continued)

1. Each morning, let us rise and pray at 5:00 a.m. Let us resist the power of sleep and pray
with Allah(God) on our minds instead of sleep. During the day, no matter how busy or involved we are in our work, let us excuse ourselves after the noon hour to remember Allah(God); then we may go right back to our activities. At the end of the day, let us resist
tiredness and remember our Lord.
2. Let us take some of the money from our pockets and regardless of the forces which press
us to withhold our money and be niggardly, let us think of the right that the poor have in
what Allah has given us and give to the Cause of Truth.
3. When something happens to annoy us and make us irritated, let us be calm and remember patience. Allah will help us resist the powerful emotional force of Anger.
MAY ALLAH(GOD) BLESS US ALL WITH SUCCESS!

SESSION 7/SUPPLEMENT

Page 4

DISCUSSION:
1. See GLOSSARY
2. In these verses, Allah(God) is describing an enemy which moves among the
Believers, taking "shelter under their oaths, so they turn (men) from Allah's way..."
In this way, Allah gives us a picture of what is taking place inside of ourselves. Just as He
is "wroth" with our taking the 'devil's party' for friends, He is displeased with our following
our low desires, which make us "forget the remembrance of Allah."
The correlation here is that we must guard against the internal enemy that moves within
the circle of Believers and we must guard against the internal enemy that moves within the
individual Self.
3. (a) "Impatience" is defined as an "eager desire for relief or change; intolerance of anything
that "thwarts or hinders." Thus we see that it is a force which is natural and which is characterized as a desire. Desire feeds the Will, therefore, the desire to be relieved from the
irritation of waiting over a protracted period of time comes into conflict with the desire for
any goal which requires patience to obtain. One force must win over the other.
There is a law in physics which says that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction. In creating us impatient, Allah(God) has insured that the struggle he has ordained for us in order to achieve anything of consequence or acquire anything of value,
takes place.
In Study Session 3, we saw that the ever-present difficulty factor increases as we grow
closer to our desire(s). In overcoming the natural forces of resistance within us, we develop the discipline necessary to obtain what we want.
(b) Through the natural friction between our desired goal(s) and the conflicting desire for
relief from waiting which is impatience, Allah(God) has provided each of us with a means
of building the Will. In Study session 5, we saw that the Will(Power) is developed by overcoming resistance, just as the muscles of the physical body are developed by working
against resistance.

SESSION 7/Supplement

Page 5

In our study of the prophets, we saw that patience was a pervasive virtue. They were
mocked and ridiculed by the disbelievers for long periods of time, but were instructed by
Allah(God) to 'bear patiently what they say.' In overcoming the natural force of impatience
and developing the attribute of patience, they were rewarded with vision, or the ability to
see beyond the present. They could "see", through their patience, that the ends for which
they were striving would ultimately come about.
Impatience, or the desire for relief or change, may be removed from us, not by yielding to
this natural force, but by seeking refuge in Allah(God).
Whenever impatience threatens to cause us to turn away from a desired goal, we must go
to Allah(God), the Lord of the ways of Ascent, in prayer. Prayer will give us the security
and peace of mind that will relieve our irritation. It is in that frame of mind that we then
must re-identify with our desired goal. The desire (and the willingness to be patient in order to obtain it) will then return.
Prayer is the re-affirmation of desire. We endure by reaffirming and re-identifying our desire until we reach the goal.
(c) Verse 20 of Surah 70 says that we are "fretful" when evil afflicts us, That is, there is a
natural force within us that brings about suffering from disturbing thoughts and torment of
ourselves with worry when we are afflicted with evil.
Persecution is an evil which afflicts the righteous in the struggle for justice. When this evil
is practiced against us, it stimulates this force, "fretfulness", which suggests to us that we
retreat and turn our back from our goal, in order to obtain relief from our mental anguish.
Remember these words from page 3 of self-improvement: "Brothers and Sisters, each
time we turn away from the struggle to overcome difficulty, there is deterioration of character and there is destruction of the Will."
(d) In Study Session 6, we defined the word "niggardly" as meaning "reluctant to give or
spend; stingy." It is natural for us to attempt to hold on to whatever good we obtain, that
we might not relive the suffering we have undergone when we were without.

SESSION 7/SUPPLEMENT

Page 6

However, the natural base inclination to hoard things becomes an enemy to us when it impedes the fulfillment of our duty to give charity, in the Cause of Allah. We must keep uppermost in our minds that the beggar and the destitute have a right to a portion of our
wealth. That right is fulfilled when we give charity.
The Holy Qur'an teaches us that we "cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend out
of what you love." So hoarding and niggardliness are natural forces which have the power
to actually bar us from a state of righteousness altogether, unless they are overcome.
4. In Study Session 5, we defined the word "constant" as "not changing or varying; continuing without pause or letup; recurrent; faithful, unswerving in love or devotion; steady."
Throughout the Holy Qur'an, Allah tells us that He loves the "steadfast".
Constancy is required in order to overcome the natural forces which keep us from prayer.
Sleep is necessary and good for us in its place. But it is such a powerful force that it will
hold us in its embrace far beyond its normal function until it impedes us from prayer, the
first pillar of Islam which supports our belief in the One God.
Another powerful force within us is the inclination to do that which gives us personal satisfaction. We generally love what we do best and do best what we love; and what we love to
do most is what we were most likely born to do. When we are doing what we love:
business, writing, music, etc., whatever we love, we do not want to stop doing it for
anything, even the remembrance of Allah(God).
Whatever we feel we are born to do, we must never put that above remembrance of Allah(God). For it is only the remembrance of Him, the Lord of the ways of Ascent, that empowers us to attain excellence in that which we are born to do.
This is why we must not only be constant in our prayer, but we must "guard" our prayer.
We must shield it from that which would usurp its place of prominence in our nature and in
our behavior patterns.
At the end of the day, we are naturally tired from hours of exerting physical and mental energy. As this natural force, tiredness, can keep us from remembrance of Allah(God) as we
go to bed, we must summon the strength to praise Him before retiring.

SESSION 7/SUPPLEMENT

Page 7

5. Verse 26 exhorts us to be of "those who accept the truth of the day of Judgment." The
natural forces within which may impede us from the acceptance of the truth of judgment
are our personal desires.
Judgment takes place each and every time the Truth comes to us, in that its Light shines
on our motives, secret desires and actions; which ofttimes, we don't want to see illuminated before ourselves and others.
There is nothing between a man and his heart(desires) but Allah(God). To accept the truth
of judgment is to accept the Truth He gives us which aids us in correcting our behavior
when it is contrary to what is right. Each time we reject the truth that
illuminates our faults, we reject and deny the truth of the day of Judgment.
6. We are warned in verses 27 and 28 that chastisement of our Lord is 'a thing not to be felt
secure from ---'. We must always keep in mind the Power of Allah(God) and His ability to
punish. We cannot secure ourselves from His Displeasure by isolated acts of righteousness.
An illustration of our relationship with Allah(God) is that of the child to the father.
There is the child who loves his father and knows his father loves him; the child also
knows of the awesome power of the father to chastise him when the father is displeased
with acts of disobedience. This awareness serves to facilitate goodness for the child does
not wish to engage in conduct which will bring punishment.
On the other hand, the child may become spoiled in the security and comfort of parental
love. Even though he witnesses the chastisement of a brother or sister, he may think to
himself, "I am his favorite, he won't whip me." This thinking causes the child to do something in the way of disobedience and that brings about the chastisement that he thought
he was secure from.
So we must strive daily to act in the way of righteousness, for we are always susceptible
to incurring the displeasure of our Lord if we act contrary to what is right.

SESSION 7/SUPPLEMENT

Page 8

7. In verses 29 and 30, we are told to restrain our sexual passions(a natural drive). In its
place, this force is a good force that serves the procreation of man, but it also conflicts
with the desire for self-improvement; it demands satisfaction "now".
The desire to satisfy the sex drive conflicts with the desire to go forward in the way of
righteousness. It is powerful enough to actually use the Will to serve a low desire. Though
Allah tells us that if we are patient, He will satisfy us out of His Grace, the sex drive tells us
to ignore our unmarried state or ignore the fact that we are married to someone other than
the one we are about to engage in this activity with; it says, "Go ahead. Why should you
wait on God?"
And so the Holy Qur'an asks the question, Have you seen him who takes his low desires
for God besides Allah?
8. Verses 33 and 34 exhort us to be faithful to our trusts and covenants and to be upright in
our testimonies.
There is a natural force within us which causes us to do and say that which will facilitate
obtaining the object(s) of our desire(s). This results in making false promises in order to
lead others to give us things, even though we may have no intention of fulfilling the promise. Or, we may intend to fulfill our promises at the time we make them, but when the time
of fulfillment comes, we ignore the promise of it conflicts with the immediate personal desire. We borrow money, promising to pay it back; when the due date comes, there is
something else we would prefer to do with the money.
We must overcome the forces within which impede us from keeping our word.
9. As the guidance in the ways of ascent opened with the exhortation to pray(verse 22), it
closes with an exhortation to guard our prayers (verse 34):
Remember, Prayer is the Alpha and Omega of all success!

GLOSSARY
FORCE: Power to influence, affect or control. Producing or tending to produce change in movement
or effect.
IMPATIENCE:

Eager desire for relief or change; intolerance of anything that thwarts or impedes or
hinders.

IMPEDIMENT: Obstruction; hindrance; obstacle.

IMPEDE: To retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances.
IMPEDANCE(Electricity): The total opposition to alternating current by an electric circuit, equal to
the square root of the sum of the squares of the resistance and reluctance of the circuit. (expressed in "ohms". Symbol: Z)
ANXIETY:

Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by apprehension of danger or misfortune; a

state of apprehension and psychic tension.

GRIEF: Keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret;
anguish.
FEAR:

A distressing emotion aroused by impending pain, danger, evil, etc., whether real or
imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
To have reverential awe of; the fear of Allah(God).

FRET(FRETFUL): To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; to worry.

STUDY SESSION 8
BUILDING THE WILL (PART IV)
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN

SURAH 1 'THE OPENING'

SURAH 2 'THE COW' (Section 1)
SURAH 16 'THE BEE' (Verses 66,67)

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Page 4, Page 18

THE WILL OF GOD (PART II)

Page 1, Pages 6-9

FACT(S):
"And surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle: We give you to
drink of what is in their bellies -from betwixt the faeces and the
blood -pure milk, agreeable to the drinkers." [Holy Qur'an 16:66]
Pure milk is a valuable and virtually complete source of nutrition to the physical body. It is the working of the divine natural laws set in motion by Allah(God) that produces such a valuable and agreeable diet, separating it from the blood and dung.
Just as divine laws work in the physical world to produce pure food by separating them from obnoxious elements and useless excrement, their working in the spiritual world produces the most sublime
moral teachings, which afford us a pure, agreeable and complete spiritual diet.
DISCUSSION
1. Please review the GLOSSARY. Remember to make an effort to incorporate terms from the
study guides into your functional vocabulary(conversation).
2. Discuss the significance of the title of Surah 2, "The Cow", as it relates to building the Will.
Follow Section 1, verses 2.5 to guide the discussion.

SESSION 8

Page 2

(a). By what means is physical milk obtained from a cow? How does this illustrate the significance of Surah 2?
(b). In verse 2, Allah(God) says, 'This Book, there is no doubt in it...' What does the word
'doubt' mean? Is doubt and emotion or a state of mind? What affect does doubt have on
desire? Why does the Author of the Book tell us it has no doubt in it?
(c). Finish reading verses 2-4. Is the Holy Qur'an a book for everyone? Do you feel that it is
a book that is for you? Why or why not?
Read verse 5. What is the reward for following the guidance of This Book?
What evidence, if any, is there, that those who follow This Book are successful?
3.

Let us review the opening Surah of the Holy Qur'an: "Al. Fatihah", or,
"The Opening". The heart of Surah 1 is verse 5. Why is this verse so important to us?

4.

The Believer who is steadfast in prayer repeats Surah 1 at least thirty-two(32) times a
day in its entirety. It contains 4 Divine Attributes of Allah(God). Why do we pray to Him
so frequently in these 4 attributes when He has 99 of them?

5.

What is the relationship between Surah 1 and Surah 2?

6.

Let us return to Surah 2, verses 2-3 and review the character traits and actions of those
for whom the Holy Qur'an is a guide.

(a). What is meant by "those who keep their duty"(Maulana

Translation) or "those who fear God"(Yusuf Ali Translation)?
(b). What is meant by belief in the Unseen?

Muhammad

Ali

SESSION 8
(c).

Page 3

Note that the Holy Qur'an refers to those who "keep up prayer" or who are "steadfast in
prayer,"
Why is constancy in prayer necessary? What is the meaning of "bonding"? How does it
relate to 'constancy'? What are the benefits that flow from the "bonding"?

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
This week we want to apply the principles of success. We can test these principles immediately, for they remain the same whether the desire is for something small and personal, such as a pair of shoes; or, the desire is on a lofty plane, such as the liberation of
oppressed people.
Think of something you personally desire. Think of this object or achievement right now.
Envision it in your mind.
Is it within the Power of your God, Allah, to bring this desire about? Think of His Attributes: Beneficent, Merciful, Masterful... Does He have the Power to fulfill your desire? If
He is the Nourisher unto perfection, would He want you to have it?
Do you truly desire it? How strong is your desire? Do you doubt that you can get it? Will
having this desire fulfilled help you in your faith in Allah(God) and your ability to solve
your own problems?
Will money be required to fulfill the desire? Does that which you want cost more than
what you have? Then you must obtain whatever financial resources are needed to fulfill
the desire. You must not go into debt to obtain the object of your desire. Debt is a form
of slavery. In our prayers we say to Allah(God): "I seek Thy Refuge from being overpowered by debt and the oppression of men." Do not obtain your desire by taking a step
backward, obtain it by taking a step forward.
Here is what you must do to be successful. Follow the verses you have studied from The
Book that has no doubt in it. Believe in the Unseen; Keep up Prayer; Spend out of what
Allah(God) has blessed you with in the way of charity; Believe in the previous and present revelations be sure of the Hereafter.
Do these things and you will be of the SUCCESSFUL!

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 4

1.

See GLOSSARY.

2.

"AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD, THAT YE MAY
GROW BY IT..."[1 Peter 2:2]
(a). The term "milk" is both a noun and a verb. The noun describes the white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals for suckling by their young. The verb
describes the act of drawing, squeezing or extracting.
The Scriptures quoted above tell us to "desire" the pure milk of the Word. Milk may be
obtained only by action on the part of the one seeking to obtain it. A baby draws milk
from his mother by pulling on the breast. Milk is obtained from the cow by pulling on its
mammary glands also.
In assigning the title "Cow" to this Surah, Allah(God) is indicating that there is something
here to draw from in order to understand the Holy Qur'an.
This principle of drawing or extracting spiritual and physical nutrition is not limited to the
breast or to a book. The Universe Itself is a giant mammary gland of Allah(God). It holds
untold treasures for you and I. But nothing can be obtained from it without an activity on
our part. We must engage in the actions set forth in Surah 2: Belief in the Unseen,
Prayer, Charity, etc.
When we follow the principles of faith and action set forth for us in the Holy Qur'an, we
thereby extract what the Universe holds for us. It cannot and will not hold back on you if
you do these things. It is created to release its treasures to you.
It was never Allah's(God's) intention that we experience poverty. There is an abundance
of everything we could possibly want or need in His Creation. Poverty is a condition rising up only in the absence of those principles which, when practiced, automatically bring
about fulfillment of the need.
(b). "Doubt" is a state of uncertainty of the mind which casts a cloud over your Desire.
This statement ("no doubt in it"), if you believe it, creates a state of mind for you that will
allow you to follow every word of guidance in This Book with confidence and trust in Allah(God). Doubt is the Mother of Hypocrisy and Allah(God) is removing it at the onset of
the course.

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 5

Allah(God) is introducing the Formula for the proper relationship between Himself and
the Believer. This formula was developed exclusively by Him and if we do not follow instructions and mix it correctly, we fail.
The Holy Qur'an is free from doubt and it can make you and I like itself, that is, with no
doubt in us. This is important to our self-improvement, because Doubt threatens the light
of Desire.
Doubt starts with a thought that is against your Desire. Your Desire(Affirmation) is extinguished(Negation) by Doubt. A hesitancy in believing has a chilling effect on movement
towards the object of the Desire and ultimately extinguishes the Desire altogether. Doubt
halts the process of decision-making and decisive action. It undermines Faith. When
Faith is undermined long enough, it disappears. Hypocrisy is the absence of Faith.
Doubt is its Mother. Please think on this carefully.
Look at John 20:24-29 for an illustration. The Apostle Thomas was a chronic skeptic who
habitually doubted the Word. So he automatically was always the last one to move;
unlike Peter, who acted on Faith and therefore moved readily, Thomas had to have evidence of the physical senses in order to be satisfied. To this day, a person who is not
willing to be convinced is called a "doubting Thomas".
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (24:29)
(c). The Holy Qur'an is only good for those who desire to do the Will of Allah(God) and
who desire Self-Realization and Self-Mastery. All of these desires are in accordance with
the nature in which we are created.
The nature in which we are created makes us want to be successful in our lives. It is not
natural to want to fail. Allah(God) assures us in verse 5 that those who believe and act in
accordance with the fundamental principles enunciated in verses 2-4 are 'on a right
course from their Lord and these it is that are successful.'
In Study Session 6, we looked at the true meaning of the word "successful" and learned
that it is not measured by material things. In the Eyes of Allah(God), we are not successful unless we have mastered the forces that keep us from Him.

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 6

The acquisition of material things automatically comes to one who has cultivated and developed him or herself through belief and application of the principles of faith. It is the
principles that Allah(God) uses to measure our success, not the results. And so Jesus
said, 'And seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful
mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father
knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God and
all these things shall be added unto you.' Luke 12:29-31
The evidence that those who take this Book as a Guide will be successful is manifested
in the life of Muhammad, who brought the book and the results brought about by him
with the book. Throughout the world, scholars agree that the most productive man in recent (6,000 years) history was not Newton, not Boyle, not even Jesus. The man who singularly made the greatest impact upon his followers and the world was Muhammad ibn
Abdullah (Peace Be Upon Him)
"In fact, the transformation wrought by the Holy Qur'an is unparalleled, in the history of
the world. No other reformer brought about such an entire change in the lives of a whole
nation in his lifetime. The Qur'an found the Arabs worshippers of idols, stones, trees,
heaps of sand, and yet, within less than a quarter of a century (25 years), the worship of
The One God ruled the whole country, idolatry being wiped out from one end to the
other, the Qur'an welded together a nation, a united nation full of life and vigor, before
whose onward march the greatest kingdoms of the world crumbled as if they were but
toys before the reality of the new faith...The Qur'an effected a transformation of humanity
from the lowest depths of degradation to the highest pinnacle of civilization in an incredibly short time where centuries of reformation had proved fruitless..." [Maulana Muhammad Ali]
The Book remains without doubt. Then how are we justified in doubting what the principles set forth in This Book can do for us, under the guidance of The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad?

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT
3.

Page 7

Surah 1:5 reads, "Guide us on the right path." The very core of our being cries out to be
guided rightly. The nature in which we are created yearns to be given direction and does
not want to go astray. This yearning of the soul is so strong that
Allah(God) has given us this oft repeated prayer, "Al-Fatihah", which we say at least 32
times a day if we are steadfast in our prayers.
In this Surah, we bear witness to our own nature, which is needy and sinful. We are in
need of guidance on the "right path", for we want to be on "the path of those upon whom
Thou hast bestowed favors..."

4.

We recite the Attributes that we are most in need of every day. We say, "In the name of
Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful." Maulana Muhammad Ali writes, "Rahman and Rahim are both derived from rahmat, signifying tenderness requiring the exercise of beneficence, and thus comprising the ideas of love and mercy.'
We say, in verse 1, "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds...", because no matter
what becomes of our lives, we bear witness that all praise is due to Allah(God). He is the
Creator of our existence; He is the one who supplies the desire that feeds the Will to attain our goals in life; He is the Nourisher unto perfection who supplies the way and the
means through which we may be brought to the highest level of achievement.
He is not just a judge or a king, He is Master of the day of Requital(Judgment), so He
may forgive whom He pleases and He may chastise whom He pleases.

5.

Surah 1 states our need. Surah 2 supplies the answer to the need. The same Powerful
God brings us the proper expression of the need and brings us the perfect fulfillment of
it.

6.

(a) The root of the Arabic word "muttaqi", which is often translated into "God-fearing', signifies 'the guarding of a thing from that which harms or injures it.' The Holy Qur'an is a
guide to those who guard themselves against evil.

7.

In the law of success, the Caucasian is not mentioned as an obstacle. He is not

mentioned as consequential. Guarding against evil as a threat to spiritual advancement
refers to anything that inspires doubt in our minds or keeps us from prayer, from charity,
from any of the principles of faith or action essential to our development. Those threats
come from forces that are within us.

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 8

We learned in Session 4 that we must struggle for and then maintain our Balance. So in
studying the forces that work from within, we must not lose sight of the forces that work
from without.
Here is an example: In Surah 70, a trait of the believer is that he or she is one in whose
wealth the beggar and the destitute have a known right. That is, the true believer is
charitable. When we do not actively work to develop this divine attribute of giving, then
the internal force, Greed, rises up.
When Greed, an internal force, goes unchecked, then someone on the outside can manipulate us by using our Greed, or voracious appetite for things, to overpower our sense
of moral correctness.
So constancy in recognition of the needs of the poor serves to neutralize the internal
force within, thereby freeing us from any threat of being manipulated by outside forces;
elimination of the internal force deprives the external force of a connection to our mind
and heart.

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 9

(b). "Unseen" is that which is unperceived by the physical eye. Note that "Unseen" is
with a capital "U". "...the Unseen here stands for Allah, a belief in Whose existence is the
cardinal principle of religion. A belief in God is thus the first duty of man, the first requisite of spiritual advancement.'
Unseen does not mean Unreal. A terrible impediment to us in this world is that most of
us only believe in what we can physically see, which is, of course, extremely limited in
scope.
This is primarily due to the fact that we only know ourselves as material beings; we do
not know the spiritual self.
The Holy Qur'an tells us that everything is an illusion, that is, it will ultimately pass away,
except Allah. He is the Real Power behind all that you see. The Will is the Power behind
your being, but the Will is Unseen. To deny the existence of what we cannot see is to
deprive ourselves of access to the true Power behind the Universe. The physical things
we see are mere variations in forms of manifestation of that Power. The 'things' come
and go, but the Power that produces them is eternal.
A baby draws milk from his mother's breast. He can see the breast, but he cannot see
the milk. The first time he pulls on the breast, he is acting not out of knowledge of what is
contained therein, but out of faith that something is there. Again, as indicated in previous
study guides, the scripture is true: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the
evidence of things unseen."
The baby's belief in the presence of the milk supply is strengthened each time he
nurses, because his need is supplied. He draws this milk five(5) or more times a day, increasing in physical strength and emotional security each time he gets satisfaction. If he
did not get satisfaction, his faith would be ultimately destroyed. A means of weaning a
child off the breast is to dry up the milk supply. After several fruitless efforts, the baby is
forced to look elsewhere. He no longer looks to his mother's breast for his nourishment.
The belief in Allah(God) MUST be supported by prayer. It is only through actually going
to the Source and attempting to draw the spiritual milk of the Word that we can obtain
the security and satisfaction it brings. The prayer is an act of faith as the baby's act of
nursing is demonstrated faith. If no action is taken, no milk is obtained.

SESSION 8/SUPPLEMENT

Page 10

(c). Constancy in prayer produces a bond between the Believer and the Creator.
When baby nurses from mother's breast, there is satisfaction for the child, not only in the
stomach, but in the mind. As the baby is physically fed, the act of nursing produces a
chemical reaction in the brain of the child, resulting in contentment. This is manifested in
the peaceful countenance you see on a nursing child as it drinks. There is also a chemical reaction in the mother's brain and satisfaction for her as she obtains both relief and
pleasure as the milk that fills her breasts in drawn out.
When the mother has peace of mind, this is transferred to the child through the milk. The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that "we nursed the milk of fear from our mothers'
breasts." In slavery, the fear of the master that was in our mothers, the fear for the future
of the child, was passed on to us through the substances produced in their bodies due to
the chemical reaction that Fear produces. Milk is capable of being the conduit of security
or fear, due to the mental condition of the giver.
The constancy of nursing that produces a bond between mother and child is replicated in
the bond produced between Creator and Believer through constant prayer. Since Allah
has no fears or weaknesses, we can only draw strength and security from our sincere
prayers to Him.
Though He is above need of us, our prayers have the wonderful effect of earning us a
qualitative care from Him through our submission. Though He provided for us before we
came into existence, before we ever heard of "prayer', through prayer we earn His care.
"Say: My Lord would not care for you,
were it not for your prayer..."
Holy Qur'an 25:77
The Fear that is in us from the experience of our condition, can be removed by constant
prayer and the doing of good.
"...whoever submits himself entirely to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others), he
has his reward from his Lord and there is no fear for such nor shall they grieve."
(2:112)
Prayer is the key to the evolution toward God and binds us to Him: 'Then We
deliver Our messengers and those who believe even so (now); it is binding on Us to deliver the believers.' (10:103)

GLOSSARY
BIND:

To fasten or secure; to fix in place; to cause to cohere; to unite by spiritual, moral or

legal ties; to stick fast; the act or process of binding.

BOND:

That which holds together; something, as an agreement, friendship, etc., that holds
individuals together in a group; binding assurance or firm agreement
(My word is bond).

BELIEVE:

To have confidence in the truth, existence or reliability of something without

absolute proof; to have faith in the truth of a positive assertion; to have a
conviction that a (person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given
action or involved in a given situation.

DOUBT:

To be uncertain in opinion about; hold questionable; hesitate to believe.

To distrust. A feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality or nature of something.

DOUBTFUL: Admitting of or causing doubt; uncertain, ambiguous. Of uncertain outcome or result.

Of equivocal character. Reluctance or unwillingness to be convinced.
UNSEEN:

Not seen; unperceived; unobserved; hidden or withdrawn not perceptible by the

physical eye.

NEED:

A condition marked by the lack of something requisite; lack of something deemed

necessary.

GUIDE:

To assist (a person) to travel through or reach a destination in, in area in which he

does not know the way, by accompanying him or giving him directions; to supply with
advice or counsel; to supervise in an advisory capacity; that which regulates
progressive motion or action; to show the way.

STUDY SESSION 9
OUR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH RABBI-L-'ALAMIN
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 64 "THE MANIFESTATION OF LOSSES"
Surah 33 "THE ALLIES" (Verses 45-47)
Surah 103 "THE TIME"
WILL OF GOD PART II
WILL OF GOD PART III
SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Pages 7 and 8

FACT(S)
Jesus wanted to take you a step further. In fact, he wanted to give you your degree, so that it would
never be necessary for another Man of God(Prophet) to come to you. For you, in your own life,
would be a Witness of Allah's(God's) Presence. And if Allah(God) is present in your life, in your being, manifested in your words and in your actions, then you have closed the door on
Prophethood...by the fact of Allah's(God's) Presence in your life.
We live in that time. The man, Jesus, that came 2,000 years ago, did not come in the time of Redemption and Salvation and Healing...But we are at the right time now. And a man has appeared in
the world to Redeem Man; to Reconcile Man to God; to cause us to see and hear and know the Will
of Allah(God) and then inspire us to willingly submit our Will to do the Will of Allah(God)."
[WILL OF GOD PART II (Page 8)]
DISCUSSION
1.

Please review the GLOSSARY.

* 2.

Continue to the next page for the meaning of the name Rabbi-l-'Alamin.

RABBI-L-'ALAMIN (LORD OF THE WORLDS)

"READ IN THE NAME OF THY LORD WHO CREATES---" (96:1)
After the proper name, ALLAH, the Holy Qur'an has given the greatest prominence to the name
RABB. The name RABB occurs approximately 960 times, no other attributive names being so frequently mentioned.
We are learning that the evolutionary process toward perfection cannot take place without RABB,
the "Lord Who brings all that is in this Universe to a state of perfection through various stages of
growth, [beginning with] nothingness..." Thus, RABB signifies the Author of all existence.
This great attribute combines two(2) senses:
(1) Fostering, bringing up or nourishing; and
(2) Regulating, completing and accomplishing.
Thus, the underlying idea is that of nourishing every part of His creation from the crudest state to
that of highest perfection. Everything created by Allah(God) bears the impress of Divine creation.
That is, there is no such thing as a life form that He is incapable of fostering in such a manner as to
make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of perfection.
"GLORIFY THE NAME OF THY LORD, THE MOST HIGH
WHO CREATES, THEN MAKES COMPLETE,
AND WHO MEASURES, THEN GUIDES..." (87:1-3)
The full meaning of RABB is explained in the above verses: He creates things and brings them to
perfection; He makes things according to a measure and shows them the ways whereby they may
attain to perfection. The true meaning of the evolutionary process is fully developed in the first two
actions: Creation and Completion. Everything created by Allah(God) must attain to its destined completion. The last two actions show how the completion is brought about. He makes everything according to a measure, that is, with certain laws of development inherent in it; and it is also shown a
way, that is, it knows the line along which it must proceed, so that it may reach its goal of completion.
(Reference: The Religion of Islam, Maulana Muhammad Ali. Pages 113-114, 128, 132, 307-308)

QUESTIONS
1.

What is the purpose of prophets and messengers?

2.

Is there a pattern of evolutionary development in the lives and messages of the prophets? Explain.

3.

What makes Muhammad (PBUH), the Seal of the prophets? Why, in Christian
theology, is Jesus the Seal? How do you reconcile these two(2) views?

4.

If we fail to listen to the voice within, what are the results? What powers do we come
under from within Self?

5.

If we fail to listen to the voice without that comes to quicken the voice within, what powers do we come under?

6.

If the whole of humanity, according to the Bible, is under the Power of a Beast, a
Dragon, a Serpent, what do these characteristics represent in Self and in the powers of
the world?

7.

If we remain under such powers, are we lost?

8.

How does this relate to the finding of 'lost sheep'?

9.

What does the Finder desire to do after finding that which was lost?

10.

Jesus is called The Restorer, Reconciler, Redeemer, Saviour, Healer, Eternal Guide,
etc. The Holy Qur'an is called 'al-Shifa"(10:57),"The Healer"; "al-Dhikr"(15:9) 'The Reminder'; "al-Huda" (72:13) "The Guide", or, "That which makes one attain the goal';
"al-Nur" (7:157), "The Light"; 'al-Ruh", 'The Spirit (or, 'That which gives Life')"; etc.
How does Jesus relate to the Holy Qur'an?

11.

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we have an account of what
Jesus did and parables that he spoke. But very little is said about the message he
brought.
What is the relationship between the work of Jesus and the work of the Holy Qur'an?
Are they compatible? If so, how?

12.

Return to the letter from Minister Farrakhan which introduced this course(page 2). "Let
this mind be in you......" What mind is that? How was that mind produced?

13.

Do we need a prophet -or messenger at this point? What is it that makes a prophet unnecessary?

STUDY SESSION 9 :
OUR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH RABBI-L-'AMIN
SUPPLEMENT
1.

"Whenever a man loses the ability to read Allah's(God's) Will in that which is around him
(or her), then it is incumbent upon Almighty God, Allah, out of the Abundance of His
Love and Mercy for humanity, to raise a Prophet, a Messenger, an Apostle, to teach us
the Will of Allah(God) and to give us the privilege and the opportunity to submit our Will
to do the Will of Allah(God) and come into favor with Allah(God).
Prophets, Messengers and Apostles teach us Allah's(God's) Will; specifically, for a certain people and for a certain time period. Whenever Allah(God) sends a Prophet, he
gives that man a temporary message; that temporary message is based upon an Eternal
message. Both messages embody the Will of Allah(God). "

2.

Yes. There is a pattern of evolutionary development both in the messages and in the
people to whom the messages are brought.
"Prophets bring a temporary message for their contemporaries. And Prophets bring an
Eternal Message. Whenever a new Prophet appears, he abrogates much of the temporary message of former Prophets. This, of course, is an abrogation of that temporal Will
of Allah(God), for the curing of a particular disease at that time. We do not need the
medicine after we have effected the cure...But no Prophet has ever come and abrogated
the Eternal Will of Allah(God). All Prophets bear witness that God is One and His Eternal
Will is One; all of the Prophets spoke to us out of that Eternal Will of God.
"....in the absence of God, prophets reflect the light of God to the people of the Earth.
But, they do not see perfectly."
They are not a witness of the fullness of God's Divine Presence; they are only a witness
that God is interested in the affairs of men.
Prophets appeared in every nation, but their message was limited to that particular nation. Though their message was based upon an eternal message, their work was limited
to the moral upliftment of the people from among whom they were raised. However,
while national growth was of necessity the first step, the ultimate aim of Allah(God) is the
spiritual regeneration of the whole of humanity and the making of humanity into one. Until then, we have not reached the fullness of Allah's(God's) Will.
In our study of the lives of the prophets, we saw that when mentioning the earlier prophets, the Holy Qur'an says that Noah was sent "to his people"; Hud, Salih and Shu'aib
---every one of them was sent "to his people." [7:59, 65, 73, 85]

Moses was "nationalistic". The Holy Qur'an speaks of him as having been commanded
to "bring forth thy people from darkness into light." [14:5] He formed Israel into a nation
from tribes. But Israel did not carry out her function. She made a covenant with God.
She recognized her function, yet did not carry it out. She corrupted herself in not carrying out her function.
"According to the teachings of the Bible and the Holy Qur'an, Allah(God) chose Israel
for exaltation. But He wanted them to submit. He made Israel above the nations of the
Earth. But when she got to a certain stage in her development, she lost her humility.
She became proud, self-centered, selfish; she became greedy. She became all of those
things that corrupt and redirect the Will. So her Will was no longer the Will of Allah(God); it became the Selfish Will of Israel, with God's name added to that Selfish
Will. So Allah(God) punished Israel and made her an example for us today."
Jesus starts out 'nationalistic', to those whose view is limited to that period of time. The
Holy Qur'an speaks of him as "a messenger to the children of Israel." [3:48]. He said of
himself, according to the Bible, that he was "not sent but unto the lost sheep of the
house of Israel." Matthew 15:24]
When Muhammad begins his mission, he is working among illiterate, disunited Arab
tribes. The whole evolutionary process unfolds in his history.
From Abraham to Muhammad, we see the evolution of all of the principles of Islam.
Prayer evolves. 'Charity evolves. Fasting evolves. Sacrifice evolves from the sacrifice of
animals in the time of Abraham, to the sacrifice of Allah's Servant, Jesus[Muhammad of
the Resurrection], which represents the sacrifice of our own lives in the Cause of Truth.
There is even evolution in the way the message was revealed. The world did not know
that a Messenger of Allah(God) had been raised among the Arabs. But at a certain
point, Muhammad sent emissaries to Ethiopia, Persia and Rome. The Arabs, at the
time, were not universal. They were concerned with tribal affairs and behavior. They
had not yet even evolved into a nation. The Holy Qur'an was revealed over a period of
23 years. The Arabs were then to be the witnesses of Allah(God) to the ends of the
earth. This they did, until they confused conquering for Allah(God) with conquering to
make themselves rulers over those whom they conquered.
When the aim and objective becomes the destruction of the culture of another people
and the imposition of your own, that is not the teachings of the Holy Qur'an-The Holy
Qur'an brings its own culture. When you impose your own culture, it ceases to be a Way
of God and becomes your own traditions and practices; then the Way of God and the
culture of the Holy Qur'an become obscure.
Nationalism is a necessary stage of evolutionary development. When carried to the extreme, however, nationalism is niggardliness, because there is no interest in others. Nations must overcome the forces which adversely affect the Will, just as the individual
Self must do. The ways of ascent for the individual and the ways of ascent for a nation
are one and the same.
The Eternal Will of Allah(God), the Eternal Message that is the basis of all temporal
messages), equals the Eternal Principles of Islam: Belief in the One God; Revelation;
the Hereafter; Prayer; Charity; Fasting; Hajj(Pilgrimage); Jihad(using one's utmost efforts
in
contending
with
an
object
of
disapprobation).

With this view of all of the Prophets(Peace Be Upon Them) and the evolutionary development of the message they brought, we may look at the Mission and
Objective of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad with clarity, which gives us some
comprehension of the difficulty of his task.
The Arabs were not in slavery to another people. But Black people had been
kidnapped from their homeland and kept in a state of darkness by a powerful
enemy.
When labeled "Black Nationalist", the Honorable Elijah Muhammad never fought the
term. 'He told me that 'Black is not National, Black is Universal.' So first, Black people
must be made into a Nation, then a Witness of Allah(God) to the ends of the Earth. The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad would simply say of his critics, "They don't have my mission."
Those who condemn the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as a teacher of Black Nationalism are not aware of the evolutionary development of the message. Though Muhammad brought a Universal Message, Black people could not get it until we evolved. We
had to be brought through the stages of evolution. You cannot give the Black man and

woman the Universal Knowledge before basic Self Knowledge, lest in giving him the Universal, he gets further lost to Self and the Identity of Self.
Yakub did not see the completion of the evolutionary development of that which he had
initiated. We who follow the Honorable Elijah Muhammad may not live to see the completion of the evolutionary development of his teachings. But our duty, in every generation, is to keep the law and the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad until he abrogates them himself with something new.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to me, 'Do not change the teachings while I am
gone. What I have given you is just a wake-up message. But if you are faithful, when I
return, I will reveal the new teachings through you.'
Although I am accused by many of changing the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I just say that they don't have my mission.
Each of the students of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad must extract all that we can
from this wake-up message. In 1973, when I did a broadcast on the teachings of Jesus,
repeating the exact words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he whipped me(verbally);
he told me, 'I do not want you to give the people the same history as I taught it 40 years
ago. I want you to give the meaning.'
*******
The Prophets struggled in the absence of God with light from God that is considered, in
symbolic language, "Moonlight". Since the Moon represents the Sun, in the absence of
the Sun, it has no light of its own; it borrows light from the Sun and reflects it to the
Earth...If you have a limited light, you have a limited sight. Therefore, you can only be a
limited example.
If Prophets are Moonlight, Moonlight is not Perfect Light. It does not allow you to see
with perfect clarity. In Moonlight, we can only see partly, but in Sunlight, we can see
fully.
The Perfect Will of God abrogates the imperfect knowledge and even the imperfect perception of the Prophets.
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part...But when that which is perfect is come,
then that which is in part shall be done away." [1 Corinthians 13:9,10]
Moon light does not display color. You can only see the outline of things in the
Moonlight. In the Sunlight, we can see not only the outline of a thing, we can see a thing
as it is. Praise be to Allah.
"(We take) Allah's color, and who is better than Allah at coloring,
and we are His worshippers." [2:138]

When we see from Allah's view, we are taking His color, His perception. It is the ending
of Prophets.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, 'What more is there for another Prophet to do if
you get the Knowledge of Self and the Knowledge of God?'
To see in the Sunlight is to see from God's Perfect Sight, with His Perfect Perception.
We do not have the tendency to make mistakes in the full light of His Revelation, because we see from His View of things.
The Message that Allah(God) revealed is a message that has evolved. It has reached a
perfect state in this book, Holy Qur'an:
"This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed
My favor to you and chosen for you Islam as a religion." [5:3]
However, as with all things, we must grow into perfect understanding of this perfected
Revelation. We must become perfect doers of the Perfect Will of Allah(God).
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is Perfect."
[Matthew 5:48]
Allah(God) says in the Holy Qur'an, when He desires a thing, He only says, "Be!" and it
is. Is it His Will that we be perfect? Yes. He has already arranged forces to bring this
about. His Power is actively at work to perfect His Will that we be perfect human beings.
And what does a perfect human being look like? A perfect human being looks like God.
The evolution to Sunlight is the ascension beyond the final aspect of Prophethood. This
is described in the Holy Qur'an: "O Prophet, surely We have sent thee as a witness and
a bearer of good news and a warner...and as an inviter to Allah by His permission and
as a light-giving sun..." [33:45-47]
(CONTINUED)

3.

He is called the Universal Prophet because he brings a message that fits all people, all
conditions, for all times, up to the Resurrection and the Judgment of the world. The
Message that he brings makes it unnecessary for a Prophet ever to appear again. For
that message will be internalized in the hearts and minds of the people.
The Prophets of the past were inspired and their inspiration was true, but since
Muhammad(PBUH) is the Seal of the Prophets, he ends the Prophets.
Jesus represents Allah's(God's) full presence in Man. In the Book of Isaiah, it says that
a child will be born; a virgin will conceive him and the child's name will be called
'Emmanuel', meaning 'God is with us.' How will you know that God is with us? Because
an ordinary human being, born of a woman, making the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the
lame walk and raising the dead to life, is not ordinary. It is extraordinary. No Prophet
ever did that."
The Seal of the Prophets is he who fulfills prophesy to a degree that he makes God real
in your life.
(CONTINUED)

4.

We come under the powers of the Lower Self. The Holy Qur'an asks the questions,
'Have you seen those who take their low desires for god besides Allah?'
The Fall of Adam represents man succumbing to the power of his lower nature, the underworld. Prior to eating the forbidden fruit, Adam had no knowledge that his lower nature even existed, because he was clothed in the Nature of God. His lower self was so
much in control that he did not know it existed. The Serpent in Genesis told Adam that if
he ate of the fruit, "Ye shall not surely die...your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be
as God, knowing good and evil."
Adam did die, all in Adam die, in that his fall under the powers of the lower self resulted
in ruin, disgrace and ultimately death. Spiritual death is followed by untimely physical
death. This has passed on to all men and women who live in rebellion to the Will of
God.

5.

"I must respectfully say that 90% to 95% of the human family of this Earth have already
nullified their existence. Allah(God) did not create Man to live on the plane of lower animals. If the aim and purpose of Allah(God) for Man is that Man be His Vicegerent; His
Khalifa, His Successor in this realm; Man is to rule in this realm ---we are not doing that.
We are living a life lower than the animals. And, therefore, in the bible, in the Book of
Revelations, the Revelator is saying that the Rulers of the Earth are titled, or given, the
names "Beast" "Dragon". These are not good characteristics. Great Beasts ruling humanity? A dragon ruling humanity? A Serpent ruling humanity? This is a nullification of
who and what we are ---Human beings."

6.

We become like that which we submit to. We have no concern for moral law. One of the
characteristics of a Dragon is that it "drags" you down. When we submit to the power
and rule of a Beast, a Dragon, then we become a beast, we begin to "drag" others
down. When someone else mounts up on Truth, we seek to pull them down to our level.

If a beast is our ruler, we take on the characteristics of the ruler. To take on the characteristics of a beast is to deny our own capacity to move from a lower state to a higher
state.
7.

If we remain under such powers, we are lost. By denying Allah, we nullify our own existence and we are practicing Self-Negation.
"And if that man who was working the Will of Allah(God) through the law of Moses was
not willing to go one step further with Jesus, he was denying himself entrance into the
Kingdom of Heaven. At that point, even though he was practicing the law of Moses, he
nullified his right to exist. He was practicing, then, Self-Negation, because he would not
practice self-denial. "
If Allah is RABB, the Nourisher of all of us to perfection, then at any point we deny the
Truth and halt our evolution, not only are we unable to complete the journey, but we cannot maintain our position. We go back to nothingness.
It is like a baby coming out of the womb and refusing to breathe in the breath of life. It
does not just cease to grow, it degenerates all the way back to dust.
To follow the rule of a beast and deny Jesus is to return to dust. The Jews held on to the
law of Moses and refused to accept the principles brought by Jesus. This means they
had never been in touch with the life force of the law of Moses.
The Christians accept Jesus, yet deny Muhammad. This denial means that they never
were truly in touch with the life force of the teachings of Jesus.
The Muslims who accept Muhammad (PBUH), but deny the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, were never in touch with the life force of the Holy Qur'an. In accepting the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad, but denying Brother Farrakhan, those who profess to follow the Honorable Elijah Muhammad manifest that they never were in touch with the life
force in His Teachings.
The denial of Truth at any point in time negates the progress made up to that point. This
is why the world is acting as though a prophet has never been here. It is because of the
denial of the Eternal and Evolutionary Life Force that is in each stage of development. It
is holding on to a name, but the substance is buried.
This is why in the lessons the question is asked, why did we take Jerusalem from the
Devils? It is because one of our righteous brothers is buried there.

Delilah was a "drag" who pulled Samson down. Under these powers, any one who is in
a position of leadership and power may become overwhelmed by the forces coming into
play: growth into fame and fortune. All of these are forces which have the capacity to
pull us down.
Here is a man in a position of power. A young woman is in his church, if he is a minister;
in his workplace, if he is an employer. She is striving to be upright. But he is like that he
submits to. He is a beast. He stalks her like a predator stalking its prey. He finally
catches her and pulls her down from the mountain of Truth, out of the light into the darkness that he is under. And through it all he uses righteousness as a cover for his evil.
He is deceitful like the Serpent.
"This know, also, that in the last days perilous times shall come...For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good...Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God...Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
of it; from such turn away...For of this sort are they who crept into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts...Ever learning, and never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2 Timothy 3:1-7]
The symbolic "fire-breathing" dragon refers to the passion of the lower self manifesting
through language and conduct which pulls us down from the elevated plane of truth.

8.

The 'lost sheep' are a people. A good shepherd would make the sheep shepherds. But
in this world, the rulers have the characteristics of beasts and reptiles. 85% of the population is being kept from guidance and evolution by 10% who know the truth and use it
for evil and oppression. It is therefore on the shoulders of the 5% righteous to save the
85%.
"Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that
feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks...and they were scattered,
because there is no shepherd...My sheep wandered through all the mountains...yea, My
flock was scattered upon all the face of the Earth and none did search or seek after
them...Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hand and
cause them to cease from feeding the flock, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; FOR I WILL DELIVER MY FLOCK FROM THEIR MOUTH, THAT
THEY MAY NOT BE FOOD FOR THEM...BEHOLD, I, EVEN I, WILL BOTH SEARCH
MY SHEEP AND SEEK THEM OUT...I WILL SEEK THAT WHICH WAS LOST AND
BRING AGAIN THAT WHICH WAS DRIVEN AWAY AND WILT BIND UP THAT WHICH
WAS BROKEN AND WILL STRENGTHEN THAT WHICH WAS SICK AND I WILL DESTROY THE FAT AND THE STRONG: I WILL FEED THEM WITH JUSTICE. Ezekiel
34:1-10

CONTINUED

9.

If a man is under a Beast or reptile, he needs a Reconciler. He needs a Redeemer. The

One who comes to reconcile and redeem pays a price. He performs an awesome task.
He reconciles Man to God and reconciles Man to Self.
The Finder comes to reconcile the lost sheep to the Shepherd.
"For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His
own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh that the
righteous of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the
Spirit." Romans 8:3,4
The Finder comes to return the Original Man to his original state.

10. The Holy Qur'an contains the message which Jesus brought. It contains the principles,
which applied, take man on a journey to perfection, which is the Plan of Allah(God).
Jesus was born of a woman and went through the vicissitudes of life and became a
perfect reflection of God.
11. The Holy Qur'an and the work of Jesus are compatible, in that the man came with a
message and the message is from Allah. That message is contained in the Holy Qur'an.
The Bible does not contain the total message of Jesus, it focuses on his life and times.
The Holy Qur'an is the Word of Allah(God) that Jesus spoke, direct from the Source it
came from.
The life of Jesus was one of suffering and the Holy Qur'an tells us that we must suffer
pain, we must overcome difficulty, to become one with Allah(God) as Jesus is the example of.

12. Study the effects of the work of Jesus: a man who made the blind see, the deaf hear, the
dumb speak. This is a Healer.
The Holy Qur'an is a book which calls itself the 'Healer'. Then what message could the
Jesus bring but that which is contained in the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an was revealed 1400 years ago. Therefore, the Jesus of 2,000 years ago was a sign of the one
who would come with this revealed word and its power to heal, guide, remind and make
one attain the goal of meeting with Allah(God).
Even his detractors acknowledged the fact that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad worked
the "impossible". He cured the drug addict of his addiction; he made men and women
productive when the whole world said they could not produce.
The book Master Fard Muhammad gave the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was the Holy
Qur'an. This book is the means by which the Honorable Elijah Muhammad made the
blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak. It is the means by which he raises the dead to
life. Though He gave him 104 books to read, He told the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
that the Holy Qur'an is the "only book you need to carry."
13. The scriptures say that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. [Gospel of St. John] Therefore, the Mind of God is expressed in His
Word.
Therefore, the Holy Qur'an, which is directly out of the mouth of Allah(God), is of His
Mind. One who reads this book, who studies this book constantly, assimilates and absorbs it, becomes one with the Mind of Christ, which comes from the Mind of God.

14. We are in the Time of God and he is not making prophets, He is making Gods; men and
women with power to change reality. Prophets did not change realities.
Note that the phrase, "you have closed the door on Messengership (Will of God, Part II)
was deleted from the text on the front page of this Study Guide.
There is a distinction with a difference between a Prophet and a Messenger. The Arabic
word, "Nabi", or "Prophet", means 'One who receives information from on high." The
word 'Rasul', or 'Messenger", means 'one sent with a message [for the regeneration of
men]."
There will always be messages from God, for He is Eternal and His attribute of
Expression is also Eternal. "Rasul" has a wider significance than 'Nabi, being applicable
to every person who speaks and acts in compliance with the Will of
Allah(God).
"We do not want a prophet's knowledge; we do not need a prophet's knowledge; we
want and need the Knowledge of Allah(God). We want to will a new existence, then
bring that existence into Reality and crush the opponents of that Reality.
You say, 'Well, there is no God but Allah.' Yes, that is true. But we are aware of the Essence of Him, we are in His Nature. He allows us to wear His name. He asked to be our
Teacher and if we submit to Him, what will He make us into? He will give us power over
the Heavens and the Earth and over the laws that govern both. This will make us a God,
but lower than Himself in obedience to His Will. He makes us Gods.'

GLOSSARY
WITNESS:

To see or know by personal presence and perception; to be present at an

occurrence as a witness, spectator, bystander, etc. To testify, give or afford
evidence of.

WARN:

To give notice, advice or intimation to a person, group, etc., of danger,

impending evil, harm or anything else unfavorable; to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct; to give authoritative or formal notice to; to speak plainly and in
strong terms about danger and penalties.

BEARER:

A person or thing that carries, upholds or brings. A tree or plant that yields fruit or
flowers. The holder of rank or office: incumbent.

BEAR:

To bring forth; to produce by natural growth; to hold up, support or remain firm under; to be capable of; to suffer, endure, undergo; to carry in the mind or heart; to
transmit or spread (gospel).

INVITE:

To ask or request the presence or participation of in a kindly, courteous or

complimentary way, especially to ask or request to come or to go to some place, or
to do something; to attract, allure, bid, solicit.

SUN:

The star that is the central body of the solar system, around which the planets revolve and from which they receive light and heat; a self-luminous heavenly body.

RECONCILE: To render no longer opposed; bring to acquiescence or acceptance; to win over to

friendliness; to compose or settle a quarrel or dispute; to bring into
agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.
REDEEM:

To buy or pay off; to clear by payment; to recover by payment or other

satisfaction; to discharge or fulfill a pledge or promise; to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity; to regain possession, or improve the condition of anything,
as
by
endeavor,
devotion,
sacrifice
or
the
like.
REDEEMER: One who redeems.

REFORM:

The improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. To

change to a better state, form, etc.; improve by alteration, substitution,
abolition, etc. To cause a person to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or
conduct; to put an end to abuses, disorders and error.

FIND:

To learn, obtain or attain, by search or effort; to recover something lost; to

regain the use of; to discover or confirm the truth of something; to discover the true
nature of someone or something.

EVOLVE:

To develop gradually; to develop by a process of evolution to a more highly organized state or condition; to come forth gradually into being. To make motion incomplete in itself, but combining with coordinated motions to produce a
single action. '

BEAST:

Any animal other than man, especially a large, four-footed mammal. The crude
animal nature common to humans and non humans; a cruel, coarse, filthy or
otherwise beastlike person.

DRAGON:

A monster represented generally as a huge, winged reptile, with crested head and
terrible claws and teeth, often spouting fire. A fierce, violent person.

SERPENT:

A snake. A wily, treacherous, or malicious person. An insidious enemy.

One who makes one's course or way in a crooked or winding manner.

SEAL:

Anything that tightly or completely closes or secures a thing.

ABROGATE: To cancel, repeal or annul by authority. To abolish.

TEMPORAL: Lasting only for a time; transitory; temporary, not eternal.
MEANING:

What is meant; what is intended to be expressed or understood by something; the

total implication of something said or done, including the subtle connotations.

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

April 24, 1987

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum.
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you well and in good spirit by the help of Allah.
Fear restricts. Guilt restricts. Fear presupposes the absence of knowledge of what we fear. Guilt
comes as a result of our knowledge of our violations of a standard of behavior.
Beloved Brothers and Sisters, as we look deeper into ourselves, we must not fear what we see, so
that we only look at the Study Guides on the surface and present our bodies to the study sessions;
but we are afraid to look deeper and ever deeper within ourselves.
I desire that every one of you renew your commitment to this study.
Get rid of Fear. Only the Fear of God is necessary. All other fear can and should be conquered. Get
rid of Guilt. Allah knew what we were before He chose us. His aim is to save us from our sins and to
present us to the world spotless and without blemish.
So, if you discover a spot within yourself, or a blemish, do not retreat. Look at it with joy, as though
you have found precious gold, or a precious stone; for every time we find a spot or a blemish and
apply spot remover(smile), we are a step closer to manifest proof that Allah has intervened in our
lives.
It is written in the Bible, "if you cannot understand my words, then, examine my works, for my works
testify of me." In this verse, there is a supposition. "If you cannot understand my words" sets forth a
condition followed by a comma (,). A comma is a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in
a sentence, accompanied by a slight pause in speech.

MINISTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 2

For forty(40) long years, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us the Word. But it was not clearly
understood. This condition, our lack of understanding, was corrected by Allah, Who produced a
comma (pause), through the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975.
When the comma occurs in speech, the speaker takes in breath during-the pause. The speaker inspires. We were given a pause to take on a new inspiration. "Then" means "next in order of time;
soon after." After the word, if we could not understand it, we are "then" to "examine my works." It is
time for us to do the Works of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that they may be examined by the
world. For our work of doing His Work bears witness that every Word He spoke was true; that He
was indeed Who He said He was and more.
You, as an individual, are a part of His Work. The more you and I manifest the results of self-examination, self-analysis and self-correction, the more we demonstrate that we have been touched by Allah. Through our works we will prove to the world that Allah has intervened in our lives and is at the
very root of this resurrection process that we are now a part of.
Best wishes for your continued success. Thank you for reading these few words.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of The Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

June 5, 1987
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum.
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you well and in good spirits. I hope you enjoyed a successful Ramadan and a
prayerful, thoughtful break from the study.
Let us begin again.
The knowledge of Self is the greatest of all knowledge. It is akin to the knowledge of
Allah(God). Both of these knowledge's, which is really one, is the key to our return to God, Self and
Power.
The study of ourselves as Black people (Original People of the Earth) must never be abandoned.
We must know ourselves historically, biologically, genetically, but we must also go to the root of ourselves, which is knowledge of the nature in which we are created, which is the Essence of
Self-knowledge.
Master Fard Muhammad called all of us Muslims. This is an indication that our real
national identity does not come from the Earth or a particular land mass, for national boundaries are
actually artificial. We are from the Earth, but the Essence of us is from Allah(God). This is why we do
not refer to ourselves as members of a nation tied to a particular land mass, but we are directly tied
to the Creator and the nature in which we are created. The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad said that we are members of the Creator's Nation so we must act accordingly.
So, we are the Lost-Found Members of the Nation of Islam. Our natural home is the entire Planet
Earth. This is why in the Actual Facts and the Student Enrollment, Master Fard
Muhammad asks us the total area of the Planet Earth (196,940,000 square miles); how much is the
Land (57,255,000 square miles) and how much is the Water (139,685,000 square miles); for
this(Earth) is our Home --ALL OF IT.

MINISTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 2

Phase Two(2) of this study, by the help of Allah(God), will take us more deeply into Self.
In English Lesson C-1, Question 19 asks, "How many original Muslims are there in North America?" The answer, at the time of that writing in the early 1930's, was "A little over 17 million." The
question is then asked, "Did I hear you say that some of the seventeen million do not know that they
are Muslims?" The answer is, "YES, SIR." "I hardly believe that, unless they are blind, deaf and
dumb." "Well, they were made blind, deaf and dumb by the devil, when they were babies."
To be blind, deaf or dumb is a handicap. However, when we are afflicted with all three(3) of these
conditions ---blindness, deafness, dumbness ---we are exceedingly handicapped. A "handicap" is
"any disadvantage that makes success more difficult." It includes being physically disabled, as well
as mentally deficient.
Look at how far we have fallen since the deportation of the Moon from the Earth, 66 trillion years
ago. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that Allah used the history of the work of the God
of the Moon, 66 trillion years ago, to teach us something of ourselves and of our enemy. We, the
Black man and woman in America, are devoid of wisdom and the knowledge of self and others, even
as the Moon is devoid of water.
The Fall of Adam represents man's succumbing to the power of his lower nature, the underworld.
"All in Adam die" because his fall under the powers of the lower self resulted in ruin, disgrace and ultimately spiritual death followed by untimely physical death. We have lost our ability to sustain ourselves on this Earth for any period of time for we are living a life lower than the animals. But
Allah(God) intends for us to be His Vicegerent; His Khalifa, His Successor in this realm.
In the Bible, in the Book of Revelations, the rulers of the Earth are given the names "Serpent",
"Beast" and "Dragon". They are not considered redeemable. We are in an even worse condition than
the rulers of this world, for we accept them as our leaders and take guidance from them. As a result,
we have become savages. In Lost-Found Muslim Lesson No. 1, we are taught that a "Savage
means a person that has lost the knowledge of himself and who is living a beast life." This is why we
are likened to the physically dead and our return to civilized thinking is actually considered an impossibility.

MINISTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 3

However, this exquisite knowledge of God, Self and others, given to us by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, will ultimately lead us to absolute power and mastery over Self. As a result, the "devil" will
be completely destroyed. No more "devils" will exist on the Earth. Not just by physical destruction,
but by the return of man to himself by mastery over the forces within himself, the lack of which led to
his fall 66 trillion years ago.
Best wishes for your continued success along the path of Self-Mastery.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of The Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY SESSION 10
"THE GOD WITHIN"
Reading Material:
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 2, Section 4:
"Greatness of Man and Need of Revelation"
(Read footnotes)
Surah 6, Verse 166 (footnote 852)
Surah 14, Verses 32-33
SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Pages 12-18(to end of paragraph 4)

WILL OF GOD III

Review entire lecture.

FACT(S)
ALLAH(GOD) SHARES HIMSELF WITH HUMAN BEINGS. HOWEVER, WHEN GOD SHARES
HIMSELF WITH US, HE GIVES US A DIFFICULTY TO OVERCOME. WE HAVE TO STRUGGLE
WITH THE LIFE FORCE THAT IS WITHIN US, WHICH IS THE ONLY FORCE THERE IS. THERE
IS NO OTHER FORCE BUT GOD. THERE IS BUT ONE LIFE THAT IS GIVEN TO US AND THAT
IS DIVINE LIFE.
(HOLY QUR'AN READING: "AND WHEN THY LORD SAID TO THE ANGELS, I AM GOING TO
PLACE A RULER IN THE EARTH, THEY SAID, WILT THOU PLACE IN IT SUCH AS MAKE MISCHIEF IN IT AND SHED BLOOD? AND WE CELEBRATE THY PRAISE AND EXTOL THY HOLINESS. HE SAID: SURELY I KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW NOT." )
DISCUSSION
A. PREPARATION
Please read and review the terms in the GLOSSARY on the next page before discussing the subject
matter contained in this study guide. Please feel free to make comments and ask questions about
these definitions as your circle goes over them with the coordinator.

GLOSSARY
SELF:

The uniting principle, underlying all subjective experience. That which knows,
remembers, desires, suffers. Being the same throughout; being of one with the rest
"Oneself".

I:

The first self; the nominative singular pronoun used by a speaker in referring to
himself. The ninth letter of the alphabet.

EGO:

The "I" or "Self" of any person; a person of thinking, feeling and willing,
distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from the objects of its thought. The enduring and conscious element that knows experience.
In psychoanalysis (not a pure science), "ego" refers to the part of the psychic
apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between
the primitive drives of the Id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
The "ego" has a tendency to centralize all action around itself.

ID:

The part of the psyche residing in the unconscious that is the source of instinctive energy.
The primal urge and impulse which seeks self-preservation and self-satisfaction in accordance with need and pleasure, It is modified by the 'ego'
before given overt expression, unless it is uncontrolled.

RULER:

One who rules. One who exercises dominating power, authority, or influence over; governs; decides or declares judicially; exercises authoritative guidance or direction. (From
the Latin word "regul", meaning "by a straight stick" or "pattern".)
"The original word khalifah (from khalafa, meaning "he came after or succeeded another
that had perished-or died"), means primarily a successor and hence, the supreme or the
greatest ruler who supplies the place of him who has been before him...one who judges
among or rules, the creatures of Allah by His command. "
"This ('I am going to place a ruler in the earth') shows the high place that man was destined to hold in the whole of creation. What is stated here in an allegorical description of
the preference of man above the whole of creation on earth and then of the election of
those righteous servants of Allah from among men themselves who lead others into the
right path." ( Footnote 48 Holy Qur'an , Maulana Muhammad Ali Translation)
"The early Islamic state organization, which combined the offices of the spiritual and the
temporal head of the community, was...the most perfect which the history of statecraft
can show. The head of state considered himself responsible to God, in the first place, for
the exercise of his temporal authority.
There exists a misconception in some quarters that the Islamic state was a theocracy.
The head of the Muslim state never considered himself a representative of God on earth,
but as a representative of men who had chosen him to serve them; nonetheless, he certainly considered himself responsible to God for every act he did in the exercise of his authority. All people, including the ruler, had equal rights and obligations and were subject
to the same law." (The Religion of Islam, Maulana Muhammad Ali. Page 626)

"In Hebrew, 'ruler' means 'Elohim', or 'God', 'Divine Essence', 'Will', 'Divine Force'"(selfimprovement, p.13)"
" 'Elohim'(English form 'God'), the first of the names of Deity, is a plural noun in form,
but is singular in meaning when it refers to the True God...Genesis 1:26-27 gives the
general account of the creation of man, and Genesis 2:7, the particular. The revealed
facts are: Man was created...there is an unbridgeable chasm between man and beast;
the highest beast has no God-consciousness(spiritual nature)...Man was made in the
'image and likeness' of God. This image is found chiefly in the fact that man is a personal, rational and moral being. While God is infinite and man is finite, nevertheless,
man possesses the elements of personality similar to those of the Divine Person: thinking, feeling, willing...a moral nature...made up of body, mind and soul...The purpose of
God is one. Man created in God's image was placed in sovereignty over the earth,
crowned with glory and honor, yet subject to his Creator. The Divine Intention was and
is that man should have fellowship with God in obedience."
(Schofield Reference Bible, p,1, footnote 3; p.3, footnote 2)

SUPER-EGO: Psychological term for the Self-Accusing Spirit. "A great change takes place only
when the authority is internalized through the establishment of the super-ego. The
phenomena of conscience then reach a higher stage. Actually, it is not until now that
we should speak of conscience or a sense of guilt. At this point, the fear of being
found out come to an end; the distinction between doing something bad and wishing
to do it disappears, since nothing can be hidden from the super-ego, even
thoughts...The super-ego torments the sinful ego with feelings of anxiety and is on
the watch for opportunities of getting it punished by the external world...As long as
things go well with a man, his conscience is lenient and lets the ego do all sorts of
things; but when misfortune befalls him, he searches his soul, acknowledges his sinfulness, heightens the demands of his conscience, imposes abstinence's on himself
and punishes himself with penance's"

B. QUESTIONS
1. The Holy Qur'an teaches us that Allah says "Be!" and it is. He does not desire or need
permission to execute His Will. Who are the angels? Why did He inform them of His
intentions beforehand?
2. What is meant by placing "a ruler in the earth"?
3. Why did the angels express anxiety and doubt over the decision made by the Lord of the
worlds?
4. Even after expressing their concern, the angels said "we celebrate Thy praise and extol
Thy holiness. Why was His holiness recognized by the angels in this exchange with
Allah(God)?
5. Did Allah(God) do as He intended and place a ruler in the earth? What evidence is there
that He did so?
6. Is there a connection between this action on the part of Allah(God) and our personal
development? If so, what is it?
7. What was His purpose in placing a ruler in you and me?
8. By what means is He achieving His purpose?
9. What role, if any, do we have in the methodology Allah(God) uses to achieve this
purpose?
10. We know that the Sun is not the center of the Universe; it is very near the center. How do
we know it is not the Center? What spiritual significance does this natural phenomenon
have for us?

1. Who are the angles? Why did Allah(God) inform them of His intentions beforehand?
There is but one force: the Life Force. Each of the 99 attributes of Allah(God) is a force.
Beneficence is guided by a force; Mercy is guided by a force. Retribution is guided by a
force. In sharing Himself with man, God has placed these same forces or powers in the
human being.
These forces may be used for negative ends or positive ends. In order to serve
positive ends, the forces must be controlled. Allah(God) is the uniting principle bringing
these forces into submission to His singular Will, to accomplish a certain objective.
The dialogue taking place in Holy Qur'an 2:30 is actually the God, the Ruler,
reasoning with the forces within Himself. He says, "I", for He is the uniting principle, "am
going to place a ruler in the earth." Then He allows the contrariness of the
various forces(angels) to come up. Through reasoning with them, He unites them
behind His Will; He unites His own Self-Community that He may go on with His Plan.
This same process occurs within us, as He has placed some of Himself within us. When
we think to do a thing, other thoughts come up within us, questioning the move, or objecting to the move. We must then reason with ourselves to reach a
conclusion, for confusion within Self has a chilling effect on movement. When we are confused, unsure, we cannot take action. So here, Allah(God), says to the questioning forces
within Himself, "I know what you know not."
The Arabic word for "angel" is "malak". It is said to be derived from "malaka",
meaning "he controlled", and refers to the angels' function of controlling the forces of nature on the physical side of life, or from "alk", which means "to send", referring to their
function of acting as intermediaries between God and Man.

2.

What is meant by placing "a ruler in the earth"?

" 'I am going to place a ruler in the Earth.' Not on the Earth, but in the Earth. Where did
you come from? Your flesh is from...the vegetation of the Earth. Your bone is from...the
stone of the Earth. Your blood is from...the water of the Earth. This lump of flesh and
blood and bone has to have a ruler in it. Something that commands it; something that
dominates it..."
"...God is going to form this body and He knows that you are supreme above the Sun,
Moon and Stars; above all the creatures. You are the Supreme Existence -Man and
Woman. He is going to place in you a ruler."
"In Hebrew, 'ruler' means 'Elohim' or 'God', 'Divine Essence', 'Will', 'Divine Force'. God
shares Himself with Man and Woman. The only reason you can say I is because the
True I has shared a part of His I AM with you, that you may be...He, Allah, God, places
in you a Power from Himself..."

3.

Why did the angels express anxiety and doubt over the decision made by the Lord of the
worlds?
Look at the time and the source of the revelation of His intentions. The Holy Qur'an was
revealed 1400 years ago, bringing this declaration, not in past tense or in future tense,
but in present progressive tense, meaning this is occurring now. In giving His wisdom
and knowledge to man, God is breaking the circle of 24 scientists who have kept this divine power among itself. This decision causes great distress, because the angels, observing man's behavior, which is already degenerating, are certain that when he is given
the power of God, he will do nothing but created mischief and shed blood(kill). They already know what the God of Moon did 66 trillion years ago through misuse of Divine
Power, so they are shocked that God would consider placing that same power in such
an ill-equipped creature as Man.

(continued)

3.

Why did the angels express anxiety and doubt over the decision made by the Lord
of the Worlds?
"The Angels say, 'You are Holy. Why would you do a thing like this?' And God says, 'I
know what you know not.' (self-improvement p.12)
"God declares His Will to the angels, the controlling forces of nature, to create Man, who
is meant to rule the forces of nature, and to whom, therefore, power to rule is to be delegated. Being entrusted with such great powers, man could use them rightly or wrongly,
and it is to this fear of abuse of power that the angels give expression...The whole history of man is briefly written in this one verse.
Man is the greatest killer on Earth, but he also turns the gifts of God to the best use...to
God was known the brighter side as well as the darker side of this picture. Hence the
words, 'I know what you know not.' "
Holy Qur'an Footnotes 48-50,
Maulana Muhammad Ali Translation

4.

Why was His Holiness recognized by the angels in this exchange with Allah(God)?
While giving expression to their concern over the darker side of humanity
(mischief-making and blood shedding), the angels still declare that they realize this is not
the Divine purpose for placing His Power in man, because Allah(God) is Holy; he is "free
from all imperfections". (See footnote 51, Holy Qur'an, Maulana Muhammad Ali)

5.

What evidence is there that God has indeed placed a ruler in the earth? '
"God is a man and we just cannot make Him other than man, lest we make Him an inferior one; for man's intelligence has no equal in other than man. His wisdom is infinite; capable of accomplishing anything that His brain can conceive. A spirit is subjected to us
and not we to the spirit."(Message To The Blackman, p. 6)

"Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the clouds,
then brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you, and He has made the ships
subservient to you to run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made
the rivers subservient to you...And He has made subservient to you the sun and
the moon, pursuing their courses; and He has made subservient to you the night
and the day...And He gives you all you ask of Him. And if you count
Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them.
Surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful." (Holy Qur'an 14:32,33).
"...Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the Earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the
fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the
earth." (Genesis 1:28)
Many people perceive the setting up of a ruler and the establishment of a kingdom as a
man sitting on a gold chair, wearing flowing robes and a crown.
The true meaning is that Allah(God) is settling Himself on the brain(throne) of Man, by
placing His own depth of Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding within us.
"And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods;
and His Throne of Power is ever on water that He might manifest
(the good qualities in) you whoever of you is best in deeds."
(Holy Qur'an 11:7).

6.

What is the connection between God's placement of a ruler in the earth and our own personal development?
When he placed a ruler in us , He placed something inside to lead us and give us guidance by which we may be successful.
"There are things that you instinctively know are right; you don't have to be taught that.
The nature of you is created that way. There are other things that you have to learn, but
most of us know right from wrong. It is an instinctive thing that God puts right in the nature of you.
So when there is a moral consciousness, your mind says: 'I shouldn't do that. I am
wrong.' Then you are coming awake. And, when you are condemning your own actions,
then there is an awakening of moral consciousness. You are coming out of an animal
stage into a moral stage of development; that is a very good sign. But when you can do
evil with impunity' and don't feel anything, you are dead morally, dead spiritually and you
are an animal in your so-called human existence.
We live in a world that is spiritually and morally underdeveloped and man's potential to
become human has not been realized..."
Allah(God) is evolving us through the Holy Qur'an. Throughout this 6,000-year period,
starting with the prophets, He has slowly but surely prepared us for the position of His
vicegerent. During this time, we have become lower and lower in our expression, so it
appears we are regressing rather than progressing. But it is only when we reach our lowest state that He may lift us up. Only when we are prostrate in submission, may we be
used to serve His purpose. This year, 1987, we see men falling in every area of life. The
87th Surah, "The Most High" tells us that through glorification of God, man can rise to
the highest place He is capable of rising.

7.

What was His purpose in placing a ruler in you and me?

Prophet Muhammad is reported to have attributed these words to Allah(God): "I loved
that I should be known, so I created man." (See footnote 2770, Holy Qur'an, Maulana
Muhammad Ali Translation)
It is Allah's(God's) purpose to bring us to perfection through the struggle to overcome difficulty.

"And We shall certainly try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property
and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls
them, say: 'Surely we are Allah's and to Him we shall return.' Those are they on
whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord and those
are the followers of the right course."
(Holy Qur'an 2:155-157).
"Nothing will afflict us save what Allah has ordained for us." (9:51), is in reference to Allah's(God's) Will, which is that we are made to suffer for our own perfection.

8.

How (by what means or method) is He achieving His purpose?

"He (God) is going to place in you a ruler. But, the ruler that He puts in you has got to
come through stages of development and on its way it is going to create mischief and
cause the shedding of blood..." (self-improvement, p. 13)
"The universal law is fully explained in (87:1-3): 'Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most
High, Who creates, then makes complete, and Who measures, then guides'. Four
things are mentioned regarding every object of creation, including man: its creation, its
completion,
its
measure
and
its
guidance
to
its
goal."
(Religion of Islam, p. 263. Maulana Muhammad Ali.)
"Man can be an animal or man can reflect Allah(God). You start in this world, like a fish,
swimming in a bag of water. You evolve out of that and you come forth crawling; like
other crawling things on Earth. Allah(God) never intended for you to be an animal. He
wanted you to be a perfect reflection of Himself (Holy Qur'an 11:7). But, there must be a
coming out of the animal stage of development into a moral consciousness, where you
have a spirit in you that accuses you for what you do, based on that which you know instinctively is right. (Holy Qur'an 75:2)
(self-improvement, pages 14-16).

9.

What role, if any, do we have in the method Allah(God) uses to achieve His
purpose?
When God shares Himself with us, he gives us a problem to overcome...We have to
struggle with the only force that is in us, which is the Life Force; There is no other force
but God.
There is but one life and that is Divine Life. All life comes from water...H 0...It has three...
forms, depending upon the condition of the atmosphere... Solid(ice)... Liquid...
Gas(steam)...Ice is the opposite of Steam. God is the opposite of the Devil. There is but
one life. God gives you life....How do we live it?...if we live it in a negative way, under the
influence of our own Life Force and will not struggle to master it, then we become a devil
in our person. We become an opposer to the Will of God in our person. There is no devil
outside of us giving us hell, it is the devil of ourselves raising hell with Self and on the
Earth.
2

What role do we have in achieving God's purpose? "The more we struggle to gain
mastery over Self, the closer we come to God. It is faith in God that stretches us towards
Him. It is our faith in Him that makes us move closer to Him to connect with Him. And
when we connect with Him, Heaven and Earth meet.

10. What spiritual significance is there in the fact that the Sun is not the center of the
Universe?
If the Sun were the center of the Universe, it would remain in its central position with all
things revolving around it. But the Sun itself revolves around the Unseen Reality that
makes it move.
What is it in us(human beings) that causes us to seek to be the center of attention? Why
do we actually feel pain when we see another human being receive attention?
It is the God Force within us. Allah knows He is the center, so the God within us is
reaching for Allah, but in reaching, we don't realize that the God within us is not the Lord
of the worlds. The true center of the Universe, the true center of Power is not the power
itself, but the Author of the Power. Our soul is searching after the Author of the Power,
but in the search we get misled by the power itself.
The pain we feel when someone else gets attention is the God Force inside saying "I am
God and besides Me there is no other god." This is our struggle. We must wrestle with
this force, otherwise we make mischief with it.
The various means that the God has allowed to check that force. Fear; Reward (delayed
gratification) 3. Religion.
This is allowed so that the Force does not wreak havoc on the planet while the person is
struggling to overcome it.
God has placed His Essence in man. He has 99 attributes, including Destroyer(Killer).
But His Attributes are in balance. In nature, all things kill to live, a snake kills and eats a
rat. You can't blame the snake for eating the rat or the rat for being eaten. This is in accordance with the nature of both and therefore it is in line with the Law of Justice.
But here is a man, a human being, who is a killer and doesn't even know why he is killing
people. This is result of misuse or unable to control the God Force.
Satan told God, "I will come in the straight path", meaning I will come right through their
nature.
The most profound statement Honorable Elijah Muhammad made, "God is a Man."

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

July 29, 1987

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

As-Salaam Alaikum.
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you in the best of health and spirit.
I hope that you are "chewing" the "meat" of this past study guide (Number 10: "THE GOD WITHIN").
When one is given a piece of meat, the chewing process is necessary in aiding digestion. In fact, the
digestive process begins with mastication(chewing).
The reason we are not giving you the new study guides as quickly as the earlier ones is due to the
nature of the material you have just completed in Study Guide 10. To rush over these important and
pregnant lessons is to do a disservice to ourselves. One of the reasons for faulty digestion is insufficient time allowed in the chewing process.
This "meat" (Self-Improvement Course) needs to be thoroughly chewed. It begins with our taking of
material into the mind and using all that we know and all of our life experience to break it down. By
adopting the aforementioned process and then placing this guide in study groups, each one of us
taking our turn at exposing our thoughts on the subject matter, this is "group chewing" which aids in
"group digestion" of the material.
These steps are absolutely necessary, for after we finish the Self-Improvement Series, we will review the books and writings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the lessons given to us by Master Fard Muhammad. For what purpose? To see more deeply into Their words to us, out of which will
come a mature expression of Their wisdom.
INTELLECTUAL COWARDICE. Fear of the unknown restricts movement into new fields of knowledge. "Intellectual cowardice" is the fear of delving into what we have been taught and going beyond
our immature expression of the wisdom of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

LETTER TO THE BELIEVERS

Page 2

Some of us feel very comfortable with the way we expressed ourselves during the time that the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad was among us. Yet, Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom praises are
due forever, said, "Baby language will not be tolerated." What is "baby language"? We thought it
meant profanity. Yes, it does include profanity, for we should not use profane language to express
ourselves.
"Baby language" also means expressing the Wisdom of Allah(God) in an immature way. So the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad chided me for teaching the Word in the way he had forty(40) years before. He said, "What I want you to do is give the meaning of those histories(allegorical
expressions)."
Please do not fear to venture beyond your present expression of the Wisdom of the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad. If we express this wisdom as babies, then we will only attract other babies to play with
us.(Smile!) But if we express ourselves in a very mature way, we will attract people of wisdom from
all over the Planet Earth to build with us a new civilization.
May Allah(God) bless you to overcome any fear of going one step beyond.
Thank you for reading these words.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY SESSION 11
"ALLAH(GOD) IS THE TRUE CENTER OF EVERYTHING"
Reading Material
HOLY QUR'AN

SURAH 5 "THE FOOD"

Section 2 : "DUTY OF UPRIGHTNESS"
SURAH 57 "THE IRON"

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Pages 18-21

FACTS
"Me, Me Alone, Should You Fear...and Keep Your Duty To Me, Alone."
HOLY QUR'AN 2:40,41
"Thee (alone) Do We Serve And Thee ( Al One) Do We Beseech For Help."
HOLY QUR'AN 1:4
"Say: He, Allah, Is One. Allah Is He In Whom All Depend. He Begets Not,
Nor Is He Begotten; And None Is Like Him."
HOLY QUR'AN Surah 112
"That Is Allah, Your Lord. There Is No God But He;
The Creator Of All Things; Therefore Serve Him,
And He Has Charge Of All Things."
HOLY QUR'AN 6:103
"Jesus Said Unto Him, Thou Shalt Love The Lord, Thy God, With All Thy Heart, And With All Thy
Soul, And With All Thy Mind, That Is The First And Great Commandment." MATTHEW 22:37,38
DISCUSSION
Subject Matter:
"...in The Book (genesis 32:24), Jacob Wrestled With An Angel All Night Long, Until His Life Was
Preserved. We Have To Wrestle With The God Force In Our Own Selves In Order To Advance. If
We Do Not Wrestle And Overcome It With An Intelligent, Enlightened, Mature Mind, We Can Become A Devil." SELF-IMPROVEMENT p.18
"YOU CAN TURN DEVIL OVERNIGHT."
HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD

"We Have Reached The Point, Or Place In Time, Where The Childlike, Mischievous, Blood shedding
Nature Of Man Is Threatening His Own Existence. Man's Desire To Become The Center Has Ruined
His Own World."
SELF-IMPROVEMENT p.18
Preparation:
Please Read And Review The Terms In The Glossary On The Next Page Before Discussing The
Subject Matter Contained In This Study Guide.

CENTER:

'A point, pivot, axis, etc. around which anything rotates or revolves; the source of
an influence, action, force; a person upon which interest or emotion focuses; the
core or middle of anything.'

BEST:

"Of the most excellent sort; surpassing all others; most desirable, most favorable,
most profitable; in the highest degree; to the greatest extent; under the most favorable conditions of interpretation; to outdo, overcome, do as well as one can do
with, the thing, condition, circumstance, action, that is most suitable."

INSTITUTION:

An established law, custom, practice, system, etc. An organization having a social, educational or religious purpose, as a school, church, hospital, reformatory,
etc.
To institute: 'To set up, erect, establish, found, introduce, start or initiate.'

STEWARD:

"One who acts as a supervisor or administrator, as of finances and property, for

another. A person put in charge of the affairs of a large household or estate; a
keeper; a ward."

ISM:

"The act, practice or result of (terrorism). The condition of being (pauperism), The
action, conduct or qualities characteristic of (patriotism). The doctrine, school, theory or principle of (socialism). Devotion to (nationalism, racism, sexism). An abnormal condition caused by (alcoholism).

MISCHIEF:

"Harm or trouble, especially as a result of an agent or cause. An injury caused by

a person or other agent, or an evil due to some cause. A source of harm, evil or
annoyance."

DUTY:

"That which one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation. The

binding or obligatory force of that which is right; action required by one's position;
an act or expression of respect."

QUESTIONS
1. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah(God) introduces Himself as the Best Knower. (2:1) What significance is there in His choice of this Attribute?
2. In Surah S, "The Food", Allah(God) asks Jesus, "...didst thou say to men, Take me and
my mother for two(2) gods besides Allah?" Allah(God) obviously already knew the answer
to this question. Why did He ask it? (5:116)
3. Allah(God) also questions Jesus about his mother being taken for a god besides Himself.
What is the significance of this inquiry?
4. In Surah 9, "The Immunity", Allah(God) says, They take their doctors of law and their
monks for Lords besides Allah and also the Messiah, son of Mary. And they were enjoined
that they should serve one God only..." 9:31. How does this verse relate to us today?
5. What relationship is there between the problems with the Caucasian-ruled world and the
subject matter of this study guide?

1. What significance is there in Allah's(God's) introduction of Himself as the Best Knower?

We are looking at "I".
In the Book of Proverbs 3:5,6, we are told: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
Note the plural "ways" and "paths". In Surah 70 of the Holy Qur'an He is called "Lord of the ways of
ascent".
He tells us He is the Best Knower that we may recognize that He, Allah(God), must become the True
Center of everything that we think and do.
In each one of us He has placed a certain gift, the fulfillment of which causes us to make our contribution to the whole. Since Allah(God) is the Giver of all gifts and the Nourisher of us all unto perfection, it is only proper that He be acknowledged as the True Center of our existence.
If He directs a path, then it will ultimately lead to Him. His Attributes are Perfect, His are the Best of
names. This means that with His direction, we achieve excellence in whatever field we choose.
"You are the center of nothing. And you are deluding yourself if you think you are. There is always a
True Center and you are not it; neither am I." (Self-Improvement p.14)
I say that we delude ourselves because in perceiving ourselves as the center, we lose the benefits
of the only One Who has absolute power to bring our desires to fruition.

This is verified by the Holy Qur'an, where Allah(God) asks the question:

"What is the matter with you that you hope not for greatness from Allah?
And indeed He has created you by various stages. See you not how Allah has created
the seven heavens alike and made the moon therein a light and made the sun a lamp?
And Allah has caused you to grow out of the earth as a growth, then He returns you to it,
then will He bring you forth a new bringing forth. And Allah has made the earth a
wide expanse for you that you may go along therein in spacious paths." (72:13-20)

In the Bible, we find Moses objecting to the Lord's command that he lead the children of Israel out of
Egypt:
"...I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. And the "Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's
mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now
therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say." (Exodus 4: 10,11)
If you or I choose to pursue psychology, the study of the mind, we should ask, "Who made man's
mind?" It is the Originator and the Maker Who will lead us to new discoveries; to perfection in our respective fields. If He is the Center of our thinking to new discoveries; we will transcend the understanding of those before us.

"And certainly We created man, and We know what his mind

suggests to him --and we are nearer to him than his life-vein." (50:16)

Allah(God) keeps us from every being slaves to the writers of books and the scholars whose knowledge of their own field is not absolute.

It is only Allah(God) Who knows best about all things. He is the Best Guide, Best Teacher, Best Director.
2. Why does Allah(God) question Jesus concerning that which he taught the people?
The false teachers of Christianity have deceived a great number of people all over the Planet Earth
into believing that Jesus and his mother, Mary, are equals with the Creator. This has served to expand and perpetuate polytheism, the gravest of sins.

"Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth! How could He have a son when
He has no consort? And He created everything and He is the Knower of all things...That is
Allah, your Lord. There is no god but He; the Creator of all things...Vision comprehends
Him not and He comprehends all vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware." Holy Qur'an 6:102

Jesus never taught the people to worship him, he taught the People to worship Allah(God) alone.
Both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an attest to his complete and perfect devotion to a Power greater
than himself.
"I do nothing of myself but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 8:28
Jesus was able to deny guilt of setting himself up as a god besides Allah, both in the Holy Qur'an
and the Bible.

"I said to them naught save as Thou didst command me: Serve Allah, my Lord and
your Lord; and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause
me to die Thou wast the Watcher over them. And Thou art Witness of all things."
Holy Qur'an 5:117

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only True God and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."
John 17:3
"While I was with them in them world, I kept them in Thy name." John 17:12
These scriptural passages plainly reject the false conception that Allah(God) has a son, partner or
associate. But the false teachers of religion have misguided the thinking of the people.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they
heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And them shall turn away their ears from the truth
and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Timothy 4:3,4 "
A person who teaches people must make sure that he or she is clear of the thought of trying to become the center or focus of the Believer.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad always said that he wanted to be in his place and not in the place
of his Sender, "I don't want to get out of my place."
If we have been guilty of teaching the people to make us the focus of their worship, then we must
correct the wrong. It is painful to undo what we have done incorrectly. But it is a blessing to have the
opportunity to correct the wrong; and in so doing, Allah(God) allows us a way to turn the people
around and lead them aright.

"Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens
and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists." Holy Qur'an 6:80

The dialogue between Allah(God) and His servant, Jesus Holy Qur'an 5:116,117) places teachers
on notice as to how they will be questioned. The criterion of success in the eyes of Allah(God) is not
the prophet or teacher's ability to excite the people, nor even to produce reform in the people; the
criterion of success is whether he performs his duty correctly. His duty is to teach the oneness of Allah(God) and that nothing is worthy of worship besides Him.

"Yea, whoever fulfills his promise and keeps his duty then
Allah surely loves the dutiful. Holy Qur'an 3:75

3. Why does Allah(God) question Jesus about his mother, Mary?

Note that Jesus, not Mary, is asked about the people setting her up as a god besides
Allah.
Had Jesus been guilty of teaching the people to worship Mary, it would have indicated that she had
failed in her duty as a mother.
An infant naturally centers his focus on his mother. It is she who should teach the child Who the True
Center is.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and, when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that 75% of His Work was, with the woman. Her importance
to the life of a nation cannot be overemphasized in the learning process of the human being.
The Holy Qur'an teaches us that Mary believed in the oneness of Allah(God) and glorified Him.

"Whenever Zacharias entered the sanctuary to see her,

he found food with her. He said, "O Mary, whence comes this to thee?
She said, It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure." (3:36)

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that a nation can rise no higher than its woman.
The false teachers of religion have conditioned the people to believe that Mary's exaltation was due
to being a virgin mother. The belief in this myth causes men and women to become blinded to the
fact that Mary, a human being and a female, conceived a child through a man, in accordance with
the laws of nature. It was her belief and her righteous conduct that made her pleasing to Allah and
an example for all women; a position that can be attained by all women who submit to Him.

And when the angels said: O Mary, surely Allah has chosen
thee and purified thee and 'chosen thee above the women of the would.
O Mary, be obedient to thy Lord and humble thyself and
bow down with those who bow." (3:41,42)

4. How does Surah 9, verse 31 of the Holy Qur'an relate to us today?

We take our teachers, preachers, gurus, physicians, nutritionists, spiritual advisors, palm readers,
political leaders, critics (art, literature, entertainment), astrologists, sports figures, meteorologists(weathermen), etc., as lords besides Allah.
The deception about Jesus has been of far-reaching impact, but it is not the only deception. Allah(God) warns us against worshipping anyone or anything besides Him.

Throughout the Holy Qur'an we are warned against setting up other human beings as lords besides
Allah:

"Say: shall I take for a friend other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and
the earth, and He feeds and is not fed? Say: I am commanded to be of the first of those
who submit. And be thou not of the polytheists." 6:14
"And He is the Supreme, above His servants.
And He is the Wise, the Aware." 6:18
"And this world's life is naught but a play and an idle sport. And certainly the
abode of the Hereafter is better for those who keep their duty.
Do you not then understand?" 6:32
"And if Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none to remove it but He.
And if He touch thee with good,
He is Possessor of power over all things." 6:17

Only Allah possesses absolute knowledge, wisdom and understanding. None of us are his equal.
We must respect one another's intelligence and recognize the limitations in one another. We are all
from Him.
"And in whatever you differ, the judgment thereof is with Allah. That is Allah, my Lord; on Him I rely
and to Him I turn...Nothing is like Him; and He is the Hearing, the Seeing...His are the treasures of
the heavens and the earth
He amplifies and straitens subsistence for whom He pleases. Surely He is Knower of all things."
Surah 42, "The Counsel". Verses 10-12.

If we make these persons our center because we study from them, then their limitations become our
own limitations, for they become our reference point.
Since Allah(God) is the True Center of all existence, then He and He alone is the only True reference point. Any other reference point will take us off balance.
In all of our studies, we should begin with a look at His Word. We are conditioned to seek and then
cite the writings of teachers and scholars as authorities above Allah(God).
We should consult the Holy Qur'an, asking, "What does the Best Knower say about this?" Then we
use the scholars and scientists as witness bearers of His Truth.
We don't take seriously the Holy Qur'an or Bible. There is a tendency for Muslim to exalt the
hadith(sayings) of Prophet Muhammad above the word of the Holy Qur'an. Some Christians focus
more on Paul than on the revealed word through Jesus. A true follower of Jesus or Muhammad will
keep the people focused on Allah(God).

5. Analyze the problems of the Caucasian's world in the context of this study guide.
In analyzing the problems of the Caucasian's world, recognize that the problem is that he is trying to
make himself the focus of the people. He is trying to make the people take his way of thinking, living
and civilization, not Allah's(God's).
America is not a nation in obedience to Allah(God), therefore she cannot be the true center of
power.
The Caucasian people have set up institutions that reflect a damaged perception of reality.
The institutions of this world are the stewards of the Life Force; in charge of the people of Allah(God). Looking at the world, there is a need for a change. The world leaders and teachers have
failed to bring in the righteous fruits of the vineyard; therefore, they have failed to produce from their
wisdom that which is acceptable to Allah(God).
To "institute" means to "start or initiate". The institutions have failed precisely because they were not
founded on Allah(God) as the center. Therefore, they have failed to assist the individual in becoming
a master of Self, a controller of Self. They do not teach a God-centered chemistry, psychology, law,
medicine, etc.
The children of the institutions ("alma mater") are, bringing pain and suffering because they were not
taught from a God-centered base. This has resulted in anarchy and complete and total rebellion.

In our lessons given to us by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad are our general orders. General Order Number 1 is "To take charge of this post and all temple property in view."
How can one take charge of "this post" (Self) when one knows nothing of Self and is neither cultivated nor developed in the proper way to take charge of Self?
The institutions are responsible for fostering the growth of the individual that he or she may take responsibility for Self. This they have failed to do.
A steward acts for another. The home, the school, the church, are only to be responsible for the individual for a certain period of time. But during that time, Each one of these institutions is to feed the
individual that the individual may recognize what life is, or the choices that he may make: heaven or
hell, the two conditions of life.
The institutions have responsibility for feeding and nurturing the will that it be strengthened in the
way of right cultivate the natural desires and show those in its charge how to develop the desires
that are proper and curb the desires that are improper; to develop their natural intelligence that they
may distinguish between the proper and the improper and the will to bring into fruition what is " right.
""
The failure of the institutions to perform their function renders them obsolete and justifies their removal by Allah(God) and He says, "Behold! I make all things new!"

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

September 25, 1987

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you in good health and spirits, enjoying the blessings of Allah and steadily
improving Self as a basis for Community Development.
How we perceive reality is based upon the condition of our heart and mind and the quality of our
faith.
No child perceives realities properly, because of the immature state of the development of its
senses, through which objects are perceived. As the senses are developed, our perception is developed with them, The next study guide, which is the l2th in the series, will deal with our perception of
certain facts given to us by Allah(God) through the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
As spiritual children, our perception of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is reflected
in our limited use of our senses. However, as we mature, we see things differently than we saw or
perceived them in prior days.
Fidel Castro, in an interview, said he does not see things now, in his 50's, as he saw things in his
20's and 30's. He, a great leader of his people, is admitting that he is growing in his perception of reality.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that it took him nearly 40 years to understand His Mission.
This teaches us that he was growing in his perception of the reality that Allah(God) put on him.
Are you growing? Do you see things the same way today as you saw them yesterday? What state
must we be in to see things as they are?

LETTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 2

In the Book of Mark (8:22-25), the people brought a blind man to Jesus. Jesus 'led him out of the
town; and when he had spit on his eyes and Put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.' After that he put his hands again
upon his eyes and made him look up; and he was restored and saw every man clearly." What
blinded the man, causing misperception?
In Surah 2, Section 2 of the Holy Qur'an, it says: 'And there are some people who say: We believe in
Allah and the Last Day; and they are not believers. They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe and they deceive only themselves and they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, so Allah
increased their disease, and for them is a painful chastisement because they lie. And when it is said
to them, Make not mischief in the land, they say: we are but peacemakers. Now surely they are the
mischief-makers, but they perceive not." What damaged their perception?
Anger does not permit us to see properly, Greed, Lust, Pride, Vanity, Envy, Hypocrisy; these are impediments to proper perception.
When Iblis was instructed to make submission to Adam, he refused. "He said: I am better than he;
Thou has created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust." Holy Qur'an 7:12 Was Iblis really
better? What damaged his perception?
When Allah(God) sent Moses to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh proclaimed amongst his People saying: O my
people, is not the kingdom of Egypt mine and these rivers flowing beneath me? Do not you see?
Rather I am better than this fellow who is contemptible and can hardly express himself clearly.' Holy
Qur'an 43:51,52, What damaged his perception? What damages the perception of the oppressor,
that they always think that their control in wealth and numbers will make them prevail over the oppressed? 'Are they secure from Allah's plan? But none feels secure from Allah's plan except the
people who perish...We sent Moses with Our messages to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they disbelieved them. See, then, what, was the end of the mischief-makers!' Holy Qur'an 7:99,103
Dear Believer, how we perceive any set of facts reveals us, because based upon our perception and
faith, we react accordingly. Jesus said, "Hear and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth
defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matthew 15:10,11 Your
calculation is based upon your perception of what came in. What comes out is not the fact but your
perception of the fact and that reveals you.

LETTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 3

May Allah bless you in your examination of your perception, that we may make our perception line
up with that of Allah, Who is the only Reality.
Thank you for reading these few words. I hope this letter will serve as preparation for Study Guide
Number 12.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,
Minister Louis Farrakhan
Servant of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

October 19, 1987

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you well, in good health and spirits, enjoying the many blessings of our Saviour,
Allah, to Whom praise is due forever.
As you know, we have been in active litigation with the administration of the Jacob Javits Convention
Center in New York City for their outright refusal to rent us available space for our annual Saviours'
Day Convention, which was to have been held on October 25, 1987.
Judge William McCooe upheld the Javits' Center claim that it was a business decision to deny us occupancy on October 25, because they had rented other space in the complex to persons whom they
felt were not "compatible" to us nor we to them. However, the judge did order them to find alternative
dates, at which time we could be the exclusive lessee of the entire facility, which, according to their
first representations to us, holds between 35-90,000 persons.
It was and is the desire of the National Laborers to hold our national convention in New York City,
from which we want to make a statement to the local residents, the country and the entire world. We
know that it is disappointing to you that we will not be able to have our convention in October as we
had planned. Allah, however, is the Best Planner and the Best Knower.
As soon as we have completed our negotiations with the Javits Center and we have a firm date and
contract signed, we will apprise you of it. In the meantime, continue to plan for our annual convention by putting aside monies for your transportation and lodging for a three(3)-day period.
I would also ask that those of you who have not completed your Saviours' Day Gift effort continue
with this charitable obligation on each Believer until it is completed.

SAVIOURS' DAY LETTER

Page 2

The Nation of Islam now has many ways for you to earn extra money or even have full time employment with the products that are now available to you. By selling the Nation's products, you can earn
extra income for your Saviours' Day trip and your Saviours' Day Gift.
Remember, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to us, when he held Saviours' Day on a day other
than February 26, that "every day with us is Saviour's Day."
May Allah's blessings of peace and contentment of mind be with each of us as we strive hard in His
Way to fulfill the Mission of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Messiah.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.

October 20, 1987

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Believer:
During the past year, we have been under assault, externally and internally.
As you know, we have not had the help of our National Assistant for nearly a year. Brother Abdul Akbar Muhammad is recovering from open heart surgery and is making steady progress.
We are sponsoring an appreciation banquet for his 25 years of dedicated service to the Nation of Islam. The dinner will be held on November 8, 1987, in the Grand Ballroom of the McCormick Hotel
here in Chicago, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $35.00 per person. The proceeds will be used to help
defray some of the tremendous cost of our brother's surgery and medical care.
I am asking each Mosque to hold a dinner for Brother Akbar and forward the donations received to
the "Akbar Muhammad Appreciation Fund" at 734 W. 79th Street, Chicago, Illinois. I know that you
appreciate his work and sacrifice as much as we do here at headquarters. The many cards and letter you sent have made him feel very good and I know these dinners around the country will do more
to help him with a speedier recovery than the doctors' medicine, (Smile!)
Several months ago, Brother Khallid Abdul Muhammad was arrested by 80 federal and state officers
in Georgia and charged with falsifying application papers for a loan. The initial cost of his defense is
$22,000.00. I am asking each of the major mosques to do a minimum of $1,000.00 and the smaller
mosques to do as much as you can toward offsetting these costs. Each Mosque should hold a dinner or some fundraising activity and send the proceeds to the "National Security Fund" here in Chicago. Brother Khallid's trial comes up in early November and we would like to have his lawyers fully
paid by the end of November.

LETTER TO BELIEVERS

Page 2

Even though each Mosque is in need of finance and certainly could use the monies raised from
these fundraising efforts for Brothers Akbar and Khallid, nevertheless, it is in the doing of good for
others that Allah opens His treasures to us.
"And the parable of those who spend their wealth to seek Allah's pleasure and for the strengthening
of their souls is as the parable of a garden on elevated ground, upon which heavy rain falls, so it
brings forth its fruit twofold; but if heavy rain falls not on it, light rain suffices. And Allah is Seer of
what you do." Holy Qur'an 2:265
"The devil threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to be niggardly, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance. And Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing...' Holy Qur'an 2:268
May Allah bless you and us with His Protection from the evil plans of our enemies and the greediness of our own souls.

As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West

LF/am

STUDY SESSION 12
"FOUR GREAT IMPEDIMENTS TO SELF-DEVELOPMENT"
Reading Material
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 3:

"THE FAMILY OF AMRAN"

Section 1: "Rule of Interpretation"

Surah 13:

"THE THUNDER"
Section 1: "Truth of Revelation"
Section 2: "Fall & Rise of Nations"

SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Pages 21-27(end)

MESSAGE TO THE BLACKMAN

WHO IS THE ORIGINAL MAN? Page 52
THE MAKING OF DEVIL Page 103

FACTS
(These Are But A Few Verses From The Holy Qur'an That Help Us Understand That We See Things
Correctly When We Take Allah's View As Our Own)
"We Take Allah's Color, And Who Is Better Than Allah At Coloring, And We Are His Worshippers."
(2:138)
"Say: Allah Guides To The Truth. Is He Then Who Guides To The Truth More Worthy To Be Followed, Or He Who Finds Not The Way Unless He Is Guided? What Is The Matter With You? How Do
You Judge? And Most Of Them Follow Aught But Conjecture. Surely Conjecture Will Not Avail Aught
Against The Truth. Truly Allah Is Knower Of What They Do." (10:35,36)
"Seest Thou Not That Allah Sends Down Water From The Clouds, Then We Bring Forth Therewith
Fruits Of Various Hues? And In The Mountains Are Streaks, White And Red, Of Various Hues And
(others) Intensely Black...and Of Men And Beasts And Cattle There Are Various Colors Likewise.
Those Of His Servants Only Who Are Possessed Of Knowledge Fear Allah. Surely Allah Is Mighty,
Forgiving." (35:27,28)
DISCUSSION
Law Ofttimes Is A Cover For Hypocrisy. It Can Make Us Appear Right, Though We May Be Internally
Evil. Such Was The Religious Class Who Opposed Jesus. They Were Outwardly Right, But Inwardly
Hypocrites. Jesus Said To Them, "woe Unto You, Scribes And Pharisees, Hypocrites! For Ye Are
Like Whited Sepulchers(tombs), Which Indeed Appear Beautiful Outward, But Are Within Full Of
Dead Men's Bones, And Of All Uncleanness. Even So Ye Also Outwardly Appear Righteous Unto
Men, But Within Ye Are Full Of Hypocrisy And Iniquity." Matthew 23:27,28

Jesus Was Interested In Purifying Man From The Inside And The Law Of Itself Cannot Do That.
Someone Has To Grow Man Out Of This Childlike Stage. (I Use The Term "childlike" Because Children Act For Their Parents' Sake, But The Real Child Is Seen When The Parents Are Not Around.)
What Is The Force That Grows, Evolves, Feeds, Nurtures, Nourishes? The New Testament Is Called
The "testament Of Love". Love Fulfills The Law. Man Gets A Period Of Grace And In That Grace
There Is Love. If That Is Rejected, Then Comes Destruction.
Four(4) Great Impediments To Self-Improvement Are: Racism, Sexism, Nationalism And
Materialism.
Please Read And Review These Terms And Others In The Glossary On The Next Page Before
Discussing The Subject Matter Contained In This Study Guide.

GLOSSARY
ATTITUDE:

Manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a thing or a person; tendency or orientation of the mind; position or posture of the body
appropriate to or expressive of an action or emotion. The tendency of
an individual to act in response to specific social situations resulting
from his or her innate biological and psychological characteristics or
from the environmental factors which condition his or her existence.

INFERIORITY COMPLEX: (Psychiatry). Intense feeling of inferiority, producing a personality characterized either by extreme reticence or, as a result of overcompensation, by extreme aggressiveness. Lack of self-esteem; feeling of inadequacy; lack of self-confidence. "
SUPERIORITY COMPLEX: (Psychiatry). Exaggerated feeling of being better than or above others;
not yielding or susceptible; showing a consciousness of being above
the average in place, position, excellence, merit, intelligence, station,
rank, degree, etc. Often the mark of an overly assertive personality.
PERCEPTION:

INTERPRET:

The act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or the mind;

cognition; understanding. Immediate or intuitive recognition, as of moral
or aesthetic qualities; the result of perceiving as opposed to the act of
perceiving; a single unified awareness derived from sensory processes
while a stimulus is present(psychiatry). comprehension, "
To set forth the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate. To construe or
understand in a particular way; to render according to one's own understanding or sensitivity; to translate. An interpretation is an understanding or conception of another's words or deeds.

FACT:

That which actually exists; reality; truth; that which has happened. The
actual event or circumstance as distinguished from its effect or consequence.

DEVIATE:

To turn aside, as from a way, course, etc. To depart or swerve, as from

a procedure, course of action or acceptable norm. To digress, as from a
line of thought or reasoning. To wander from the most direct or desirable approach to a given moral, intellectual or physical end. To go
aside from a path.

EGOCENTRIC:

Having or regarding the self as the center of all things; having little or
no regard for interests, beliefs or attitudes other than one's own;
self-centered.

IMPEDIMENT:

Destruction; hindrance; obstacle, That which retards in movement or progress

by means of obstacles."
(NOTE: IN Study Guide Number 10, we defined "ISM", which is a productive
suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition,
principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic. Below are just a few such
terms.)

EGOISM(EGOTISM): The habit of valuing everything only in reference to one's own personal interest; self-conceit; regarding one's own welfare as the supreme end of his or
her actions. Excessive and objectionable reference to oneself in conversation
or in writing; obtrusive emphasis upon one's own importance, often to the extent of monopolizing attention and showing disregard for other's opinions.
RACISM:

A belief that human races have distinctive characteristics that determine their
respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior
and has the right to rule others; a policy of enforcing such asserted right; a
system of government and society based upon it.

SEXISM:

Discrimination against a group of persons because of the fact or character of

being male or female,

NATIONALISM:

Devotion to the interests of one's own nation; policy of asserting the interests
of one's own nation, viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or
the
common
i nt e r e s t s
of
all
nations.
A
desire
f or
national advancement or independence. An idiom or trait peculiar to a nation.

MATERIALISM:

The philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting
the universe and all phenomena, including those of mind, as due to material
agencies; attention to or emphasis on material objects, needs and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual values.

CAPITALISM:

An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of

production, distribution and exchange of wealth is made and maintained
chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.

COMMUNISM:

A theory or system of social organization based on the " holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a
whole or to the state; all economic and social activity controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuated political party.

SOCIALISM:

A theory or system advocating the vesting of ownership and control of the

means of production, capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole; in
Marxist theory, the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to
communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist
principles.

QUESTIONS
THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT STATES THAT:
1. The Original Man is the Asiatic Black Man, the Maker, the Owner, the Cream of the Planet
Earth, God of the Universe.
2. The Colored Man is the Caucasian(white man), or Yakub's grafted devil, the Skunk of the
Planet Earth.

1. WHAT IS A FACT?
2. IS THE FIRST STATEMENT A FACT? WHY OR WHY NOT?
3. IS THE SECOND STATEMENT A FACT? WHY OR WHY NOT?
4. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "FACT" AND AN "ACTUAL FACT"? IF SO,
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? ARE THE ABOVE FACTS "ACTUAL"?
5. WHAT IS AN INTERPRETATION? WHAT IS A PERCEPTION?
6. IS THERE ANY DANGER IN TREATING A FACT AND OUR INTERPRETATION OF A
FACT AS ONE AND THE SAME? IF SO, WHAT IS THE DANGER?
7. IF YOU ACCEPT THE FIRST STATEMENT IN THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT AS A
FACT, WHAT IS YOUR INTERPRETATION OF IT AS IT RELATES TO YOUR ATTITUDE
ABOUT YOURSELF? WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT?
8. IF YOU ACCEPT THE SECOND STATEMENT IN THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT AS A
FACT, WHAT IS YOUR INTERPRETATION OF IT AS IT RELATES TO YOUR ATTITUDE
TOWARDS CAUCASIAN PEOPLE? WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT?
9. WHAT ACTIONS ON YOUR PART FLOW FROM YOUR ATTITUDE ABOUT YOURSELF
AND OTHERS AS IT RELATES TO THESE STATEMENTS? THAT IS, IN WHAT WAY
DOES YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINE THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU CONDUCT
YOURSELF IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?
10. THE STATEMENTS WE ARE DISCUSSING ARE THE ANSWERS GIVEN BY THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD TO QUESTIONS PRESENTED TO HIM BY MASTER
FARD MUHAMMAD:
1. Who is the Original Man?
2. Who is the Colored Man?
WHY DOES MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD INTRODUCE THESE FACTS, IN THIS TIME, IN THIS
MANNER, TO THIS PEOPLE? IS HE DESIROUS OF PRODUCING A RACIST MIND?

11. HAVE YOU EVER MISINTERPRETED A FACT?

12. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF YOUR MISINTERPRETATION?
13. HOW CAN WE BEST AVOID MISINTERPRETATION?
14. IF WE ARE IN FACT BETTER(MORE SUITABLE) IN SOME RESPECTS THAN ANOTHER, THEN WHAT IS OUR DUTY BY THAT WHICH IS LESS THAN OURSELVES?

COMMENTARY
Consult the GLOSSARY. A "fact" is truth, reality, what exists. An "interpretation" our own understanding or conception
There are those who have accused the Honorable Elijah Muhammad of racism and point to the
STUDENT ENROLLMENT as evidence of that charge. In doing so, they are projecting their own interpretation onto the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The words are the words of the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, but their meaning is affected by the understanding of the person reading, repeating or
acting upon them.
As spiritual children, it was inevitable that we would go through a phase of development where we
might make mischief with the facts we were given. "And when thy Lord said to the angels, I am going
to place a ruler in the earth, they said, wilt Thou place in it such as make mischief in it and shed
blood?" Holy Qur'an 2:30
The balance we were given by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was in his declaration to us: "You
are the righteous and you must treat every man with respect and do justice by all men."

Attitudes, when they harden, become beliefs. From beliefs, we get laws.
A prevailing attitude among whites says that Black people are inferior, doomed to be servants of
theirs. From that attitude, there is a belief system: "I believe that God created them to serve us...I believe that I am superior." Based upon these beliefs a constitution is developed that embodies them.
"I believe they are subhuman. I am codifying my belief into a law that says they are 3/5 of a person,
which will forever determine the way in which we deal with them."
Religion sanctifies what we do. We read the scriptures to facilitate and feed our coloring. once religion is used to justify beliefs and laws, an educational system is developed to facilitate the belief system.
Thus, when a prophet or messenger comes to give the people Allah's coloring(view), he is charged
with heresy, because he is not just attacking laws, but the belief "system the unjust laws grew out of.
Martin Luther King attacked the laws of the government of America; the Honorable Elijah Muhammad attacked the belief system the laws grew out of. In so doing, he was breaking up what was the
root of this world.

"NAY, WE HURL THE TRUTH AGAINST FALSEHOOD, SO IT KNOCKS OUT

ITS BRAINS, AND LO! IT VANISHES..." HOLY QUR'AN 21:18

By changing laws, we do not affect conditions, because changing a law does not change attitudes or
systems of belief. Pharaoh feared that Moses would change the religion, which means he feared the
drastic altering of the belief system which, his world was built upon.
This world is based upon a belief in the superiority of white over Black. There can be no new world
until the destruction of inferiority in one and superiority in the other.

At the same time that the attitude of white superiority hardened into beliefs that grew into laws, the
Caucasian people produced an attitude in Black people toward ourselves. What was that attitude?
"We are niggers...I believe niggers will never be nothin'." Out of this attitude grew a system of belief,
and from that a set of actions. It is an unwritten law that Black people disrespect and destroy one another.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad stands between the two attitudes, a inferiority. He must expose
the condition for what it is and then break up the mental attitudes that brought it about.
In the definition of "inferiority complex" we see aggressive behavior is a form of compensation for
feelings of inadequacy.
The Self needs feeding. When the physical stomach is unfed it produces discomfort in the person.
Likewise, when self-esteem is not fed, it also causes discomfort. Hunger, whether physical or emotional, causes the hungry person to engage in extreme forms of behavior, sometimes unlawful, in order to satisfy the need.
The Self comes from Allah(God). How does He feel? In His view, polytheism is the gravest sin. What
about the Self of God being fed by nothing? How do we respond? We develop an overly aggressive,
belligerent, hostile attitude, mostly toward members of our own group. Because we lack self-esteem
and self-worth, we have developed an unwritten law that says if you get rid of a member of your own
group, you have done nothing wrong. You have done something good in getting rid of this object of
disapproval.
On the other hand, the "superiority complex" of the Caucasians is a mind set in which the person becomes God. Thus, they want worship, adulation and service. Not only are they the center of their
own existence, they want to be the center of everyone's existence. Their attitude of superiority has
so hardened, they will do anything to force submission of others to themselves.

The attitudes and beliefs which produces these complexes result in damage to the faculty of perception. Now the mind is colored by attitude and projects that coloring onto reality, making us spiritually
blind, deaf and dumb.

"THE VILEST OF BEASTS IN ALLAH'S SIGHT ARE THE DEAF,

THE DUMB, WHO UNDERSTAND NOT." HOLY QUR'AN 8:22

"THEY HAVE HEARTS WHEREWITH THEY UNDERSTAND NOT AND THEY

HAVE EYES WHEREWITH THEY SEE NOT, AND THEY HAVE EARS WITH
WHEREWITH THEY HEAR NOT. THEY ARE AS CATTLE: NAY,
THEY ARE MORE ASTRAY." (7:179)

We cannot interpret anything outside of our ability to see it. We create a set of facts that reflects our
own perception and is limited by our own perception.
Our lessons called "actual" facts are so named because they are real; they are that which actually
exists. We can create a contrary fact by damaging the individual's perception of what really is. In order to destroy the present reality, we must get to the root reality.

The Black man is the Original Man. Why does Master Fard Muhammad introduce that fact, in this
time, this manner, to this people? Is He desirous of producing a racist mind? Or, is He confronting
both the Black man and the Caucasian with Truth, that there be balance (justice) in the Earth?
The Caucasian people have taken the fact of their own rule to an extreme position that is detrimental
to themselves and humanity. Fact that the dark people of the Earth are asleep has enabled them to
rule. They have interpreted this fact to mean, God has made you(dark people) to be our footstool."
For example Rep. Alexander H. Stephen's, in an 1861 address at Savannah, Ga., declared that "the
cornerstone of the Confederacy rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the white
man; that slavery is his natural and normal condition."
This selfishness produces race-consciousness to the extreme and it becomes racism. This interpretation of the fact of being in rulership avoids the question, "By Whose permission are you exalted?"
Since Allah(God) is the Possessor of power over all things, He is the Giver and when He makes us
excel in any way, He lays greater duty, greater responsibility, greater work on us. But it is His Greatness, not our own, that causes us to be exalted, for His Purpose and His Glory.
The Holy Qur'an opens in the first Surah(chapter): "Praise belongs to God!" The Believer repeats
this over and over until he or she understands that a greater degree of excellence is a trial for the individual and a trial for a nation. We pass the test by not becoming Satan when we are given power.

How do we not become Satan?

The Muslim says, "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan." If we see Satan as a force of Self
that can damage our perception as a result of some desire or uncontrolled need, then we realize that
we must always have God with us in order to perceive properly. We always run the risk of perception
being colored by our own mood, attitude or limited knowledge.
By becoming Satan, we mean adopting an attitude that we are better. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says that in one thousand (1,000) years, all of the races will disappear. As a Black person, what
does this mean to you? What is your interpretation of this statement? Does it mean kill all of the
brown, yellow, red, until no one is left but the Black man? If you believe that, then how do you perceive the Holy Qur'an verses which say that Allah produces various hues and colors?
In making this statement, could the Honorable Elijah Muhammad mean that when Truth is present
and there is understanding, color will not be a reality, but all human beings will take the coloring of
Allah? Could this mean that colors will no longer clash when we outgrow our focus on color and focus on that which really makes man ----duty to God?
When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that America is to be destroyed by God for her treatment of the Black man and woman is this a racist statement?
America is impeded in her judgment because of extreme consciousness of her whiteness. The
America that was envisioned by the "founding fathers" and the one that it is actually becoming are
two(2) different things. The vision was of a privileged, white society. There was no vision of an America where justice was rendered to Black people or where every color of human being would live together with freedom, justice and equality.

