[Editor’s note: In light of the ever-increasing methods used by the wicked to subject the world’s population to death, disease and destruction, The Final Call reprints the following timely message by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, which originally appeared in Final Call Volume 14, Number 19, to address the sacredness of the female and the need for her protection.]
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
THROUGHOUT THE EARTH the female has and continues to suffer the abuse of men and the abuse of societies that have not clearly understood the extreme importance and tremendous value of the female.
In many societies when a female child is born there is great disappointment, and the female is looked down upon as someone so much less than the male, which leads to abuse, the lack of proper care, education, and cultivation of her gifts and talents, and lack of appreciation to Almighty (God) Allah for the gift of women.
The Holy Qur’an teaches us that both male and female have the same essence or come from the essence or being that is Allah, the All Wise God. He has given both male and female complimentary natures which, if acted on properly, help each mate to attain to fulfillment, perfect peace, and full development or perfection.
The disrespect of women is the reason that the earth and the world is in the condition that it is in. There cannot be a new world except that there is a new and better understanding of the female, which will give us (men) a clearer understanding of self and above all, a clearer understanding of Allah (God). In the Bible, Allah (God) declares, “Behold I make all things new.”
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us that we cannot bring in a new world except that we accept a new idea that will give us a new way of thinking, and that new way of thinking based on an idea and word that comes directly from the Supreme Being will give us His Sight. We need to see life, creation and Allah (God) as He sees Himself and sees His creation. If we can begin to perceive reality as Allah (God) perceives it, then, and only then, will we treat Allah (God) and His creatures as they ought to be treated.
It is written in the Holy Qur’an, Surah 2, verse 138, “(We take) Allah’s (God’s) colour, and who is better than Allah at colouring, and we are His worshippers.” Since, it is the light of the sun which gives all things their color, then, we who follow the Light (Truth) sent down by Allah (God) begin to see or perceive reality as Allah (God) perceives it. We take His Colouring, which is His View.
What is Allah’s (God’s) view of the female? She is the manifestation of His attribute of mercy to the world. She is undeserved kindness to us, for, through her we are extended through the generations. It is only through her that we live again, and again, and again. It is only through her that we continue to move toward the true perfection that Allah (God) desires for His creation. She is the cornerstone of the family and therefore is critical in the whole process of nation and world building.
Allah (God) speaks to us saying that, we should reverence the womb that bore us. According to Random House Dictionary, reverence is, “a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe, veneration; a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, a bow, or curtsy.”
I repeat, we must reverence the womb that bore us. Since, the womb of our mother is sacred, then, this teaches us that the womb of every female is also sacred, for it is from her womb that all the Scientists, Prophets, Sages, Messengers, Kings, Rulers and Gods have come and will come.
According to Random House Dictionary, sacred is, “devoted to some deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated; entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy: regarded with reverence; secured against violation, infringement etc; properly immune from violence, interference, etc.” How many women see themselves and their wombs as sacred? If the womb is sacred, then the passageway through which the seed of life enters the womb is also sacred.
In the Bible, St. John, Chapter 10, verse 9, Jesus says, “I am the door: By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Jesus is to Allah (God) as the passageway to the womb. Jesus is the Eternal Door to Allah (God). Therefore, as Jesus is sacred so is the passageway to the womb also sacred, because it is the eternal door to the womb.
That which is sacred must be safe and not violated. Women all over the earth, due to an improper view of self, have violated themselves and allowed men and society to violate them.
It is unthinkable that a person of righteous bearing would go into a mosque, synagogue, church, or cloister and profane that which is sacred. Any person who violates the sacredness of the house of Allah (God) is considered uncivilized, savage or a heathen. We know it is improper to violate the sacred house of Allah (God), and, as Muslims we are exhorted by Allah (God) to protect all houses where Allah’s (God’s) name is remembered. How much more sacred is the womb of our mothers and the wombs of our female children and the wombs of the females in our society? How much more protection should be placed on the female? How much more should she and we guard her chastity? How much more should we be taught and encouraged not to violate the sacredness of the channel that leads to the sacred chamber where Allah (God) Himself works with women to bring about the answers or solutions to all human problems?
