12/30/2001
IWDM Study Library
Public Address Questions and Answers

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
IWDM: 
Thank you for that question. I'm reminded every so often I can't forget it. I'm reminded that I promised that I was going to myself lead an effort to do an American translation. When I say American, I mean we are in this country and we are products of G-d's word and history, but we are also in this environment that gives us the language and it's not old English, it's American English. And I would love to complete a work with translation and commentary. Translation, we have excellent translations. So that's not the big job that will be changed slightly, very slightly so that it communicates more clearly to our English.
But the big job is giving what G-d has given us for our labors and our innocence and our faith so that the whole Islamic world can benefit by and from what Allah has given us. I don't want to die before doing that. And I can pull a team of people we have in our community now, some students who are very advanced in Arabic and also in the Arabic language of Qur'an. And I can pull together a real good team and we can do that. But don't think that it's not being done slowly. It's being done all the time. There are some of you who have collected my comments on Qur'an and you have them, you have 'em with you. My own comments that carry the richness and the clarity that G-d has blessed us with. I don't say me because it's not just me. The life is one. The effort is one and G-d rewards, G-d rewards it. Fard had an effort, my father continued an effort and G-d blessed me to pick it up and continue it. And I owe Fard, I owe the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and above all, I owe G-d the G-d that used them and the G-d that's using me. Above all, we owe that G-d. But I also owe our people, our people. G-d enriches us altogether. Muhammad taught us. I hope you don't mind me continuing like this because this is good. Muhammad the Prophet, Peace be Upon him, he taught us that the blessing is in the number that eat at the table. So don't eat alone. The blessing is little. Eat with others, enjoy eating with others. The blessing is increased. This goes not only for physical food; this also goes for spiritual food. The more of us dining with the same love for each other at the table of love and blessings, the more all of us are enriched.
So, I know even if some of you don't understand it, I know that G-d has increased me because of Professor Fard, because of Elijah Muhammad, my father and because of you good people staying with it as one life. As one life. Yes. I wish I could tell you more. We are separate as bodies. We are one as spirit and soul. Though we have separate spirits and souls too. But we are connected in one soul and under one spirit we have the same spirit and we have one soul in common with each other, though we have souls different from each other. What has been put into us that we see as our real life. My real life is what has happened to me as a servant of G-d. Not the Wallace that was born physically of my mother and father. But what has happened to that Wallace, that was G-d's will and purpose for my life. That's the me, that's the real meaning. And you have shared that, you have shared the same kind in spirit, we are one in life. We are one in soul and we are one in spirit. Though we are separate to as individuals. Know that, know our oneness. Understand the oneness of our life because that's our real life. And I want to say this too. And here I'm going to give you an example how I'm doing commentary all the time.
Muhammad the Prophet left with us these words and the Qur'an support this. That in the hereafter we will also have the company of all relatives that G-d bless to be with us. If they share with us this purpose in life, in this purpose, they're going to be with us in the next world, our close friends. And again, it says that every people shall be raised up with their Imam. Listen to that. Every people shall be raised up with their Imam. Now if I'm your Imam, I don't have to wonder if we are not going to be together in the new creation. Muhammad already told us. The Pakistani Imam, he's going to be raised up with his people even if they're nothing but black African-Americans. Some Pakistanis, they forgot about their race and they working among us. So he will be raised up with his people, and his people will be raised up with him. And you who are with my Imam, Imam Warith Udin Mohammed, that I will never betray. I owe too much to my Imam Warith Udin Mohammed. Imam Warith Udin Mohammed saved Wallace Mohammed. Yes, Imam Warith Udin Mohammed saved Wallace D Mohammed. So I owe too much to my Imam Warith Udin Mohammed.
I live according to his wishes and his feelings and what he wants because he gets help from G-d and I get help from him. Alright, I hope you understand what I'm saying clearly. I'm not confused. I know Wallace Din Mohammed and Imam Warith Udin Mohammed is the same person. I know that. I know that. But one listen to the other and one follows the other though they're the same person. I know my better half, okay? I follow my better half and I listen to my better half and I have been successful doing that. So I'll never betray my better half. No indeed. And I really see that better half as the whole person and I'm the shadow.
