This video clip is from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s message “The Educational Challenge: A New Educational Paradigm for the 21st Century” delivered August 3 2008 at Christ Universal Temple – Chicago, IL. Minister Farrakhan talks about The “I Am” Statements of Jesus.
On Sunday, February 23, 2020, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered the keynote address for the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day 2020 Convention hosted at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan.
“Look at the scripture, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” Substitute America for Babylon. She’s unraveling. America is falling, is falling. Why are you falling America? Because you have become the habitation of devils. A hole for every foul person, a cage for every hateful bird,” said Minister Farrakhan
FULL VIDEO POSTED HERE: https://youtu.be/WGQYGAa2KI0
Saviours’ Day is the commemoration of the birth of Master W. Fard Muhammad, the Messiah of the Christians, Mahdi of the Muslims and teacher of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Learn more @ https://www.noi.org/sd2020/
Greetings All. On the previous Youtube post I made of this video (https://youtu.be/eyjopp2tiMw), it was brought to my attention that at the 10:19 mark there’s a cut. That video clip was pulled directly from Fellowship Church’s full Facebook livestream that aired so I don’t know how that cut in his words came about because I absolutely would NEVER cut out any of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. I sincerely apologize for that. So, I am posting this video which has the part that was cut.
Here’s what The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said at the moment: “He took away from you the stain of sin. And he never judged us for our shortcomings. He made me a son. Though I’m hated. Though I’m misunderstood. Though I’m evil spoken of. Nobody wants to sit with me because I have a disease of courage. I have a disease of law and love for my people that I will not shrink in the face of the enemy.”
Video: On Saturday, December 7, 2019, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was among the many who attended and addressed the funeral and celebration of life for Reverend Clay Evans. It was held at the Apostolic Faith Church. in Chicago, IL. #ClayEvans #Farrakhan #Chicago
[Photo Credits: Marcus Robinson]
“Today, I want to introduce you to Jesus because you have never seen Jesus,” said The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan during his Saviours’ Day 2019 address at the United Center in Chicago.
“If you saw Jesus, you would observe something that you have never seen the likes of before in a world as wicked as this one. You would have to observe Jesus. You’ll have to concentrate on Jesus. Then you would have to submit and surrender so that he could make you his Disciple. Meaning, he’s going to discipline us into something we have never experienced after 400 years living under the tyranny of White Supremacy and the filth and wickedness of those who had us in slavery.”
Later in the message, he stated, “The real story is what I tried to tell you from the beginning. It didn’t happen back there. It’s happening right while you’re alive looking at it. I represent the Messiah. I represent the Jesus and I am that Jesus.”
“Now watch. If I am not, take my life but look at your brother. Every day they’re after me. Every day they’re saying something evil about me. What have I done? For which of my good works do you stone me? You make the drug addicts, we clean them up. You make my little sisters, turn them into prostitutes and we raise them up. You bring guns and drugs into the Black community having our people kill one another and we clean them up. When you come and hear me preach, your eyes come open. The deaf hear, the dumb speak, the lame walk. When I made the call in 1995 to Black people, for the Million Man March, that was like Jesus calling Lazarus and Lazarus came forth.”
I represent the Messiah. I represent the Jesus and I am that Jesus. pic.twitter.com/IotsBKvwsV
— MINISTER FARRAKHAN (@LouisFarrakhan) February 20, 2019
by Fudia Muhammad
The moment we find out that we are pregnant, we should focus all of our energy on the womb. Our physical womb and our mental womb are connected; so, our feelings for our child are helping to fashion his brain and overall being. In her book, Queen of the Planet Earth: The Rebirth and Rise of the Original Woman, Minister Ava Muhammad writes the following: “It is a proven fact that by the sixth month of pregnancy and often earlier, the unborn child is living an active emotional life. He can see, hear, taste, experience and even learn. Most importantly, he has feelings. And what he feels and perceives begins to shape his attitudes and expectations for himself for life.”
Our sincere feelings for our child can easily be expressed to him with words. Therefore, we should start talking to our baby as soon as we know life is there. Though our child is not able to look at us and see our smiling face as we are speaking, he can hear every word we are saying as well as absorb the joy and love being expressed. Sound travels through water. Our baby is immersed and protected by water while in utero; so, talking to our baby every day is extremely advantageous.
As we talk to our baby, we should tell him about Allah (God) and his potential to be like Him. We should be specific when we share what we desire him to become. Take a look at the condition of the world – greatness is required to make a significant impact. This is the direction we should guide our child. Talk to him about everything positive that comes to mind – behavior, discipline, having a good attitude, working hard and most importantly, obedience to the divine laws of Allah (God).
