(Reprinted from the Muslim Journal 5-4-01)

Revelation and its Influence on Culture: Part 1

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

(The following address by Imam W Deen Mohammed was given in Norfolk, Va. at Booker T Washington High School, on June 23, 2000.)
Our greeting is Peace be unto you, As Salaam-Alaikum. We thank G-d for our life in this time of the conclusion of things, when the world is becoming one again. We witness that G-d is one and cares about all of His creation and especially all of His human creation.

We witness that Muhammed of the Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, is the Last and Seal of the Prophets, one coming to promote freedom of religion and freedom from all forms of slavery. Not just physical slavery or slavery to physical things, but also slavery to non-physical things – slavery to falsehood, slavery to ignorance, slavery to corruption. People are often made slaves to those things that are not physical.

Islam wants a good life for us, and that is what we want to focus on for this time to address you here in this beautiful and lovely city with a lot of possibilities for us to develop and grow together – Muslims with our neighbors, the Christians.

All the people of the great religions have been informed by their scriptures of a time coming that is going to require each of us to respect a relationship with our fellow man that enables us to work together for a world of peace and a world of prosperity. Islam promises us a good life. G-d says in our Holy Book that He will give us a good life and good establishment.

The picture of the beginning of man in a Garden of Eden in a beautiful environment is really a picture of the world to come, more so than a picture of what the world was. It is a picture of the world to come. G-d is telling us how He began the creation of human beings, so that we will focus on the future and know that the multiplying of the people, the generations, the nations is going to burden governments, families and individuals.

Relief will come for the government, families and individuals, when we accept the conclusion of things as predicted in scripture. The People of the Book, we call them Jews and Christians and also now Muslims. Our scriptures tell us of the conclusion of things. That we are going to have to accept the Plan of G-d, as it was in the beginning.

He made us one family. He created us as one human family, and one day we will have to be conscious of that oneness of the human family and work together for a beautiful life of peace and prosperity.