06/15/2001
Muslim Journal

Responsibility: A Crucial Concern For People Pursuing Business Establishment

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed

(The following lecture, titled "Responsibility, A Crucial Concern For People Pursuing Business Estab¬lishment," was given by Imam W. Deen Mohammed on the campus of Prince George's Community Col¬lege, in Largo, Md., on Sun., March 11, 2001, at the CPC Conference.)

I greet you with the greetings of all Mus¬lims on this earth, over 1 billion and a quarter now, As-Salaamu-Alaikum. We praise G-d, who is the Lord and Sustainer of all the worlds, who has made everything that we can see with our physical eyes for our own benefit — not for Him. He made it for us.

G-D'S CREATION BENEFITS MAN

G-d says: Whatever is in the skies and whatever is in the earth, He has made it all to be of service to his Khalifah, to yield its bene¬fit to the man He created. So that it would be useful and beneficial to all the descendants of that man, our First Father, Adam. That means all of us. That first Khalifah was Adam, the first of the Prophets. He is not only mentioned as a prophet but also as our First Father.
When we look at the vast creation of G-d, try to imag¬ine that G-d says to 'you: "All of this is made for you. Whatever you see in the skies or in the earth is made to yield its benefit and service to you."

If you recall the creation of Adam, of man, G-d said to the Angels before he said this to man, that when He had breathed into man His Own Spirit, and then you (Angels) make your sub¬mission to him. G-d ordered the Angels to yield to the man He was making.

G-D'S TWO CONTROLS USED TO MAN

He said to Satan, who rejected the man —only he rejected the man and was then called the lead Angel, Iblis — "What is the matter with you that you don't accept the human being that I have made with My Two Hands?" Mind you that He says "with My Two Hands." G-d said that He had every¬thing in the controls of His Two Hands.

This means G-d's two controls and He said everything is in these controls. That is in the Qur'an. That means this vast world we see, in the skies and down here, including our¬selves, G-d made it. So G-d used both these controls to make man, and that man must be very special.

We live in a time when we see the reality of that capacity or that potential in man. This modern civi¬lization, the West, was given its start by Islam, by Muhammed the Prophet, the Qur'an and the thinkers who heard the message of the Qur'an and the Prophet's teachings and became scientists. They gave the West, Europe, its start.

FOCUS ON THE WEST

Now look at what the West has done. It has focused on the skies and has brought useful things to us. They send space ships to visit different bodies in the heavens and bring materials from the surfaces that they visit. They are studying the atmosphere, the environ¬ment of those objects in the sky.

So they are really doing what G-d invited man to do, when He created the first man, Adam. That is to make good use of all that He has created. We know the sun's energy is har¬nessed now to reduce the cost of heating certain facil¬ities. With gas prices up like they are now, I hope they study that more and bring me some reflectors and I will put them on my house to bring the gas bill down.

Everything is working in accord with what G-d has revealed and that is what we should realize. People are waiting for a miracle: "Oh, if they could show us a miracle like Moses' peo¬ple witnessed, maybe we will believe in G-d. If only we could see the Red Sea part."

TECHNOLOGY: MODERN DAY MIRACLE

That is nothing. That is child's play next to what is going on today. I don't want to see the Red Sea part. I want to see how to make a television that shows a human being in my living room, when he is on the other side of the world and I can see him and hear him speak just as though he is in my living room. That is a bigger miracle to me than the parting of the Red Sea. This is speaking as the common sense man.

The parting of the Red Sea addresses psychology. But now I am talking about science and technology. Science and technology are about the biggest miracle I know of in these modern times. Why have I gone to that big extreme to address you for a few minutes? It is because that is where it should start.

G-D'S CREATION BIGGER THAN SIGHT OF SCIENCE

When you wake up and open your eyes to the out¬side, G-d shows you a big world with the eyes He cre¬ated for you. You see the sky and it is unlimited. Sci¬ence with all of its powerful telescopes cannot see the end of this world. The greatest astronomer with the greatest help that tech¬nology can give him is in the same position that you and your little boy and lit¬tle girl are in, when you all step out of your door and see this world that G-d made.

You can see what you see, and they — can see what you see and beyond that. But neither the scientist nor you, the common person, can see the boundaries or the limits of this creation. Some of us then want to see G-d, but it isn't possible for us to see the end of what we are looking at. We can't see the end of what we can see, but yet we want to see G-d.

G-D DOES NOT TALK TO TOOLS

I hope I can free you like I am free and then you will make a difference on this earth for good people. Maybe it won't be for bad people, but it will be for good people for sure. G-d says in Qur'an: No sight can catch Him (G-d). He says in another place: Look at My Creation and tell me what flaws or mistakes you see.
G-d is not talking to a fool. He would not invite a fool to examine His Works. The question is not meant for a fool. Some don't know the difference in a flaw and a sign. The wise will see what you call a flaw as one of G-d's Signs. When they can perceive the whole picture, there are no flaws. It is a perfect creation and you can't improve upon it.

To show how wonderful this creation is, G-d says that in the Next Life when we get to the new Life, we will look at it and say: "This resembles what we were in before." G-d is say¬ing: "My creation is good enough as I created it. You just need to be awakened to a new perception of it."

HEAVEN WHILE YOU LIVE

Then you will have heaven while you live, in a life that will be eternal without sickness or worry. All of that will be gone. Would you believe that I am already it that? I am not affected by sickness or by troubles. G-d has given me a protection inside. No trouble or sickness can get inside here. This body can be burned alive but inside will not be affected.

G-d has made me like that and it took more than 65 years to make me like that. But I am like that now, thank G-d. I am already in heaven. Praise be to Allah. So let us see the big picture first. We don't have time to bring you from day zero to the present time, year 2001, here in March. So we will just make a quick trip; leaving out many important scenes from day zero to now.