I can almost see many of your faces as you read these words. If this is a new concept to you, it may sound ridiculous to speak to a growing fetus as if he were a fully developed human, but just stay with me. If our desires for our child are concretized through verbal expressionsand energy, they will make an indelible impression on the forming brain, increasing our baby’s intellectual acuityand spiritual inclination toward God and righteousness.
Of course, talking alone is not enough. We must connect our sincere desires for our child to the only Being who can turn all desires into reality. Allah (God) desires for us to give birth to gods. He did not come to make us followers or simply to make us really smart people. He came to make us gods,exercising both force and power. It is not pleasing to Him to see us continue to produce liars, freaks, murderers, and devils. Therefore, when we turn to Him and pray for a righteous child, it is a prayer He answers with delight. During pregnancy, our prayers MUST increase – there is just no way around it. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray and then pray some more. Our prayers impress themselves on the womb more than anything.
Pregnancy is a time in our life when we can bear witness without any shred of doubt that Allah (God) is actively with us. How do we know this? As women, we only possess the laboratory, but we do not call the baby’s eyes, ears, limbs, cells, organs, and blood into existence. The umbilical cord and placenta seem to come from nowhere. Everything our baby needs to survive outside of the womb is being formed without our direction or consent. Only Allah (God) could call into existence such a perfect creation, evolving seamlessly from an amphibian state to a human. We should be grateful. Perhaps if it were up to us, our children would be born with three heads and eight legs; looking like something better suited to live in the depth of the sea – smile.
The Holy Qur’an reads, “And certainly We create man of an extract of clay, Then We make him a small life-germ in a firm resting-place, Then We make the life-germ a clot, then We make the clot a lump of flesh, then We make (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothe the bones with flesh, then We cause it to grow into another creation. So, blessed be Allah, the Best of creators!” God is indeed the Greatest!
Allah (God) gave the woman the ability to not only assist Him in calling a child into existence who is a god internally; but externally as well. Do not get this confused with vanity. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But desiring a child physically appealing and beautiful to most beholders, is not wrong. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said that being happy during pregnancy and thinking righteous thoughts can affect our baby’s physical appearance. Have you ever seen someone and said to yourself, ‘She would be so pretty if she just wasn’t so angry and nasty all of the time?’ A foul attitude combined with bad food and drink will rob us of our natural beauty appearance and can mar our baby. There are many who have made themselves ill and have even died early due to living troubled, angry, and bitter lives. Anger is physically toxic to the mind and body – it negatively impacts the developing baby.
Allah (God) must be uppermost in our mind and heart; above our husband, other family members and even ourselves. Recite His beautiful attributes over and over again: Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim (In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful). Allah (God) is The Peace, The Majestic, The Forgiver, The All-Knowing, The Loving, The Truth, and so much more. The more we reflect on these attributes, the more our child will be like his Creator. He will not be ‘The’ Beneficent, but he will be beneficent. He will not be ‘The’ Forgiver, but he will have a forgiving spirit. The more we pray and think on something, Allah (God) begins to arrange the forces in the atmosphere to give us exactly what we want – another divine law. It is important to be mindful that anything we ask Allah (God) regarding our child; we must also ask that it be a blessing. Have you ever heard of the expression, ‘Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it?’ Sometimes we pray for something and when we receive it, instead of it being a blessing, it becomes a burden – or worse, a curse.
Remember that one of the most powerful prayers to say while pregnant is found in the Holy Qur’an, embedded in the words spoken by the mother of Maryam (Mary). It is found in Chapter 3, Verse 34; it reads, “When a woman of Amran said: My Lord, I vow to Thee what is in my womb, to be devoted (to Thy service), so accept (it) from me; surely Thou, only Thou, art the Hearing, the Knowing.” These words are so profoundly beautiful if carefully understood. To know that you are bringing a child into this world and to then immediately have the presence of mind to first and foremost declare a righteous intention for that child is glorious.
In an article titled, The Most Honored Woman in History; Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan wrote, “When the female finds that she is expecting, immediately, as it was with the mother of Mary, a vow should be made in the form of a prayer…It is most important that the vow is made as soon as the female discovers that she is with child. This vow sets the stage for the forming of this new life, for, it sets up the precondition or orientation of the mind of the expectant mother. All during her pregnancy, her mind is staid on Allah (God), since it is Allah (God) working with the expectant mother, forming that which is in the womb. This vow connects what is in the womb to the Originator of Life. This vow helps the expectant mother to know that she must observe clean habits in her eating, drinking and daily life because now she is forming something that she desires to be accepted by Allah (God) for His Service.”
