[Editor’s note: The following edited article is from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s address during the ‘We Are At War’ Saviours’ Day Youth Summit, held in The Grand Ballroom of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, February 24, 2023.]
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.
Thank you, thank you. I love you, with all my heart. I thank Allah (God) so much for allowing me the privilege to be a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and to love him, and The God he represents, above all of creation; and to offer him my life, and every aspect of my being. And this is why he sat me in his seat; because he knew that I loved him, he knew that I loved The God Who raised him.
He knew that I loved you, the people of Allah’s choice—and he also knew that I would give my life to see the freedom of our people and the relief of humanity from the grip of Satan. I greet you all with the greeting words of peace: As-Salaam Alaikum.
›First, to Brother Minister Ishmael Muhammad and to the co-host of the plenary session, Jaleela Muhammad, and to all of you who spoke so eloquently, so beautifully, so inspiring: To me, as a young man … Not that I’m “young,” but you have made me to feel so good; because when I saw you, when I listened to you, when I observed you, you lifted my spirit!
And you made me to know that the sacrifices that those who have gone before you, that have made The Nation of Islam what it is: That you stand on their shoulders. And because of what I heard today, as I said in the subject matter (for Saviours’ Day 2017): “There is No Fear for The Future! The Future is Ours!”
Beloved, the devil wants you. He needs you to give him hope that he has more time. But from what I saw and heard today? He can take that hope off the table! I am so proud of all that spoke. I am so proud of the grip that you have on the word, and I am so proud of the grip that the word has on you! I am honored to be your brother, and I am honored to be one who is The Chief Helper of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who was given by Master Fard Muhammad the hardest job ever given to any man that ever lived!
‘I was born, made, for the task of sharing in my Teacher’s burden’
One day, when I was the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s minister in New York, he sent for me (to come to Chicago); and when I got to 4847 S. Woodlawn Avenue, he said: “Brother, my head pains me at night; I feel sometimes like I’m going to have a stroke. I called you here to give you some of my burden.”
I didn’t know what he meant. So, I was waiting, after coffee, for him to lay out, you know, the “burden” that he wanted to give me; and after a few more minutes, he said: “Well, thank you very much for coming, brother. You may return to New York City.” Sometimes, when a wise man is talking to you with wisdom, you don’t always understand it at first; so I went back to New York, a little perplexed.
But in reading the Holy Qur’an, in Surah 20, “Ta Ha,” God is talking to His servant Moses, and Moses is praying to his God for a “helper”; and in his prayer, Moses said these words: “O Allah! Loosen the knot in my tongue, that they may understand my word. And make him to share my task; strengthen me by his hand.”
Well, 44 years later, the task that he gave me is you, is a nation of 50,000,000, and a world of 4,400,000,000. “Is that part of your task?” Yes. “What must you do to bring the world to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad?” One day, he was telling me of my value to him, and he started with “a mound of gold and diamonds.” Well, that’s pretty valuable.
The next time, he told me: “You are more valuable to me than a thousand airplanes, and a thousand sheep on every plane.” I said, “Wow, that’s big!” But on the third time, he said: “You are more valuable to me than all the wealth that is in the earth. I met that wealth when I came here and I will leave it when I am gone, but through you I will get all of my people.”
I want you to think about that. One man—you’re looking at him—born of a woman, grew up in hell; longing for him; loving God; coming to The Nation. And when I heard the word, the first time I heard it, I was critical of his command of English.
Saviour’s Day, February 1955, his subject was “A Saviour is Born for The Black Man and Woman of America”: I was in the balcony at 5335 S. Greenwood Avenue, and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said: “Brother, I did not get that mighty fine education that you got; when I got to the school door, it was closing. So I don’t want you to pay no attention to how I’m sayin’ it, you pay attention to what I’m sayin’, and then you take it, and put it in that fine language that you know. Only try to understand what I am saying.”
I became a follower, like you; I was just 22 years of age. And my first day in the F.O.I., when I had a chance to speak I broke down as I was talking, and I told my brothers in the F.O.I. (it was about 60 of them at that time): “I’m going to take the word of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to every nook and cranny in the United States of America!”
Now, I just woke up! But I gave my word. Brothers and sisters, you all spoke so well today, but it does not mean that you are what you said until and unless you have been tried by your word! I don’t sit before you like a man that has not been tried, and I don’t sit before you as a man not willing to be tried again.
The Messiah is in your midst
I ask myself over and over again: “Why, Dear Apostle, did you say that I am more valuable to you than all the wealth that is in the Earth?” “Why, Dear Apostle, did you say, ‘Take that Crescent out of your Flag; it stands for “equality,” and you have no equal!’” Now listen to me, I’m not bragging, I’m not boasting; I’m telling you what God said—the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad has already become the mouth of God!
In 1958, as a new minister of his, I had his picture plastered all over the city of Boston because he was coming to speak (“Muhammad Comes to Boston!”). At the table, he looked at me and he said, “Brother, everywhere I looked I saw myself! Brother, one day they’re gonna do the same thing for you.”
How far-seeing was Elijah Muhammad, to tell me when I was first in his presence, as he shook my hand: “You remind me of David”? I didn’t know what he was talking about. I went home and studied David. David is the prototype of The Messiah!
