06/25/1985
IWDM Study Library
Address to The Imams Cleveland Masjid

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
We thank Almighty Allah, Subhana Wa Ta Ala, Highly praised is He. Highly glorified is He Most High, that he's blessed us with our Imam to be here in our presence today. At this time, we'd like to bring before you our Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.
Dear Imams Asalaam Alaikum. Alhamduillahi Raabil Al Amin. Praise be to Allah, the Guardian Evolver, Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds, Peace and Blessings be upon Muhammad the Messenger of G-d, upon his descendants and his companions all, Ameen. We thank Allah for the opportunity to meet here and to address the Imams. I hope I don't stretch this out too long. You want to have time to hear special questions or comments of special interest to you. So I hope I can finish this within an hour or less. I believe that if we can set our concerns in some kind of orderly fashion or arrangement so that we see what is most important for us as a concern, I believe we can have the life that we want and realize the progress that we want to realize as the best situation for ourselves as Muslims. Unity is needed, our cooperation with each other is needed, our closeness with each other is needed. And I believe that with the new concept of our community, our Muslim membership, having that is easier.
But just responding right away to the change in our focus of concentration, we would think that it's going to be very difficult now to have cooperation, to have unity, have that closeness. There is a philosopher in the early life of this country, the founding of this country. I won't give his name. These words are very important. Who said, "If one cannot be trusted with the government of himself, how could he be trusted with the government of others?" And this philosopher was one of the men in the history of this country who worked hard to advance America, America's democracy. I believe that Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him, had the same concern thousand more years before and worked hard to promote the acceptance of that responsibility on the part of the individual person, responsibility for the government of himself. Further, I believe that the Ka’ba stands as a sign of that. The Ka’ba itself is a symbol of self-government, acceptance of self-government. Though it is a symbol for a unifying, unifying concern for all humanity, not just Muslims because we know that G-d says that He raised the house, that it should be a place for all people, Nas, Li Nas. For all people. And I was recently giving a talk in Chicago and I said that all people are Muslim. And the journalist, the person who made the note came to me and said, "Brother Imam, you don't want us to say this like this in the paper do you? You said all people are Muslim. I said yes, say it just like that. All people. I don't think they did. I never checked the paper to see if they did, but I don't think they did. But I told 'em yes. Say it just like that, all people are Muslim. Because all people are Muslim. Doesn't mean every single individual is a Muslim. All people are Muslim. Yes, black people, red people, yellow people, all people.
Arabs, Africans, Chinese, all people are Muslim. Doesn't mean every single one of them are Muslim, but all people Muslim. So actually the sign is fulfilled. The house for all people and that's what it is. The house for all people. And all people turn toward that house and we will see them during the Pilgrimage there from all quarters of the world. People in trying to establish themselves, have to find something that holds 'em all together. Communities and nations have banded together upon political concern, upon moral concern, upon material concern. Before they were able to unify themselves, they had to identify for themselves that unifying concern. As Muslims, service to G-d is our purpose, service to G-d. To serve G-d is the purpose. But how do you serve G-d? We have a religion and our religion gives us concepts of our personal and community life. And we serve G-d by living that religion the best we can. That's how we serve G-d. But whatever we do as Muslims, conforming to the Muslim life and the Muslim community life, is service to G-d. One community under G-d. Isn't that what we are? Ummatin Wahida. Under G-d, responsible to Allah, right? You heard that same language haven't you? One nation under G-d.
Now that language from the Constitution of the United States, or its introduction or preamble to the Constitution of the United States, that language that we read of the sacredness of the individual person, One nation under G-d, is not new. 1400 years ago, that's about a thousand years almost before that language or more. Better than that. Before that language was formed, the same ideas were given very clearly to Muslims. One community responsible to Allah. We may say One nation under G-d same. Because Ummah is also translated nation sometimes. One united people responsible to Allah, responsible to G-d. G-d has identified us then. He has identified us as Muslims. He said, "I name you Muslims in this and also before." So though we were named Muslim before G-d let's us know in the Qur'an that this name is being given to us now, to the followers of Muhammad, the followers of the Prophet, Peace be Upon him, that you are Muslim. He made the point of saying that He named you that-Muslim. In the Qur'an and in those revelations that came before. And He also says that you are a community, says you are the best community brought out. Ukrijat, Ukrijat, means brought out. Exodus means brought out.