The more we pray, the more our supplications are forming a child who loves Allah (God) more than anything. We are forming a child that will want to serve Allah (God) and will find tremendous joy in being obedient to Him. Though there is much within our realm of influence and control, only Allah (God) can make a righteous child. So, He cannot be absent from the equation. We must beg Him to intervene so that we may be blessed to experience the privilege of giving birth to gods.
(Sister Fudia Muhammad is a member of Muhammad Mosque No. 64 in Austin, Texas. She is married to Student Minister Robert L. Muhammad and they have been blessed with four children. Sister Fudia holds a Master’s degree in Education – she is a writer, an educator and an advocate for God-centered child-rearing.)
by Fudia Muhammad
The topic of birth control continues to be highly controversial and is often a politicized issue. As with most societal concerns in this country, we rarely factor into the discussion the Will of God in our decision-making. The generally accepted definition of birth control is: “The act of preventing pregnancy. Methods include medications, procedures, devices, and behaviors.” Prevention of pregnancy is the ultimate goal for those staunch promoters and champions of any and all forms of contraception. These advocates are usually the same people who encourage abortions, should the contraception fail. Birth control in that sense is not even thought of in Islam. However, birth control in Islam means what is says, controlling when you give birth. Planning as many aspects of parenthood as possible before conceiving; including spiritually, mentally, physically and financially – this is birth control. Birth control should not center on preventing pregnancy by any means necessary. We should plan, to the best of our ability, when we choose to conceive – always remembering that Allah (God) is the Best of Planners, therefore we are willing to surrender to His plan should it not turn out to be the same as ours.
Fudia Muhammad
So, it is a misconception that Muslims in the Nation of Islam do not “believe” in birth control. We absolutely do. We practice writing our history then walk into it – meaning, we plan our future and then seek to fulfill it. But we are not willing to abuse our bodies by disturbing our natural biological chemistry or interrupting the woman’s menstrual cycle for the sake of preventing pregnancy. Any artificial form of contraception that alters the blood, affects hormone levels, or interferes with menstruation and ovulation are discouraged. This includes birth control pills, birth control patches, IUDs, Depo-Provera shots, the vaginal ring, the Morning After pill (Plan B), and others. The immediate side effects and long term consequences of these artificial methods can be devastating.
In Message to the Blackman in America, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad wrote, “Using birth control for a social purpose is a sin. Using the birth control law against production of human beings is a sin that Allah (God) is against and for which He will punish the guilty on the Day of Judgment. Both the Bible and Holy Qur’an’s teachings are against birth control. So you and I, too, should be against it…The motive behind these schemes is not designed to promote the welfare of black families, but to eliminate these families in the future” (p. 64-65). In How To Eat To Live: Book One, he wrote, “This pill is a bold offer of death, openly made…It is accepting extermination through a harmless looking pill, designed to take away the future birth of our Nation…Once you have swallowed the birth control pill, it is death” (p.86-87).
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad once told Minister Farrakhan, “Brother, you can’t fathom the depth of Satan.” We cannot fathom his level of evil because our nature is righteousness; but his is not! The enemy of God has a focused agenda “to cull between 2-3 billion people from the face of the Earth!” The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan warned us that Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security advisor, said, “Today, it is infinitely easier to kill a million people, than to control a million people.” So the wicked are on a mission to kill millions by using our natural urges for both food and sex. They genetically modify and poison our food supply; and then promote “temporary” birth control, which is actually gradual sterilization, in hopes of eventual extinction. Their father, Yakub, is the originator of this birth control methodology which has now evolved into deceptive agencies like Planned Parenthood; the name itself is clearly false advertisement. Planned Parenthood is primarily found in poor communities populated by Black and Brown people. They do not help women plan to become parents – they help women prevent and end their pregnancies.
The Holy Qur’an reads, “And Allah has made the earth a wide expanse for you, that you may go along therein in spacious paths” (71:19-20). There is ample space and ample resources for every living person and creature on the earth. Any control to the population that must take place will take place by the hands of God; He does not need our help. He does not permit life to come forth without creating a way to maintain it. While we should definitely plan, we must always see the hand of God in everything. If it is His Will that we conceive; then we should embrace the pregnancy and allow it to come to term – no abortions. But family planning is the key. We control who we marry and with whom we decide to lay down. After that decision is made, we are mandated by God to bear the consequences of our actions.