Just a dark reflection of that bright Imam Warith Udin Mohammed. Praise Be to Allah. Now what I want tell you is this, I told you earlier, I said when we get there, I'm not going to be way up there and you are way out somewhere else and we cut off from each other. If we all sincere what we are doing and all want what we are going after, we all going be together and G-d's going to raise us all up with our Imam Warith Udin Mohammed. To me that's enough to make me live and live and live, and suffer and suffer and suffer, and wait and wait and wait. I cannot be worn out. No, not with that light.
Now also, I want to say this. I don't know, no one knows what's going to happen to us today or tomorrow. This is scripture. I believe I'm going to be around here. I know my spirit makes me think that. But if something should happen to me, don't think it's lost. Nothing will be lost. Allah would bless you who are already devoting yourself to the study of Qur'an who have a love for it, love for the G-d that revealed it. And you who are devoting yourself to the life of Muhammad to see how we are to emulate, how we are to make our life better, by looking at how G-d wanted his life and made his life, created him and made his life. You will be successful and you will find my comments on Qur'an. And if I go before I do it, you will put out a book on Imam Warith Udin Mohammed's commentary. Qur'an and the commentary by Imam Warith Udin Mohammed. You'll do it. I'm not worried about that, if I don't do it, but I plan to do it with your help while I'm here Inshallah. But don't think I'm not commenting on the Qur'an. Every time I speak I'm commenting on Qur'an. Yeah. So I'll stand here and wait for the next question. I was ignorant and I made my back problem worse by just being forgetful and ignorant. So I need to support here. I'm going to hold myself up here until I get the next question.
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes. I'm somewhat aware. I know of the play that was done by you all on the life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. And now you are taking up the project of doing a movie. I'll be waiting. I'll be waiting to see it.
Speaker 1:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Oh yes, I got it, I got it. Yes. No one can speak for you like you can speak for yourself. A lawyer goes before the court to speak for you. But that lawyer makes it clear to you that you have to be honest with him. You have to trust him. And he only can speak for you after you have spoken to him for yourself. So what he does is just put it in a language and defends it because he's an expert there, he's been trained for that. But he's defending what you gave him. Now, if we want our true story told of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's life among us and of his contribution to us, we have to tell it ourselves. Nobody will tell it like that we'll tell it. They will tell it and in a way to promote what they want or serve what they want.
If we tell it, we will tell it for the real purpose and we will tell it to just recognize what has happened in our lives to help our lives get to the beautiful destination that we are going to. That's what we want to do. We want to tell the people who see it to know that. I haven't seen the movie Muhammad Ali yet. And it is not because I didn't want to see it from the first day it came out. In fact, I was given an invitation to view it before it came out. And I couldn't want to in under the circumstances. I wasn't prepared. I was busy and I don't want to see a fight. I love boxing. I can box. You'd be surprised. I can box now real good, pretty good now. Not to challenge anybody because I can't. I said I can box. I didn't say I could take blows.
I don't want to take any blows. But I can box, I'm a good boxer. And so I want to see Ali, the movie Ali with some of my Muslim friends that I know appreciate boxing, like boxing, Muhammad Ali. So I'll be in the company of those when we talk, we talk in one language, one language. We have the same language and we know Ali for ourselves. So I would enjoy the movie much better if I wait until I have such persons with me. So that's what I'm waiting on. And when I can the time and my schedule and get those persons that will go with me to the fight, I will go. I'm don't wan to be there without security either. Some crazy people come to the movies, never can tell who'll be at that movie maybe sitting behind me or in front of me or beside me. I don't want to take that chance.