I wonder if the Muslims recognize that we also have an Exodus. In order to join the Muslim life, the Muslim community, you have to come out. Come out of Egypt, come out of the world, to enter the community of Al Islam. You are the best community brought out for what? G-d answers. "For the good of all people." For the good of all people. It is a sacred house erected by G-d. The hands of Abraham and his son Ishmael, Peace be upon them. Erected for who? Fo all people. And here G-d says that He has founded a community for what purpose? For the good of all people. Why is it so important that that be clearly stated in the form of revelation, sacred scripture? So that the informed nations, the wise leaders, informed leaders of the nations will respect the Muslim community and will not regard it as a threat to world peace, but would understand that it is a compliment. That is a legitimate aim, a legitimate cause. One that all people can identify in or embrace. That's why no President of the United States would say we recognize Farrakhan and his movement to be one of the major sacred movements. But I sat before a President and he said, "We recognize Islam to be one of the major strands and sacred." Yes. And before him, Madison and other Presidents have given respect in that same way, that same respect to our religion. So no matter what the Americans may think, we have Americans among us in America who are disturbed by the presence, by the presence of Islam in this country. They don't want to see it here. They do devilish things, deceitful things to make sure that it doesn't thrive or it doesn't become an established life here in America. They are out of touch with the American life. They have brought foreign sentiments and foreign interests into this country. They are the outsiders. And those people who accept Al Islam to be a legitimate religion and having a home here in these United States, they are in touch with the American life. They are the true Americans. We need to know what holds us together as Muslims. We need to know the situation for our best life, for the best possible life, the situation for the best possible life for Muslims. And because we are a community within the community we call the United States of America a community within the Government of America, we also need to know what holds the different communities together that belong to America.
Where's the bond for the Irish and Italian? For the Jew and the Gentile who lives in America? They all aree citizens, they're all Americans, they all have claim of ownership in America. They all contribute to the strength of America. Where is the common bond for them? Where is their focus for unity? What holds them together as Americans? You say, well the fact that they belong to one nation. Well I know many people who belong to this nation, but they have no bond, they have no unity. They're just here like trash in the wind. All the Irish are not united for America or in the cause, but enough of them are united in that cause to give the Irish a sense of security. So it is for the Italian. So it is for the Jews. So it is for every other ethnic group but us. We don't have as a people, we don't have a sense of security in this country. As a people, we are not yet in this country. We are still on the outside. The average one of us, we think black, we think centric.
We see ourselves as the unwanted and the whites as the oppressor. That's the case now. It was the case 20 years ago. It's the case still. So for the majority as a people, we are still on the outside. And that's a problem because when we become Muslims, a lot of us keep that feeling of insecurity as American people. Hard for us to identify in the life of America. After I became the leader, I lift the flag in respect. The American flag. And my picture was taken. Hey there's a crazy man. Most of my own people didn't like it. I haven't had a single political leader or church leader come and say, we were proud of what you did. Why? Because most of them feel like they're on the outside too. And the life that we live as a people show that we haven't accepted that we are a legitimate part of this country entitled to a share in it like everybody else. So it is a situation that we have to recognize if we want to build Islamic Community Life. We have to recognize this need in us to get inside, to get inside. Inside that unifying interest, that unifying concern that hold the Americans that's responsible for Americas life together. Their is something that holds them together, and they're the ones that's responsible for the future of America. They look out after the future of America, they guard, the future of America, they invest in the future of America in every way. Not only money but in every way. And they will die for that interest.
I'm talking about the people who are responsible for shaping America and preserving America. Any ethnic group that comes to America and doesn't share that they don't have a home yet. They don't have a real home here. We were brought here and I've been here all this time and we don't have a real home here. In order to have a real home in America, you have to see America's future as your future. We look at home as a place for our children. We are going to raise children there. And old man going to die one day and he hope that one of his sons will take over his house. If he's a sensible father, he wouldn't like to see a stranger take it. He would like to see one of his children take over his house. That's home. The country should be cherished, should be loved, should be the same in our hearts. So how can I have that kind of feeling for this country knowing what this country has done to us and knowing that this country right now is not giving us anything? Well the country never gave anybody anything. It is the people that wanted to give that made the country have something. See that's the one on the outside. How would you like for one member of your family to say, what has this family given me? That's the wrong attitude. The family is not supposed to give you anything. You supposed to be contributing to the wealth of the family like everybody else. The family is not supposed to give you anything. You're supposed to be a contributor and everybody contributing make the family have something. And what you get from that family is what you put into it.
We got a lot of sensitivity. We are Muslims, but we fresh Muslims. We are fresh Muslims, but old niggers. Now, I hate to use that kind of language but I just want to put it like it is. We are fresh Muslims but old niggers. Now how are you going to get into the Muslim life with the old nigga sensitivities? So we first have to get out of the old nigger sensitivities to get into the condition to be Muslim. Not just Muslim in name but Muslim in life, Muslim in the way you live. And the most important concern for a Muslim when it comes to his life, his community. His community. G-d says He created you from one single person and then from the one He made mates two, and spread from the two many men and women. We understand that to mean many nations. Many nations and many ordinance controlling those nations. And then G-d called us to say, He says "You were one people. And then He called us to accept and advise us to accept to be one community. One community. Ummatin Wahida, as it is in Qur'an. One community.
The key for giving us right vision of our life and the future, the key is to identify our major interest as community. The major interest should be community. The major responsibility for each one of us is community.
Whatever we have as separate interest. It should be done under that idea, community. Community. It should be, it should serve that concern. It should serve that interest, community. No matter what it is. This is salvation for people. That simple thing is salvation for people. If all of our people get that sensitivity, we don't have to be running around giving pep talks "Say hey brother, do business, do work, work hard for yours." The brother will work hard for it. It will come as natural consequence. We don't have to go jack up teachers and say, "Hey, do a good job teacher. Be concerned about the welfare of these children. Give them real education." You won't have to do that.