Muhammad Speaks Newspaper (1965)
If we study how exquisitely Allah (God) designed the female – there are clear signs that He had every intention of the woman knowing exactly when she is ovulating so that she could plan when to conceive. We cannot begin to master anything outside of ourselves if we do not first study self, beginning with our physical make-up. A clean diet, regular exercise and adequate rest helps to regulate a woman’s cycle, which then makes her study of self much easier to analyze. Sometimes she does need outside help; but if that is the case, consider consulting a naturopathic or wholistic health practitioner to meet those specific needs – whether trying to conceive or trying to space pregnancies. This knowledge can be vital because women need adequate time between births to completely heal before conceiving again. There is such a thing as having too many children – only in the sense that the woman’s body will begin to break down a lot faster than otherwise. The best naturopathic practitioners will be able to help women meet their specific needs, by balancing their personal body chemistry with those elements that the earth naturally supplies.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan echoes both the Bible and the Holy Qur’an when he said that premarital sex is forbidden: “Among the righteous, those of high moral values, premarital sex is forbidden. In this world premarital sex is the order of the day and anyone who forbids premarital sex is looked at as archaic, old fashioned, and not thinking in the best interest of the individuals.” He teaches us that in the mosques [or any houses of worship] and in our schools, the only message that we teach and promote is abstinence until marriage – period. Unfortunately in a world like this, our children are exposed and bombarded with sexually explicit images and subliminal messages constantly. So it sometimes takes a miracle (divine favor or God’s active intervention) to keep our youth away from premarital sex.
WARNING: The Minister has stated that we should study our children. No one knows our children better than we and if we see that they are headed toward this activity, we have a duty as parents, to teach them how to protect themselves. This role is reserved for parents and guardians. It is not for the mosques or schools. Prevention of pregnancy is not the primary goal here; but rather protecting our children from sexually transmitted diseases, which can sometimes be a life sentence.
Doing our very best every day to live a life pleasing to Allah (God) and trusting His guidance assures our success. So let’s get better at controlling (planning) our births naturally and be sure to teach the young sisters and brothers coming behind us to do the same. The enemy’s way is dying out and the righteous must replace it with something new, something better – a Nation that will last forever!
(Sister Fudia Muhammad is a member of Muhammad Mosque No. 64 in Austin, Texas. She is married to Student Minister Robert L. Muhammad and they have been blessed with four children. Sister Fudia holds a Master’s degree in Education – she is a writer, an educator and an advocate for God-centered child-rearing.)
by Fudia Muhammad
@GiveBirthToAGod
Several years ago, I was fortunate to attend a wonderful event hosted by the M.G.T. & G.C.C. (Sisters of the Nation of Islam) in Houston, Texas. During this event, I was blessed and privileged to be among a group of sisters who attended a workshop conducted by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad. Though, it was not her specified topic, she shared profound advice and gave words of encouragement regarding the rearing of our children. I recall her tone being serious when she said, “Our children come through us, but they are NOT from us. They are from Allah (God).” Those words illuminated the proverbial light bulb over my head. As a new mother, I was simultaneously humbled and honored at this affirmation of the divine value of motherhood.
Fudia Muhammad
Our children are from God; but He charges us with caring for what He created. How does one handle a gift from God? The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has said that a mother, in particular, is the Supreme Being in the life of her child before the child is old enough to recognize the real Power – God. Any need the child signals, the mother provides – the child is not yet aware of the One that mother is depending upon. This gives parents tremendous authority, power and responsibility. An unbalanced parent can easily abuse this authority; forgetting that the child is from Allah (God). Authority can make us arrogant and crazy if we do not respect the AUTHOR who gave us the authority in the first place. When we disrespect God by moving Him out of the equation of our parenting, abuse is inevitable – verbal, physical, and/or sexual.
Allah (God) is our Father; so there is no better reference for parents, than to study how God handles His people. God is balanced. Every decision He executes is justified. He punishes; He rewards; He chastises; and He elevates. He will straighten our means of subsistence; He will amplify our means; He gives us difficulty; then He gives us ease. We could go on and on. But according to the Holy Qur’an, His chief attribute is Mercy. Mercy takes precedence over punishment – this is God’s way. Mercy is undeserved kindness, compassion and forgiveness. If Allah’s (God’s) overarching attribute is Mercy, then shouldn’t ours be as well? How do we know when mercy is required and when it should take a backseat to punishment? Study God.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said, “When children come out of a home where there is no discipline and go into a home where there is discipline, you will find that they like being where there is discipline. There is a human need to be disciplined, and, therefore, to discipline is a human right. As parents, we must have the right and authority to discipline our children.” Chaos and confusion is unnatural. The universe is governed by laws, order and structure set in place by the Creator. The most energetic, active toddler craves structure and normalcy. He may not be able to communicate it, but his nature bears witness – there’s a time for play, a time for rest; a time to learn, a time to eat; a time to bathe, a time to be comforted, etc.
