(The Supreme Wisdom)
“And We indeed gave Moses the Book–so doubt not the meeting with Him–and We made it a guide for the Children of Israel. And We made from among them leaders to guide by Our command when they were patient. And they were certain of Our messages.” —Holy Qur’an, Surah 32, verses 23-24
Within a month of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s departure in 1975, I was going through some of my reading materials and notes which included some of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s own personal books left behind in my possession. One morning while opening one of his books, I found pressed between the pages an old, brown, spotted copy of the Instructions given to the Laborers by our Saviour W. D. Fard Muhammad, with an introductory note to the Muslims of Number One Michigan signed by Elijah Muhammad. In reviewing these paragraphs of instructions and the introductory note, I recalled the following words with great emphasis: “THE FOLLOWING is the Original Rules of Instruction to the Laborers of Islam and the TITLE OF MUSLIM Given by OUR SAVIOUR before HIS Departure, With a Footnote of a few words of Explanation to lay Pressure Upon their Minds of their Many Errors in the Past and Present, that they may see the Light and Walk therein. I thank you. Elijah Muhammad”
We will take notice that these instructions were given before the Saviour’s departure in 1934. These words repeated over and over again resounded in my thoughts–‘…to lay Pressure Upon their Minds of their Many Errors in the Past and Present, that they may see the Light and Walk therein.’ What does it mean to lay pressure upon their minds of their many errors in the past and present? Do these words apply to us today? What are our many errors in the past and present time? It is only when we avoid the errors of the past and learn the lesson of our past failures that we can be cleared of repeating them again so that we can see the Light and Walk therein.
I noted that in the first paragraph of these instructions, we, as students, are told to study the assignment of Lesson #1 given to Minister Elijah Muhammad until the student is able to memorize, by heart, all answers to, of said, Lesson #1. In the final statement of paragraph #1, we are asked the following question with the answer being given by our Saviour, Allah. “Why is Stress made to the Muslims to Copy, the Minister, Elijah Muhammad’s Answers? The past History shows that the ALMIGHTY ALLAH sends Prophets and Apostles for the people’s Guide and Example, and through them HIS Mystery was Revealed. And these who follow the Apostle would see the Light.”
Do the above words connect us to the same words written in the introductory note by Elijah Muhammad which reads: ‘…to lay pressure upon their minds’ or (Stress) ‘…that they may see the Light and Walk therein because through them (the Apostles) HIS Mystery was revealed and those who follow the Apostle would see the Light.’ In consideration of all the above said, we have not been quickly obedient strictly to this law and to the Original Rules of Instructions given to us by our Saviour, Allah. In 1975 when I read these early instructions found in his book, I was reminded of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s words that he shared with me while in Mexico prior to his departure in which he laid pressure upon my mind and stressed the importance of our Lessons in Teaching the people of Mexico the same as was given to us to study in the U.S.A.
I came to see that this assignment was tantamount to our Teachings wherever we would go on our planet with all peoples and nations. The Lessons are the universal key to unlocking and Revealing the mystery of God, and obedience and dutifulness to the Apostle or Messenger of Allah in our midst is required for us to see the Light and Walk therein.
“Surely thy Lord will judge between them on the day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differed. Is it not clear to them, how many of the generations, in whose abodes they go about. We destroyed before them? Surely there are signs in this. Will they not then hear?”–Holy Qur’an, Surah 32, verses 25-26
To be continued.