I want know who's sitting back there and here and here and here. I'll see it Inshallah. I'm aware that these movies like Malcolm, they're made by people who want their movie accepted and they want their movie to be seen by many people. So they make the movie to have that appeal. And another thing. When they're doing a real story like a story on a person who really lived, that person has relatives, wife, children or whatever and they have to get the family or at least the wife or the husband's permission to do it. Now the wife or the husband may have a different interest and a different picture too of that person's life and how they want that person to be seen by the public. So they influence it. I'm sure Muhammad Ali's wife had a whole lot to do with how that movie was put together. I'm sure of that. His present wife, she has the right to do that. So the movie is influenced by our good sister Lonnie quite a bit. I know that. So I support it. But we need to tell our own story. We need to do it ourselves.
And in fact, much of the truth is not known about Muhammad Ali and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad Ali was loved by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, loved and admired by him. He loved to see him win. But boxing has never been approved by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. And the Honorable Elijah Muhammad told Muhammad Ali at his home, at his dining table where he would meet important people and guests. He told him said, "Brother, I don't want your money." I heard him tell him that. "Brother, I don't want your money." Because the Honorable Elijah Muhammad didn't want it on him that he was encouraging that brother to fight, box, and be in partnership with him because of encouraging him to do that, you see. He didn't want share in that at all. Didn't want to share in at all. But he was happy to see him rise as a fighter and a great fighter he was. He was already popular when he became a Muslim, very popular. So the Honorable Elijah Muhammad loved him as a boxer, but the Honorable Elijah Muhammad didn't want to be a partner with him in that.
And my brother Herbert called Herbert back then, called Jabir now became his manager, the manager of Muhammad Ali. So Muhammad Ali was in the presence of my father often. I think every time before he fought he came and visited my father. And my father told my brother Herbert, he told him, he said, "I don't want your money," that's what he told him. I'm telling you what I know for a fact. I don't want your money. But the outside, the public, thinks that the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad used Muhammad to get his money. That's not true. When I became leader, Muhammad Ali gave a total of about $200,000 to us. What is 200,000 dollars? That ain't no money for a man that made nine million in one night.
So I know it's true about this money thing. My brother Jabir, he gave almost as much as Muhammad Ali or more maybe, in dollars, maybe a little more than Muhammad Ali over the period of time. Which he should have, because he's a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. He benefited greatly. If he wasn't associated with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad Ali wouldn't have had him as his manager. So he benefited greatly. He should have given much more. But even that amount he gave to me was very small, both of them, very small. Nobody can tell me I know the facts, that Muhammad Ali's money made the Nation of Islam. No indeed. Selling Muhammad Speaks, buying fish, supporting the community, that's what made the Nation Of Islam. So Bilal, I'll be waiting to see your movie.
Yes sister. Wa Alaikum Asalaam. You might have to come to a mic. Is there a mic there close? No mic on the floor? Weill raise your voice because you are down and your voice goes down, voice goes down, not up. So you have to speak louder or come closer.
Speaker 2:
Can you hear me now?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes ma'am. Your name? Nadira? Yes. Thank you.
Speaker 2:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Who do we turn to? The paper, our newspaper. A newspaper is a powerful arm, an instrument of a community. And our newspaper needs to be more widely distributed. It needs to be in more hands of the members of our association. In that newspaper you'll see how I responded and how other leaders in our community that we have great respect for responded to questions from the media, questions also from the public and also from ourselves. You'll see how we responded. In the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's time, and this is just natural for any group that's working all for the same, living and working all for the same thing. We would wait if it was a serious issue. We wouldn't even talk about it until we knew what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's position was. Then we talked about it. So the best help comes from those that we have the most faith in and the ones that we trust the most. But how that help is goingto reach all of us, more of us need to be getting the Muslims Journal newspaper.