Why is it that being disciplined is positive if we are dealing with adults; but seen as negative if we are dealing with children? Discipline in any field involves instruction, training, structure, regulations, guidelines, correction – and yes, punishment. Those who undergo the process of discipline reap the benefits.
Neither the Holy Qur’an nor the Bible condones abusing children. Discipline is not synonymous with abuse. Punishment is not synonymous with abuse. Spanking or corporal punishment is not synonymous with abuse. The latter must be done in moderation and with the thought in mind of correction, not inflicting as much pain as possible. No sane parent takes pleasure from bringing pain to their child. However, the enemy is playing a dangerous game when he threatens to take the God-given rights of parents away for spanking and disciplining their children in an effort to correct or protect them. These are children given to them by God, not by governmental agencies. These same policymakers then have the audacity to look the other way when police officers brutally beat and murder our Brothers and Sisters without cause – the hypocrisy is sickening.
To be clear: If there is irrefutable evidence that parents or guardians are abusing their children, those children must be removed from that home. Those parents have misused their authority from God in the worst imaginable way. Not only should they lose their children, but in truth, those that commit the most egregious criminal acts against children are worthy of death.
Corporal punishment has become a controversial topic, so it must be addressed. Physical discipline is not the only form of discipline, but it’s very effective. However, let’s be sure to follow God. Allah (God) is slow to anger; though He does get there. He is so patient with us and before His anger is unleashed He could provide proof of ample reminders and warnings. So even though He is completely justified – when He finally punishes, His anger is still controlled. The Bible advises us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. We should never punish when we are out of control with anger; even if the reason is sound. Never should our frustrations be taken out on our children. Quick-tempered parents will soon abuse their children. Exercising patience helps us to be slow to anger. If we are impatient with our children, we will spank them for every single infraction, making our punishment ineffective.
The truth is that corporal punishment (spankings) should decrease as the child gets older; and at some point, it should end all together. Physical punishment is only productive at an early age. If we are still spanking our sixteen-year-old, something was missed a long time ago. The Minister explains that in child psychology, there is a phase of human development called the animalistic stage; which is from birth to about five years old. During this phase of development, trying to reason with a child using logic, discussion and debate is a waste of time. However, they respond immediately to pleasure and pain. Animals and small children are creatures of instinct. It may sound crude, but just as animals are trained using pleasure and pain, it’s just as effective for children. A spanking (on the behind) brings about immediate results. Can this be found in the scriptures? Absolutely.
If our children are from Allah (God), we should rear them in the manner He dictates. There are many scriptural references that admonish parents to discipline their children and our sincere love for them is questioned if we do not. Allah (God) says that those whom He loves, He chastens much. The most common reference is to Proverbs 13:24, “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them” (NIV). Modern translation: Spare the rod, spoil the child. The King James Version uses the term “betimes” – discipline the child early, speedily. Young children must learn to submit to their parents; even if it is out of fear. We cannot protect what we cannot control. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said that fear is more constant than love. So, initially, fear is necessary, but it does not last because their submission will lead to understanding. As our children mature, understanding comes; then discipline evolves and begins to include – getting grounded, having stern conversations and employing reason.
There are real consequences for our children and for us when we choose not to discipline. So be careful about following the trends of the time. When in doubt, ask God. He is our example and He changes not. He makes it clear in the scripture that where there is no discipline, there is no love. So let’s all strive to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV).
(Sister Fudia Muhammad is a member of Muhammad Mosque No. 64 in Austin, Texas. She is married to Student Minister Robert L. Muhammad and they have been blessed with four children. Sister Fudia holds a Master’s degree in Education – she is a writer, an educator and an advocate for God-centered child-rearing.)
by Fudia Muhammad
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan once said that the only thing that makes the date of our birth significant is if during our life we accomplish something significant. Going further, he said, “People expect that when they have a birthday, somebody’s supposed to give them something—a life that has done nothing, expecting something. When your birthday rolls around, remember your mother. Because she’s the one who bore you with fainting and pain. And every year that you are blessed to be alive, thank her.”