The people that need a lot of leaders and a lot of pep talkers are the people that don't have their vision right. Once the vision is right, the freedom is there. And you don't have to be walking by people holding them by their hand and carrying them like their little babies and little children all around. Once this fire catches dedication to the community life, commitment to the community interest, sacrifice for the community, life as a community future in the community. Once that kind of fire catches on, the people begin to rise and thrive and prosper as a natural consequence. The people, the early people that came to this country and made up this country and made this country move and grow big as it is now. They weren't holding each other by the hand. Some were out in the wasteland, some were on the seashores, some were in and out of the country. To lookout and protect the concept of community life for Muslims is to fight against any idea or any trend or any spirit that will tend to make us focus our attention on anything other than collective life for the community. For instance, we can become so enthused over business possibilities for ourselves in some localities, in some area, that all of our energies and all of our enthusiasm, our spirit will be behind progress, business progress. Right away we need people alert in the community and the local community or somewhere to call the community's attention to the bigger concern. No matter how much you in need a dollar right now, do not allow the dollar to become your main focus.
Community life is always the main focus for the Muslims, community life. Then we work for business, we put all our energies behind business because community is crying for business more than it's crying for anything else. And that's the reason why all of us will get behind business and promote business and talk money. It is because my community is crying and that's it's need- Business. But if you say my pockets are crying, you'll be a small nigga forever. But if you say my community is crying, my community cries for business establishment and go out to the rescue of the community, go out to rescue your community and give all your energies to business in the name of G-d and you'll remain healthy. But if you go thinking about how much you need and what you can do if you only had some money, you'll be a small nigga forever. That's right, that's right. See, life needs a climate first. If there's no climate for life, you can put the seeds there, nothing happening. You can't get no life if there's no climate for it. And the first thing the life need are those things that are basic.
Essential elements. Water, food, land or land, air activity. But you won't have it until you have the right environment. You have to have the environment for life. The environment for community life is community focus. If you don't have community interest, community concern, that's the breath of community life, community concern. Without that you have no breath, no air, no life. So we have missed because we haven't been able to find that simple key. And that is if you want to thrive in a situation with other communities, you are going to have to have community as your central concern. Your main concern. Community. The people in this country who have the poorest representation for contributing to this country, for supporting, for being supports in this country are the Indians and us. And the Indians are the people who have the poorest sense of community. They're still divided up in little small clans, little small bands like they used to be, like they were when the white man came over here. They have tried to come together but they haven't been successful. They see that little small narrow concern and they refuse to come in to America. They choose to stay on the outside.
And we are in the same shape almost. We are almost in the same shape. We are all divided up into little clans, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian. Cadilac, dope, prostitution. And each one of those concerns breed another clan of niggas right?. We all divided up to separated from each other. Can't do nothing, can't do nothing. Can't have any influence, can't have any impact. The only thing we can help, the only thing we can do, the only impact we can have is the one that we see in the assistance that have gone to minorities, that have been made the law for minorities, right?
Our cry for assistance now has helped others to get assistance. We've been a factor for giving, for spreading charity for people that can't stand on their own feet, right? Yeah. And freedom. Loose idea of freedom for everybody. Legalizing free thought, freedom of behavior, freedom of life, gay rights, women rights, gay rights, every rights for everything. Coming into this religion with that kind of mind, that kind of sensitivity will not enable us to be a real community, a real Islamic community. You have to first get rid of that. See that old life and old sensitivities as unwanted, unworthy of the Muslim life, the Muslim community. Fight those whole sensitivities, see them as enemy to the Muslim and the Muslim community life. The Muslim is motivated not by sympathy, we are motivated by responsibility. When G-d calls us the Ibad, which means the slaves or the servant, He is telling us that we are responsible for doing something. Servant has to serve, slave has to serve, has to work for his master. And G-d doesn't want any less effort in His cause then you would give in some other cause. And some men will give everything to their masters. And who is the most deserving master? It's Allah.
So He said if you were slaves for men, be My slaves, slave for Me. That's the kind of raw, that's the raw truth that a Muslim should grow up to accept, that I'm put on this earth to slave for G-d. Yes, I'm put on this word earth to slave for G-d. It's a blessing. It's a miracle. It's a revelation that G-d has used that term which was used by the people in the common language of that day and time when the Prophet was here, Peace and Blessing be on him. Abd meant slaves owned by master. That's what Abd meant. Slaves owned by master. And Ibad is the plural of that. That's all it is. Slaves owned by master. And then G-d calls us His slaves. He could have called us His workers. But look at the respect for work nowadays. If we say "Hey come work or where the work." "What do you mean work?" For most of us, when we say come to work, it means come to some jive, come to a game. We got to pretend like we working pretend like we interested in work, but we are looking for a situation where we don't have nothing to do, where we can just be relaxed.