But if you ask any of the Imams, they can tell you how to reach me and you can write me and I'm sure I'll get your letter, and if it says you want an answer, I'll reply, I'll give you one. But most of the letters I get the content of the letter doesn't say they want me to send them a letter back or reply to it. I don't reply to them. And I don't think we should burden our leader down too much with our individual questions and problems. Not say to you that you have done anything improper.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
The chemistry change and they don't like you. Many Americans have understood that the acts of terror that we witnessed in New York and similar acts of terror in other places in Israel and other places by Muslims, they understand that those persons do not represent Islam. And we have to appreciate President Bush, although I didn't vote for him, for his statement, that terrorism is not the picture of Islam. So we appreciate those persons a lot. President Bush cannot reach those people who are made up in their minds that Muslims are the enemies of Christ and Christianity, that Muslims are enemies, period. Can't change those people. Allah only can change their hearts. And they may be our employer, they may be in position to hurt us somewhere, and that's what we have to suffer until times get better. But let us not miss the opportunity, the best opportunity that has been opened to us by the media, printed media, newspapers, television, radio. They're just waiting on us to say we have something to say. We want to give you the true picture. We want to give you the true reports, the true report on us and our life, et cetera. So they was the big opportunity too. Let us not miss this big opportunity.
I don't know if I answered both your persons satisfactorily. If not, please then come here again and ask me, tell me the area that you want me to address more. Can you come closer? I'll only hear you if you come close where those cameras are at least. Yeah. Come as close as the cameras please. Thank you. Now let me hear you.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes, I recall that. Okay, so actually that is your suggestion and we appreciate that suggestion. We have committees, we try to form committees for different concerns, various concerns so that the community do more to solve problems and address concerns for all of us. So I would strongly recommend that we support Sister in her concern that we have in her suggestion that we have a committee of qualified persons who will be accessible to her and others who have the kinds of concerns that she's bringing to us now. We do need such committee and usually the person who is sensitive to the need qualifies automatically to head up the committee. So that's you sister.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3:
Asalaam Alaikum.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum Asalaam.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
I'm familiar with it. Yes. I love it. I got a copy of it. I love it. And we want to support it. Yes I did. And I love the way it's developing. Yes sir. Congratulations.
Speaker 3:
Asalaam Alaikum.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum Asalaam.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
What? I didn't get the last part.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes. Well We have to understand that Muhammad the Prophet is sent as a mercy to all the worlds and it means just that to all the worlds. So the world of Buddhism, Hinduism, whatever Muhammad is given to the whole world of mankind as a mercy. Alright, I saw someone on this side. Who is that on this side brother? Yes. Can you come close to, I can't hear you as well unless you come as close as the mics there, at least to the mic. And if your voice is going be low, you better come up here with me.
Speaker 3:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Well we have to understand that attacks on the country by those who were raised and up as Muslims or to be Muslims and they're known to be Muslim by Muslim names, where they come from, et cetera. Attacks upon the country have been considered war. I haven't registered the incident yet at war. For me that was not war, that was a terrorist act to me. It was not a declaration of war by any, I would say, threat that we could consider to be so great that now our country is at war. I haven't been able to register war, but it's called war. War upon the United States. I guess if you consider all the spiritual efforts and mental efforts that's being made to weaken America by such persons around the world, it could be a war but not war of the kind that I think most of us are reading or considering it to be.
Now this is a time of test and trial for us. Certainly we going to experience some bad time, we might even be killed some of us. Don't let anybody provoke you. Don't let their rejection of you and their suspicion of you and their questions that they made throw at you cause you to come out of your good peaceful Muslim spirit. We have to be very careful. When the civil rights movement went in areas of the south where they knew they were not wanted, they were hated and could be killed. They had to realize the circumstances that they were putting themselves into. And we have to be just as wise and just as conscious as Dr. King and his trained people. We have to be just as wise and just as conscious and not let them take us out of our kindness. Don't let them take your peace. Remain peaceful and that will be your best protection under Allah. Insha’Allah.
