JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
I ended my last article with these words: “The letter certainly came out of the state of mind of the Minister as he struggled with a profound problem, the solution to which would affect the lives of thousands, then millions, and eventually billions of people the world over.”
This letter, and the circumstances leading to it, and the events that grew from it, mark it as the fulfillment of what is called in the Gospels, the “Confession of Peter.”
The brilliant oratory of the student, which conveyed the illuminating message of his teacher to a wide section of the public, increased the attention given to, as well as the appeal of this gifted Minister–the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Among the developments flowing from his representation of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad via the radio was an increase in the number of invitations for him to speak before various Black groups around the country.
In the latter part of 1969, he was invited to present the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to a Black Christian Ministers’ Conference held at the Boston University Theological Seminary. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad advised him on just exactly how to handle it.
There were approximately five hundred ministers at the presentation. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was outstandingly successful that day. After the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had heard a taped recording of the lecture, he wrote his Minister a letter. He said, in effect, that it was a great speech and of great value to him. After explaining what he meant, he then told his Minister that for that one speech he would pray Allah that if he ever turned hypocrite on him, that Allah would go after him and bring him back again. Minister Farrakhan found the letter strange and disturbing.
After a short time, the letter of his teacher began to fade from his consciousness. He continued to work feverishly on behalf of his teacher and Black people in general. Time passed. One day some Sisters, whose official duties involved traveling, were telling the Messenger of how widespread and honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s name was becoming among Black people.
The Messenger seemed somewhat disturbed as he listened. Then he shouted the following out so forcibly that it frightened the Minister. He said, “Yes, so the whole world will see him when he turns hypocrite on me.” Minister Farrakhan was hurt. He did not understand why his teacher would say that about him. Let us remember that this was said to him after he had been told of his great value and that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was lining him up to take his place among the people.
Sometime later, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to him, “I tell you like Jesus said to Peter, ‘The devil desires you that he may sift you like wheat.’ ”
That was his first direct reference to Minister Farrakhan as “Peter.” He would later say to his Minister that he did not like Peter, and for him to be like Paul, for he liked Paul.
And then there was another time when the Messenger asked his Minister to make a radio broadcast about the subject: “On This Man Have I Laid the Key.” He did.
Before going further, let us look at what is called the “confession” of Peter, according to the Four Gospels. The four places that I am referring to are Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21; and John 6:68-69. Now, I would urge you to read the fuller context in which these verses appear. For the moment I will quote only from Matthew.
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phillippi, he asked his disciples, saying, ‘Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ And they said, ‘Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.’ He saith unto them, ‘But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”
Before going a little into what this means, let me direct you to something that is hinted at in the Bible, but stated outright in the Holy Qur’an. Next week I would like to show the relation between this that is in the Holy Qur’an and the “confession” of Peter in the Bible. Let me to state it briefly.
Here it is. This present Holy Qur’an contains the statement that this is a transcript, and a part of an original Book that is in the care of Allah and that it is well protected.
Where is that original Book? From whom must it be protected?
What does the Holy Qur’an mean that the jinn are not allowed to listen in on the Exalted Assembly? Where does this Exalted Assembly meet? How did these jinn learn of them? Is this Exalted Assembly the same as the twenty-four elders who are mentioned in the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation?
My dear readers, if it is true that the Bible, or I should say the original of the Bible, is from the same Source–and about the same peoples and times–as the Holy Qur’an, then we should expect these two books to have much to say about the same subjects, even though the wording may be different.
Now, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has publicly stated more than once that if we could agree on the truth of these two books, then of course, we could agree on their contents. We could easily agree on many subjects, including God; His relationship to man; man’s destiny, the origin, purpose, nature, future and end of this world; the Kingdom of heaven or God, soon to be, established on this earth. And we would also have no problem in agreeing on the answers to the problems of day-to-day living. Agreement is a main part of the base of unity.
As I mentioned above about the “confession” of Peter that is written of in the Bible; however, I said that before we went into what it means, even a little, I wanted us to look at something that is hinted at in the Bible, but stated more clearly in the Holy Qur’an. It has to do with the fact that the present Holy Qur’an is a transcript, or a part, of an original book that is even larger than the present Holy Qur’an and that it is in the personal care of Allah. It is well protected. This is deep to the max!
At the end of chapter 85 as well as in the beginning of chapter 43, we read that this Qur’an is from another book referred to as the “Mother of the Book.” And we are told by Allah that it is safe and that it is with Him. There are many other places, such as in the beginning of chapter 15, wherein Allah tells us that not only is it safe, but that He is the protector of the revelation and that He sees to it that His words are carried out.
More next issue, Allah willing.
