8-17-2001 

Taleem Nashville, Tennessee

Imam Warith Deen Mohammed 



Peace be unto you as Muslims greet, As Salaam Alaikum we praise to G-d Who created the world of the skies and the earth and all living and made very special creation when He made the human being in the excellence that He endowed His creation with.


Q. Prophet Best Model For Whoever Believes

"Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day and who engages much in the praise of Allah.

We witness that Muhammad (PBUH) to whom the Quran was revealed about 1400 yrs ago the model of human excellence a model as Allah (SWT), G-d says in our for any, not just for Muslims or for His following, a model for any who believe in last day, who believe in G-d and believe in the Last Day, in the judgment. That they have to be accountable to G-d, the Make of everything.


Q. Man's Purpose To Worship, Serve G-D

"I have only created j inns and men that they may serve Me. " 

What is our purpose that G-d assigned on this earth? In our Religion, in our Holy Book the purpose is given and it says, G-d says, that is, that man is created to worship or serve G-d. He says that He neither created the jinn, spirits nor men for any purpose except His worship, except to serve Him.

I'm familiar with old new testament or the New Testament and I can say to you that the Holy Bible has same language in it. The purpose of our existence on this earth is to serve the G-d that made the earth, created it when there was no earth and created man when there was no man before, existing.

I'm happy and honored to be invited here, last night we had a wonderful time as your guest, we came to celebrate with you and to recognize your honorees and hear your keynote speaker attorney Sercey the III. And we enjoyed the evening it was a wonderful evening last night and we enjoyed having dialogue with Christian Minister or Reverend, we had a wonderful experience and discussion with Rev. Pope. And the evening was so lovely, the food was very tasty, the environment was beautiful, warm and dignified.

We are here on this earth to serve G-d how we serve G-d? With our whole life, since G-d says in our Holly book, the purpose of our life is to worship Him. And to worship Him is to serve Him. For the Christians I see Jesus Christ, peace be upon him in the New Testament saying same thing, " I'm here to serve G-d, the One who sent me." and how did he serve G-d Who sent him into the world? He served Him by serving G-d's Will for human life in society. He questioned the behavior persons that didn't sympathize suffering people. He questioned the behavior of persons who claimed they believed in G-d but was not being kind to their fellow man. He questioned persons that didn't have charity for those who are sick, hungering etc. So service to G-d is really through our service to mankind in society, in community or in society.

Q. Taqwa. piety not blood sacrifice reaches G-d

"It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety 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.

In our Religion in our Holy Book Quran G-d says your sacrifices of blood animals, that does not reach Him. He said what reaches Him is your obedience, our obedience to Him is what He says reaches Him. Not the money we give, we say for G-d and the animals we sacrifice to G-d that does not reach Him, only our obedience reaches him.

So what He's saying, what G-d is saying, that He doesn't need your money, He doesn't need you to give Him anything, He's independent needing nothing, but what He loves is that you obey Him. And obeying Him doesn't give Him anything, obeying G-d gives you everything.

So really G-d's love is the perfect love, and His love is Divine love, He loves not selfishly. I have to admit that I have had good relationship with my wife and a beautiful experience with her, life as her husband and father of our children, but it has been selfish love. I wanted a lot of it for myself. G-d wants nothing for Himself, He created the world for the living, created everything for His servant who will obey him.


Q. fight Satan's strategy it is weak

"Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil: so fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan."

James 4.7; Rebuke Satan he'll flee

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

And we often look at this world people of faith and we, some of us we're patient enough to just be peaceful and accept whatever G-d will let us have in this life even it its nothing. A life of poverty, a life of sickness, a life of broken family, whatever, we bear it all patiently those who believe in G-d. But sometimes we ask when are we going to see relief, when are we going to have it good? The world belongs to Satan, we say shaytan means, Satan, we think the world belongs to Satan and the criminals, we can't do anything about it, we have to live in this world with the criminals and suffer and bear with them, bear, tolerate all these evils, etc.


Fight Satan's Strategy, You Can't See Him

But that' not Scripture, that's not Quran and that's not Bible, Bible says rebuke Satan so you Christians have to even stand up to the devil. Says rebuke Satan and he well flee from you and in our Holy Book G-d says "and fight the schemes of Satan", didn't say fight him directly because he's a mystery, Satan for us is a mystery. And he's hidden from us, we cannot see him in physical form, we don't know where to go and say "that's Satan" or go there and kill him, its not like that. He doesn't exist that way, he exists in his works, he exists in his schemes, that's where he exists.

So G-d says "fight the schemes of Satan for surely his schemes are weak", they're not they're weak. They are strong only against the weak morally, weak in faith, the weak spiritually, but they are weak before the strong in faith, they are weak before the strong spirit. And we are to fight his schemes.

