[Editor’s Note: The following contains edited excerpts from the “Morning National Prayer Commemorating the 90th Birth Anniversary of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan” held at 5:00 a.m. Central Time on May 11, 2023. Prayers were recited and offered by Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to Minister Farrakhan; Brother Sultan R. Muhammad, Student National Imam of the Nation of Islam, Yosef Ben Asiel Ben Israel, son of Nasik (Prince) Asiel Ben-Israel, the Prime Minister and International Ambassador of The Original African Hebrew Israelite Nation Worldwide and Rev. Al Sampson of Fernwood United Methodist Church. To listen to this message in its entirety visit, media.noi.org.]

(L-R) Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, Student Imam Sultan Muhammad, Brother Yosef Ben Asiel Ben Israel, Rev. Albert Sampson

Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad: Peace and blessing forever be with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Thank you so much brothers and sisters on behalf of the Executive Shura Executive Council of the Nation of Islam for joining us this morning for a special prayer service commemorating the 90th Anniversary Birth of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

We are so happy, brothers and sisters, that the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the family of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, friends, sympathizers, and supporters for coming together this morning as we begin the celebration of the 90th Anniversary birth of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. We got up this morning with the rising sun—and in some parts of the country, it’s beginning to rise—to lift the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in prayer.

But, we have special prayers for our beloved Minister and we start with the oft-repeated prayer of the Muslims which is Al-Fatiha, which means, The Opening. Our National Student Imam, Brother Sultan Rahman Muhammad, will begin this morning with our first prayer.

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Student Imam Sultan Muhammad: As-Salaam Alaikum. Bismillah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim. Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-‘alamin. Ar-Rahman nir-Rahim. Maliki yaum mid-deen. Iyyaka na’budu, wa iyyaka nasta’een, Ihdenas-seraa-tal musaqeem, Siraatal latheena, an’amta ‘alay-him, Gay-ril maghdoobee ‘alay-him, Walad daaleen. Amin.

Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad: Brothers and sisters, the translation of that prayer in English is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the Beneficent, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Requital. Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help. Oh Allah, Guide us on the right path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not the path of those upon whom Your wrath is brought down nor of those who go astray. Amin

Brothers and sisters, for unto us a child was born, and a son was given on this day May 11, 1933, by God, to the Black man and woman of America and suffering humanity. He is Wonderful, Counselor and the Prince of Peace. He has served and is serving and will continue to serve the Everlasting Father and Mighty God.

We are extremely grateful beyond words to you Brother Minister, for your sacrifice, your dedication and immeasurable matchless love. We can never thank you enough, and there’s nothing we could give you to express our gratitude. You opened our eyes and gave us life and hope. You’ve given us strength and courage. You have guided us to the right path of Allah.

So the best gift, I guess, we could give you is to live the life of righteousness you taught us to live, that you have been the excellent example of, and for us to be good men and good women and be the doers of good unto others, and to serve the cause of Allah in the establishment of freedom, justice and equality, and to love one another as you have loved us.

I want to say on this momentous occasion, brothers and sisters, that when our Saviour Master Fard Muhammad came, He was wearing two hats, looking for two men to make and anoint to fulfill what the prophet Zacharias saw in his dream of two olive trees that God explained to him represent two anointed ones who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.

And it’s interesting that these two witnesses are spoken of in the 11th chapter of the Book of Revelation and the number 11 are two ones—one number one, followed by another one—twins if you will. When you see one you see the other. For Allah tells us in the Qur’an that He creates everything in pairs.

So, Revelation 11 tells us that these two witnesses of God will be given extraordinary power and they will prophesize before and during the great tribulation and the Day of the Lord. They will come to warn the world to repent. And during their preaching, the scriptures says they will call for plagues and punishment for disobedience to God’s Law and that they will do work never before done.

We bear witness in the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan that the work that they have done is a work never before done in the annals of history. These two men have opened the eyes of the blind and have made the deaf to hear. They have raised the dead to life. They have taught us how to eat to live, and they have announced to the world God’s Judgment and have made the reality of God known. They have revealed the Devil, Satan, the man of sin, the son of perdition.

These two anointed men that are mentioned in the scriptures of the Bible are talking about the “Mahdi” of the Muslims and the “Messiah” of the Christians. And both Mahdi and Messiah in Islam are expected to be together at the end of the present world. These two men are fulfilled in the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Before our Saviour Master Fard Muhammad left … this special child was born out of the longing and the yearning of our people. Allah put His hand on the womb of the Minister’s mother. And this child was prepared and destined, pre-determined by the Determinator, God Himself. And he would be to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the helper that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad would need in order to complete and fulfill His mission.

So, Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an to reverence the womb that bore you. So, we honor this day his blessed mother, Mother Sumayyah Farrakhan. She was instrumental in his preparation and development, and we are so grateful for Mother Sumayyah and we thank Allah for that sacred womb that has brought Minister Farrakhan into the world.

As I said he was made to be the great helper of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad for Master Fard Muhammad gave him to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad like Aaron was given to Moses to be his spokesman, to be his representative, his mouthpiece.