Few people are excited about really work in the American work population today. They're not excited about work. They can jive that way, they'll jive that way. They just want some money. So work is not a powerful term now, but still slave, the word slave. People don't like it. Slave? I ain't going to slave for nobody. Work get hard, you ask him to work hard. I ain't going to slave for nobody. But G-d called us slaves and the print is still there, never to be erased. Slaves go out and slave for G-d. So G-d introduced Himself in competition with masters. Masters want slaves. Okay? I'm the one. I'm entitled to these slaves. They're My slaves. And then He invite the slaves, "Choose your master. now. Say I'm your only legitimate master, but they're competing with Me. They want to be your master too. Okay slaves choose your master. Now do you want one that holds you in low estimation? In low esteem? I have said that I have dignified all the sons of Adam and made them noble creatures. And have made their forms most excellent and made beautiful their features. Now you want to follow one of those that says you are a nappy headed subhuman or will you come to this Master?
This is too much. Too much for the competition. So the big mistake is to let our interest go to one need, or one aspect, one facet, one little, little small brick or window or angle in the community life. That's the mistake. "Oh we need the sense of Black unity."
Just how important that is as a factor for giving us a sense of unity and sense of worth and a sense of progress, sense of future, vision of the future. How important is that when you measure that with the idea that community life is there to keep the total vision. How valuable is that? Okay. Black man, my identity as a race, that's important to keep before my vision. Okay, alright. Put that sun out there and see how it serves to light your life, to give light to your life, to give comfort to your life, to give direction to your life, et cetera, et cetera. Then put the community concern out there and see what it's influence is on your life. And without even taking the time to study that, most of you with the same mind you say "Yes, seeing myself as a race man is nothing as a factor for motivating my life to its best when it comes to seeing myself as a community man." We know from past experience, race based concern has not established us. This ain't the first time we went after money. Marcus Garvey called his people to money, to race and money didn't he? Black Nationalism and money. And there was others who called to money, to black identity and money. It hasn't established us yet. Now we are trying to say, "Oh well, I'm not a racist anymore." Well what are you? Where is your energy going? What are you dedicated to? What are you serving? What are you investing in?
So if we put down one idea as the energizing idea in our life, had to pick up another. And the one you pick up should be better than the one you put down or you make yourself look like a fool in the eyes of the world. Do we think we can simply say we are not racist anymore. "Oh no, we ain't into that black stuff no more." But what are you interested in? You ain't interested in that black stuff no more. What are you interested in? "Oh, we don't have to do nothing now. Just say we are Muslims and make prayer, and make our prayer. Read the Qur'an." Allah didn't leave us like that. Allah showed us a bigger interest to get behind. Call the people from their narrow racism, from their narrow view of the world. Call them to see One Lord, one creation, one humanity, one nation, one community, one Ummah. Yes. And the Muslims are motivated to do what? To realize community life. That's what motivated the Muslims in the time of the Prophet, Peace be upon him. That's what motivated his companions. May G-d be pleased with them. It was that dedication, that commitment to realize Islamic community life.
Everybody was motivated then to do something, to do something productive, to produce something, to help construction, to make an investment, to invest in construction. When the Prophet went to Medina, what went up? A Mosque went up. Was it a place, was it a house for making prayer only? No, it was a community center. That one building served as a community center. Political business was taken care of there. Education, culture, everything. Marriage, whatever was discussed. Divorce, burial, inheritance, everything. Finance. Everything was discussed in that place. Why? Because the focus is community. So how are we going to do that Brother Imam? With the kind of relaxed organization we have now, you are going to do it better. If you're really Muslim, you're going to do it better. Prophet Muhammad never headed up any single concern, never. Not even war, not even going to war. No, he never headed up any single concern. What I mean by that, he never was the sole person responsible for any single concern. If it was war, he invited the men who knew war, "Come let us discuss our needs to defend ourselves." And he put the men in charge who were best qualified for war.
If it was construction, he said, "Let's build the Masjid, let's build a home." And he called the people together who had that ability and he said, "The best of you, let's do this." There's no Hadith, no history of the Prophet sitting down for hours trying to work out how they going to do something. We have no history of him sitting down with nobody for house trying to figure out how they're going to build a Masjid or how they going to build a school. How they going to realize the educational institution for their religion. No. We can just move towards these things naturally because our interest is community. G-d has equipped all of you all with assets and contributions for community enrichment. So interest is the community. People get together. I know what I can do for the community. And they get together. Many times they organized the Prophet didn't even know it until he was told about it. They organized and done great things. Prophet didn't even know it until he was told about or he came upon it himself. So this is the wonderful work you're doing. Why? Because they were all in touch with the same fire. They were all close to the same fire. They were all excited by the same fire. Community construction, community advancement.
We think we need one person sitting somewhere giving orders, telling people everything they have to do. Don't start no new interest until it comes from the headquarters. Yeah, it's headquarters. Head all split up. And the head is together when the people are together behind a single purpose.
So that's where we should be putting our attention, giving our attention right now. To promoting community concern and letting the people know that we are primarily, essentially, first and last a community and we are obligated to realize community life more than we are obligated to realize anything else. Yes. Can we prove it? Yes. From Hadith. There was a man who had given his whole life to religious devotions, spiritual devotions, ritualistic commitment. Fasting, prayers, and dhikrs. When he was brought to be honored by the Prophet, the Prophet said, "Who takes care of your needs?" They said, "We do Prophet." He said, "Then you're better than he.". So I know some of you who just like to show off, you like to argue. You're lawyers who have never passed the bar. "Imam is wrong there. Prayer is more important. La Ilah Il Allah is more important. You don't have that the whole structure falls." That's right. But if you ain't got a vision of the structure, you can't even establish La Ilah Il Allah. G-d didn't establish La Ilaha Il Allah until He told us the unity of the creation. Is that not right? He showed us the unity of His creation and He said, do you think more than one G-d did this or one did it.