Speaker 2:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Thank you. Yes, I support it a hundred percent. And it needs to be coordinated because I was in Chicago area and a few brothers have the same interest that you have just expressed and they were saying we should take a delegation to Afghanistan, a delegation of our professional people, especially in medicine from our community, to go there and give them assistance. So the suggestion is a wonderful one and one that says we are really true Muslims and true human, true humans, good human beings. And I have reported that I support it all the way. I support it all the way. I would suggest that you make your concern or interest known to Sister Ayesha K Mustafa, the editor of the Muslim Journal. And she knows of the other group. And maybe the paper again, it can help us identify each other and then you all be responsible for coordinating the effort and going over as one team or one group of professional people. Thank you.
Speaker 1:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
The smaller chapters at the end of the Qur'an are thought to have been the earliest ones, not the bigger chapters. But it's possible what is said in the chapter two, the bigger chapter could have been revealed earlier. Whereas the majority of the Ayats in the big chapter came later. It could be that some of the ayats came later too, I'm not going to argue. But what I want to say is this. The Qur'an does not make any blanket condemnation of any people or any religion. No. It points only to the wrongdoers in those groups, not the whole group. And if Allah has done that in this Qur'an, then we have to uphold that. When we speak, we have to speak respecting what Allah has done. And Allah has not said that all Jews are rejecters of faith. He said that among them there is a party that advances justice and fairness among men. And He says that of the Christians. And He asked us to be the same, to be advancers of justice and fairness among people. So G-d puts us all together. We have to stay together. G-d says among them and among us, there are those who share a common cause of promoting justice and fairness among men. So we have to see them as our comrades in arms, not rejecters of faith. We don't need anyone to tell us whether a Christian is a Kafir or not. We know the sincerity of our Christian friends and the sincerity of many blessed Christians. We know that G-d loves them because they love G-d with their whole being. So we know people like that are as flimsy as a piece of paper. All they are looking for is to promote divisiveness and have a selfish motive.
I ask you to continue to work and be strong. G-d says most of mankind are not evil. Most of mankind. Then Allah says most of them, speaking of the People of the Book, most of them are rejectors of faith. And we know that. Look at the majority of Christians in Newark. Are they respecting their religion? Are they respecting the Bible, the commandments of G-d? No. But look also at the Muslims in the Islamic world. No. They don't have anything to boast about that we have to boast about. They got their faithful and we got our faithful. They got their majority of retarded people and we got our majority of retarded people. We take up our service in the name of G-d.
Speaker #4:
What is your opinion about the Salafi Salaf takeover of some of these Masjids?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Islam is a religion that wants the most established and intelligent of our people to have the character that G-d wants and then the most intelligent people to be our leaders, our leaders. If they don't know have the character, then we can't accept the intelligence without the character that G-d wants for us. But if they have the character, then there is no problem with them being out front as leaders.
Imam WD Mohammed:
And I'll say this, not that you have to have formal education, but you should have developed your mind so that you are clearly seen by others, not just Muslim, but by others and they identify you as a very intelligent person to do the job you're doing. We need leaders like that and if we have leaders like that then we are not just going see what we can do about Farrakhan, but we want to think about how we look after we do what we do about Farrakhan. We can't just see a solution and go for it without also after thinking the way that I go for it how and will I and my work in the eyes of good intelligent people. We need strategies. Prophet Muhammad was a great strategist, great strategists, Muhammad the Prophet. We need strategists. We got people that say they belong to this community. I don't care if you follow a guru from the moon. Let us not fight each other, let us have peace and we will see goodness come out of these relationships.
Imam Mubaashir Uqdah:
Asalaam Alaikum Brother Imam.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum Asalaam
Imam Mubaashir Uqdah:
Yes. Mubaashir Uqdah here.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Ah yes. How are you, Imam Mubaashir?
