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FOI

The Final Call Chronicles: Testimony – The Right Word Can Save A Life

❗️TESTIMONY ❗️

While going door-to-door in Southeast Houston with my Fruit of Islam brothers, we had the honor of meeting this beautiful Black woman sitting outside her apartment door; a mother and grandmother. I immediately sat down next to her to ask her how she was doing and she replied sadly, “I am not doing too good at all.” She started sharing many of the problems she’s facing and how she had no desire to even live anymore. Lovingly, we shared with her how Allah (God) says in the Holy Qur’an that He is closer to us than our own jugular vein and that He has not abandoned her.

We discussed how as long as God blesses us with breath in our lungs, He’s letting us know we have something of great purpose to do for His Glory. I let her know how the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches us that Struggle is Ordained and that just like diamonds, gold and pearls had to go through intense heating, cooling, heating, cooling–we too shine brighter when we meet and overcome the struggles instead of succumbing to them…there was much more said that I won’t share but we were blessed to see her entire disposition change and a glow radiated from her beautiful dark face. I was so focused on her that I had no idea our brother Linton Muhammad captured the Before and After. All Praise is Due to Allah!!!!

Look at her beautiful SMILE!!!! She now felt it’s NOT over for her!!! And she promised me that I can come back to eat next to her at Saturday’s “Make Our Community A Decent Place To Live” Day! It’s moments like this that keep us motivated to take what we’ve been blessed to receive to our people in the streets who need life, light, power and hope. We’re humbled to be striving servants. ?? #inspiration #love #community #NationOfIslam

July 19, 2017

F.O.I. Awarded For Capturing & Subduing Robbery Suspect

written by AQMBlog Staff

via FinalCall.com

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—When the deeds of Muslims are discussed among the American public, positive activities are rarely acknowledged and negative connotations, often amplified through the rhetoric of policymakers, mass media, and the general population, cause many to judge the faith with doubt and suspicion.

However, in recognition of his quick thinking and actions, Bro. Suni X (Musawwir) of the Nation of Islam, received a Citation of Appreciation from the Grand Rapids Police Department honoring his conduct in capturing an armed robbery suspect of the Captain Jay’s Fish & Chicken restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side.

In recognition of Bro. Suni’s part in apprehending a much sought after perpetrator, suspected in multiple robbery attempts in and around the city, Grand Rapids Chief, David Rahinsky wrote: “Your quick actions aided the Grand Rapids Police Department in solving several attempted armed robberies of businesses, while certainly preventing further attempted robberies by the suspect,” the chief’s citation read in part. “I would like to thank and commend you for being an involved citizen in your community.”

Although the incident occurred in July 2016, it wasn’t until late January of this year that Bro. Suni received a call from the Grand Rapids Police Department notifying him of the award. Downplaying the significance of his part in taking down the alleged suspect, it wasn’t until about three weeks after receiving the citation that he told the Believers and Student Laborers of the Grand Rapids Study Group.

“I was in my van at the time and listening to music and a Caucasian individual walked out (of the restaurant), casually, and as he proceeded South, I noticed he was looking around and I thought he was afraid because he was walking in a Black neighborhood, but when he got down the block, the manager and others came out hollering and screaming, ‘we’ve been robbed; it was a White guy,’” Bro. Suni recalled the restaurant employees as saying.

After a brief foot chase, Bro. Suni tackled the perpetrator and a neighborhood resident, watching from his front porch, helped to pin him to the ground, holding the alleged robber in place until authorities arrived. Although Bro. Suni said the restaurant employees told him the man was armed, Bro. Suni said he wasn’t thinking of him as having a weapon as much as he was thinking of stopping a criminal act in his community.

Read more

April 11, 2017

Perspective

The Fruit of Islam: We are Not Paperboys

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 6.10.09

by Jesse Muhammad

Every week around the country and in parts of the world, a group of men can be found in the streets or going door to door with a newspaper.

It is the only remaining nationally distributed Black-owned weekly newspaper in the United States. It is also read thousands of miles away on other continents.

That paper is The Final Call.

But it’s more than just a paper. It’s a tool used to resurrect those who are mentally and spiritually dead. It is water to a man dying of thirst. It is news made relevant to the everyday struggles of the masses. It contains self-improvement guidance from the founder and publisher the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

I read my first copy of the Final Call as a freshman in high school and I found it to be very unique. It was filled with stories about poor people that I didn’t see on cable or in the other local papers we received at our doorstep.

Then I started seeing men dressed in dark suits, white shirts and bowties offering this same paper to people passing by in their vehicles. Those men are the Fruit of Islam (FOI), the wing of the Nation of Islam that trains men.

One brother on the street corner would yell “Final Call my brother?” and another may say “Get the latest and greatest addition young brother”. People such as myself would buy one while others would reject them, curse at them, yell at them, speed by them, and call them out of their names.

I even asked myself, “What in the world would make a man wear a suit in Houston’s 100 plus degree heat to sale me a newspaper?”