We are minority in this country with a double job now of establishing ourselves. If we were in a land to ourselves, we would have the single job of just establishing our community. But in time we would also have to recognize that even an independent nation is dependent. But it would be a little distant. But as people in Northern America, we have to start off with the double concern. We have to start off with the two concerns. One to establish ourselves, one to compliment America, to compliment the people of America. To be a compliment, to be a beautifying addition, a healthy addition, a strengthening member in the plural society we call America. The Arabs have been here for as long as some of us have been here and they're still on the outside. They have their religion but they don't have an Islamic community. They don't have the influence like other minorities have. Why? Because they have made the mistake of coming in here without a vision for their future as Americans. Now they're being sensitized by the donkey, who has had a metamorphosis. And I'm hearing from them now that you should be our leader. They're telling me that. You should be our leader.
There are many of us who see it the way you see it. And we know that our future depends upon your kind of sensitivity and they're asking me to be their leader. That's a fact. But it's like you asking me to head up your Masjid. I say, well if you need me to head up your Masjid, then I know that your Masjid ain't ready for me. Yeah. No, they shouldn't need me. They should only need this kind of sensitivity. And then they should go and express the same thing that I expressed. But they say, we need you to come bring us together that tell me that you ain't ready for me. But one day we'll be ready Inshalah.. One day we'll be ready. And you won't have to call upon me, I'll be there. Right? Yes, I'll be there because you would have your local places in harmony and accord with what we represent. And without them even mentioning my name, I'll be there.
Yes, I'll be there because the interest I gave my life to will be there. Yes, we need a leader for Muslims in America, for all Muslims in America. Arabs Pakistani, everybody. We need a leader. But that leader should be seen in his concern, not as this person. And people should just say it was that so-called Negro, a black man, Warith Deen Mohammed. It was him who introduced this kind of thinking. It should be incidental that we even mentioned the name. But the main thing is the idea, right? So I'll never accept this being a personal leader for somebody. "We need a person." That's all you need? I'm sorry I'm not available. You need an idea? Come on, let's get it together. So it's as simple as that Brother Imam. Let us learn more about Islamic community life so we can better serve its good future.
And let us at the same time protect the future of the Islamic life in America. Protect the opportunity for its birth in America by identifying in the greatest and cleanest and healthiest concerns and visions. Visions of the American people. If you can't find a way to identify in the life, the best life of America, you'll never be established in America. Whatever you do will be temporary, subject to destruction at any time. Because the Americans that pride themselves as being Americans and proud of what they're doing, what they've invested in this country, they will not accept any other people who doesn't identify in that kind of concern. They'll only accept to call you brother citizens when they know that you have the same kind of dedication, the same kind of interest, the same willingness to give for the growth of life and beauty and future of this nation. "Oh that's too sounds too patriotic." The patriot, they gave birth to the nation. They made the nation great. This country has two main processes.
The process of gathering and the process of excluding. And I guess that's what you have to do. That's all. That's life. You gather the worthwhile things and exclude worth less things. And many times those things that are rejected, they can't even see the operation. They don't know. They think they were selected when they were rejected cause they can't see the operation. They think they into somehting and they have already been rejected from the very start. So they turn all of their forces against themselves because of their exclusion, excluding themselves. All of their interests they turn against themselves. We need to be united in a purpose that draw all good Americans, the strongest of Americans together. We need to be united on a concern and a purpose and an aim that draws all of the best Americans together. We need to be allies for the future of America as seen in the eyes of the best of Americans. Some of us have never seen America. We refuse to see America. You are not ready to do anything of any consequence, of any real significance. You got to have a vision first. You got to to have a vision of your environment and where you would like to see it go. This is the key. This is what separates men from the boys. Those who have a vision for the whole and a vision that draws them continually. Not a static vision.
Not a vision to just get rich. That's a static vision. "Oh, I have a vision. I want to be rich." That's a static vision. What's going to happen after you are rich? What's going to motivate you after you are rich? What separates the men from the boys? The vision of the whole and a future for the whole. That's not static. That's continuous. Continuous. We believe the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet gives us that vision. Now, as Americans, we also have to identify in such and such and such idea, and such a concept, and such a vision. Where is the vision for us as Americans so we can join another American in the sense of this life. So we can share in excitement over the growth, the healthy growth of America. Don't you know if we identify in the vision that's responsible for America's life and being here, its unity, its form of democracy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. If we really identified in that don't you know we would be prosperous.
We would be prosperous. Ain't no way for you to be at a stand still with that kind of commitment, with that kind of identity. No for you to be at a stand still. The bigger your concern, the more energy you got. The smaller your concern, the more deficient you are in energy. Now here we have got no more concern than just to get some money. Those are small people. Those are little bitty people. They shouldn't be here sitting at these tables while we are talking about the future of the Ummah in America. What we need them here for and all they want is a good weekend.