The 13th and 14th Amendments sentenced the old America to death and signaled the
beginning of a new one. Legally, the death of old America came with the Civil War. But the
real death of old America could never come until the system of belief it was based upon was
destroyed. That destruction takes place only with the Coming of Master Fard Muhammad.
The Truth of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is setting America on fire. Fire destroys everything it touches and turns it back into dust. The fire in His Message caused the awakening of Black people and a clear perception of the reality we have lived under. This is bringing a new
America to birth.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Allah(God) was to make us a nation of gods, as the Sun
is to the Solar System. As the Kabah sits in Mecca and the people circumambulate, He will allow us
to be the reference point that the nations of the world revolve around, while we revolve around Him.
It is alright to love and be loyal to our own nation. But we must recognize that we are in a world with
other nations, If one nation misuses or abuses other nations for its own exaltation, then we have
mass self-centeredness and mass vanity.
Throughout the world we see Black nationalism, white nationalism, Arab nationalism, etc. In striving
to assert a national identity and impose it on others, we instill a false sense of patriotism in the people of that nation. This is manifested in the refusal of the Arab world to stand up with Imam Khomeni,
Nationalism has been placed above the Universal Truth of Islam.
We are taught, "SELF FIRST, THEN OTHERS." Development of self and devotion to self has its
place, but it is not confined to self and no one else.
The struggle is in conquering selfishness. Whether individually or nationally, we must get away from
being self-centered and make Allah(God) the Center. When He is the Center of our thinking, then we
have room in our thoughts for all of His Creation.
Some of us say, "I am Black and I am better", yet we go to the Caucasian seeking a job.
Have you ever seen one exceedingly gifted, who would not train or practice to develop his gifts, and
ultimately one with inferior capability excelled over him?

In God's eyes, it is he who keeps his duty who is better. So even though the objective fact makes
one better in physical farm or otherwise, the Bible tells us that Allah(God) is no respecter of persons.
(Acts 10:34)
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Allah(God) did not reveal the Truth to us to make us
mockers of one another. The Holy Qur'an sounds the death knell to mockers. It gives us the yardstick my which we are measured: performance of our duty, willingly and correctly.
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48)
"My dear beloved brothers and sisters, your identity is not your color, your identity is not the landmass from which you come or originated. Your identity is the nature in which you are created. Since
your nature is to obey the Will of Allah(God), your nature is Islam. You are by nature a Muslim and
any name other than that is not a proper name for you. You are a Muslim. 'Accept your own and be
yourself,'" (Will of God -Part III)

In the lessons given to us from Master Fard Muhammad, we are taught that the duty of a civilized
person is to "teach the uncivilized people who are savage, civilization, righteousness, the knowledge
of himself, the science of everything in life, love, peace and happiness." We are also taught that "If a
civilized person does not perform his duty, which is teaching civilization to others, they should be
punished with a severe punishment."
The Black man is in fact the Original man. We are more suited to the requirements of nature and in
that sense we are "better". But it is how we interpret that fact that produces self-worth in a positive
way, or racism, which is negative. We negate the consequences or effect of facts in our own lives by
what we bring to them.
It is Allah(God) Who made superior and inferior; all things are not created equal, but all things are
created equally. Allah(God) loves he who is most careful of his duty.
"And Allah delivers those who keep their duty with their achievement ---evil touches them not, nor do
they grieve...Allah is the Creator of all things and He has charge over everything...His are the treasures of the heavens and the earth. And those who disbelieve in the messages of Allah, much are the
losers." Holy Qur'an 39:61

The Holy Qur'an provides an example of misinterpretation resulting from a damaged perception of
reality:

"And We indeed created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels:
Make submission to Adam. So they submitted, except Iblis: he was not of those who
submitted...He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not submit when I commanded thee?
He said: I am better than he;
Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust." (7:11,12)

Satan is produced by a mind which says, "I am better"; a mind that contains false pride. But fire and
dust were both created by Allah. In giving us this dialogue, He is showing us the attitude and expression we must not use. We must not take our excellence to be from ourselves, or Allah may use
"dust" to put out our "fire".
Misinterpretation of fact(reality) can produce very negative results.
Racism is produced my misinterpretation. A "race" has a beginning and an ending. It is finite. If the
Caucasian people hold on to their view of themselves as a "superior race" and all that implies, they
are actually assigning an eventual end to their own existence. Anyone interested in eternal life must
give up "race". Do not stop being what we are, but give up glorifying it, based upon some contemporary advantage associated with it. People and nations occupy positions of rulership in turns.
The effort of the current government of America is to return to the original intent of the "founding fathers", which is limited to their ability to perceive the future. The legacy of their will, however, is being
overshadowed by the establishment of an enlightened, stronger will. But to return to the original intent of the "founding fathers" is to return to a mind that is not fully illuminated.

We can best avoid misinterpretation by taking guidance from the Best Knower:

"And upon Allah it rests to show the right way, and there are some deviating ways. And if He please,
He would guide you all aright...And He has cast firm mountains in the Earth lest it quake with you,
and rivers and roads that you may go aright, and landmarks. And by the stars they find the right way.
Is He then Who creates like him who creates not? Do you not then mind? And if you would count Allah's favors you would not be able to number them. Surely Allah is forgiving, merciful. And Allah
knows what you conceal and what you do openly.
And those whom they call on besides Allah created naught,
while they themselves were created. Dead are they, not living.
And they know not when they will be raised." Holy Qur'an 16:9,15-21

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS SERVANT.

October 9, 1988
As -Salaam Alaikum
Dear Believer:
May this letter find you and your family well and in good spirits with the joy of the expectation of the
dedication of our new National Center.
Although you may be disappointed that the dedication of our National Center has not taken place as
we had planned, you know as well as I that we may plan, but Allah also plans and Allah is the Best
of planners.
The more we struggled to complete the restoration, the more I began to see that it could not take
place on October 9. We can only dedicate this magnificent house once. Allah demands that it be
right when it is dedicated. Moreover, Allah demands that we be right, because we are not just dedicating a magnificent house to the Lord of the worlds but we are dedicating ourselves to the Lord of
the worlds and His Cause (Resurrection of the dead).
Even if the Mosque were completely ready, Allah has shown me that we are not yet ready and so we
as Believers must be prepared for the dedication. Therefore, under the guidance of Allah, the dedication will take place on February 26, 1989, giving us four (4) months to properly prepare ourselves
and complete the renovation and restoration of the National Center.
What must we do to be in a state of readiness for the historic occasion spoken and written of by the
prophets?
Firstly, I made a call to all who believe in and were touched by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, to
come. Why?
No matter what our sins have been, the Holy Qur'an teaches us that Allah forgives sin altogether. I
know that you, as well as I, want the Blessings of the Forgiveness of Allah for whatever we have
done to offend Him, His Teachings, ourselves and one another.

It is written in the Holy Qur'an that the Believers seek the Forgiveness of Allah and seek His Mercy.
Allah says of Himself, He is Oft-returning to Mercy, the Forgiving. All praise is due to Allah for these
Qualities. Were it not for these Qualities, we would have no chance to see the Hereafter.

" Except those who repent and amend and make manifest (the truth), these it is to whom I turn
(mercifully) ; and I am the Oft-returning to mercy) , the Merciful." Holy Qur'an 2 : 160

" O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah and believe in His Messenger He will give you two
portions of His Mercy, and give you a light in which you shall walk, and forgive you.
And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful" -57:28

" And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil deeds, and He knows
what you do; and He answers those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more out of
His grace. And for the disbelievers is a severe chastisement. " 42:25,26

My desire is that all Believers put ourselves in position to be forgiven for all of our sins, that Allah
may heal the wounds of the Nation, so that when the house is dedicated, we also stand before the
world a magnificent spiritual house, restored, consecrated, dedicated for the rest of our lives in fulfillment of these words in our daily prayers: " My prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for
Allah, the Lord of the worlds. "
There are five (5) major steps that MUST be taken immediately by us, the Believers, in order to put
ourselves in the desired position: Prayer, Fasting, The Dietary Law of One Meal a Day, Charity and
Sacrifice, and Work.
I have prepared Study Guide 13 for you during this Saviours' Day, to help you in your efforts to apply
these principles of action over the next four (4) months , so that even as the Mosque is being made
ready, we are being made ready for our dedication. Let us work as best we can to purify ourselves,
not despairing, becoming disheartened or losing faith.
In 1 Kings 9 and 2 Chronicles 7 , Solomon dedicates the completed house to Allah (God) . Allah
(God) accepted his prayer and supplication, saying . . . I have hallowed this house, which thou hast
built, to put my name there forever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

But He did not make this commitment unconditionally, saying And if thou wilt walk before me, as
David, thy father, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statues and my ordinances . . .Then I will establish the throne of thy
Kingdom. . .But if ye all shall at all turn from following me. ye or your children. and will not keep my
commandments and my statues which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them. . .then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them, and this house which I
have hallowed for my name; will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword
among all people.
Dear Laborers and Believers, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad told us that the Nation would never
fall again. The only way we can insure ourselves of being the ones who bring about the fulfillment of
this declaration is to dedicate ourselves completely to Allah and then never deviate from our commitment to Him. We can only protect ourselves from deviation through obedience. The Great Mahdi,
Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom praise is due forever, has stated, THE RESTRICTIVE LAW IS
OUR SUCCESS. There is no way of circumventing this Truth and still being successful.
We are exhorted to follow the religion of Abraham, which is obedience to the Will of Allah(God). This
is the key to Peace and the contentment of mind. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. and whatsoever thou
shalt lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven: Matthew 16: 19
I appeal to you in the Name of Allah, to reflect on these words, take them into your heart and act
upon them. May Allah Bless, Guide and Protect you. May He strengthen you and make you successful in your endeavors to do His Will.
As-Salaam Alaikum
Your Brother and Servant,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant of the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY SESSION 13
THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION
Scriptural References
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 12: 'JOSEPH'

BIBLE
1 Kings, 2 Kings
1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles

To 'redeem' means to 'buy back'. This suggests that the item being bought back was once owned by
the buyer and for some reason he has temporarily lost possession of it. Thus, a price has to be paid
for the object to be returned.
What is the price of the redemption of a people who belong to Allah(God) but have
become captive in the hands of strangers; who have gone astray from the path of Allah(God) and
are living a life contrary to Allah(God) and contrary to the nature of themselves?"
(From: The Price of Redemption, Final Call, October 3, 1988)
INSTRUCTIONS AND DISCUSSION
1. Read and discuss the Instructions to the Believers
2. Read and discuss the five(5) words defined in this study guide.
3. What are the qualities of a Redeemer?
4. I included in the above-referenced article, the statement 'Our Redeemer liveth, the price of
Redemption has been paid.' Do you agree with this statement? (Note that it has two parts)
What is the basis for your agreement?
5. If the price of Redemption has been paid, is the object of redemption relieved of
obligation ? What is the duty of the one who is the object of Redemption?
6. What is the value of obedience to the laws, rules and regulations of Allah(God) ?

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BELIEVERS

1. PRAYER
It takes 21 days, according to scholars, to break old habits and make new ones. Let the Nation of Islam get into the habit of prayer, 5 times a day at the prescribed time and in the prescribed manner.

Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book and keep up prayer.
Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil; and certainly
he remembrance of Allah is the greatest (force). And Allah knows what you do.
Holy Qur'an 29:45

Prayer will give us the strength to resist the impediments to our development. Start immediately, beginning with the Dawn prayer.
Keep up prayer from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night,
and the recital of the Qur'an at dawn. Surely the recital of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed.
Holy Qur'an 17:78

So when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing

and sitting and reclining. But when you are secure from danger, keep up regular prayer.
Prayer indeed has been enjoined on the believers at fixed times. Holy Qur'an 4:105

Successful indeed are the believers...Who are humble in their prayers

And who shun what is vain...And who act for the sake of purity...
And who restrain their sexual passions...
Holy Qur'an 23:1-5

From Self-Improvement Study Guide Number 7, Building The Will (Part III):
Each morning, let us rise and pray at 5:00a.m. Let us resist the power of sleep and pray with Allah
on our minds instead of sleep. During the day, no matter how busy or involved we are in our work,
let us excuse ourselves after the noon hour to remember Allah; then we may go right back to our activities. At the end of the day, let us resist tiredness and remember our Lord...

In our study of the prophets, we saw that patience was a pervasive virtue. They were mocked and
ridiculed by the disbelievers for long periods of time, but were instructed by Allah to bear patiently
what they say." In overcoming the natural force of impatience, they were rewarded with vision, or the
ability to see beyond the present. They could 'see' through their patience, that the ends for which
they were striving would ultimately come about.
Impatience, or the desire for relief or change, may be removed from us, not by yielding to this natural
force, but by seeking refuge in Allah.
Whenever impatience threatens to cause us to turn away from a desire goal, we must go to Allah,
the Lord of the ways of ascent, in prayer. Prayer will give us the security and peace of mind that will
relieve our irritation. It is in that frame of mind that we then must re-identify with our desired goal.
The desire (and the willingness to be patient in order to obtain it) will then return.
Prayer is the re-affirmation of desire. We endure by re-affirming and re-identifying our desire until we
reach the goal."
Let us recite in earnest the following prayer as taught to us by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad:
O Allah! I seek Thy refuge from anxiety and grief and I seek Thy refuge from lack of strength and
laziness and I seek Thy refuge from cowardice and niggardliness and I seek Thy refuge from being
overpowered by debt and the oppression of men. O Allah! Suffice Thou me with what is lawful to
keep me away from what is prohibited and with Thy grace make me free from want of what is besides Thee.
We, the lost-founds, should repeat the above prayer seven(7) times a day. For it sums up our greatest hindrance to freedom and self-independence.: Message To The Blackman p. 152
Order your children to say the state prayers when they are seven years of age and beat them if they
do not do so when they are ten years old. Message To The Blackman p. 143
Prayer is a pillar of Islam and is to be enforced In the home. With respect to the instructions above,
do not be harsh or

extreme. You are only now enforcing this rule, therefore allow some time for your children to adjust
to it. Set the good example and your children will follow it.
2. FASTING
Let the Nation of Islam institute a monthly three-day fast, beginning with the month of October, 1988.
After October, the fast will begin on the first Friday of each month.

O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for
those before you, so that you may guard against evil.
Holy Qur'an 2:183

In Islam, fasting is an institution of the improvement of the moral and spiritual condition of human beings. Fasting, abstention from food in obedience to Allah(God), helps us builds the will to resist the
impediments to self-development.
Fasting in the right spirit helps us display repentance. We must be of mumble spirit that we may
show Allah(God) that we are sick/sorry over all that we have done to offend Him.
Here are the dates of our monthly fasts, beginning in October. (The first Thursday in October has
passed, therefore we will fast the second week this month)
THURSDAY
(fast begins after evening meal)
October
13
November
3
December
1*
January
5
February
2

SUNDAY
(fast ends with evening meal)
October
16
November
6
December
4
January
8
February
5

*(We will observe Ramadan in December as taught to us by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. During the first 3 days of December, we will fast, taking water, coffee or tea in the evening. Afterwards,
we will resume the abstention from liquids and food between dawn and sunset)
3. ONE MEAL A DAY
Eat one meal a day or one meal every other day, and it will prolong your life. Do not think that you
will starve. On the contrary, you will be treating yourself to life, and a life filled with sickless days.
You can hardly get sick eating this way....

In eating once a day or once every other day, you must not eat between meals. And, you should try
to eat at the same hour tomorrow as you eat today. DO not change your meal hours if you can help
it....Do not even drink juices, milk, or soft drinks between meals...
And, do not eat candies or fruits between meals. You are welcome to drink water, but I know you will
not want too much water between meals since your stomach will not call for it. You may drink coffee
between meals, but do not fill your cup with half sugar and half cream and pour coffee on top of that
(smile).
This (that I am trying to teach you is the way that He (Almighty Allah) has taught me for you. I have
given to you in this book the type of food that you should eat as Allah has given it to me."
(From, How To Eat To Live, by The Honorable Elijah Muhammad)
4. CHARITY AND SACRIFICE
And the parable of those who spend their wealth to seek Allah's pleasure
and for the strengthening of their souls is as the parable of a garden on elevated
ground, upon which heavy rain falls, so it brings forth its fruit twofold; but if heavy
rain falls not on it, light rain suffices. And Allah is Seer of what you do. Holy Qur'an 2:265

Charity is a principle of action which is necessary for the spiritual advancement of man. The advancement we make through charity is towards Allah.
The Arabic word for Sacrifice is Qurban, which means To draw near. We must give of what we
need, that is, we must sacrifice, to draw closer to Allah.
To give only of that which we feel comfortable parting with, is charity. We receive credit for this act of
kindness. But what we are after is not just credit, but purification. Establishment of Truth requires
sacrifice.

O you who believe, shall I lead you to a merchandise which will deliver
you from a painful chastisement? You should believe in Allah and His Messenger,
and strive hard in Allah's way with your wealth and your lives.
That is better for you, did you but know!
Holy Qur'an 61:10,11
Sacrifice means the surrender of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher a or more pressing claim. It is from the word sacer, meaning

holy. The significance of this is that the more we sacrifice, the closer we become to Allah.
Nay, whoever submits himself entirely to Allah,
and he is the door of good to others,
he has his reward from his Lord,
and there is no fear for such, nor, shall they grieve. 2:112
In the 9th Surah of the Holy Qur'an, The Immunity, verses 38-42, it speaks of the Tabuk Expedition,
when the Muslims had to confront the strength and opposition of the Roman army. They had to
many hindrances to raising an army, including drought, to overcome heat and a long journey. This
effort required great sacrifice on the part of the believers. Indeed, the sacrifice required was so great
that it drove the hypocrites from among the believers.
Had it been a near gain and a short journey, they would certainly
have followed thee, but the hard journey was too long for them. and they will
swear by Allah: If we had been able, we would have gone forth with you.
Them cause their own souls to perish; and Allah knows that they are liars. 9:42
5. WORK
What is work? It is Force x Distance; the exertion of energy on an object that is not moving on its
own, resulting in the movement of that object. No matter how much force is applied, if the result is
not motion, there has been no work.
In the April 10, 1988 issue of the Final Call, I wrote an article entitled, We Must Depend On Allah
and Ourselves. In it I reminded the Believers that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has warned us
against sitting at home waiting on a mystery god! He has said we can't sit down; we can't lay down.
We must get up and go to work doing something for ourselves!
In the Lessons given to us by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we are given the following question
and answer:
Will you sit at home and wait for that mystery god to bring you food?
Emphatically, No. Me and my people have been lost from home for three hundred and seventy-nine
years, have tried this so-called mystery god for bread, clothing and a home, and we receive nothing
but hard times, hunger, naked and out of doors; also we were beat and killed by the ones who advocated that kind of god and no relief came to us until the Son of man came to our aid, by the name of
our Prophet, W. D. Fard.

The National Center Drive to repurchase our mosque and school began in earnest on February 26,
1988, when laborers from around the country gathered here in Chicago.
In order to complete our mosque and school, additional funds are necessary. More funds will he required to compete the Salaam Restaurant Complex. February 27, 1988 will represent a full year,
within which we were able to redeem what was lost. We know that we worked because we made
motion. We were successful because of work. We applied force to an object(our own inertia) and
made motion.
In order to restore what We have redeemed and retire the bank note which was necessary to close
the transaction, every Believer is hereby requested to pledge to raise $1,000 over the next four(4)
months.
The sale of the Nation's products, including the Final Call newspaper and ads and subscription to
the newspaper, our tapes, books and records, and the Clean n' Fresh personal care products is not
only a source of income to the nation and to the Believer who actively engages in these sales, but it
also serves as an effective means of making contact with our people. We should continue to host
victory parties and seek donations to the National Center. In the near future, you will receive information on the implementation of the 5-Year Plan.
The ultimate goal is the resurrection of our people. Fill the mosques! The Great Mahdi, Master Fard
Muhammad, to Whom praise is due forever, told us to Work cheerfully and fear not. You are the
Best, the Righteous, the Powerful.

FIVE MEANINGFUL WORDS

1. PREPARATION!
A measure by which one prepares for something. The act of preparing; to put in proper condition or readiness. Planning and making ready for something expected or thought possible.
Noun. Preparation, arrangement, provision, rehearsal, anticipation, expectation, precaution;
groundwork, substructure, base, basis, foundation, scaffold, scaffolding.
Verb.

Prepare, arrange, provide, ready, roughhew, make ready, lay foundation of, prime,
groom, rehearse; forearm; clear for action; equip, arm, man; fit out, fit up, array, outfit,
appoint, furnish, dress. Mature, ripen, mellow, season, bring to maturity, elaborate,
perfect, complete, develop. Prepare oneself, get ready, be on guard, foresee.

adjective.

Available, ready, primed, groomed, armed, on guard, foresighted.

Antonyms.

Suddenness, surprise, unexpected, incomplete, unprepared.

Holy Qur'an
But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive hard with their
property and their persons. And it is these for whom are the good things and these
it is who are successful...Allah has prepared for them Gardens wherein flow rivers,
to abide therein. That is the great achievement. 9:88,89

And if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the bode of the Hereafter,
then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a mighty reward.
33:29

He it is Who sends blessings on you, and so do His angels, that me may bring
you forth out of darkness into light. And He is ever Merciful to the believers. Their
salutation on the day they meet Him will be Peace! And He has prepared for them
an honorable reward. 33:43-44

Vie with one another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden the
extensiveness of which is as the extensiveness of the heaven and the earth "-it is
prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers. That is the Grace of Allah;
He gives it to whom He pleases. And Allah is the Lord of Mighty Grace." 57:21

Bible
BEHOLD! I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me..."
Malachi 3:1
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the
desert a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought there,
so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in buildings 1 Kings 6:7 '
They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready, but none goeth to the battle; for my wrath is
upon all their multitude. Ezekiel 7:14
And Samuel spoke unto all of the house of Israel, saying, if ye do return unto the Lord with all your
hearts, then put away the foreign gods.., from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and
serve him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 1 Samuel 7:3 '
Be ye, therefore, ready also, for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Luke 12:40
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy
ministry...For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand...2 Timothy 4:5,6
O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build an house for thine holy name
cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. 1 Chronicles 29:16

2. PURIFICATION
Surely Allah loves those who turn much to
Him and He loves those who purify themselves. Holy Qur'an 2:222
PURE:

Being that and nothing else. Freed from anything of an inferior or contaminating
kind; free from extraneous matter. Clear, free from blemishes; untainted, unaffected; chaste; immaculate; genuine.

Noun.

clarification, distillation, refinement; sanctification. Purifier, cleanser. Purity, innocence, virtue, immaculance.

Adjective.

clean, pristine, taintless, uncontaminated, unpolluted, unadulterated, unmixed, single, sheer; undefiled, unstained, impeccable, untarnished, unblemished.

Adverb.

Purely, solely, simply, barely, merely, only (unity).

Arabic meaning, pure : to make sincere, devoted, chosen, single-minded, singleharted, exclusive, entirely.
SINCERE: Free from deceit, hypocrisy or falseness. Earnest, genuine, real. Truthful, candid,
honest, clean, unmixed.
See also, Cleanness, Improvement, Innocence, Morality.
antonyms: impurity, wickedness.
IMPROVEMENT:

Enrichment, advancement, elevation, increase, recovery.

Cultivation, refinement, polish; reformation, progress, correction, development,
elaboration,
purification,
reconstruction,
reclamation.

O thou who wrappest thyself up, Arise and warn,

And thy Lord do magnify and thy garments do purify... H.Q. 74:1-4
But in all things commanding ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonment's, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;
By pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned...
2 Corinthians 6:6
Then Paul took the men and the next day, purifying himself with them, entered into the temple, to
signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every
one of them. Acts 21:26

3. RESTORATION
FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST Luke 19:10
And I will restore to you the years that the locusts hath eaten... and ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be ashamed...
Joel 2:25, 26
The act of restoring; renewal, revival, or re-establishment. A return of something to a former, original,
normal or unimpaired condition. A representation or reconstruction of an ancient building, extinct animal or the like, showing it in its original state. Restitution of something taken away or most. A putting
back into a former position, dignity, etc. To rebuild renew, replace, reinstate. To rescue. To save.
Noun: Replacement, reinstatement, resurrection,
reparation, redemption, reorganization, recovery

rehabilitation,

reconstitution,

Verb. Put back, give back, reclaim, recover, correct, remedy, right. Cure.
Arabic: Restore :

Adda: To deliver.
Radda: To return something to someone

For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many, Matthew 20:28
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things...But I say unto,
you that Elijah is come already.. and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they
desired. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Matthew 17:10-12
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual restore much an such in the spirit of
meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Acts 6:1
I pray you, let us cease this exacting of interest...Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their
lands, their vineyards, their olive yards, and their houses...We will restore them, and

will require nothing of them, that they should do according to this promise." Nehemiah 5:10-12
He Who has made the Qur'an binding on thee will surely bring thee back to the
Place of Return. Say My Lord knows best him who has brought the guidance and him
who is in manifest error,..And call not with Allah any other god. There is no God but He.
Everything will perish but me. His is the judgment and to Him you will be brought back.
Holy Qur'an 28:85,88
And certainly We tried before them Pharaoh's people and a noble messenger
came to them, Saying: Deliver to me the servants of Allah. Surely I am a faithful
messenger to you. And exalt not yourselves against Allah.
Surely I bring to you a clean authority. 44:17-19
And We indeed delivered the children of Israel from the abasing
chastisement, from Pharaoh. Surely he was haughty, prodigal.
And certainly We chose them above the nations, having knowledge.
And We gave them signs wherein was clear blessing. 44:30-13
4. CONSECRATION
The act of consecrating; dedication to the service and worship of God. To consecrate is to make or
declare sacred; to set apart; devote, dedicate to a purpose; make something an object of honor or
veneration. From secr: sacred, holy
Verb. sanctify, hallow, enshrine, anoint, bless
And who, then, is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? 1 Chronicles 29:5
For the law maketh men high priests who have infirmity, but the word of the oath, which was since
the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. Hebrews 7:28
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus...By a new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh...And having
an high priest over the house of God, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:20
5. DEDICATION
Devotion, adherence, loyalty.
Dedicate:

To set apart and consecrate to a sacred purpose; to devote wholly and

earnestly, as to a person or purpose.

Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before
him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is
an ordinance forever to Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:4
And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven
days, and the feast seven days. 2 Chronicles 7:9

LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS:

THE VALUE OF OBEDIENCE
Beloved, there is much that we have yet to learn about Allah's(God's) will and our suffering for the
sake of purification.
Allah(God), the Sovereign of the Universe, has established rules and laws governing everything in
His Creation. Nothing in this Creation disobeys the laws under which it is created, governed and
controlled, from the tiniest insect to the huge planets and stars, except Man.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that the so-called Indians were exiled from that part of
the Earth, Asia, to this wilderness, for breaking the Laws of Islam. Islam means obedience to the
Will of God, Exile means prolonged separation from one's country or home, as by stress of circumstances; expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree. Breaking the Law of Islam means
we rebelled against obeying our Sovereign Lord.
The fall of the so-called Indians, members of the Aboriginal People of the Earth, was due to rebellion; the fall of the Black Man, member of the Aboriginal People of the Earth, was due to rebellion.
The Caucasian was made in the nature of rebellion. So, our rebellion, white, red and black, has
earned us all a place here in America, where in our rebellion we can heap punishment and evil upon
each other.
Allah(God) permitted the Caucasian (so-called white man) to take this country from the so-called Indian and bring millions of Black people into slavery in the Western Hemisphere. This was to be a
prison for all of us until we learned the price of rebellion and decided we had had enough and were
willing to submit to Allah(God) that me might get us out of the condition that our rebellion against
Him has placed us in "-Death"-spiritually, mentally, morally, politically and economically.
The Bible depicts us as stiff-necked, hard-hearted and rebellious people, lost sheep who follow the
devices and desires of our own hearts and who refuse to submit to the Will of Allah(God). It is this
rebellion, dear Brothers and Sisters, that has reduced humanity to the level of the beasts of the field
and even below.
Today, all of the Native American rituals of traditional religion that I know of, inflict pain and suffering
for the sake of purification, that they might once again gain the favor of Allah, Whom they call
'Grandfather'.

The Caucasian people have set up rules, laws and regulations governing this society and its institutions. Most of these laws, called 'common law', spring from their(Caucasians) understanding of Divine Law. Many of these laws, rules and regulations are made to insure the safety and security of
people and property from the evil intentions and actions of others.
Of course, there are many laws that are unjust and these laws are changed by our protest against
these unjust laws. Civil disobedience in the civil rights movement was not designed to create chaos
in the society, but to rid society of unjust laws, thereby making a better and healthier society for us
all.
When we act outside of the parameters of the laws of this society, we may find ourselves incarcerated (imprisoned). At that point, yet another, even more restrictive set of rules and regulations is activated in our lives, governing the relationship between those confined and those who are the guards
and overseers of those confined. There are rules concerning what we should say or do, when we
can say or do it, how we should act and dress. Some of these rules may seem stringent and some
even foolish, however, they are designed to train the inmate to recognize and respect rules and
regulations.
Allah(God) says to us in the Holy Qur'an, obey Allah and Him Messenger and those in authority
over you, whether they are of your faith or not. We are admonished to respect authority, because
that is the way to Peace.
Respect for authority and rules and regulations governing our daily activities, whether developed by
Caucasian people or Original people, would serve us better than rebelling against; those rules because they are against some of our personal desires. Is this not what led to our being here in the first
place? Was it not the violation of Divine Laws governing our relationship with Allah(God) that gave
our enemies the chance to kidnap and enslave us, depriving us of our freedom, our name, our religion, our language, our family and loved ones? Should not our suffering serve to make us better able
to handle ourselves and the Divine Laws governing every aspect of life?
What would we think of a person who would enter into our home, knowing the rules of behavior we
have established, yet would try to get around them, disrespecting the sacredness of the home? How
do we feel when someone disregards our privacy without thought or consideration? Does this not
anger us?

We must learn to be respectful of the laws, rules and regulations of people and their societies and
cultures, otherwise, we will not be able to build good relationships with them or enter into their societies. This may be the lesson that we most need to learn to secure our freedom permanently.
In the Bible, Jonah rebelled against the Will of Allah(God) in running away from that which he was
commanded to do. He was swallowed by a whale and imprisoned in its belly, which the writers describe as Hell. It was in this time of need that he cried out to God and in crying out to God he realized that it was God Who permitted him to fall into adverse circumstances that he would know the
price of rebellion and rejection of his duty. It was when he cried out to God, or submitted that he
would do what God commanded him, that the whale spat him out.
We must learn to obey Allah's(God's) Will. We do this my learning how to respect little laws, for
when we take liberties with small laws that are designed for our safety and security, it leads to breaking Divine Laws which are designed for our safety and security spiritually with Allah(God).
When we are driving down the street, we should stop at the stop sign; we should proceed with caution where the sign directs us to proceed with caution; we should stop at railroad crossings. Don't excuse yourself from the rules that are for your own protection and the protection of others. As we take
chances, we do not train ourselves to obey. We feed the spirit of rebellion until we become hardened
in the way of rebellion then it is easy to rebel against Allah(God) Himself. In excusing ourselves from
rules and regulations, we make ourselves the criterion by which we judge the veracity or goodness
of the rules and regulations, thereby setting ourselves up as judges.
In our prayers, we ask Allah to make Muhammad successful as He did make Abraham successful.
We pray the prayer of Abraham, who said, I am the first of those who submit. It is through our submission that we come up out of the condition of hell that our rebellion has placed us in.

Even if we do not fully understand why we must submit, we must submit until
understanding comes. The dwellers of the desert say: We believe.
Say: You believe not, but say, We submit; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts.
And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish (anything) of your deeds.
Surely Allah is forgiving, Merciful. HQ 49:14

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS SERVANT.

January 26, 1990

As-Salaam Alaikum
(Peace Be Unto You)
Dear Believers and Students:
May this letter find you growing in the Knowledge and spirit of Allah(God) and the Triumphant Message of Islam.
This Study Guide, Number 14, is a very important one, for it lays the base for peace in the home, the
mosque, the society, or wherever we are confronted with a relationship with authority.
Peace with Allah(God) is gained through submission to His Will. Peace with Self is gained through
obedience to the knowledge and truth that we know, for it has authority over us and if we recognize,
peace comes to Self with Self.
The most difficult thing to do is to submit to authority that we do not believe is worthy of our respect
or obedience and it is this difficult part that we must take under analysis in the Study Guide.
May Allah(God) Bless you to go as deeply as you can into the Truth of that which you are studying
and apply it immediately in the home, the mosque and everywhere you go in society.
Your Brother and Servant,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant to the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY GUIDE #14

RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY
READING ASSIGNMENT:
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 4

The Women, Section 9

Surah 39

The Companies Section 1 and 2

INTRODUCTION
In both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an, we are enjoined to respect those in authority over us. Allah
demands of His servants such respect for authority that order, rather than chaos, may exist, for God
is not the author of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in
authority from among you; then if you quarrel about anything,
refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.
This is best and more suitable to achieve the end.
Holy Qur'an 4:59

Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17
Allah(God) sends servants with authority over us, to guide us to obedience to His Will. That authority
is often expressed through teaching. The servants of Allah(God) have always been challenged and
opposed by authorities over the people to whom they are sent.
For he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:29
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto
him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee
this authority?"

GLOSSARY
ABJECT:

Utterly hopeless, humiliating or wretched; contemptible, despicable, cast aside, thrown

down.

AUTHOR:

The maker of anything; creator; originator; designer; (Latin root: auctor" Progenitor;
auctus "- magnified

AUTHORITY:

The power to determine; the right to control or command; having the power to make
and enforce the law; having force, rule, power, sway, influence, over others; applied
to the complete and successful direction or manipulation of persons and things;
also power derived form deference for others to one's character, ability or position.
The right, because of office or position, to issue commands and punish violations.

GOVERN:

To rule by right; hold in check; control, supervise.

HINDER:

To cause delay, interruption or difficulty in; to prevent from doing, happening or acting;
to hold back.

RESPECT:

Esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a quality or trait, or

something considered as a manifestation of quality or trait; deference to a right,
privilege or position, or to someone having a right, privilege or position; to refrain toward someone; the result of admiration and approbation.

OBEDIENCE: The state or quality of being obedient. The act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance; the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of; to respond conformably in action to.
PERSECUTION (TO PERSECUTE): To pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment; harass
persistently; to annoy persistently; importune; trouble; drive
away. Worry, badger, pester, bother; to subjugate because of
beliefs or practices.
SLAUGHTER: Brutal, violent killing of a person; killing or great numbers of people indiscriminately;
carnage.
TOLERANCE(TOLERANT):

TYRANT (TYRANNY):

A fair and objective attitude toward those whose opinions and

practices differ from one's own; the act or capacity of enduring;
endurance; allowance; patience; suffering; forbearing; to put up with;
to undergo or sustain pain or hardship.

Any person in a position of authority over someone else who exercises

power oppressively; arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; undue
severity or harshness; cruelty.

QUESTIONS:
1. Should we obey authority if the authority is unjust or even wicked?
2. Is there a difference between 'respect' and 'obedience'? If so, what is it?
3. Is there a difference between 'producing' and 'creating'? If so, what is it?
4. The Holy Qur'an teaches that persecution is worse than slaughter. How could this be so?
5. Each of us has the responsibility of governing and the responsibility of being governed. We have
experienced such dual roles as being parent and child, teacher and student, employer and employee. What difficulties do we encounter in each of these situations? What are some principles
to follow in handling these situations?

******

I: ALLAH HAS THE RIGHT TO BE OBEYED

Now surely sincere obedience is due to Allah Alone.... He is Allah, the One,
the Subduer of all. He has created the heavens and the earth with truth;
He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night and
He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one moves on to an assigned term.
Now surely He is the Mighty, the Forgiver... He creates you in the wombs of your
mothers"-creation after creation"-in triple darkness. That is Allah, your Lord;
His is the Kingdom. There is no God but He. How are you then turned away?
If you are ungrateful, then surely Allah is above need of you... 39:1-7
This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.1 John 6:3
If we look at the word authority, its root is in the word author. The author of anything is usually the
maker or creator of that thing. Allah(God) is referred to as the Author of all existence, therefore, Allah is He Who has the greatest right to be obeyed.
However, there are lesser beings that have been given the privilege of exercising authority over what
they did not create and Allah demands of us respect for those lesser authorities and even obedience
to those lesser authorities out of respect for Him, the Supreme Authority by Whom all authority has
authority.
We must remember, if we are Believers, that nothing happens except by the permission or Active
will of Allah(God). So whoever is in authority is there for a reason and also for a season.
The servants of Allah(God) are tested by those persons that are in authority over him or her.

Allah teaches in the Holy Qur'an, that He made Adam from the dust of the Earth, or Black mud, and
fashioned into shape. And when He made Adam complete He breathed into him of His Inspiration
(Wisdom) and commanded the angels to bow to what He had made and placed in authority over
them. All the angels submitted, except Iblis. Allah questioned him, asking:
What hindered thee that thou didst not submit when I commanded thee? He said: I am better than
he; thou hast created me of fire, while him thou didst create of dust.
Iblis did not look deep enough into Who commanded him.
He was blinded by his pride and/or arrogance of who he thought he was in relationship to who he
was asked to submit to. He gave no weight at all to Who commanded him that the One Who commanded him was Creator of both the fire and the dust.
As a result of his failure to respect Allah(God) by bowing to what He had put in authority over him,
Allah(God) then drove him forth from the circle of peace that he was in: He said: Then go forth from
this (state), for it is not for thee to behave proudly therein. Go forth, therefore, surely thou art of the
abject ones.
How often do we reject respect and obedience to authority because we think ourselves better than
those who commanded us? Suppose the ruler is wicked.
Should we respect that rule? Again, Allah says in the Holy Qur'an, I am going to place a ruler in the
earth and the angels respond, Wilt Thou place in it such as make mischief in it and shed blood?
And Allah answers, I know what you know not.
Even if the ruler is wicked, he could not come to power except by Allah's permission for reasons we
may or may not be acquainted with.
Respect for authority does not necessarily imply obedience in all things the authority says. We can
respect authority, but Allah says obey those in authority over you except when it is against your religion (will of God). Then you are commanded to disobey, but still in a respectful way.

II. THE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY

And He it is Who has made you successors in the land and exalted some
of you in rank above others, that He may try you by what He has given you.
Surely they Lord is Quick in requiting (evil) and He is surely the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Holy Qur'an 6:166
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people
mourn. Proverbs 29:2
Any human being who exercises authority has, along with that authority, powers to enforce his or her
authority. Our lack of respect for authority can cause authorities to use force to enforce the authority.
By virtue of the fact that a father and mother are the agents of procreation gives them authority over
what they produce. However, they must be mindful that they have been given authority over what
they produced, but did not create.
And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents. But if they contend
with thee to associate others with Me, of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not.
To Me is your return and I will inform you of what you did. HQ 29:8
And if they strive with thee to make thee associate with Me that of which
thou hast no knowledge, obey them not, and keep kindly company with them
in this world and follow the way of him who turns to Me; then to Me is your return,
then I shall inform you of what you did. Holy Qur'an 31:15
Parents, kings, rulers, judges "-are never the sole authority for they are not the Author of existence.
The Author of existence is also the Watcher of how we execute authority over what He creates.
How we handle authority manifests the quality of our faith, knowledge, wisdom and understanding,
and, deeper, it manifests the level of our respect for Him Who created what we have authority over.
Child abuse is not just the abuse of children. It is also abuse of the privilege of exercising authority
over Allah's(God's) creatures, therefore it is also abuse of Him.
Abusive parents produce hatred in the hearts of the abused child for them. Abusive authority, no
matter on what level, creates hostility and the lack of desire, will or spirit to cooperate, ultimately
leading to rebellion.
History is replete with examples of abusive rulers, what happened to them and their authority whenever their disrespect of what the ruled exceeded the limits

Surely pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into parties,
weakening one party from among them; he slaughtered their sons and
let their women live. Surely he was one of the mischiefmakers
And we desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak
and to make them the leaders and to make them the heirs.
And to grant them power in the land and to make pharaoh
and Haman and their hosts see from them what they feared.
HQ 28: 4-6

Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with our messages and clear authority
To pharaoh and his chiefs, but they behaved haughtily and they were an insolent people.
So they said: Shall We believe in two mortals like ourselves while their people serve us?
So they rejected them and became of those who were destroyed. Holy Qur'an 23:45-48

Everything in creation has a tolerance level beyond which it cannot endure.

When
authority exceeds the limits in its abuse of the people, the people reach a level of tolerance beyond
which they cannot go. The Holy Qur'an teaches that Persecution is worse than slaughter.
When the people reach a level beyond which they cannot tolerate further abuse, they actually prefer
slaughter to persecution, so they rise up against that authority that is persecuting them and generally, it is the same God Who permitted that authority to come into power Who stirs the people to rise
up and destroy it.

They said: We are were persecuted before thou camest to us and

since thou hast come to us. He said: It may be that your Lord will destroy
your enemy and make you rulers in the land, then.
He will see how you act. Holy Qur'an 7:129

III. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE WHO GOVERN AND THE GOVERNED

In order for any authority to be successful in carrying out its authority, that authority needs the good
will for the governed and the way to obtain good will is to govern with justice and equity.
On the other hand, those who are the governed, as we all are under some authority, have the duty
and the obligation to respect and obey those in authority among us, whether they are of our own
race, religion or not.
There are times when I have been stopped by abusive authority who appeared to be bent on provoking an incident to justify their misuse of the power they possess to enforce their authority. But by
following the Guidance of Allah(God) found in the Holy Qur'an and the Bible as given by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I handled that abusive authority with such respect, that it forced them to act
in a way that they did not intend by me.
I am not saying that this method works on every occasion, but 90% of the time, if we show respect
for those in authority over us, no matter how they come, we will find that we can spare ourselves and
others undue and unnecessary harm.
Each of us who is governed also governs and the best rule to use to protect both those who govern
and those who are governed is:
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you

STUDY GUIDE NUMBER 15

THE CHARACTERISTIC OF HUMILITY
READING ASSIGNMENT
HOLY QUR'AN
SURAH 16:
SURAH 40
SURAH 25:

THE BEE 16:77-83;

THE BELIEVER 40:61-68
THE DISCRIMINATION (SECTION 6)

BIBLE:

MARK 9:33-37

(LESSON: HUMILITY, THE SECRET OF GREATNESS)

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
AND HE IT IS WHO MADE THE NIGHT AND THE DAY TO FOLLOW
EACH OTHER, FOR HIM WHO DESIRES TO BE MINDFUL OR DESIRES TO BE
THANKFUL...AND THE SERVANTS OF THE BENEFICENT ARE THEY WHO
WALK THE EARTH IN HUMILITY, AND WHEN THE IGNORANT ADDRESS
THEM. THEY SAY, PEACE! HOLY QUR'AN 25:63
SUCCESSFUL INDEED ARE THE BELIEVERS, WHO ARE HUMBLE IN
THEIR PRAYERS AND WHO SHUN WHAT IS VAIN.
HOLY QUR'AN 23:1-3
O YOU WHO BELIEVE, SHOULD ANY ONE OF YOU TURN BACK FROM
HIS RELIGION, THEN ALLAH WILL BRING A PEOPLE, WHOM HE LOVES
AND WHO LOVE HIM, HUMBLE TOWARDS BELIEVERS, MIGHTY AGAINST THE
DISBELIEVERS, STRIVING HARD IN ALLAH'S WAY AND NOT FEARING THE
CENSURE OF ANY CENSURER. THIS IS ALLAH'S GRACE"-HE GIVES IT TO
WHOM HE PLEASES. AND ALLAH IS AMPLE-GIVING, KNOWING.
HOLY QUR'AN 5:54
SAY: WHO IS IT THAT DELIVERS YOU FROM THE CALAMITIES OF THE
LAND AND THE SEA? (WHEN) YOU CALL UPON HIM. IN HUMILITY AND
IN SECRET: IF HE DELIVER US FROM THIS, WE WILL CERTAINLY BE OF
THE GRATEFUL ONES. SAY: ALLAH DELIVERS YOU FROM THIS AND
FROM EVERY DISTRESS, YET YOU SET UP OTHERS (WITH HIM).
HOLY QUR'AN 6:65

INTRODUCTION TO STUDY GUIDE 15

HUMILITY IS THE QUALITY OR CONDITION OF BEING HUMBLE.
ONE WHO IS HUMBLE IS MODEST, UNPRETENTIOUS, UNASSUMING AND SUBMISSIVE.
AT THE CORE OF HIS THINKING, THE HUMBLE MAN DOES NOT THINK GRAND THINGS OF
HIMSELF THAT EXALT HIM ABOVE OTHERS. IT IS NOT A FEELING THAT HE IS UNDESERVING, BUT IT IS A QUALITY THAT A LEADER MUST HAVE TO LIFT UP THE WEIGHT OF THE
PEOPLE. THE POWER OF STRENGTH IS IN PLACING IT UNDER THE WEIGHT. THE LEADER
CANNOT PULL THE PEOPLE FROM ABOVE, THE LEADER MUST GET UNDER AND LIFT THEM
UP.
THE IDEA OF HUMILITY IS THAT IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF PRIDE. WE MUST ALL, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE LEADERS, BECOME MORE AND MORE HUMBLE.
LET NOTHING BE DONE THROUGH STRIFE OR VAINGLORY, BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND
LET EACH ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN THEMSELVES. LOOK NOT EVERY MAN ON HIS
OWN THINGS BUT EVERY MAN ALSO ON THE THINGS OF OTHERS....LET THIS MIND BE IN
YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO...MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION AND
TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN;
AND, BEING FOUND IN A FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH. EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS...WHEREFORE, GOD ALSO HATH
HIGHLY EXALTED HIM...
PHILIPPIANS 2:3-9
PUT ON, THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, TENDER MERCIES,
KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONG-SUFFERING; FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL AGAINST ANY;
EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO DO YE. AND ABOVE ALL THESE THINGS, PUT
ON LOVE. WHICH IS THE BOND OF PERFECTNESS.
COLOSSIANS 3:12-14

QUESTIONS
1. HOW DOES ONE GET A TRUE PERSPECTIVE ON ONESELF?
2. WHAT HARMFUL EFFECTS ARE THE RESULT OF THE DISEASE OF PRIDE?
3. WHAT VALUE IS THERE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SELF IN ACQUIRING THE QUALITY OF
HUMILITY?
4. WHAT IS IT THAT CAUSES MOST OF US TO DISLIKE THE QUALITY OF HUMILITY?

GLOSSARY
HUMILITY:

NOT GIVEN TO VAIN DISCOURSE: MODEST SENSE OF ONE'S OWN IMPORTANCE; SUBMISSIVENESS.

HUMBLE:

NOT PROUD OR ARROGANT; HAVING A FEELING OF INSIGNIFICANCE;

LOWLY; COURTEOUSLY RESPECTFUL: TO LOWER IN CONDITION, IMPORTANCE OR DIGNITY; MARKED BY THE ABSENCE OF SELF-ASSERTION OR SELF-EXALTATION. TO REMOVE THE INDEPENDENCE,
POWER OR WILL OF; UNPRETENDING, UNPRETENTIOUS.

HEART:

THE CENTER OF VITAL FUNCTIONS: THE ESSENTIAL PART; THE SEAT

OF LIFE. THE SEAT OF ONE'S INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND SECRET
FEELINGS; INTENT; WILL; PURPOSE; DESIRE. THE FEELING OR
SENTIMENT ONE HAS IN REGARD TO A THING. THE SEAT OF LOVE
AND AFFECTION. THE SEAT OF MORAL CONSCIENCE AND COURAGE.

CHARACTERISTIC (CHARACTER): CHARACTERISTICS ARE FEATURES AND TRAITS, THE

AGGREGATE OF WHICH FORM THE APPARENT NATURE OF A PERSON.
MORAL OR ETHICAL QUALITY; AN ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS AND
BEHAVIOR OF A PERSON; A PARTICULAR VIRTUE OR VICE.
QUALITY:

AN ATTRIBUTE THAT BELONGS TO AND DISTINGUISHES A PERSON;

CHARACTER WITH RESPECT TO EXCELLENCE, FINENESS,
SUPERIORITY; A FUNDAMENTAL OR INNATE CHARACTERISTIC.

EXALTATION:

ELATION OF MIND OR FEELING; THE STATE OF BEING EXALTED;

ELEVATED IN RANK, HONOR, POWER, CHARACTER, QUALITY; TO
PRAISE, EXTOL, STIMULATE, INTENSIFY. RAPTUROUSLY EXCITED.

ABASED:

HUMILIATED; TO BE REDUCED OR LOWERED, AS IN RANK, OFFICE,

REPUTATION, OR ESTIMATION, TO BE BROUGHT DOWN.

DISCUSSION
AND ALLAH BROUGHT YOU FORTH FROM THE WOMBS OF YOUR MOTHERS "YOU KNEW
NOTHING"-AND HE GAVE YOU HEARING AND SIGHT AND HEARTS THAT YOU MIGHT GIVE
THANKS. HOLY QUR'AN 16:78
HUMILITY IS THAT QUALITY OR CHARACTERISTIC OF THE HEART THAT CAUSES ONE TO
SEE ONESELF IN TRUE PERSPECTIVE. IT IS ONE OF THE QUALITIES THAT WE MUST GAIN
IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT A BETTER WORLD AND BECOME REDEEMERS OF SELF AND
OTHERS.
CONVERSELY, PRIDE IS A DISEASE OF THE HEART THAT CAUSES ONE TO SEE ONESELF
TOTALLY OUT OF FOCUS.
THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN A TRUE PERSPECTIVE ON ONESELF IS THROUGH A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH ALLAH(GOD). IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, HE IS THE CENTER AND HE IT IS
TO WHOM SINCERE OBEDIENCE IS DUE. WITHOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP, WE WILL SEE
OURSELVES OUT OF FOCUS; WE WILL SEE OURSELVES BIGGER THAN WE ACTUALLY ARE.
PRIDE IS A DISEASE THAT CAUSES BLINDNESS. WHEN WE ARE BLIND, WE CANNOT SEE,
THEN WE MAKE FATAL MISTAKES IN DEALING WITH PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND US
AND IN DEALING WITH OUR CREATOR.
IF WE FAIL TO ACQUIRE THE QUALITY OF HUMILITY THROUGH OUR OWN EFFORTS. ALLAH(GOD) WILL FORCE IT UPON US.

AND YOUR LORD SAYS: PRAY TO ME. I WILL ANSWER YOU. THOSE WHO DISDAIN
MY SERVICE WILL SURELY ENTER HELL, ABASED. HOLY QUR'AN 40:60
AND FACES SHALL BE HUMBLED
BEFORE THE LIVING. THE SELF-SUBSISTENT.
AND HE WHO BEARS INIQUITY IS INDEED UNDONE.
AND WHOEVER DOES GOOD WORKS
AND HE IS A BELIEVER, HE HAS NO FEAR OF INJUSTICE,
NOR OF THE WITHHOLDING OF HIS DUE.
HOLY QUR'AN 20:111
AND TO ALLAH MAKES OBEISANCE EVERY LIVING CREATURE THAT IS IN THE HEAVENS
AND THAT IS IN THE EARTH, AND THE ANGELS TOO AND THEY ARE NOT PROUD. THEY
FEAR THEIR LORD ABOVE THEM AND DO WHAT THEY ARE COMMANDED. (PROSTRATION).
HOLY QUR'AN 16:49,50

ACQUIRING THE QUALITY OF HUMILITY IS A SURE MEANS OF SALVATION. WITHOUT IT, WE

MAY FIND OURSELVES UNABLE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS THAT WILL SAVE OUR LIVES.
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR... REV. 2:7
THE HOLY QUR'AN TEACHES THAT ONLY THEY WHO LISTEN ACCEPT. IT IS DIFFICULT TO
LISTEN TO SOMEONE WHEN WE THINK WE ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE.
AN EXAMPLE. THOSE WHO WERE IN THE CLASS WITH THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE INSTRUCTIONS OF MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD TO HEAR
HIM BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE OF PRIDE. TODAY, THE IMPEDIENT THAT HINDERS THOSE
WHO WERE STUDENTS AND FOLLOWERS OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD FROM
OBEYING HIS COMMAND CONCERNING MINISTER FARRAKHAN, IS PRIDE.
REVIEW STUDY GUIDE 14. ALLAH(GOD) ASKED IBLIS WHAT HINDERED HIM FROM OBEYING
HIS COMMAND AND IBLIS RESPONDED. I AM BETTER THAN HE. IBLIS GAVE NO WEIGHT TO
WHO IT WAS THAT GAVE THE COMMAND.
SOME MAY ASK. WHY, THEN, BROTHER FARRAKHAN. DID YOU OBEY WARITH DEEN MUHAMMAD? MY RESPONSE IS THAT I RESPECTED THE AUTHORITY HE TOOK BY ALLAH'S
PERMISSION AND RESPECTED IT EVEN THOUGH I DISAGREED WITH IT. WHEN WHAT I WAS
ASKED TO DO SO CONFLICTED WITH WHAT I WAS TAUGHT BY THE HONORABLE ELIJAH
MUHAMMAD THAT I COULD NOT OBEY, I WENT ANOTHER WAY.
ANOTHER CRUCIAL WAY IN WHICH HUMILITY BENEFITS US IS THAT IT ALLOWS US TO PATIENTLY ENDURE THE DIFFICULTIES WE ENCOUNTER IN THE STRUGGLE TO BECOME A
REDEEMER OF SELF AND OTHERS. IN FACT, WITHOUT HUMILITY, WE CANNOT MAKE IT.
COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU
REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN OF ME, FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY IN
HEART, AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS, FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY
BURDEN IS LIGHT. MATTHEW 11:29

MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD COMMISSIONED THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD IN

THESE WORDS: TAKE PLENTY.
WE CANNOT BE LONG-SUFFERING TO REDEEM A PEOPLE, UNLESS WE FEEL IN OUR
HEARTS THAT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE ARE GREATER THAN OURSELVES. THE ARROGANT
SIMPLY CANNOT TAKE MUCH. THE ARROGANT ARE SWIFT IN BRINGING OUT THE SWORD
OF CONTENTION. THE ARROGANT CANNOT DO THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.
THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD TOOK MUCH ABUSE. HE KNEW WHO HE WAS IN RELATION TO ALLAH(GOD). BUT HE SAID THAT IN COMPARISON TO HIS SENDER, I FELT LIKE
A FILTHY WORM.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRAISED HIM. HE KNEW HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY WAS OF
THE GRACE OF GOD, NOT DUE TO HIM. BUT DUE TO GOD. WHEN WE GIVE ALLAH(GOD)
THE GLORY AND HONOR, WE ARE ABLE TO SEE OURSELVES AS WE ARE: FINITE AND LIMITED.
STUDY THE MOUNTAINS. IF THEY COULD SPEAK. THEY WOULD SAY, I HAVE SEEN MANY
GENERATIONS. THE MOUNTAIN HAS GREATER LONGEVITY THAN WE DO, YET IT SUBMITS.
THE EARTH WE MUST RETURN TO HAS GREATER LONGEVITY THAN WE DO, YET IT SUBMITS.
IF, BY THE GRACE OF ALLAH(GOD), YOU ARE EXALTED TO A POSITION OF POWER, AUTHORITY AND EMINENCE, THEN KNOW THAT THIS IS HIS GRACE UPON YOU. GIVE PRAISE
TO HIM AND WALK HUMBLY.
LUQMAN ADMONISHED HIS SON IN THIS WAY:
...KEEP UP PRAYER AND ENJOIN GOOD AND FORBID EVIL AND BEAR
PATIENTLY THAT WHICH BEFALLS THEE. SURELY THIS IS AN AFFAIR OF GREAT
RESOLUTION. AND TURN NOT THY FACE AWAY FROM PEOPLE IN CONTEMPT, NOR GO
ABOUT IN THE LAND EXULTINGLY. SURELY ALLAH LOVES NOT ANY
SELF-CONCEITED BOASTER. AND PURSUE THE RIGHT COURSE IN GOING ABOUT
AND LOWER THY VOICE. SURELY THE MOST HATEFUL OF VOICES IS
THE BRAYING OF ASSES. HOLY QUR'AN 31:18,19

OUR EXPERIENCE WAS SLAVES HAS MADE US LOOK AT HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS AS
WEAKNESS. AS A PROTECTIVE MEASURE. WE FEIGNED HUMILITY IN SLAVERY, SO THAT
TODAY, WHEN WE SEE ACTUAL MEEKNESS, WE DO NOT LIKE IT.
THIS IS THE MEANING OF THE SCRIPTURES. THAT HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN AND HIS OWN
RECEIVED HIM NOT.
JESUS POSSESSED HUMILITY AND A WAY THAT HIS OWN PEOPLE HATED. BUT TODAY. WE
MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY, AS HE SAID, I CAN OF MYSELF DO NOTHING.
WE MUST SUBORDINATE OUR MIND TO THE SPIRIT OF ALLAH(GOD) THAT WE MAY HAVE
INFINITE ENDURANCE. AS LONG AS OUR MIND IS SUBORDINATED TO THE FLESH, OUR ENDURANCE IS FINITE.
HUMILITY RAISES OUR LEVEL OF TOLERANCE SO THAT WHEN WE ARE TRIED WITH THE
IGNORANCE OF OTHERS, WHEN WE ARE INSULTED AND DISRESPECTED BY OTHERS, WE
WILL NOT GIVE UP. WHEN OUR LEVEL OF TOLERANCE IS REACHED, WE SAY. I HAVE TO
LEAVE. I GIVE UP. I AM THROUGH WITH THIS.
THROUGH PATIENCE AND PRAYER, WE ARE GIVEN A WORD. A THOUGHT, THAT HUMBLES
US BEYOND THE PAIN; WE SEE THE OBJECTIVE OR GOAL AS BIGGER THAN OURSELVES;
WE REALIZE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO INFLICT SUFFERING AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IGNORANT ARE BEING USED BY ALLAH(GOD) TO PREPARE US FOR THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
LET US BEGIN RIGHT NOW TO WORK DILIGENTLY TO ACQUIRE HUMILITY. THE MORE WE
SURRENDER TO GOD THE MORE IT INCREASES OUR ABILITY TO ENDURE. FOR OUR OWN
SAKE AND THE SAKE OF OUR PEOPLE.
AT OUR NEXT MEETING. WE WILL REPORT BACK ON OUR EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING THE
ABOVE PRINCIPLES IN ACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS.

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS SERVANT.

