1990-May-4

Muslim Journal

How We Are To Establish Muslim Life In America: Part 9

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

{Imam W, Deen Mohammed's Phoenix, Arizona public address of January 21, 1990 is now culminating. We thank Allah for the opportunity to have made this presentation to our Muslim Journal readers.)

BUSINESS OF OPPRESSIONS

The business of oppressions is designed to siphon off our strength. When profiteering establishments come to us they work to weaken and undermine what they will not control directly. Families devoted to family promotion do not invite exploiters. Teenagers who make constructive decent use of their time do not invite exploiters to exploit them.

What is defeating is that the defeating circumstances are forcing the most courageous of our race, the youthful and energetic of our race, some of the best minds of our race, to go to crime, to self abuse, to music and sports for security (establishment). The result is the family need and multi-area achievement for our race never materialize for us.

BURDEN DUE TO DESIGN

I will say that this burden on us is mostly due to the work of a design. The heartless exploiters are heavily controlling the circumstances so that the circumstances seem impossible for us. Some are defeated to the extent they accept that there is no way open to them but to go wrong.

So let us have faith and work on this as though we are enlisted in an army for social and mental reform. We must work on our personal behavior. If some of us still have respect in and from our family, let us work on keeping good behavior in the family. Work with the wife. Wives and husbands, let us work together and work hard to keep good behavior in ourselves and in our children.

PROFITABLE BEHAVIOR

When I say "good behavior" I am speaking of intelligent profitable behavior. It is to behave in a certain way to favor a good future and a prosperous outlook. I am emphasizing intelligent behavior and profitable behavior.

To start afresh, working to establish race behavior, let us not go home and give a child a beating the child "asked for" a year ago. The more serious area of behavior is caused by the way we think. Go and stand by the strength of somebody. Everyone has a good side, a good sensitivity or something good. Look for that. Look for the good and don't give up, keep looking. I know some of us may have to look for a long time.

THINK!

Once a good credit is found or observed, think. "How can I stand by him or her in this particular situation? How can I show him or her that I respect them for this particular merit? How can I show them that I appreciate them for this? How can I join them behind this interest? And sometimes it will be nothing more than the person can fry an egg nicely.

Muslims are guided to have a special way of checking wrong. The Muslim is supposed to look for something to build on before looking for something to tear down. This is the teaching strategy of the Prophet Muhammed and this is the spirit of our religion. We are supposed to look for something to build upon before looking for something to tear down.

More importantly, we should remember and practice that wisdom. When having to confront each other as family, or as brothers and sisters, or as friends or strangers, remember this: Look for something to build upon before looking for something to tear down. That helps a lot.

EXPLOITERS USE CIRCUMSTANCES

Now, I would like to go over the most important points of this talk. First of all, we have to realize that circumstances are often very tricky and are not operating on their own all the time. Enemies (exploiters) are using circumstances against us. We have to realize that if we don't have an overriding authority, an interest bigger than the circumstances, then we cannot for long survive the circumstances.

KEEP THE BIGGER PICTURE

Allah is Bigger. The Qur'an is broader and the more lasting. The Prophet's Life is bigger than the life of any national. No American's life is bigger than the Prophet's life. No Russian's life is bigger than the Prophet's life. No African's life is bigger than the Prophet's life: On him the prayers and the peace.

We are to keep the bigger picture, the bigger hopes and the bigger goals before us, and we will then outlive bad circumstances to become the producers for the shapers of the circumstances about us. We want to become people who produce circumstances for ourselves, for our future.

ALLAH'S PUNISHMENT

The second point, Allah punishes a people who turn their backs on Allah's help and who turn their backs on their suffering ancestors who paid a big price for a better life.

Our fore-parents on this historic land did not intend that their suffering and sometimes horrible deaths be accepted as pay for party time lifestyles of their more fortunate generation of children. Our behavior is spit on their graves. And we (the race) are punished.

AL-ISLAM OUR SAVIOR

Another point, Allah has intended for us AJ-Islam as our Savior, as our Salvation. This religion in the Holy Book, in this Qur'an, is our Savior, our Salvation.

AN OPPRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Another point is that those vices as liquors, vulgar and destructive behavior are devices of oppression. And as those things too belong to the overall circumstances, also know that those circumstances are not always acting by themselves. The hidden enemies and the open enemies will use those devices against us. They will be working through our weaknesses.

Of necessity, we have to take charge of our own life and realize that we are constantly at war with the bad circumstances in our environment and with the people who would manipulate our circumstances, take advantage of our weaknesses and create a more oppressive set of circumstances to form an oppressive environment for us.

MAKE ALLIANCES

Lastly, we should look for allies. Allah says, "Struggle and make alliances." So with that awareness, we have to recognize that Allah wants us to make alliances, not only with Muslims but also with people with whom we share the same essential values and aspirations.

Thank you very much. As-Salaam-Alaikum.