All they want is something for their family. What right They have to sit here at these tables with Imams. They have no right here. Every Imam here should have as his greatest concern the whole life of the Muslim, the whole life of the Muslim. He should be hurt because he doesn't have halal products coming from halal producers who are members of this community. You should be hurt These teenagers have to go dance in a non Islamic environment. Teenagers have to go see a movie in a non Islamic environment. Teenagers have to go see a cultural production produced by non-Muslim, non-Muslim influence. No Muslim influences in it. But he's satisfied to see his children go to the movie houses, watch TV all day long, dance and listen to records and have their whole spirit taken out of the Islamic form. He's satisfied, he has no right to sit here at these tables. See we don't need no one person to lead us. We need one vision to lead us. The Prophet, he had the most willing followers. His followers were ready to give their all behind him. What does Allah say in the Qur'an of that attachment? He says to the Prophet, you couldn't have done that.
Say if you had used all what the earth could produce, you couldn't have bought that kind of allegiance. So what made them so close? What made them so close? It was them sharing in the vision of the life that was for them all and being grateful to G-d for bringing up one of their sons who wasn't taught by the world into a position to lead that kind of community, to bring the people to realize that vision. That's what made them so attached to him. And they became attached to each other. We are an uprooted folk. Where is our history? In slavery. In freedom and integration. And looking for the blessings of America. That's our history. Back beyond that, we only guess. You don't know whether you came from Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria or China. Yeah, I'm sure they brought blacks way over in China. They brought them over here. Say, Hey, they need you over in America. Well, I've been in China all my life. My people been here too all their lives for generations. See right now we need you in America. So they took them and put them on a boat too. So we don't know where we came from right? Most of us came from Africa. We don't know what parts of Africa, what location. That guy talking about Roots. He's just working his roots, That's all he doing.
He's a root worker. The fact is we are an uprooted people and we haven't been able to root ourselves since we've been in America. We haven't. We haven't been able to gain roots again. No. And that, that's the need of a people, to root themselves somewhere. How can you root yourself in America rejecting America. It's like a man trying to have a baby by a woman and rejecting her womb, isn't it? It's the same. Say Hey, I don't want to build a future for myself in America. You rejecting America. So really if you all identify with the spirit that has given birth to this new Islamic idea and people in America, then you don't want that kind of person sitting at these tables either. You want people here who want to root themselves in America.
If you don't want to root yourself in America, go root yourself in a Pakistanian, a Jordanian, Sudanese, anybody. I know you're ready to do that. You're not ready to root yourself in America. I know what you want to do. You want to put on some sandals and stick a mishwak in your mouth. Well, we ain't going for it. G-d had blessed us with a bigger interest. Here is the great answer to an uprooted people. Community life is the key for reestablishment. Community life is the key for reestablishment. We all don't have to be Muslim. Our people could establish themselves if they would really as a people become excited about building a future for their generation in America. And they would automatically come into America. But we are blessed double. And I think really G-d has rescued the whole people in his rescue of us. It's very difficult, It's almost impossible for the blacks, the African-Americans to identify freely without pain in the future of this country. Very difficult for them, believe me. I done sat with the leaders. I have sat in the company of Mayors, Congressmen, Senators, African Americans Church leaders, picnic groves. Yes. And I have been so disheartened, so disappointed. I said, well here these people have the same restricting, denying sentiment that we had in the Nation Of Islam.
Going to the government. Like the Hebrew went to Pharaoh.
If this is your country, you don't go to Pharaoh when you go to the government, you don't go to Pharaoh when you go see the President. You go to your leader, you go to your nation. But most of their sensitivities won't allow them to see the government as their government, to see the President as their leader. Very few can even say that without having all kind of contortion. Might have to regurgitate right there where he sit because he's still on the outside. See, most of us don't understand that the Exodus is a deception. It's an entrance, not an Exodus. But in order to get in, you got to come out of your own small world. They weren't leaving Egypt. They were leaving the Egypt that was designed to keep them in a small world, a small mind and a small world. They had to come out of that design of Egypt in order to get into the world. You alert minded men here today, you know that in America there is a design, their is a design to keep certain foolish citizens narrow minded. It's the Oracle of America. Just like they had the Oracle of Egypt, of ancient Egypt. It's the Oracle of America that breed mysterious feelings. Beed unto you it's mysterious feelings and mysterious sensations. Mysterious aspirations that keep you small on the foundation. Yes. So we need an Exodus to get in. We need an Exodus to get in. Cause Moses went out, he got in.
