7-22-2001 

MESSAGE TO BELIEVING WOMEN: YOU 
CAN'T STOP NOW
Sponsored by the Coalition of Muslim
Women Atlanta, Georgia

Imam Warith Deen Mohammed


As Salaamu Alaikum, we are very much honored to be the guest of the International Coalition of Muslim Women and we're very pleased to speak with you or speak to you and with you as a guest speaker today. A beautiful day here in Atlanta, we thank Allah (SWT) for this beautiful weather, its been very hot in Chicago, we're suppose to have a break tomorrow. Monday the temperature is suppose to go down, we're suppose to have better, more comfortable temperatures.


Muhammad Worked For A Woman Before He Was Prophet

I enjoyed being with you all, felt very special last night and today, enjoyed very much, a wonderful evening I enjoyed with you, brothers too, all of us enjoyed being with you, being your guest. You know the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he had a woman as a boss, Khadijah may G-d be pleased with her. She was his boss before he was called to be the Messenger of G-d and mercy to the worlds, the last Prophet. He was working for her as a person who would go outside of the area to neighboring countries and do business, trade, purchase, negotiate purchases for her and bring them back to her and her business.

Something that we should know even before the Prophet became Prophet like the other Arabs or Meccans from Mecca and the surrounding area, she respected him highly.
She had great respect for him, he was a very special person and the tribe of Quraish, even those other tribes that he didn't belong to had great respect for Muhammad the Prophet (pbuh), for his great character.


Woman's Strength Retains Humility, Meek Though Towering

She was his boss but she never bossed him, she was always humble and meek in her dealing with him or in her relationship with him. And that's really the strength of a real lady, that she can be strong and over-towering but she stands low, meek, gentle and sweet like most of you beautiful sisters.


Society Needs Female And Male Leadership

The society needs female and male in order for the society to get where G-d wants the society to go, it needs the leadership influence and leadership of both male and female. That's why we find, I guess, in the history of nations women and men going to the throne, rising up to the position of ruler over the nation or over the people. Queens, kings and other titles for males and females.


Women Represent 1st Life In Social Unit

So the point I want to make here with you today is that women represent the first life, the family life, the first life in a social unit; so the first society, actually family and home is a society. We were taught in the Nation of Islam, I remember all those teachings, says: " social means to advocate a society of men or group of men for one common cause". That was the definition given to us in the Nation of Islam's lessons, the definition of what social means and the modern world respects the home life and environment as the first social unit for the development of society, the first social unit.


Urn" Community Starts With Mother

Community starts with mother and we have this word "Urn" in Arabic and "Urn" means mother but "Urn" also means community or society and the plural of it is "Ummamum" meaning societies.


Mother Is First Leader Of Society 

In the language we can see that men recognize mother as the first leader of society. We have the common expression that mother is the first educator, but also mother is the first leader of the society.

Mother, Father Needed To Humanizes Society 

She provides what is necessary for man to have society and we came from mother, we have to return to mother. And mother is needed to humanize the society and father is needed also to humanize the society; both sex male and female are needed to humanize the society. And it is the mother that brings more of the community life or the life of sharing and caring about each other, mother starts that, not the man, mother starts that. She starts that society that shares and cares about each other.


Q. 4.34; Men Are The Protectors And Maintainers Of Women

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard...."

The father in the beginning of society you know he goes out as a hunter, he goes out and does the rough work out in the field and he brings the needs, the basic needs back home, food, clothing whatever. If its cold, firewood, whatever he brings those thing back to the home, but it is the mother who is expected to build that home and make that home a home for a human family.

So she socializes the family, she humanizes the family and when man becomes dominant in the society because of, as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran because of the accumulation of wealth and because of the physical power, man kind of gets away from the real life and security of society or family and society. He gets away from that and the woman is the anchor to keep that, to preserve that.


Arhaam Means Wombs, Mercy

We have a term "Arhaam" means wombs and the world mercy is taken from the word wombs. This "Arhaam" is not just for humans now,   "Arhaam" also is for animals. The female mothers, animals and human beings and the word "Arhaam" is what gave that Arabs the word "Rahmah" which means mercy.

And the first mercy from G-d is the mercy of family life ruled and protected by mother, by the mother sentiments, by the mother nature and the mother sentiments. And we read the Quran "Bismillaher Rahmaan Ner Raheem", first Rahmaan, that is G-d, the Benefiter, the Beneficent, the Benefactor. The One Who has made all this good life and the good things possible for us, created them and made them of service to us.   He is Rahmaan, that is a mercy that He did that, it's a mercy that we have all these things provided for us, it could be worst. The whole world could have been a Las Vegas desert or an Arizona desert, you know? And it would have been much harder for us to live and enjoy things, but G-d made beautiful gardens and the first environment. He speaks of is a garden. He put the man and the woman in a garden.

So that's a mercy that He did that and it's a mercy that He gave us the human intelligence and gave us wonderful hands that we use as tools to create and make things, all of this is His mercy. And it is a mercy that He revealed higher knowledge to us and spiritual guidance to us, the Quran "Ar Rahmaan iallamel Quran" the Merciful G-d taught the Quran.


Raheem Is Mercy That G-D Gives Us From Mother

Q. 55.1-3; Allah taught Quran, created man

1. (Allah) Most Gracious!
2.  It is He Who has taught the Qur'an.
3. He has created man:


Woman Was Established Before Man

Q. 3.47; Mary Conceived Jesus Without A Man

She said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth; when He hath decreed a plan He but saith to it 'Be' and it is!"

