1980-February-15
Bilalian News
”What Is Mujeddid?”
Imam Warith Deen Muhammad
With the Name Allah the Gracious. the Compassionate. As-Salaam-Alaikurn
(Editor's note: Following we excerpts from am Wallace Deen Mohammad's masjid lecture in Mami, Fla, Oct. 20 1979.)
"What is Mujeddid?'
Mujeddid simply means one who revives, brings back to the original, brings the freshness back that was there; that's all Mujeddid means.
Any person that has a problem with me be called Mujeddid in this country – where our work has been done - believe me, they don’t belong in here with us because they are with us in the first place. They are against us.
I never asked anybody to "call- me Mujeddid, I said I "am" the Mujeddid.
They wanted to call me a Messenger of God. I said, no, I not a Prophet. I'm no Messenger of God. I'm a Mujeddid.
You hear me on the National Hookup; am I preaching I'm the Mujeddid? No! I'm not asking anybody to call me that. In fact, I would advise you not to put too much importance on that because you just give people something to talk about. They think I'm like them. They think I want to rip somebody off like they want do. They judge others by what they are.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that at the head of every century. at the head of every generation, Allah will raise up a Mujeddid. That doesn't mean every time a child is born.
What's the problem-? They just don't want follow right guidance. They want phonies and hypocrites for their leaders. If they get a sincere person, theydon't want him; they look for some excuse to condemn him, to write him off.
My given name is Wallace D. Muhammad, and it doesn't make me feel proud whether you call me Mujeddid or Imam Muhammad.
Prophet Muhammad didn't give people fancy titles. In fact, people weren't addressed as "Brother- all the time. All Muslims are Brothers and Sisters, that's understood.
Prophet Muhammad would say, "Joe... As-Salaam-Alaikum. Joe." Yes, Prophet Muhammad would say "Abu Bakr." He didn't say 'Brother Abu Bakr, Imam Abu Bakr — Great Father of the noble Believers, etc.
He didn't waste his time like that, he would say "Abu Bakr come here." The Prophet didn’t use our flatteries.
We have n lot of tradition we should give up. What's wrong with us saying, "Nagar, Nasir Ahmed .-- how're you doing today. Ahmed?" He was Ahmed before he was an Imam. Ahmed should be Imam and Brother all wrapped up in one.
When I say Ahmed, I should have the feeling of respect for Ahmed, that he is an Imam and that he is my Brother in humanity and in the flesh.
Most of the Believers call me Brother Imam or Brother Muhammad. But occasionally some Believer says, "Brother Wallace," and believe mu I like that very much becauseit shows that that Believer has really gotten close to you and accepts you as one of their friends, one of their close associates.
My wife Shirley doesn't say "Brother Wallace." And if she did I would say. "What's wrong with you, Miss? |