Moses went out. Then he came back in and they didn't recognize him until he started talking. So obviously he had become a new person. Then they didn't recognize him. Hey Moses, haven't seen you in a long time. No, he came back and he had to introduce himself. Then they say, "Yes, we remember you. Didn't we tell you to stay out of here. Didn't we put you out of here and tell you to stay out of here? Whatcha you doing back here?" And then Moses said, "Well, I'm in. Said, Well, yeah, we are going to have to test this. Go get the musicians, go get the mathematicians. Pardon me. Go get the magicians. Highly trained in the arts. He says he's in. We going to have to catch this. Okay Moses, throw down your best. He said, Well, you all go on, do your thing first. And they did their thing. And then Moses did his thing and just did away with their thing. One of 'em said, Well I'll be damned. Moses really got in. Okay Moses, what can we do to satisfy you? What you want from us? Say nothing. Just let all my people go now. Let them go with me. I got from under. your charge, let them come from under your charge. So they can get in too.
See that's the key. Now G-d says in the Qur'an, He says, and on that wise, did we establish Joseph in the land. And on that wise did we establish Joseph in the earth, which means in the land, in the earth. Now, in the final part of this address that I'm giving you here, which is in the interest of the leadership, your leadership, our collective leadership and the future for the community of Muslims in America. Let us now go to look at some of the particulars in the life of Joseph and his brothers. Peace upon him. To which G-d says, "And you'll find in Joseph and his brethren a sign, great sign for the seekers, for the seekers, or for those who ask. It means the seekers. Now Joseph, Joseph was one of 12 brothers. And Joseph was a person who was spiritually occupied as a young child, young man, spiritually occupied. He was a dreamer, even as a child. He had dreams and he told his parents of his dreams. He also was very morally adamant, of strong, strong moral conditions. And because of his makeup, because of his special kind of makeup, a dominance of spiritual influences and strong, very strong moral commitment, he was a thorn or threat to his brothers. So he became the target of the elders and their plots. They conceived an idea to do away with him. The same child or young man, with his special makeup, he was the love, the dear love, the dear child of his father, Jacob. Peace be upon Jacob. And the brothers decided that they were going to do away with him. And they first decided that it was suggested to kill him. And one among them said no, let's not kill him. Consequnces would be too great. Let us devise something more suitable. So they decided that they would take him and sell him into slavery, huh? They would take him and sell him into slavery. So they saw a caravan coming along the road and they introduced him to the caravan and the people of the caravan delighted in him so much that they purchased him and sold him into Egypt. But before his imprisonment in Egypt, they had put him in the hole. And according to the word of G-d, the hole was without water and empty. And they put him in the lowest depth of the hole.
And the term that's used in the Qur'an is, "Ghaiyaba Bil Judek." And the word Ghayaba is from also Ghaib, which means unseen. Unseen, not manifest, not existing. So they put him in something that wasn't seen. They put him to a depth where he could not see what was there. What was there was absent, the bottomless pit, the bottomless pit. Now if a pit ain't got no bottom, you can't see the bottom there, you can't see the foundation. So they put him in a hole and the hole in which they put in is called Ghaiyaba. Meaning that it was at that point where things are so mystified, things are so indefinite that nothing can be defined. Nothing is really present. The foundation is in the future.
Yes, that was a situation they put him in. But we know that he was purchased from that condition, right? He was purchased from that situation and brought to Egypt. And in Egypt, with other victims in the prison, he manifested his special talent for looking into the spiritual life of a person and analyzing and solving their problems for them. And he became known for that. And that's what got him out of prison. Say, "Oh, there's a man in prison who has the special ability." Say, "Bring him up." He was sold to the people of the nation that were holding powerful sway all over the world. Wasn't Egypt holding powerful sway over the world according to the history? Yes. And a lie was told of his real circumstances to his father. His father had told the boys, "Look, I don't trust him with you all. I fear the wolf may get him." And they came back with the lie after they had sold him away. They came back with the lie, said the wolf got him. Now you know a wolf is also a spiritual dog. He's a spiritual dog. He likes the mysteries of night. He just stand out at night. Other dogs sleeping, he'll howl all night.
He say, well daddy, the wolf got him. And they put blood on the garments, on his clothes make the father think, "Yeah, the wolf got him." And look again, they said, let us dress him. This is the people who got Joseph in Egypt. They got him now. And they took pride in him for his special talent, his special principles that he believed in and his humble and morally upright self and his spiritual intuition. They took a special interest in him. They said, let's dress him in respectable clothes. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we will take him for our own boy. This is Qur'an. G-d says, Surely in Yusef and in his brothers is a great sign for the people. And G-d says, And on that wise, did We establish Yusef in the earth. And also G-d says of him says, And that We may teach him the mystery, the mysterious interpretation of some of the great reports, Ahadith. Now I was talking on the interpretation of Qur'an once and some learned elder, he said, "You're reading the Qur'an wrong Brother Imam. No one knows the Taweeli except Allah."
Well, G-d says that He taught Yusef some of the Taweeli Ahadith. We know that only Allah knows. But He doesn't keep it to Himself. He give it to whomsoever He will. The Qur'an states clearly "And G-d achieves His command." Means He overcomes all opposition entertaining it. And then He surmounts it. That's what it means. Yes, He surmounts it.