This is Ar Rahmaan but then comes Ar Raheem and Ar Raheem is mercy that G-d gives us from mother. And G-d gave us the first man Adam and Adam is seen as the father of all people and then G-d produced man from a woman without a man. Mary, Maryam the mother of Jesus Christ Peace be upon them. He produced man without a man from a woman, Maryam; this is Raheem, Merciful Redeemer, Raheem.

The Rahmah was created by G-d and the wombs of mercy was created by G-d before there was any man having any authority or power. Man was created first but in a certain sense, in the sense that most of think that man was created first, no he was not. Men and women came together, males and females came together but woman was established before man, it takes women to raise children and to raise males to be men, it takes mothers to do that.

So before man was established in that position of authority over society, woman was nurturing him and bringing him up so he could do that. And for that reason we have G-d creating a man without a man. Mother before the leader and the leader grows up and becomes the leader but after the mother had birthed him and nursed him and served him for his place, his destination, place that G-d wants him to have. 

Soul Return To Allah Is Feminine Description

Q. 89.28-30; Return Soul Pleasing G-D And Self

27.  (To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul in
(complete) rest and satisfaction!

28.  "Come back thou to thy Lord well pleased (thyself) and
well-pleasing unto Him!

29.  "Enter thou then among my Devotees!

30.  "Yea enter thou my Heaven"!
And if we understand it Allah says "Return soul pleased and pleasing, return to your Lord, enter you among My servants, or My bondmen or My servants, My workers it actually mean. My servants, the workers, enter you My paradise, enter you. That is "Mutma'innah", this self that's coming back to G-d is not a male as such, it's the soul of the man that's coming back and it's the same for the woman, it's the soul of the woman that's coming back.

So the entity that G-d is bringing back to Him is a female entity "Nafsul Mutma'innah" female entity. The soul of every person is female according to Arabic language rules, the soul of every person is given female description, the soul.

Q. 4.1; He Created Male, Female From One Soul


"O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person created of like nature his mate and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you."

And He made man and woman "men nafsen wahedah" from one soul, its female, when
He made soul it was female. And he says return soul to Me as female "Nafsul Mutma'innah", return to me its female. Community is female, male and female alone cannot do anything, but when male and female come together then can reproduce both male and female.


If Separate Male, Female Nature Society Suffers

If politically speaking, if we separate male and female as features and preservers of the best nature of society we will mess up society. If we leave males to have too much control over how society is to be developed, society will be headed for destruction. The female has to make her contribution to the development of society and her intellect is needed just like the man's intellect is needed. No great contributions can come from men because of their brut strength, they have to have intelligence superior intelligence.

And G-d has given superior intelligence to both male and female and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he gave an incentive to the men because man if you leave him alone he's just like an animal leading a pack of animals. He's a chief leading a pack of animals and he will just be concerned with the rugged world that he has to live in and surviving in it, he'll just be concerned with those things until he himself becomes humanized by his female; his female has to humanize him.

The mother is never savage like the father, the leaders of primitive orders, the females are never savage like the males, m. 190 The challenge of the wilds brings out the savage in the male, the woman stays back, she stays human while the male loses his humanity to the wilds, but she stays human.


Educate Two Daughters Paradise Granted

So women are needed to give of their intellect and it is for that reason that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) freed the women and said to the men "If any of you would educate two daughters you will have the paradise". Muhammad (Pbuh) was a very wise man, very clever man and a very gentle man, a very loving man, he didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, he wanted to keep people happy and comfortable, feeling good.

He could have told the men, educate as many daughters as you can, he didn't have to say two, but the Arabs had that masculine, chauvinist mentality then as many men have it today and the Prophet (Pbuh) was steering around that, so he said, educate two. So they asked him "why two" because it takes two females to make judgments and decisions and etc, only one male is necessary. So educate two daughters to balance with one male, that was wisdom, very shrewd man, that was wisdom. So they were wanting to go to paradise, they were happy to hear that and they started to see that their daughters got an education.


Dhakir Male Who Thinks, Reflects 

Q.3.36;   Male is not like the female

"When she was delivered she said: "O my Lord! behold! I am delivered of a female child!" And Allah knew best what she brought forth, "and nowise is the male like the female.

And we read in the Quran that the man, the male and the female are not alike, we know that, are not the same; the female is not like the male. The male, the female are not alike and the word for the male is a thinker who reflects, who thinks and then reflects; thinks and look again at what he thought, examines what he thought.


Q. 33.35; Thinking Women

"For Muslim men and women for believing men and women for devout men and women for true men and women for men and women who are patient and constant for men and women who humble themselves for men and women who give in charity for men and women who fast (and deny themselves) for men and women who guard their chastity and for men and women who (think) engage much in Allah's praise for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward."

Its "Dhakir", but Allah (SWT) didn't leave this function of the intellect to be in man only, in the chapter it says in the Quran on the believers it says the Believing men and the believing women and the thinking men and the thinking women. See how cleverly its done? Because He didn't want to upset the males, we need the males to carry Al Islam forward, to fight the war. You need the males to build the wilderness into a home environment and human environment, so the male is really needed very badly and didn't want to upset them, didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable, didn't want to create any annoyance for them.

