1990-March-9

Muslim Journal

How We Are To Establish Muslim Life In America: Part 1

Imam W. Deen Mohammed


(Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Phoenix, Arizona public address of January 21, 1990 is given here. We thank Allah for the opportunity to make this presentation to the Muslim Journal readers.)

As-Salaam-Alaikum. Peace be unto you. The praise and the thanks are for Allah, Lord of all the worlds, the One Who created us. And He is our Lord, glorified is He highly above what they describe Him to be.

The Prayers and the Peace be on His generous and noble Messenger. And we pray: O Allah, grant success to Muhammad and to the followers of Muhammad, as You granted success to Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim (Abraham ). And grant blessings on Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, as You granted blessings on Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim. In all the worlds, You are the Most Praised, You are the Most Renown. And the praise and the thanks are for Allah, Lord of All the worlds. We seek Him for help, and we seek Him for forgiveness. And we ask Him for the acceptable benefits, the good benefits — all of them. Amin.

Again, I am happy and thank Allah for blessing us to be present here in Phoenix for this occasion. We appreciate the sincerity behind the work and the efforts of our staff. And we also appreciate the sincerity behind the work and efforts of those of you in Phoenix who are cooperating with us (the staff) and are cooperating with the Imam of Phoenix for this occasion.

The Imam of Phoenix, Imam Shamsuddin, when I see him, I think of the beautiful atmosphere that I enjoyed while having dinner with him at his home. This was several years ago. He and his wife were so Muslim-like, so hospitable. Whenever I see him. that is the first thing that comes to my mind — how nice and hospitable he and his wife were to me.

We have to also remember that without my supporters, none of this would be happening. By my supporters I mean people who not only say they are Muslims with me, but they say that they support me. They support me with their presence when I travel. They support me with their monies. They support me in every way that should be expected. And I am deeply indebted to them. Really, I am working for them. If there are any people whom I am working for, then I am working for them. All of our works should be for Allah, but how can we work for Allah if we don't work for each other? The only way to work for Allah is to work for each other.

I want you to know that those supporters have financed this occasion. If it were not for them, we could not have even bought the first ticket. We could not have a base (office). They donate to what we call the M.A.C.A. Fund (Muslim American Community Assistance Fund). It is a Fund that takes care of my needs. I have not been employed for some time now, except in this work. So this Fund takes care of myself, my family, my dependents, and also takes care of expenses related to my work. It provides for me an office in Calumet City, Illinois, with a telephone that has never been cut off. The lights have never been cut off. It provides for me also a home. Because of you we pay our bills; our credit is good. M.A.C.A.. Inc., its credit is good.

The purchase of my home was provided for by good Saudi Arabian friends. I went to them and asked for a loan, which I was going to pay back with your money, as I received it in my pay. But they (our Saudi Brothers and friends) told me, "Brother Imam, you are our Imam also. We are supposed to give (you) a home. You cannot pay back this money to us." So they provided the home, and you keep the lights on. The lights, the phone, the gas, the water stay on and have never been cut off, because your support is always coming to those needs. A lot of us will just look over these things.

Do you know how many are doing that? It is just a hand full out of each big city. Sometimes it will only be one or two from a big city. All you have to do is look at the Ansari List in the Muslim Journal, and you will see.

However, this has been enough to enable me to keep functioning and to keep doing what I have to do. We would like to have more than that, for we want to do more. We want to
expand more and invest more. If we bad enough in that Fund, I would invest more and give assistance to more qualifying individuals and institutions. The priority is given to our Sister Clara Mohammed Schools over other charities.

Now, we do not just give money to any person and to any institution. We study the institution or the person, as an applicant or as one we have nominated. We want to make sure they qualify for grants from those Funds. We owe it to you who give your money. We owe it to you to make sure that your money goes where it counts.

It is the same for the schools. We did not just give to a school because it had the name "Warith Deen Mohammed" on it. In fact, the donation was to both schools there in Atlanta — the Elementary School (Sister Clara Mohammed School) and to the High School that wears my name, because they wanted it to be so. I don't want anything to carry my name. Sometimes I don't want my own self to carry my name (humor). Whatever the case may be, I respect the sentiments of the people, especially when those sentiments are sincere.

