1982-February-12

World Muslim News

Muhammad Speaks

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

QUESTION: What would have happened if Professor Fard Muhammad hadn't come and done what he did? Shouldn't he be given some credit for starting the movement now known as the American Muslim Mission? — Milwaukee, Wise.

IMAM: We haven't taken the credit away — the credit nor the blame. He has credit and blame — we haven't taken either from Professor Fard Muhammad for his establishing or coming or bringing the concept of the Nation of Islam to the African-Americans in the ghetto of Detroit and Chicago. We haven't taken that from him at all.

But to give him credit for the community that exists today would be to give him credit for something that he didn't earn.

QUESTION: When this community was the Nation of Islam, it appears that the believers were devoted to their religion. What happened and why is this devotion not so visible today?

IMAM: It is because we don't insist on paper quotas. We don't insist upon contributions. We don't promote those personal and financial sacrifices like we did back then. That's why they don't see it.

I think, too. the laxity that we all are not particularly happy with, that we find in too many Muslims of our community, is maybe just a part of the cold slump that we see in society today.

I remember when the African-American masses were more aggressive than they are now. I remember when the whole country was a little bit more aggressive than it is now. I remember when the whole world was more active and more productive than it is now. so maybe we have to take all that into consideration.

At least we should stop crying the blues so much and show an example in ourselves that we are not part of