Now I want to go to the idea or the topic of my address here before you today, G-d when He created man according to our sacred Books He created man to be responsible in his environment. 


And the first man He created didn't have a nice little house like I have, like me and my wife, family have, didn't have a nice apartment like a lot of my friends I know have, condominiums and some of my friends they have mansions. Man didn't have that, he had nothing but the bear earth and G-d created him and charged him with responsibility for his environment, the total environment.


All Mankind From Parent Adam

Now that first parent we all came from, we are the children, all of us, this is how we believe, the people of the sacred Books Bible and Quran. We believe that we all are the children of that parents, then we all have the life of that parent still, our flesh is the flesh of that first parent. Our human make up is the original human make up of that first parent, hence our obligation is the obligation of that first parent. Our ability and capacity to manage the environment is the ability and capacity that G-d gave that first parent when He made him.

He made him fit for the job assigned to him to be responsible for his environment. You live in Nashville relatively comfortable, peaceful because most to the cities I go to have serious problems of crime, joblessness, disrespect for human life etc. But I find in this city it is relatively Christian, peaceful, clean and good for family life. I said relatively.

You nice people of Nashville I advise you not to watch too much television, because if you do you're going to see my city in its environment, its going to come on your screen one day and it might influence you, it might break your peace, it might influence some of your children to change this good life and go to the streets and leave G-d.


Man Responsible For Sacred Body Then Environment

Al Hadith lp.555#199w; Jihad greatest is passion self

Jaaber reported: the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to the people who returned from holy war. Welcome to you all, you have come from the little fight to the greatest fight. It was questioned: Oh Messenger of Allah what is the greatest fight? He said: [Jehaadun Nafsee] 'fighting with passion (fighting the soul).

I Corinthians 6.13,19; Body is temple of Lord

"Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.   [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? "

Getting back to the point, man has been created to be responsible for the environment, when I say man I mean male and female because in the Scripture man is male and man collectively is also male and female. It begins with the environment of the sacred temple, the first sacred temple and according to the Bible, that sacred temple is your own body, the body that you live in. You are to keep it sacred, you are to keep it from being defiled, you are to keep intoxicants out of that body, you are to keep drugs out of that body, its sacred a sacred temple G-d created for us, we are to keep it from being defiled.

And then it begins, this is Al Islam too because Muhammad (PBUH) said "the greatest Jihad" is not the one we hear in the news and how the name is mis-communicated, Jihad.

That word, Jihad given the wrong meanings, it's the struggle within. And , Jihad simply means struggle.    Muhammad said the Jihad within is the greater jihad, to struggle to keep the temple from being defiled keep out lies, keep out jealousy, keep out envy, keep out greed, keep out drugs, keep out liquors etc. The struggle to keep the temple sacred according to Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH) is the greater Jihad.

If you're successful with that struggle you are ready then to take care of environment, but you cannot do anything but make the environment worst if you haven't first guarded the environment within. Within your conscience, within your heart, within your sensitivities, within your spirit, we have to guard that precious life, that sacred life from shaytan, Satan as you call him in Christianity.

Q. Best dress is dress of righteousness

" O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah that they may receive admonition!"

Q. Let not Satan seduce out of your dress 

"O ye children of Adam! let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith."

Gen. 3.6-7; Adam Eve ate fruit and knew they were naked

[3] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. [7 ] And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Now the world wasn't made to stay a paradise or to stay a garden of Paradise for G-d made our first parents and He put them in the garden of paradise and G-d says in our Holy Book that Satan seduced our father and our mother causing them to come out of the original clothing that G-d created them with. And G-d says "and the original clothes were the clothing of righteousness" or the clothes or righteousness. Satan seduced our parents causing them to come out of their spiritual purity, to come out of their protection that was their righteousness. To come out of their beautiful dress that was their righteousness.

And Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH) he said "G-d wanted to show Gabriel you call him in Christianity, we call Him Jibreel, wanted to show the arch angel Jibreel, peace be upon the arch angel Jibreel His creation. So He called Jibreel He said "Jibreel behold My creation" and Jibreel said to G-d 'how can anyone go astray, how can anyone go wrong in such a wonderful creation?' Then G-d instantly as though on a big screen showed Jibreel, Gabriel His creation after Satan had influenced it and Jibreel said to G-d, he said 'My Lord how can anyone go straight in such a creation?'i.

