“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”—Isaiah 61:1
by Kenneth Muhammad
The Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry has been a key component of the Muslim Program from the very beginning. Many of the Muslims including the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad found themselves wrongfully jailed and sent to numerous prison houses across America. So, the Muslim Program that first appeared in the Muhammad Speaks and now in every issue of The Final Call newspaper emphatically states in Point Number 5 in part: “We want freedom for all Believers of Islam now being held in federal prisons …”.
This part of the Muslim Program has been so instrumental in reforming the lives of so many men and women. Therefore, what Muhammad Mosque No. 60 in Nashville, Tennessee, did on a Sunday is so special. The mosque dedicated the day to men and women who were formerly incarcerated and put the Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry at the forefront to show the power of the Life-Giving Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad under the guidance of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
When asked what motivated him to highlight the Prison Reform Ministry, Student Minister Samuel X said, “the Prison Reform Ministry is special to me because my ministry really became solidified in the prisons. This work is vindicating and truly rewarding to take what society deems as irredeemable and help to inspire a real substantive change.”
Student Minister Samuel X explained that the word reform means to be reshaped, remolded, reconstructed, and regenerated. “It is taking the incarcerated soul that was destroyed and giving them an invincible truth to form them into a new creation,” he added.
The Life-Giving Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught by his National Representative, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, is the only word strong enough to reform them.
The keynote address was given by Brother Kenneth Muhammad of the Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry. His subject was entitled: “Proclaiming Liberty to The Captives.” Prior to bringing Brother Kenneth to the rostrum, Student Minister Samuel X shared words given to him by Minister Farrakhan’s Student National Prison Reform Minister, Abdullah Muhammad.
“I consider Brother Kenneth Muhammad to be a real F.O.I. He helped to establish the Study Group in the prison where he served time and was instrumental in my being invited as a guest speaker at that prison. Brother Kenneth helped to set up an NOI Study Group in every prison that he was transferred to,” shared Student Minister Samuel X as shared with him by Student Minister Abdullah.
Brother Kenneth has been home for four years and has become a volunteer helper to Student Minister Abdullah Muhammad. “Brother Kenneth is now helping me from outside of the prison as an FOI, the name given to the military training of the men who belong to Islam in North America. Military training implies tactics and maneuvers. Military training implies establishing a beachhead behind enemy lines and then proceeding to take control. Brother Kenneth Muhammad has been blessed by Allah in the Name of Elijah Muhammad to become an FOI, Fruit of Islam under the guidance of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Messiah,” relayed Student Minister Samuel X per Student Minister Abdullah.
During his lecture Brother Kenneth Muhammad shared a remarkable story that began with him being given a life sentence. Brother Kenneth talked about how he and the other inmates go through the day trying to find ways to cope with what appears to be a hopeless situation. It was not until he heard the message of redemption from Minister Farrakhan that he realized that his life still had value.
Brother Kenneth said “time and circumstances have made us into the material that Allah wants to use to establish a new reality. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” Brother Kenneth shared how he applied the Self-Improvement Study Guides and the process of self-examination, self-analysis and self-correction to change his mindset, his life and then bring a message to his fellow prisoners that contains light, life, and power throughout the prison.
“To teach a word that contains light in the midst of darkness takes courage, and the enemy never thought someone would be courageous enough to do it. God wants the rejected and despised to put them on top of civilization, and the Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry is instrumental in making this happen,” he stated.
The Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry goes into the many prison houses of America and presents classes designed to provide the prerequisite knowledge necessary to produce a change in the inmate.
Student Minister Abdullah Muhammad says that Minister Farrakhan teaches: “There is no human being that cannot be redeemed. Malcolm X and all the brothers and sisters, who have gone to prison found themselves because knowledge entered their hearts and changed their behavior. Every one of our prisoners can experience that change if they are properly taught.”
We thank Allah for the Nation of Islam Prison Reform Ministry!