We have to secure the power. We have to get compliance. You can't get compliance. People will rebel against you. You can't get compliance. "Oh I know I can handle it." No, you can't. You may think you can handle it, but you are deceived. G-d has just given you a few things that He doesn't want and have locked you into a situation of non productivity. And you think you got something. "Hey, come out here. Get out here this morning, got something for you to do. Hey, get over here right away to the Masjid. And it is about 12 feet by 12 feet. There's hardly room to make Sadjah. "Get over here to the Masjid. Got some work for you all to do. Got an assignment." And you wonder how come you don't have big growth. It's because you are trying to share command with G-d. He says He does not share His command with any.
But when you are in the right situation yourself and you invite the people to come, they come because you didn't command them. You made them aware of G-d's command and their duty to G-d brought them out. But some of us want to be G-d so bad we won't create that kind of situation where people will obey because of the love and fear of G-d. We want to be the masters over them oureselves. That keep you small. He does not share His command with any. Now looking at Joseph's situation, G-d said that He taught him the mysterious interpretation of some of the great reports. And G-d behind that, He says, and that G-d takes charge over His command. He would not leave His orders, His command to others. What do you mean by this? G-d won't leave the circumstances that He himself has charge over, has given Himself to. He has pledged Himself to look out after these things. He would not leave those things to the end of the world. That's telling the wise, that's telling the imperialists, that's telling the dictators, that's is telling the world powers that G-d will not accept that you suppress the urges that He put in His creature to bring him to his full life and his full existence.
Those that are inclined to be in accord with G-d's will, He Himself will look out after them. And if you try to imprison them, He will break that situation. If you try to imprison their mind, He will break that situation. If you try to deceive that instinct, He will break that situation. No matter how much knowledge you get of science, the manipulation of human life, deception, playing upon their wits and their psychology. No, you can't come up with nothing that G-d hasn't already devised a scheme that will overcome it. Yeah, that's what G-d is telling us. So you see Joseph situation, you see his circumstances, how his 12 brothers, the world. This 12 brothers is the world, a certain type of world, the spiritual world. 12 brothers. See how his 12 brothers tried to do away with him, try to get him out of the way, try to suppress his urges, try to keep him from becoming a leader. See how G-d overcame all that? Now, why do you want Joseph out of the way? Because Joseph would say G-d has that authority, not you. You want to share divine power, divine authority, divine rule with G-d. G-d said, no, I don't share My power, My rule, My command with anyone.
Now isn't this Egypt that says, Hey, I speak for G-d, the commands come from me. They're the commands of the Lord. You people keep quiet or we'll lock you up. No matter how holy you are, no matter how good you are, we'll lock you up. But were you able to lock up Joseph and keep him locked up? No. Did G-d protect Joseph? You had him in a situation when he was under you, under your influence. And then G-d caused you. He made you an instrument for Joseph's future dignity and liberation. While you thought you were getting rid of him, you was advancing him to his great role that he was to live upon earth. Put him down into the depths of the hole, sold him into slavery and then put him in prison. But G-d brought him up out of all of that and put him over those things that you were yourself once responsible for. Took the responsibility from others and gave it to Joseph. You don't know how to be fair with the food that G-d has created. Put Joseph over it. And G-d says "That is how on that wise We establish Joseph in the land." Joseph is a sign. And G-d says, "And that is how we establish Joseph in the land or in the earth." Okay, Joseph is established. How is he established? He's established by trial and tribulation. Disappointment.
That's what G-d is saying, that We establish a certain man, a certain type of human person. We establish him by trial, disappointment, captivity, denial, rejection, et cetera, et cetera. But every time they put him in a bad situation like that, G-d made that situation rewarding for him. Put him in the depths of the hole. But somebody came around who had an interest in him. "Look what's down in the depths of the hole. I can't resist him." So they get him up out of the hole, took him into Egypt. Got there. Hey, I don't care. You may be out of the Ghaiyaba, but you are not ready yet to be free in Egypt. Lock him up. Put him in prison with the other prisoners. Yeah. So he was brought up out of the depth of the hole. Still ain't ready for freedom in Egypt. No, we won't let you be no free man in this country, in this nation. Put him in prison. Got in prison with the other prisoners. And then he became their leader. He became their leader and he started improving the life of the inmates so much that the free people started desiring him to come give them some of that help.
Hey, where is he? Come on, get him up out of there. We need some of that help he's giving those inmates, his homies down there. And on that wise, We established Joseph in the land. That is how we established Joseph in the land. Then he was tested, wasn't he? Beautiful women. Beautiful women. Kind that will make the average Negro tell his mama, throw his baby in the fire. But they couldn't take him away from his form. They couldn't take Joseph out of his form. He was accused even after he was free, right? Accused of wanting the big man woman. Joseph said, no, I've never been guilty of wanting your woman. She's been seducing me. She's been trying to seduce me. Say, look, look at me. Look at her. You don't see where I grabbed her. She grabbed me. And when the other ladies heard about it, the smaller ladies in the outer surroundings, oh, they just went crazy. And they just went wild and bit their fingers all off. And he was one cast out, considered to be worthless. But his value had to be discovered and he had to go through trials and tribulations before his value was recognized. And once it was recognized, everybody turned their eyes to Joseph. What a wonderful, what a special kind of man. Some said he must be an angel. Didn't they? Yeah. Some thought he was an angel. Oh, this can't be real.