June 15, 1990

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Believers and Students:
I am writing this letter to introduce Study Guide Number 16, which I have entitled The Law of God.
Master Fard Muhammad, The Great Mahdi, to Whom praise is due forever, came to North America
on July 4, 1930, nearly 60 years ago, to declare our independence. He set up classes and gave instructions that would bring into reality a new kind of human being; a human being that would become like a magnet, so unalike this world that he or she would attract the people of this world to him
or her.
Master Fard Muhammad knew that at a certain time there would be a level of dissatisfaction in the
country so great that it would demand a change. He also knew that out of dissatisfaction would
come a leadership unalike what the people were dissatisfied with. Me and His Messenger would be
at the forefront of that change and those wise enough to submit to Their Guidance would be the
beneficiaries of that change.
The Mosque to us is as a home is to a family. It is the nurturing ground for virtue, character, the implantation of proper values and the molding of a righteous character. For what purpose? That we
might break forth from the Mosque at the proper time, to take advantage of what had been created
by Allah(God) of total dissatisfaction with the kind and quality of preset-day leadership.
The first words I have written in Study Guide 16 are, The Law of Allah(God) is the Ladder by which
we climb up into Oneness with Him, becoming possessors of His Spirit. I do not say that we will be
able to climb up the Ladder without difficulty.

Study Guide 16/Letter

Page 2

It is in our attempt to submit to the Restrictive Law of Islam that hardship and/or trial is produced. It is
difficult to be right. Many of us get tired of this apparently eternal struggle and we would rather leave
the Mosque(struggle). Those who leave fall backwards almost immediately, for no matter what excuse they give for leaving, they leave because they no longer wish to endure the pain and hardship
of struggling to make themselves better persons.
The Scripture says that the race is not to the swift, but to those who endure to the end. There are
those, however, who are not struggling to make themselves better persons, but do not wish to leave
the Mosque. This class of persons attempts to bring every mental device available to justify breaking
the Law. Every time this is done, it erodes character development and make us, in the process, totally dishonest. Then we are classified as hypocrites. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that a
hypocrite is a liar and is the worst kind of human being.
It is this secret forming of mental devices against God's Law and against the man of God who
teaches the Law that causes us to fall. This is why we are warned in the Holy Qur'an to shun secret
counsels for sin and disobedience, not only with other persons, but those secret counsels for sin and
disobedience that take place within Self. These secret counsels, taking place within the heart of the
person, causes the person who accepts sin and disobedience to begin to become blind and this
blindness produces the stumble and the fall. I have given you Surah 58 as part of your reading assignment. It contains a Warning from Allah against secret counsels for sin and disobedience. It
should be read very carefully and taken seriously.
In the Book of Proverbs 16:18, we read, Pride goeth before destruction, ana a haughty spirit before
a fall.

Study Guide 16/Letter

Page 3

A fall can take place from an exalted position, but evidence of the fall is not manifested to the eyes
of the People until we reach a certain point in the fall. Malcolm said, I saw myself falling for a long
time, but I could not help myself.
We can, however, reverse a fall, but only with the Help of Allah(God). The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that prophets are sent into the world to check(stop or break) the fall of man by calling the
falling or fallen one to obedience to Allah(God). It is a sincere repentance coupled with a willing spirit
to obey God that checks the fall and reverses the trend.
Malcolm could not help himself because his anger at his Teacher for sitting him down at the height of
his career; his pride in his popularity with the people; the evil thoughts he harbored in his heart
against his Teacher and his inordinate desire for his Teacher's place, would not allow him to submit
himself to his Teacher in order to save himself.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad often inflicted pain on me. He did this, not to show me that He was
the Master, but rather, because he wanted me to become a Master. Teaching was and is my gift,
and each of you has been given a Gift by Allah(God), however, unless we allow ourselves to be
made better persons, we will never be qualified to be used by Allah in satisfaction of the growing desire of people of all races and nationalities for proper(Divine) leadership.
This is why the Restrictive Law is our success. Master Fard Muhammad came to us with a Promise
of money, luxury, good homes and friendships in all walk of life. He promised us that if we followed
Him and endured the hardship and suffering necessary to be remolded and remade, the result would
be luxury. But He warned, If you do not clean up, you are out of luck with us." This showed His unwillingness to tolerate us in the class if we to not make a sincere effort to clean ourselves up.

Study Guide 16/Letter

Page 4

Present-day leadership in the world, both spiritual and political, consists primarily of persons who desire and place in positions of authority and power, people who are loyal to themselves(personality)
and not necessarily to principles. This is totally wrong.
In the Nation of Islam, proper leadership is that which teaches loyalty to Allah(God), His Messenger,
the Law and myself. When we break the loyalty to the Law we break the Code of Friendship between us and, more importantly, we do not deserve friendship with those who strive to live by the
Law, unless and until we are punished and begin striving again .
Why is this? Master Fard Muhammad was teaching us away from cronyism and keeping friendship
with persons whose character is not good. Is this not the reason why there is a growing dissatisfaction with present-day leadership? Again, each victor, politically or spiritually, wants to put his or her
cronies, who are loyal to personality, but not to principles of law, in positions of power.
We are taught not to even show sympathy for the wrongdoer. This is so that when you and I come
into positions of authority, we will be strong enough and righteous enough to punish even our
mother, father, sister, brother or dearest friend, if he or she disrespect the code or rule of law. This is
what will insure the perpetual motion or the success of the Nation. Anything else by those in authority will ultimately bring the Nation to its death. This is the Mind of person Allah and His Messenger
are trying to make of me, that I may make a Nation of people worthy of His Name.
In my recent teachings on the Law, you may have heard me say that the reason Allah(God) is so
hard on individuals who commit the crime of adultery (His Law requires that they be put to death) is
because that individual is like a termite eating away at the foundation of Home(marriage and family)
and Nation. Although the penalty seems harsh, Allah is saying that the Nation is more important than
the individual. So, the Nation of Islam makes examples of individuals for the preservation of the
Nation, for Allah is not necessarily bound to individuals, but to the preservation of a species.

Study Guide 16/Letter

Page 5

All that we have done and are doing up to this time was to have been in preparation for this Reality(Execution of the Restrictive Law), so that when this Reality shall become an actual fact, we will
not feel left in the lurch.
Jesus was once informed that his mother and brothers were waiting outside to speak with him. He
answered, My mother and my brother are in the temple with me. Another time, he said, My brother
is he who does the Will of my Father. This means there is no friendship outside the Will of God. This
is a Brotherhood based upon Divine Law and obedience to Allah.
May Allah(God) bless you to take this entire course of study seriously.

Your Brother and Servant,

Minister Louis Farrakhan
Servant to the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LF/am

STUDY GUIDE NUMBER 16

THE LAW OF GOD
Reading Assignment
Surah 58:
Surah 45:
Surah 6:

The Pleading Woman (Read entire Surah)

The Kneeling (Read entire Surah)
The Cattle
Section 19: Guiding Rules of Life

INTRODUCTION
The Law of Allah(God) is the Ladder by which we climb up into Oneness with Him, becoming possessors of His Spirit.
La ilaha illa Allah : There is no God but Allah

This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. 1 John 5:3

You are the best nation raised up for men: you enjoin good and
forbid evil and you believe in Allah. Holy Qur'an 3:109

And know that this is My path, the right one, so follow it and follow not other ways,
for they will lead you away from His Way. This He enjoins on you that you may
keep your duty...Again, We gave the Book to Moses to complete Our blessings on
him who would do good and making plain all things and a Guidance and a Mercy,
so that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.
Holy Qur'an 6:154,155

QUESTION
Why did Allah(God) give us Law?

GLOSSARY
The Arabic word for Divine Law is al-Shari'ah. By al-Shari'ah is meant everything legislated by Allah(God) for ordering man's life; it includes principles of belief, principles of administration and justice, principles of morality and human relationships and principles of knowledge.
The root meaning of the word Islam is to enter into peace and a Muslim is one who makes his
peace with God through complete submission to His Will and makes peace with his fellow man by
refraining from evil or injury to another and also by doing good to him.
I. LAW OF GOD
A. The body of commandments which express the Will of God with regard to the conduct of
His intelligent creatures. Also, any of His specific commandments.
B. The Will of God as expressed through Revelation, including the Scriptures,
Messengers and Prophets.
C. The Will of God as implanted by nature in the human mind, or as capable of being demonstrated by Reason.
D. A system of Divine commands and the penalties imposed for disobedience. A religious
system, including Christian, Jewish or Islamic faith.
That which the Deity(God) imposed upon matter. E.g., the Law of Motion:
1. A body at rest will remain at rest or, if in motion, will continue in the direction it started in,
unless acted upon by some external force;
2. A change of motion takes place in the direction of the impressed force and is proportional
to it;
3. Action and reaction are equal and in contrary directions.
II. LAW OF MEN
A. That which is established and has binding force.
B. What is considered just, right or proper.
C. A rule of action or procedure.
D. A manner of life.
(Sources of preceding definitions include Milestones, by Sayed Qutb, The Religion of Islam,
by Maulana Muhammad Ali, the Oxford Dictionary and Black's Law Dictionary)

DISCUSSION
I. WHY ALLAH(GOD) GAVE US LAW
I will write My Law in their hearts. I will put My Fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from
Me. (Jeremiah 31:33)
Allah spoke to the angels, I am going to place a ruler in the Earth. The angels asked, That will create mischief and cause the shedding of blood? He replied, I know what you know not.
Allah(God) knew that placing a certain type of ruler in the Earth would result in disorder. He knew
that His Divine Presence would not be felt as much under such a ruler, because the people would
obey that ruler by His Permission. Allah's Rule is based upon the Spirit, while this ruler would base
his world on the flesh, the carnal (material).
Out of His Mercy, Allah(God) determined to send prophets who would be examples of His Law and
they, would give His Law to those who still wished to obey Allah(God). Those who obeyed God,
even while the world was under the rule of the carnal, would receive the Fruit of the Spirit.
There is no way a savage who has lost the way of civilization can be civilized, except by law and just
and equitable law enforcement. There is no way we can produce Love for one another in our present
condition, except by law and just and equitable law enforcement.
The nature of Law is such that it must be applied with equity and fairness; otherwise, in its misapplication, it produces rebellion.
When the Law is given and a reason for the Law is given with it, there is more longevity in the obedience of the people to the Law because they understand it, Understanding gives the people the Will
to obey, the Power to obey, because they are informed why they should do what they are ordered to
do.

II. HISTORY OF THE USE OF DIVINE LAW

Let the history of Israel serve as an example for us.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
I spake not unto your fathers concerning sacrifices: but this thing I commanded them, saying, 'Obey
My voice and I will be your God.' Jeremiah 7:22,23
There is no way for a savage people to learn love until that people sees Love demonstrated through
the proper administration of the Law. This is consistent in the history of His methods in dealing with
those who have deviated from His path.
In the Bible, as early as Genesis 2:16, there is Divine Law and obedience to that Law in order for
Adam(man) to remain in the Garden of Eden (state of peace). It is disobedience to the Will of Allah(God) that causes Adam to fall.
At the close of the Bible, in Revelations 22, we read, Blessed are they that do His commandments,
that they may have a right to the tree of life.
In the Old Testament, Israel is made an exalted nation through obedience to Divine Law and ultimately destroyed through rebellion to Divine Law. All communications to the people of Israel are in
the form of Divine Commands.
I you will obey My voice indeed...you shall be peculiar treasure unto me above all people.
Exodus 19:5
In the last 3 chapters of Exodus, the following expression appears 19 times:
According to all the Lord commanded Moses, so did he.
Exodus 40
I set before you blessing, if you obey, and a curse if you will not obey. Deut. 11:26

*****

There is no way that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) could have brought about. such a
complete change in the lives and conduct of a whole people within his own lifetime without the revelation of Divine Law(contained in the Holy Qur'an,) and obedience to that which was revealed.
In less than 25 years, a people who were ignorant, immoral, worshippers of idols had been transformed from the lowest depths to the highest pinnacle of civilization.
The transformation of the people of Arabia 1400 years ago was a sign of the force and power of Divine Law, which has the ultimate goal of bringing an to perfection through submission to the Will of
Allah(God).
Yakub set up a Law. The reason for his success and the success of his followers was obedience to
his law. Obedience to his law facilitated the process of grafting the brown, yellow and white out of
Black. Obedience to the Restrictive Laws of Islam will facilitate the process of grafting us back to
ourselves.
III. THE ULTIMATE GOAL
The Essence of Divine Law is Love. The goal to which the Law leads, if properly applied, is Love.
The apparent harshness of the Law is actually the greater Love or the preservation of peace in the
community rather than to secure the individual in wrong. Individuals are never greater than the Nation and individuals sacrifice their lives for the preservation and defense of their Nation. The execution of Just Law is for the preservation of the Nation.
Jesus appeared to be at variance with Moses, but he was not. Jesus was the Fulfiller of the Law and
the Fulfillment of the Law is Love. When one gains love for Allah(God), and for His Creation, then in
that Love is contained the Law. One willingly obeys Divine Law out of Love.

We need Love, but not without Law. Again, we need to see Love demonstrated through, the proper
administration of the Law.
A savage can only be restrained from savage actions by good law and good law enforcement. The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us a Law that forbid us from even quarreling with each other
(Holy Qur'an). He taught us we should not break our word; we should not invade our brother's home;
we should not disturb our brother's property; our brother's life is sacred.
Once we learn to respect the Law and carry it into practice, this will cause us to grow into love for
one another.
We have not yet grown sufficiently to act in the Spirit of Love, therefore we must walk up the Ladder
of Law to reach that goal.
Many Muslims, under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, felt oppressed; but what they felt was not
oppression. What they felt was the pain of the struggle to restrict the low desires by means of the
Law. Oppression does not emanate from Law; it emanates from improper administration of the Law,
When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad departed, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad literally cast the
Law aside and Love went with it because without the Law, we lost the Power of Unity essential to
the life of the Nation.
Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is thereafter good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13
In our fall, many of us thought it was the Law that was our enemy, while in reality, the Law was our
best friend. Our enemy was in fact our unwillingness to live by the Law and our rebelliousness
against the Law.

In my effort to rebuild the Nation of Islam, I had to come to the people in a way that would attract and
not frighten them by holding the Law in front of them. . I gradually taught the people and to a degree
we have done well. From teaching alone, most people straightened up to a degree. However, teaching is not enough. Along with teaching, there must the Ladder of Law to reach the Love that will produce the Unity and the Power to liberate ourselves and our people completely from the grip of our
enemies.
When we grow up in the Law, then we will no longer need the ladder of the Law, as it is written,
Love God with all of your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two(2) commandments hang the Law and the Prophets; on these two(2) commandments
we are above Law and have Power in the Spirit to bring about a New World Order. The Spirit of God
is Love. When we are in the Spirit of Love, we will no longer have any use for the ladder we had to
climb up to reach the goal. There will be no more need for Law or Prophets, for Love has answered
it all.
There is a song, Love lift us up where we belong.... It is His Law that will lift us up where we belong
and it is Love that will keep us there that we will never fall from Grace.
And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

STUDY GUIDE NUMBER 17

HYPOCRISY AND CONSPIRACY
Reading Assignment:
HOLY QUR'AN
Surah 9, Section 7 "The Hypocrites"
Surah 111 "The Flame"
Surah 113 "The Dawn"

Surah 110 "The Help"

Surah 112 "The Unity"
Surah 114 "The Men"

BIBLE
Book of Esther

Exodus 1:10

Introduction:
"AND THE JEWS PLANNED AND ALLAH ALSO PLANNED.
AND ALLAH IS THE BEST OF PLANNERS." Holy Qur'an :53
Questions:
1. What is the plan of the Jews referred to in the above verse?
2. What is the motive behind the plan?
3. Who are the "Jew"?
4. What is the difference between a "plan" and a "conspiracy"?
5. Discuss historical accounts of plans and conspiracies in the Bible and the Holy Qur'an.
What relevance do they have to current events?
6. Can a person be part of a conspiracy and not know it? If so, how (by what means) does
this happen?
7. What does "facilitation" mean?
8. What is the attitude of the U.S. Government toward Black people? What is the plan of the
U. S. Government concerning Black people?
9. How can we protect ourselves in such a time as this?

Study Secession No. 17

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Discussion:
Part I
The Holy Qur'an contains an account of a plan by the Jews to put Jesus to death. But even as the
Jews planned, Allah made a plan which frustrated their plans.
"And for their saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, and
they killed him not, nor did they cause his death on the cross, but he was made to appear to them as
such. And certainly those who differ therein are in doubt about it, but only follow conjecture, and they
killed him not for certain.

Nay, Allah exalted him in His presence. And Allah is ever Mighty, Wise."
Holy Qur'an 4:157, 158

It is important that we understand the word "plan" in the context of the statement, "And the Jews
planned...". The Arabic word "makara" signifies something underhanded (See Glossary).
The Jews did what they did, not openly, but in secret. This is also demonstrated in the biblical account:
"Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore
said unto him, 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.'"
Thus, not only did they plan the murder of Jesus, but they set up Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, as a front for their plan that they might escape detection.
Compare the relationship between Pontius Pilate and the Jews in the New Testament, to the relationship between the Executive Branch (President and Staff) of the U.S. Government and the Jews
today.
The term "Jew" is not exclusively limited to describing a people who call themselves "Jews". This
term also describes a certain orientation of the mind and spirit. While the person may not be a "Jew"
in the religious sense, a person may be that by definition of his or her thinking and planned action(s)
against the Apostle of God.

Study Session No. 17

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Part II
When one feels that one has the exclusive right to something, because that exclusivity feeds the ego
and gives that person a sense of being more important than others, then that person will oppose
anyone who may cause him or her to lose that position of exclusivity. The length to which one will go
to protect a position of exclusivity depends upon the degree to which the ego is dependent upon that
position. The length can extend to murder.
The Jews, during the time of Jesus, felt that spirit of exclusivity as the "chosen of God". Jesus represented the ultimate threat to their exclusivity both in his condemnation of them by identifying them as
the children of Satan and his declaration that God was his Father.
"You are of your Father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaks a lie,
he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the Father of it." John 8:44
"But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore, the Jews sought the
more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father,
making himself equal with God." John 5:17,18
At the root of the lies and murder plots against Jesus, Paul, Peter, Muhammad, was Envy. Envy
arose in the hearts of the political and spiritual leadership because one was coming to replace their
rule; one more favored in the sight of Allah God); one more pleasing and acceptable in the public
eye.
When one is an Envier, he or she always sees oneself as more worthy of the benefit or favour than
the person or persons to whom the benefit or favour has been given. The hatred that the Envier
feels, knowingly or unknowingly, extends to the Giver of Gifts, Grantor of Benefits, the Bestower of
Favour: Allah(God).

Study Secession No. 17

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Since the Envier cannot climb up to heaven to the Grantor of gifts and benefits, his or her anger is
focused on the recipient of Divine Favour. Though their efforts (lies, murder) are directed at the recipient, their actions are in fact a challenge against Allah(God) Himself to warfare.
"And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering He had not
respect. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why are
you angry? And why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you
do not do well, sin lies at the door and unto you shall be his desire and you shall rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain
rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him." Genesis 4:5-7
Again in Genesis(27), is the story of Isaac, who desired to give his blessings to his eldest son, Esau,
but was deceived by another son, Jacob, and gave Jacob what was intended for Esau.
Later, Jacob had 12 sons, one of whom was named Joseph.
"Now Israel(Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age;
and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more
than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed
a dream and he told it to his brothers and they hated him yet the more...And his brothers envied
him...And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against
him to kill him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh." Genesis 37

Study Secession No. 17

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In the Book of Samuel, there is the story of Saul and David:

"And David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the
men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul...And the
women spoke to one another, 'Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.'
And Saul was very angry and the saying displeased him...And Saul watched enviously David, from
that day and onward."
All of the examples above come to crystallization in the New Testament with the focus of the wicked
against the Messiah, foretold in the Second Psalm.
Part III
Why do I write a Study Guide on Hypocrisy and Conspiracy at this juncture?
Even as the rod of Aaron budded and the rods of the of pretenders did not, creating more intense
hatred in them Aaron; even as Jesus did what the leadership of the day was not unable to do, but
were prevented from doing by the envious condition of their hearts and minds, I write this Study
Guide at this time to warn the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Black people in general, that the plot thickens, the conspiracy broadens, the secret counsels are taking place.
People are being drawn into the conspiracy through ignorance and others are drawing them into the
conspiracy knowingly and deliberately.
The Sin of Ignorance is the dissatisfaction with the apparent slowness of Allah's(God's) reward for
faithful service.

Study Secession No. 17

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I have put forth this Study Guide that we may not fall victim to History. Dispelling Ignorance with
Knowledge can save the unwitting, dissatisfied from becoming part of the conspiracy. But those
moved by Envy and Hatred cannot be turned aside with knowledge.
In the case of Judas, it was not the 30 pieces of silver that were important, it was the envy and hatred of the one he betrayed that moved him.
Disappointment and dissatisfaction precede treachery. Very few persons can even imagine themselves in the place of such a wretched individual as Judas. But envy and hatred grew over a period
of time. No one is beyond the capacity to become a Judas; everyone experiences disappointment
and/or dissatisfaction at some time or another. It is how we handle it that determines our direction.
"But by what process, we may ask, was the mercenary disposition of Judas converted into hatred
against Jesus? The process was that of disappointment. When Judas became convinced that all the
years of his connection with (Jesus and the disciples) had been lost, his will became embittered and
his resentment was aroused. In the denseness of his ignorance and the baseness of his soul he
probably thought that Jesus had deceived His followers as to His true mission and he felt enraged
because he had been duped. He had looked forward to worldly promotion and success. He had
fondly hoped that the eloquence of Jesus would call around him (revolutionaries) who would drive
the Romans from Judea and establish the long-looked-for Kingdom...
At the Last Supper, he became convinced that his worst fears were true. Jesus was sincere in His
resolution to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sake of a principle which Judas did not approve of
because he did not understand. The 30 pieces of silver were not the real or leading inducement to
this monumental betrayal. He made haste to vent his wrath upon the author of his disappointment."
The Trial of Jesus (Walter M. Chandler) 1976, The Harrison Company, Norcross, GA

Study Secession No. 17

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Part IV
The Government of the United States is envious of our rise in terms of numbers, growth and the future that Allah has promised us through the mouths of his prophets. As the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us, they desire to rob us of that future.
One year ago, the FBI promised one of its informants that by September (1989), if they did not have
me in court they would have "blown" me "out of the water". The wicked plot did not succeed, however, they have never stopped trying. Since then, they have been made to realize that their Courts,
which have historically been trees upon which strong Black men and women have been lynched, are
not what they used to be. This is because of the heightened level of consciousness of the people as
a direct result of the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and His Servant, Minister Louis
Farrakhan.
In the white American judicial system's failure to convict Mayor Marion Barry of anything more than a
misdemeanor; its failure to convict Reverend Al Sharpton, Congressman Harold Ford, Imelda Marcos and Adnan Kashoggi and others, it has been made manifest that with the preponderance of
Black people in major urban areas, one sophisticated Black person has the power to hang a jury.
This is happening all over the nation.
At their wits end, high officials in the U.S. Government plan. If they cannot win in a court of law, they
must exacerbate tensions within organizations and among leaders, creating mischief and causing
the shedding of blood. But, "The Jews planned. And Allah also planned."
"And thus We made in every town the leaders of its guilty ones, that they may make plans therein.
And they plan not but against themselves, and they perceive not."
Holy Qur'an 6:124
"And they have indeed planned their plan, and their plan is with Allah, though their plan is such that
the mountains should be moved thereby. So think not that Allah will fail in His promise to His messengers. Surely Allah is Mighty, the Lord of Retribution."
Holy Qur'an 14:46,47

Study Secession No. 17

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Again, it is with this regard that I have put forward this Study Guide that we may not fall victim to History.
Silas Muhammad, through his National Spokesman, is reported to have said, "Our focus and main
purpose is to discredit Minister Farrakhan." If this is so, then they have discarded the previously-claimed objective of nation building to devote their energies to the destruction of my reputation.
What is the motive? Is it righteousness? Is it love of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? Is it love of
Black people? Is it love of Allah(God)? It is the same motive as that which the U.S. Government has:
Envy.
"But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things
which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." Acts 13:44
"But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the baser
sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar..." Acts 17:5
"And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse,
saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. And they were more than 40
who had made this conspiracy."Acts 23:12
Conclusion
Envy is going to plummet the Nation into darkness. But day follows night and if we can hold out
through the night, we will see the daylight once again.
"Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn, From the evil of that which He has created, And from the
evil of intense darkness when it comes, And from the evil of those who cast (evil suggestions) in firm
resolutions, And from the evil of the envier when he envies." Holy Qur'an 113
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27

*******************

GLOSSARY : STUDY GUIDE NUMBER 17

PLAN:

The Arabic word for the verb "plan" is "makara" meaning to devise, scheme , plot, (n. vb.),
devising, a device, sly whispers or talk. (people. act.) a planner, deviser, plotter.

CONSPIRACY:

The action of conspiring; a combination of persons for an evil or unlawful purpose.

"Conspire" is from a Latin word meaning, "To breathe together". Accord, harmonize, agree, combine
or unite in a purpose, plot mischief together and secretly. It especially applies to treason and Murder.
The legal definition of "Conspiracy" is as follows:
"A combination or confederacy between 2 or more persons formed for the purpose of committing, by
their joint efforts, some unlawful or criminal act; or, some act which is lawful in itself, but becomes
unlawful when done by the concerted action of the conspirators; or, for the purpose of using criminal
or unlawful means to the commission of an act not in itself unlawful."
A person is guilty of Conspiracy with another person or persons to commit a crime if with the purpose of promoting or facilitating its commission, he or she:
A. Agree with such other person(s) that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct which
constitutes such crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit such crime; or,
B. Agrees to aid such other person or persons in the planning or commission of such crime or of an
attempt or solicitation to commit such crime.
Conspiracy is a crime in itself and is distinct from the crime it contemplates (the target crime). In
some jurisdictions an overt act is required, in some it is not.
A Conspiracy may be a continuing one; actors may, drop out and others may drop in; the details of
operation may change from time to time; the members need not know all the details of the plan or
operations; a member need not know that the target crime is a crime; to be a Conspirator or Co-Conspirator, one only need to agree to become a party to a plan to effectuate the purpose of the conspiracy.

Glossary Study Guide 17

Page 2

FACILITATION: FACILITATE.

SOLICITATION: SOLICIT.

To make easier or less difficult. Help forward an action or process.

In Physiology, the lowering of resistance in a neural pathway to an
impulse, resulting from previous or simultaneous stimulation. From
the word "facile", meaning easily done, performed, used. Easy or
unconstrained, as manners or persons; affable, agreeable or complaisant; easily influenced. A "facility" is something designed, built
or installed to serve a specific function affording a convenience or
service. When something is "facilitated" it is made free from
difficulty. :

Enticement or allurement. To seek for by entreaty, earnest or respectful

request, formal application; to petition someone to do something; to
urge, importune, seek to influence or incite to action; to lure someone
with immoral intentions.

COVERT: Covered, sheltered. Concealed, secret, disguised. Hidden, clandestine, surreptitious,

furtive.
OVERT:
BETRAY:

Open to view or knowledge; not concealed or secret. Plain, manifest, apparent, public.
To deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty. To be unfaithful in guarding
or maintaining; to be disloyal to; disappoint the hopes or expectations of; to reveal or
disclose in violation of confidence; to reveal unconsciously; to deceive, mislead, desert.

ACCOMPLICE:
INFORMANT:

A person who helps another in a crime or wrong doing, often as a subordinate.

One who gives or supplies information.

MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS SERVANT.

March 29, 1991

As-Salaam Alaikum
Dear Students:
I have prepared this Study Guide for you, "Rising Above Emotion Into The Thinking of God", for
a specific reason. I wish to share that reason with you to increase your chances of success in handling this subject matter properly and passing the test that the Nation of Islam failed in the past.
The devastating effect of the Domestic Life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is at the root of the
fall of His family and the fall of the Nation of Islam.
In a situation like this, it was natural for His family and followers to focus on the pain of Sister Clara
Muhammad and ourselves. However, we allowed ourselves to succumb to the pain of the moment a
pain so overwhelming that it would not permit us to ask the question, "Why did Allah(God) order
His Servant to enter this aspect(wives) of his Domestic Life?
If we had succeeded in moving beyond Emotion, we would have been able to get up into the Mind of
Allah(God), where we would see the Domestic Life of Muhammad as Allah(God) sees it and ultimately judge it as Allah(God) judges it, then we could move on to higher ground.
Our focus on pain and the resulting failure to question Allah(God) caused us to question the Servant;
it caused us to forget all the good the Servant brought into our lives. Thus, we threw the Servant
away as unworthy and cast aside the Body of Knowledge revealed to Him as the means of our Salvation.
No wonder the Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked the question, "How strong is the Foundation?
Can we survive?" The Foundation is the forty-four(44) years of the Work of the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, the Nation of Islam and its successes.

LETTER TO STUDENTS

Page 2

(Study Guide 18)

If only we were mature enough to put our emotions in check, our focus would not have been on our
pain and the pain of Sister Clara Muhammad and the Muhammad family; our focus would have been
on asking Allah(God) why He ordered His Servant to have what others did not have(wives); then we
would have grown into the Wise Thinking of the God and been more prepared for this reality in our
own lives when or if it became necessary.
The improper handling of Emotion does not allow us to grow beyond Self. It makes our reasoning
subjective and clouds our judgment of individuals, circumstances and events. It makes us judge individuals, circumstances and events by how we are affected personally, thus we never see the bigger
picture. Improper handling of Emotion makes us judge selfishly.
Our great test today will be whether we can rise above Emotion to begin to think and act more like
Allah(God). We are in His classroom. What kind of test has He devised to see if we are ready to
think and act on a higher level?
It is written in the Holy Qur'an:
"See they not that they are tried once or twice in every year?...
Yet they repent not, nor do they mind." HQ 9:126
In this Study Guide, we will take under critical analysis, the subject of Emotion, which is "intense
feeling". As you study and analyze every word of this Study Guide, I want you to step into the many
shoes of the many different people whose names and circumstances of their lives will be mentioned,
with particular focus on Sister Clara Muhammad, that you may know something of her sorrow, grief
and pain over this aspect of her husband's life.
Most of all, I want you to step into the shoes of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, whom we are attempting to follow, who loved his wife, Sister Clara Muhammad, who was with him when he was considered nothing and aided him in his growth from nothing; yet he had to carry the tremendous weight
of his Mission even while he was in anguish over the knowledge of his Domestic Life which was tearing his family apart.

LETTER TO STUDENTS

Page 3

(Study Guide 18)

If we are to survive our test, we must see beyond the view of the onlooker who sees with limited
knowledge, understanding and a lack of faith. We must be careful, lest we become one whose emotions cause us to judge this situation as a grievous one and end up sentenced to death by virtue of
our own judgment.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was not the cause, he was the agent of that which Allah(God) ordered and which he obeyed. The Best Knower set this in motion and it would benefit us greatly to
grow into seeing through His eyes.
It is written in the Holy Qur'an:
"We take Allah's color, and who is better than Allah at coloring,
and we are His worshippers." HQ 2:138
Best wishes for your successful growth through the study of this subject matter, I am,
Your Brother and Servant,

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Servant to the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West
LFM/am

INTRODUCTION TO STUDY GUIDE NUMBER 18

"I AM THE LORD: THAT IS MY NAME; AND MY GLORY WILL I NOT GIVE TO ANOTHER, NEITHER MY PRAISE TO CARVED IMAGES...I HAVE FOR A LONG TIME HELD MY PEACE; I
HAVE BEEN STILL, AND RESTRAINED MYSELF. NOW WILL I CRY LIKE A TRAVAILING
WOMAN; I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE." Isaiah 42:8,14
Allah(God) experiences Emotion. According to the Scriptures, He Loves, He Hates, He Grieves, He
Sorrows. He is referred to by some writers as a Jealous God. However, He rises above all emotions
in the decisions He makes. His decisions are based upon how the temporal affects generations eons
into the future.
The Domestic Life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave rise to such great emotion that it
clouded our vision of a man of God. We were taught to live according to the Restrictive Laws of Islam. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us that Law and He Himself was the example of perfect
obedience to it. When He grew, through obedience, to master the law, He was given a superior law
to function from; one that was unknown to us at our level of development.
When we learned of His Reality, many of us became corrupted in our reality and laid the blame for
our corruption at his doorstep. Rather than accept and master our own reality until guided otherwise,
we desired to be in His Reality and then imposed upon His Reality our shame and filth; we encroached on a Reality that we were not ready spiritually, morally or economically, to embrace.
Proof of this encroachment can be seen in the way in which Malcolm X handled the knowledge of
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's Domestic Life. Although Malcolm knew the proper language with
which to describe the Domestic Life of Muhammad, he chose to call the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's relationship to his wives, "having sex with his teen-aged secretaries." This was to conjure up
emotion and cause us to paint the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the light of a dirty old man, blinding us to the practical reality of God's Judgment with regard to His Nation, as well as His Servant.

In this emotional state, some called the Honorable Elijah Muhammad immoral, even though many
were well able to defend the fact that Prophet Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him) was allowed by Allah(God) nine(9) wives. At one point, the Prophet had eleven(11) wives, then Allah caused him to reduce that number to nine(9). It is written in some accounts that he possessed concubines as well.
His youngest wife, Aishah, was eleven(11) years old when given to him, although he did not have
conjugal relations with her until she reached the age of fourteen(14).
Being overwhelmed by Emotion sent us falling backwards, causing the destruction of all that we had
sacrificed to build, making it necessary, out of Allah's(God's) Mercy, for me, with His Help and Guidance, to bring us up again. Now we face a test of a similar nature to determine if we are mature
enough, spiritually, emotionally and morally, to get over the hurdle that the Nation stumbled over
yesterday, without its corrupting our own reality, leading us to encroach upon a reality not ours at
this time.
*********************
There is a saying among the Native Americans, "You cannot judge a man until you have walked in
his moccasins(shoes)." The object of this Study is to try on the shoes of the persons whose lives are
used as examples of proper or improper handling of Emotion and analyze how we might act in that
situation.
Every actor, when reading a script, must determine if he or she is able to "feel" the part of the character to be played. We are not actors the Bible and the Holy Qur'an are giving us characteristics of
persons that we are going to fulfill in this time; righteous or wicked, believer or disbeliever, helper or
opposer. We will find ourselves in one category or the other.
As we step into the shoes of each character, both those who were successful and those who failed,
we want to try and "feel" what that person must have felt when Allah(God) tried them with certain
commands. In order to be successful in such an effort, we must summon up the same emotional reaction to the command that was theirs and then see by what means we can overcome the emotional
reaction to God's command.

From my vantage point, Sister Clara Muhammad was a wonderful, faithful wife and follower of Master Fard Muhammad and her husband, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. She was a person of stern
bearing, sharp of tongue, truthful in expression and faithful to the Teachings she received directly
from the mouth of Master Fard Muhammad and her husband.
I remember one day she came to me, saying, "Brother Farrakhan, I notice that every time you look
at me your eyes settle full of water and I asked my husband why you do this. He said, 'why don't you
ask him' , so, I am asking you." I said to her, "Everytime I look at you, I think of the sacrifice you
have made of your husband so that thousands like me might have a Leader, Teacher, Guide and
Father. Everytime I see you, I think of your sacrifice and my eyes fill up with tears." She said, "Thank
you very much" and turned and walked away.
Sister Clara Muhammad told me there was one part of the Holy Qur'an she hated, and that was the
part that allowed a man more than one wife. This is not hearsay, this is what she told me directly
from her mouth. She also told me that in the 40 years that she followed Master Fard Muhammad,
she knew of nothing she had done that would make her ashamed to stand before Allah.
Master Fard Muhammad warned Sister Clara Muhammad, according to her words to me, not to let
Him catch her weighing other than herself, in regards to living the life and weighing properly (120
pounds). Even though she gave her husband 8 children, she kept her weight at 120 pounds and
worried when it went above that. Whenever it did, she told me she fasted to keep her weight constant. Sister Clara Muhammad passed from this Earth in her 70's with the youthful figure she had as
a very young girl. What an example for every member of the Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class.
When Sister Muhammad was on her deathbed at Mercy Hospital, she sent for me. She lamented, on
at least 2 occasions, over her sons not being a help to their Father. She began to weep and I took a
tissue and wiped her eyes. She looked at me and said, several times, "Help my husband. Help my
husband. Help my husband. He is getting old now, and he cannot do as he used to do. Help my husband. He won't let you help him; but, you help him anyway, because that's nothing but jealousy. You
help him anyway." I promised her that I would help her husband.

I never saw her alive again after that day, and I am proud to say that I am keeping the promise that I
made to her. I am helping her husband, my Spiritual Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
I love Sister Muhammad with a deep, indescribable love and I have been made by Allah(God) to understand her pain. If Sister Clara Muhammad hated what Allah(God) had ordered for her husband
for the development of our future and our Nation, then that intense dislike for an aspect of her husband's life, which painfully affected hers, would ultimately lead to a dimming of the light of her faith,
both in Master Fard Muhammad and in her husband.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked her, "Do you mean to say that you hate what Allah has written in this book (Holy Qur'an) ? According to what I heard, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave his
wife time out of the Temple for making that statement. This has not been corroborated to me by
close family members, but I believe it to be true.
In her hating what Allah(God) ordained, there is an underlying sense of being betrayed. There is the
thought,
"I have been faithful to God and to my husband and His Mission; but Master Fard Muhammad and
my husband have rewarded me with pain. What a way to be rewarded for my faithfulness."
Would that Sister Clara Muhammad had grappled at that moment with her emotions. I believe, however, with all my heart, that in the end, she did. But she had suffered so much torment, pain and
mental anguish over this aspect of her husband's life, that it brought on a sickness she had conquered in the beginning of her Husband's Mission that ultimately led to her demise.
Whether we are male or female, we must try and step into the shoes of Sister Clara Muhammad. If
you were she, how might you have handled your emotions in this situation?
It is easy to handle a situation intellectually as long as the situation is dealing with some one other
than ourselves in some other period in time. But in our own lives, would our emotional reaction to
what Allah(God) ordained uproot our intellect and impair our judgment? Let everyone who earnestly
desires to rise above emotion and achieve understanding of how Allah(God) thinks, begin by trying
on the shoes of Sister Clara Muhammad.

************

I believe that I have tried to be a faithful witness to Allah(God) in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I have suffered much as a result of my witness.
In 1975, when it appeared to me that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was dead and the Nation of
Islam had turned in a completely opposite direction and all seemed lost and my faith was broken; I,
like Sister Clara Muhammad, wondered, "What was my faith for?" Why had I worked so hard and
sacrificed so much my family, my music, my career? What for? To be an outcast, rejected and despised? To have the very people for whom I worked, seeking my death?
In my pain and frustration, I became bitter, and in my bitterness, I became livid with anger. I resented
religion. I resented, indirectly, the God Who brought the religion and I looked narrowly on the Messenger of God who taught the religion.
It was at this low point in my life that I had to wrestle with my emotions by questioning Allah(God).
Emotion had caused me to view events, circumstances and persons subjectively and improperly. It
was questioning Allah(God), asking Him, in the right spirit, "Why?", that saved me. Only after I was
able, with the Help of Allah(God) and others, to rise above my pain and anguish to see the bigger
picture, was I able to get a grip on my life and come back from the pain of death.
I know something of the pain of Sister Clara Muhammad.
I know something of the pain of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as well as some of the pain of the
women who were involved in his life. These women did not come into the Nation of Islam to be a
part of that aspect of his life, for they knew nothing of it; but time and destiny called them to be a part
of his life in a way that brought pain to them, as well as Sister Clara Muhammad and her children,
and, ultimately, the Nation of Islam. That pain still lingers.
There are many broken men and women who have not yet gotten over this aspect of the Life of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Blinded by pain, bitterness and emotional reaction to God's Will, they
cannot and do not see Him, His God, events, circumstances or the persons involved in His Domestic
Life properly, nor do they see the children who were born as a result of His Domestic Life, properly.

Brothers and Sisters, when we do not learn the Lessons of History, we then have to repeat it. It
is clear that we failed the first part of the First Term Examination of Mr. Elijah Muhammad, and in
failing, we lost ourselves and what came from ourselves as a result of our Faith: virtue, righteousness, schools, businesses, farms, banks............
Shall we lose again?
I repeat, if we can rise above Emotion to see the bigger picture, which is Allah's(God's) Will, Aim and
Purpose, we shall never have to repeat this History again. We can close the book on this aspect of
our History and move on to higher ground: the Elevated Places.
"And as for those who believe and do good ---We impose not on any soul a duty beyond its scope
---they are the owners of the Garden; therein they abide. And We shall remove whatever of ill-feeling
is in their hearts ---rivers flow beneath them. Any they say: All praise is due to Allah, Who guided us
to this! And we would not have found the way if Allah had not guided us."
Holy Qur'an 7:43
"The Elevated Places"

EMOTION: AN INTENSIFIED FEELING

The dictionary defines "Emotion" as "an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear,
hate, or the like is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness. Any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as ' increased heartbeat, respiration, or the like and often overt manifestation, such as crying or shaking."
Emotion is intensified feeling. It can become so strong and overpowering that it masters the mind or
judgment.
Though "Love" is generally defined as an emotion, I would say that Love is not an emotion; Love is
the Mother of Emotion. Love is the Creative Force out of which all things come. Love can be broken
down into 4 principles: Freedom, Justice, Equality and Obedience to the Will of Allah(God).
We call our intense feeling of like or dislike "Love" and "Hate". But Love is not just an intense feeling.
That is a limitation that this world-has placed on it, making it our emotional reaction to something.
The Creative Force is separate from the intense feeling that we have toward the created thing. Allah(God) created the jackass, yet He states in the Holy Qur'an that the most hateful sound to aim is
the braying of the jackass He created. He created the hog, yet He has an intense dislike for it. The
Devil is made out of the Creative Force, and He certainly has an intense dislike for the Devil.
The jackass, the hog, the Devil, all serve as a means to facilitate the Creative Act of Love, Beneficence, Mercy. Allah(God) does not desire disease on His planet. So He makes a detestable thing,
the Hog, which is used to extract a medicine to remedy some of the effects of a diseased thing that
He has allowed to run wild and loose on the Earth; its presence facilitates a Divine Purpose.
We must not narrow Love to an emotional reaction. But when we say, "God is Love", the word "is" is
represented by the "=" symbol, then Love has to be complete, because God is not an emotion. All of
His Attributes are embodied in the Creative Force we call Love; an intense like for something is only
one of its manifestations.

WHERE EMOTION COMES FROM

The Brain is not only an organ of intellect and logic; it is also the source of Emotion. Emotions are
brought to life in what is known as the "limbic system". The limbic system is a collection of parts that
constitute approximately 20% of the brain's area. The forces of pride, fear, joy, grief, anger, lust, hatred, envy, jealousy, arise from this region of the brain.
The limbic system is found surrounding the most primitive part of the brain and is found in almost the
same form in all mammals. It is that part of man that is hardly distinguishable from beast.
God says, in the Bible,
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your
thoughts." Isaiah 55:7
The limbic system works with both the cerebrum above and the brainstem below. Its connections
with the brainstem help maintain a state of emotional balance and alertness. Its connections with the
cerebrum allows a person to temper emotion with reason. The goal is for the two processes to work
in harmony, but the balance can be easily upset. The limbic system can become so highly activated
that it overwhelms rational thought, making a person speechless with anger or joy. On the other
hand, through conscious effort, a person can resist the natural urge to eat or drink, can fight back
tears, or suppress sexual desire.
There are nerve pathways interwoven throughout the limbic system which send a continuous flow of
electrochemical impulses that direct human drives and emotions. The "hippocampus" converts information from short-term to long-term memory. It constantly checks information relayed to the brain by
the senses and compares it to experience.
The "thalamus" serves as a major relay station, passing information from sensory and motor nerves
to the brain.
Nestled between the thalamus above and the brainstem below, there is a small cluster of nerve cells
called the "hypothalamus". It has one of the richest blood supplies in the entire body, though it is
only the size of a thumb tip. From the "hypothalamus" arise intense feelings, or emotions. Pleasure
and pain, sexual arousal, aggression, rage, as well as hunger and thirst, all emanate from this point.

The hypothalamus is also a complex thermostat system that reacts to messages from skin receptors
and heat-sensitive nerve cells, as it maintains the body's internal balance, holding the temperature at
approximately 98.6 degrees. For this reason, our emotional reactions cause a change in temperature. The phrase "heat of passion" refers to the climb in temperature.
Hunger and thirst centers in the hypothalamus track glucose levels in the blood. When supplies of
glucose(energy food) are too low, the brain, not the stomach, generates hunger pangs. The sensation of thirst does not originate in the throat, but here in the brain, when receptors indicate the salt
level in the blood is too high.
Above the hypothalamus is the "amygdala", a mass of nerve cells that is specifically related to feelings of outrage and aggression. The "septum", linked to the hypothalamus at the front of the limbic
ring, contains a pleasure center.
The hypothalamus has connections to the pituitary gland so it has an effect on growth and sexual
behavior. It actually orders the pituitary to organize the endocrine glands' release of hormones into
the blood.
Our response to fear in times of emergency is also controlled by the hypothalamus. If a gun is
pointed in someone's face, the emotional stress is of such magnitude that his body undergoes immediate changes. First to react is the hypothalamus, which organizes a chain reaction of defenses
with a single purpose: to place the body in maximum condition to survive the impending threat.
The chain of command is as follows:
1. Hypothalamic chemicals signal the pituitary gland of danger, possibly fatal.
2. Pituitary signals one of its endocrine gates to bolster defenses. It does this by flashing a
message, secreting a stress hormone which finds its way through the bloodstream to important stations.
3. The stress hormone, ACTH(adrenocorticotropic), first travels to the fighting adrenal glands
on the kidneys. Another adrenal chemical begins converting fats and proteins into sugar.
4. The adrenals spew out adrenalin and noradrenalin, causing the heart to pump faster,
blood pressure to rise and the pupils of the eyes to dilate wildly for improved vision.

5. The combined surge of hormones relaxes the bronchial tubes for deeper breathing; increases the blood sugar to supply maximum energy; slows down the digestive process to
conserve muscular energy; shifts blood supplies so they are able to clot more easily on
an open wound.
In a matter of seconds, a threatened body becomes a tight coil of altered substances, prepared to
meet the challenge. In this state it can perform feats of strength and endurance far beyond normal
capacity.
It is important to note that what triggers this chain of reactions is the brain's interpretation of external
forces as life-threatening. It is not a question of whether we are actually threatened, but whether we
think we are threatened.
According to Western scientists, individual neuronal its are just as unique as fingerprints. This
means that the same situation may activate different clusters of nerve cells in different people.
Every biological act of the physical body is directed to one predominant goal: to stay alive. To do
this, every organism must preserve itself in the face of external forces which threaten its existence;
and when it ceases to work energetically on its own behalf, something finally will destroy it. There
are many forms of disaster: poisons in the environment, temperatures beyond limit, food supplies
fail, competing organisms move in and take over its living space.
As part of the defense against external forces, the organism walls itself off from alien elements. The
skin is such a wall, forming a natural barrier between the individual and the environment. But no barrier is completely effective, and the human body, which is a large community of cells, is vulnerable to
attack like any other community. Foreign substances sneak in and attack the internal systems, endangering the body.
There is a second line of defense which stands ready to repel any invaders which breach the protective barriers. Manning this line is a certain type of white blood cell called the lymphoid. These defenders swim through the blood ready for action when trouble occurs. They respond aggressively to
invaders, producing a different weapon or countermeasure for each type of intruder.

When antigens get into the bloodstream the body is alerted to the presence of invaders. Each antigen stimulates the lymphoid cells to manufacture proteins on a large scale and dump them into the
bloodstream. It is these proteins that lead the defense against invaders.
During the period of war, there is activity inside the lymphoid cells. Some of these cells manufacture
molecules which form a match with the contours of germ antigens. These substances, called antibodies, pour into the bloodstream, attach themselves to the germs and cause a chemical change in
the germs making them vulnerable to the next step. The next step is carried out by a crew of wandering scavenger cells called phagocytes. They attack specific types of germs which have been
tagged by the antigen-antibody interaction and eliminate the invaders by swallowing them whole.
The combined offensive by the antibodies and phagocytes continues until the disease or illness subsides, or, until the body's defenses prove inadequate and death results.
In the same context, there is a defense mechanism which serves to protect the peace of the community of our beliefs. Our beliefs support us in our actions and overall approach to life. Any principle or
fact, whether real or imagined, that we encounter in life, either supports our beliefs or threatens
them.
Once something is perceived as a threat to our accepted beliefs, there is a reaction in the brain similar to the body's antigen-antibody reaction, and instead of lymph cells, it is our emotions which rush
to the defense of our threatened belief.
Thus, the emotional reactions to persons, events and circumstances are a defense mechanism
which quickly surrounds the accepted belief to protect it from succumbing to a new one. We may react with one of many different emotions, depending upon the nature of the threat ----fear, anger,
pride, etc. - but in any case, the emotion rises with great speed to ward off that which disturbs the
community of beliefs. This is what is meant by the phrase, "rush of emotion". It requires great and
concentrated effort to take control over our emotions.

APPROACH TO SUBJECT MATTER

In the study of Emotion and its impact on our responses to the expressed Will of Allah(God), let us
begin with the following verse from Surah(Chapter) 3, Verse 6, of the Holy Qur'an:
"He it is Who has revealed the Book to thee; some of its verses are decisive ---they are the basis of
the Book ---and others are allegorical. Then those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part of it
which is allegorical, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation. And none
knows its interpretation save Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge. They say: we believe in it, it
is all from our Lord And none mind except men of understanding."
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that He would not give two cents for the combined work of all
of the scholars and what they have written as their interpretation of the verses of the Holy Qur'an.
That is a powerful statement.
In the above cited verse, Allah(God) tells those seeking to give the Book their own interpretation that
none knows except Him. So even if they claim to be scholars, Allah(God) has already overruled their
scholarship, in these words, "None knows its interpretation except Allah".
Those "firmly rooted in knowledge" are the Believers who submit to it because it is ale from Allah.
What they understand is that they do not fully comprehend Allah's Book in totality. They await the
One Whom Allah will teach the Interpretation of the Book to directly. That One is the Messiah, the
Mahdi, the Christ. That One is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
"Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou did set thy heart to understand and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy word's sake." Daniel 10:12
"And lean not upon thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy
paths."Proverbs 3:5,6

The first step toward growing into the Mind of God is to desire to do His Will. Then, we must learn to
obey His Commands. Allah (God) tests and tries His Servant to see how well he will obey Commands that he does not understand. He gradually brings the servant into understanding of what he
has obeyed, but only after obedience. Through the suffering that accompanies obeying Allah(God)
comes understanding and the Servant gradually grows into the Thinking of Allah(God).
"Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." Hebrews 5:8
Allah(God) may try a servant with a certain command. Since a servant of God is always desirous of
doing His Will, giving such a person a command can only be a trial if that person believes that the
command is against what he or she has been taught is right, fair, just or in keeping with our understanding of Revelation.
Through the command of the expressed Will of God, the servant's level of understanding up to that
point in time causes an emotional reaction that could result in disobedience if it is not put in check. In
this manner, Allah(God) helps us climb above Emotion, using our own desire to obey Him for sustenance during the steep climb.
"For this cause also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you
might be filled with the knowledge of His Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."
Colossians 1:9
In order to obey Allah's(God's) command(s), we must overcome our emotional reaction to His command(s). At the root of the emotional reaction is frustration over something we personally desire,
think, or believe. He challenges us where we are most comfortable with a command calculated to
disturb our comfort. Thus, He says in the Holy Qur'an, "none comes between a man and his
heart, except Allah".
When He says, in Isaiah 55, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My
ways", His ways are higher than our ways as the "heavens are higher than the earth", He is
speaking on many levels of mind.

The Original Man is from Allah's Thinking, which is above, while the made man is made from the
testicles, found in the lower region of the Original Man, Allah(God) produced Himself, not from testicles, but from His own Thinking; then He formed what we call the "testicle", that there might be the
physical reproduction of the form. It is from the lower portion, or weaker germ of the Original Black
Man, that the devil was made manifest.
To get into the Thinking of God, we must rise above our present level of thought, which emanates
from beneath.
There is a gulf between the thinking of man and God and the ways of man and God. The process by
which we cross that gulf is called Resurrection.
The way to think like Allah(God) is to be exposed to His Thinking. In our Lessons, we are given the
Actual Facts as a beginner and as a start in thinking mathematically rather than emotionally.
Jesus said, "I and my Father are One." How was he able to become one with the Father? Jesus was
born of a woman and came through the vicissitudes of life. In time, through obedience, he became
the interpreter of God's Will. You cannot serve as the interpreter of the Will of God unless you know
God and what He thinks and what gave rise to His thoughts. And we cannot get up into the Mind of
Allah(God) except by His Permission.
When we are able to see beyond the effect to the Cause that produced the effect, then our decisions
are no longer emotional, they are made with precision. This does not mean we will act without intense feeling, it means that we will be in such complete control of our feelings that our decisions will
be completely rational.
In "The Theology of Time", the Honorable Elijah Muhammad stated that Allah(God) "went to War
with the Darkness" , using sunlight to manifest all that the darkness was hiding. It is evident that He
had an intense dislike for the darkness, and that intense dislike manifested in the fact that though we
were once in complete darkness we are now in a Universe of Light.
In going to war, Allah(God) was not acting irrationally. He made a rational judgment based upon His
Idea of what He wanted in terms of a Universe. That Idea stimulated an intense dislike for the darkness because it stood in the way of His Idea, so He banished it.

Today, Allah(God) is bringing about the destruction of the present world order. His intense dislike for
this contrary world and the one who made it is the result of a mathematical understanding of what
He desires for His Creation. His precise understanding of what He Wills and what stands in the way
of His Will summons an intense dislike for the impediment. When He says, "Away with you!", this is
not an emotional reaction; though there is intense feeling in it, it is the result of reasoning
We, on the other hand, are just the opposite in our approach to a problem. Instead of being guided
by reason, our emotional reaction clouds our reasoning and distorts our judgment. We react to
things emotionally first, and the power of passion dominates over reason instead of being called into
service by means of reason.
The propagandist summons the passion of the people by giving them a reason to dislike a person, a
thing, a nation. The elite, or those in authority, supply the people with the reason that summons the
passion against the object of the authority's disapproval. There must always be a reason to like and
a reason to dislike. He who supplies the reason directs the passion.
If I were to speak against many in the manner they have spoken against me, I could summon the
passion of this Community against any object of my disapproval. But I have never chosen to do so; I
have directed the passion of the people toward Allah(God). I have given the people a reason to love
Master Fard Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad while the Caucasian has worked tirelessly in supplying reasons to dislike them.
Thus, the reason the devil accuses both myself and my Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, of
teaching Hate, is actually because I point out the wickedness of the devil. By pointing out his evil, I
give the people a reason to summon their passion against that evil.

PORTRAITS OF EMOTIONAL REACTION

In the very beginning of the Bible, in the Book of Genesis, we get a portrait of emotional reaction
(intense feeling in response to someone or something) and the destructive power of Emotion when it
is unchecked. Whenever Emotion overpowers Reason, it covers Reason and replaces it with a new
rationale; the new rationale then leads us to disobey a command of God.
"Pride" is an emotion. It is an intense feeling of self-importance and superiority; an inordinate opinion
of one's own merit.
God gave both Adam and Eve clear instructions not to eat of the tree in the midst of the garden. The
Serpent(subtle suggestion in the mind) led them both into disobedience by appealing to the feeling
of Pride:
"For God knows that when you eat the fruit, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil."
Satan's suggestion incited Pride; the feeling that Adam and Eve were entitled to something that God
was actually attempting to keep them from having, out of fear that it would threaten His position.
Adam and Eve did not envy God, nor did they feel hatred or jealousy toward Him. But they had an
intense feeling of pride which overpowered reason, so that they placed themselves directly in opposition to the Will of God. The consequence was the Fall of Adam.
"Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18
*********
Most of us are familiar with the story of Adam's sons, Cain and Abel. We know that God accepted an
offering from Abel and rejected an offering from Cain and that Cain killed Abel over God's selection.
How many of us ever asked, "Why did God accept the offering of Abel and reject the offering of
Cain? Have we ever considered the effect of God's choice on both men and on the future? Have we
ever stopped to reflect on whether God cared how they felt? Is it possible that He had a Purpose
that was not perceived by either Cain or Abel at the time?

The Bible describes Abel as a "keeper of sheep" and Cain as a "tiller of the ground". And, "in
process of time, came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto
the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof."
In making a comparison of the actual effort each man put into his offering, there is much to reflect
upon. Remember, we are trying to walk in Cain's shoes; to feel what he felt when his offering was
not accepted. We must look into Cain's efforts in order to know something of the level of his expectation.
The word "till" means "to labor, as by plowing". "Labor" means to "work to the point of exhaustion".
Cain worked the field to produce his offering. His time, sweat and pride were tied up in his work. In
his mind, the rejection of his offering was tantamount to a rejection of him.
Abel sacrificed a sheep. In reality, Abel had nothing to do with the creation, development and growth
of the sheep; Allah(God) was responsible for the process by which the sheep came into existence,
as well as for producing the grass the sheep took its nourishment from. Abel offered that which
grazed on the grass and his offer was accepted.
In understanding Cain's feelings, we must ask ourselves how we feel about something we work diligently to produce and what our reaction is when what we produce is turned down. His ego was
crushed by the rejection of his offering and in applying the rejection to himself, he then began to
sense a feeling of being lesser; now there is remorse over this apparent lowering of self. God is
abasing him, in his mind, in rejecting his offering.
At this point, what would have saved Cain from being overpowered by his emotional reaction would
have been to question God in the right spirit: "Did you reject me in rejecting my offering, and if so,
why?" The emotion of pride connected to his work and suffering clouded his ability to get into the
mind of God. The first mistake that God would have been Able to correct was Cain's misperception
that God was rejecting him. He took it personally and in doing so, his emotions clouded his ability to
get into the Mind of God. He made himself and his offering the center, rather than what God wanted
as the center.