Imam Mubaashir Uqdah:
Could you share some of your views on organizational hierarchy in general, and in particular the Islamic Affairs Economic Council Monitoring team and the local Masjids that are of our association. How you might envision those relations to work in terms of our organizational process.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Well, we have a need for a Shura, a body of people representing the interest of our community to be watchable with their eyes on the whole community, the National Community, to make sure that what's happening is not conflicted, if it's going to be trouble for us down the road. And also make sure that the community is kept current and in touch with what the community is doing. So, we need that. But that does not, I would say do away with the need for the local people that have their own local Shura. You have to have your local Shura. And you all have to be organized and have the best people assisting with Shura, to listen to other great minds and other people of experience and make judgment. Shura is for the best qualified people; that's what Shura is. Not just a group of people coming together. but it's supposed to be the best qualified people coming together. So, if we have a local Shura we make sure that we don't exclude anybody that should be represented. We have to have our people properly represented. The woman's role and injustice that has been done by women in the world and in Islam too. Islamic countries too. That's a hot issue right now. So, we need to have some sisters on our Shura, at least one qualified sister that could speak to that issue. And not only that, education is a responsibility of the school and the home. Not just the school. So, we need mothers of local children who represent our interest in education. So, I'm just giving you examples for what we should be looking at. We should be looking at our needs and our obligation as Muslims to conduct our affairs by Shura. Ashura Baynahum means I have to listen to you and you listen to me. I have to speak and you listen and you have to speak and I listen. That's Shura. And we have to take the best from our Shura.
Imam Mubaashir Uqdah:
And what about the monitoring teams?
Imam WD Mohammed:
These teams I don't want to comment on them. Why? Because if I get too close to these teams, the wrong thing may happen. I want you all close to these teams and you hold them accountable.
Speaker 3:
Brother Imam I am working on a book about prayer entitled The Evolution of Salat and I am having a real hard time locating commentary that you have shared regarding the Dhur, Asr and Maghrib Salat. Would you be so kind as to share here what your commentary is surrounding prayers said in silence as opposed to prayers said aloud. One of the questions that I've had is concerning Dhur, Asr and Maghrib and Isha. Could you give us the commentary on that Ins hallah.
Imam WD Mohammed:
The only time we pray aloud in the daylight is those prayers that are not Fard or Sunnah. The only exception is on the Eid days. As you know on Eid days we say the prayer out loud in the day, in the sunlight. Now you know for the Jumu'ah prayer, the number of rakats for the midday is cut into only two, cut down to only two. And so to understand or to get some hints as to why we give a Kutbah. There is a reason for that. And so if G-d has excused two rakats of a four rakat prayer because we're doing a Kutbah, then that should tell us what? Half of the prayer, the purpose is to educate, to teach. The other half of the prayer is communion between G-d and the individual, communication between G-d and the individual. His devotees, His worshippers. But half of it is education, lecture, teaching, what we're supposed to teach. Kutbah does not mean sermon, Kutbah does not mean talk. Kutbah means lecture. It has to have logic. As have a structured communication. That's what Kutbah means. We are supposed to come from the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad. And we are supposed to put structure upon structure and edify. Structure upon structure to arrive at a conclusion. To the point where the PhD appreciates it as well as the one without a PhD. And scripture tells us that the Prophet Jesus fed the multitudes with two fish and five loaves of bread.
And it also says of him that he left them with a prayer. And part of that prayer is "Thy Kingdom Come; Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." So this is addressing the need to teach the people and the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad comes to make that even clearer and to establish that for all of us that the obligation to teach is also half of our prayer to G-d. So, when you are silent, you're communicating with your G-d, you're not teaching. Now the only prayer we say audibly during the daytime we should remember is the Eid Prayer, the Eid Prayer. Because that's renewal. And when renewal comes renewal is heard, even when the world is all lit up. Yes, there is a renewal going on right now. And believe me the world is listening. In the bright day, in the bright daylight. What we are teaching, this is renewable. So prayer in final words to you, prayer is private between you and your G-d. And prayer is also to teach us. Because our prayer is the hope of the Qur'an. Our prayer is the hope of the book. So that should tell us that our prayer is not just prayer between an individual and G-d but it is also to educate, to teach the book. And we don't have to do anything but come straight from the Qur'an and we can educate and teach the public. Thank you. Yes sister.
Muslim Sister:
Asalaam Alaikum.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum Asalaam. Can you speak louder please.