So this is how this language is done so cleverly and that's characteristic of Muhammad (BPUH) himself, that clever way of using language so that you don't offend anybody that you don't have to offend or that you don't have to sacrifice. You want to keep everybody, so the language is so respectful of the macho in the man and so respectful of everything really, mother, father of everything that should be respected.

Friends have a great place, the companions, friend is highly valued in the Quran and highly valued in the Muslim society and the Islamic teachings.


Soul Destiny To Please G-D And Own Self

I'm going to finish in a few minutes now but I want to get back to that... Return soul pleasing and pleased. So the destiny of the soul is not just to please G-d, the destiny of the soul is to please the person. So our destiny is to be pleased with ourselves. We want to present ourselves to G-d, we want G-d to be pleased with us but according to the language of G-d, that G-d gave us in Quran, we also have to have of a need or a necessity, ourselves too presented to us and we are pleased, we like what we see.

We look at ourselves and we're pleased, we comfortable inside, now if that's our inherent destiny it means that we will never be pleased until we're pleased with ourselves, not just G-d. We will never be pleased until we're pleased with ourselves.

So G-d is revealing to us that you'll never be pleased until you please G-d, but your striving to please G-d is going to make you more pleasant and more pleasing to yourself. And eventually you have your hopes answered, you will be pleasing G-d and you'll also be pleasing yourself.

This is wisdom for the leaders of society. Don't just have, drive people to please G-d
like some rulers and some religious leaders do, they drive people to please G-d. How about pleasing myself? I want to be pleased myself, with myself, I want to feel good about myself as the common expression. I want to feel good about myself, so G-d has revealed that when He says return to Me oh soul pleased and pleasing. Pleased with yourself and pleasing your G-d. Return to Me, enter you among My servants.

So G-d's servants are those who work not only for G-d but work also for mankind, for the society as a whole, work to put the human life in the right shape so that the human life will be happy and pleased with its own life.


G-d Attracts The Soul: Serve G-D In Community Service

And G-d is the attraction in the soul drawing us to Him, but service to G-d is really service to community, we serve G-d in community, that's the only way to serve Allah (SWT), the only way to serve G-d. We serve G-d in community, in family, community, in public, community, we serve G-d in community.


Allah Created Man For His Mercy

Q.II.II9; Mercy created man for it; 

"Except those on whom He hath bestowed His Mercy: and for this did He create them: and the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled:"

Service to G-d is service through community, G-d says that He needs nothing for Himself, He created this whole world for us because He loved that His love and His mercy benefit others or benefit the world. So He created the world so that his love would be in the world, his mercy would be in the world, His guidance would be in the world etc.


Q.22.37; Piety, Taqwa not blood reaches G-d

"It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety (Taqwa) that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you: and proclaim the Good News to all who do right.

So He needs nothing directly to Him, He says what you sacrifice doesn't reach Him only your obedience reaches him, that's what He says, Taqwa, your Taqwa only. So whatever we say, we're going to build a great building for G-d, we're going to build a Mosque for G-d, we're going to bring worshipers to G-d, really those worshipers and the Mosque and all that is not needed by G-d, He doesn't need any of that. All He need is our obedience and all of the Mosques and the everything is going to benefit us, that's benefit to us not to G-d, its going to benefit us.

See how G-d loves us, see how G-d loves human, loves the world? He loves His creation, He loves humans, He loves His creation. That He did all of this just to have us enjoy and benefit and find Him, find our way back to Him. And when we find our way back to Him and know that He is the One responsible for us achieving whatever we were able to achieve, the benefit even of that is our's it comes directly to us.


It's a great and wonderful feeling to know that you discovered G-d, you found G-d and to know that G-d did it all for you, not for Himself, that's a wonderful feeling. I have experienced that for many years now, that is a wonderful feeling. It takes you from a small Wallace and shoots you up to the sky, you become a towering Wallace. But that kind of experience makes that towering Wallace bring himself back down to a microscopic Wallace in the presence of his Lord, of his G-d.

Gen.2.21-23; Eve from rib of Adam

"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; [22] And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [23] And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."


Quran Bible Stories Addressed Or Left Out

So we have to understand sisters, that your leadership is needed, your intelligence is needed, the saying in Christianity and Judaism that G-d made the woman from the rib. I believe G-d have guided me to understand that, I believe many Christian leaders and Jewish leaders I don't think they understand it, maybe a few, but I believe G-d have blessed me to understand it.

And its good, if it was bad it would be addressed in the Quran as a bad thing. If it's left out that means it's a troubling thing, but not necessarily a bad thing, its not understood properly. That's why its left out.


Rib Curved, Not Crooked Made Woman

You know the rib is a bone and bone supports the flesh and the rib curves and the chauvinist religious leaders they say its crooked, they don't say its curved. I've heard this from their mouths, "yes G-d made the woman from the rib of the man, from the crooked bone." 


Rib Curves Its Completion Is The Ummah

I've heard them say it this in my presence, I've heard this form the mouth of the so-called learned in religious leadership. But in science we have come to know that is the curve is continuous, if you keep following it, it is going to make a complete circle, yes. And that will be the ummah won't it? Yes the ummah, you know the Islamic tradition under Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) for the congregation to form a circle especially if they were going to be taught or lectured to by the Prophet (Pbuh) himself. Or just going to be his guest, he would have them sit in a circle, they formed a circle and they would sit in a circle, that's still tradition in the Islamic world.