Once his ego was deflated, Cain began feeling a dislike for God. Unable to act effectively against
God Himself, he focused his feeling of dislike on the person he believed God had chosen over him.
The nature of the sheep is humbleness. What God rejected in Cain was his pride over his work that
gave him the exaggerated feeling of worth. It is only the humble at heart that will be able to obey
God. God will ask you to do things against the pride of yourself.
Allah(God) accepted the sheep above the corn because He knew that at a time far into the distant
future, the only offering He would accept from us would be our lives. As a sign of His Servant who
would come to give his life as a ransom, Allah(God) accepted the life of the sheep.
"Say: My prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
Many in the last days would offer money, substance from the ground. But Allah does not asks us to
give money alone; our charity is but a symbol of our willingness to give Him our lives. He asks us for
the very essence of our being: the Will. That is why in the last days, the only religion that will be accepted is Islam, the complete surrender of our will to His Will.
His acceptance of the sheep was a symbol of His lost sheep, a people, among them a lamb, who
would be willing to give his life for the salvation of the whole.
We cannot buy our way into the Kingdom of God. This is not the sale of indulgences. We cannot
even work our way into the Kingdom of God, if we are not willing to offer Him the essence of our being. Our charity, our service, our acts of kindness, could be turned down unless we surrender our will
to His Will. That is the best of all sacrifices.

THE EXORCISM OF MAN

There is another, perhaps even more profound dimension to the portrait of Cain and his emotional
reaction to God's expressed Will.
The emotional reaction that stirred within him was complex: disappointment, frustration, anger, envy
and eventually, he grew to hated his brother. From the depths of his being, the turbulence of hatred
produced the thought of Murder.

In the Book of Psalms, David speaks of a sea monster that dwells in the depths of the ocean. It is
called Leviathan and it is a frightening thing.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad explained to me that this sea monster is actually a reference to
the devil's submarines. He said that we can bring the submarines up out of the water by using the
force of Wind in a circular motion. This powerful motion forces a submarine up on its end; once
forced up, the waters part and the power of the Wind causes the water to slam against it, crushing it
to pieces.
There are monsters in the bottom of our consciousness. God brings these things up with
Winds(Trials) that He sends to stir up the Waters of Emotion. These monsters rest beneath the surface of our being, unseen and undetected in our daily interactions.
Cain and Abel were from the same womb. On the surface, they looked alike. But they were not the
same beneath. The Holy Qur'an says that Allah brings us forth from the womb and "one of you is a
Believer, the other a disbeliever".
To force that which is hidden beneath to come forth, Allah creates a Test that will stir the emotions
and dislodge and bring up that hidden monster.

"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying,

We believe and will not be tried?...and indeed We tried some before them,
so Allah will certainly know those who are true and He will know the liars.
Or do they who work evil think that they will escape Us? Evil is it that they judge!
Whoever hopes to meet with Allah, the term of Allah is then surely coming.
And He is the Hearing, the Knowing." Holy Qur'an 29:2-5

THROUGH QUESTIONING ALLAH(GOD) IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT, WE

MAY BE SAVED
In the Story of Cain, there is failure. In the Story of Job, there is success. Job, in the midst of extreme duress, still did not curse his God, rather, he questioned Him. In questioning Allah(God), we
are able to rise above the emotional reaction to our stress to think as Se thinks.
Allah is not obligated to present trials one at a time, nor is He required to allow some minimal time
lapse between them so that we can recover. He may confront us with many trials together, or one
particularly long, grievous and painful trial.

At the peak of our trial, He may create circumstances that will cause us to be, or at least feel, completely deserted or abandoned. In the experience of abandonment by friends, family, even fellow believers, there is a sense of hopelessness; nothing to be thankful for. The Emotion usually associated
with this condition is Depression.
"Why art thou cast down O my soul? Why art thou disquieted in me?...My tears have been my meat
day and night, while they continually say unto me,' Where is your God?' Thou didst hide Thy face,
and I was troubled." Psalms 42:11
The situation can become almost unbearable:
"Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me...my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?" Psalms 22:1
When he speaks the exact words spoken by Jesus in the New Testament as Jesus is undergoing
torture and death, David is describing his own living experience. Yet, David is described as having a
heart after God's heart. But he was not only a prototype of Christ in God's Love for him, he was also
a prototype in his suffering. He was a prophet and a king, yet he suffered.
Perhaps the most oft-repeated Psalm of David is the 23rd, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not
want".
The Lord is our Shepherd, but this does not mean that for reasons we may not perceive on our level,
He will withdraw His Presence and diminish the Help he affords. He will chastise the Believer and He
will put the Believer through severe trials.
Walk a moment in the shoes of Job, who lost everything he had. When Job, in the midst of his suffering, called on Allah(God) for a reason for his overwhelming Losses, the Scriptures say "Then the
Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind". Job 38:1
This means He responded right our of the core of Job's swirling emotions and confusion. And when
He answered Job, it was not with specific explanation, it was with Declarations of His Power and
Glory. This increased Job's humility and dependence and in the end he was once again blessed.

THE STORY OF HAGAR

One of the greatest Scriptural displays of patience and humility during times of trial and suffering is
in the story of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael by Abraham.
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord
who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121
"The Safa and the Marwah are truly among the signs of Allah; so whoever makes a pilgrimage to the
House or pays a visit to it, there is no blame on him if he goes round them. And whoever does good
spontaneously surely Allah is Bountiful in rewarding, Knowing." Holy Qur'an 2:158
Of the more than one billion Muslims on Earth, many millions have made Umrah and/or Hajj in
Mecca. In this ritual, each pilgrim, male and female, must follow the path of Hagar and run between
the two hills named in the above verse.
Why must we, as Muslims, follow the path of Hagar? What lesson is in her life that Allah(God) desires to ingrain into the life of every Muslim?
Hagar was the hand maiden of Abraham's wife, Sarah. A "maiden" is defined as a "young, unmarried female, usually a virgin". It is a term "relating to or befitting a girl".
Here we have the opportunity to look into the Domestic Life of a man whom Muslims, Christian and
Jews honor as a great prophet, whom the Qur'an refers to as a "model of virtue". In this instance,
Abraham was a man in his 80's; an "elderly" man by today's standards, going into his wife's handmaiden, Hagar, who is by definition hardly more than a child. The act which produced Ishmael took
place at Sarah's request, she herself an elderly woman having been unable to bear children up to
that time.
When Hagar became pregnant with Ishmael, Sarah caused Abraham to put the woman and her
baby out of the house. Put yourself in Sarah's shoes. Was there an emotional reaction to the fact
that while she had been unable to give a child to the man she loved and had been with for so long,
this young girl had succeeded where she had failed? Did her emotions overpower her reason to the
point she lost sight of the fact that the child had been conceived at her behest?

Banished from the home of her child's father, Hagar found herself in the wilderness without food or
shelter. Although these essentials were in the house of Abraham, the baby's father, apparently none
would be forthcoming for Hagar or the child.
She ran to and fro in quest of water, between the two hills, Safa and Marwah, until she was exhausted. Finally she decided to give up the effort and die. She bent to lay the baby down on the
ground when there at his foot a well suddenly sprang up. This was the place now known as
Zamzam. Water flows from it today, 5,000 years later.
What is the lesson in this?
Every servant of Allah(God) has at some time been expelled from home, or put out from the protection of family, clan or tribe, running from persecution with no one to rely upon except Him. If, in the
distress of the moment, we are overpowered by our emotions, we may react improperly and lose a
great reward.
Hagar did not succumb to the common emotion of bitterness caused by deprivation; she did not
curse Abraham or Sarah. She looked to her God; she looked to the hills, from whence her help
came: the Lord.
Every Muslim is made to walk after this young woman, Hagar, who was an outcast for bearing a
child that would become a prophet of Allah(God). Some of the wives of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, when they became pregnant, left the city and went running into the wilderness. Some accepted
the death of banishment, disgrace and evil talk, so that the Messenger of Allah could be covered
and we, in our infancy, could be covered, because we had not the proper foundation to bear the
Truth.
Pain and deprivation are severe trials. Distress may be so intense that the sufferer is too distracted
to be able to concentrate; unable to pray, except in a very emotional way. The Holy Qur'an says that
when we are in distress we are "sincere in prayer" and "lengthy in supplication".
If we can keep the presence of mind and summon up the necessary strength to seek the solution to
the problem from Allah(God), then we may be upheld until we reach understanding.

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee." Isaiah 43:2
To each that overcomes the Emotion of bitterness because of pain and deprivation, there is a great
reward.

FAITH: THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY

"Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...But without
Faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and
that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him."
The Bible and the Holy Qur'an tell us that our faith will be tried and tested. They also tell us that Allah(God) will not allow us to be tried beyond our ability to endure, though it is difficult to remember
this in the throes of the trial.
"There is no temptation before you but such as is common to all men; but God is Faithful and will not
suffer you to be tempted above what you are able; but He will, with the temptation, also make a way
that you may be able to bear it" 1 Corinthians 10:13
The Holy Qur'an states that no soul will have imposed on it a "duty beyond its scope". However,
Allah(God) may test us right up to the limit of our ability to endure.
Faith is necessary to endure the trial long enough to rise above our emotional reaction that we may
obtain understanding through knowing Allah's(God's) view of the situation
The word "suffer" means to "experience pain in soul or body". The word translated "affliction" in
the New Testament means "pressure". To suffer affliction is to suffer pressure, or to be "pressed
down". Peter refers to "heaviness" through many trials.
If we just attempt to obey Allah(God) we undergo suffering; or being brought low through the pressure and weight that is placed upon us. Jeremiah was lowered into a Pit.

The word "tribulation" means "straitness or distress". Tribulations and afflictions bring suffering in
their wake. The Holy Qur'an states that we will "surely" be tried with deprivation: "loss of life and
property".
When a man or woman is spiritually sensitive and any Servant of Allah(God) is, then he or she can
experience acute suffering through temptations, relationships and attachments to persons who are
not interested in God's Will; anxiety, debt and the oppression of men.
Unlike the disbeliever, the sincere believer does not find any real relief in worldly pursuits. Though
he or she may enjoy lawful recreation, these offer no permanent solutions to the peculiar problems
of the Believer.
The Believer takes pleasure from living according to the Law of Allah(God) and fears deviation from
it. So when Allah(God) issues a command that is contrary to His own Divine Law according to the
Believer's understanding of it, there is a trial for the Believer.

MARY AND JOSEPH

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When, as his mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband,
being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a
dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 1:18-20
Joseph loved Mary since they were children, however, her father would not permit her to marry him.
Out of respect for the law that prohibits intimate relations outside of marriage, Joseph suppressed
his love for Mary and took another for a wife. he had six(6) children by the woman he married and it
appeared that he had succeeded in completely Suppressing his desire for Mary.
But there came a time when Mary called to him for assistance and he responded. In the 3 days they
were together, Jesus was conceived.

In the context of their understanding of the Law of Moses which governed the society, Joseph, Mary
and Mary's father all suffered the Emotion of Fear and great Distress. Joseph was absolutely certain,
in his mind, that he had offended the law and that he and Mary would suffer a terrible price.
What Joseph did not know was that there was a Superior Law working. That Superior Law conformed to Allah's(God's) plan to make a sign that would not be fulfilled until 2,000 years later.
Meanwhile, relief from fear came to Joseph only when an old prophetess informed him that the child
Mary was carrying was to be the last prophet to the Jews. Joseph then informed Mary's father of
what he was told by a servant functioning from a higher law.
The religious legalist of the day were unaware of this and they functioned according to their understanding. Thus, Mary's pregnancy could not be spoken of publicly. It was a secret to be kept that authorities would not kill the baby and its parents.
"And she brought forth her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes" Luke 2:8
Jesus is referred to as her firstborn because Joseph already had children. Joseph did not have the
mind of an adulterer; he was not a lustful man. Mary called him to assist her during a dust storm(an
Act of God). Allah(God) having ordained the birth of Jesus, there were no existing circumstances
that could prevent it, even the fact that the child's father was married to another woman.
"She said, How can I have a son and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He
said: So it will be. Thy Lord says: it is easy for Me; and that We may make him a sign to men and a
mercy from Us. And it is a matter decreed...Then she conceived him; and withdrew him to a remote
place."

She suffered the pain of labor as any flesh and blood woman delivering a flesh and blood child must
suffer:
"And the throes of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had
died before this and had been a thing quite forgotten! So a voice came to her from beneath her:
Grieve not, surely thy Lord has provided a stream beneath thee. And shake towards thee the trunk
of the palm-tree, it will drop on thee fresh ripe dates." Holy Qur'an 19:23
Like Hagar, Mary depended upon her Lord for relief.
Consider the series of emotions that Joseph, Mary and Mary's father went through over the conception and birth of Jesus. Also consider the emotion reaction of the family, not seeing beyond their embarrassment and shame, to ask, "Why did Allah(God) permit this to happen to this chaste
young girl?"
"Then she came to her people with him, carrying him. They said: O Mary, thou hast
indeed brought a strange thing! O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy
mother an unchaste woman!"
How did Mary feel, knowing she was not an unrighteous person while being treated as though she
was?
There is no record of Joseph and Mary ever living together as husband and wife; the actual existence of a family unit was not necessary to effectuate God's Will, which was to produce a particular
child; to do so, He needed the seed of David and Joseph carried that seed; he was of the lineage of
David. Once he provided the life-germ, he had performed his service for
Allah(God) insofar as this child was concerned.
***************

RELATIONSHIPS
When Noah was commanded to build the ark to save himself and the believers from destruction,
naturally he desired to save his own wife and son. In the Holy Qur'an, we read:
"At length when Our command came and water gushed forth from the valley, We said: Carry in it two
of all things, a pair, and thine own family"". Except those against whom the Word has already gone
fourth and those who believe. And there believed not with him but a few...And it moved on with them
amid waves like mountains. And Noah called out to his son, and he was aloof. 0 my son, embark
with us and be not with the disbelievers."
How would it feel to be told by Allah(God) that His Word has already gone forth against one of our
loved ones? Shock, bewilderment? Certainly your child has faults, but to be condemned to destruction by the God you are working so hard to serve? How many years did Noah devote to building the
ark? How long did he endure the scorn and mockery of the community he was a part of? At the end
of his suffering for the sake of Allah(God), could not Allah excuse his son's aloofness?
"And Noah cried to his Lord and said: My Lord, surely my son is of my family, and Thy promise is
true and Thou art the Justest of the Judges. He said: O Noah, he is not of thy family; he is an embodiment of unrighteous conduct. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge. I admonish thee lest thou be of the ignorant."
No parent wants to see their child destroyed, no matter what the child has done. We petition the
teacher on behalf of the child; even after maturity, we may petition the child's employer for consideration; when he or she goes astray, we petition the judge for leniency. How painful it must have for
Noah to be denied his humble petition on behalf of his son! And yet, he obeyed his Lord.
*******
Lot loved his wife, but "We ordained her to be of those who remained behind...So We delivered
him and his followers, except his wife ---she was of those who remained behind."
Allah(God) ordained something adverse to the emotional attachments of the prophet. The wife of
Lot looked back because what she was leaveing behind in Sodom and Gomorrah was dearer to her
then what Allah(God) was calling her to through her husband.

Both Noah and Lot were faithful servants of Allah(God), but neither of them was able to save his
family members when the family member(s) went against the Message the prophet brought.
"Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They
were under two of our righteous servants, but they acted treacherously towards them, so they
availed them naught against Allah(God), and it was said, Enter the Fire with those who enter."
Holy Qur'an 66:9
Just as Noah had to part with a disbelieving son, Abraham had to cease his quest for forgiveness on
behalf of a disbelieving father. Apparently, Abraham was close to his family, but had to disassociate
himself from them. This must have been very painful. However, because of his faith, he was blessed
with two sons who were prophets.
"Your relationships and your children would not profit you on the day of Resurrection He will decide
between you. And Allah is the Seer of what you do.
Indeed, there is for you a good example in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people, We are clear of you and of that which you serve besides Allah. We disbelieve in you and there
has arisen enmity and hatred between us and you forever until you believe in Allah alone" except
Abraham's saying to his sire: I would ask forgiveness for thee and I control naught for thee from Allah." 60:3

DOMESTIC LIFE OF MUHAMMAD

The Domestic Life of Prophet Muhammad was a source of emotional conflict in the community of
Believers as well as within his household.
There are principles inherent in the marriages of Prophet Muhammad that remain hidden to this day,
covered by emotional reactions to his Domestic Life. The question must be answered, "What did
Allah(God) want us to learn?"
His first marriage was to Khadijah, whom he was devoted to for 25 years of marriage until her death
at the age of 65. She was 15 years older then he. She was to him, as Sister Clara Muhammad would
be to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, his wife, friend, companion and among the first to accept Islam when he was called to the Mission. Her loss caused him great pain and suffering.
After the loss of his beloved Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad married Aishah, the daughter of Abu
Bakr. Aishah was only 11 years old when the marriage ceremony took place and she remained in
her parents home another 3 years before the marriage was consummated.
In all the marriages that followed, Muhammad's wives were women who had been previously married. Only Aishah came to him as a virgin. She was actually brought up, shaped and fashioned under his care. Thus she acquired a spiritual radiance that made her ultimately stand out in history as a
guide, for not only Muslim women, but for all of the Believers.
It was on the return from an important expedition in the 5th year of the Hijrah, that Aishah, who had
accompanied the Prophet, went away from the caravan in search of a lost necklace. The bearers of
her litter, thinking she was still inside, marched off leaving her behind. One of her husband's soldiers
who was coming in from the rear, came upon her and brought her safely to Madinah.
A hypocrite learned of the incident and in it found a pretext to slander the Prophet and his family and
erode the love and admiration of the Believers, so he started a campaign of vilification and several
gullible Muslims gave ear to the slander.

What thoughts had those Muslims harbored, that they would respond to slander against a wife of Allah's Servant with such enthusiasm? Were there some hidden feelings toward his marriage to Aishah that were brought to surface by this incident? Why did Allah(God) Himself attach such importance to the matter that He would issue a Revelation as the one which follows?
"Surely they who concocted the lie are a party from among you. Deem it not an evil to you. Nay, it is
good for you. For every man of them is what he has earned of sin; and as for him among them who
took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous punishment.
Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own
people, and say: This is an evident falsehood?...
And were it not for Allah's Grace upon you and His Mercy in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous
chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the talk you indulged in.
When you received it on your tongues and spoke with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge, and you deemed it a trifle, while with Allah it was serious.
And why did you not, when you heard it, say: It beseems us not to talk of it. Glory be to Thee! This is
a great calumny.
Allah admonishes you that you return not the like of it ever again, if you are believers... Those who
love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, for them is a grievous chastisement
in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows, while you know not." Holy Qur'an 24:11-19
One of the Prophet's marriages was to Zainab, his cousin. Her parents wanted him to take her as his
wife, but he expressed a desire that she be given in marriage to Zaid, his own freed slave whom he
adopted as a son. The Prophet wanted that the marriage between a former slave and a women of
high birth would facilitate bringing equality within the community. The marriage was not happy and
eventually ended in divorce. Once the marriage he had arranged proved to be a failure, the Prophet
consented to the wishes of Zainab's parents and married her himself.

Had he been a man just interested in having wives for his personal gratification, it would seem that
he would have accepted Zainab's hand when it was offered to him while she was a virgin. Yet, he
took her in marriage after she became a divorced woman. Study the status of women, particularly divorced women, at the time. What effect did this action of Allah's Servant have on the social standing
of divorced females in the community? What emotional reactions did it create among the class-conscious people of the community?
There was great consternation among the Prophet's wives when the Ruler of Egypt sent Mariyah as
a gift to him. She accepted Islam and became his wife. This Black woman bore him Ibrahim, his only
son. The child died in infancy.
What emotional effect did the birth of a son by one wife have on the others? How did Aishah, who
enjoyed the position of being the "favourite", feel toward Mariyah? What effect did the child's death
have on the Prophet himself? What effect did it have on the child's mother?
One of the Prophet's wives was Maimunah, a widow, who offered her hand to him and he accepted.
Historical accounts relate that some wives did not desire to see him enter any more marriages after
they themselves were accepted. What effect did his marriage to Maimunah have on his other wives,
when there was no apparent reason for marrying her, other than the fact that she offered herself to
him?
The giving of wives to Muhammad was not done merely for sexual gratification, it was that Allah(God) might give His Servant deeper insight into the woman through women he married, as well
as deeper insight into himself by virtue of what each woman brought out of him; to confer a greater
reverence for the womb.
In the Holy Qur'an, a Servant of Allah pleads with Him:
"My Lord, expand my breast for me and ease my affair for me;
and loose the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my word." 20:25-27
The expansion of the breast may be compared to the enlargement of the womb when a woman carries a child. In the womb is the capacity of the female to produce children. As her womb expands
and she feels the growing life within her, her breast expands also. She grows to love more than herself and her husband.
With every child, her breast expands to love that child. The test she faces is not to make distinctions
between them, but to be just and equitable in her treatment of her children.
Allah(God) has given mothers an inexhaustible love for their own children as well as the children of
others. They are sympathetic to other mothers who have experienced the pain and suffering of birth.
Allah(God) gave wives to Muhammad, among whom were women from tribes that were hostile to the
Quraish. Through the marriage of the Prophet to one member of a tribe, the entire tribe was embraced. This is the meaning of the expansion of the breast: Allah(God) expands the heart of His Servant for the Salvation of Nations.
**********

IN CONCLUSION
There are many Servants of Allah(God) in the Bible and the Holy Qur'an whose names and the circumstances of their lives could be mentioned for further study and analysis. However, if we just try to
walk in the shoes of the Servants of Allah(God) presented in this Study Guide, we will have experienced the full range of Emotion. Hopefully, this Study Guide will have prepared us for the onslaught
of the devil:
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who
brought forth the male child...And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a flood after
the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood...And the earth helped the
woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast
out of his mouth...And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God..." Revelations 12:13-17
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to us that the flood represents propaganda. As the enemy in
his attack on Saddam Hussein went to the air with such a terrific bombardment that the ground war
ended in less than a week, the enemy of Allah(God) and our enemy may take to the air in a vicious
barrage of propaganda, like a flood. Floods uproot strong trees; floods bring snakes out of their hiding places. Floods undermine the foundations of buildings and railroad tracks.
How strong is your Foundation in the face of a flood of propaganda?
The Earth helped the woman by swallowing the water. With this Study Guide, properly digested and
acted upon, we may be able, with the Help of Allah(God), to make the enemy's evil slander of no effect.
Our prayer is that the Nation of Islam will be seen like Noah's Ark: "A Mercy floating on before our
eyes"!
May Allah(God) bless each and every student to master the Wisdom contained herein.
************

WARNING
This Study Guide is in no way intended to inspire, in any brother or sister, a movement toward polygamous relationships.
The Black male must qualify himself spiritually, morally, emotionally and certainly economically, to
even approach this subject matter intelligently in terms of its practical reality.
The Black man's view of the Black woman at this time is so underdeveloped that it must be characterized as filthy. Because of this, the practice of polygamy today would constitute the disrespect of
the Black woman through sexual promiscuity in the Name of Allah(God).
The Holy Qur'an teaches that one wife for one husband is better for us, if we but knew. If and or
when, certain aspects of the Holy Qur'an will be fulfilled by us, we will be guided into this. At this
time, however, I warn you: No one is to enter into this practice, lest we fall victim to the Restrictive Law which is the Reality that Master Fard Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad have imposed upon the Believers.
The Aim of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the Reformation of both the Black man and the Black
woman, with special attention on the Black woman, because, as He has said, "Where there are no
decent women, there are no decent men, for the Black woman is the Mother of Civilization."
The Reformation of the Black man must include a reformation of his view of himself and the Black
woman, who is his second self. His reformation must include the removal of any and all tendencies
to abuse the Black woman and/or to use her as an instrument of sexual pleasure without accepting
the responsibilities imposed upon us by Allah(God) when in our relationships with the female.
It is out of the Desire and Will of Allah(God) for the Reformation of the male and female that He set
up two independent classes for their instruction: The Fruit of Islam and the Muslim Girls Training
and General Civilization Class.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad threatened me and all of His ministers with expulsion from the
Nation of Islam if any minister interfered with the MGT Class. No male member of the Nation of Islam is qualified to teach the Black woman what Allah(God) Desires for her.

Therefore, we are to be by the MGT Class and the Black woman in general, as Zacharias was by
Mary, knowing fully well that we will be judged by Allah(God) by how we treat any female placed in
our care and under our charge. Zacharias was a righteous caretaker of a righteous young girl who
grew up in the Mosque. Every Minister, every FOI, must strive to be a righteous caretaker of the
MGT. Until there is such righteousness in his attitude and actions toward the female, the Black man
is not yet reformed.
Allah(God) will punish us severely for violation of these principles of conduct concerning the treatment of the woman. Where there is disrespect for the woman, there is disrespect for Allah(God), for
in the secret of the womb is the secret of His Work that is taking place within the womb. When this
reverence is displayed, only then will the Kingdom of God be Established.
**********

Study Guide 19:

The Knowledge of God

Contents

Introductory Material to Study Guide 19 by Sis. Min. Ava Muhammad

Introdution by the Honorable Louis Farrakhan

Letter to the Students by the Honorable Louis Farrakhan

Study Guide 19A

Study Guide 19A Reference Material

Introduction to Study Guide 19B by Sis. Min. Ava Muhammad

Study Guide 19B

Study Guide 19B Reference Material

STUDY GUIDE 19A: WHO IS GOD?

A BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE COURSE
Sister Minister Ava Muhammad
In "The Will of God (Part I)", the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan writes.
"Everything in Creation is the manifestation of the Will of God...when He says 'Be!' He summons the
Power of His own Being, His Creative Mind and Will, to bring about that which He Wills."
In light of these words, we can attribute nothing to coincidence (mere chance). The Course he wrote,
entitled "Self-Improvement: The Basis for Community Development", was first a lecture, delivered in
the city of Phoenix, Arizona, September 21, 1986, by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
"Phoenix" is the name given to a legendary bird of extraordinary beauty. Reputedly the only one of
its kind, it lives more than 500 years in the Arabian wilderness. At the end of that time, the bird burns
itself completely, then rises from its own ashes, brand new, to live another cycle of centuries. It's image is a symbol of immortality. Three months after that historic speech, the Minister introduced an
entire course centered around the study of self. Here are two brief excerpts from his letter of introduction:
"The rising to life of the spiritually dead and the Great Resurrection are one and the same. And the
first stage of in our spiritual resurrection occurs through the stimulation of our self-accusing spirit;
that is, when the inner voice speaks, guides, warns, reproves, exhorts and accuses us of going contrary to

what is right... This phase of our development is designed, by the Help of Allah (God), to bring about
a transformation or complete change in our lives. This is done by stimulating self-analysis and selfcorrection in us. Our self-improvement actually brings into fruition the awesome power of Allah (God)
to 'make complete his (our) whole make'; {H.Q. 75:4}" (special emphasis added)
The image of the phoenix burning itself and rising from its own ashes is a mere illustration of something even more extraordinary. Those who submit themselves to "this process of heeding truth and
right guidance" are destined to be transformed. i It is critical for us to realize that the Course is inspired. As its title indicates, the Course is a teaching device; however, it is not an academic exercise
conceived by the Minister to impress us with his range of knowledge. Those who perceive it as that,
fall off the mountain before the climb begins, because they immediately begin to compare it with the
work of various intellectuals among us. When that happens, they become bored and abandon the
Course for something more "challenging". Alexander the Great wept because he had no more
worlds to conquer, but he died an alcoholic at the age of 32. When people are allowed to have
power and authority with no self-awareness, we all suffer.
Review the Minister's letter of introduction. The curriculum is explained "study sessions" on both
theoretical and practical levels. It is not a treatise written by a theologian sharing his thoughts. It is
Revelation to a servant of Allah (God) for the salvation of a people. This is a man who is speaking
through life's experiences. When he says, "there is a difficulty factor attached to

everything of value:, he knows what he is talking about. Without practical application --- if the student
does not use the principles in daily life --- the Course will not produce thought reversal and we will
not experience a change.
However, if the student does apply the theory to life, then upon completion of the units currently
available, he or she will begin a new cycle but on a higher plane, at a quicker vibratory rate.
Let us take, as an example, the very first study guide, entitled, "Mixed Feelings & Controversy: How
Do We Handle It?". When Minister Farrakhan went to Phoenix in 1986, mixed feelings and controversy surrounded his presence. At that time, he spoke in Plaza Symphony Hall.
In 1995, he was again surrounded by mixed feelings and controversy, within a whole new reality. He
stood in front of the nation's capitol and addressed a gathering of nearly 2 million Black men. Obviously, some growth had occurred in that 9-year period. He was back to Study Guide Number 1, but
this time the journey through the Course was measured in months instead of years. Immediately
thereafter, he embarked upon his World Friendship Tour, creating another storm of controversy and
moving at yet a faster vibratory rate. The time within which he was able to execute it Allah's (God's)
Plan decreased even further, measured in weeks instead of months.
The only request the Minister makes is that the student apply the principles; use them. It is only their
use that will give them real meaning and confirm their truth.

More than one study guide grew out of a serious difficulty encountered by an individual. It will come
as a surprise to you that Study Guide 16, "The Law of God", evolved from a letter written to a Laborer. Study Guide 14, "Respect for Authority", began as a letter the Minister wrote to a young
woman who had been wrongfully imprisoned. As I recall, she was in such conflict with the prison officials, her sentence could have been lengthened. As a direct result of the Divine Guidance she received through our Leader, she was able to successfully complete the time and has rejoined our
struggle for liberation.
Similarly, Study Guide 13, "The Price of Redemption" was written for a particular event in the Nation's history: the repurchase of our Mosque, which the Minister named "Maryam".
I simply cannot overemphasize the power that is contained in this Course. Perhaps the Minister's
generosity in giving this Divine Wisdom away so freely has been misinterpreted. Is it possible to
make someone recognize the value of what he or she has deliberately thrown away? It is not easy;
the person obviously threw it away because he placed no value in it. Perhaps if he is shown that his
miserable condition is directly related to being without it, then he is allowed to see it one more time,
he may be able to change his mind about its worth.
More than a decade has passed since the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan presented us with
the first of the 18 units of study we have received thus far. It is known throughout the world that Allah
(God) gave the Minister the gift of teaching. However, I am not sure if we all realize he first and always maintains the attitude and posture of a student:

"I met a man who taught me and I am not the same old Negro I once was. I am a man now with
healing in my wings and yet I am a student of another man... We have got to give credit where credit
is due. I met a man and that man is a doctor. He doctored on me, so that I could doctor on you. That
man is Elijah Muhammad." (Saviours' Day, October 9, 1993)
Many people love to teach, but care little for learning. Over the years, I have watched the Minister as
he listened intently to clergymen, physicians, lawyers, educators, politicians, businessmen, artists
and athletes while they answered his sincere questions about the details of their field or profession.
Long after others have become bored or distracted, he remains alert. He loves to learn. He does not
envy achievement, he admires it.
Those who desire to be successful should also take note of yet another rare attribute the Minister
possesses. I have been in the Nation of Islam for 16 years and have worked closely with Minister
Farrakhan for 11 of those years. I have never, ever, known him to engage in idle conversation of any
sort. Yes, he is pleasant and he has a sense of humor. But he is committed to the Work of his Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Time is never wasted in his company. He is completely devoted to Allah and His Messenger. I have
spent hours at a time, alone with the Minister in his office, and he has always been the most excellent example of proper conduct -- in speech as well as manners. This is a man who not only respects
women, he teaches women to respect themselves. I can declare without fear of contradiction: anyone who would ever charge this man with indecency can only belong to Satan.

If asked to describe the Minister's 'aura', in one word, I would choose "serene". Even in the heat of
battle with the most vicious enemies of our liberation, the serenity remains. The Peace of God cannot be shattered. The question for us is, how do we achieve the peace and tranquility our Minister
possesses?
Beloved, we marvel at the Works our Minister performs but where is the "complete change" in our
lives? Can't we see that he teaches us only to make us greater than himself? Yet, we lag so far behind, we have become a burden to him as well as ourselves. How long will we be permitted to ask
for what we already have? The study guides are the means of our transformation! iv
What will finally bring an end to the long, dark winter of our disappointment with life? Where, when,
how will we find real love, spiritual fulfillment, success and recognition? The gravitational pull of
"what is" makes it very hard to implement "what ought to be". Moving out of the darkness of ignorance into the Light of Knowledge is not just a step, it is an odyssey.
After engaging in this study, we should want to "rise above Emotion into the Thinking of God". Emotion will not change our circumstances. When all is said and done, only faith, hard work, and the
Holy Qur'an's assurance that "Allah is with the steadfast:, will get us to our goal.
The Thinking of God is unbound by space or time and embraces an appreciation of the value in
each and every one of us. Never underestimate the power in your own ability to perceive worth in
every human being --- particularly yourself. It will absolutely determine the extent of your success in
life. This can be proven in no limit of time.

In the aftermath of the Million Man March, the most blind among us can see it was Divinely-inspired.
Nearly two million Black men came together in nearly perfect love and peace. Many of our most virulent enemies have acknowledged that were it not for Minister Louis
Farrakhan, the Million Man March simply would never have happened. Just as the number of persons who argue that Jesus was a Caucasian has steadily dwindled, only the insane will fight against
the self-evident.
Even more significant for us is the reality that no one else could have thought of the
Million Man March. How do we know this? Because there is nothing within the framework of the
white man's world that would allow any of us to have such a thought. Therefore, we know that it was
the Thinking of Allah (God). In order for Allah (God) to use us as a conveyor of His Thinking, we
have to have the kind of thoughts He has.
One way we can measure our progress in life is by calculating how long it takes to complete our various goals and objectives on a daily weekly, monthly, yearly basis. A spiritually and intellectually developed person is effective in dealing with people and getting things done.
Again, as pointed out in the beginning of this Commentary, look at how long it took Minister Farrakhan to carry out Allah's Idea for the Million Man March. Two years? Five years? It was accomplished in a matter of months. His World Friendship Tour was accomplished in a matter of weeks.

What are your thoughts and feelings about your future? What are your plans for tomorrow? Next
week? Next year? Are you struggling with painful personal problems? Are your relationships
(spouse, parent, child, friends, etc.) what you want them to be? Is there drug addiction, illness or disease to contend with? Financial instability? Now expand your mind to include the concerns of our
community, our Nation, the world, It is difficult and confusing to even acknowledge the existence of
these problems, so most of us don't.
We depend upon Minister Farrakhan to lead us, guide us, teach us, think for us, singlehandedly protect us from the enemies of our liberation. Is it rational to expect our blessings to flow from him or are
we guilty of being unjust? Many of us will not even make the effort to develop spiritually, intellectually
and materially, though he has given us the resources we need directly from Allah Himself.
We are like a man in a house where another has brought in good food and cooked it, but the man
still starves to death because he is too lazy to eat. Many of us have been exposed to the Teachings
of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad for years, without any improvement whatsoever in ourselves or
our circumstances. Some of us are actually a burden to our Minister and the Nation. How long do we
think Allah will permit it?
"And the judging on that day will be just, so as for those whose good deeds are heavy,
they are successful. And for those whose good deeds are light, those are they who
ruined their souls because they disbelieved in our messages. And certainly We have
established you in the Earth and made therein means of livelihood for you;
little it is that you give thanks!"
Holy Qur'an 7:8-10

INTRODUCTION
(by Minister Ava Muhammad)
"The Knowledge of God has Power to separate and manifest the Believer and
the Disbeliever. It is the Key to all other knowledge."
- Minister Louis FarrakhanIt has been more than a decade since our Leader, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, introduced "Self-Improvement: The Basis for Community Development." Between 1986 and 1991, he
gave us eighteen (18) units of study, in a course which he described in his letter of introduction:
"...Each study session is designed on the Guidance of Allah to produce: self-examination, selfanalysis, self-correction and, to quicken in each of us the Self-accusing Spirit. For it is only when we
are awakened morally that we have to face the Self-accusing Spirit which leads to our Resurrection.
Resurrection is that process that begins with the Self-accusing Spirit and does not end until we become one in perfect harmony with Allah and His Creation."
To demonstrate the profound Wisdom that Allah has given us, not only from the lips, but from the
pen of Minister Louis Farrakhan, let us choose just one word contained in the above paragraph --quicken -- and examine it. "Quicken" means "to accelerate, to give or restore vigor or activity; to
rouse or stimulate, revive, or restore life to; to become alive, receive life; for a child in the womb to
begin to manifest signs of life."

To be "quickened" by the Self-accusing Spirit is to have our vibrations increased from the slow
tempo of the physical plane to the fast tempo of the spiritual plane, increasing more and more until
we are able to comprehend even God Himself. Minister Farrakhan has taught us that while this
quickening comes from within, when the inner light has been turned off, we need someone from the
Original Power Source to reactivate conscious awareness of God. After completing this Unit, "Who
Is God?", you may conclude that Minister Farrakhan himself is such a person among us today.
Study Guide 19A is a magnificent revelation which will come as a surprise to those who have clamored, "When is Study Guide 19 coming out?" The power of "19" alone has made this study guide the
Nation's "most wanted". But, like Hagar, we have been looking for that which has already been given
to us. The substance of Study Guide 19 actually preceded Study Guide 18 in existence.
Beloved, even if we saw and heard Minister Farrakhan deliver the Message, "Who Is God?" on February 24, 1991, it can be proven in no limit of time that we missed the "essence" of it. Just look at
what he has done since 1991 and look at what you and I have done since 1991. To say he has accomplished that which no one else has done is an understatement. He has accomplished that which
no one else has thought of doing.
There are no words to express the sensation of seeing and hearing our Minister in person. And there
is nothing wrong with audio and video tapes. Indeed, their value is almost immeasurable. However,
there is no substitute for the written word. If you desire to grow into power and influence in this life; if
you are serious about knowing the Mind of God, you must become proficient in reading.

I feel compelled to emphasize the need to read at this point, because it is only through reading and
discussing Study Guide 19A that you will learn it contains the precise solution to any problem which
plagues you at this moment. Furthermore, upon completion of it, there will be no doubt that Minister
Farrakhan is a Divinely-Guided man. It will confirm the faith of the Believer and inspire the Believer--once and for all--to translate that faith into action.
As you read, you will see that central to Study Guide 19A is the number 12, beginning with the
meaning of "Point Number 12" of "What the Muslims Believe". {The speech contains approximately
12,000 words} Minister Farrakhan teaches us the spiritual and historical significance of the Number
12.
In Study Guide 19A, Minister Farrakhan takes us into the "Rules of Interpretation" set forth in Surah
3 of the Holy Qur'an. He discusses the Making of History (Bible, Holy Qur'an, 25,000-year cycle); the
Transmission of the Wisdom of God through human beings; the Great Trial (mishandling of knowledge); the 66-Trillion Year Fast and the Feast at its end; how and why the Knowledge of God became a Secret; the Self-Creation of the Originator, His Law of Life and Death and how He escapes
His own Law. The Minister identifies the "most mysterious force" in the Universe; explains the important difference between the Brain of God and the Mind of God; describes the origin of Thought that
gave rise to the Brain. He asks and answers the question, "Why is Jesus called the Son of God?" He
explains the name, "Adam".

He teaches of the Infinite Power of the Mind of the Creator and explains why the Universe itself cannot contain the Mind of the Creator forever; why we do not bow to or make physical images of worship; the awesome declaration of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that "God is a man"; the meaning
of "Messiah" and "Mahdi"; the meaning of "everlasting life"; the making of devil and why devil was
made.
He teaches of the Secret of God found in the woman; of the relationship between Revelations 12
and Surah 19; of the pivotal role of the woman in the closing of one world and the bringing in of another; the meaning of the biblical words, "and a virgin shall conceive".
He teaches us of the birth of Master Fard Muhammad and proves Who He is; he proves Who the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad is and tells us of his own Mission as a Witness Bearer of the Messiah.
Do you think this Study Guide might be of some interest to you? One thing is certain: It is time to end
this introduction, because it is keeping you from your studies (smile).
May Allah bless you with the Light of Understanding as you drink the pure words of Study Guide
19A.
Sister Minister Ava Muhammad February 23 1997

Minister Louis Farrakhan

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
AND THE NATION OF ISLAM
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

February 23, 1997

As-Salaam Alaikum.
Dear Believers and Students:
I am writing this letter to introduce you to Study Guide 19A, entitled, "WHO IS GOD?"
The most controversial aspect of the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhamad with respect to the
world of religion, is the fact that He claimed to have met with God in Person and to have been taught
by God in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad.
This critical point of belief of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (and those of us who
believe as He believes), was the cardinal point around which the Nation of Islam had its demise.
There were those who said the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was deceived; others said there was
an error of interpretation on His part. But the Honorable Elijah Muhammad steadfastly held the position He states in Point Number 12 of "What The Muslims Believe":

"We believe that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July,
1930; the long awaited 'Messiah' of the Christians and the 'Mahdi' of the Muslims. We believe
further and lastly that Allah is God and besides HIM there is no God and He will bring about a
universal government of peace wherein we all can live in peace together."
Some have said that near the end of His time among us, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad expressed something different with respect to Master Fard Muhammad. To my knowledge, He never
changed this cardinal point. The belief in Master Fard Muhammad was critical with Him and it became the reason for the dismissal of His son, Warith Deen Muhammad, from the mosque, the Nation
and the early rejection by the family.
There is no way one can be a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and dismiss this cardinal
principle, for if Master Fard Muhammad is not Who the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said He is, then
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is not Who we believe Him to be, and the body of knowledge He
brought should not be taken as seriously as we have taken it.
Those of us who dismissed this cardinal point of belief have seen the effect of that dismissal almost
instantly: the loss of moral strength, organization, direction, guidance, health, well-being, beautiful
appearance and the honor and prestige we gained from our own people as a result of our belief in
this cardinal principle and the actions that followed.
Certainly, the "orthodox" Islamic world does not believe as we, but the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
respects it and so do we. The knowledge in the orthodox Islamic world is a great knowledge that
should and must be respected by all; however, Allah cannot be said to have completed His Favour
on us until He gives us complete understanding of His Favour. Allah has given us a marvelous book,
the Holy Qur'an, wherein He tells us plainly,

"And none knows its interpretation save Allah. And those firmly rooted in knowledge they
say: 'We believe in it, it is all from our Lord'" (3:6)
We could not have complete understanding until He sent a Messenger with the true interpretation of
the book. Only then could we say that He completed His Favour upon us. I may give you a beautiful
automobile, but if you do not know how to drive, you might run into a brick wall and hurt yourself as
well as others. In order for my gift to be complete, I must see to it that you know how to properly us
what I have given you.
Certainly there is power in the book, for with the Holy Qur'an alone, the Muslims were able to conquer the known world and lay the base of a new world order as a sign of what was to come 1400
years later. However, we have to admit that Satan has the better hand over the world that Prophet
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was bringing in for the betterment of all human beings.
How could Allah's Favour be complete while we cannot keep Satan from overrunning the House of
Islam?
The Muslim world needs to be guided back to the path that Prophet Muhammad placed it on 1400
years ago. Thirty-two (32) times a day, we say the "Al-Fatihah", asking Allah to guide us to the
straight path, though He has already guided us there once. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him) spoke of The Mahdi, because he knew that the time would come when we would need guidance back to the straight path.
The duty of The Mahdi is to guide a people who have lost their way. Not only are we in North America lost, but the people who first received Divine Favour through the revelation of the Holy Qur'an are
lost. They, too, are looking for The Mahdi.

Who is The Mahdi? He is a man, a human being, yet in Him is the Guidance, Knowledge, Wisdom
and Power to bring religion back to its right state; to destroy the enemies of the True Path of God;
and to lay the base for the Kingdom of Islam, which Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was
appointed to give a sign of.
The very ritual of Hajj is a sign of what the world will be like in totality when The Mahdi establishes
the Kingdom of Islam. In that day, there will be no racism to corrupt the Spirit of Islam. There will be
no sexism, there will be no materialism and there will be no nationalism. All of the corrupters of the
True Spirit of Islam will be completely destroyed.
The Holy Qur'an, in its application, is preparation to live in the Hereafter. The "Hereafter" is here, on
Earth, after the destruction of the power of the wicked to interfere with the establishment of the Kingdom of Islam. In that new world, there will be no need for a law that punishes adultery, homosexuality, rape, murder, theft or any offense, because there will be no lawbreakers.
The Holy Qur'an teaches that in the Hereafter, there will be "no vain discourse", only peace. This
implies a place where there is only righteousness and complete submission to the Will of Allah, for
there is no peace without submission to His Will.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Islam as we know it will not be in the Hereafter. The principles will remain, but there will be a totally new knowledge. He said that the hereafter is a continuation of this life on the highest plane of existence. It is the life we knew before the Fall of Adam. The
One who brings about this Reality is not a prophet, He is the Manifestation of God.

We know that flesh and blood is finite, therefore we cannot worship it; we also know that flesh contains wisdom that can live far beyond the container. According to the Bible, when the body of
Prophet Elisha was set down in a grave, the bones of a long-dead soul began to move. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked me, "Do you know what that means, Brother?" I answered, "No, Sir."
He explained, "It means he ruled the hearts and minds of men from beyond the grave." Can anyone
say, with truth, that Prophet Muhammad is dead? The grave holds his remains, but he rules the
hearts and minds of men from beyond the grave.
The Wisdom that The Mahdi brings has no time limit on it. It is Eternal. The Holy Qur'an is not eternal; it carries us to the door of the Hereafter, but does not admit us in. The Holy Qur'an bears witness of its own limitation,
"Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered the hearts of men to conceive of
what lies ahead."
The Holy Qur'an cannot and does not give us that Guidance. The Mahdi brings that Guidance with
Him. He raises a Messenger and gives him Knowledge, Wisdom and the True Interpretation of the
Book that will confer Power to overcome the polytheists, no matter who is averse. All Praise is due to
Allah.
We are commanded, in the Bible, not to bow down to images or make images of God. How is it possible to make an image of God? When we worship the flesh of a person, which is finite, we are making an image of God. The flesh is the clothing that the Earth puts on the Spirit as the Spirit moves
through Eternity. The Earth itself will abide until Allah makes a new one.
In Surah 19 of the Holy Qur'an, we read of the Spirit of Allah (God) embodied in flesh, appearing to
Mary, inspiring Mary to produce a child called the "Messiah":

Then We sent to her Our Spirit and it appeared to her as a well-made man." (19:17)
Is this not what Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) saw in the cave of Hirah? He heard a
voice commanding him, "Read.", but there was no book! He said, "I cannot read." The voice spoke
again, "Read." The words commanding him to read were a sign of the book that was coming.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) looked in four directions and saw the form of a man. He
recognized the form to be Jabril, the Messenger of Allah (God). And though it was Jabril who
brought the Message, Muhammad never referred to himself as the Messenger of Jabril--he referred
to himself as the Messenger of Allah.
Once a man dressed in white came to Muhammad asking questions about religion. When Muhamad
answered the questions correctly, the man walked away. Muhammad turned to his companions and
asked, "Do you know who that was? That was Jabril." Jabril was a man who walked and talked and
sat, but he was also a man who carried a Message direct from the Lord of the worlds.
It is within this context that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad speaks of Master Fard
Muhammad, The Great Mahdi. Master Fard Muhammad is a man born of a woman; a man who
studies and prays. He is a man with Divine Wisdom, Divine Power and Divine Guidance.
Every man is born of a woman, but the Spirit of Allah (God) is Everlasting to Everlasting, and the
flesh and blood man who receives the Spirit is the Chosen One-- The Anointed One.
Master Fard Muhammad, The Great Mahdi, came to North America by Himself. He is a Master with
the Knowledge and Understanding of the root of this world. His Knowledge enables Him to uproot
this world and begin a new one. His complete understanding of our illness and the illness of the entire human family enabled Him to design a medicine to heal us. Master Fard Muhammad is the Conduit through Whom the

Message from the Lord of the worlds came to us. He is Alive and has Absolute Power to bring His
Will into fruition because His Will is in complete harmony with the Eternal Will of the Originator of the
Heavens and the Earth.
If Master Fard Muhammad is so Powerful, why does He pray? He would not have such Power if He
did not pray. Through His prayer, He draws from the Power and Creation of The Originator at the
point of its origination.
In the only picture we have of Master Fard Muhammad, we see Him reading. He gave the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad an Arabic Qur'an and said, "Read." The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, "I
can't." Master Fard Muhammad then said, "When you can read Arabic, I will give you a Qur'an written by My own hand."
Allah came to us in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad. Before Him, all we knew of Allah was
His Mercy, which we could see in His Creation, but had never experienced in our lives. Allah, in the
Person of Master Fard Muhammad, intervened in our lives. After the Coming of the Saviour, the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad never said, "I am the Messenger of Master Fard Muhammad." He said,
"I am the Messenger of Allah."
May Allah bless each of you with the light of understanding.
As-Salaam Alaikum
I Am your Brother and Servant.
Louis Farrakhan
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Servant
to the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West

WHO IS GOD?
This message was delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan at Christ Universal Temple,
Chicago, Illinois on February 24, 1991.
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, for 44 years, taught us that God is not a mystery. He is not a
spirit, He is not a spook, God is real. He is a real live human being, differing from you and me only in
that he is Supreme in Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding and Power. This is what The Honorable
Elijah Muhammad taught us.
Of course, this upset the Muslim world and it upset many of our Christian brothers and sisters: that a
Black man, born in America, born in Georgia, said that he met with God and God taught him night
and day for three and one-half years. He then went away and left him here with a Mission to raise
the Black man and woman of America up from the grave of mental death and ignorance.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was laughed at, mocked, scorned and ridiculed----but not by white
people. They did not laugh at him, they knew better. When war broke out in 1941, the President of
the United States (Franklin Roosevelt) had the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taken off of he streets
because they did not want a Black man teaching Black people the proper use of themselves. America wanted to use our bodies to prosecute a war that was not in our interests, even as President
Bush is using the bodies of Black boys and girls to prosecute a war that is not in our best interests.

This message was delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan at Christ Universal Temple,
Chicago, Illinois on February 24, 1991

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad made may ministers and sent them into the cities of America. He
produced the most disciplined, organized and progressive group of Black people ever to be seen in
the Western Hemisphere, yet he only had a fourth grade education. He taught Malcolm X, who had
an eighth grade education. With the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X confounded the scholars of the world.
Cassius Clay was just another great fighter until he met with and was taught by the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad. Then he burst onto the scene as Muhammad Ali. He was one of the greatest fighters
that ever lived, but he was a different kind of fighter; he had a message in his mind and heart. He
stood for a principle. He fought the government of the United States against the war in Vietnam, and
he prevailed. Even though he was stripped of his title, he came back to win the championship two
more times.
My point is, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had to know something to teach what he taught, to do
what he did, to live in America when Black men lost their lives for just thinking what he was bold
enough to speak.
Louis Farrakhan is known throughout the Earth and is honored and respected in many circles of our
people, but I was just a common musician. I never graduated from college, but the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad took me from there and taught me.
He is not an ordinary man, but an extraordinary man. How do you know? Wisdom is known of its
children. If you are wise, you do not produce a fool. I am the child of my father, the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad. I know no other father but him. My biological father died when I was quite young and
even before he died, I did not know him.

When I met the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I met my father. He fathered me in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He brought out of me what The Creator had put in me for the service of my
people. If I am anything of value today, it is because I had a good father, a good example and a
good teacher. And so I stand before the world today, to challenge the scholarship of the world on the
most important of all subjects: "WHO IS GOD?"
We all talk about Him, certainly we love Him and we bear witness that He is the Greatest. We live in
His Universe. There is nothing to compare with it, so there is nothing to compare with Him. But Who
is He? We want to know our Creator, we want to know God.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad stated on the back page of our newspaper (then "Muhammad
Speaks", now "The Final Call") in Point Number 12 of "What the Muslims Believe":
12. We believe that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930;
the long-awaited "Messiah" of the Christians and the "Mahdi" of the Muslims. We believe further and
lastly that Allah is God and besides HIM there is no God and He will bring about a universal government of peace wherein we all can live in peace together."
Many of the scholars of Islam have said to me, "Brother Farrakhan, why don't you take that off of the
back page?" Many of my Muslim brothers and sisters who love Allah and love Prophet Muhammad
and love the Holy Qur'an, find this unIslamic. They say, "Take it away, because Allah has never appeared in the form of any man". They say Allah is not a man, but they cannot tell us what He is.

The Scholars of the world of religion-- Jews, Christians, Muslims, whatever your religious persuasion
may be-- we have to know today Who God is that we not make a mistake and serve other than Him.
The Bible teaches us that God made man in His own image and His own likeness. It teaches us that
He breathes, sorrows, sees and hears, loves and hates. The stench of wickedness reaches His nostrils. The Bible teaches us that Abraham met Him in the plains of Mamre. Three men came to Abraham and the Bible declares that one of them was the Lord. Sarah came out of her tent and said,
"Lord, if I found favour, pass not away. Lord, if you are hungry, I will feed you. Sit down, Lord, it you
are tired." How can you feed a spirit? How can you sit down if you have nothing to sit down on? I am
not finished with the Bible. It says that Enoch walked with God. Moses walked with Him and spoke
with Him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend. All throughout the Bible, we are taught of a
man, not some spook or formless spirit.
What about the Holy Qur'an? The Holy Qur'an uses the personal pronoun "I". The "I" belongs to
whom? It uses the soft pronoun "We". Does God have associates? Does He have partners? Why
say "We"? God Himself revealed the book and knows best the language. Why did He use the language of a human being?
Who is God? The Attributes in the Holy Qur'an are not the Attributes of a Spirit, they are the Attributes of man in whom the Spirit dwells. Allah is the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Powerful, the LifeGiver, the Sustainer, the Securer, the Destroyer.

I shall never take that point from the back page of the newspaper, regardless to how many scholars
don't like it. I visited Mecca and sat with the scholars. This (Point Number 12) was the main issue we
wrangled over. When we finished, the scholars shut their mouths. They never had heard an exposition like that. What I gave to them, I am giving to you. Mecca could not defeat the argument I presented, though I am born in America and have never been taught in any Islamic school by scholars
or scientists. I was taught by the unlearned one, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Look at "Point Number 12" of "What the Muslims Believe". Why did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
make it Number 12? Why not Number 10 or Number 11? Why did he have the word "Messiah" in
quotes and bold? What is "Messiah"? Who is "Messiah"? Why did He have the word "Mahdi" in
quotes and bold? What is "Mahdi"? Who is "Mahdi"?
The word "Messiah" is well-known to Christians and Jews. The word "Mahdi" is well-known to Muslims. Why did he us those words? When you place quotations marks around a word, you sometimes
do that to draw particular attention to that word. If you italicize it or make it bold, you want it to stand
out because you are trying to suggest something to the reader. The world is looking for the return of
Jesus Christ. The Jews are looking for the "Messiah" and the Muslim world awaits the appearance of
the "Mahdi". They are all looking for a man.
If the "Messiah" comes, are you looking for a spirit to come out of a closet? You are looking for a
man. If Jesus Christ is to return, you are looking for the return of a man if flesh and blood. If you are
looking for the "Mahdi", you are looking for the coming of a man. What kind of man is He? He is an
extraordinary man, but he is a man.
Why should "Mahdi" and "Messiah" come in the form of a man? It is because man and woman have
been degraded. Man and woman have become beasts in human form. Man and woman have

degenerated. Man and woman have fallen. You don't know the resurrected man, the elevated man,
the man made in the likeness of God, the Original man. You do not know yourself, therefore, you
have to become acquainted with yourself. God sends One to you in your own form, but Mighty in
Power and Wisdom; One who not only carries Light, but is the Light.
The Bible reads, in the Book of Revelations, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,
when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished." (10:7)
"Mystery" means "that which is unknown". The Bible also declares, "God will come." Where has
He been? The Holy Qur'an speaks of the "days of Allah". Where has Allah been for all the other
days? Isn't every day His? Why is there a specific and particular reference to "days" of God?
Beloved Muslims, Surah (or Chapter) 3 of the Holy Qur'an is called "Al 'Imran": "The Family of Amran". In Verse 6 of Surah 3, Allah reveals to us the rules of interpretation for His book. Every person
who has some degree of love and scholarship will want to read the Bible and the Holy Qur'an and
will try to interpret such magnificent books. Allah (God) does not want you to be one to mislead yourself or mislead the people, so He gives us rules governing the interpretation of His Word:
"He it is Who has revealed the Book to thee; some of its verses are decisive --- they are the
basis of the Book --- and others are allegorical. Then those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (their own interpretation). And none knows its interpretation save Allah. And those firmly rooted in knowledge {They say:} We believe in it, it is all from our Lord. And none mind except men of understanding."

Allah (God) does not want us to give His Word our own interpretation. We who study the word have
to restrain ourselves from trying to give His Word our own interpretation. Why?
It takes more than just going to theology school to interpret the Word of God. To interpret God's
Word, you have to get up into His Mind and you cannot get there, except by His Permission. You
cannot play Beethoven well if you do not study Beethoven. Before attempting to play Beethoven's
Fifth Symphony", it would be wise to study the man who wrote it. When you study the composer, you
study the condition he was in when he wrote. You become one with his mind, one with his spirit,
every nuance in it; you can feel it and then you can make Beethoven live, even though Beethoven is
dead.
You cannot interpret the Wisdom of God until God brings you into oneness with Him. Only then will
you begin to know Him in a hint; know Him in a sign; but how many of us are like that? Of course,
the vain among us will think and say, "I am" and the foolish among us will say, "Me, too." But "fools
rush in where wise men fear to tread" and interpreting the Word of God is a fool's paradise. A wise
man will step back from that because it is dangerous to play with God or with His Word. To deceive
people and mislead people in the Name of God is a dangerous thing to do.
After Allah (God) gives us rules for interpretation, He says, "And none knows its interpretation save
Allah." Allah is the Only One Who knows the hidden meaning of His own Word. {The scholar says}
"those firmly rooted in knowledge say, 'We believe in it, it is all from our Lord.' And non mind except
men of understanding."

