1987-June-26

Muslim Journal

If You Love God, You Should Follow Prophet Muhammad: Part 3

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

Editor's Note: This article is reproduced from a lecture of Imam W. Deen Muhammad. Since the lecture Imam Muhammad has resigned from the position of Imam of a Masjid.

So let us think over that, and look at ourselves, and see if you like yourself like that. I don't think I'd like myself like that. Let us look at ourselves and see if you are seeing, when you look at yourself as you are, and then make yourself better, for Allah's pleasure, to please your Lord.

Allah Is Oft-Forgiving

Allah says, if you love God, then follow His Messenger and God will love you. And He will forgive your sins. You're not going to be forgiven of sins and the biggest sin you are committing is that one. We pray Allah to strengthen those who have faith, purify their hearts, increase their faith, increase their righteousness, and bless them with knowledge in this religion, and bless them with genuine interest, where they are not playing little petty games like little children, making annoyance for the kicks of it, for the pleasure of it. We are human beings; do grown-ups behave like that? That's a shame. We can excuse little children; they get into little, petty, devilish things, and make a little misery for somebody and then laugh; pull a little prank and then laugh. But for grown-ups around here, bald in the head like I am, gray in the head, fifty years old or more, are still around here doing little petty things to make life miserable for another human being. That's disgraceful, I'm telling you. You're really shaming yourself. Allah made you a dignified creature, and you are just shaming what Allah made when you put yourself on that low, petty level.

Muslims come around from the outer communities, you look at them as if to say, "What are you doing here? We ain't like you." How come you're not like them? Muslims are the same all over the earth. We have but one Allah, one Messenger and one Book. I want these Muslims who come and visit us from these other communities to know you are not getting that attitude from me. I respect Muslims, I've always done that; my father taught me to respect them, even though he didn't teach the religion as it should have been taught but he told me to respect Muslims from different parts of the world. I respect them; I've always respected them. He taught us to identify all of us as the same Muslims, even though were weren't in what we were teaching, but he taught us to identify with them, so I didn't treat them like they were intruders.

We welcomed and respected them. So what have here, a continuation of some kind of game that was started back in the past, by the enemies of this religion who care nothing about blacks, or the religion or anything? They just used us, to hurt the image of the religion, and to keep us divided, so they can benefit. Now you all are going to continue that, knowing that they used us to that advantage, you're going to continue dividing Muslims, practicing this racism, and rejecting Prophet Muhammad and having it in your heart that, "I hope he hurry up and die; I hope Wallace hurry up and leave here, and die or something so we can get back like we were — we want the 'good old days.'

Are you that silly? You should be ashamed of yourself, after you see a blessing of Allah in this community; you see how Allah is blessing us. We have a better spirit now than we ever had. We have less abuse of the individual than we ever experienced; we have opportunities now for us to really progress now as Muslims if we really want to, and we have recognition and respect all around the earth, any where you go. If you've lived by what we are teaching here, it's the same that they live by; they will respect it and welcome you as their brother or sister. Now, you don't want that? Maybe I'll call back Captain Joseph from New York and tell him to take over these people. He'll teach you a lesson real quick.

Allah Appreciates All Good

Let's be appreciative. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that He is appreciative. God is appreciative and no matter how small the good you do, or the respect you show, Allah appreciates that. That's Almighty God; He doesn't need us. Do you think we can ever come to a happy state of life, if we don’t appreciate anything, don't appreciate the goodness of another brother and sister, don't appreciate the favors that are being done by us, and most of all, the biggest sin of all, we don't appreciate the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad, unless we can make it like we want: "it was revealed 15,000 years ago, the black people put it together, and Elijah is the prophet, Elijah is the Messenger of God; that's the Messenger. I'll say that until I die, Elijah Muhammad is the Messenger of God." So what are you doing here? That's what I want to know; what are you doing here? I know some people who think the same way; why aren't you with them? It's a shame. You are too weak to make up your own mind, too weak to decide what you want for yourself.

Muslims Should Be More Appreciative

I hope Allah will forgive us for these sins, and strengthen our hearts so that we can live the faith as it should be, and give us the nature to appreciate (the spirit that is), what Allah and Muhammad, peace be upon him, this Qur'an and everything we have in this religion and the good believers, and never choose an immoral person over a moral person; never choose a criminal person over a decent person. You make yourself the same type when you do that. I don't care how good you live, maybe you don't drink whiskey, you don't smoke cigarettes, you don't eat pork, you don't commit fornication or adultery, you don't curse, or any of those things, but you favor a weak, immoral person, against a good person, just because the good person is not satisfying your particular wish. And you'll destroy all the good you did; your not committing adultery, your not drinking, all that goes for nothing.