They sit down in circle especially if they're spiritual, the spiritual leaders they appreciate that circle, they understand it, they sit in circles. And the universe itself seems to curve, the sky seems to curve, the heavenly bodies in the universe seems to be curves, circular that is. And when we go to the Kabah we circle, circumambulate the Kabah and if we would use our imagination and just imagine how we are spread out all over the world, we are actually in a circle all over this planet, aren't we? Because we turn in prayer towards that one point and we make pilgrimage to that one point, to that one place, to that one point.

So we actually are living and performing from a circle all over the world, there is no way for you to all look at this finger here from all around and not be in a circle.


Wheel Is The Kabah And The Muslims All Over The Earth

Ezekiel 1.16, 24; voice like great waters

[16] And their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.... [19] And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. [20] Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.[24] And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

Your eyes, your sights are like axes coming to one point and your body in its collective state is like on big wheel. And the Bible says and a wheel went up from the earth as the voices of many waters. And where ever it went, where ever the wheel went so did the creatures. That's not accident.

Its not accident that this same wheel seems to be the Kabah and the Muslims living all over the earth with that Kabah as the axis of the great wheel.


Rib Is G-D Supported Social Logic; Bone Stands For Logic

Getting back to that crooked rib, what I'm going to conclude on, the rib is not crooked, the rib is curved, not crooked. And the rib is responding to the breath of life, we breath in the ribs go out to make it comfortable for us to get all that air. The rib goes out so we can get that comfortable breath of life, comfortable amount of that breath of life. And then to release it, the rib goes in.

So the rib it seems to be kind of tied in with the breathing, as breathing comes in the rib expands, as breathing goes out the rib comes in and out. So here is something responding to the breath of life, to they rhythm of the breath of life, a rib, a bone responding to the rhythm of the breath of life. Some of you all are not ready for me, but I'm going to give it you whether you're ready for me or not, that's the social logic that G-d wants us to have. That G-d supported social logic, bone stands for logic.

That social logic that G-d wants us to have, it's the female, you get it from the female, from the study of the female. If man had not studied the female, he wouldn't have a human society, thank you peace As Salaam Aliakum.

I forgot the most important thing, I didn't come out here to talk to you all, I came out here to listen to you, so what do you want to say to me? You want to tell me to go to hell? Fine, because I been there. You want to tell me something, you want to comment, you want to ask me a question please let me know how much time you have and I'm going to respond to your statement or you questions.


Sister Group. Mother Nature Is Strong
Ques.
Betty_________


Imam W. D. Mohammed: 
Yes, women are a sisterhood, Muslims are a brotherhood and brotherhood includes women and men. Men and women make up the brotherhood of Islam although a masculine term is used, it right away and Arabic speaking person knows that the brotherhood it means, although the attention is directly immediately to the males, it includes the female. Just like "man" includes women, females also.

Sisters its not problem using that expression or that term I don't think it has any problem, my understanding and my experience too, sometimes a little girl just start to express herself, one or two years old the father holds that little girl and the father can feel a mother in that little girl. So mother comes with the life for females, the mother nature is in the female when she's born.

And sisters you have the mother nature in you and G-d knows that its there so strong, you don't have to call yourselves mothers, the mother nature is there and its very strong and you don't have to have any language to make you aware that it is there. So calling yourselves sisters is fine, we don't have to use the term mother. And sisters will as you have done, bring to the attention of sisters and the community that we need to give attention to the role and value of the mother in the life of the home and in the life of society, yes. So that will be done, I wouldn't worry about the language, the language is fine.

Coordinator:
I'm going ask you that if you have a question so that we can get it on the tape, that you come and speak into the mike, ok? And we will take it until I give you the signal for time or until the Imam gives us his signal, ok?

Ques.
Sister As Salaam Alaikum my question is we have a statement that's been in the newspaper and the articles and you say "we can't stop now". I would like to hear what type support you need from us to keep going so we won't stop now.


"We Cannot Stop Now"

Imam W. D. Mohammed: First let me explain the statement I think most of you, but let me explain some don't know yet. What brought about that statement, "we cannot stop now", the statement "we cannot stop now" is an expression that I hope will serve to keep us aware of our human excellence that we really been supported by since man was created. And as a people in America, as an ethnic group or a racial group in America it is our human excellence that lead us to reject slavery and it lead us to do something without freedom to make our whole people better and more comfortable in their souls and in their lives. Its our human excellence.


Muslim Means Willing To Give Up Something To Have Peace

And the meaning of Muslim has nothing to do firstly with Revelation, Muslim is the nature of every human being, so G-d created all human beings Muslim. And it simply means your first nature is to want peace and to yield, see its not just wanting peace but the Muslim nature wants peace but its also willing to yield, to submit, to give up something to have that peace, you see?

So this is the nature that G-d gave every human being and Muhammad (Pbuh) said it I don't have to repeat that for you sisters, I know you sisters know these things, to save time I'm not going to repeat all this. So Muslim is our first nature and the Muslim names the excellence that G-d wants us to keep. He created us with it and He wants us to keep that excellence, it names that excellence.


And Muhammad the Prophet (Pbuh) he said "Those who were excellent in the time of ignorance, before Al Islam, you're excellent now."