When I was in Mecca, the scholars, in their closing statement to me, said, "Brother Farrakhan, when
you get sick, you go to a doctor. You do not tell the doctor what is wrong with you, you ask the doctor to tell you what is wrong. When you are not knowledgeable, you come to the scholars and ask
the scholars, that they may teach you." And I responded, "Who are the scholars?... The doctors
don't live any longer than their patients. I cannot trust the doctors' advice. It appears to me the scholars of religion are the ones who have ruined the world of religion. It seems to me, from my understanding of the Book---and you must bear with me, because I am just a child in this, but I am not a
foolish child":
"Satan said to Allah, 'Because you have caused me to remain disappointed, I am going to come after them (meaning your people) in Your straight path. I will come from before them, behind them,
from their left side and from their right side. You will not find most of them thankful. I will make all of
them deviate.' Allah said to Satan, 'Whosoever follows you, I will certainly fill hell with you all.' In another place in the Holy Qur'an, Allah says, 'You will get all except my purified ones.'"
I know we all think we are the purified ones. We would not like to believe that Satan has us in his hip
pocket right now, with our crosses around our necks and our Bibles in our hands; our crescents and
stars on our shoulders and our bow ties or long white robes. We would not like to believe that Satan
got us.
I said to the scholars, "Every time the prophet of God came, when that prophet left, Satan came and
divided the prophet's community. Is the Muslim community divided? Are you at odds among yourselves? Why, then, should I follow you? Show me the proof of your scholarship." That is the way we
left it.

I did not go to Mecca to follow them. I did not go there looking for an agenda; I had one when I left. I
had one when I came back. Allah (God) does not want us following anyone today but Him. He does
not want us worshipping anyone today but Him. God and God Alone has come to be our Leader,
Teacher and Guide. Only those who submit their will entirely to do the Will of God will be successful
teachers of the people. Only those who bow down and humble themselves and refrain from trying to
make themselves more than they really are would be successful teachers of the people today.
God is setting down all false leaders--- no, not setting them down, hurling them down, throwing them
down. Everybody you want to worship as a god beside Him--- He will destroy them to show you that
none today is worthy of worship but God. That brings us back to the question, Who is He?
He answered the question in "Point Number 12". Earlier I asked, "Why 'Point Number 12?'" It is a
very significant number. We have twelve (12) signs in the Universe. There are twelve (12) inches on
a ruler and the ruler enables us to draw a straight line. We want to go straight today. We have been
crooked so long, but we cannot go straight until we have a ruler that will give us a straight line to follow.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad chose "Point Number 12" to introduce the New Ruler. The white
man is not going to be a permanent ruler. He will be set down by God. All of the rulers of the world
are to be set down. Isn't that what your Bible teaches? Why put your trust in Bush? Don't put your
trust in Saddam Hussein. Don't put your trust in King Fahd. Don't put your trust in Don Xi Ping.

You had better look for the New Ruler and make a straight way to Him, because all the others are
going to be set down. In fact, America is boasting now---you notice how chesty she's become. America says, "In just a matter of days, we'll knock off Saddam and we are going to set up a New World
Order." Not you, Mr. Bush. You are not the one to set up the New World Order; you are so ingrained
in the old order and if you do not make a change quickly, you are going out with the old order. But
you do not see it. You are just like Pharaoh, proud and arrogant. Your arrogance has blinded you to
your own destruction. You have been pulled into something that is bigger than yourself, so be careful, Mr. Bush. It looks easy, doesn't it, Mr. Bush? Keep going---keep going.
"Who do you think you are, Mr. Farrakhan, talking like that to the President of the United States?" I
am just one who has met with One bigger than the President of the United States, and if he isn't
careful, we will be here, but he don't. "Are you threatening?" No, no, no. I am saying no more than
Moses and Aaron said to Pharaoh.
There is another Power on the scene today. I am here today to acquaint you with that New Power,
so you don't have to quake when Mr. Bush calls. You can tell him, "I am not answering my phone today." When he calls for you to send your sons and daughters into the (Persian) Gulf, tell him, "Not
now. This is not my war." The white man taught us, "thou shall not kill when we were thinking about
killing him. "Thou shall not kill" is all right in Mississippi, where we can't kill the lynchers, the burners,
the rapers and robbers of our mothers and fathers. Then "thou shall not kill" is fine in Saudi Arabia
and Iraq, because Saddam Hussein never called me "nigger".

Saddam Hussein hasn't done anything to me or you and he has not harmed one American. All he
did was try to take back what was originally his. President Bush knows he (Bush) was wrong when
he said his cause was just and morally right. This is only phase one of a battle of a war that has
started, which is the War of Armageddon. The war you see going on in the East will engulf the whole
Earth. You will see it--it will not be long-how he loves to bomb the cities.
I want to acquaint you with the New Ruler. A new world is coming, a better world is coming. You
have been praying for it, my Christian brothers and sisters: "Thy Kingdom come, They Will be done,
on Earth even as it is in Heaven." It is on its way now and Bush is not the head of it. The Messiah,
The Mahdi--God is the Head of the new government.
The Holy Qur'an and the Bible are two wonderful and magnificent books. The Bible is the base of the
Christian and Jewish world. The Holy Qur'an is the base of the world of Islam. These books are
called "scripture". Moses and Jesus brought a 'scripture'. The Holy Qur'an is a 'scripture', although it
is called a 'book'.
The word scripture means it is part of a great writing that is bigger than the book. The book is just a
part of it revealed by chosen servants of God. They did not write it, they revealed it and there is a difference.
Muhammad had nothing to do with writing the Qur'an and Moses had nothing to do with writing the
Torah, nor did Jesus have anything to do with writing the Gospel. These are men to whom God revealed His Word; the Word He revealed to these great men were a part of a big book--written by
whom?

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has pointed out to us the Book of Revelation, Chapter 5. There
was a man sitting on a throne-- not a spook, a man. There were twenty-four (24) elders seated
around that throne and the twenty-four (24) were lamenting. They were weeping because the one
who sat on the throne had a book in his hand, but no one in the heavens or earth was worthy to
come and take the book out of his hand.
They were searching for who would come when there came a Lamb as though it had been slain from
the foundation of the world. The Lamb took the book out of the hand of him that sat on the throne
and opened it. The book had seven seals and he began to break the seals. As he began to loose the
seals of the book, the twenty-four (24) began to praise God. The twenty-four (24) then took off their
crowns and cast them at the foot of the Lamb, saying,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing." (5:12)
Who is the Lamb and what kind of book was that he took from him that sat on the throne, when even
the twenty-four (24) that attended the throne could not receive? Who are the twenty-four (24) elders
found in the Book of Revelation? How do the twenty-four (24) elders square with "Us" in the Bible
and "We" in the Holy Qur'an? Who is the "us" and who is the "we"? Since God is One and has no
associates or partners, who is "we"?
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that there are twenty-four (24) wise men (scientists) who
do the work of producing Bible and Qur'an. He said we make History {or Bible or Qur'an} to equal the
circumference of our home (Earth): one year for each mile. So the book that is written contains
twenty-five thousand (25,000) years of history written in advance.

There are twelve (12) major scientists and twelve (12) minor scientists. Back to the Number 12
again. Whenever the time comes for a certain part of the writing to be fulfilled, one of the major scientists will speak to someone among the people. He will reveal to that person a part of the writing
(scripture) and give him an assignment or mission. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that He
Who rules that cycle of History is called"The Supreme Being". "Supreme" means "highest"; "being"
means "that which is".
Anything that exists, exists in one of three stages: liquid, solid or gas. We do not see God as liquid
and we do not see Him as gas. Some of the old writers called Him, "The Rock of Ages". You can
stand on Him, depend upon Him. He is solid. If He is solid, He must be animate or inanimate. We do
not look at God as an inanimate object. We see Him full of life and spirit: A Life-Giver. We have to
say He is animate. "Animate" means He is either animal, plant or human. We do not speak of God
as a plant, even though some describe Him as the "Rose of Sharon" and the "Lilly of the valley". We
do not speak of God as vegetable, but we do speak of Him in terms of the animal kingdom.
In the animal kingdom, we have the lowest form and the highest manifestation. The highest manifestation in the animal kingdom is man or woman, male and female. Why is God a "he"? Why can't God
be "she"?
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that before the making of Moon, we used to write history
every thirty-five thousand (35,000) years, for the Moon at that time was a part of the Earth. Those
who sent their contraption up to the Moon brought back samples of rock and they smelled an odor
that smelled like gunpowder.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that the Earth and the Moon was once one planet; but,
one of our scientists wanted the entire planet to speak the same dialect. He could not enforce his
will, so he drilled a shaft into the part of Earth then called Moon; filled it with high explosives and set
if off. It proved to be a great test of wisdom, for the part called Moon was shot out twelve thousand
(12,000) miles into space and fell thirty-six thousand (36,000) miles from its original pocket. As it was
turning over, all the water on Moon fell to this part of Earth.
We now have an Earth that is three-quarters (3/4) water and one-quarter (1/4) land, and a Moon with
craters that once held water. There is no water on the Moon but the Moon is constantly trying to get
back what it lost, so it pulls on the waters of the Earth. The woman's cycle is like the Moon. We will
get to this in a second; I want to talk about the woman.
Brothers and sisters, this may sound strange to you, but the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us
that it has been sixty-six trillion (66,000,000,000,000) years since the knowledge of God was made
known to the public. Before that, the public knew God and knew the Reality of God. But since that
time, God hid His Face from humanity and has remained a secret. It is the most carefully guarded of
all secrets: The Knowledge of God. Why would God hide Himself from human beings?
Long before there was a white man on this Earth, we had problems with ourselves. I do not want you
to think the white man is the source of all of our problems. The source of all our problems is a problem within Self. The problem within Self is the negative side of the original life and it became manifest when one of our own scientists became frustrated that he could not force his will on the people
and decided to destroy the whole human family. It was then that God hid Himself from man until the
proper time.

The scripture says, "in the fullness of time, He came." The scripture says, "After the workings of Satan, God comes."
There is a problem in us, original people, and God would not come and show Himself and make
Himself manifest until everything in us was fully exposed to us. Then, when we are fully exposed and
all of our weaknesses made manifest, the human being could be perfected. Only then can you make
a perfect human being. In the scriptures, Jesus says, "Be ye perfect as I am perfect." But there was
no perfection until the Coming of this Person that the Bible calls Jesus and the Qur'an calls Muhammad. Allah says, in the Holy Qur'an,
"This day have I perfected for you your religion" {your nature, your being}" and I have chosen for you
Islam as your religion."
The Muslims say to the Christians, "If you don't accept Islam, we are through with you, because the
Qur'an says you have to accept Islam." Muslims, it means that all of us must accept religion, not in
name, but we must all bow down and submit our will to do the Will of God, or we will never be accepted by God. You and I are not equal to God; we don't know what He knows, therefore He demands of us obedience.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Muslims and Christians have been at odds with each other over Jesus
and the concept of God. We want to try and straighten all of this out with the Help of God.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that God Himself is not begotten. The Christians say,
"God had a son from a virgin." Don't be angry with me. This is our teaching, but do we understand
it? Virgins do not conceive. If a virgin conceives, she is no longer a virgin.

But the scriptures say, "And a virgin shall conceive." How did she conceive? The scriptures say,
"The Holy Ghost came upon her." It uses the word, "upon". Who is the Holy Ghost? Your daughter
better not come home to you and tell you she was walking by the church and a ghost came out and
that is why she is pregnant, some body caused it. You don't say something caused it, you say somebody, because in order to create life there must be the germ and the sperm of life. The sperm of life
is always carried in the male.
God, in the beginning, allowed everything to create after its own kind. If a ghost had a baby, the
baby would have to be a ghost. Since the baby was a human being of flesh and blood, and the
mother carried it in the womb, with fainting and pain for nine months, you have to bear witness there
was a father there, It is written in your Bible, but very subtly:
"Concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh, And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness" {Romans 1:
2,3}
Joseph was of the lineage of David. Any father can produce flesh and blood, but only God can make
a prophet. Only God can father the mind into the spirit of righteousness. No earthly father can give
you that. No earthly father can pass that on; that comes from your growth into the Mind, Wisdom and
Will of God. Jesus is called the "Son of God", but not because God was in Palestine getting little virgin girls pregnant. Reverend, that is the wrong way to understand the scriptures.

The Jews knew Jesus and the Jews asked, "Is this the carpenter's son?" God is not a carpenter. He
is the Master Builder. They said to Jesus, "We are not born of fornication." There were some extenuating circumstances around the birth of Jesus, like there are extenuating circumstances around most
of our births. The Bible says, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" The world is asking today,
"Can anything good come up out of Black people?" The world is going to be shocked when it finds
out what is coming up out of this Nazareth. I am trying to keep these points tied together.
I want to go back to God being "not begotten." The Holy Qur'an says, "He begets not, nor is He begotten." The Muslims say this is why God could never be a human being, because all human beings
are "begotten".
I want you to follow this very carefully. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that before there
was a sun, moon and star, before there was light, God was Self-Created. God created Himself out of
the material of darkness. Before there was anything there was darkness, but it was a substantive
darkness. What we see at night is not real darkness--it is called the absence of light because we are
just in the shadow of the Earth. We live in a Universe of Light, where once there was total darkness.
But matter was in the darkness. Even though matter was in the darkness, it is considered nothing,
because it was without aim and purpose, Anything without aim and purpose is considered nothing.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that electricity is the most mysterious force because no
one knows its origin. When you have electricity and matter in the darkness, you can produce the first
germ of life. Whatever happened with electricity and matter, the first atom of life sparked in the darkness. There is intelligence in the life-germ. Our own beginning bears witness to the beginning of the
Universe. The very secret of how the Universe began is wrapped up in how you and I began.

You don't know the Universe, because you don't know God, because you don't know yourself.
Look at the sperm. There is intelligence in the sperm; it knows exactly what it want to do: it goes
straight for the egg; that is intelligence. The sperm does not have a brain, but it has a head and a
tail. When the sperm makes contact, it's the first cell of life. That cell starts looking for a firm resting
place, then it builds a clot. There is intelligence in that clot. Then the cells produce brain. That's the
firs thing formed in the new life. Without a head, you don't need arms. The thing that is going to direct the arms has to be first. It is the head that calls the arms and feet into existence.
This is why the white man works to destroy your leaders. Without a head, you cannot call a body into
existence. That is why you are always without organization: you never have leadership. Your leadership comes up and when they spot it as good leadership, they wipe it out.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that God had to develop brain in order to think through
darkness. It took pain and eons of time for God to build Himself up in the darkness. He was Light of
Himself and had Light in Himself. Since the basis of His Life is electricity, He had Light in Himself.
From His own Brain, He envisioned Sun and then called it into existence.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said Allah formed Himself--not from a mother, but out of the dark
womb of space. Space and the darkness of it became His womb and He came out of that darkness.

Then, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said before there was Sun, there was a Woman. Allah came
out of the womb of darkness with a womb within Himself. Every man has a woman in him. If you notice, the male has the X and Y chromosome, which has the male and female part. The female has
the X chromosome. As Allah came out of that womb--the Holy Qur'an calls it "triple darkness"--He
had a womb within Himself. He studied Himself and from Himself He fashioned Woman. She is His
First Act of Creation.
This is why you don't understand the woman and you cannot deal with a woman; you think she is a
man's woman. She is the Woman of God.
Women are fascinated with men who are doing things; men who are going places; because they are
born from a God Who did things. Women do not like to be saddled down with a man who is going
nowhere and doing nothing and is without an aim and a purpose.
The Holy Qur'an teaches, "From a single essence, He created the male and the female and from
them, many men and women." The "single essence" is God Himself. You are born out of the very
Nature of God.
The woman is made after the womb out of which God created Himself, and in the woman is
the Secret of God.
The reason you are far away from God is because of your attitude toward women. You will never
find God and you will never grow to honor God, as long as you are a mistreater and disrespecter of
women. The woman is the secret and she contains the secret. In the Bible, Sampson put it in crude
language, saying, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have learned the secret of
my riddle." The riddle has been with God, but the secret of the riddle is in woman, and unless and
until we become better acquainted with who she is, you may never see who you are.

In the 12th Chapter of the Book of Revelation, there is an extraordinary woman:

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven -- a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." (12:1)
John the Revelator saw her running in the wilderness; he saw the dragon standing before the
woman as she was about to give birth to a man-child---a child who would rule the nations with a rod
of iron. But the dragon stood ready to devour the baby as soon as it was born.
In the Gospels, King Herod stood ready to devour Jesus as soon as he was born, forcing Jesus'
mother, Mary, to flee with her baby out of Palestine into Egypt, Africa. The mother of Jesus was an
African woman. I don't know why you are looking for a white Jesus when his mother was an African
woman. The Bible describes Jesus as having "hair like lamb's wool" and "feet like brass burned in an
oven". You are looking for the wrong Jesus.
There are three (3) points I would like to make and the first point is that God made Himself up out of
matter, so He is material, yet spiritual. Allah (God) says in the Holy Qur'an, "I give life and I cause
death." God Himself set up the Law of Life and Death. How, then, did He escape the law He set up
for everything? He is called the "Ever-Living"; no death comes to God. How could that be?
You who are electricians, you put copper wire in as a transmitter of current, or electricity. The current
is greater than that which is transmitting it. The copper can wear out. When the copper wears out,
the electricity is suspended until you get another transmitter to transmit that current.

God conveys His Spirit in the human form. This is the best form. There is no form better that the human form. It is not perfect, but its is a good conveyer of the Spirit of God.
This Universe is material, but the essence of the Universe is spiritual. The core of the Sun is not fire;
the core of the Sun is the thought projected by the Will of God which forms the Sun. When you look
at the Sun and are warmed by the Sun; that is a blessing. But to understand why God made Sun,
you have to go into the Mind of God, for His Mind is at the core of what He created. But if you do not
pierce the veil of the physical, you will never find the essence.
This is why we don't know each other until we are gone. You did not know Dr. Martin Luther King or
the Honorable Marcus Garvey until they were gone. You didn't know Jesus until he was gone. Why?
The physical is a veil that covers the essence of the person, but when the veil is taken away, you
can come to grips with the essence of what makes that person who and what he is.
I am not Louis, that is the name my mother gave me. I am a vessel. I was not made by my mother, I
came through my mother. My origination is God. You know what I look like, but you don't know me. I
know what you look like, but I don't know you. In order to know me, you have to look beyond the way
I am fashioned. You have to look into me and when you look into me, you will find the same that is in
you and that is God.
He is called the "Ever-Living", Who never dies. The body goes back to the Earth, but God never
dies. There is always another form coming up that will allow Him to transmit His Knowledge, Wisdom
and Power through that physical form. He is not a spook or a spirit; He looks like you and me. But
we are not allowed to have His picture and Moses taught that we should not make any images or
statues of God. Why? Because the image will change, but the Wisdom of God will never change.

So you must never have a picture of God, because the body will only last so long, but God is Forever. Don't make any images or statues and don't bow down to any image, because no image or
likeness of God is worthy to be worshipped-- not the flesh, because the flesh is finite. The flesh is not
God, but it is of God. God can dwell in this house. Don't get excited, Muslims; the Ka'bah at Mecca is
made of stone and it is called the House of God, but God doesn't live there. You call Christ Universal
Temple the House of God, but God doesn't live here. The human body is God's House.
Allah (God) can dwell in you, if you will open up and let Him come in. If you will let His Wisdom come
in, then act on that Wisdom and grow into Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding until you are able
to exercise Power in His Name, that is God walking in you, God talking through you, God living in
you; then there is nothing in existence but God.
Where, then, did the Devil come from? If God created everything, did He create the Devil? Since
nothing has been in existence except what God brought into existence, where did the Devil come
from? God brought the Devil into existence!" You say, "I can't see a Good God bringing a devil into
existence!" You re being emotional. God knows more than you.
Why did God let it happen? Let's question Him; He can speak. "God, why did you make a devil?"
Ask Him, He will tell you. You want to know, "Why are You letting this man drop bombs and kill so
many people and do all these things? Don't You have power to stop this?" He says, "Yes, I do. But I
am working out your Salvation. The Devil is part of your Salvation."

Are you surprised? You will remember that I spoke about the original scientist who tried to blow up
the planet Earth. That is the way white people think right now. Those who are in power---if they are
unable to stay in power-- will kill everybody. Why would they have enough atomic weapons to kill
every person on Earth a hundred times over? It is because they are thinking, "If I am going to be
taken out of power, I am going to take everybody out of here." They won't be able to do it, but that's
their thinking. Some of you are like that.
Some of you become possessed with power. Some of you get possessed of a man or a woman. "If I
can't have him, I ain't gonna let nobody get him. I'll kill him first." Or, "She ain't leaving me. I will kill
her, then kill myself." What makes you like that? What drives you like that?
You become frustrated and disappointed and in that disappointment, you don't handle it well. It
drives you to insanity, then you want to kill somebody. That's how a devil is made. It starts with a
wrong thought coming up in your brain. God took the wrong thing in the original Man and gave it
form and expression and power to rule. "Oh, Brother Farrakhan, I can't believe that." Then open the
Holy Qur'an.
Allah says, in the second chapter, "I am going to place a ruler in the Earth", and the angels say,
"What will you place in it, except that which will create mischief and cause the shedding of blood?"
Allah said, "I know what you know not."

Some scholars take the writing and say that God is going to place a temporary God into power, but
one that will create mischief and cause the shedding of blood. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
said that it represents the Caucasian rulership. It has been a mischiefmaking rulership that has shed
the blood of every member of the human family. It has destroyed not only human life, but animal,
plant, sea and all life. He is called the blood-shedder in the Book of Revelation, but God gave him
that right. For what purpose? So you could see all that is in yourselves. You are your own worst enemy.
Did you know that the Caucasian only brought out of us what was in us? You cannot say the Caucasian made you a homosexual. He brought out of you what was in you. All of the trouble we are in,
that is the trouble that was in us and he drew it out with his contrary way of civilization. We have a
problem and that problem means we have to be saved.
That is why Jesus is so important in the Bible; because he is born to save the people from their sins.
He is born of a woman; a virgin.
Let us return to Revelation 12 -- a woman clothed in the Sun. It could mean that she is pregnant, but
it could also mean that she is wrapped in Divine Light. She has twelve (12) stars in her crown. It
could mean that the twelve (12) major scientists have approved of this woman being in heaven.
Standing on the Moon means that she is standing on the word of the prophets. A woman would
come forward, and through that woman a child would be born and that child would be Messiah; that
child would be Mahdi. That child would manifest the Presence of God coming from a woman. That
woman is styled in the Holy Qur'an as Maryam, or Mary.

The Holy Qur'an says of Mary, she was honored "above all women". A whole surah (chapter) is
given in honor of her name. Not the mother of Prophet Muhammad, not the mother of Abraham, not
the mother of David, but the mother of Jesus. Sisters, Mary is a prototype of you. If you look at the
"Marys" that were around Jesus when he went to the cross, there were six (6) women around him.
The women never failed Jesus, but all the men except John walked out on Jesus. When he went to
the cross, women ministered to him all the way.
What is there in a woman when she knows and recognizes a man of God? That woman will move
heaven or hell to back that man of God. What is it in woman that makes her so faithful? What is it in
men that makes them so fickle?
Brothers, as men, we are creatures of power. God put it in our essence that we demand power and
rule. Even when there is another man exercising power, we will walk with that man, but sometimes
with the mindset, "I am better than he is, if I could just overthrow him, I'll be the one." You don't ever
read of women walking with divine men plotting to overthrow them. When they recognize God in the
man, they have found what they are looking for and they walk with God in that man. But a man
wants to be on the same level with another man, therefore he will betray you. He will undermine, plot
and scheme on you.
The disciples of Jesus argued among themselves about who would be uppermost in the Kingdom:
"Will I sit at the right? Will I sit at the left?" The women said nothing. All they wanted to know was
where the Master walked.

There were several named Mary who walked with him. Each one of those Marys is a "type" of you
(Black woman). There was a Mary who was a "low-life" woman and there are some like that in here.
But when you meet Jesus, like that Mary met the Master, she came up out of that low life and
walked with that Divine man. There was Mary, his mother, a holy woman, and there are some of you
like that in this audience. Every one of those Marys is a type of the different qualities and characteristics in women. The woman is the key to a new world order. The woman is the Key to the Kingdom
of God.
The whole world is looking for Jesus, the Messiah and the Muslim world is looking for the Mahdi.
Where will they show up?
Beloved, Master Fard Muhammad was born February 26, 1877 in the Holy City of Mecca. His father
was one of the twelve (12) majors scientists and His mother was a woman from the Caucasus
mountains. He was a specially made man to go after the lost sheep. The lost sheep were Black people lost among white people.
To all white people who are listening via satellite and who may be here in this audience, you must be
made to understand your nature. You are made from the opposite side of God to manifest what is in
all of us. You were to serve a Divine Purpose. Now that purpose which the evil in white people was
to serve is over, because the evil in them manifested fully the range of evil in us.
Jesus said you cannot put new wine in an old wine skin, lest the skin break and the wine spill out.
You cannot put the Wisdom that God wants to put in you until you undergo something that will make
you a perfected vessel for His Glory.

Master Fard Muhammad had to have a color that would allow Him to get in among white people and
not be discovered. The scripture says He came "as a thief in the night". He came "without observation". He came "in sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh". His mother was a Caucasian woman.
Why a white woman? Now, don't you Black men get crazy and run out of here and get a white
woman; the purpose has already been fulfilled.
You remember the story of Jesus casting seven (7) devils out of a Woman. This was a "wonder in
heaven", this woman from the Caucasus mountains. She was approved by the scientists to give birth
to a son. The father would anoint the son, but the son would grow to be greater than the one who
anointed him. The father would send the son, but the son would be greater than the one that sent
him.
Master Fard Muhammad was born with the capacity to understand the mysteries of the Universe.
How is He born to understand the mysteries of the Universe? He was called into existence by The
Originator. When The Originator wanted to perfect His Universe, its perfection had to wait until one
was born with a perfect knowledge of how to perfect the imperfect.
This young child was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. He grew in Wisdom and Power. At the age of six
(6), He saw Himself pushing the Fords, the DuPonts and the Rockefellers into a lake of fire. At six
(6) years of age, He came into the Knowledge of Who He was.
Today, they start your little children in school at six (6), but if you train them right from the cradle, at
six (6) they will know exactly what they are born to do. You train your children all wrong, feeding
them lies instead of Truth. Feeding them foolish fairy tales, making them think bunnies talk; that rats
and pigs and wolves talk. You are killing your babies' minds with fairy tales. Feed your baby on truth
and one day your baby will become a Master of Truth.

We are not born into the Brain of God, we are born into the Mind of God. Mind is not brain and brain
is not mind. Brain is the source of mind. Brain is the root of mind. Brain is the repository of electrical
energy. Brain is a transmitter and a receiver. If it receives right, it will transmit right. What you see
out here is not the Brain of God. You are born into God's Mind. Everything you see came out of His
Mind, therefore, if you feed on His Mind you can grow into His Mind.
In the Holy Qur'an, the name given to the temporary ruler, called Adam, is "Khalif". The word "Khalif"
means "he who supplies the place of another who has perished or died. The successor to and the
deputy of." Man is the deputy of God.
Does God die? Only the physical. When the physical goes, another one stands and the Wisdom
comes right through that one; that one is deputized to carry out the Wisdom of the Originator. The
Will of the Originator is carried out by men who live and die. You don't know their names. You don't
know their faces. Their names and faces are irrelevant. There is only one Do-er in this Universe and
that is God. He is the Only Reality. There is no other Reality but God.
You say, "Satan is a reality." Yes, but it is God acting through the left side. The scriptures say that
God has a right hand, but He also has a left hand. Satan is a left-handed expression. He is the
negative side of the original nature. He is the misuse of power, knowledge, sex, water, air and fire.
He uses power from God on the negative side. God's Coming is after the workings of Satan. This
child born in Mecca was born to overturn Satan's world. He was born to destroy it. He was born to
discover it at the foundation, expose it and uproot it, leaving neither root nor branch. He was born of
woman, but born to rule:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his
shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government of peace there shall be not
end." (Isaiah 9:6,7)
How is He going to make Himself manifest? He grows and He becomes the Power. He knows how
to destroy. He knows how to govern creation. He can give life and cause death. He is Beneficent
and Merciful, but He is a human being.
The scriptures say He came "without observation". In Habakkuk, it reads, "God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran." (3:3) Mount Paran is in Arabia. Teman is in Arabia. "Teman"
is a man from man. Teman was one of the sons of Adah. So if He came from Teman, one of the
sons of Adah, then He is the son of a man. Any your Bible reads, "And the Son of Man will come."
Not son of spirit, the Son of man.
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered
together." (Matthew 24:27,28)

The symbol of America is the eagle. She has flown higher than any other bird. She has ascended
above the clouds yet the scriptures say "I will bring you down to the sides of the pit to hell." This enemy has become more powerful than any other nation on the Earth in the annals of the last six thousand (6,000) years of history. She is powerful. How did she become powerful? She killed off the Native Americans; she brought our fathers out of Africa and robbed us totally of the knowledge of self.
She sold the people of God---not for a decade, not for a century, but for four centuries. God said, "I,
even I, will search the Earth for my sheep that is lost and I will bring my sheep again." Here we are,
the lost people, the lost sheep, the lost tribe. Lost in America, lost in the way of white people.
All in Adam died and we died in the way of white people. You are not a living Black man and woman,
you are considered a dead Black man and a dead Black woman. You are no longer what you once
were and you need to be raised to life. But who can give you life? He said, 'I am the Resurrection
and the life. If you believe in me, even though you are dead, yet shall you live'---I am a human being.
I am the 'Light of the world' -- I am a human being. I am the 'Good Shepherd' --- a human being. I am
the 'Bread of Life'-- a human being.
Messiah, Mahdi -- He came to North America by Himself. He had no associates. He came alone.
He came to seek and to save what was lost. He found one man among us. He was like a ghost.
People saw him but did not know who he was. You sing it in the church, "Sweet
little Jesus boy, born in a manger. Sweet little Jesus boy, I didn't know who you were." The
Bible puts it like this, "And the light shined in the darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not.
He came unto his own, but his own received him not." We did not know, but He came. God came to
you --- to visit you.

Who are we that God would visit us? We are the people of His choice. We are the stone that the
builder rejected. God now wants to make us the headstone of the corner. Who are we? We are that
foolish people God would make into the wisest that ever lived. God said, "I have come to be your
God and you My people and I will put My Mind and My Spirit and My Will into you. When the people
want to find God, they will have to find Me among you.; Yes, you are the people that are going to
produce the Jesus the whole world is looking for. It's you.
You ask, "How do you mean we are going to produce the Jesus?" He was born of a virgin and you
are a virgin people. You know that "virgin" territory is territory not cultivated, not developed. You are
the most uncultivated, undeveloped, wild and crazy people in the world today. You are a virgin {you
can never say you met a man}. If you met a man, where are your men? If you meet a man, he will
make a man.
The reason we are in this condition is because we are not men. A man does not beg another man
for a job. A man will get up and make a job for himself. A man doesn't beg another man to give him
rights. A man will take the rights that God has given him. The white man cannot give you rights, God
has already given us rights. Stand up like a man and let us take the rights that belong to us.
You (Black people) are a virgin. If you met a man, you could produce one. The "Holy Ghost" came
under the cover of darkness and you became pregnant with a Servant of God.
That little man, Elijah Muhammad, frightened all of us. He was a man of God, made, fashioned,
taught, molded and shaped by God. Now he is gone, but he would not leave you comfortless. To
prove that he is exactly who we say he is, he made one. I am not of his physical bloodline, I am from
his mind and heartline. He made me for you and there is no doubt about it. There is not another
Black man on Earth today that is confronting this beast like Louis Farrakhan. Who made me like
this?

I do not say the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is dead, if He is the Messiah and I believe He is. I am
a witness that He is the Messiah. I don't say He is dead. The Messiah escaped death. They thought
they got him. You say, "Well, there was a funeral." Sure, there was, and there is a death certificate.
There is a coffin and a body in it. Sure there is. It is easy for God to fool a fool. You ask, "Why would
God do a thing like that?"
The Holy Qur'an said he was made to appear as though He was dead, but Allah (God) raised him to
Himself, exalted him to Himself. When he was seen, he looked like he was slain from the foundation
of the world, because he was in bad shape when he got to the throne. But he was able to take the
book out of the hand to Him that sat on the throne.
That which you call "Unidentified Flying Objects"; that which you and white people put "Above Top
Secret": that is real. There is a plane out there made like a wheel. Ezekiel saw it five hundred and
fifty (550) years before Jesus was born. A wheel in the middle of the air, run by the Grace of God,
with "eyes" all around it, meaning with people in it. It is not from another planet. It is made by the
Son of man to destroy this world. It is up there now, forty (40) miles above us. It is like a city in the
sky. "And I saw as it was a city come down from heaven." It has 1500 little planes on it. They follow
me everywhere I go. You can take it or leave it. I am not trying to impress you.
I know the Power that is behind that wheel and the Power of the wheel is the Power that Guides me.
I am not before you of myself. I am a Guided man. That's why the white man is tearing his hair out,
because he has plotted against me at every turn, but he can't seem to get me. Maybe God will deliver me into your hands to deliver me from your hands.

Brothers and sisters, don't you fear this man. There is a Power today bigger than Bush. There is a
Power today on the scene. He is not to come, He is Real, He is Alive and He is in Power. It is not
Saddam Hussein or Bush, it's God.
God has it locked up. He is controlling it all. Don't be afraid, because the white man's day to rule is
over. God has come to end his rule and He is going to make you into a giant and give you the Kingdom. That is what they know and what they are trying to keep from you. They are tricking you night
and day; filling our young people with drugs and alcohol and foolishness, so that you will blow your
Salvation.
Wake up, Black man and woman. I don't have long to be among you. I don't see death coming, but a
time has come now for me to stop talking, because I have been a Faithful Warner to you and I will
not stop talking because I don't love you. It's just that the Power that is behind me is pulling me in,
because you have not acted like you should have acted. You have turned to be a vicious people
against yourselves.
You have become your number one killers. You don't love your woman, you rape her. You make a
cheap prostitute out of her. So, God is angry, because you know better. As it is written in the scriptures, God sent a Son of man down among the dry bones in the valley and the Son of man spoke
the Word of God to the bones. The bones began rattling and shaking in the valley. The Word of God
responds to your nature's call and need. Wherever Farrakhan goes, they come by the thousands.
They hear and enjoy, but Farrakhan is not an entertainer.
I am not here for you to applaud and say things like, "Go head man, rap!" No. Jesus said it like this,
"I piped to you all the day long, but you have not danced." I have mourned to you, but you have not
lamented." You are not in harmony with God. You hear the word while you sport and play. You
"boogie" and you party.

After this lecture is over, you will go and get your reefer. You will fade into the night and get some
crack, snort some coke, chase some brother or sister. You liked the message, but did you like it
enough to choose the New Ruler and draw a straight line with your life? He will make the crooked
things straight and the rough places plain. He will exalt the valley. Will you allow God to exalt you?
Will you allow Him to take the crookedness out of you and me? Will you allow God to purify you and
make you a perfect vessel for that revealed word to come to you? Will you allow Him to make you
what you once were, before your fall? Will you allow Him to do this?
When the Son of man could not get the bones to act right, He went back to the Lord and said, "Lord,
they are not responding well." The Lord said {in words}, "Don't talk to them anymore, talk to the
winds and let the winds blow on these slain of God." After the winds blew, they stood up.
My time to talk to you is just about over. It is time for the winds now to whip you and me into shape.
It is not going to be pretty. The very white man you love is going to be the means of your total destruction. He is so powerful, now that Russia seems to have weakened. He can laugh in your face
and won't even sign a civil rights bill, yet he has an army filled with Black men and women ready to
die for him. He doesn't care anything about you. He has already enacted the Federal Emergency
Management Act which gives the President extraordinary powers. As this war goes on, he may say,
"I am sick and tired of Farrakhan." He may seek me, arrest me. It is written. I don't worry about that
and I don't want you to worry.

The scriptures said, "Let not your heart be troubled over these things", because I am not troubled in
the least. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. It is He Who maketh me to lie down in green
pastures, not white folks. If it was up to my enemies, they would have stopped everything from coming to me, but my God spread a table for me in the presence of mine enemies. Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear nothing. Not the arrow that comes by day, or the
one that flies by night. I am wrapped up in the bosom of that New Ruler that I represent. He anointed
by head with oil. My cup is running over. There is so much that I have to tell you that I could not even
get to, because time just will not permit it, but my cup runneth over.
What I shared with you today is not for today alone. It is for you to take and feed on for years to
come. So, my dear and beloved brothers and sisters, I thank Allah, Who begets not, for His SelfCreation. I thank Him for the Wisdom that He showed in creating Woman from Himself. I thank Him
for His Majesty that made the Universe His Workshop and out of darkness He keeps on bringing
new things forward. I thank Him. As the scriptures says, "I thank you, Father in Heaven, for keeping
those things from the wise and prudent man and revealing them unto babes."
The fast is over and it is time for the feast. What is the Fast? The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said,
"When you are in the presence of God, you don't need to fast anymore." God hid His face from us
for 66 trillion years. God has Arrived. Our Saviour has Arrived. The fast is over and it is time for the
feast.

After Ramadan, we have the Id Feast and after Hajj, we have another Id Feast. We are pilgrims journeying through the darkness of the night to come back to the Light and the Face of God. It is time for
us to feast. Feast on what? Manna from Heaven. Knowledge that has never been revealed in 66 trillion years. He is now giving it to you but that is a great trial on you; because if you do not act right by
that Knowledge, God said He will punish us with a chastisement that he never gave a people before
in history. He has not revealed Himself before and the burden is on you now. You have to decide
who you are going to serve. I choose to serve the Mahdi. I choose to serve the Messiah.
I believe that God came in His Person. Not that the person is {God}, but what is in the person is
{God}. The person is that which holds what it contains. I believe that the Messiah is God manifested
in a human. The Messiah opens the eyes of the blind, makes the deaf hear, the dumb speak, fashions a bird out of dust and makes it fly, by Gods' Permission. He raises the dead by God's Permission.
Only God can give life to dust. Only God can make the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak and
raise the dead to life. When you see a man doing that, it is not the man doing, it is God doing in the
man. That is why when Elijah comes, it means "God is Present". God is in the world. "Emmanuel"
means, "God is with us" and that is what I am trying to demonstrate.
When you listen to Farrakhan, your eyes come open. Your ears come open. If your eyes and ears
come open, then your tongue begins to speak what you have seen and what you have heard. When
you meet your Brother, you are on a dead level, but after he speaks to you, you find yourself being
raised to Divine Life.

You are like fragments of dust, but God breathes on you and you are formed like a bird, meaning
you lift your intelligence and fly above what used to hold you down. That is the Work of the Messiah.
I am doing His Work. I am a Bearer of Witness of Him and what I am trying to tell you is the Messiah
you have been looking for is The Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The God, The Mahdi, you have been
looking for is Master Fard Muhammad. You might as well come on now and unite with them and let
us go and build a New World of Peace and Brotherhood.
Thank you for listening, as I greet you in Peace: As-Salaam-Alaikum.

REFERENCE MATERIAL
"All things should be known at the proper time."
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
Messenger of Allah
SOURCE
Study Guide 19A is based upon a message delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on
February 24, 1991 at Christ Universal Temple, Chicago, Illinois. It also takes its title from that message.

SCRIPTURE
Holy Qur'an 3:6 (also see, footnotes 387, 388, and 389)
Book of Revelations 5
Book of Revelations 12

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Page 40 (Page 52 in original Study Guide)

GLOSSARY
Page 45 (Page 59 in original Study Guide

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

SECTION I: POINT NUMBER 12
1. Is it important to you that we answer the question, "Who is God?" Why or why not?
2. Do you remember when and/or how you first became aware of Point Number 12 of "What the
Muslims Believe", which appears on the last page of the Final Call Newspaper? What was your
reaction? Has your perception of God changed since that time? If so, how has it changed? What
caused it to change?
3. Do you think it is absolutely necessary to believe Point Number 12 in order to be a Muslim Follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? Why or why not?
4. Minister Farrakhan stated, "I shall never take that point from the back page of the paper, regardless to how many scholars don't like it."
Have you ever been questioned or challenged about Point Number 12 of "What the Muslims Believe" (which appears on the last page of the Final Call Newspaper)? What was the nature of
question or challenge? How did you respond? What was the reaction to your response? Do you
think you were effective in your explanation? Why or why not?

1. Why did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad choose the Number 12 to assign this cardinal principle? What is significant about the number 12?
2. Why did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad use the word "Messiah" and the word "Mahdi"? What
do the words mean? Why did He place quotation marks around each word?
3. Discuss Revelations 5. Who are the 24 elders? Why are they 'lamenting'? What is the nature of
the book? Who sealed the book? What is the relevance of this to the Number 12?

SECTION II: RULES OF INTERPRETATION

1. What are the rules of interpretation revealed in Surah 3, Verse 6 of the Holy Qur'an?
2. Why are we given these rules of interpretation?
3. The Holy Qur'an warns of "those in whose hearts is perversity" who are "seeking to mislead and
seeking to give it (their own) interpretation." What kind of persons might be at a high risk of falling
into this category? How does one avoid becoming such a person?
4. What enables a person to interpret the Word of Allah (God)?
5. What is "scripture"?

SECTION III: THE MYSTERY OF GOD

1. Has the knowledge of God always been a secret?
2. How and why did knowledge of God become a secret?
3. What is the process by which a perfect world can be achieved?

SECTION IV: THE BIRTH OF JESUS

1. Why is Jesus called the "Son of God"?
2. Why is it important to know the lineage of Jesus and the circumstances surrounding his birth?

SECTION V: THE SELF-CREATION OF GOD

1. How do we unwrap the secret of how the Universe began?
2. Discuss the means by which God enabled Himself to "think through darkness". What resources
did He have?
3. Discuss the statement, "Mind is not brain and brain is not mind." What is the difference between
the two?

SECTION VI: THE WOMAN

1. Discuss the significance of the following statement: "Every man has a woman in him."
2. How is understanding the woman relevant to finding out Who God is?
3. Who is the woman in Chapter 12 of Revelations? Discuss this "extraordinary woman". Discuss
the significance of the Number 12 as it relates to this woman and to Point Number 12 of "What
the Muslims Believe".
4. Where can the woman in Chapter 12 of Revelations be found in the Holy Qur'an? Who is this
woman a prototype of?
5. How do you explain the fact that all the men except John walked out on Jesus in his time of trouble, but none of the women failed him?

SECTION VI: THE ESSENCE OF GOD

1. Does God die? If not, how does He escape the Law of Life and Death which He Himself set up?
2. What is the real core of the Sun?
3. Why are we prohibited from making and bowing to images and statutes?

SECTION VII: THE MAKING OF DEVIL

1. Who or what is the devil? Where did the devil come from?
2. Why did God allow the devil to be made?
3. What is the thinking of those who are currently in power?
4. Have you ever occupied a position of power or authority? What effect did it have on your view of
others and the view of others toward you? Have you ever lost a position of power or authority?
How did you handle it?

SECTION VIII: MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD

1. Discuss the Birth of Master Fard Muhammad. Is His lineage troubling to you in any way? Why or
why not?
2. Who called Master Fard Muhammad into existence? For what purpose?
3. At what age did Master Fard Muhammad come into the knowledge of His purpose? How can you
insure that your own children will know what they are born to do by that age?
4. Use the Bible to demonstrate that God is a man and He would come to us from Mecca.

SECTION IX: THE COMING OF GOD AND THE END OF FALSE LEADERSHIP
1. What qualifications are necessary to be a successful teacher of the people today?
2. Are there false leaders and teachers of the people today? Is Allah (God) doing anything about
false leaders? If so, what?
3. Do you actually believe that God would visit us? Why would He choose Black people in America?

SECTION X: THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD

1. Is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad alive? How do you know he is or is not alive?
2. Do you believe the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the Messiah? How do you know he is or is
not the Messiah? What is the Work of the Messiah?
3. Who is Minister Louis Farrakhan? What is his relationship--if any-- to the Messiah and the Mahdi? What is the nature of his Work among us? Discuss his statement, "I don't see death coming,
but a time has come for me to stop talking."

4. What has Minister

"WHO IS GOD?"

Farrakhan

demonstrated

to

you

in

this

Message,

5. Has Minister Farrakhan accomplished anything since delivering the Message February 24, 1991,
that would prove his statement on page 30, "I know the Power that is behind that wheel and the
Power of the wheel is the Power that Guides me."?
6. Have you been inspired by studying this Message? In what way?

GLOSSARY
CARDINAL:

"Of prime importance; chief; principal; fundamental; something on which all other
things hinge.

INTERPRET: "To set forth the meaning of; explain; to construe or understand in a particular way."
MASTER:

"One who commands; one eminently skilled; one who directs or controls;
qualified to teach and carry on his work independently; one whose teachings are accepted and followed by others; a victor or conqueror.

SECRET:

"Done, made or conducted without the knowledge of others; secluded, sheltered or

withdrawn; designed or working to escape notice, knowledge or observation of others; a reason or explanation not apparent.

SUPREME:

"Highest in authority; the highest quality, degree, character, importance."

TEACH:

"To impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in; to enlighten; discipline; educate.

TRANSMIT:

"(Physics). To cause light, heat or sound to pass through a medium. To convey or

pass along an impulse, force or motion.

STUDY GUIDE 19B:

THE KEY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD
INTRODUCTION
"My mother knew she was in trouble. She went to God. 'Lord, Help me.' The more
she prayed, all of her supplications and prayers were going on down into the womb.
She was making me a man of God without even knowing what she was making. It
was uncertain circumstances -- do you hear what I am saying?.... I am here to tell
you, if you do not have a man, remember God.
My mother did not know that the circumstances around which I was conceived in
her womb would make me that man that I am today. Now, she wanted a girl. What
does that mean? It means that she would make a child with characteristics that represent the feminine side of the Nature of God: Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness,
Long-suffering. It takes that kind of person to redeem a people in the condition that
we are in." -Minister Louis FarrakhanThe only value of my introduction to this phase of the Course lies in the "moment" that it provides.
The "moment" is that brief pause when the student recognizes the magnitude of what is being
taught. I opened with the excerpt from Minister Farrakhan's historic address to women only (Atlanta,
1994), because in a few words it offers profound insight into the teacher as well as the subject.
After transcribing the message which forms the text of Study Guide 19B, I realized that we (male and
female), in our ignorance, have relegated the words, "A Nation Can Rise No Higher than its Woman"
to a motto. In reality, it is Divine Law.

At the core of this Study Guide is Surah 19 of the Holy Qur'an, named "Maryam", after the Mother of
Jesus. It is my sincere belief that the Minister's sensitive analysis of this exquisite woman--and his
completion of the revelation concerning who and what she truly represents--will take us to a new
level of thought. And from that new level of thought we will produce the new reality.
The willingness of each of us to understand, accept and live in accordance with this higher aspect of
"self-improvement" will determine whether we can continue on the journey into Oneness with Allah
(God). This advanced level of self-examination may prove to be difficult to handle, because it is in direct opposition to the white man's framework of exploitation.
What I am trying to point out is that this world, even in the so-called "God-fearing" societies, rejects
the feminine side of the Nature of Allah (God). For centuries, both men and women have been
taught to view the female as a lesser being.
The Minister summarily dismisses all time-honored labels of inferiority and demands that the Black
woman reconnect with Allah (God) immediately. His challenge tests the emotional stability of men
and women, because even in the Nation of Islam, many of us have remained comfortably immersed
in the white man's concept of the Black female. This Message rejuvenates.
Beyond the physical and literal "virgin"--long lost to most women-- the Black woman can become the
spiritual Virgin Mary: a truthful woman; a woman untouched by the need to be validated by a man; a
woman who cannot be overpowered by emotion, seduced or humiliated; a woman who measures
her self-worth through the Thinking of Allah (God).

I sincerely hope that men, as well as women, will appreciate the wonderful opportunity for growth
and change that is contained in this study. We have been severely handicapped as a people because of the woman's absence from the deliberative process in government, business, education
and especially religion. We have not been able to benefit from the intelligence and problem-solving
skills of more than half of our population. The most insidious self-inflicted injury has been the resistance to hearing the Word of God through the female. We must take heed to the Minister's words:
"The world is in trouble because the world has no respect for woman. And if the world has no
respect for woman, the world has no respect for God. When you respect God, you must respect woman, because the womb of the woman is a place of sacredness. Woman should be
held in awe, because of the majesty of her womb. When God and woman cooperate, Jesus
comes forth, Moses comes forth, Abraham comes forth. But when women are estranged from
God, then the womb produces a bitter fruit. The woman must be reconnected to God, so that
the fruit of her womb will once again be the kings, the rulers, the masters of every discipline,
whether male or female. These are the fruits of God."

Sister Minister Ava Muhammad

February 23, 1997

THE KEY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL, WHO CAME IN THE PERSON OF MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD TO WHOM PRAISE IS DUE FOREVER. WE GIVE
HIM PRAISE AND THANKS FOR HIS COMING AND FOR HIS RAISING UP AMONG US
THE GREATEST OF ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND GUIDES THAT HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE THE HUMAN COMMUNITY. A MAN THE LIKE OF WHICH NEVER WAS BEFORE
AND A MAN THE LIKE OF WHOM SHALL NEVER BE AGAIN, THE HONORABLE ELIJAH
MUHAMMAD, THE MESSIAH, THE EXALTED CHRIST.
To Sister Charlene Muhammad, who is Chairman of the Board of the M.G.T. and G.C.C., to Sister
Captain Aishah Muhammad, to all of the Laboring Staff, Officials of the M.G.T. and the Vanguard.
I am very thankful to Allah, to have this opportunity to be in your company. I have a lot on my mind
and I am just getting back from a bout with the flu. But there is so much that I wish to share with you.
I want you to pay very good attention to what I am about to say.
Most women look for and seem to need, the approval of a man to make them feel special to themselves. It is sad, because if you do not get approval from some male, does it mean that you are
less? Mother Tynnetta Muhammad designed a garment that is called "Dress 19" and the 19th Surah
of the Holy Qur'an is called "Maryam". That Surah is so important that I would like to call a few things
to your attention, so that from this day forward, you will never again need the approval of a

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered this lecture November 16, 1996 to the women of the M.g.t./G.C.C,
Chicago, Illinois, at the National Center of the Nation of Islam.

male to make you feel as God intends for you to feel. Once you feel dependent upon someone's approval, they can use that need to manipulate you and make you act or do other than how you should
act or what you should do. For any female, in 1996, to be that weak mentally, is to say that we have
a long way to go to get where God wants the woman to be.
I am very honored to be in this class this morning and very honored to have the privilege of sharing a
few thoughts with you. Surah 19, which is a very important chapter, starts like this:
"In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Sufficient, Guide, Blessed, Knowing, Truthful God."
Look at the words. "Sufficient". Sufficient for who? Sufficient for Maryam. Sufficient for you. But if you
are weak in your connection to Allah (God), then you will be what any man wants to make you and
there are not too many good men out here that want to make anything of you but what the devil has
already made of you.
I am going to get as deep as time and circumstance will let me. I want you to take these words to
heart. "Sufficient". Is He really? No, He is not. If your connection with Allah (God) is weak, then He is
not sufficient for you. Therefore, you will be looking from pillar to post for some man. And if a man
does not come along in a timely fashion, all of a sudden your world crumbles, because there is no
"man" in your life. Then you are a victim. You are not the woman yet that Maryam was, because Allah (God) was sufficient for her. It is clear to me that a lot of the brothers do not want righteous
women. And it is clear to me that if you just want a "n....r", then you can find that anytime, anyplace,
anywhere. But that is not what you are being trained for.

Everybody needs companionship, but what kind of company is this that you want in your life? If it is
the same company you have had in your life, then you need to stop right where you are and make
Allah (God) sufficient for you. Naturally, you do not know how to do that. Therefore, you are victimized, daily, hourly, by the minute and by the second, because you have not found sufficiency in Allah(God.)
He is called "Guide". If He is "Sufficient" as a "Guide" for you, then who do you really need to talk
over problems with? Look at the people you take for friends; look at the people you consult with
when you have a problem. And Allah is usually last on the list. You do not confer with God. You look
for some other female, whose condition is as bad or worse than your own; or you look for some man
from your past life or present life and you end up with that feeling of emptiness on the inside, because you, as a female, have not recognized your value to Allah (God), your need for Allah (God)
and His sufficiency for you in all circumstances.
You look at your children, saying, 'I have all these children. I need Joe (or John, or Henry, or Frank).'
Wait a minute. You have a need all right, but Joe is not the Life-Giver. Neither is John, Henry or
Frank. When Allah (God) decrees that life enters the womb, Allah (God) nurtures what is in the
womb. Then if you and Allah (God) make life, who do you need above him who gave you the sperm?
You need Allah (God) in you life. And there is no man who is an actual substitute for Allah (God). I
don't care how good the man is, Allah (God) has no equal, no partners. He is Unique, Incomparable.
Neither I nor your husband can approach him, except as a servant.

Who is your consort in this matter? What is this class all about? This is not just a group of women
coming together to talk about white folks and what the devil has done to us. Is that what this is? Just
learning how to cook a little bean soup and clean your house? If that is all this is about, then go and
take a home economics course somewhere. That is not what 'M.G.T. and G.C.C.' is all about. And if
that is what your concept is of this class, then everybody needs to sit down and be taught all over
again.
"Blessed, Knowing, Truthful God." He is not a liar. A Husband will lie. A boyfriend will lie. Allah (God)
is the Truth! What you need in your life is not mere lies and deceit. You need, first of all, to be a
truthful woman. And the only way you can be a truthful woman is to be connected properly to the
Truthful God. Surah 19 (Verses 2-6) continues,
"A mention of your Lord to His servant Zacharias--When he called upon his Lord, crying in
secret. He said: My Lord, my bones are weakened and my head flares with hoariness, and I
have never been unsuccessful in my prayer to (You), my Lord. And I fear my kinsfolk after
me, and my wife is barren, so grant me from (Yourself) an heir."
"Grant me from Yourself an heir." It all starts and ends with Allah (God) and our relationship to him.
"(Give) me from (Yourself) an heir...(who) should inherit me and inherit of the Children of
Jacob, and make him, my Lord, acceptable (to You)."

You cannot even produce a child that is worthy, without the Help of Allah (God). Since you are the
producer of the Nation, your relationship to Allah (God) has to be intact, otherwise your womb will
produce your destruction.
All of us want to be pleased with our children. And those of you who have not had children yet
should consider yourself very fortunate, because at least you can prepare. This "hit and miss" that
we have been involved in--maybe we will get it right. We have produced from our own loins and
wombs, Cain and Abel all over again, all over again, all over again, but Mary "hit it" the first time.
You do not want Cain. You do not want to produce one good one and one no good one; one who will
believe in Allah (God), one who won't believe in Allah (God). You don't want that in your life. But if
you don't want that in your life, there is a change you have got to make and not tomorrow.
The problem is, you are in the world and the world exercises such a strong pull. Most of us do not
really know how to ward off the pull of the world and a lot of us do not care to ward it off. We have
one foot--maybe not even a foot--in the world of Allah (God), and all other members of the body dabbling in, wallowing in the world.
It really looks nice to see everybody dressed in their uniforms. But Allah (God) doesn't care about
anybody looking nice. We all know how to look when we come to the Mosque. It is not how you look
when you come here, it is how you look when you are not here. That is the real you.
Surah 19 (Verses 7-9) continues:
"O Zacharias, We give thee good news of a boy, whose name is John: We have not made before anyone his equal. He said: My Lord, how shall I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I
have reached extreme old age? He said: So (it will be). Your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and
indeed I created you before, when you were nothing."

That is an easy thing for Allah (God) to do: to decree that your womb will bear a beautiful life. Even if
you are trying to have children and you do not have any, do not despair. Just keep on preparing
yourself. So many did not even prepare--they just had one. And one is Cain, one is Abel. More Cain
than Abel.
Now look (Verse 16): "And mention Mary in the Book." Mary was a woman that screened herself
from men. That is something very hard for a woman to do. We dress for other women, but we dress
for men. We get our hair done for other women, but we get our hair done for men. We like men to
notice how nice we look and to even make a comment. Some of us don't know an insult from a compliment. Some of us take insult for compliment and compliment for insult, because we want to attract
attention to ourselves in a manner that is not the best.
We mentioned the number "19". As the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us, and you have
heard Mother Tynnetta Muhammad say it many, many times, "9" is the number of completion. It
represents, of course, our 9 planets and it represents the female, who is carrying life to term which is
9 months. If you look at the numbers from right to left, rather than left to right, the "1" is behind the
"9", not in front of it. The "1" behind the "9" is generating itself through the "9". And that is why "19"
could be called Maryam. She did not miss; she produced for Allah (God) the first time.
I do not know why they call you "Miss". Maybe the father "missed", because he was after a boy, and
when you got here, he "missed". Think about it. How in the world could somebody have "missed",
when they produced you? You see, even the language of the world is against the female. Usually all
men want to see themselves first. If the baby is a girl, you see this look of disappointment. In

some societies, they literally go off. But they never "missed" when you were born. That was a "hit", if
there ever was one, because Allah (God) has come to make Himself known to you, and through you,
to the entire world. But you have got to give Him the chance to make Himself known. The class is
supposed to be preparing you so that you can allow Allah (God) to make Himself known through
you.
Now, here (Surah19) is this woman, Maryam. She "Screened" herself from men. And then Allah
(God) said, "We sent to her Our spirit and it appeared to her as a well-made man." (Verse 17) And
when the man showed up, even though Allah sent him, she said, "I flee for refuge from (you) to the
Beneficent, if (you) art one guarding against evil."(Verse 18). She is taking no chance that this is the
wrong man, so she is fleeing to Allah (God) to take refuge in Him. She says, "Even if you are one
guarding against evil, I am still going to take refuge in Allah (God), because I do not need any evil in
my life."
"He said: I am only bearer of a message of your Lord: That I will give you a pure
boy. She said, How can I have a son and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I
been unchaste?" (19, 20)
Do you see how powerful that is? Here is a woman. She has a need. She is a female--like you. She
would need, I think, for a man to say, "Mary, you certainly are beautiful. Mary, you are so fine." But
she is saying, "No. I am not for that." He tells her, "I came to give you a pure boy." But she is not
convinced. "You can say that, but how can I have a son and no mortal has touched me, nor have I
been unchaste." In other words, "and I do not intend to be unchaste now."