Muslim Sister:
The question is a particular author indicated that medicine as taught by Prophet Muhammad can be best be seen as only Prophetic medicine, having no real influence or validity amongst what we traditionally call medicine. From your experience, do you see that as the view in Western culture? If yes or if no, what is the difference between what is known as Prophetic medicine or what Prophet Muhammad taught and the medicine as we know it today?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Alright, understand that Muhammad was sent to communicate to mankind G-d's revelation, how to live it. That's his message. When he did that, when he communicated Qur'an and how showed them how to live the Qur'an, the intellect of those Arabs who knew nothing but commercial business, selling things, that's all they knew. They weren't into that much. They were poets and merchant’s people. When Muhammad communicated to them the Qur'an and demonstrated how they were to live it, it gave birth to professional people, to doctors of physical health, doctors of spiritual health, doctors of physical medicine of the body, it just gave birth to so much progress. Mathematicians, etc. So, Prophet Muhammad was not sent to us to establish medicine and train or make doctors of the body. But of the mind yes. Of the spirit, yes. Of the soul, yes. Of the body, no. But the benefit of this message, it goes to all important areas of life and it awakens the intellect and the heart to engage the universe, the resources, the natural world and the human body and everything. To see how we can better serve G-d as His servants treating the ills and aiding humanity on the path of life. So what I think is that we should not think of Prophet Muhammad as one put over our business of health care, etc. except as the Messenger of G-d to make sure that we know that we all are to be His servants, G-d's servants, and we are to utilize whatever G-d has created and make it of service to the whole people, serve the people.
Muhammad the Prophet received revelation. Muhammad was given to us to aid the people of scripture so that they could better understand the scripture that G-d gave to them and make their lives better. And also, for the future can be open to them too so they'll a better future and more help from G-d to go into that future. This is essentially what Muhammad's value and what his meaning is to us. And that's why he's called a Mercy to all people. G-d says to understand this, G-d has not made you as a person to be responsible for their affairs. No one leader can be responsible for all our concerns. The people have to be inspired, sensitized and inspired and directed by G-d to have resources, to their values, to their resources so that the people themselves can pick up the challenge of healthcare and other things and establish themselves in those professions. Muhammad the Prophet when it came to matters of the military, he trusted those with more professional knowledge and experience in mattes of war. And if Muhammad the Prophet were here today, living in our time with us right here, right now, he would be encouraging us to use our own resources, use our own intelligence, our own resources and establish these concerns that community life needs. That's what he was doing. He wouldn't be heading up all these efforts. He would be telling us to develop ourselves, that G-d makes us responsible for these concerns and develop ourselves so we can head up these efforts.
Muslim Sister #2:
Asalaam Alaikum.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum Asalaam Sister.
Muslim Sister #2:
Yes, we find that the media is spreading a lot of disinformation about jihad. Would you please give us a more accurate definition of this word?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Thank you, thank you for your help. And greetings sister. The meaning of Jihad is intentionally given to the public to make them think that Muslims are not peaceful and pleasant people and that we are nothing but trouble. Even though they say that there is a difference between the terrorists and the other Muslims, it hurts all of us when they present the incorrect meaning of Jihad to the public. So personally, sister I promise you that I'll make it my business to comment more on Jihad from Qur'an, from the teachings of our Prophet and what you have given us from your perspective regarding the meaning of Jihad. Thank you.
Muslim Brother:
I'm form the Islamic Center of Patterson in Passaic. I want to ask you Brother Imam how would you address the recent gang problem that seems to be escalating throughout the country, among the African-American youth. Particularly in the East Coast, New York and New Jersey.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Well, the gang problem is a very serious problem. The New Testament of the Bible, it had a different approach from the Old Testament. And it's approach is a new strategy for religious people to open up the world so they can have life and progress with their life. Not fearing the world so much. The strategy is to appeal to the governments, to the governments who have to manage the public, their publics. And the governments have been burdened too much with the possibility of keeping peace for the public, to keep good life open to the people. They are burdened too much. And no government can really do that by themselves. The life of the people must be supported by the people. I'm getting at this. We have a strategy, and our strategy is the same as the New Testament strategy. So what has to happen is the word of G-d must reach to people and let them know that all of us are created for responsibility and we cannot blame the system, blame the government. We just can't do that and not do the bigger job and that is the job of preparing ourselves better, to be more responsible for a bigger role in our own personal life, in our own family life, in our own neighborhood.