Quran Improves Upon Excellence Of Human Nature

So he was telling them that the Revelation did not give you something that G-d created you with, the Revelation didn't give you human excellence G-d created you with human excellence. That's your inheritance, the Revelation gave you the education, the guidance for improving upon that excellence and taking that excellence where G-d wants it to go. But it did not create that excellence for you G-d when He created human beings created that excellence.

So when I say "we cannot stop now " I'm thinking of myself as an individual, I wish you all knew me better as a person, when I was a little boy I wasn't like most of the kids, I wasn't like my brothers.


When I was a little boy I was interested in the world that G-d made I would listen to my father, I was very obedient, you should hear the stories of my obedience, my sisters can tell the story of my obedience, its something else. Very obedient child, I was quiet I did not talk a lot, but I was thinking and I wanted to understand things. I wanted to see things, I wanted to know things just like the average child. The little child they're curious, the little baby is born curious, well that is the way I was and I stayed curious like that. I wanted to understand. 


W.D. Mohammed Motived By True Language Of NOI

While they were hearing the white man is the devil and all that, see I wasn't beat up by the world, I got the Religion at home when I was a little boy protected from the world by my parent, by my mother. So I wasn't beat up by the world so the race problem wasn't the biggest issue in my life, it was hardly in my life at all, they had to teach me about that I did not experience it.

So what was reaching me was that, that my humanity was asking for, that, that my human sensitivities were asking for. So I heard statements like "social means to advocate a society of men or a group of men for one common cause" and "Equality means to be equal in everything". It went into me and it branded, it just wrote those letters like a welder making it upon iron, making the letters upon steel, it put them into me, that went into me. And many other things that I heard went directly into me and what motived me more than anything else was what the Hon. Elijah Muhammad said "be your own self and your own self is a righteous Muslim".

So that meant to me be good, that's what that message was to me, be a good person and "don't be caught other than your own self, that's some strong teaching. For us to be good, be righteous and that righteousness was my own self, that was myself, to be that way. So its unnatural for me to be bad, right, it is natural for me to be righteous, that's what that language was saying, powerful psychology, powerful language.

So that's what motivate me, then when I come to think of the people when I got older I began to think of the plight of our people, I learned it from my home but I also learned it from self studies, the plight of our people from slavery, from Africa and to slavery and from slavery until now. So I studied the plight of our people and I began to identify strongly, not consciously, but strongly without even thinking about making a connection. I began to identify strongly with the slaves that couldn't accept slavery.

I began to identify strongly with Frederick Douglas and those that were bringing the human being and his bad conditions away from his bad condition and directing him to the destiny that G-d created him for. 

I came to identify with them, so I had never as a minister, Min. Wallace and as Imam W. D. Mohammed, I have never separated myself from that struggle for excellence
beginning with slavery until now, I have never separated myself from that. And I saw the Hon. Elijah Muhammad with his great Nation of Islam and his great work and contribution to our people, I saw his work not separated from that. I saw his work not separated from that woman that I read about in a publication by a German said when she looked at the white men in the face one day she said, Julia the slave she said "you look like G-d in your faces but you act like the devil in your hearts".


Black God Father Divine Taught It Before Fard

So there was a woman long time before my father's teacher, Mr. Fard and my father making a connection with that works of Satan, bringing and their works together. Now many, many years later, century or so at least a century there is a black man, not a black woman telling them that you're the devil. Well I see that as a continuation and I know that Mr. Fard didn't get that idea from himself, I know he got it from Father Divine who was preaching before Mr. Fard started his teaching, he was preaching that G-d was a black man. He told the people you want to see Jesus, you want to see G-d look at me, that's what father divine taught. And he married a white woman and called her mother divine to kind of soften it a little bit, he didn't want all the divinity by himself or the black race. So he married a white woman after he had a black wife and he called her mother divine, I'm sure she felt good.


Slavery The Power G-D With Us 

I have studied all these things over the years and I have the light on for me so I know how all this has come about so we cannot stop now I want you all to see this movement, this activity that put us where we're suppose to be starting not with us and Imam W. D. Mohammed as the leader, starting even before the Hon. Elijah Muhammad and his teacher Mr. Fard. I want you to see it starting way back there. So if it started back there we must understand that G-d wanted that to happen, so that was really G-d with us in our human excellence.

Your human excellence driving you to leave this bad state, this bad condition, this bad treatment, this bad world, so G-d was right there in your human excellence, right there with it and He's the Force too, that's what made it so powerful, that's what makes it so power.

Q. 53.19-20, 23;   false gods Lat. Uzza

19. Have ye seen Lat an Uzza

20.  And another the third (goddess) Manat? 

23. These are nothing but names which ye have devised
ye and your fathers for which Allah has sent down
no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but
conjecture and what their own souls desire! Even
though there has already come to them Guidance
from their Lord!

Our human excellence is not the only power G-d is with our human excellence. Says and they ask about those gods the Arab pagans "we could see Lat and 'Uzzah in our gods (idols), Muhammad (pbuh) show us this god" like the people did Moses. So the answer came in Revelation to Muhammad (pbuh)says "these gods that you mention have you really seen them?" They saw what they made with their hands, that's all they say, "have you really seen them? Those things are dead", the statues and things they're dead, "have you really seen them?"


Prophet's Ascension

Q. 53.1-9; Muhammad ascension in 7 heavens

1.  By the Star when it goes down

2. Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled

3. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.