From this day forward, everyone who reads this article is responsible to act in accord with its truth. We must never mistreat women, abuse women, or beat our wives. We must treat women with the greatest of respect and honor believing that they are sacred. The female, believing that she is sacred, should never allow herself to be violated, disrespected, and dishonored and, must never violate and dishonor herself. If the female will see herself as sacred and, if we, the males, will see our females as sacred, then, perhaps we can reverse criminal tendencies in our children and bring forth from this sacred chamber called womb, children in the image of Allah (God); children made like the Great Prophets, Sages, Kings and Rulers of righteous bearing.
Prophet Muhammad gave us the criterion to judge the best of men. He said, “The best of you is he who is kindest to his mother and his wife.”
THIS CRITERION SHOULD NOT ONLY apply to our mothers and wives, but, to all our female children as we move toward basic nation building through the institution of marriage.
The process of marriage begins first with a natural attraction to some physical characteristics of the male and the female which please each other. This natural attraction then leads to a desire to be closer to that person whom we are attracted to, which leads to communication to get to know each other beyond the physical points of attraction.
Premarital sex is forbidden
Among the righteous, those of high moral values, premarital sex is forbidden. In this world premarital sex is the order of the day and anyone who forbids premarital sex is looked at as archaic, old fashioned, and not thinking in the best interest of the individuals. However, 50 percent of all marriages in America end up in divorce. Therefore, we need to take a careful look at the approach to marriage and weigh it by the standard given to us by Allah (God), the Best Knower, through His revelation of the scriptures that are among every people.
Premarital sex is discouraged among the righteous, because it interferes with the pursuit of knowledge of the parties who are attracted to each other or who must determine whether this attraction that has led to communication will give us a sure knowledge that this is the mate that they are willing to devote their entire lives to. Sex is powerful. It is a natural hunger in the male and the female even as the desire for food and water.
This desire for sexual expression, if fulfilled before adequate knowledge of the individuals is gained, clouds the mind and disallows us to make the best judgment that we are capable of making. Sexual expression is so powerful that it can cloud our minds from seeing anything but the pleasure that we derive from sexual expression. Then, the participants do not enter into a marriage contract with a sober mind. When we are drunk from the passion of the fulfillment of pleasure, this impedes our ability to make proper judgment.
A drunk driver with faulty judgment can end up being a menace to society. Drunkenness impairs judgment. Therefore, we are asked not to drink and drive. Allah (God) however, demands that we do not drink for in all things good judgment and proper decisions are what bring blessings to our life. We are the sum total of the decisions that we make. Bad decisions lead to the destruction of the life force. Good decisions lead to fulfillment of the aim of life. Most marriages are made on the basis of sex and, therefore, when the sex drive diminishes there is nothing of substance to hold the marriage together, because it was made from a physical, rather than a spiritual desire.
Among the righteous, courtship is chaperoned. This is done to keep the parties who are attracted to each other from entering into premarital sex, which then stops the process of courtship. In the word courtship is the word court. By definition we mean a place where justice is administered and a place where the process of finding the truth which forms the basis of justice and judgment.
When two people are courting they are bringing evidence to either support their intention to be engaged, or evidence that they should look in other directions. This process of finding out as much as we can about each other is necessary in forming good and proper judgment.
The individuals are the jury that must render a decision and the individuals must become the judges that ultimately make the decision that he or she is the right one for me. Cross examination is a part of court procedure, which allows direct testimony to be challenged to see if the persons are telling the truth, for it is only truth that will permit us to make good judgment. The more truth we know about each other, our characteristics, ways, strengths and weaknesses, it is the more right we can be in making a decision if we should become engaged to be married or not.