Wouldn't it be something if you could be like that? You would create a revolution! All of these men
would absolutely get right. But they can get you too easy. And when it becomes easy to get you,
they play with you. And when they finish playing with you, they play with somebody else. But if this
was a class where there was no play at all; that if they ran into this one it was a stone wall--they ran
into the next one, it was a stone wall-- then you would hear decent conversation among the FOI. "I
tried, but she said she sought refuge in Allah. The minute I approached her, I reached a stone wall.
She froze me with a look on her face." But you don't freeze anybody; your look is inviting.
You are just the opposite of what you are supposed to be; just the opposite. Don't smile at them;
what are you smiling for? Until they become better, what do you look like being an invitational
queen? You are not seeking refuge. When you are seeking refuge in Allah, you get that firm look. He
says, "Wait a minute, sister, I just came to ask you if you need a ride." "I have a ride. That's why I
have that car outside."
You have to look at what is out there, but you have to look within first. You will regret that you were
not as strong as you should have been. Why bite your nails with intense regret, simply because you
were weak and did not seek strength from the Source of strength; One Who was "Sufficient" for
Mary; One Who can and will and wants to be sufficient for you--but you won't let Him.
When we named the Mosque "Maryam", it was because as Allah (God) helps us understand who we
are and particularly who you are, then you must understand your value and you must not cheapen
your value. Have you seen people who don't understand the value of what they have? What do you
call a person like that? Somebody just said it: they are foolish. A foolish woman is not a good thing.
And for you not to appreciate your own value, Sisters, is to make yourself foolish.

Allah (God) came to North America by Himself for you. Think about a God that has been in hiding-for 66 trillion years, the knowledge of God has not been out in the public. Just think about that. That
is enough to blow our minds. People talk about God, but they don't know Him. They talk about Him
and they see the marvelous handiwork of God, but they don't know Him. They sense and feel His
Spirit and His Presence, but they don't know the Person Who carries that Spirit and is the Source of
that Spirit. And then He decides He will make Himself known. He chooses a people that are no people at all and He says, "I can sit on top of the mountain, and say that the most beautiful nation is in
the wilderness of North America."
He came for you, to make you special to Him. And He called you, "Muslim Girl". Girl. Some of the
sisters got insulted, "I ain't no girl. I'm a woman." Be quiet. To Allah (God), you will always be a girl.
To me, you are my sister. But to Allah (God), Who has come to be your Teacher, you are a girl to
Him. He wants you in the spirit of a girl, so that He can shape you and mold you. That is why the Bible teaches, "except you come as a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." You are
not just anybody's girl, you are His little girl.
Do you know how a good father does over his little girl? The little girl can get anything she wants
from the daddy. Just smile at him, talk sweet to him. I remember my daughter Khalliday when she
was a year and a half. I was the minister in New York--I was troubled. Poor, raggedy and troubled. I
was laying in the bed, and she walked into the room. She knew something was bothering Daddy. All
little girls are very very sensitive; not only to their fathers, but to their mothers as well. She came
over and put her little hand on my chest, patted my chest and laid her head down on my chest. I just
looked at her, and I thought, "The Messenger's Teachings are certainly right. These sisters are born
to comfort and console the man."

Now, you are the little girl of Allah (God). I want you to try what I am about to tell you. If you jut try to
be pleasing to Allah (God), anything you ask Him, He will give it to you. I want you to try this out.
Here is a God that is so crazy about you--the Black Woman--that He comes 9,000 miles Alone. Even
the scientists may not have agreed with Him. He said there was no one to uphold Him so His own
right arm upheld Him. He came alone "to seek and to save that which was lost." And when you hear
this taught, you say, "He came to save the man. He came to save the brothers." You leave yourself
out of this equation. But He cannot save the brothers, unless he saves you, because you produce
the brothers. If we are ever going to have a great future, it is going to have to come through you.
His aim was you. When He came, He threatened the Messenger--over you. "Set the class up. Let no
man in that class." Why? Why not let men in here? If you let a man in a class like this, he will just go
crazy. Most of them cannot take your love. It is really sad. There are men who cannot take the love
of their own daughters. If a man will try to sleep with his own daughter, who loves him, what chance
do you have? So keep them out of here. Get them out of your affairs. Since the Minister is trying to
be a good man, He will allow him in every now and then. And he doesn't stay long. [Response from
audience]. Yes, I think you are right. You do need for me to stay longer than I do stay.
Sisters, I think I can bring some closure to this. Allah (God) sees you as so special to Him. You may
not be special to Minister so-and-so, or Captain so-and-so or Lieutenant so-and-so. So what? To hell
with them all! They are not important, except in their service of God. So because your captain doesn't like you, so what? You did not come here for her. You did not come to the Mosque for the minister or the captain.

You came here for Allah (God), and don't you forget it!. At least, you are supposed to have come for
Allah (God). I don't know what your motive was, but we can clear that up today. Even if you came for
the minister--away with that! You came for the captain--ahh, please! That's nothing! They come, they
go, they're up today, down tonight, in today, out tonight! You don't come for any of them! Allah (God)
is Eternal, and so is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and don't forget it!
My dear and beloved Sisters, Allah (God) loves you so well, He appreciates the least little thing you
do. Your husband may not even notice it. Your mother, your father, the sister captain, the brother
captain, the brother minister, may not notice it. But Allah (God) notices every little thing you do to
please Him!
To some of my sisters who have gotten time out when they should have had time in: I just want to
remind you of something. Here are people that can give you time out, but they can never take Allah
(God) away from you. Nobody wants to get time out--not in your right mind. But take it! If you notice,
you were out there all by yourself, but there was a God right out there with you. You didn't have a
whole lot of FOI around, but Allah was Sufficient, He was right there. And even though you were upset and angry, yet Allah (God) kept you in your right mind. "Yes, I did my time. I got fornication, I did
my little time." Allah (God) sees all of that. He says, "Yes, that's My little servant. She's weak today
but she's going to be strong tomorrow. That's My little servant, I am going to get her strong."

Any little thing you do. Just like going home and looking at your house. "Oh, it doesn't look like it is
supposed to look, so I am going to clean it up." Why? For some man to knock on your door? No. Allah (God) has already knocked on your door. "Oh, Allah loves my house when it is clean!" Allah
(God) says, "Look at my little servant, she is trying to please Me." When she goes into the kitchen,
He is going to make that bean soup real special for her body, because she is trying to please Him.
When she goes to the mosque, tired, and meets a grumpy official, "Step over here, sister!" Allah
(God) says, "Look at her. She takes this from a grumpy lieutenant. I am not going to let that lieutenant sleep well tonight. I will let my servant get in and get something out of the teachings, but that
grumpy official will get nothing today!"
Let me tell you something. You are so special to Him, that He rewards you double, triple and quadruple, for any little thing you do. That is why I want you, today, to make Him sufficient for you. Not any
man! God, in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad, and His Servant. You make Them Number
One in your life and see if you don't make a change!
I just want you to try it so I can come back in a month or so and you can testify. "I tried what you
said!" Think about something you want Allah (God) to do right now. Have you got it? Now to prove
that He loves you, ask Him for what you want and ask Him to make it a blessing to you. Because
sometimes you ask for things, and when you get it, it is not a blessing. You know what I am talking
about. It is the same way that a father is very hard pressed to deny his daughter. I remember one of
my daughters was getting married and she wanted a big wedding, which cost big money. I was trying to squeeze pennies at that

particular time, and she said, "Daddy, I have been obedient and I have not gone out in the street. I
have been a decent person. The least you could do--" That was the end of that. She made her case.
It was so strong, so compelling, because she could have been out there, cheap and loose, but she
strove mightily to be who she was. I said, "Go ahead and have the big wedding!"
This is what Allah (God) wants to do for you. Not give you a big wedding, though maybe He will do
that too, but He wants to show you how favoured you are in His sight. I don't care who says you are
ugly. I don't know what that "ugliness" means. Some of you don't think you are too pretty; you have
low self-esteem, don't you? And when a so-called pretty sister comes in the mosque, you give her a
hard time, don't you? "Who does she think she is?" Don't screw up your face because she "appears"
a certain way. Allah (God) looks all the way in. While someone's outer appearance may please you
or me, it may be ugly as sin in the sight of Allah (God).
All of you that believe are beautiful to Allah (God). He has the Power to take your belief and turn it
into absolutely indescribable beauty. You can come here ugly, pimply-faced and hair so short you
can't twist it with a tweezer. I don't care how people think you look, or how you think you look. The
moment you say you believe in Allah (God) and start trying to be what Allah (God) has asked you to
be, He turns the beauty of your faith into an indescribable charisma that makes you draw all people
unto yourself. It is true, true, true! You can have the prettiest face, but if your faith is not there, you
drive people away from you.

Now, Sisters. I would like for you, today, to take Allah (God) as your Principal Friend and make Him
Sufficient in your life for you. Here is what I would like for you to do. You are a natural person, and
you don't overcome this desire to be wanted, needed and appreciated by men overnight. But once
you believe this is real--and it is-- and you say, "Allah (God) came for me and He is going to make a
world from me and through me. The least I can do is try to please Him. Now I am going to see if Allah (God) will be Sufficient for me." Then you try it. And when something comes up in your life that
makes you a little weak, turn right to Allah (god) and say, "Allah, I know you are Sufficient for me. I
don't need this, I need You in my life. I am going with You."
Some of you are hanging on to bad relationships. Perhaps you should, because it might get better.
But when it gets to the point where it is going to make you other than yourself and destroy the Purpose of God's Own Coming for you, hold it. Allah is Sufficient. Stand on the Sufficiency of Allah
(God), knowing that He will not forsake you. But you have to know this. Try Him; He tries you. Try
Him; He is Sufficient.
How do I know these things? Because if I didn't know it, I would be walking in total fear. This devil is
angry, angry, angry with me and he wants me dead just as sure as I want to see you with Allah
(God). But I do not care what he wants. I am like Mary; I am the male Mary. All messengers of Allah
(God) are styled as women in the symbolic language. Even in the Problem Book it says, "Ask your
Teacher and she will teach you quickly." It is really talking about the Messenger, but He is given a
feminine character, because Mary is to Allah (God) as the Messenger is to Allah (God). If Allah
(God) was Sufficient for Mary, He has to be Sufficient for the Messenger. If He is a Guide and He is
the Blessed, and He is Truthful, then all of my blessings come from being close to Him and doing
what I believe will please Him.

Look at the prayer that Zacharias sent, "I have never been unsuccessful in my prayer to You." You
want to be like that, whatever you ask for. The Messenger told me before He left, "Brother, ask for
anything of Allah in my name and He will give it to you." Try that now. You have tried everything
else. You have tried all of the beauty tips. You have washed your face in this soap or that one, tried
this cream or that one. You have tried all the hairstyles; added it on, pulled it off, straightened it out,
curled it up, made it tough as steel. You have done it all, haven't you? Still dissatisfied, aren't you?
You have put on nails, taken them off. You have dressed up your foot, dressed up your ankle, put
several things in your ear, in your nose. You have done everything--trying to be pretty, I imagine. Try
Allah (God).
As the woman of Allah (God), how wonderful you will feel today if you make that commitment.
I have come home to spend my time now inside this house. I do not know how long Allah has for me,
but I do know that I cannot leave you in the state that you are in Unless Allah says, "I am sorry, you
have spent enough time with them, you come now." Then, that is on you. But I have taught you well.
I have no regrets.
I desire to clean up the house, with your help, of course. Only if we clean up, can we expect victory. I
saw the fight with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. I was so hurt when Mike lost and I saw my
brother stumbling around that ring. I knew he was being hurt by the blows raining down on him and
at a certain point, he did not know where he was. He was literally almost senseless.

I thought about how humble Mike was when he came out of prison. How humble he was. He
knocked people out so fast, he began to become full of his own powers and if you listened to his language as he spoke about Holyfield, "I'm gonna deal with you, etc.". Allah (God) was not in the conversation. On the other hand, here was Holyfield. The underdog. But don't you think for a moment
that God doesn't answer Christian prayers. Allah is God and He answers the righteousness of your
call. Holyfield knew he could not win, except the Spirit came with him. So while he was getting in
shape, he was doing something else. He was commanding the Holy Spirit to come with him. The Bible says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord."
When Holyfield came in the ring he had a little smile on his face. He was confident--not in himself--in
the Power of God that he felt with him. And early on in the fight I saw Mike struggling to manhandle
him, but when Holyfield hit him--boom!--I could see Mike stop. It was almost like a bull, when you hit
him in the head and he knows he has been hit with something. It wasn't just Holyfield's power, it was
the Power of the Spirit behind the blow that was punishing the brother to make him humble.
After the fight was over, in the press conference, Mike was very humble, the way he should have
been before the fight. I say to Muslims don't you ever think that because you know God, that you can
play with Him. Don't you ever think that because you know what you know, God will be with you if
you don't do what you are supposed to do with what you know. Allah will allow a disbeliever to beat
you, to make you see why you need to be more in tune with your God.
There is work that has to be done on the inside of this House and I thought that it is fitting and
proper that it start with you. Try today to make Allah Sufficient for you. Will you just try it? In the little
thing where you are weak, resist it now. When you are "hit on", as you will be, just gird up yourself.
"Allah, I am calling on You. I seek refuge in You from this that is coming in my face."

When you are able to resist successfully, you will produce a slight change in the heart of the person
that has been victimizing you to this point. A slight change. They will be back, because they don't believe it. "I'll try tomorrow." And they will sweeten the pot a little. If you are just as strong tomorrow as
you are today, and as strong the day after tomorrow as you are today and will be tomorrow, then all
of a sudden, the brother will say, "God has come into her life." Then you tell the brother, "Now go
and get God into your life." After a while, the whole mosque will take on a different feel. It will start
with you. You are the key.

**********************

REFERENCE MATERIAL
"The woman is the Key to the Kingdom of God."
Minister Louis Farrakhan

SOURCE
Study Guide 19B is based upon a message delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on
November 16, 1996 to the women of the M.G.T./G.C.C, Chicago, Illinois, at the National Center of
the Nation of Islam.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE
Holy Qur'an, Surah 19
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Page 62 (Page 83 in the original Study Guide)
GLOSSARY
Page 64 (Page 86 in the original Study Guide)

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Surah 19 is named after a woman: Maryam, the mother of Jesus. Yet it opens with a narrative about a man: Zacharias, the father of John. Who is John? What lesson do you see
in the early reference to Zacharias? Is this narrative relevant to understanding relationships between the male and the female as we near the year 2000? In what way?
2. Do you agree that most women seem to have a need for the approval of a man in order to
feel special to themselves? Why or why not? If you agree, to what do you attribute this
apparent need?
3. Is there a so-called "accepted" standard of dress and behavior for women in America? If
so, how would you identify and explain it to a first time visitor to this country? In your opinion, does the appearance of a woman have any effect on how she is treated by men in this
society? Explain your answer.
4. Recently, a six-year old girl was brutally raped and murdered in Colorado, apparently in
her own home. In the wake of this heinous crime, numerous photographs of the child
wearing heavy make-up and seductive costumes were released to the public. The mother
acknowledges entering her child in "beauty pageants" since the age of 3. Beyond the pathology of the actual killer, does society have any role or responsibility in creating an
environment where such an act is possible? Explain your answer.

5. Why is it so difficult for women to dress modestly in this society?

6. When Minister Farrakhan tells women, "You are victimized daily, hourly, by the minute and
by the second", what does he mean? Do you agree with his position? What solution does
he offer? Do you agree with the solution? Does his solution create any difficulties? What
are they? Are the difficulties worthwhile? Why or why not?
7. Minister Farrakhan says that some women "don't know an insult from a compliment." Can
you give an example? What is the cause of this confusion?
8. (a) What is the first step a woman must take to overcome dependency on someone's approval? How long does it take to overcome this dependency?
(b) Why did Minister Farrakhan give this lesson to women? Why is he exposing this lesson
to men? Will this study guide make men and women cold, even hostile to ard one another? Explain your answer.
9. How do you (male or female) know when it is time to end a relationship with someone?
How do you (male or female) know you have met the right person for you; what criterion
should you use?
10. Would Allah (God) ever allow a disbeliever to have victory over a believer? Explain your
answer.
11. Minister Farrakhan writes, "If Allah (God) was Sufficient for Mary, He has to be Sufficient
for the Messenger." Mary is very special, but doesn't the Messenger of Allah (God) have
such unique, complex needs that his requirements would be greater? Explain your answer.
12. Why are messengers of Allah (God) styled as women in the symbolic language?
********************

GLOSSARY
CHARISMA:

A divinely conferred gift or power. Special spiritual power or personal quality that
gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.

CONSOLE:

To give solace or comfort. To alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow or

disappointment of. To cheer up.

GIRL: [OE gyrl - (in gyrlgyden-virgin goddess)]; Female child or young person; a daughter.

SCREEN: (verb);
To shelter, protect or conceal. To select, reject or consider (people, objects or
ideas).

SEDUCTIVE:

(SEDUCE); Enticing, captivating, beguiling. To lead astray, as from duty,

rectitude; to corrupt.

SUFFICIENT:

Enough. Able to satisfy the need or purpose.

VICTIM:

A person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action; a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his (or her) own emotions or ignorance, by the
dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency.

A Saviours' Day Gift

CLOSING
THE
GAP
(Study Guide 20)

from

Minister Louis Farrakhan

February 26, 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Forward ................................................................................................................................................. I
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... V
Part I

The Origin and Evolution of Gaps ................................................................. 1

Part II

Evolution of the Divine Message .................................................................. 5

Part III

The Process Toward Perfection ................................................................. 17

Part IV

Characteristics of a Redeemer .................................................................. 24

Part V

Spiritual Blindness ........................................................................... 32

Part VI

Determining the Quality of Our Perception......................................................... 38

Part VII

The Woman in the New Millennium .............................................................. 44

Part VIII

The Time Warp .............................................................................. 50

Part IX

Reflections from a Man with a Mission ............................................................ 57

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 64
Comments ......................................................................................................................................... 69
Footnotes ........................................................................................................................................... 74

FOREWORD
I am your Mercy ?

These words were humbly spoken by our Beloved Leader to the Believers in 1982. I had accepted
Islam one year earlier and was sitting in the audience in New York's Mosque Number 7 that evening.
A former cancer patient who had undergone the agony of chemotherapy, my health had been slowly
improving since coming into the Nation. But that night, his words penetrated my entire being and I
felt a surge of life and light rush through me. I knew, with certainty, that I would fully recover. Since
then, I have noticed that
certain circumstances will bring those words back to the surface of my consciousness where I can
actually look at them. One such circumstance is the release of this remarkable series of interviews
between our Beloved Leader and Brother Minister Jabril Muhammad. The profound knowledge, wisdom and above all, guidance, which is contained in these questions and answers could only come to
us this way and in this hour through Allah's (God's) Divine Attribute of Mercy.
Study Guide Number 20, "Closing the Gap" was ready for publication in October, the eight (8th)
month of 1999, the year of the severe trial of Minister Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam. This is significant in many ways, the first being mathematical.
As pointed out to us in the "Unveiling the Number" series by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad, 1999
marked the 44th year since Minister Farrakhan

ii

accepted the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The number 44 resolves into the
number 8.
Surah (Chapter) 44 of the Holy Qur'an is entitled, "The Drought". A drought is a period of dry
weather, extended in time and injurious to life. It is brought about by the absence of rain. As Minister
Farrakhan's period of silence became protracted, the Believers were forced to draw upon that which
we had already received and absorbed from him, because no new water was coming down to replenish us. During a drought, only deep- rooted plants survive. They provide their own water. Relief
from our thirst must come from within. We must ponder over what we have been given. We must
demonstrate gratitude for what we have been given. We must reflect upon what we have been
given. We must prove the truth of what we have been given by being successful. We owe our lives
to Allah, in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad, His Christ and Their Anointed Servant, the
Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Let us look into the significance of the number 44, which resolves into 8, during our observance of
the Holy Day of Atonement. The number 8 represents, among other things, infinity, infinity, by its nature, embraces both creation and destruction at the same time. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
has taught that the Divine Attributes of Allah (God) have a "theological" order; the first one being
Creator.
In the Holy Qur'an, the revealed Word of Allah (God) which takes us to the end of this cycle of time,
every surah or chapter --except the 9th-- begins with two Divine Attributes: Rahman (Beneficence)
and Rahim (Mercy). As noted by Maulana Muhammad Mi in The Religion of Islam, these Names,
along with Rabb (Lord {and Nourisher unto perfection}) and Malik (Master {of the Day of Requital})
must be considered among the "chief attributive names of the Divine Being, and all His other
attributes are but offshoots of these four essential attributes."
The Attribute of Mercy is not only a chief attribute in its importance, but in the degree of selfdevelopment that Allah subjected Himself to in

iii

order to attain it. Based upon the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's declaration that al-Khaliq (The
Creator) was the first Attribute manifested, and his declaration in The Theology of Time that the God
Who created Himself was a "warrior god", we can conclude that Allah had to evolve Himself through
time and experience in order to manifest this highly refined and delicate quality called "Mercy". Maulana Muhammad Ali writes, "The Prophet himself is reported to have said, `Al-Rahman is the Beneficent God Whose love and mercy are manifested in the creation of this world, and al-Rahim is the
Merciful God Whose love and mercy are manifested in the state that comes after.'"
Dear reader, can we now understand why the most Honorable Elijah Muhammad instructed us to
look at Minister Farrakhan, to listen to Minister Farrakhan, to go where he says go and stay away
from that which he says to stay away from? In following the man Farrakhan, we are moving within a
golden circle of protection that is Allah's Mercy in the hour of Destruction. The closer we follow him,
the deeper we move spiritually into the protected area. This Study Guide will help us close the gap
before its too late.
Minister Farrakhan is the manifestation of Allah's Mercy, not only on the Black man and woman, but
all of humanity. When you look at him you see what Mercy looks like: beautiful, elegant, impeccable
in style and movement; when you listen to him, you hear what Mercy sounds like: the clear and precise statement of God's View of what is happening; what He intends to do about it; how and when
He will take action. When you go where he says go, you are following Allah's Mercy; when you stay
away from where he says stay away from, you are avoiding that which is not within the embrace of
Allah's Mercy.
Farrakhan Muhammad does not represent religion, he represents Reality. And as he reminds us in
one of the interviews, Allah is the only Reality.

Iv

We are at the end of this world. The Minister's long period of silence was a signal that we are at the
end of Allah's Mercy which is the end of this cycle in history. Allah is bringing in a new world, He is
on the verge of recreating. So we experience His Attributes starting with the first: Creator. When He
creates, He must destroy that which is contrary to what He desires to create. He starts from nothing.
This Study Guide, "Closing the Gap", is virtually our last chance. Our distance from Minister Farrakhan is equal to our distance from the Mercy of God-not distance in miles, but distance in our state
of mind.
We should thank Allah (God) for Brother Minister Jabril Muhammad, who possesses a remarkable
quality we must all seek to attain: the ability to be near a man of God and see his humanity, without
ever losing sight of the fact that he is indeed a man of God.

Sister Minister Ava Muhammad

February, 2000

Introduction
Among the fascinating aspects of my experiences in interviewing the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is that every one I have ever done with him is thoroughly extemporaneous - they are never
rehearsed. He never knows what I am going to ask him. Oftentimes I don't either, beyond the first or
second question.
This little book is comprised of Minister Farrakhan's answers to questions I asked him about a number of subjects.
My motive was to present the reader with certain insights into the mind and heart of a very significant
Black man.
A few days ago, when Minister Farrakhan saw a draft of this work, he immediately said he wanted to
give it to the Believers as a Saviours' Day Gift. He hoped I would have been able to include my comments in this volume. However, there was simply not enough time. It is my intention, however, to
present those comments as soon as I am able. Meanwhile, this is a Saviours' Day Gift to you from
the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
May this little book stimulate the reader to think deeper than ever before into the significance of this
wonderful Black man-a real Brother and friend to humanity-the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Jabril Muhammad
Phoenix, AZ
February 14, 1999

vi

CLOSING THE GAP

PART I: THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF GAPS
MAY 17,1998
Phoenix, Arizona

Brother Jabril Muhammad: Brother Minister, this first question concerns a universal phenomenon
which affects the relationship between a leader and his staff and followers - divine leaders in particular.
From time to time, gaps develop as the leader moves ahead and the followers work to keep pace.
There has been a degree of misunderstanding among some with respect to certain moves Allah
(God) has directed you to make in the fulfillment of the Mission of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Among them involves the way you have come to relate to the broad community, including the Caucasian race. Please comment.
Minister Louis Farrakhan: The first thing I shall do is analyze why gaps appear between leaders of
consequence - particularly Divine Leaders - and their followers at given times in the growth and development of them in their mission.
Whenever a leader is chosen by Allah (God), he is chosen oft-times thousands of years before he
comes to birth. He is formed in his mother's womb under certain circumstances which make him for
the specific job he to do, by equipping him with the basic material at birth.

As he comes into the knowledge of his assignment, or mission, the next and greatest need for him is
to find the adequate and proper help to fulfill the mission that Allah (God) has given him. This is
where the problem begins.
First, he has to grow to understand his mission. In the course of his growth, persons come to help
him at every stage of his evolution. As people do not always evolve with the leader, some fall off
when the leader is in the seminal stage. Some fall off when the leader is a clot. Some fall of when
the leader is embryonic. Some fall off when the leader is in the fetus stage, and, some fall off when
the leader is a child in understanding. Some others fall off as he begins to mature.
There are those who think they fully know him and his teachings when they became acquainted with
him in the clot stage. However, such people lose sight of him, as he evolves, and they go out thinking they fully know him and his teachings. They teach what they know, but, a gap develops and widens between them and the leader, as he goes through the clot stage; the embryonic stage; the fetus
stage; the child stage; and finally becomes the mature man.
What can prevent this? His help has to evolve with him. All of his help may not necessarily have
been formed under the unique circumstances that led to his evolutionary development from before
he was actually in physical form, even while that which produced him was being formed. So, now he
comes into the world constitutionally fit for his mission, but his helpers may or may not have that
base; that brilliance; that insight; that foresight which comes from being Divinely Prepared.
So, his helpers, at best, come according to their own understanding of this man, his mission, and his
teachings, at the moment in time when they first encounter him. But as he continues to grow and
evolve, change and mature, perhaps they will not see him in the same way

in the next phase of his development as they saw him in the stage when they first came to help him.
Why? Because he sufficed a particular need that was very personal and individual for them. When
that need is met, they claim him as their leader. As he evolves more and more', if they do not grow
with him, a gap develops. therefore, Allah (God), gives His servant helpers from Himself. That help is
the best help because these persons grow along the same lines [the servant] grew. They are formed
in the same way he is formed; their hearts are formed in the same way his heart is formed. Therefore, these helpers see into this man what other helpers may not see, because the latter were not
made from Allah (God) to be his helpers, in the same way or degree, as the former.
However, they (the latter) accept the role of a helper. Nevertheless, if they don't stay in constant
submission; in constant obedience; in constant study; and in constant growth then gaps will develop
between the teacher and the student that will lead the student (sometimes) to be critical of the
teacher when the teacher grows beyond the particular need of that helper that motivated that helper
to first want to help. That is the way I would answer that question.

See Footnote 1

QUESTIONS
PART I
1. When, where and how (by what means or method) did you first come in contact with the
Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? (Example: meeting, audio or video tape,
book, someone you met who was a registered Muslim).
2. What was it that appealed to you in what you saw, heard, read or encountered? What personal
need
(s)
or
desires
(s)
did
the
message
address?
a. In the months or years that have passed since your first encounter, how would you describe your actual experience in or with the Nation of Islam? Have your expectations been
met? If not, why not?
3. In what way do you feel the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has
been of benefit to you? In what way do you feel you have been of help to the Honorable
Minister Louis Farrakhan in carrying out his Mission?
4. Do you think the Nation of Islam (in form or focus) has changed since you first came in
contact with the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? If so, how has it
changed? How has that change affected you?

GLOSSARY
PART I
GAP:

A break or opening; a breach; an empty space or interval; a wide divergence,

difference or disparity.

ORIGIN:

The source; that from which anything arises or is derived; (See, Holy Qur'an,
Surah 35)

EVOLUTION:

A process of formation or growth; motion, incomplete in itself, but

combining with coordinated motions to produce a single action.

PHENOMENON:

A fact or occurrence or circumstance observed or observable; something that

impresses the observer as extraordinary; An appearance or immediate object of
awareness in experience. A thing as it appears to the mind and is constructed
by the mind.

LEADER (LEAD):

A guide or directing head. (verb: to take or conduct on the way; go before or

with to show the way; conduct by holding and guiding; influence or induce; prepare the way for) {noun: the first or foremost place; a precedence or example}

NEED:

A lack of something wanted or deemed necessary; an urgent want; a condition

marked by the lack of something requisite.

HELP:

To give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; to

make easier or less difficult; cooperate effectively with; contribute to; facilitate.

CONSTANT:

Not changing or varying; continuing without pause or letup; unceasing; persistent; confident; certain; firm in mind or purpose; resolute.

PART II: EVOLUTION OF THE DIVINE MESSAGE

Minister Louis Farrakhan: With respect to your question about changing attitudes toward the Caucasian people: In the 1970s, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad advised me, as His National Representative, to stop using the term `devil' but to use the term "Satan"; "the enemy"; or the "slavemaster's
children", in describing Caucasian people - at least in describing some aspects of Caucasian people
and their work.
I never asked the Honorable Elijah Muhammad why he would ask me, as his National Representative, to stop using the term "devil", since that term had been used from the '30s into the '70s. His directive to me comes now, 40 years into his work, and he is telling me don't use that term anymore.
Well, I never asked him why. But as I matured in the Teaching, I saw this:
First, Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi, was born from a white mother and a Black father.
We were taught that Master Fard Muhammad's father "cleaned up" or "purified" His wife from the
Caucasus Mountains so that she could give birth to this very special human being.
What means and methods did He use to accomplish the 'cleaning up', or as the Bible puts it, the
"casting out of seven devils"? Did He alter the nature of this human being? or did He destroy the inclination toward the teachings of Yacub that was responsible for the making of "devil"? The Holy
Qur'an teaches us that "evil" is a bad name after faith-if the mother believed in Allah and submitted
her will to do His Will, then, in her obedience to Allah, how could she be given a nickname or an evil
name after faith?

Then I looked again and deeper at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's Teaching that white people
could be our brothers and sisters in faith, though not by nature. I then compared that way of life - of
the descendants of the whites who were in the Middle-Eastern area and did not go into the hills and
cavesides of Europe 6,000 years ago to the descendants of the whites who were rounded up and
driven out of that part of the world.
The Lessons teach us that we rounded up all we could find, which means there were some we could
not find, as they were hidden by some of our people. Those whom we could not find married into the
original family, grew up under Islam, and knew nothing of Yacub and his teaching of lying, stealing
and how to master the original man. So these are white people1 or Caucasian people, who grew up
under the influence of the nature of Islam.
Well, if that is so, and it is, why did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad tell me not to use the term
'devil'?
Secondly, as I studied more, I learned that the term 'devil' applied to them (Caucasian people) all
right enough, but it also applies to any human being who devotes the essence of his or her life to rebellion against God, and leading others in that rebellion. This makes any person who does that a
devil.
Of course, we learned from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that the essence of 'devil' is in the nature of the Original Man. If the original man gives in to the weakness of self; or the rebelliousness of
self; then that person - no matter what the color - that gives into the weakness and rebelliousness of
self, against the Wisdom and Will of the Eternal God - they make themselves not only fools by rejecting and rebelling, but they make themselves 'devils' as well.

He told me to use the term 'Satan'. 'Satan' is a devil maker. `Satan' is an arch-deceiver who uses the
skill and wisdom of right in a way to lead those who would seek right into the doing of wrong. This is
much different than a 'devil'.
A devil is a person that can give in to the weakness of themselves and rebel and do acts in rebellion
against Allah (God). But Satan is an enemy that is a sworn enemy; a knowing enemy. Satan is a
wise enemy who not only started as a little devil, but grew up in devilishment to become a master of
evil and then leads others into evil and rebellion against Allah (God).
So now who are these? Who is the Satan? The Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us Lessons outlining the 85%, the 10% and the 5%. What does this have to do with devil, Satan, enemy, slavemaster's children? As I studied that, it means to me that the 85% are the ignorant who are poison-animal
eaters; who don't know the Living' God; who are unaware of the law of cause and effect; and who
have been made to believe in a mystery god.
He deals with 85% because this has nothing to do with color. It has to do with Satan's reach to master the entire planet and its people and he has gotten 85% of them. So, this Satan has to be the 10%
who know the Living God and teach the contrary. Satan is a knowing arch-deceiver who is mastering
the 85%, by keeping them in ignorance and fighting against anyone who would bring them knowledge; that he might continue his wicked rule over them; that he might live in luxury by sucking the
blood of the poor and ignorant.
The 5% are those poor righteous teachers who also know the Living God, but do not wish to be satanic or devilish, and desire to take the 85% out of the control of the 10% by making manifest the
wickedness of the 10%.

As I grew into this kind of knowledge - you cannot reform a devil, therefore, devil must be destroyed
- I began to gain a deeper understanding of what was meant by: "Why does Muhammad and any
Muslim murder the devil?" If Allah (God) is to survive in us, we have to murder that in ourselves
which sets up associate gods with Allah, which would lead us contrary to the Will of Allah (God).
In my increased understanding of this, I began to see that the devil is not only a product of physical
grafting, but a product of spiritual grafting. This altered my thoughts, not concerning the nature of
white people as they are, but deepened my understanding of the nature of human beings. The question of how to murder the devil effectively-whether that devil is in a White man, a Yellow man, a
Brown man, a Black man, a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or Buddhist-the devil is a universal factor.
Therefore, if the devil is to be slain, he must be slain by a universal knowledge of God, a universal
knowledge of self, and a universal knowledge of the devil.
Acknowledge of the devil must not just be the rudimentary knowledge that we learned of the grafting
of White people or the birth control methodology that was used to bring White out of Black, but we
also must understand how a devil is made by grafting - on all levels - and what does that mean? By
knowing how to make a devil, in the deepest sense, you also know how to kill the devil.
Brother Jabril: Please comment on the response you made to Brother Rodney in Boston, many
years ago, when you first heard the concept from him, that the white man was the devil. What is the
relationship between that and the very wide mission the Honorable Elijah Muhammad put you on before He left, when He said, `Through you, I will get all of my people.'

Minister Farrakhan: While I knew that white people were evil, and I hated the evil that they had done
to all of us, I was not ready to concede that they were the source of all evil actions. So I raised this
question to the Brother: If I came home and found another man in bed with my wife; both of them
have committed adultery, and, if I, in passion, murdered my wife and the strange man, then, I committed murder. So I asked him where was the white man in that sin? He could not answer.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that Master Fard Muhammad was born of the two people that He could give justice to both people. So it is not only that the Mahdi has to give justice to
Black; He has to give justice to White. Well, then, what is justice for Black, and, what is justice for
White?
Many of us would feel that justice for [white people] is the complete slaughter of them; and justice for
us is paradise. In a simplistic sense, in a very infantile look at justice, we might think that But as we
mature in the principle of justice, we would better understand the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. In
His last speech to us, He gave us a more mature look at the principle of justice. He said, "Allah didn't
raise us up to be mockers of anybody. You can call him the devil, but he could easily say, `I didn't
make myself, you made me.'"
So, who is responsible, the clay or the potter? That is another mature aspect of growth into the principle of justice for both. Unless we mature in the process of understanding the root of devil and the
root of evil, we will never be able to give justice to ourselves, our people and we will never be able to
give justice to the Caucasian.

See Footnote 2

10

Brother Jabril: How does this apply to the statement of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that
through you he would get all of people, especially now, in the light of your three world tours.
Minister Farrakhan: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad signed off on His articles, "Elijah Muhammad,
Messenger of Allah to you all" Well, who is "you all?" Since the book is titled: Message to the Blackman in America, does "you all" mean all Black people in America? Why then did He plant a part of
His family in Mexico? When they asked what teaching would He give to the Mexicans, He answered
that Mexicans should be given the same teachings that He gave us.
Messenger to "you all" then, has to mean to the whole human family. If I am answering your question correctly, all of His people are certainly Black people. But all of His people are certainly the righteous - wherever they are, and from whatever people they come, they belong to Allah, and they belong to the Messenger of Allah, or the Christ, or the Messianic figure.
This is why understanding the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as Messiah, or as Christ; understanding
the Body of Christ, or the Messianic Mission makes you outgrow looking for all of God's people to
come out of one people. You look for all of God's people to come out of the human family that exists
on earth.
Brother Jabril: So there is a relationship between that and the Biblical statement, or words from the
mouth of Jesus, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold."
Minister Farrakhan: Yes, and it also relates to Joseph's coat of many colors; "Come and see, they all
will come to thee." And "Surely I will clothe you with them all" All who? Who is this all?

11

Brother Jabril: "And even the Gentiles shall come..."

Minister Farrakhan: "...to the brightness of thy rising."
Brother Jabril: There are those who have criticized your moves with respect to this world's political
system. How would you respond?
Minister Farrakhan: My answer will be based on a natural law and scripture. Daniel prophesied that
a stone would be hewed out of a mountain without hands, and it would roll down a mountain, and it
smote an image, and then became a mountain that would fill the entire earth.
When a baby is conceived, it is conceived in a system that is already working. It feeds from that system as it is developing an independent system. It takes from a system already in existence. Through
the placenta, it purifies as much as it can to feed on to grow itself into a new creation coming from
that system. But now, it is developing an independent system that will take on a life of its own. I believe we are to grow like that
We live in America. We have no other nation to go to. We live in the world leader. We pull whatever
we can and filter it through the placenta, or the blood of The Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that forms around us as a protection for us. What we draw from this satanic mother is filtered through this screening system called Actual Facts; Student Enrollment; Lesson No.1; Lesson
No.2; the Problem Book and English Lesson #C1. The wisdom in these Lessons is the filter, so that
through this filter we can take what we need from the larger system, as we develop our own system,
hopefully somewhat free of that which is corrupting and destroying the larger system or body.

12

Brother Jabril: How would you react to those who still criticize you for teaching in the Christian
churches?
Minister Farrakhan: I say to them, as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to the Arabs who criticized him, "You don't have my mission. You don't have my assignment."
I believe that Master Fard Muhammad's coming and work is the initial fulfillment of what was prophesied of the coming of the Messiah of the Jews, and the Christ of the Christians. I believe His coming
was the fulfillment of the coming of the Mahdi of the Muslims.
Master Fard Muhammad gave a demonstration of the first phase of the Messianic, or the Jesus Mission, which the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was to fulfill. If all these churches are named after Our
Man, Jesus, and, have His Title on their door, should I not go into a house that represents such a
man, and help them to understand Him, and truly live by His Eternal Message?
Any house that has the name of Jesus or Christ on it, I feel is my house. I have every right to enter
and give its inhabitants, or congregation a better understanding of the Jesus Christ that they have
come to love and now improperly worship.
Brother Jabril: What would be your response to those who criticize you for holding out an olive
branch to Jews?
Minister Farrakhan: First, as a student of the Bible and the Holy Qur'an particularly the Holy Qur'an Allah Himself holds out an olive branch to the members of the Jewish community when He says,
Those who are Jews, and those who are Sabians, those who believe in Allah and the Last day, they
have their reward from their Lord."

13

He, Allah (God), holds out an olive branch to a community that He sent prophet after prophet after
prophet to, and, our Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, told us to study Israel, for they are a
sign of us; should I not respect the sign of us and appeal to that sign to come into the wisdom and
behavior that would bless them and their children? Of course I should.
Regardless of what people think of me, I am doing exactly what Allah (God) would want me to do-not
what the emotional instability of our people would have me to do. I must offer them the olive branch;
as time goes on, they will come to see that I am the representative of the Messiah, and a little messiah myself. They have been looking for me for a long, long time. I am here now, and through me
they can access the Big Messiah, Allah's (God's) Forgiveness and a place with Allah (God). Why
should I not then offer them a way that Allah (God) has made me to offer?
Brother Jabril: Where are we now with respect to our relation to the Jewish people?
Minister Farrakhan: I think it is moving as Allah (God) would have it to move. Slowly, but gradually,
they are beginning to see me more, and more, and more. As they see me more, and more, and
more, they are going to become more and more divided over me. Some say, "Kill him," others say,
"Leave him alone. He is our passport to heaven."
Brother Jabril: How would you summarize the response of the Muslim world to you, during your last
world tour and since?
Minister Farrakhan: The response of the Muslim world has been marvelous. I was well received everywhere I went, as a son of Islam, s-o-n -and a sun of Islam, s-u-n-or a star in the jeweled crown of
Islam; a hope for our brothers and sisters in the Islamic world.

14

They see Brother Farrakhan in a spiritual sense like they saw Muhammad Ah years ago in a physical sense. They take pride in my strong stand and fight for Islam, and for justice in America against
the wickedness of the U.S. Government, and against Zionist manipulation of the Government, and
they praise Allah (God) for me.
I believe as time goes on, their arms will open wide, as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to us,
"at a certain point, we will flee out of America into the open arms of the Muslim world." I do not know
how those arms could open for us, unless they came ultimately to see us as true Muslims and lovers
of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Also, they would come to see the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, not as a prophet, but as one whom Allah (God) has raised up to establish Islam in
America, and, to revive the faith of Islam in the hearts of Muslims throughout the world.
Brother Jabril: In your speech during this past Saviours' Day Convention (1998), you made it very
plain that you would seek to unite Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, a long time critic of yours. How
would you respond to critics of your stand with respect to the Imam - that you would seek to unite
with him for the cause of Islam?
Minister Farrakhan: One of the prophets said: "Look and see. They will come to thee."
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, before his departure "You all will leave me." And when that
sunk in, great pain came into our hearts, and into the expression on our faces. "But," he then said,
"You all will return." He said, "All the bones will live."

15

One night, in the 1960s, at his table, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad accused me of stealing a play
written by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad and putting my name on her play to steal credit from her. He
beat me, and beat me, and beat me, and beat me, and I bowed to my Messenger. Finally, He exonerated me. However, He did this after He tried me. At the end of the evening, He pulled me off to the
side and said to me, "You and my son, Wallace, go and mop up the wilderness."
We must consider this carefully.
I believe, Insha' Allah, that ultimately we will be together for the good of Islam; for the rise of our people, and, for the Universal Truth of Islam.

See Footnote 3

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QUESTIONS
PART II
1. When you first accepted the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was there any
part of the theology or program that you had difficulty with? If so, what was it? Were your
questions or concerns ever resolved to your satisfaction?
2. What effect, if any, have the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had on your
perception of Caucasian people? Are you comfortable with the Nation of
Islam's position on the racial problem in America and its solution?
3. Has the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan ever said or written anything that strikes you
as inconsistent with your understanding of the Nation of Islam's position regarding the origin and nature of Caucasian people?
4. How long had you been in the Nation of Islam when you learned that the mother of Master
Fard Muhammad was a Caucasian? How did that affect you?
5. How do you feel about Minister Farrakhan preaching in the Christian churches? How do
you feel about the Minister "holding out an olive branch to the members of the Jewish
community?" How do you feel about Minister Farrakhan inviting Imam Warith Deen Mohamed to Saviours' Day?
6. Do you think these efforts in any way distract the Minister from the needs of Black people
and/or Muslims who are registered in the Nation of Islam?

17

GLOSSARY
PART II
ENEMY:

One who feels hatred for or fosters harmful designs against another; a hostile person, nation or state; something harmful or prejudicial; an opposing military force; a
dangerous public or personal adversary.

EVIL:

The force in nature that gives rise to wickedness and sin. The wicked or
immoral part of someone or something.

LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT: For every event in the universe, there is an action or series of actions which gave rise to the manifestations as one
perceives them in the present moment. For every action there is a
reaction, equal in force but opposite in nature.

MYSTERY:

That which is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown.

GRAFTING:

A portion of living tissue transplanted from individual to another with the

intent for adhesion, growth and reproduction.

CONCEDE:

To acknowledge as true, just or proper. Admit Yield.

18

PART III: THE PROCESS TOWARD PERFECTION

June 21, 1998

Phoenix, Arizona

Brother Jabril: Brother Minister, this is three points, or (three) questions in one. It is based on what
you said yesterday in response to my most recent articles [Final Call Newspaper, Vol.17, No.35 and
36]. It is about your forward motion; the need for the believers to keep pace with you; forward motion
is designed and directed by Allah (God) Himself. It is also about the crucial need for patience among
the believers - with yourself in particular, and with themselves, in general.
The third part of this question is integrated into the above part of this compound question. As you
already know, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that it takes 75 years to learn how to live. What
is your response to all of this and to His words?
Minister Farrakhan: A period of transition is the most difficult period in human development, for during periods of transition the life that is in transition is not where it was, and it is not where it is intended to be. So such periods of time are always very dangerous for the life that is in transition.
When we speak of Messengers of Allah (God) or men and women who are involved in a Divine
Work guided by Allah (God), we must always keep in mind that the first verse of the Holy Qur'an is,
"Praise belongs only to Allah, the Lord, Nourisher, Sustainer, and Evolver of all of the worlds."

19

Some of the scholars of language say "Rabb" or "Lord" means "He who makes a thing attain stage
after stage until it reaches its eventual perfection."
Whenever a life is in transition from imperfection toward perfection, there is a constant process of
change, growth and transition; stage two, change and growth and transition; stage three, change,
growth and transition. We are constantly in stages of growth, and between each stage is a transitional stage. This is the most dangerous part of the journey, because many things can get lost in
transition.
This life we are living during the last 6,000 years is called a transitory life. This is a life which gets us
from the infinity of time before this limited time period to the infinity of time after this life. This time
period-a transitory life -is a life that is dangerous for those who are involved in it, and it could be dangerous for those who judge life that is in this transitory stage.
Now, I say that to say, the Minister and the Nation are evolving toward perfection. Jesus said, "Be ye
perfect, even as I am perfect." If Jesus is telling a disciple to be perfect, it means He is Lord and
Master of the evolutionary process that will lead the disciple to where the Master is. When the disciple is in transition, and the Master is hidden, but, the Master's hand is on the disciple, then, the disciple is in a period that is considered dangerous.
Peter started to evolve the message of Jesus and feed it to the Gentiles, while before, the message
was exclusively toward the Jews. The Jews felt that Peter was stepping out of line of where he
should go, but Peter was the transition to Paul. Praise Be to Allah.

20

So it is with Brother Farrakhan. I am not what I was. I am not yet what Allah (God) desires me to be.
The Nation, in following me, is not what it was, and it is not what it is destined to be. So the Minister
and the Nation are in transition. During this period of transition, those who watch the man in transition may have a tendency to be judgmental. They are not sure of where he is. They are not sure of
where he is going.
The only thing they understand is where they were, and the level of comfort they had where they
were. This can sentence them to stand where they were, then misjudge the man in transition before
he gets to where Allah (God) wants him to go. This disallows them to travel with the man who is in
transition. Therefore, they stop in the process of growth toward perfection and the process of death
begins for the individual or the group.
Therefore, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, during his Theology of Time lecture series, when I was
sitting in the audience, looked directly in my face, and quoted these words from the Holy Qur'an:
"Seek assistance through patience and prayer." Why patience? Because if we are impatient with a
man in transition, we will make a judgment, and if we are locked into that judgment by our emotional
attachment to our own sense of what is correct, or what is right, based upon what we believe we understand of the Divine Message, then, our judgment will sentence us to death.
With reference to what is in the 18th Surah of the Holy Qur'an, about Moses traveling with the wise
man, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, "this is not Moses-it is a type of the way His followers
follow Him. They follow Him in doubt and with suspicion.." These two things - doubt and suspicion are the enemies of faith and the mother of hypocrisy.
Faith will allow you to have patience where you do not understand exactly what you are looking at,
or are not aware of what you are looking at, which is in transition.

21

The demand by Allah (God) for the believer is that the believer acquire the virtue, and, the characteristic of patience. The only thing that will give us patience is greater and greater faith.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad openly started the process of transition in 1974 with His Last Message to us. Imam Warith Deen took the Message of transition and did what he thought was in sync
with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's guidance toward the perfection that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad desired for His Nation. Unfortunately, the Nation fell. Fulfilling the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's words that the Nation would fall, but, it would rise and never to fall again.
Now, we picked up from the Message before 1974 then, bringing us to the Message of 1974, that
set the process of transition toward the Message that would ultimately take us into the Hereafter. So,
the command that the wise man gave to Moses, according to the Holy Qur'an, was "You cannot
have patience with me because you do not have a comprehensive knowledge."
If a person does not have a comprehensive knowledge, yet is full of faith, he or she can make the
journey with the wise man. But, not having comprehensive knowledge, and then not having faith following in doubt- and in suspicion - there had to be an eventual parting of the ways between the
follower and the Leader and Teacher.
The teacher told the student: "You cannot have patience with me." So what ever the wise man did,
the student made a judgment. The student never questioned the wise man in the proper spirit: "why
did you do this?" To seek a greater understanding. Instead, he made a judgment. "This is terrible
what you have done. This is awful."
Once he made the judgment, his mind and whole being were wrapped up in this judgment, which
came out of his own sense of morality, his sense of what is proper, his sense of what is correct, his
sense of what he understood of life. Therefore, it was difficult for him to have patience with that of
which he had no comprehensive knowledge. In the

22

end, after three failures, which came after three serious misjudgments that he made of the wise
man, there had to be a parting of the way.
I am under the control, by the Grace of Allah (God), of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I cannot
say I know tomorrow. I only understand to the degree that Allah (God) gives me leave to understand
the day I have come through. I know where I am. I know it is connected to where we were. I know
that it is definitely the link to lead us where Allah (God) wants us to go.
But those who are watching me in transition - if they are following in doubt and in suspicion and have
not faith nor patience - then they will judge me based upon their misunderstanding, or their thought
or idea of their understanding of the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. They will judge
me based upon their understanding of morality; their understanding of what is good; based upon
their life experiences; based upon what they were taught and based upon what they understand of
what they were taught.
So, the Holy Qur'an says, "Do not malign me as you maligned Moses." The journey in the wilderness
was a 40 day journey that took the children of Israel 40 years because they followed in doubt and
suspicion.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, in The Theology of Time lecture series, said, "I have done nothing wrong or improper. You just do not understand what a Fulfiller looks like."
People were judging this and that aspect of His life. But they judged improperly because they did not
have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of that out of which He acted; that out of which
He acted was that which was written of Him thousands and thousands of years before He came onto
this planet.

23

Therefore, if we who claim to be Muslims will not study scriptures; will not study the Holy Qur'an;
will not study the Bible; will not study our Lessons that will give us keys to the past, present future then, we will misjudge the transitional stage, and end up wrapped up in our egos; or judgment made
by what we perceive of knowledge what we perceive of reality; what we perceive of morality, based
upon our limited knowledge, and our limited life experience. We will then find parting of the ways
with us and Allah (God), and the man that we claim follow to Allah (God) and His Christ.
Remember, it is written in the Bible, "I will lead them by a way that know not." Again, it is written, "My
ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts. I am from above while you are from beneath."

24

QUESTIONS
PART III

1. Can you recall a period of transition in your personal life which was particularly stressful?
2. Describe the experience. How did you get through it? Looking back, is there anything you
would have done differently? What did you lose? What did you gain?
3. Have you ever faced a difficulty where faith was all you had to get you through it successfully? Please relate your experience.
4. Have you ever thought about leaving the Nation of Islam? What gave rise to that thought?
Have you ever taken time away from the Mosque, or distanced yourself from Mosque activities? if so, why?
5. Are you actively involved in Mosque activities now? if so, in what way? if not, why not?
6. How many times, after observing an action or inaction on the part of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, have you thought or said to someone, "That was wrong."
7. What effect did your conclusion have on your involvement in the Nation of Islam's activities?

25

GLOSSARY
PART III
TRANSITION:

A movement or passage from one position, place, state, stage, or

concept, to another. (From a Latin term, meaning "to go across").

COMPREHENSIVE:

Having an extensive mental range or grasp. Of large scope: covering or involving much.

DOUBT:

To be uncertain about; hold questionable; hesitate to believe. To distrust, fear

or be apprehensive about; a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality or
nature of something.

SUSPICION:

Belief in or imagination of the existence of a fault, defect or guilt, with little or

no evidence. A vague notion of something. From a term
meaning "to look from below."

SYNC:

Shortened form of 'synchronize', meaning to agree in time, or occur at the

same time.

MORALITY:

Conformity to rules of right conduct; virtuous conduct. Integrity.

26

PART IV: CHARACTERISTICS OF A REDEEMER

December 12, 1998
Brother Jabril: Brother Minister, several times in the 1960s and the early 1970s, the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, at His table - both in Chicago and in Phoenix - spoke about mud. Sometimes He would
talk about mud as that which the wicked put on him. On other occasions He would talk like Allah
(God) was putting the mud on Him.
He would use the word mud in very interesting ways. He said and wrote that he was to live, for a
time, the life that we live and he explained the reasons why this had to be.
The implications of his words are that certainly after he met Allah (God), he would live a life seemingly like us, in some respects, but with Wisdom Allah (God) would have by then brought to him and
would later lift him up from this life. Please comment.
Minister Farrakhan: When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad met with Master Fard Muhammad, he
said he was so deep in the mud that only his eyeballs were out of the mud. This means to me that
he was covered with mud.
He talked about his people being in the mud of civilization. Well, what is mud? Mud is earth that is
lull of water, it is not firm. If you stand on it, you will sink.
He said the people threw mud at him, then you said he said sometimes Allah (God) put mud on him.
The thought that came to me was an ayat of the Holy Qur'an, "Betake yourself to the mud. " In that
state, when you place mud on your skin, allow it to dry and then take it

27

off, it becomes a means of purification. That means to me, enemies who look for things to muddy
your reputation - if they throw enough mud on you and you survive it - it will be a means of your own
purification. so mud-slinging-in the cheap sense-is when people throw things at each other that they
know of one another's weakness or fault or sin. That is called mud-slinging
Why did the Honorable Elijah Muhammad say, "if they took out full- page ads and cursed Him out,
word for word and line by line, they would only be helping Him? His whole attitude toward mud was
different from one who is like a child playing in mud. The child comes in and gets mud all over the
floor and all over the furniture. This enrages the mother because she has to clean it up. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad's attitude toward mud was that no matter what they slung at him, it only
ended up being a means of his purification, which was also a means of his elevation.
Since that was his attitude, what should our attitude be? It should be the same as his; for He is taking us from the mud and if mud is slung at us there has to be truth in it, because water is in the mud.
So, whenever somebody is throwing mud, there is truth in it that is a means of purification.
Brother Jabril: The other night you talked about gross blindness and you spoke on the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad's words about certain kinds of minds that were so dark no light would get in. Then
we discussed this in relation to a certain history and a certain phenomenon in nature. Please comment.
Minister Farrakhan: I think I was talking about the law that Moses brought; a law that disciplined the
members of the body, but did not necessarily discipline the mind.
If the law is that a person is guilty of fornication, or adultery and that person should be stoned to
death, then in carrying out that law, we take up a stone and throw it at the person who is guilty of this
act For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. By our stoning the person who is

28

guilty of that act, we are, in effect, stoning the thought in ourselves to commit such an act, which
then is a preparatory stage for helping us to deal with the origin of sin.
Now, some of the people who followed Moses, loved The Law. David said, "The Law is a lamp unto
my feet. I delight in That Law." But, there are others who do not delight in The Law; their minds are
against The Law, but, they fear to break The Law because of the consequences.
Seventeen hundred years from the birth of Moses, Nimrod was born. Nimrod gave freedom to those
who were rebellious and those whose hatred of The Law was in their hearts. Evidently, the majority
of the people who were living under That Law hated That Law. So, when Nimrod freed them from
The Law, which is light, they could only go into darkness. As they reveled in their rebellion against
the law, they added darkness upon darkness; the darkness of their thoughts; the darkness of their
deeds; the darkness of consequences and all that it goes for - lying and trying to get around consequences - they added darkness to darkness.
Jesus was born into the world to take Israel out of their fall to a level of spiritual growth, never before
attained, by trying to get the people to see that sin starts in the mind. They were in gross darkness
and He came with light but they were so in love with the darkness, they hated the light. So that poor
man who carried the light had to suffer because of the gross darkness of the people's minds.
What I was attempting to say the other night, was that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us a
Law. Oft-times we obeyed The Law, not out of love for The Law, but, out of fear of the consequences of being put out of society and being rejected by our peers. But, that did not stop us from
lusting after a female or fantasizing to do this or that which was against The Law.

29

When the Nation fell, The Law was literally vacated and this gave rise to all of the evil of our hearts
The Law appeared to suppress. Then, this evil was free to burst forth. The Law was like a dam holding back the torrent of evil that was in the hearts of the people, but, when the dam was removed the
torrent broke forth. It was destructive of the house; destructive of the families; destructive of our
marriages and, ultimately, destructive of our lives. So the process of rebuilding or resurrecting starts
with enticing people to come to The Truth, and, to have love and respect for The Law.
In The Truth is The Law. But, in The Truth is not necessarily the Love of The Law. That has to come
from the heart when it is connected to Allah (God). When the heart is connected to Allah (God) it
sees The Law as a Blessing from Allah (God), to give order and regularity to our lives and to discipline our affairs, then, we grow in Love with Allah (God) and in Love with The Law. When we Love
Allah (God), and Love The Law, we outgrow the need for The Law. So, then, LOVE is the end of The
Law.
Brother Jabril: The next question is based on a few verses from both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an.
It all deals with the same subject you just touched on.
The Holy Qur'an says, "Repel evil with what is best." Then it teaches that you can return the like of
that with which you've been treated, but it would be better if you were patient

30

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise" - some say the word "slack" also
means dull of mind - "but is long suffering to us and not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance."
Psalms 32:1 says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered."
Proverbs 10:12 reads: "Hatred stirs up strife but love covets all sins." Of course, this is put in various
ways in different translations.
And in 1 Peter 4:8 is this: "And above all things have fervent charity [love] among yourself for charity
[love] shall cover a multitude of sins."
And then of this last part, I want to give more of the context because of how it involves the name
Elijah. It is from the Book of James 5:16-20:"Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah
was a man subject to like passions as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it
rained not on earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again and the
heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit.
"Brethren if any of you do error from the truth and one converts him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of
sins."
Of course, these passages impact many, many aspects of our duties including our going out 'fishing'
(bringing people to the Mosque) and helping us gain strength, as well as the selling of The Final
Call. These passages revolve around the same point you made earlier, and with what you just said,
as well as what you said the other night, about the process and the price of redemption. Please
comment.
Minister Farrakhan: The person who is given the task of redemption is a person who is willing to pay
the price of redemption.