4.  It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:

5.  He was taught by one mighty in Power

6.  Endued with Wisdom: For he appeared (in stately
form)

7. While he was in the highest part of the horizon:

8.   Then he approached and came closer

9.   And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or
(even) nearer;

10. So did (Allah) convey the inspiration to His Servant
(conveyed) what He (meant) to convey.

11. The (Prophet's) (mind and) heart in no way falsified
that which he saw.

Arrow symbolic of spirit, energy forces It didn't say Muhammad (pbuh) saw G-d but it says that they went parallel as two arrows shot from one bow going to the destiny or to the target, to the aim, who is that? G-d and Muhammad's excellence going parallel, together in perfect harmony reconciled. His excellence reconciled with the will and spirit of G-d and they're going as two arrows. Arrow is only symbolic of spirits, energy forces going to one point or to one destination, having one and the same aim and they met in the far horizon, this is Quran.

So the same two spirits are in our people, in every people but they don't manifest so strongly it depends upon the pressures, the conditions that's piled on you rather these spirits will really become forceful spirits in us. So these two arrows were fired by the pressures and denial of our excellence in this world, they were fired. The> were fired way back there in the days of slavery and as slavery was pushed out of the way they continued to seek excellence, G-d with us.

So what am I saying to you sister? G-d has been with us before we knew Al Islam, G-d was with us before we called ourselves

Muslims, G-d was with us. It's the same G-d, the same help, the same everything and we cannot stop now.

So Allah (swt) is not with us for us to be Muslims and have His blessings all to ourselves, Allah (swt) is with us for us to be Muslims and to share His blessing with all of our people and all mankind and all humanity, that's why G-d is with us. And G-d always chooses the innocent that's been abused and no help came to them from mankind, then G-d chooses those people, He says obligates Him, justice obligates G-d, this is G-d's saying in the Quran.

So He's obligated to take those people, to answer them, to go their cause, to their needs and serve them and work with them and help them until they are able to manage for themselves. Just like a good parent will do for a child or for anybody's child if that child is left without help or without anyone to care for it.

So this is the way we should see this, we cannot stop now. When you hear me speak make the MAS address on Sunday this coming convention you're going to hear me say exactly what I'm saying now. I'm going to say Frederick Douglas we cannot stop now,   I'm going to say Du Bois we cannot stop now, Booker T. Washington we cannot stop now, George Washington Carver we cannot stop now, Sojouner Truth we cannot stop now. Marcus Garvey we cannot stop now, Noble Drew Ali we cannot stop now, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad we cannot stop now, Fard Muhammad we cannot stop now, W. Deen Mohammed we cannot stop now.

So this is G-d's work and we want to see it in its full run not just in me and not just in my father, not just in Booker T. Washington we want to see G-d's work in its full run. And if we appreciate it in its full run we'll have more power from our own excellence and we'll have more power from G-d to do even better works in the future than we have done in the past. Now I didn't want to take that much time with that but its very important that you understand where I'm coming from when I say we cannot stop now.

I don't mean we been beat up too much and we got to get even, I meant we been helped by some wonderful souls, by some great souls and G-d has been there all the time hidden but helping us all along and that's what we cannot stop now. We got a line here I thought that was the choir, I thought you all were going to sing after I got through.


Ques
As Salaam Alaikum brother Imam my concern is I read a lot about the treatment of Muslims in other parts of the world and I remember reading in own of your articles that you said that the believers here or the Muslims in this country we are the leaders for the world to change the way Muslim perspective is on the Religion. Because I recall you saying in other parts of the world they're not free to practice the Deen like we are over here in America.

So my concern is the way Muslim women, the status of Muslim women in other countries, the honor killings like sister Aisha Mustafa was saying the terrible conditions of women, they way they're being treated. And I want to know what can we do as the Muslim American Society to help make a change to address these .things that are going on in other countries with Muslim women and maybe even in this country, thank you As Salaam Alaikum.


Imam W. D. Mohammed: 
Over and over again in the Quran G-d says of Muhammad (Pbuh) to the people through Muhammad (Pbuh) He says "you are not responsible for arranging their affairs", so in light of what has been accomplished for us as a Muslim community, our progress as
Muslims, in light of that many needs that you would think need to be brought to me shouldn't be brought to me.

These are things that you are situated and prepare to take care of, the concern you just expressed sister has already dawned in your heart and in your mind and you have expressed it now and we have also heard it. You should stay with it and find others who share your concerns and you should do something about it and then let me hear the good news.


Ques.
As Salaam Alaikum Imam Muhammad a couple of things, first of all I hope you're doing well and I wanted to let you know that I'm the only female that sits on the Majilis here at the Atlanta Masjid of seven members. With my sitting on this Majilis which I'm very appreciative of and having this opportunity I find myself often playing the role that is somewhat different from what you described a few moments ago in describing the rib.

I do believe exactly what you said regarding the curve and in my teachings here recently with, you know dabbling a little bit with the new age thought and yoga and those things, we're being taught that we've been breathing improperly most of our lives. That we've been taking the air and our air hasn't been going into the diaphragm, we're just shallow breathing, but once we breath deeply actually our bellies should be going out when we take in a breath.

So in other words the rib is really supporting the diaphragm not really giving way to it and I'm wondering if you could see how and who I am as a female who has sometimes and most times opposing views to the dominant male environment. How that can be of value.


