By Hashim Hakim
It was an FOI class back in 2005, where I received my marching orders concerning the resurrecting majesty of The Final Call newspaper through increasing distribution.
During a righteous Final Call sales competition challenge, Nation of Islam Student Assistant Supreme Captain Abdul Aziz Muhammad explained, “While there are many blessings in winning this challenge, the real blessings are in reproducing yourself!” Those words impregnated my spirit and later gave birth to the P.A.T.H., a guide on how to reflect the mindset of a Saviour, as it relates to the distribution of The Final Call.
While there are many success stories over the years, none has touched my spirit like what is going on in the mighty Study Group of Jacksonville, Fla. Bro. Michael 4X, after nine years was suspended from Pepsi as a trailer jockey. He left his job and went straight to the field the same day to distribute The Final Call newspaper.
He was blessed tremendously and quickly in 3 hours that afternoon. He did not go into depression, or start smoking and drinking, nor did he start filling out job applications. Instead, Bro. Michael 4X went directly into the community to propagate his faith.
The very next morning, Bro. Michael 4X went for a walk to commune with nature, to talk and pray to Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi. That’s when he made a commitment to the first step of “The Business of Saving Lives,” which is put together by Bro. Abdul Aziz Muhammad, Bro. Kosala Karriem of Houston, Texas and me.
Items in the program include The Final Call and Bean Pie. If this plan is implemented properly, one will find a way to support oneself and family engaging in the work of resurrecting our people. Options in the plan give targets for how to use our determination and faith to place ourselves in heaven at once.
In the five weeks after Bro. Michael 4X walked away from Pepsi, his efforts have resulted in a mighty reward as Allah (God) promises to reward the doers of good. “The strengthening of my faith and having the freedom to actually help with the mission full time has benefited me in ways that I can’t explain,” he said.
Bro. Austin Malik is a 23-year-old brother that went from rejecting us and burning rubber at the stoplight in his vehicle to pass us by to eventually entering the Nation of Islam Processing Class. He averages 200 Final Call newspapers a week with a goal to being on his way to 500!
In a brief conversation with Southern Regional FOI Student Captain Oliver Muhammad, he said to me that my Saviours’ Day Gift which I completed was just a starting point. I immediately shared this information with the brothers here in Jacksonville. Bro. Michael 4X then made a sizable donation in a day and Bro. Austin did likewise. Keep in mind Brother Austin was in the Processing Class at the time. He is now a registered member of the Nation of Islam.
“I thank Allah for the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and His teachings through the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Their wisdom, guidance and example has helped me to consistently walk the straight P.A.T.H. as it relates to The Final Call newspaper. This mission is sacred and cherished very deeply,” said Bro. Austin. “I read in the Restrictive Law of Islam Is Our Success, where the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan states, ‘The level of productivity determines the success of the business.’ ”
When our people join the Nation of Islam to help in the cause of freedom, justice and equality, the Minister advised us to have something in place for them. Our goal is to turn the mission of saving lives into an opportunity to do for self now before we are forced to as America shuts down. Let’s follow the Minister’s guidance to “steal away and Do For Self.”