So, I think if we understand the strategy of the New Testament and the strategy of Islam and the Qur'an, of Muhammad, to get government, be more reasonable and get government to see that by trying to manage everything by itself, it's going to fail and the life is going to get worse and worse and government is going to be taxed more and more, they are going to have to tax people more and more. The end is chaotic for all of us if we don't have more responsibility in helping to manage the life of the citizens. So, I think the cure for the gangs is that you give them the message of Islam as I gave it to you today. And secondly let them know that G-d created Adam for responsibility, therefore He created all of his descendants for responsibility. And no matter how small our means are or how small we are, our dignity is to drive the urge more and more to have respect for our responsibility that we demonstrate in our personal life and the neighborhood, et cetera. I think that's what we need. So, we need that strategy. That you cannot carry the burden of human life for everybody. You have to give more freedom and opportunity to every person in your citizenry to grow and develop and become more qualified for more and more responsibility, more and more responsibility. If they would promote that, that is very, very crucial. So, they know they can't continue going like they're going. So, they will accept that strategy and they will stand out the way. I was invited to speak at the Forbes Magazine forum and I spoke with those who call themselves Capitalists. And I told them that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad prepared us to be responsible for ourselves. And I said to them that if they would see me and thus see us as being ready to be responsible for ourselves that they not stand in our way of achieving and building the life that we would like to see here in America. We are not asking you to help us, just don't stand in our way. So, one of the richest people their responded with these words: We want Imam Mohammed to know that we will not stand in his way.
The gangs are looking for respect. They're looking for somebody to recognize them that they are important. If you leave children with no guidance, no family guidance, no parental guidance and the government doesn't have jobs, won't see that jobs are made available to them where they can have honorable income, and live on that income and have families supported by enough income, then those children that's neglected by our system and neglected by their families, by their parents, they going to organize and get some kind of attention. They want attention. They want to say to you, well you don't respect us, okay, we'll make you respect us. We'll create such a problem for you you'll see us and then you figure out what's wrong. Yeah, that's what these youngsters got on their mind. And we have to respect them and know that sometimes a bad behavior is only to bring attention to the neglect of the good person that's doing the bad thing. I hope you understand what I'm saying. Good person doing bad things. They're outraged, they're angry, they don't have any respect no more for the establishment, no respect for the system. Everything has failed them and left them to just prey on each other and organize against society because there's not enough jobs, not enough respect, not enough attention to the needs of human life in our neighborhoods. That's the problem. I'm not against the gang leaders or against the gang members, I'm against the problem. That's what I'm against.
Speaker 4:
Question (Inaudible)
Imam WD Mohammed:
Well, a big part my life has been successful because of the support I have received from Philadelphia. And so I will personally guarantee you that I am going to do whatever I can to see to it that you receive more help there.
Question (Inaudible)
I don't know why you were told not to take the flyers out. I don't know why. It could be because of the seriousness of the times. Muslims women are easy to be identified I don't know whether it was in the interest of your security protecting you from possible harm in the public. I don't know the reason. So really, I can't say why they told you that. You should inquire as to their reasoning. I want to know what is your understanding of the reason for them not wanting you to do that.
Speaker 4:
Ther are saying because of the danger as there have been incidents of Muslims being attacked.
Imam WD Mohammed:
That may be. it's obvious they love you and they are obligated to take special care of you. I think the concern is for your safety and you should accept that. Now if you understand that they really have all good intentions that they don't want you to be exposed to possible incidents and you still insist on going out and ignoring what they are saying, that's on you.