Imam W. D. Mohammed: 
Well I'm going to have to make this very quick, I understand what she's saying and I've had enough experiences to know that, that happens too, that you become a member in a particular project or body or function, you become one of the members supporting that or responsible for that and the males chest is so rigid, you're right, you're just supporting the diaphragm, you're not really giving the ease and helping to bring in the life and provide for the ease.


I understand that, that exists but you have to come away from that one description of your female worth and remember that the other part is that you are a thinking human being. You're a thinking creature just like the men are and keep thinking you'll work it out.


Reparations 

Ques. ______________?

Imam W. D. Mohammed: 
She asked one that's a little touch and I don't know if everybody is going to like me when I give you this answer, our people are asking for reparations. I wouldn't dare come out publicly and make trouble for that or have a different position, take a different position, I wouldn't dare do that. Because our mistreatment is too touchy, its too sensitive for us to do that, but personally I think we've been given reparation, and we're still getting reparations. When you right the wrong you're getting reparations and the wrong is being righted, it has been corrected and is being righted all along. I think that is reparation. If you don't mind I'm going to ask you to excuse me for just a couple of minutes and I'll be right back.

m. 236 

Vanessa:
As Salaam Aliakum, thank you Imam Mohammed for allowing us to have this opportunity with you it is really great. My question I'm kind of following on what Jessica originally asked regarding her being the only sister on the Majiis board and you also spoke about there being two women to one male.   I'd like for you to kind of elaborate on that for us because I can understand the sister's feeling you know being in that situation and what does that mean as we strive to apply this Deen in our daily endeavors.

And how does that you know relate with her situation, my question is as Ummies and you know striving to do "fe sabillah" and that's a challenge giving the males dominance of understanding or where ever he is.   And so often as Ummies we see things that happen and because our real desire is to please Allah (SWT) and to bring about a truly community life that will be enhancing for us all.

How do we as Ummies when we see, what should happen in the instance when we are given an opportunity which is rare to have an audience or a group setting where we can express ourselves and be heard. And there are some infractions occur during the process, how does one go about correcting that because I hear the theme now is "we're moving forward to forgive and to move on". How do we, what happens when an infraction occurs in the past and is it not to be corrected or just to be accepted and to go on. Or is there some type of reparation on the part of the aggressor to ask for forgiveness or are we to just forgive without any kind of asking for forgiveness? Thank you.


Two Females On The Council To Every Male

Imam W. D. Mohammed: This sister just took the claw hammer and took the nails out of a board that was on a window and light wasn't coming in, somebody had boarded the window up for about 1400 yrs. And she took a claw hammer and took the nails out of that board now the sun is shining in.

Let me address you first question, that was your first comment, that was about the sister
being the only sister on the Majiis. Sisters in the new light that I have on this issue provided by the question that was just asked, you all stand on firm ground to ask that you have two females to every male on the council. They have to be consistent, if they're going to use it to keep you down then they have to use it to let you go up too.

Your representation has to be two to one, it must be consistent all the way through. Two female witnesses in the court to every male, two females on the council to every male. You see how wise Muhammad (Pbuh) was? He knew it would come to this. The rest of your question it faded away in that powerful light. 


Questioner:
As Salaam Aliakum, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed first I like to take this opportunity to thank Allah (SWT) for your presence in our life particularly in my family's life and I'd like to also thank you for being present. And may Allah (SWT) grant you with long life and good health. My question to you is I'm a printer and I've been asked by the youth group more to help do a fund raiser. What has come to mind is doing magnets for the refrigerator, one of the things that came up with saying can we do the magnet "I can't stop now"?


As a printer I know we can do that but they asked to add you name to that and I know I cannot do that without your permission. So I'm asking for your permission and what ever else is connected to that.


Imam Mohammed:
Well you have my permission but I think that statement doesn't necessarily have to carry my name all the time to say that it's a quote from me. I would like to see that statement become our statement, not just my statement, yes mame.


Equality Of Women's Right's G-D's Will 

Questioner:
As Salaam Aliakum, Imam Mohammed I have a concern and a question that maybe you can answer, I have a problem with women, that are a little older than me that are a little older than me and my age now
____Muslim women in the African
American community stating that I have to work outside of the home, I don't have a choice. So I think this is causing problems in our homes and societies and in ourselves, so what if there is any so far as the Quran is concerned or what do you recommend from your interpretation can women do to help me or encourage men to take their full responsibilities as maintainers and providers of women so that women can take on their primary responsibilities as mothers of the family and the community?



Imam Mohammed:
Yes, that's a real serious concern and really more for the African American males than for the females because really its helping the females in my opinion. This new freedom and acceptance of so-called equality of the sexes is helping the females at a time when our males seem to have lost their natural spirit and instinct for making progress for the society. They seem to have forgotten the society, that they should be concerned for the whole community, for the whole family, for the whole neighborhood, for the whole community.   They seem to have forgotten that.

These distractions of sex, I wrote a poem I hope I can give it to you all one day I called it "Sony phoney" and I say "Sony phoney your world has grown too bony" and I'll give you the rest of that poem one day I hope.

So these distractions have really taken our males from the productive life that G-d wants them to be in and it seems to be the Will of G-d I think not just the doings of society, but I think it's the Will of G-d that this bad time for our males favor the females coming back into your rights, because you haven't had your rights.


Males Wake Up To Male Responsibility

So it's a good thing I think on the whole, but that doesn't excuse our males, so sister I tell the males when I'm talking to them that you're just giving up and you're letting the women show you up. You're letting them do everything and this really is eliminating you, you're being eliminated. So I tell them that and its serious, its very serious, out males are being eliminated. And we need our males to wake up to male responsibility and not to hold a sister responsible for doing what you know G-d made you for.