So we have to then accept that the world as G-d made it is a paradise for man, all man has to do is approach it properly, approach it as Gd intended for him to approach it and he will reap good results, great benefits and he will have a paradise in G-d's creation. And this is backed up also by the saying in our Holy Book says "when the righteous who bear patiently, never breaking their faith with G-d when they are blessed with the world to come after this one has passed away, they will in heaven or in paradise, they will be there and they will say 'this resembles what we were in before'. It means the real world that G-d has made, what G-d promises us is a return to the real world that He made originally before Satan influenced it.

"Oh don't you believe in a life after death?" Certainly I do I have already been resurrected from the dead and I hope to have another one, praise be to G-d. Certainly I do and I believe every word of Scripture, praise be to Allah (SWT), praise be to G-d.

Q. Garden expanse of heavens and earth

"Be ye foremost (in seeking) forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden (of Bliss) the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles: that is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding. "

Q. New heaven and earth

"The Day that we roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed) even as We produced the first Creation so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfill it.

II Peter 3.13; New heaven and earth

" Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Now, G-d says also to us in our Holy Book the paradise that He will give you will be a garden and the expanse of that garden will be as the expanse of heavens and earth and is that in Bible? The Bible says and G-d will make everything new, there will be a new heaven and a new earth and that will be the reward for those who kept faith and didn't succumb to Satan's influences in this world, this is where both books agree with each other.


Religion Study Live Scriptures Make World Better

You would be surprised how close the two Books, the Book of the Muslims and the Book of the Christian is, the Books are so close, that believe me I don't care to convert you to Al Islam if you live your own Book. Live your own Book you're going to make me happy, you live your own Book you're going to make the environment good for all of us. If we would just live our own Books we'll have a beautiful city even in Chicago. We'll have a beautiful public environment if we would just remain true to our own Books. But we need first leaders of good character and then we need leaders who are intelligent and will study their Books, that's what we need.

So I want to conclude this talk by saying, that responsibility that was given to our first parent is ours, we are Adam and his wife, we are Adam and his mate, we are our first parent. Just like I am Clara my mother and I am Elijah my father and I would be ignorant to deny that. Elijah's life is what made possible my life, Clara's life, my mother, is what made possible my life. I'm living as a new person, W. Deen Mohammed but I'm living because I have in me the genes of Elijah and the genes of my mother Clara. And if you go back, back, back , back, back you're going to come to your first parent and you have the genes and the human makeup, original human make up of the first parent.

Call it Adam, call it whatever you want to call it, we are man that's what we are, we are Adam, that's what we are. And   if you read your Bible and you read Quran you will understand that.


Prophet Visited Seven Heavens

Q. created seven above for you similar

"Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah comprehends all things in (His) Knowledge.

Q. Israa night journey visited seven heavens

"Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant for Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose precincts We did Bless in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the one Who heareth and seeth (all things)."

Bukhari 1-345; Prophet 7 heavens

Muhammad (PBUH) made it very clear to us, he said he had been taken on a visit to Jerusalem from the Holy precincts, the first sacred house or temple or place of worship in Mecca, in the holy precincts there, the sacred house the Kabah. He was taken from there on a journey, they call it some translators of the Quran, the call it the night journey, taken on a journey. And he was lifted up from that place and ascended into the heavens and there he'd saw on the first level plane, he saw our first parent Adam.

And he greeted Adam he said " peace be unto you As Salaamu Alaikum he said my father Adam. And G-d took him up to a higher level and there he saw Christ Jesus and John on the second level and he greeted both of them he said "peace my brother Jesus and my brother John peace be unto you". And G-d carried him up and up and up until he reached the highest, the seventh and there was Abraham the next father, the second of our fathers, father Abraham and he greeted him, he said " peace be unto you my father Abraham."

And in the Quran, he was explaining something for us, in the Quran G-d says "and there are seven planes in the heavens and a like number within yourselves.. We descended from these fathers, these holy men, we descended from them spiritually, the people of faith. They have passed their spirit on to us and we descended from them.

One spirit we got as a natural consequence and that's the spirit humanity that was given to Adam when he was created our first parent. But we also have the spirit of Moses, the Jews they have been influenced by Moses more than anything else. And we have the spirit of Christ in Christianity and you been influenced by Christ more than anything else. And the Bible says "and the children are those who follow in the, spirit, who follow in spirit."

So we have to understand these things and realize that we are not just individual, we're individuals owing our individuality and our existence especially our human definition and human identity to those who went before us. And don't disrespect your parents ever because actually you are your parents, their life is in you, your body came from them, you are here because they lived before you and they mated and you came about.