31

What is the price of redemption? The price is that your love must approach the Love of Allah (God),
that you may be long suffering. Because without long suffering, you interrupt the process by which
people are redeemed.
Consider the quality of being slow to anger. Well, you could return like for like. But, if you are a redeemer, or if you are following a redeemer, returning like for like would not be sin, but, it would injure
the process by which the sinner would eventually come to redemption.
Since the sinner is by nature of God, but the nature of God in the sinner is thoroughly impacted with
evil, we have to get past the layers of evil to contact the nature of God in the human being to affect
redemption.
Master Fard Muhammad, in His coming, made a demonstration for His servant for three years and
four months of long suffering; of taking abuse to show him the price of redemption. Then, on leaving,
He tells His servant, "Take plenty." He wanted him to be long-suffering so that all may come to life.
He did not want one to perish. We may think that one is so ugly, so terrible, we would want that one
to die, because in our judgment he has earned death. Yet, He said He would pull some out of the
fire that have done no good at all. My Lord!
In the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians are these words: "Though I speak with the tongue of angels....,
though I have the gift of prophecy... though I give my body to be burned...., if I have not charity or
love, I am nothing."

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In this dispensation, it is love that makes you something in the eyes of Allah (God). Because it is
only love of Allah (God) and love of the truth and love of the purpose for His coming and love of the
people for whom He came that would cause you to have value in His sight. Love is not proud. Love
is long suffering. Love endures all. It hopeth all. This has to be the spirit, the attitude of a person that
has been called by Allah (God) to act as a redeemer. The price he must pay is to be all but completely selfless. Because, wherever the self is, the ego is, and the desire to retaliate is, and the nature of vindictiveness is, and the unwillingness to suffer is.
Allah (God) has to make you selfless, and, only when you are selfless, are you not offended by the
wickedness of those whom you have come to save. I do not say you are unaffected in that it does
not hurt you, but, you cannot respond as a natural man/woman, you must respond according to the
nature of love and the nature of yourself as a redeemer.
"For Allah (God) so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son." He Gave. He sacrificed
him, and, the son was willing to be sacrificed. I have no life of my own. My life is for the redemption
of a people, and, that is pretty hard. However, that is the necessary requirement to affect resurrection: redemption; restoration and reconciliation of the soul that is lost
In concluding, when a person is like that, he has no sin. He has shortcomings, for sure, and he may
commit sin, but by his long-suffering and continuing to pull on the good nature of Allah (God) in the
people to make them better and better and better, Allah (God) just wipes away sin that he has and
throws it in the sea of forgetfulness and covers his sin, because of the work that he does of redemption. This is why Jesus is looked at as absolutely perfect and sinless.

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33

QUESTIONS
PART IV

1. Have you ever been slandered? What were the circumstances? How did it make you feel?
How did you handle it? Would you handle it differently if it happened again?
2. Do you bring people out to the Mosque meetings? Why or why not? Do you read the Final
Call Newspaper? What do you read first? What do you like most? What do you like least?
Do you sell the paper? What response do you get from people? What would make it easier to sell?
3. What, in your opinion, is the single best thing the Nation of Islam has to offer? What is the
least attractive thing about the Nation of Islam? What should be done to improve or eliminate this undesirable trait?

34

GLOSSARY
PART IV

GROSS:

Massive. Flagrant and extreme. Obscene. Vulgar

SIN:

Transgression of Divine Law.

REDEMPTION:

Atonement for guilt; deliverance; rescue; Salvation; recovery by payment.

RESTORATION:

Return of something to a former, original, unimpaired condition. Restitution of

something taken away or lost.

RECONCILIATION (RECONCILE): The process of making consistent or compatible. (Cause to be

no longer opposed; bring into harmony; bring into acquiescence or acceptance)
RESURRECTION:

The act of rising from the dead. Coming back to life and back into use for God's
Purpose. Coming into the ultimate awareness, or knowledge of God and
becoming one with God.

35

PART V: SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

Brother Jabril: Here we have President Clinton. We were talking the other day about the hearings involving President Clinton. Among the points you brought up, one had to do with the general selfrighteousness of the Republicans, and their staffs, and how they are tearing up the country and are
blinded by the bent of their minds-bent on going in that direction-how this was ill-affecting the country and at the same time they were ignoring the will of the majority.
Your observances were different than those of the reporters and the commentators. It has a direct
bearing on us - the Nation of Islam. It included the source of the spirit of these people and their
alienation from the Mind of Allah (God). I don't remember all the details of what you said at this moment.
Minister Farrakhan: I don't either, Brother (Both laugh).
Brother Jabril: I know you dealt with the bent of their minds. It is a blindness rooted in selfrighteousness. I think that may have been a factor leading to the blindness and the gross darkness
of the minds of the people, which the prophets spoke of coming to a people, at a certain time.
Minister Farrakhan: I think I was talking about the United States Constitution and the founding fathers and words on pages written by men who loved this country and wanted to preserve and protect
this country from the things they knew historically and had, themselves, experienced in Europe.
They wanted to make a new nation that was free of the ills that caused the continuous rise and fall of
the nations in Europe.

36

So they wrestled with each other, with themselves, with history and with wisdom, to formulate a constitution that I literally believe was guided by Allah (God). But to look on words and the intent of the
writer, those words are now subjected to the interpretation of the intention of the writer and the
words he wrote.
If the intent is different from the intent of the writer, yet, the person believes in his or her own heart
and mind that he or she are in sync with the writer, then, in their blindness, they persist on a course
that could be destructive to the very thing that they say they desire to uphold.
Now, I am looking at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, a man who wrote hundreds of thousands of
words and spoke millions of words - some of which we know, some of which we don't know-but
enough of what he wrote and said, we do know. When that man is no longer here, his words are
subjected to how we evaluate, perceive, interpret and then carry into practice his words, based upon
our perception.
The Holy Qur'an teaches, "We take Allah's colouring and Allah is best at colouring." That is a very
powerful statement. But who is the "We"? If you take Allah1s (God's) colouring, then you see things
through His eyes. When you see things through the eyes of Allah (God), you cannot see wrongly,
because you see as He sees. But, if you see things through the eyes of your vanity; if you see things
through the eyes of your perversity; if you see things through the eyes of desire; then, you can misperceive what you are looking at. Because you feel you are right, and believe you are right, you go
forward with power in a wrong direction, thinking you are right, and you end up possibly destroying
the very thing you say you desire to uphold.
Such is the case of those followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad who see his words through
the eye of vanity. "I am this person. I am the son of man. I am this."

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If you see yourself as that - more than what you really are - what does your self-perception do to
your perception of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad; the words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad;
the intent and motivation of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad? Prom that you get a splintering. From
that you get sects and parties. From that you get the destruction of the unity that was present when
the principal party was present. From that you get variations on the Theme and Teachings of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad, or Prophet Muhammad, Moses, or Jesus.
So it is today with the Constitution. I think you have 535 members of Congress - the Senate and the
House of Representatives - all of whom are sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
Some are ill- prepared for such a task. Some ran for governmental office for the sake of vanity, not
for the sake of being a protector of the real aim and intention of the founding fathers of this Republic.
Some run for public office as a job. Some run for public office and spend inordinate sums of money
so that through that office, and the corruption of that office, by big business, they can double, triple
and quadruple what they spent to become that.
No one should run for public office in the United States of America without a profound understanding
of the struggle of the founding fathers to write a constitution that they are going to take an oath to
defend and protect against all enemies, foreign and domestic. No one should attempt to become a
leader, on the basis of the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, without the willingness
and the effort to enter into a profound study of the man, his message and his motives; and the history of the Nation - lest we get into a position where our sight is colored by desire or vanity or ego. Of
course, every follower must enter into that study to effectively follow and benefit from following the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
And so, it appears to me that the Republicans - so bent on a narrow construction of the rule of lawhave not really listened to tile arguments of the Democrats, which have fundamental soundness, in
that they are trying to interpret the will of the founding fathers on what they meant by

38

high crimes and misdemeanors. But on the Republican side, they are looking at-it appears to me-a
very narrow view of perjury; a narrow view of the Presidents lying. And it seems as though their desire to get Clinton is more important than what the intention of the founding fathers was and the will
of the American people is. So their bent of mind is, "We must do this regardless!"
It appears to me they are oblivious to the damage it is doing-first, to the country, and second, to the
party they represent. The anger of the people now grows greater and greater against the Congress,
against the Government, and the militia movement gets stronger. The people's malaise and feeling
that government does not represent them gets stronger. Dissatisfaction gets stronger.
So their honest perception - and I do not think they are all dishonest, they are just blinded by desire should cause us to stop a moment and reflect on our Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and
His intent, to make sure that when we interpret His Word, our mind is in sync with His Mind and our
mind is in sync with the Mind of Him Who Came and Raised the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Then,
we know we are on a right course.
I believe that is why the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, "I want your mind. I want you to line your
mind up with my mind that there be one mind." That is what I believe creates the value in the brother
and what the brother is attempting to do for all of us and humanity. [Note: Minister Farrakhan is humbly referring to himself in the third person as [`the Brother.']
I am seeing, by the help of Allah (God), not out of desire, but out of trying to understand the intent of
our father that I may properly interpret him. This is what I meant in Washington (October 17, 1998)
when I talked about Beethoven. I talked about being in sync with Beethoven's mind and as he wrote,
so that when you play Beethoven, every nuance is brought out because you have become one with
his mind and spirit. Beethoven is on one level. Allah (God) is on another.

39

When you become one with Allah (God), then you know Him in a~ hint. You know Him in a sign. You
hear His word. You see His word and you bring things out of the word that maybe others cannot see,
because of the quality of your heart and its closeness to Allah (God).
Brother Jabril: The other night we dealt with the relationship between the attitude that certain congressmen and women have, which manifests self-righteousness, because that's obviously the blinding factor- Minister Farrakhan: Well, that is the blinding factor.
Brother Jabril: Right Exactly. Of course, that applies in our own overall situation, for as your book, A
Torchlight for America, is written for them, it is also written for us. So here we have this huge study in
front of us to further plumb.
Minister Farrakhan: They are showing us how to destroy our government in a few easy lessons.
Some are talking falsely about Farrakhan wanting to overthrow the government. They are overthrowing their own house. "If satan cast out satan how then can his Kingdom stand?"

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40

QUESTIONS
PART V

1. Looking back on your life, would you say you ever perceived someone or something improperly? what caused you to misperceive the person or thing incorrectly? Since discovering you were wrong, what have you- done to correct an action you may have taken that
was based on your misperception?
2. How often do you read? How many books did you read last year? What kind of books
were they? Do you read newspapers? Which ones? Which sections do you read? Do you
have a personal computer? Do you have access to the Internet? How do you use it?
3. Have you read, "A Torchlight for America?" Do you own a copy? you ever sold or given a
copy to anyone? What is your favorite part? is your least favorite? Is there anything in it
you disagree with? explain.
4. Have you ever discovered that something you thought about yourself was incorrect? How
did you find out? How did it affect you when you found out?

41

GLOSSARY
PART V

SELE-RIGHTEOUS: Confident of one's own correctness; smugly moralistic and intolerant of the
opinions and behavior of others.
INTENTION: The act or instance of determining mentally upon an action or result. The state of mind
that directs us toward a particular action or result. The meaning or significance of words or actions.
PERCEPTION: The act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or the mind; cognition;
understanding.
PROFOUND: Penetrating deeply into the subject of the thought or knowledge; intense; going beyond what is superficial, external or obvious.
MALMSE: A condition of general weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease. An
unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness or discomfort.
NUANCE: A subtle expression, variation or shade of color. From a Latin term meaning, 'cloud.'

42

PART VI:
DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF OUR PERCEPTION

Brother Jabril: Brother Minister, I want to begin with the concept of mood and how mood affects our
perceptions and our understanding of the critical Word of Allah (God). You commented yesterday,
on this subject, with reference to a recent Farrakhan the Traveler article, which included the bearing
our moods have on our efforts to learn the Word of Allah (God). Please give us the benefit of your
comments.
Minister Farrakhan: What we bring to whatever we look at is what gives us our perception of that
which we are looking at. Knowledge influences perception. However, if we do not know what we are
looking at, then, the perception we have of that at which we are looking is not as full or complete as
it could be, or would be, if only we had knowledge and further understanding.
In the Holy Qur'an, there is a verse that reads, "We take Allah's colouring, and Allah is best at colouring." I believe it means we take Allah's (God's) view and how Allah (God) views His own creation
is how the believer views Allah's (God's) creation. But we cannot see His creation without His help.
His help comes by introducing the knowledge to us of that which He created, and, the deeper aspect
of perception is understanding the purpose for which He created what He created. It is only when we
understand the purpose for the creation of the thing at which we are looking, and the lessons He intended in it, that we can say we have taken fully Allah's (God's) coloring.

43

There is, however, something that alters perception. As you wrote in one of your articles (Vol. 17,
No. 41) recently, mood can disallow one to perceive properly. Sometimes mood is not able to be
controlled because of the things that happened in the course of a day that can alter one's mood.
That altering of mood from happy to sad, from peaceful to agitated and irritated can cause us to misperceive the reality of that at which we are looking.
I was with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad one day, and he had just finished reading a letter from
his nephew, the son of his brother, Kallatt. He said, the night before he was laying in his bed reading
his nephew's letter, and he had a negative view of that letter and the person who wrote it. But the
next morning he read it again, and he perceived that letter totally different than he did the night before. What altered his perception? It was that mood that was created by the daily work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The negatives of that day influenced his perception.
So I would imagine that in order to perceive anything correctly, we must first check the state of mind
we are in, then ask ourselves, how much we do know about that at which we are looking or on which
we are looking? How deep is our knowledge of this thing? How deep is our understanding of its purpose? And when we can answer those questions properly, then we can say whether we perceive or
misperceive reality.
I do not know how anyone can perceive reality properly without Allah (God). The God-conscious individual is less likely to misperceive reality, than one who forsakes Allah (God). When we forsake
Allah (God), we forsake Him who is the Only Reality and the Creator of that which we are trying to
perceive.

44

So only through the eyes of The Only Reality can we really perceive reality. One must, therefore,
study the Word of Allah (God) in order to perceive the reality of life better. One must study the Word
of Allah (God) to come into the proper mood and attitude for understanding.
[Note: Minister Farrakhan went on to cite another occasion while he was at the dinner table of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad dismissed one of the believers who
went to sleep at the table. Minister Farrakhan recalled the Honorable Elijah Muhammad then said:
"If you are talking to someone, and they don't seem to be receptive to what you are trying to teach, it
limits your will and desire to try to teach."
Minister Farrakhan continued, in our interview, with these words. "So, the attitude of receptivity is the
precondition for perceiving and receiving the word."

*********************
See Footnote 4
Brother Jabril: We know that one day the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to you that you did not
have to study. You have said to some of us that this puzzled you. I bring this up in relation to your
appointment of Sister Minister Ava Muhammad as a minister over a mosque in the Nation of Islam.
Please comment.
Minister Farrakhan: As I came to understand the words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I came
to see, not that I should not study, but what he is going to bring through me and from me, is that
which is revelation. If it is revelation, I cannot study it, because I have not knowledge of what it is until it comes. After it comes through, then we can study it more deeply to understand and interpret it
for those who believe.

45

I said that with respect to the appointment of Sister Minister Ava Muhammad as minister of the
mosque, it was an act of inspiration. I had another person in mind. As I was sitting at the table,
knowing I was going to make a change in Atlanta, I looked at Sister Ava, and in an instant, it came to
me that she should be the one.
In order to explain my moves to others who might not understand, I said I am not an individual who
sits in contemplation and meditation in planning the next step for the Nation's development. Everything we have done has come from inspiration that comes in an instant. I do not know when its coming, or in what context it is going to come. I only know that it comes, and when it comes, I am convinced almost instantly that it is something I should do.
Sometimes after I say it or do it, there are some reservations, there are some misgivings, if that is a
proper word. But they are quickly dispelled, because the reservations and the misgivings come out
of a fear, sometimes, of a consequence for the revelation, an inspiration that has been acted upon.
Then, Allah (God) confirms me, so that fear or anxiety over what He has inspired me to say or do
goes away. Then, I go forward with zeal and strength and total commitment, knowing that Allah
(God) is with me in what I am about to do.
Brother Jabril: That happened in the process of the idea of the Million Man March.
Minister Farrakhan: Absolutely. Absolutely. The Million Man March came as a moment of inspiration
in the middle of a speech. After it left my lips, I looked at it I could not believe that this was coming
out of my mouth and that we were going to do such a thing. Then I had reservations, not just for a
moment, but I had reservations for a little time; "Oh, maybe I should put it off for a year or two. May I
should plan it better."

46

Then I came to realize, more deeply, that my life is already planned. The Best Planner has planned
my life through to the end and the plan was written long before I was born. So I need not sit around
and plan. I just have to wait for aspects of His Plan to be given to me to be carried out.

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47

QUESTIONS
PART VI

1. Do you read the Holy Qur' an? Do you have any difficulty reading or understanding it?
2. Does it ever seem that other people get more out of reading it than you do? If so, how
does that affect you?
3. Have you ever tried to talk to someone who appeared not to be listening, or appeared not
to be receptive to what you were saying? How did you feel? What did you do about it?
4. Do you find it easy or difficult to make important decisions? Are you more comfortable
planning things than acting on what you feel at the moment? Do you pray before you
make big decisions?
5. Have you ever taken an action solely on inspiration? What was it? What was the outcome
of your decision?

48

GLOSSARY
PART VI

MOOD:

A state or quality of feeling at a particular time; a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude; a frame of mind.

ALTER:

To make different in some particular; to modify or change.

RECEPTIVE:

Having the quality of admitting or taking in. Quick to receive knowledge or ideas;
willing or inclined to take suggestions, offers of information, etc., with favor.

REVELATION:

Allah's (God's) disclosure of Himself and His Will. Reveal is to make known or lay
open to view.

INSPIRE (INSPIRATION):

To communicate by Divine influence; to guide or control by Divine influence; to infuse an animating, quickening or exalting influence into.
From a Latin term meaning "to breathe (Knowledge or wisdom revealed
from God which bypasses the intellect).

49

PART VII: THE WOMAN IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

Brother Jabril: At some point in your Atlanta speech, when you were installing Sister Minister Ava
Muhammad, you spoke about the woman being kept in. Would you say that there is a connection
between that fact and the woman coming out now? How does this relate to the fact that prior to
6,000 years ago, as we have been taught, there was no "mosque" as such. The establishment of
"mosque" is a relatively recent development-where we have edifices here and there, throughout the
earth - and that one day, the whole earth would be a Mosque. What is the relationship between
these two sets of issues?
Minister Farrakhan: Before the coming of the wicked, our whole activity of life was an activity of worship. I am sure that prayer, as a principle, was always a part of our life. Charity, fasting, struggle
against human weakness in order to be obedient to Allah (God), was always a part of the principles
of our daily activity.
However, it was seen in the beginning of this 25,000 year cycle, that in the year 8400 one would be
born from among us who would bring in a world contrary to the Nature of Allah (God) and the nature
in which He created creation. The scientists agreed that such one should come, which they could
have altered, or the Judge of that cycle could have altered. But He, in His wisdom, said, "Let it be."
So this one was coming by the Permissive Will of Allah (God) to act as the god of this world.

50

In order to keep this new people from using our ancient wisdom to build his world, we started the
process, then, of preparing for the arrival of the god of this world. Part of that act of preparation was
to cover up the signs of the Wisdom of the Original man in the earth. We could not cover up the
signs of the Original people in the heavens, and the new man would take many, many, many, years
before he could even begin to read the Wisdom of the Originator in the heavens. But, we could keep
him from reading our science in the earth by burying our ancient civilizations under the sea, under
the sand and under forests. So the new man came to build his contrary world.
Knowing that the female is the critical part of the building process - that one cannot bring in a new
civilization until and/or unless one affects the way the female thinks. So in the Wisdom of God, He
pulled our women in, and part of the discipline of salvation for us was that our woman should be kept
in the house. Not that this is permanent, but, this was an act of protection. The man would go out
and meet the new people while his woman was kept behind the door.
We did not have churches. We did not have mosques, tabernacles or cloisters, because the Way of
Allah (God) was practiced freely and naturally by the original people wherever they lived. But, when
an enemy was coming, whose way of civilization would be so contrary to God, we had to set up a
particular house where the people of God could go in remembrance of God, to be instructed in His
Way, that they might struggle against the way of civilization that was to hold sway over humanity until the Coming of God at the end of their time of rule.

51

So Moses was commanded to build a tabernacle. Then we had, in the Christian era, churches and in
the Muslim era, mosques. These are houses of repair. They are like an automobile repair shop that
you go out of the world to mend what is broken that you may go out on the bumpy highway of life to
see how well you do until you need a place of repair again. The mosques, the churches and the tabernacles were called places where we repair; we go to mend a broken spirit We go to restore a soul.
We go to be reminded of the way of God.
So the woman, generally, was kept out of the affairs to keep her from getting entangled in the
wicked way of civilization that was to hold sway. She was kept out of government She was kept out
of Church affairs. She was kept out of everything but home affairs, because Satan was going to rule
church affairs, government affairs, and all other affairs.
Allah (God) did not want her entangled in Satan's way, because the more she is entangled in such
way, the more difficult it would be for Allah (God) to bring forth out of her a new civilization.
It is written of Mary in the Holy Qur'an that the angels argued over who would take charge of the life
of Mary. If you look at Mary, she was put in a place where she could not be contaminated with the
wickedness of the world. She grew up under the care of Zacharias, a righteous man, and grew up in
the temple under the Law of God; she was a purified female through whom God would bring forth a
manchild who would become the Power that would end the world of Satan. Allah (God) needed a
good woman, uncontaminated by the world, through whom He could bring the Messiah.

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This is why we kept women in the house, or we tried to (smile). Many of them got out, because they
felt this was against the nature of the woman to not be involved, so they kept sneaking out, or being
let out, and, of course, when the wicked conquered the man, then they could go in the house and
take his woman out of the house and spoil her. But he never got to Mary. So it is through Mary that a
new world would come.
One day Master Fard Muhammad told the sisters that a time would come when they would let the
devil into their living rooms and entertain him. Little did we know that when the television was made
and we put it in our living rooms that the wicked ideas of a satanic mind that governs this world
would come into our homes and spoil our women and children.
Sister Minister Ava Muhammad's appointment as a minister over a mosque to head the mosque in
teaching and administration is a sign now of new rulership. This is a sign that it is becoming time
now for the female to come out into Allah's (God's) new world, as well as to master the home to
bring forth a brand new civilization. It is also a sign of the irreversible Will of Allah (God) - that nothing Satan can do will alter the establishment of Allah's (God's) Will. The woman can come out now
because Satan's power over her is waning.
All over the world, women are crying out for freedom; crying out for justice. Allah (God) is inspiring
their cry and He will answer their cry and make them a party to and a partner with the new Adam in
bringing about a very functional family, and a very functional nation on the basis of proper malefemale relationships and partnerships in serving the Will of Allah (God). She will be His helpmeet.
Brother Jabril: Brother Minister, would you say that warfare has had the effect of liberating the
woman?
Minister Farrakhan: Yes. That has contributed toward her total liberation. In World War II, when the
men were called to fight, the presence of women in factories to produce the weapons or ordinance
of war showed that women could do effective work outside of the home.

53

Women's suffrage in the last century has contributed to her coming out and becoming a partner in
society. That push for her liberation has begun and it continues.
Brother Jabril: What is the relationship between a man honoring his mother and a man honoring
women in general?
Minister Farrakhan: Mother is next to Allah (God) and the Messenger of Allah (God), who brings the
Word of Allah (God) and is the example of how that word should be carried forth into life. Next to
those two, nothing supersedes mother.
When a man learns to honor and respect his mother and perceives her in accordance with Allah's
(God's) Will and Purpose for her creation, then it flows from that perception (of his mother) and understanding that all women who are mothers potentially should be given the same honor and respect
that one would give to one's mother.
When you see your sister, a potential mother, you honor your sister. You protect your sister, as you
would protect your mother, your aunt, your cousin. This flows from the proper perception of mother,
from which comes the proper perception of women.

**********************

54

QUESTIONS
PART VII

1. When the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan appointed a woman as a minister over a
mosque, were you surprised? Why or why not?
2. Did you find his action to be in any way inconsistent with your perception of Islam? Did
anyone express disagreement with it in your presence? How did you respond?

55

GLOSSARY
PART VII

CLOISTER:

A place of religious seclusion; any quiet, secluded place

DYSFUNCTIONAL:

Combination of "dys", meaning "ill"

A malfunctioning of a structure or body

ORDINANCE:

Military weapons, along with equipment and ammunition. Branch of an army

that procures and issues weapons.

SUFFRAGE:

The right to vote.

56

or

bad,

and

"function."

PART VIII: THE TIME WARP

Brother Jabril: How would you relate the fact that so many are in a "time warp," to the parable of Jesus, given in Matthew 25, about the talents? How, in your view, does this parable relate to helping
us out of time warps, and coming fully into the present, to be in accord with Allah's (God's) Will for
this time period-from 2975, or from whatever time period of the past?
Minister Farrakhan: There is a saying, "the only thing that is permanent in creation is change." As
long as we live, we are engulfed in an eternal process of change. Sometimes, however, we get
locked into an era of time that gives us great comfort, because in that era of time we became possessors of a certain knowledge that acquits us in that time period and we become successful.
Success, in any period of time, means the mastery of difficulty. The success that demonstrates the
mastery of difficulty produces the ease that comes after difficulty. When the ease comes, we are in a
position of danger- the Holy Qur'an warns those of us who live the easy life, because the life of ease
takes the struggle out of life.
When one does not have to struggle to know; when one does not have to struggle to become successful; when one does not have to struggle, then in that stage of development, one becomes comfortable. But another stage is coming which will cause us to face difficulty again. And, it is the refusal
to face the difficulty that accompanies change that leaves those in ease unwilling to struggle again.
They get involved or caught up in a time warp which then sentences them to death.

57

So it is when prophets come into the world bringing revelation. Every new aspect of knowledge produces a new challenge. Those in the older aspect of knowledge who have mastered that aspect of
know and have found ease, then, the struggle of life is gone for them, and are more unwilling to accept the challenge of a new revelation which demands struggle, which demands change, which furthers their evolution toward perfection.
Ease makes a person not want perfection. They say: "I'm happy I am; don't disturb me." So when
the new knowledge comes, the people oppose it most are the people who live the easy lives, or who
have become comfortable in their understanding of their revelation (Torah, Gospel, Qur'an). This is
why Jesus said, "It would be easier for a camel to through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the Kingdom God."
Why? Because the kingdom of God demanded a new knowledge. That new knowledge demanded
of those who had previously acquitted themselves greatly with the old knowledge, that they become
as a child to learn the new. That became difficult for the arrogant and the lofty. So they got lost in a
time warp.
In order for us to continue the evolutionary journey toward perfection, we must remain humble and
know that nature and life is critical. History shows that there is difficulty, and, after you've mastered
the difficulty there is ease. When ease comes, a new challenge is going to be presented. If we can
accept the discomfort of the new challenge and rise to that challenge to struggle to overcome the difficulties presented by that challenge, then we will have ease again. As the Holy Qur'an teaches, "In
the alternation of the day and the night, in this are signs for those who reflect."

See Footnote 5

58

Brother Jabril: The Holy Qur'an says Allah (God) straightens in means whom He pleases. He's not
trying to destroy the person. Please comment.
Minister Farrakhan: There are some of us whom God keeps in struggle, that He may teach them lessons through struggle and allow them to teach others through their struggle.
The Holy Qur'an teaches, "He straightens the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and He
amplifies it for whom He pleases." In both instances, the human being is being tried. If your means
are straightened, how would you react to that, where Allah (God) is concerned? If your means are
amplified, how will you act toward Allah (God), Who has amplified your means? In both instances,
the human being is under trial. How we react under both circumstances determine how Allah (God)
will favor us in the next season.
Brother Jabril: So, in each instance He is advancing each person towards that which pleases Him
and His pleasure is in bringing us closer to Himself.
Minister Farrakhan: Absolutely. Absolutely. His pleasure is really the pleasure of the faithful. This is
why Job was so beloved of God. No matter what it pleased God to do to Job-which was really for
Job-Job would never curse God. His words are there, according to the Bible, "I will wait until my
change comes."

59

This meant that he was patient and long suffering. It meant that he knew his change was coming. It
did come. Although the story ends with Job in great wealth, what he learned through the time of the
straightening of his means of subsistence was complete reliance on Allah (God). So that when he
came into wealth, the wealth never altered his perception of God and great became the character
that was developed in him through the struggle to survive when he lost everything.
Brother Jabril: Now, Brother Minister, last night you shared with us information that provides us with
deeper insight into the relationship between getting out of the 'time warp' and tying it in with the talent. Please comment
Minister Farrakhan: To capsule it. It is a picture of The Day of Judgment Each human being will be
called to account for what that human being has done with what that human being has been given.
In the parable of the talents, there is a man who was going away to a far country. At the time when
that parable was spoken, the means of transportation were such that, if a man was going away into
a far country, it would take that person an awfully long time to go and return from a far country.
I think the parable was trying to tell us that the person would be gone for a while. The absence of
that person was a test for the servants of that person. So, he calls them before he goes and he gives
to each talents. One he gives five; one he gives three; one he gives one.
In those days, a talent was money. The man that he gave five increased it to ten. The man that he
gave three increased it to five. The man that he gave one, buried it When the master returned, he
called his servants. "To a Day of Judgment. He asked the question, "What did you do with what I
gave you?"

60

One servant said, "You have given me five and I increased it to ten." the master said, "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant, because you have been faithful over a little, I will make you a ruler
over much." Then he called the man that he had given two talents. That man also increased his talent to four. The Master was pleased with him because of the increase.
But the man that he had given one talent, buried it. He never put it to use. He wanted to give it back
to the master the same way he received it Needless to say, the master was greatly displeased with
him and took from him his talent. He took that one talent and gave it to the man who brought about
the biggest increase. The man with the one talent began accusing the master. "Ah, you're a hard
man. You reap where you have not even sown." He is making excuses for his lack of the proper use
of his talent.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that the talent here represents faith. The greatest money a
person has is their faith in Allah (God). But, faith counts for nothing except it is put to an exchange.
As money should secure you some of the things that you need to make life more comfortable and
the quality of life better for you and your family, it is putting faith to an exchange that will improve the
quality of your life.
The man that buried his faith was in a time war"". He refused to grow. He was comfortable with the
one talent that he had and did not see any need to improve on what the master had given him. He
thought he would be accepted by giving back to the master what the master had given him. He
found himself cast into outer darkness and that which he had was taken from him. [Note: Minister
Farrakhan shuddered a bit as he paused and said: "My Lord! My Lord!"]

61

What I see in that, is everyone whom the Honorable Muhammad taught, who claims belief in him,
has to put their faith to exchange. For as surely as the day follows the night, he will return. We will be
called to account for our use of our faith; our use of our life; our of our gifts, skills and talents. If we
have not done properly, then we suffer the judgment of our master, rather than the joy of having
pleas him and being made governors and rulers over territory in his name.
So it would behoove all to come out of the comfortability of what y believed yesterday, because what
you believed yesterday and the way y believed yesterday may not be acceptable in today's circumstances. However, you cannot come into today without a guide. So Allah (God) says, "I will not leave
you comfortless. I am going to give you someone who will guide you in the absence of your Master as a Comforter, but also as a Guide to a higher level of comfort after the difficulty of change."
Unfortunately, the rejection of that guide, as the continuation of the work of the Master (the Honorable Elijah Muhammad), is absolutely confining us to a stage and a period of time that sentences us
to death.
Brother Jabril: You just reminded me of something I said to some of. us the other day. We ofttimes
refer to you as the Reminder. We ofttimes say this in our opening statements before an audience
and sometimes in our prayers, thanking Allah for a "reminder" in yourself. But the Holy Qur'an also
says, in more than one place, "If you reject this reminder then chastisement is coming." So, I want to
bring up that point in this context.

62

Minister Farrakhan: Yes, they are not confident that he is guiding them aright, so they stay in that
which they were sure of that was sanctioned by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad when he was
among us. They do not realize that this new stage of their development was and is also sanctioned
by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
When the Holy Qur'an teaches of Moses and Aaron it says, "Go you both to Pharaoh, I give you both
a criteria and an authority." This tells us that as Moses was given a certain criteria and an authority,
Aaron was also given the same. Those who came up under the man like Moses did not have the
same trust in the man like Aaron. They were more comfortable teaching that which they didn't have
to struggle to grow to understand.
Brother Jabril: Then we have that warning in the Bible, which tells us, in symbolic form, that all
twenty years old and older were divinely done away with. So those nineteen years old and younger
had the big chance to make it. The youthful or the childlike eager state of mind, to learn and move
ahead, as you've mentioned, these are all interconnected and the keys to our salvation today.

****************************

63

PART IX: REFLECTIONS FROM A MAN

WITH A MISSION
September, 1998

Brother Jabril: For those who didn't get a chance to see him or sit at his table, tell us about the sense
of humor of the Elijah Muhammad.
Minister Farrakhan: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad majority of his life with a very heavy weight on
his head. His with the "weighty word" and the Mission that Allah (God) had given him. Those were
great blessings, at his dinner table, where we were in discussions and in hearing him expound on
the Wisdom of Allah (God), as found in the Bible and Holy Qur'an and methods of going after our
people, to bring them into the light of a knowledge that had been kept from them. Our discussion
with him at his table were of a serious nature. So, it was most refreshing to sit at his table sometimes
and hear him tell a anecdote and laugh.
When he laughed his cheeks became so rosy. For me it was joy to see him laugh and sometimes he
would laugh until tears welled up eyes. His sense of humor was unique because one would not think
a man of his station, of his tremendous wisdom, would even take the time humorous. But even in his
humor he was always teaching lessons.
Brother Jabril: Now I am among the witnesses of the humor of both the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
and of yourself - two men with the heaviest missions conceivable. I am among those who had the
privilege of sitting at his table and now at your table there in Chicago. I have personally witnessed
the same quality of humor in him as well as in you.

64

One of the fascinating experiences we have gone through was of course, the tremendous number
and array of vicious attacks via the mass media of America, which often came through cartoons
against yourself- especially beginning in 1984. You have shared with some of us the use you would
like to one day make of those cartoons. Would you repeat what that was, if you had the opportunity
to do that?
Minister Farrakhan: First, I am amazed at genius, no matter how genius is displayed. I marvel at
genius. The way the cartoonists would depict me was literally hilarious. I saw the genius of these
cartoonists used in a way to make light of me and the word. But I found them so funny that I wanted
to devote a whole room in my house to gather all of these cartoons and make it into wall paper and
just paper my wall with all of these cartoons. Then when I get in a depressed mood I could go and
just look at these cartoons and laugh myself back into mental preparedness to do my job.
I can look at myself now, at my own sense of humor, and I realize that sometimes a funny story that
makes a person laugh is something that makes a person comfortable in a situation where they might
not be comfortable.
When people sat at the table of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, believing he was a man who met
with Allah (God); believing he was a man who could read your thinking; well, it was very frightening
to be sitting in the presence of a man of whom you believe such. So he would always say something
humorous, to relax the persons that did not know him who were there at his table for the first time.
That little joke, that little humorous word that he would say it would sort of take the edge off of those
at the table, and set a friendly tone and open a person up for serious teaching and dialogue.

65

I have found in my own life that life is hard, but people love to laugh; especially when they are not
the focus of the laughter. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad would make people laugh. Yet, there
was wisdom in what he was saying and sometimes there was just folly. But it was hilarious even to
hear the Honorable Elijah Muhammad say something that seemed like folly. However, he used folly
for the foolish and he to open the foolish up to wisdom.
So, I find myself, just naturally-not imitating our father- but naturally doing the same thing to make
people to know that I boogie man. I am their brother and I love them and I desire them to know the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I desire them to know the truth and you cannot always jump on the
person with heavy truths. You have skillful to open their hearts and their minds to truth and nothing
does it better than a humorous anecdote or something that causes laughter.
Brother Jabril: Would you say that the ability to laugh at ones self is related to selflessness rather
than self-centeredness?
Minister Farrakhan: Of course. You know a person who is humble of heart can see things of self that
are funny and laugh at self and laugh at what people do and think of self because they know that
that is not the self. Just having a knowledge of yourself and who and what you really are; to be humble to recognize the Majesty of Allah (God), then what people write of you of evil, what people say of
you of evil, what people plan against you of evil, never makes you evil.
It hurts you sometimes, to know it, to hear it, but, then you get over it. As far as my own self is concerned, I do not focus on those things at all. Sometimes I forget the evil that people say and the evil
that people plan and do that I know of them. They could come in my presence and I will treat them
just as well as I would treat a member of my own family or one of my helpers in this cause. I guess it
takes people aback to know that I may know the evil that they have thought of me, that they have
said of me, and yet, I am kind to them.

66

An example of that is that I gave a four or five-hour interview to Dr. Henry Louis Gates of Harvard
University earlier this year. The article he wrote in The New Yorker hardly represented much of what
I gave him. He said what he wanted to say and left out what he wanted to leave out. The article did
not represent the truth of what I said nor me as I naturally would like to have been represented.
When I was in Africa, in the wonderful, wonderful country of Ethiopia, he was in the same hotel as I.
He was working on a piece on Christianity and Islam and their origins in Africa. When he learned
that I was m the hotel, he wanted to interview me for his documentary. Of course, I obliged him.
When he came up in the suite, with his camera crew, I am sure he was somewhat shocked that I
never showed displeasure toward him. I may have mentioned my displeasure with the way that he
characterized our interview, but, I was kind to him and went on with him as though he and I were
long lost friends. Why? Because no matter what people write or say in their misrepresentations of
me, I am always thinking that one day, Allah (God) willing, I will win them for the cause of Islam.
Brother Jabril: This is a two part question. Would you say that your wonderful sense of humor has
been a factor in your ability to persevere under this most difficult set of circumstances? And what are
some of the other factors that have enabled you to so persevere?
Minister Farrakhan: Yes, and I also think the greatest factor in my being able to persevere is being
blessed to be humble enough to see the Greatness of Allah (God). I know that I am just an atom in
the Universe of billions and trillions and quadrillions of atoms. I know that I am so blessed to be able
to serve Allah (God), in this time, and in this way.

67

In serving Allah (God), our people and humanity as best I can, and not taking myself seriously in
terms of who I am and how people view me, I think, is the underpinning of my sense of humor. This
is the underpinning of longevity and perseverance. This is the reason the evil that people do to me
really does not affect me; it is because they never reach me. They cannot find me. I am so low to the
ground that everything they shoot at me always goes above me; and they could only hit me if I began to think more of myself than I should.
Brother Jabril: Your wonderful sense of humor is a factor in your ability to persevere under this tremendous pressure. The very source of the quality of your sense of humor, as I have had a chance to
witness is, tremendously illustrated in the work of the cartoonist against you, which we have just discussed. The way you reacted and handled that entire episode is a perfect illustration of the truth of
what you just said; the ability not to take oneself so seriously which is related to not making oneself
at the center of reality, but to be God-centered. This is what I was driving at. Your sense of humor
comes from a quality of character which the Honorable Elijah Muhammad demonstrated among us.
Brother Minister, it is a fact that any of us who had the privilege of working with you up close well
knows; anyone who has observed you from a distance, but has knowledge of you will bear witness
to the same. I am referring to your stupendous and the strenuous nature of your travels; which you
have kept up non-stop, going on twenty-two years, in fulfillment of your assignment. It is a fact that
you have a schedule which is practically unbelievable, especially the traveling schedule, which is
"unreal". To what degree do you feel love motivates and fuels you to do what you do in the way that
you do it?

68

Minister Farrakhan: That is the answer. Love is the power. Love is the force. Love is the gasoline or
the fuel that allows one, such as myself, to do what I do and appear indefatigable, ubtired, not worn
by what one does and it is precisely because I love so much of what I am doing.
I love to impart knowledge. I love to see the eyes of a human being come open to truths that mean
something or can be a motivating factor to make their personal lives more meaningful. This is what
gives meaning to my own life. As I give, I get; as I feed, I am fed; as I energize others, I too, am energized because I believe that is what I am born into this world to do.
Brother Jabril: Thank you, Minister Farrakhan.
Minister Farrakhan: You are welcome

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69

QUESTIONS
PART VIII

1. Do you feel a gap has developed between you and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan? If so, when, why and how did it happen? Do you feel there is a way to narrow the
gap? If so, what is the way? If not, what do you plan to do about the gap?
2. Do you see any similarities between current events in the Nation of Islam and events that
occurred during the time the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was among us? If so, what are
they? What lessons do you think can be learned by looking at similarities?

70

GLOSSARY
PART VIII

TIME WARP: Time is the means of measuring the duration of any event, including how long it takes
to move from one point to another. A warp is a bend; a distortion or deviation from
the natural or true course.
ACQUIT:

To relieve from a charge of a fault or a crime; to free or clear oneself.

PART IX

INDEFATIGABLE: incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue.

PERSEVERANCE: A steady persistence in a course of action; in theology, continuance in a state of
grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation

71

CONCLUSION
What comes below grew out of a lengthy discussion between Minister Farrakhan and me one night
last December, over the implications of points made in articles [Farrakhan: The Traveler, Vol.18,
No.10 & Vol. 18, No.11] about himself. In the course of that conversation, and in response to points
respecting his identity, he attempted to describe how he saw himself. What he said was to me very
interesting and highly significant. I was so moved by what he said to me, that I could not sleep that
night. That discussion was not taped.
Two nights later, and again at dinner, with a few others present, including his wife, Mother Khadijah,
Minister Farrakhan made a statement that seemed to me that he was going to include what he said
of himself two nights earlier. This was to me a valuable opportunity to capture something of great
value to share with you, by means of this little book. He permitted me to tape his statement, which
he held up for the moment it took me to get my tape recorder.
One more thing. Usually there is only very minor editing to be done in final drafts of interviews I have
done with Minister Farrakhan. This is due to the magnificently clear manner he has of expressing
himself. However, in this instance, he was expressing himself on the core of himself. This is never
easy for anyone to truly do. It wasn't for him that night either.
I hope you are not offended by my near verbatim transcription of his words, but I want the reader to
get a sense of that scene as we experienced it. Again, it was that valuable, in my eyes. So, for the
purposes of this little book, and the one to come, here is the relevant part of that dinner discussion. I
hope you will find it as valuable as I did.

72

Here are his very touching, moving and stirring words.

"Any man who is made in haste is made of a fiery temperament. The creation of the universe and Allah's own self-creation is not a. hasty thing. He makes everything to go through stages and stages
and it takes great time. He said He created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time. He does
not say what those periods of time are, whether they are billions or trillions of years.
It takes time for a person to grow into the knowledge of self. And then the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, "After you grow into the knowledge of self, then you have to learn how to hold yourself
down, lest you get carried away with yourself"
I was telling Brother Jabril [two nights earlier] that no matter what people say of me - and now people
are saying things all over the world - I feel like a little boy inside of a mature man.
Now look at that picture: a little boy inside of a mature man. As the man is getting older and wiser,
the people outside are relating to this mature man who is representing Allah (God), the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad, Prophet Muhammad and the Truth, but, on the inside there is this little boy who is
almost oblivious to the kudos and the praise and all that is being said to the mature man on the outside.
The little fellow on the inside may want to play, he may want to do some little silly thing. He is not
even aware of the greatness that Allah (God) is making of him. He is just happy being a little boy on
the inside of this mature man.

73

I keep thinking, as I look at myself, no matter what people say, "how great he is," yet I see myself
just like I was when we (looking at his wife) were back in Roxbury, Massachusetts and I am this little
fellow respectful of my elders and always willing to do little things to help this one and that: one;
never taking myself seriously. That is my protection. The little boy on the inside is protected from all
of the praise and the kudos - fame, popularity, adulation, acclamation-on the mature man growing on
the outside.
The little fellow - if there is a cartoon that could be drawn of a man growing in stature and the lines in
his face and the wisdom that he speaks and the audiences cheering, and on the inside there is this
little boy playing hopscotch or playing with his marbles and he is oblivious to the people outside saying great and wonderful things about him. He is hitting that marble. He is just doing his "little boy"
things.
So, no matter what people say; no matter how much they praise me; it does not affect me, because
it only reaches the head of the old man, but the little fellow on the inside didn't hear it. He doesn't
know it. You know? I don't know why I made that picture; but that's the way I feel inside.
Even though I know these words that you [Jabril] write are true and I know I am the representative of
this Messianic dispensation; I know that I am that I know that I know that But, then, I don't know it Do
you know what I mean? I know that I am becoming a very great man. But I am not aware to the point
where I am carried away with myself, because the little boy on the inside does not allow it.
You know how old people can sit at a table and talk and the little boy is looking for a way to get away
from table so he can do "little boy" things? Am I making sense? [We all laugh; for he is crystal clear
and in a very touching and sensitive manner.] that's a heck of a picture, isn't it?

74

So I don't know what games people have on their minds, but little children do not [arrogantly] judge
people. Little children have a way of looking at people - they may not go to everybody, but they are
innocent. And because they are innocent, they have to be protected. That's that little fellow within.
Now, the old guy might be wise enough to protect the little fellow within, but I think the little fellow
within the old fellow outside just looks mature and sounds mature and affects the world as a mature
man. But on the inside, he's just a little boy, innocent, and will never be affected by the praise of the
people.
And when death overtakes him, he won't know anything of his so- called greatness. He will only
know he is grateful that he was blessed to live to serve a Great God, Allah, and a Great Cause, Islam, and a Great Teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
I was telling Brother Jabril how young people get fame and fortune quickly and lose it almost as
quickly as they get it. It destroys them, because it really takes time to produce greatness. Real greatness-just takes time.
And so God, in allowing me to grow-I don't care if millions of people applaud me and cheer me, the
little boy inside is oblivious to that. He hardly hears it and that is not his interest. His interest is in the
game of marbles; not really marbles but, you know - I just don't know how to explain it

75

Everyone there smiled and was moved by the beautiful way Minister Farrakhan clearly expressed
himself.
Thank you for reading this little book, your Saviours the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
More next volume, Allah willing.

Jabril Muhammad
February 14,1999

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My Comments
on
Closing The Gap
First, let me make clear that these comments are in the nature of footnotes. Here are the definitions
I've extracted from dictionaries, which fit my meaning for this section of this work.
Dictionaries define the word "footnote' as an explanatory note, or comment, that refers to a specific
part of the main text. It's something related to, but of lesser importance than, a larger work or occurrence. It's a minor or tangential comment, added to, but also subordinated to, the main statement or
the main text of the book. It's usually placed at the bottom of a page, or after each of its chapters, or
at the end of the book. Another point I've not seen in dictionaries, about the definition of the term
"footnote" is this. Although they may be pregnant with meaning, they are almost always short
When it comes to writing about the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Those Whom he represents-his mission, teachings and works-we are looking at a huge subject. When writing in footnotes,
or in a commentary in a short book, such as this, to cover in depth all that I would want to state
about his profound significance and statements, would make this section longer than the main part
of this book.
My hope, with these interviews of Minister Farrakhan, was to ask the reader to focus on the superb
quality of his mind; the broad scope of his outlook; the extraordinary clearness of his reasoning and
the depth of his thinking.
Remember that he had no prior knowledge of what I was going to ask him. Nor did he know what I
intended to do with the writings. I thank him for allowing me the privilege of asking him what I wanted
to ask and for the graciousness of his responses.
With this understanding, let us begin.

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First, my basic idea for interviewing Minister Farrakhan was for the purpose of making a easy to read
little book to aid others to better understand him, by means of getting from him responses in some
areas I thought crucial.
So, I thought, two things could be accomplished at once. First, the reader could learn aspects of his
wisdom, which could quickly improve aspects of their lives due to the healing insights I felt he would
give.
Next, I felt that his responses would be of such nature that the reader could come closer to Minister
Farrakhan; that this could close gaps between themselves and him.
The origin of the idea for the title of this book was both of a general and a specific origin. Generally,
the entire concept of the book grew out of my perceptions of certain essential needs of our Nation as
I've traveled throughout America since 1993. It came from what I was blessed to see and hear, as I
traveled, and-thanks to Allah--from what I know is coming.
The specific was occasioned by a discussion between a believer and the Honorable Minister Louis
Farrakhan, in an automobile, as we search for a store in order to get Minister Farrakhan some shirts.
This was in the summer of 1998.
The believer was expressing an internal conflict, mixed with anger and deep disappointment, with
those who were involved in taking the Nation of Islam down. This feeling was also extended to those
who were not involved in what occurred to the Nation of Islam, but who yet refuse to help Minister
Farrakhan in his work.
His answer was beautiful and magnificent. His healing and illuminating insights enabled that believer
to bridge the spiritual gap between where that person was, to where that person had to go, in order
to have peace of mind, with understanding. From that one exchange, I saw an healthier attitude immediately develop in that believer towards the others against whom resentment had been expressed
only minutes earlier.
As I listened to his words and the response, the title: Closing The Gap occurred to me, for the first
time, for this book, which I was still working on at that time.

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I was so enthused over the discussion in the car that I said I was going to look to see if the word
"gap" was in the scriptures in a way that was relevant to the Minister's work, which, in part was
summed up in that car ride, as we looked for his shirts.
In the car I expressed what the book of Exodus relates about the order of God through Moses for
Aaron to stand - in effect-between life and death for the benefit of the people at a certain crucial time
in the history. However, I wanted to know whether or not there was a similar narrative, that was relevant to what was in the book of Exodus, with the word "gap" in it.
So, later that day I looked in the Bible's concordance under the word "gap."
Different translations contained different times in the histories, the Bible contains, when this word
came up. For instance, The King James Version took me to the 30th verse of the 22nd chapter of
the book of Ezekiel.
It reads that God said this: "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand
before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
The Revised Standard Version puts it this way: "And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it;
but I found no one."
A note on this verse in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary reads: "The Lord sought in vain for a man to
stem the tide of ruin and turn the fortunes of the people, but there was none."
From Barnes' Notes on verse 30 are these words: "The land might be said to perish for the lack of
such interpositions as saved their forefathers when Moses 'stood in the gap.' This was a proof of the
general corruption, that there was not in the city sufficient righteousness to save it from utter destruction.
In Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition there is a detailed description or commentary on the sins of Israel that led to her divine punishment, as given in the context in which verse 30 appears. I won't quote it all. However, it concludes with these words:

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"Thus was the apostasy universal and the disease epidemical." There is none that appears as an intercessor for them (v.30): I sought for a man among them that should stand in the gap, but I found
none. Note,
"(1.) Sin makes a gap in the hedge of protection that is about a people at which good things run out
from them and evil things pour in upon them, a gap by which God enters to destroy them.
"(2.) There is a way of standing in the gap, and making up the breach against the judgments of God,
by repentance, and prayer, and reformation. Moses stood in the gap when he made intercession for
Israel to turn away the wrath of God, Ps 106:23.
"(3.) When God is coming forth against a sinful people to destroy them he expects some to intercede
for them, and enquires if there be but one that does; so much is it his desire and. delight to show
mercy. If there be but a man that stands in the gap, as Abraham for Sodom, he will discover him and
be well pleased with him.
"(4.) It bodes ill to a people when judgments are breaking in upon them, and the spirit of prayer is restrained, so that not one is found that will either give them a good word or speak a good word for
them.
"(5.) When it is so, what can be expected but utter ruin? Therefore have I poured out my indignation
upon them (v. 31), have given it full scope, that it may come upon them in a full stream; yet, whatever God's wrath inflicts upon a people, it is their own way that is therein recompensed upon their
heads, and God deals with them no worse, but even much better, than their iniquity deserves."
I know I could have sum up the above words of Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible:
New Modern Edition. But I am hoping that among those who eventually read this little book are the
reverends, pastors, and the priests, who study and know the scriptures more that the average one of
do. I hope that this little work also stimulates them to take a deeper look into Minister Farrakhan's
words than they have up to this point.
There are among the followers of Minister Farrakhan those who desire to lead and teach others.
Take example after your Brother, Minister Farrakhan. First, re-study his words.

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So Closing The Gap includes not just an effort to help us understand Minister Farrakhan better, but
to understand him deep enough to be sufficiently inspired to accept his leadership and really follow
him.

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FOOTNOTES
(Footnote 1)
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said once that "Some men are born with the gift of prophecy and
some are trained into it through an intense study of history."
His words came to me as I listened to the beautiful answer Minister Farrakhan gave me about what
causes gaps between divine leaders and their followers.
In addition, Minister Farrakhan's words, as well as the quote from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,
indicate a oneness of mind between the two. This also serves to help us see into what unity of spirit
means.

(Footnote 2)
Master Fard Muhammad-the Great Mahdi--came to set equity and justice in the earth. Since He is in
the process of bringing in a new world, on the supreme level of righteousness that the world has
never seen before, He has to be extraordinarily just in this day, which is the day of judgment of
which the scriptures contain so much prophecies.
Those people who become upset over Minister Farrakhan's statements about white people fail to
recognize that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad spoke the same even as early in the mid 1950s.
They either have not studied this aspect of his teachings or they have allowed their emotions to
cloud their thinking about what this time requires as well as what all God must do to bring in everlasting righteousness and peace--even the future inability of the people to commit sin ever again.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad also spoke, more than once, about that and why Master Fard Muhammad ordered things in such a manner that both white and black people in this country would
have the divine opportunity from God to choose for their own benefit.
We ought to look deeply into the teachings in the Holy Quran about Allah's mercy and that He created all things for His mercy.

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Again, critics of Minster Farrakhan fail to understand the thinking in Master Fard Muhammad's Father's thinking when He scientifically prepared His Son for His future work and how that bears on
Minister Farrakhan's scientific preparedness today.
This takes us into that which absolutely solves the problems arising in the minds of the early Christian scholars about the nature of Jesus: Was he man and not God? Was he man although God?
Was He man and God? We'll take that up and its relevance to both the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
and Minister Farrakhan in volume two of This Is The One.

(Footnote 3)
There is growing unity between Imam Warith D. Muhammad and Minister Farrakhan. This is good
and very good. Here are a few of my thoughts on this fact.
First, for The Final Call, Vol.19; No; 15, I wrote: "Among these so- called experts on the Nation of Islam are those who don't want any degree of unity between Imam Warith D. Muhammad and Minister
Farrakhan. Of- times it is not that, so much as it is that they wish to continue to smear Minister Farrakhan, in the public, with anything they can.
They seem desperate. Why? Is it that they are scared "to death" over the prospects of unity among
Muslims?
In The Atlanta Journal Constitution, dated November 10, 19~9, there was an article about a speaking engagement of Imam Warith D. Muhammad at Emory University that night Part of it contained an
interview of the Imam. Here I quote an answer the Imam gave in that interview.
'Q: What is your relationship with Farrakhan?
" 'A: He's a great friend of mine. He's been friends with me all my life. I differ with him on religion, but
I never stopped thinking of him as a close friend."
"What do the critics know of the relationship between these two men that goes back, to my best
knowledge, to 1956? What do these critics know of the specifics of the friendship between these two
men? For instance, what caused Minister Farrakhan, and his wife, to name one of their sons after
the Imam?

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"There is so very much in all of this. This growing unity between these two men-in my humble viewwas written in the scriptures thousands of years ago. I've been looking at this, especially since May
1987.
"More on this at another time, Allah willing."

(Footnote 4)
Minister Farrakhan stated: "So, the attitude of receptivity is the precondition for receiving the word."
The word he was referring to is the word of Allah.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that to teach and to train a person (or a people) spiritually is
the most difficult of all teaching and training to accomplish.
What Minister Farrakhan summed up, in his answer, is an absolute essential factor in spiritual teaching and training- the most difficult of all.

(Footnote 5)
What Minister Farrakhan stated about the time warp relates to many places in both Bible and the
Holy Quran. For instance, in the Holy Quran chapter 5:54, we read:
"O you who believe, should any one of you turn back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people,
whom He loves and who loves Him, humble towards believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving hard in Allah's way and not fearing the censure of any censurer. This is Allah's grace-He gives it
to whom He pleases. And Allah is Ample- giving- Knowing.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad would often cite this verse with reference to the future-which is
now.
Of course, he often cited other places in the Holy Quran (and the Bible too) that qualify and amplify
the above verse.
One such passage-or even the whole Surah is Surah 56.
The basic point I am making here, very briefly, is that it is the Will of Allah that those of us that were
in the Nation when the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was physically among us and those of us who
have entered Islam since the rise of Minister Farrakhan---as well as the whole of our people-become
one.

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*********************

I conclude my comments or notes with these words of Minister Farrakhan in the sixth chapter of the
new, but unpublished version of Is It Possible That The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Is Physically
Alive, Minister Farrakhan stated, in part:
"In education there is a thing that is called a 'plateau of learning'. When one reaches a plateau of
learning, and stops there, the process of learning stops and the process of intellectual death begins."
So, let us not stop studying that we may not stop growing. I hope this little book has stimulated you
to study with better results than ever.
And, thank you, my dear Sister Minister Ava Muhammad for your wonderful work on this book that
will stimulate people throughout America and beyond.

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