In 1997 I joined the NOI and for the first time I got on the corner of Homestead and Tidwell in Northeast Houston to sale the FCN. Within a few minutes I got cursed out by a non-Muslim and after two hours I had no sales. But we have been taught to not give up.

And then a man drove up to a red light and said “You must be crazy. It’s hot out here!” I remember just smiling at that person and saying “The guidance contained in this paper is worth the sacrifice of a few hours in the Sun”. He looked at me, pulled out a dollar and bought a copy.

Despite what people may think, we are not paperboys…we are servants. Just like everyone else, we believe in our brand. Our brand is The Final Call. We read it, discuss it, teach it, distribute it and represent it.

Every FOI that has ever sold one copy of this paper could write volumes of books because many have been shot at, nearly hit by cars intentionally, arrested, had doors slammed in their faces, threatened and more stories that you wouldn’t believe….but they are real.

So the next time you drive by and you see that sharply dress brother offering you the Final Call or hearing him knocking at your door, give him a moment to tell you about a newspaper that may change your life.

Be sure to pick up the latest copy (pictured above) at your local Nation of Islam Mosque or Study Group. Want the paper delivered to your doorstep? Subscribe Now and get 3-months for only $10 at: store.finalcall.com/subscribe/ or call 1-866-602-1230 ext. 220

July 13, 2015

Motivation

Promoting Peace in the Streets of New Orleans

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 1.13.09

Mosque No. 46 FOI team up with Hip Hop artist to send a message

Written by Jesse Muhammad

New Orleans, La. – On the eve of the New Year, the city of New Orleans murder total had eclipsed the 200 mark, making it again a top contender for the country’s highest per-capita murder rate, a title the city previously held in 2006.

An accurate per-capita rate for murders and all crimes remains elusive, because of varying estimates of the cityâ€™s post-Katrina population. But even by the most generous estimate, preferred by the New Orleans Police Department, the city’s murder rate is 67 murders per 100,000 people. Using another lower population estimate cited by the city, the rate would be 71.

At the turn of the year the citizens of New Orleans watch reports concerning the newest murders of 2009 â€“ the most gruesome of all being the killing of a 2-year-old child by his father.

Continuing their efforts from last year, the Fruit of Islam (F.O.I.) of Muhammadâ€™s Mosque No. 46 teamed up with a Baton Rouge Hip Hop artist known as Brother Arthur â€œSilky Slimâ€ Reed on January 10 to spread the message of â€œStop the Killingâ€.

â€œI first became aware of the work of Brother Arthur while living in Baton Rouge some months after Hurricane Katrina. Since that time we have worked together to help our people and enlighten the youth. When he informed us about what he was doing with the ambulance he purchased and refurbish, we thought it would be a good idea for him to come to the city, so we hit the streets together,â€ stated Student Minister Willie Muhammad.

Brother Arthur purchased and remodeled a used ambulance to become a vehicle that will resurrect the Black community versus transporting dead bodies. It is coated with an image of himself and inmate Surge Sherman. Mr. Sherman is currently serving a life sentence in the Angola state prison. Despite being behind bars, he co-authored a book with Brother Arthur that teaches conflict resolution skills to youth. Inside of the ambulance there is a flat screen television that shows portions of a documentary about the negative consequences of street life.

â€œI named the ambulance Life and Death, because ambulances are used to save lives and they also transport those who have lost their lives. The ambulance is a visual tool that gets the message across. The footage of actual murder scenes are used to help onlookers see why they need to turn away from the destructive lifestyle of the streets. The expression on the faces of those who saw the footage and their reactions show that the ambulance helps to effectively get the message across,â€ stated Brother Arthur.

As the people left the ambulance they were given a CD containing a lecture by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speaking on stop the killing by the FOI. â€œI give all praises to Allah. I think that the ambulance helped in our effort to go after our people and invite them to hear the truth,â€ stated Brother Patrick X.

In the music industry, Brother Arthur has worked with the likes of Young Boosie and Lil Webbie. He also was the founder of the Southside Wrecking Crew, one of the early gangs in Baton Rouge. Since then he has transformed his life and travels the state of Louisiana speaking to youth, churches, schools and in various prisons.

He and the FOI visited two of the remaining housing developments in New Orleans and other neighborhoods in the city. The ambulance blasted Hip-Hop songs written by artists rapping about the lost of loved ones to senseless street violence. Within minutes of the ambulance being parked members of the community â€“ men, women and children came to see what was going on.

â€œWe should have every child wear red shirts that say stop the killing on the front and the back,â€ suggested 12-year-old Royon, who was touched very deeply by the documentary she viewed in the ambulance.

â€œThis is a good thing that they are doing. I want to see them do it more to help stop this killing. I hope more people will come out to see this,â€ stated Sharon Hall, a resident of one of the housing developments.

(Those interested in find out more about the work of Brother Arthur can visit: www.myspace.com/stopthekillinginc. Also visit www.noineworleans.org to see the work the Believers in the city of New Orleans are doing.)

June 29, 2015