So let us remember these things, let us be more serious, we are very scientific, we need to be interested in the human person and then there won't be the shameful disregard for human life that we see on television all the time. Youngsters destroying themselves, wild shooting, killing innocent people. The killer going to jail, it's a terrible lost that a stupid youngster kills and then he goes to jail, his life is now wasted, he's locked up not to mention the innocent young child that he shot and killed. Just going through the neighborhood just firing shots at random, we live in a crazy world. And it that way because they don't go to church in those big cities like you do in Nashville, they are not sticking with their Religion in those big cities like most of you all are doing in Nashville.

I didn't come here to convert any of you all, you're already converted, remain strong, remain faithful and you remain good Christians as you are and convert more to your way of living, to you decency, to your peace, to your respect for G-d, to your respect for your preachers, your leaders in the church, convert more to that so your city will become even a better Nashville and we will have hope in Chicago because there is a good place called Nashville, thank you peace be unto you As Salaam Alaikum.


Imam Ilyas Muhammad:
Takbir G-d is greater, we thank brother Imam we know that he's got to leave soon, a plane he's got to catch short and lets be well settled in our mind that we have had an excellent message that Imam Mohammed has given us. We don't want you to.

Imam Plemon El-Amin:
The Imam will take a few Questions or comments.


Imam Ilyas Muhammad:
What we will ask you to do now if you have, anyone that has any questions to ask of brother Imam Muhammad you may do so. This is very rare in these types of situations but you have the opportunity to bring forth intelligent questions so that Imam can address them. And we would like for you to speak up, if you want to come up here, come up quickly and give the question. Imam W. Deen Mohammed will address the question.
Are there any questions?


W. D. Mohammed:
Could you please my hearing is....I'll be 68 yrs old October 30, these ears and they are letting me know it too.


Satan Fight His Schemes

Ques. Imam Ansari
As Salaam Aliakum brother Imam, you mentioned in your talk that Satan is a scheme.


W. D. Mohammed:
No not quite, almost, not I say Allah (SWT) says G-d says fight Satan's schemes, I said you can't find him, he will elude. You can't say he's that person no matter how bad that person is, he will elude you, he will escape your ability to catch him in one place or in one body. I said but we are told to fight his schemes and that's where he is, always in his schemes.


Imam Ilyas Muhammad:
Thank you brother Imam, excuse.    Anyone that has a question please rise and put yourself in this position so we can have this more quickly.


Rasul Madyan:
As Salaam Aliakum Brother Imam could do us a favor and address the youth and young adults in attendance here and give us some advice on how we can have the best progress for ourselves and for our community?

Youth Early NOI No Generation Gap Listened To Elders

W. D. Mohammed:
Alright thank you. When I was a teenager and even before really, I attended the private school of the Nation of Islam in Chicago. And at that time we were not recognized by government, not recognized by the school board or the school system or any institution or organization or establishment that would give us recognition so that we would be accredited.

So we were actually operating without the approval of the society that was and still is America, but we were inspired as youngsters to want to build a community life of our own. And that touched us and really that was driving force in us even youngster. Back then we didn't hear, there was no such language as generation gap, back then we young boys we wanted to hear what our elders had to say.


Youth No Generation Gap

We listened to them, we went to the Temple, we sat on the seats and we listened to them preach about Al Islam, our responsibility and the world that we want to make for ourselves, the community life wanted to make for ourselves. We have to stop dividing ourselves when it comes to what we want for human life. We can't have older folks separated from young folks and have young folks looking at the old folks like "they have their life, they have their world."


Muslim Neighborhood Community

We have one life and we are working for one world, we have Muslim life and we are working for a Muslim environment for Muslims. We want to have the same thing Christian like and that is to wake up in the morning and hear church bells ringing. We want to wake up in the morning and hear the call to pray ringing out in our neighborhoods. We want to wake up in the morning and look outside and feel good because we'll see houses in front of us built by Muslims.

We'll walk down the street and see stores established by Muslims, operated by Muslims, we'll get on transportation that Muslims have provided and we will feel good. And believe me if that doesn't touch youngsters something is wrong with the youngster, that's where we should be.


Imam Ilyas Muhammad:
Other questions please, Imam you have satisfied the audience, there are no questions.


W. D. Mohammed:
A lot of them are in deep thought and a lot of them are waiting for you to say Ameen or Amin as they say so we can go home.


Imam Ilyas Muhammad:
Amen.   As Salaam Alaikum again before I say Amen I will say that we are here not just because of good graces now in this building of the board of education, we're here because we paid them some money to be here so we're going to ask you if you would please when the baskets are passed give whatever G-d puts in your heart. That's what we use to say and that's what we say now to help us to bear some of these expenses, insurance and all that for this building.

So when the basket is passed please then give, but let us wait now until we make the dua and then you may do that, anything else?   So we make our closing prayer.

