1991-July-5

Muslim Journal

The Practical Application of Al-Islam: Part 7

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

Obligation Of Shuraa

The role of the leader is to care for the Muslim life and to give advice and to help people in matters of religion, in matters of judgment respecting what their religion obligates them to do.

I think we can accomplish more with that kind of leadership than we can with leaders sitting in a masjid office arbitrarily exercising authority as establishment volunteer agents. Such leaders are qualified to accomplish one thing: the sad and mournful abortion of our efforts to establish the Muslim life. The enemies will send or influence the entry of such aspirants among us. They have done that over the fifty odd years already in order to defeat our effort.

But if we respect the charge of authority in the local people, we will be successful. That is an obligation of shuraa and also the American Way. Our most urgent instrument is Muslim Democracy. That is what I like and the type of situation that I am comfortable with.

Whenever I am having such thoughts I want to thank you all for going along with me in jihad for freedom for Muslims wanting the genuine administration of mosques, schools and all establishments.

We have collective investments. Don't think that because we do not have a central office we do not have collective investments. I think of the mosque in any town as being every Muslim's mosque. Any place there is a mosque, I call it "our mosque." After all the mosque is a place of worship, a masjid of Allah, and so it is to welcome all of us individually.

If we are in any town, we have as much right to pray in the mosque as does anybody in that town. The very fact that it was one of our poor members, our poor African-American people, who was able to achieve its construction or its opening, should make each of us feel a strong bond to it. We are the same people, we are African-Americans. We are Muslims and in the same material circumstances, even if you are a businessman and I a paper boy or a shoe shine boy or a dishwasher. The point is, being Muslim obligates us to honor the Muslim rule of equality.