MONROE, La.—“As a young minister of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we had many great stars, and they all were my teachers in the beginning and I love them all. But the one minister that was the greatest minister in my growing up in Islam was Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad,” shared the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan during a banquet, tribute and mosque dedication to Nation of Islam pioneer Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad.
The banquet and tribute were held on September 24 and 25 in Monroe, Louisiana. The banquet was well-attended by believers from the Southwest and Southern regions of the Nation of Islam. The believers of Muhammad Mosque No. 99 sponsored the banquet and tribute to Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad. Southwest Regional Student Minister Abdul Haleem Muhammad was also in attendance and delivered a soul-stirring dedication message to an overflow audience during the weekend.
As a follower of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad, formerly known as Troy X Cade, founded the Monroe, Louisiana Temple of Islam in 1959. As a field minister traveling throughout the South, he found great reception when he arrived in Monroe. He began teaching in the homes of the believers and grew the congregation to the point that the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad allowed Monroe to become a Temple.
Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad survived the police attack on the Monroe Temple on March 5, 1961, when the police attempted to lynch him by his necktie. He also survived an attempted drowning in a swamp near the Louisiana/Mississippi state line. The use of the bow tie in the attire of the Muslim men of the Nation, the Fruit of Islam (F.O.I.), grew out of the incident in Monroe.
“The reason I loved him more than I loved any of the others is because of what he suffered in Monroe, Louisiana, and by the Grace of God, he has lived to serve the rise of our people from that time to this,” Minister Farrakhan expressed via Zoom.
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The Minister recounted some of his experiences with Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad. When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad sent Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad to the Brooklyn mosque, the pioneer became a friend and a helper to Minister Farrakhan.
“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad never forgot the price that Brother Bey paid. And I, too, have never forgotten what this man suffered. And because of him, I have offered my life for the cause of Islam, and he has been the guiding star for my life of service,” Minister Farrakhan said.
Several community awards were given out during the celebratory evening. The Abdul Bey Muhammad Lifetime Achievement Award was given to two pioneers of Muhammad Mosque No. 99, Sister Daisy Muhammad and Sister Khalilah Muhammad, who joined the Nation in 1968 and 1972, respectively.
Muhammad Mosque No. 99 received mosque status again in 2021. “This has been a long time coming that Monroe received its number. I am thankful to Allah, Who Came in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and all of the believers of Monroe for their sacrifice and support. Number 99, The Shaking,” said Student Minister Verbon Muhammad, referencing Chapter 99 of the Holy Qur’an.
Minister Abdul Bey Muhammad, who is 92 years old, expressed his love, gratitude and thanks to the believers, to Minister Farrakhan and to Mother Khadijah Farrakhan.
“All of the believers of Monroe, Louisiana, I want to thank you for continuing what we started, how you have stood up through the years and Allah has blessed you with the Number 99,” he said via Zoom. “Just think, your number is Number 99. From nothing, to now something. All praise is due to Allah!”—Submitted by Student Minister Verbon Muhammad, Mosque No. 99
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