The Philadelphia Sister Clara Mohammed School was also given a large contribution. A Sister Clara Mohammed School in the New England area was also given a large contribution. The School in Philadelphia now sends money into the M.A.C.A. Fund. I said, "What is this? They will not qualify for a donation next year." If they have money to give to the M.A.C.A. Fund, we have to find another school to receive what may have been secured for Philadelphia. I don't know how they will feel about that, for this is the first time I have said it publicly. They will get the message.

One Masjid in the New England area for its size makes a tremendous contribution. I do not encourage masajid to make a contribution to the M.A.C.A. Fund. It is because there are some Imams who are so weak, that they will raise the money for the M.A.C.A. Fund just to raise money for themselves. I don't encourage it and even feel somewhat nervous about it. But I cannot stop you from doing it.

If you raise money for the M.A.C.A. Fund in your mosque, please do not let me find any of you abusing that right. If you do. I will come out and expose you. If you raise money for the M.A.C.A. Fund, then send it to the M.A.C.A. Fund. Don't pay your "light bill" with it and then send in part of it. Do not do that! And I have evidence that this has happened, and this is why I am calling attention to it.

The people who make it possible for me to come here and for my ministry to keep going are you who make contributions. You are all over the United States, with a very few outside of the United States. There is a sister who has been in Saudi Arabia working there for several years. She faithfully donates. It is in a small amount, but it is appreciated. She sends regularly $20.00 to the M.A.C.A. Fund.

Although I have not worked out the percentage, I do believe that sixty-five percent or more of you have been doing this ever since I announced the M.A.C.A. Fund. That percentage is very, very faithful. I know your names as well as I know my children's names, for your names are always here in the regular mail (contributions).

What I am saying is that we have a certain group of people who are consistent in supporting the M.A.C.A. Fund — and now the Ansari List — and have been doing so ever since this (M.A.C.A.) Fund was established. Those very consistent contributors represent our stable people (our sure support). They are not wavering or coming and going and changing their minds. They saw what they wanted to support, they give their support, and they do not change their minds. That makes for success!

The Imam is right when he says that I do not come here for your money. I do not say “little money,” for your money is bigger than mine most likely. I try to follow the best principles of a Muslim. Those best principles are established and reflected in the life of our Prophet (PBUH). They are established and reflected on the pages of history in the Companions of our Prophet.

Look at the suit I have on here. It is a nice suit. This suit can wrinkle, and I can hang it in the closet and wear it the next day — it presses itself. This is a very nice suit. Do you think I bought it? No. This suit was given to me by the King of Morocco, along with three others. I wore it for Phoenix because Phoenix has money, and I wanted to show them what I could wear!

I am not saying this to get you to look at me as some special person. I don't see myself in that way. I see myself as an ordinary human being just striving to be better. But I am saying this for you to know what kind of person I am, and I have a right to tell you that.

Some people think that an Imam is like any government or public figure. That you have the right to even know what is in his bank account and how he spends his money and where it comes from. I agree with that. So any time you want to know, just write to me and I will let you know. But I am not going to publish it for everybody, because some people may then look down on me. They will say, "He doesn't have any more money than that?" People think I am rich, and that gives me so much trouble.

My son asked me for something which cost too much money. My response was, "What?!" And he said, "Oh, I know you are rich. Even my friends on the street tell me you are rich." That is my son talking. So I said, "Where is that coming from?" He said, "You have the M.A.C.A. Fund." But I better not hear an Imam saying that, that Imam W. Deen Mohammed has the M.A.C.A. Fund. I have the "Trust" for the M.A.C.A. Fund. You gave me the trust for that.

I am sure that you don't say, "All of this money is supposed to be spent on you (W.D. Mohammed) personally. " You (contributors) think you are helping the Cause, the Mission, the Propagation Effort. And we owe it to you to do that with that money and to spend as less of it as we possibly can on ourselves and for our own pleasures. And that is what I try to do.

I borrow from the M.A.C.A. Fund. And I have a big debt. For about the last six months I have been under a strain, but I am not worried. I will pay it back to the M.A.C.A. Fund. I am on a monthly salary and I get a nice salary. Do you want to know…