Fudia Muhammad
Interestingly, the early Christians did not celebrate birthdays; and presently, Orthodox Jews, traditional Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many others do not participate in this practice. So, what is the origin of birthday celebrations? Why do we have parties, give gifts, eat cake, light a candle, make a wish and sing that song? But before we get into that – what do the scriptures say about birthdays?
There is no mention of birthday celebrations in the Holy Qur’an; but the Bible does in-fact mention birthdays four times – what’s recorded may surprise you! The first reference to a birthday celebration was that of Pharaoh’s (Genesis 40:20-22). Pharaoh, as we know, was not a servant of God and actively worked to oppose Him. Consequently, being the man that he was, by the end of Pharaoh’s birthday feast, he had hanged his chief baker, hmm. The second reference is found in the Book of Job (1:4-5). In the King James Version the phrase “every one his day” is used, but the New International Version translates this to “birthdays.” Here, there is a description of Job’s sons who would also have feasts on their birthdays, inviting their sisters to join them. After the birthday feast, Job – a faithful servant of God – would arrange for his children to be purified because he feared that they had sinned, wow. Lastly, the final two references to birthdays are two accounts of the same celebration – Herod’s birthday – another man who did not serve God. Similarly, at the end of Herod’s birthday supper a man dies – John the Baptist – he was beheaded at the request of the daughter of Herodias (Matthew 14:6-10 and Mark 6:21-28).
So, according to the Bible, birthday celebrations involved feasts, large suppers or banquets – modern-day parties. Emerging from this is a pagan-rooted practice that continues to this day. Pagans were spooky. They believed that on the date of someone’s birth they were more susceptible to being attacked by evil spirits, so the more people they had around them with presents, the more protection they had to ward off these spirits. Pagans also believed the candles were “endowed with special magic for granting wishes.” Other scholars claim that we have the early Greeks to thank for the round cakes that represented the Goddess of the Moon, adding the candles was symbolic for moonlight. Modern rituals now include singing the “Happy Birthday” song and even giving birthday spankings or licks equivalent to the age of the recipient (and one to grow on).
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches that all of this is rooted in a bigger practice of the enemy’s attempt to mark time. His time is linear, it begins and ends; while ours is cyclical. He asks Allah (God) in the Holy Qur’an to respite him until the day they (the righteous) are raised (in consciousness). Birthdays, anniversaries, New Year’s Day, and many holidays are an attempt for one who knows his end is near to keep track of how much more time he has left to cause havoc on the earth, while keeping the people of God distracted and engaged in foolishness.
We are not saying that there is anything wrong with simply wishing someone well on the anniversary of their birth – that’s fine. And if we so choose, we are certainly also free to give our children gifts. Just don’t get carried away. Perhaps consider giving them a gift because they pleased us; or because they accomplished something great; or just because we felt like being generous – not because they expect a gift on their birthday. The only reason they have that expectation is because we taught them to have it.
Allah (God) is the Giver of Gifts and the ultimate gift He gave us was the gift of life. We should show Him gratitude and be reflective when He permits us to gain another year; committing to represent His Greatness even better as we add a year of maturity. The Minister’s sentiments are also clear – a wonderful display of appreciation for our birth would be to show love, reverence and gratitude for our mother, whose womb God used to bring us forth – she is worthy of receiving gifts DAILY!
How we choose to go forward from this day forward is our prerogative, but it is always more empowering when our actions are informed and made with a conscious mind. Keeping up traditions and rituals without understanding the root is unworthy of us in this age of easily accessible information.
We close with a beautiful and profound perspective from Mother Tynnetta Muhammad: “Normally, we are not enjoined to celebrate birthdays because they accent the aging process. According to the Divine Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Allah came to reverse the aging process and not to emphasize age in our evolution to be ever young. The idea of getting older makes you think older as opposed to getting younger because you are what you think. Every time we say, ‘How old are you,’ we are emphasizing the aging process and not the youthful, blissful days of our lives. We must celebrate our birth into the Work and Mission of our Nation’s Resurrection into the New Life of the Hereafter in which we will be rejuvenated and made forever young.” All praise is due to Allah (God)!
(Sister Fudia Muhammad is a member of Muhammad Mosque No. 64 in Austin, Texas. She is married to Student Minister Robert L. Muhammad and they have been blessed with four children. Sister Fudia holds a Master’s degree in Education – she is a writer, an educator and an advocate for God-centered child-rearing.)