Man Failing Responsibility Makes Himself A Sissy

Q.4.32; Men are the protectors and maintainer of women

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard.

G-d made you to go out and work and to bring money into the house, you know G-d made you for that, so if you don't do that then you're really disrespecting your female, your mother, you sisters, all females. And you're making yourself a sissy and I don't care, don't think sissies don't look like he-men.   I was in prison and there was a sissy who had better physique, bigger muscles than every male in that facility but he was a stone freak, he was a sissy, he was a homosexual.

So these boys out there with all those muscles showing their chest, if they're letting you take care of them and the children they are nothing but sissies. They are not the men G-d made that's for sure, they are not the males or the men that G-d made and that's for sure.


Child Abuse

Questioner:
As Salaam Aliakum, Imam Mohammed, want to thank you very much for your presence today and your leadership in our community. I'm going to ask a question of grave concern and its pertaining to children, the well being of children and the safety of children. Unfortunately in some of our Islamic communities and this is across the board but its happening within the MAS, we're having children who are violated. They're sexually violated, they're being neglected, they're being physically abused and I like to know your view and your recommendation to Imams on how to handle these situations when they're brought forth to them in the communities.


Crowding Kills Productive Forces In Humans

Imam W. D. Mohammed: 
Well I think sister you're capable of handling the question yourself but you want me to address it or speak to it. What we have to be aware of is that as the world grows more crowded and science have experimented with crowding on animals and how crowding can bring out the destructive forces in the animal or in human beings. And how it can also kill productive forces in animals and human beings.

The world is getting to be more and more crowded, crowding is a problem that's not going to go away unless Allah (SWT) cause something to happen to remove it as a problem. So its going to be more crowded, more crowded, more crowded and I'm sure they're going to find ways to make life still liveable inspite of the crowding, we're still going to have the good life, but the soul, spirituality, emotional nature, all of this is going to be taxed more and more. Going be more difficult to keep your soul, to keep you own mind in a normal state, its going to become more and more difficult.


Gang Membership Is Child Abuse Also

My concern is that these males that's increasingly abusing children and don't think that the only abuse is sexual abuse or being too heavy handed and battering the children up, don't think that's the only abuse, when they support youngsters being in crime and in street gangs; you have old men out there with children supporting them in that. That's abuse by them too, they're abusing our children.


Adult Child Abuser Is A Child In His Mind

What we have to know is that many of these men that are molesting, battering the children they themselves are children in their minds, children in their social development. They are not developed, they are immature, they themselves need a lot of help. So I'm not saying spare the rod or spare justice for these males, but also be aware that we need to treat the whole male species as a child that's becoming more and more a child as time goes on. And I think you'll do a lot of good.


Helpmeet Means The Woman Help Man Reach His Destination

Gen. 2.18; Woman man's Helpmeet

" And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

I didn't want to leave without coming back to something that I was saying there and Imam Plemon as we were walking out, he made some comments thanking me for how I deal with the rib in the Bible. The rib of the man, that woman was made from the rib of the man and I couldn't just stop there you know the Christian preachers they also use the statement in the Bible that woman was made to be man's help mate. But also in this Bible another expression is used too, helpmeet, H.e.l.p.m.e.e.t.

If you remember what I said about the female and how I tied it in with the chapter about soul returning to its Lord so really that's our destination isn't it? And helpmeet means the woman was made to help man reach his destination.


Man Need Spirit Of G-D

Q.4.171; Jesus is a word, spirit from G-d

"O people of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Apostles."

Q. 94.1; We shall expand your breast

"Have We not expanded thee thy breast?

Gen.2.21-23; Eve from rib of Adam

Gen. 2.7; Breath into man he became living soul

" And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

Now if we see the breathing, the breath of life, if we see that as the spirit, man is called the spirit more so than a female and Jesus Christ was a spirit from His Lord, a word and spirit from his Lord or a sign and a spirit for His Lord, Ruh from his Lord. And G-d breath into man His spirit and he became a living soul, this is spirit, I'm on spirit now. Breath into man His spirit and he became a living soul.

So he already had a spirit didn't he? He had a spirit but he was lacking the spirit of G-d, so G-d breathed into him His spirit and he became a living soul, not just a living man but a living soul.

Rib i.e. Need Female To Work With G-D's Spirit In Man

Now if we can see this breath behind the rib or inside the rib as the spirit too, not just breath of life, but as the spirit, you know Allah (SWT) says of Muhammad (Pbuh) and we shall expand your breast, means his chest, it means rib cage. And its symbolic of making his compassion bigger so he could receive the whole humanity into his own compassion, that's what its symbolic of, expanding his ribs.

Now if the female then is this rib, which I've also identified with a certain logic, she's this rib and she's responding to the breath, then that tells me that female is needed to work with even the spirit of G-d in man. To assist the spirit of G-d so that it has the support form the rib to open to receive more and come back in to push out to the world again. In from G-d, out to the world, yes.

So she is needed to work with even the spirit of man so that the whole life will return to G-d and get where G-d created it to go, this is beautiful, yes. And you know what I heard one preacher say as I'm getting ready to go from here, one preacher said "G-d made woman from the rib of man so you always be hugging her right under you arms".