The Minister was given to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to share his task and ease his affair and to make the message that God put in his mouth and the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad clear and understandable so that the people could not say they didn’t understand.

So, we are blessed beyond words, beyond imagination. And if anyone does not understand who we have, who we have been listening to, who we have been looking at; Jesus said it best: Examine my works for my works testify of me. Ninety years, a blessed life; a life full of trials, a life full of pain, a life full of rejection but a life full of love. A life of sacrifice for the greater good of Allah in life that has personified love; the love of God for us. The Nation of Islam is here because of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Today we rejoice, we celebrate, and we give thanks that this day May 11 is one of the Nation of Islam’s official Holy Day holidays to be celebrated and observed every single year. So, brothers and sisters, joining us this morning are two very close friends of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam:

Brother Yosef Ben Asiel, he is the son of the late Prince Asiel Ben Israel, May Allah Be Pleased, of this Hebrew Israelite community; and the Reverend Albert Sampson, a disciple of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and pastor of Fernwood United Methodist Church. We wanted to make this prayer service an ecumenical one that represents the great, great work of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in our community and how many lives he has touched in our community and of course throughout the world.

Brother Yosef Ben Asiel Ben Israel: Shalom Alaikum. As-Salaam Alaikum. Peace and Blessings be to each and every one of you. First and foremost, giving all honor and praise to the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, that One who has given us all the Breath of Life and the Sustainer of that breath.

I just want to say how grateful I am to share this space and time with our Beloved Minister, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan.

Now for my prayer in English:

Lord of the Universe who reigned before anything was created at the time with His Will, all things were made. In His name proclaim King and after all things shall cease to be, the Awesome One will reign alone. He was, He is, and He shall be in Glory. He is One and there is no other to compare to Him, to consort with Him, without beginning, without end.

Power and Dominion belong to Him. He is my God and my ever-living Redeemer. The strength of my lot in time of distress, He’s my better and my refuge. My portion on the day I call into His hand I will entrust my spirit when I sleep and when I wake. And with my soul my body too, the Lord is with me and I shall not fear.

That prayer, as I close out, is so important to me because it is my fervent prayer that Almighty God continues to bless this divinely guided man, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan; the true embodiment and personification of love and obedience. It is that one that God has truly tested. It is that one that the world sought to destroy and take the very life of. But because of those Two who are backing him—Almighty God and His Messenger the Exalted Christ, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad—he was not touched.

And it is also my fervent prayer this day that the world knows that we know who our teacher and leader is. We know who that Jesus that Scripture who spoke about 2,000 thousand years ago was 2,000 thousand years too early. And he is amongst us now. So, to the whole world, let them know that not just the Hebrew nation who loves and reveres and respects and honors our dear Minister; but the whole Black Nation must stand up so that we protect this man and that we follow this man and allow all Mighty God not just to shine His light on him but through him so that we can be illuminated to the true knowledge of self. Amin.

Rev. Albert Sampson: God bless to all of you and to the brothers and sisters of two nations that are one: the Nation of Islam and the Hebrew Nation. And I come to you, especially to our young people, in the time of a critical race theory where there are forces that are watching, explain to the world that we have no history, we have no legacy.

So, on his birth date, this sacred day of May 11, I join Brother Ishmael and go into Isaiah the 9th Chapter the 6th verse in my prayers. Good morning God. Thank you for waking us up clothed in our rightful minds. Thank you for bringing us into the world that you created and handed to us as a responsibility to make it right and to make it righteous.

For unto us a son was given and we praise you God for that son, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad on one side and on the other side of the coin, the reality, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was given to us—his people to be upon our shoulders ministers of God—90 years ago. And he has become to us what Isaiah prophesized, he’s been a wonderful counselor, he’s been an everlasting and will always be an everlasting father. He’s been our Prince of peace, our eternal brother, and our leader because our time under God is now.

So, I want to thank you, Brother Minister, for trusting me as I trusted you. Thank you for this moment. We love you and we will always love and appreciate you.

Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad: We thank you for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and we say this prayer. Oh Allah, grant to Muhammad the means, the greatness and high honor, and exalt him to that most exalted place which you have promised him, verily thou never breaketh thy promise.

Let us all say together, Amin … All praise is due to Allah!

We hope that our beloved Minister has joined us this morning and has accepted our prayers, our thanksgiving. We love you, Brother Minister, and Insha’Allah (God-willing) we look forward to seeing you, being in your presence. If you’re on the call and wish to say anything we, of course welcome you. And if not, Insh’Allah we will hear you and see you Allah-willing tonight.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan:

Bismillah, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim. I am so honored for this morning’s prayer service welcoming, Brother Yosef and the Rev. Al Sampson, and those words that all of you spoke. … Thank you so much. I pray that Allah will bless all of us this day to walk safely in a dangerous community and go safely back to your homes or to your places of work or wherever you’re going. And I look forward to seeing you at Mosque Maryam this evening, Insha’Allah.

As-Salaam Alaikum.