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Read in the name of thy Lord Who creates — Creates man from a clot, Read and thy Lord is most Generous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not” (Holy Qur’an 96:1-5).
The Holy Qur’an was not arranged in chronological order, the order in which the revelations came to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Centuries have passed and its divine compilation remains a conundrum. However, we do know that in this Book of 114 surahs (chapters), we find the first revelation given to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) near the end of the Qur’an in the 96th surah, The Clot. This surah opens with the first direct instruction ever given to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from the Most High through the angel, Jabril. His instructions were: Read – or “Iqra” in Arabic. Interestingly, Allah (God) was well aware that his Prophet was illiterate; nevertheless, He commands the Prophet to, read. Why is reading so important? And why does this divine command come to us in a chapter titled, The Clot?
A blood clot is coagulating or congealed blood that forms a semi-solid lump or mass in the body. This is the physical make-up of every new life in the womb of a woman during its initial stage of development – just after conception. As the cells and tissues of this new life begin to multiply and take shape, the first and most essential organ of the body also begins to form – the brain.
Fudia Muhammad
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches – just as the brain is the first part of the new life to develop, we should synchronize this development with the first instruction given by Allah (God) – read. While the baby is a clot – read. While the brain is developing – read. During each trimester of pregnancy – read. READ to our baby every day.
In his lecture, How to Give Birth to a God, the Minister said, “Talk to the child while it is in the womb. Teach it, read to it; not silly fairy tales. Read to it and read to it the most beautiful narratives, the most beautiful stories, the most beautiful attributes; read it into the child. Write on the paper of the child’s mind. Stamp his mind with your heart-felt desires for God and bring forth a child in the image and likeness of God.”
As a student of literacy, I was taught that there are five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Once a student achieves basic comprehension, they are considered a good reader because reading is not just the recitation of words, but the ability to comprehend the meaning behind those words. In short, reading is understanding. An advanced reader is always involved in comprehensive reading – the ability to understand and connect to the material by purposely absorbing the meaning of each word, phrase, sentence and paragraph throughout the entirety of the text.
If a pregnant mother is truly reading, she is also thinking because thinking is required if our objective is to comprehend or understand what we are reading. Thinking is the result of stimulated thoughts, which are not abstract formless things. Thought is substance; it’s tangible; it’s real. Thought permeates from the mind and travels throughout the body, affecting every cell in the body – from the brain to the heel. How can this be easily proven? When one gets nervous or frightened; anxious or stressed…These are feelings from thoughts that in-turn cause a physical reaction in the body: The heartbeat increases, palms get sweaty, the stomach is nauseated – the mouth is dry. These are all physical reactions in different parts of the body from thoughts. If these symptoms of thought are not quelled, it could lead to a more serious condition; perhaps even nerve, tissue or organ damage. Well, what if these same thoughts or similar ones persisted and increased in intensity from the mind of a pregnant mother? How would the baby, who is completely reliant on the mother, be affected? What if, instead, those thoughts were positive?
Consider the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s words to Brother Jabril Muhammad: “The Honorable Elijah Muhammad told me once that, ‘It takes 500 seconds—eight minutes and 20 seconds for the light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, to travel from the sun to the Earth.’ Likewise, he said, ‘It takes 500 seconds—eight minutes and 20 seconds for the blood to make a complete circuit between the heel and the brain and back.’ He said, ‘When you go to visit a person that is sick, if you put the right word in their ear, within eight minutes and 20 seconds you will see a change in the spirit of such person.’ What that told me was that the level of energy, light, spiritual power that is contained in right words communicated from the right motivation energizes the brain of the recipient of such word. That energy is delivered to every part of the body, thereby increasing the energy level of that person.”
Regardless to circumstances, no expectant mother is so busy that she cannot devote a minimum of 500 seconds – eight minutes and 20 seconds – every day to communicating the right words to her baby; energizing the brain of her baby. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan stated, “There is no other book more valuable to read, than that which God reveals for the destiny of human beings. The Word of God, whether you find it in the Bible or Qur’an is valuable if understood.” The Holy Qur’an, in particular, covers every aspect of life. It informs us of how best to live the life that Allah (God) gifted to us. These divine instructions should be passed on to our baby – imprinting them on the developing brain so that Allah’s (God’s) words become a part of the nature and character of the child. It may sound incredible, but the woman is in-fact blessed with this magnificent ability when she actively co-operates and co-creates with God.
Not only should the word of God be read to our baby; but we can also give our baby his/her purpose right from the womb. Ask yourself: What does our Nation need? EVERYTHING. How would you like your child to contribute to the upliftment of our people and Nation – through what field of endeavor: Health & Human Services, Agriculture, Education, Defense, Art & Culture, Trade & Commerce, Justice, Information or Science & Technology? We should choose a field and find books about that particular field and immerse ourselves in reading those books to our baby. With the help of Allah (God), we will produce a child with an inclination – a natural leaning – towards its purpose in science or health or agriculture or any of the aforementioned ministries.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has taught us that the brain of the child is fashioned by the thoughts, desires and blood of the mother. According to scientists, by the time the baby is born, it already has almost all of the neurons it will ever have; given to it by the mother. The brain of the child grows at an astounding rate the first years of life. From birth to age three, the brain develops 700 new neural connections every second. The brain doubles in size in the first year and by the age of three, it has reached 80 percent of its adult volume. Our babies are capable of learning almost anything during this critical period of brain development.
If we read to our baby consistently while in the womb, we will find that as we continue to teach our baby from infancy and beyond; he/she will learn with ease. Not only have we laid a foundation of divine and purposeful knowledge as a base for our child; but in addition, a desire and a natural inclination in him/her to read and to continue to learn.
All praise is due to Allah (God)!
Sister Fudia Muhammad is a member of Muhammad Mosque No. 64 in Austin, Texas. She is married to Student Minister Robert L. Muhammad and they have been blessed with four children. Sister Fudia holds a Master’s degree in Education – she is a writer, an educator and an advocate for God-centered child-rearing.
by Willie Muhammad
In part one of the Matrix series in one of the early moments of this fantastic movie that is filled with heavy principles and symbolism (I cannot say the same about the other parts, which I found personally boring), there is a brief scene that if we analyze we can learn how prophecy is fulfilled.
The scene I am talking about is when Neo gets a message and the words, “Follow the white rabbit,” appear on Neo’s computer screen. Neo was puzzled, for the statement did not appear to make sense. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and there standing was a strange group of folks who wanted something that Neo had to offer. While discussing the business at hand the left shoulder of the young woman at the door had a tattoo of a white rabbit. After seeing the tattoo, Neo decided to do just that, follow the white rabbit.
Prophecy being fulfilled is similar to this. Many read over the pages of scriptures in both the Bible and Qur’an which are filled with prophecies. Yet, many readers do not know how to understand how it will and has been fulfilled. For example the Book of Revelation is known for its prophetic statements. However, due to being taught the improper understanding and interpretation of scripture there are people expecting to see LITERAL flame breathing dragons, with three heads and bodily features of lions and bears. This expectation prevents people from knowing when prophecy is being fulfilled and how it is being fulfilled. Many readers fail to understand that such descriptions as mentioned in the Book of Revelation are symbolic signs that point to the characteristics of a thing or a person.
There are significant prophecies that speak about the person, the work, the enemies, the successes and the mission of God’s two key servants that are said to appear TODAY! However, people fail to see these men who are the answers to their prayers, because they fail to understand that the books of scriptures are meant to point to a human being. This problem was prophesied in the New Testament, check out John 9:39-40 in the Message Translation, “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”
I write this to point to the EXTREME importance of three books that have been published by our National Student Secretary, Brother Berve Muhammad titled:
(1) Moses: A Sign of The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad
(2) Aaron: A Sign of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan (THE MINISTER SERIES Book 1)
(3) Joshua: A Sign of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
Brother Berve does an excellent job showing how the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad & the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan fulfilled scriptures written about Moses, Aaron and Joshua while at the same time teaching people how to understand how prophecy is fulfilled. The books are written in an easy to understand manner. It’s not filled with a lot of big words or theological jargon which confuses the average reader. It is simple and straight to the point. He begins each book by giving the histories of Moses, Aaron and Joshua. He then follows up with the histories of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad & the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Once this is done he begins to show the UNDENIABLE parallels in the histories of the Prophets whose lives are signs and the men who are the fulfillers of their histories.
These books are a MUST have! Brother has titled the series, “In the Volume of the Book,” which to me means he has more in the works. Brother Berve has started us off with small steps that if followed and BELIEVED will help us grow into the scriptural identities of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad & the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Get these books brothers and sisters. When you do, you are making an investment into your salvation.
(Willie Muhammad serves as the Student Minister at Muhammad Mosque No. 46 in New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @BroWM46 and Instagram. Visit the official New Orleans mosque website @ noineworleans.org)