“The Messiah”: The whole world has been looking for The Messiah… And I was looking for him, too! No, I mean, I’m just being truthful to you; I didn’t know who he was. I’m looking, too. And then The Messenger, one day, he looked at me… I mean, he is such a great teacher, so wise: He knew all about me before I knew anything about myself, and he gently led me, lovingly led me (“Come this way. Come! Come on…”)—and when I ended up conscious of where he had led me to, I was at The Cross.
How did Jesus bring the world to his father? He gave his life on a cross of suffering, when his people had turned away from him, when his people chose a thief, Barabbas, rather than the man who had done so many wonderful miracles among them! He gave his life. And when he looked at his betrayers, who said they loved him, and one-by-one they all walked away.
Even Peter, his chief disciple, when he was asked, “Aren’t you that man? I saw you with that man!” (“Uh, no, I… I don’t know that man!!”)… It’s something to be a hypocrite; it’s something to say from your mouth what is not in your heart!! Because if you say it from your mouth, and it is in your heart, every day of your life you’ll be proving your word!
“Damn! I mean, Farrakhan, your voice is very strong today!” You inspired me. Because it is you that I live for, and it is you that I will die for. When I say to you “I love you,” don’t say to me “I love you more”—you don’t have it in you to love me “more” than God has made me to love you!
‘We will be tried by our words’: Young Muslims, study The Examples before you toknow meaning of true love, sacrifice
To the youth of The Nation of Islam: I wanted to come out and see you. I could have been in the suite, like I was at the Laborers’ meeting, talking from a nice room. But not to you: I wanted to come out, because when I look at you, I see why my suffering has been worth it.
This has not been an easy road for me, because I am in the footsteps of the man we all love, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. But if you don’t love deep enough to want to see your people free; if you don’t love deep enough to clean your life up to make your life a recipient of His Mind and Spirit, then you need to learn what “love” is.
Our Father, Elijah Muhammad, showed us the meaning of love. He lived it every day that he was among us; through prison time, being chased by hypocrites, because he began to teach them Who that Man was that taught him. They called Him “Prophet Fard.”
Elijah knew that we were being visited by God… You know how when you know something, and you can’t “sit on it,” you want to tell somebody? The Messenger of God was out there trying to “sneak it in” on the people “Who” this Man is. “Who is this Man?” And The Saviour called him up, and said: “Brother, I don’t want you telling the people that about Me. Wait. Wait until I am gone. And when I’m gone, you can begin to tell the people Who I Am.”
Damn! There is so much in his life to think about. He’s so obedient to Master Fard Muhammad. And I can tell you the truth, I pride myself in obeying everything he asked me to do—except one thing. What’s that “one thing”? He said, “I want you to master eating one meal a day. And when you have mastered that, then I want you to eat once every other day. And when you have mastered that, I want you to eat once every three days, and I want you to stay there for the rest of your life.”
(I haven’t done that yet. I did the one meal a day; I did the one meal every other day… I fasted three days, I fasted seven days, I fasted 10 days, I fasted 12 days, I fasted 40 days.)
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad wanted to make me a spiritual teacher, but he never took me aside. But there was another One guiding me… You didn’t hear me. At a certain point in my development, listen to his words: “Brother, I did not make you.” That was like stabbing me with a knife. I don’t know nobody else! I said, “Oh, yes you did!” (I even raised my voice.) And he said:
“No, I did not make you, brother.” Pay attention to his next words: “I never took you aside to teach you nothing of the prophecies that The Saviour taught me. I gave you the same thing I gave everybody else!” And then he said, “Only Allah could have shown you how to place the Teachings like you do. No, brother, I did not make you! Allah made you for me.”
(I have to make this short, because I told them I’m going to behave myself today. But to tell you the truth, it’s your fault (smile)! It’s your fault, because you all brought all of this out of me by the way you were bearing witness to The Greatness of Master Fard Muhammad and The Honorable Elijah Muhammad!)
Jesus said it like this: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. If you believe in me,” in words, “you will find eternal life.” Our Father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad: He knew that I would die for this Mission. He understood it. It took me time to understand it. (Let me close. That isn’t what I wanted to say to you; because He came to me in the night to tell me something for you.)
Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to find your place in God’s kingdom. You all were hitting it today! And some of you hit it right on the head; you didn’t mess around with it. But the sad thing is: We’re going to be tried by our words. Satan’s seeing this, and he is angry, because your words say his end is nigh; because the next generation of Muslims is going to love The Law of God.
And if God has allowed me to represent him after The Nation was gone, and lift his name back up again; and call for a million men (never been done before), and nearly two million came… After witnessing that, did you know that the devils said: “Oh, there he is! We’ve been looking for him, and Elijah Muhammad was making him all the time.”
When I say “making me” (I said it to the Laborers yesterday): He told me he is going to “make all of my enemies bow down, and come at my feet, and then you will know that I have loved you!” He is going to do something that proves himself, and me.
“What are you gonna do, Dear Apostle?” “I’m going to prove that my minister is a greater light to the world of man than Satan, his man, the whole of them!” “Now stop a minute! This is crazy talk, man!” If it’s some individual who wants to be a “big shot,” then that’s a “nut”! But when God says it, about what He wants to prove, He is working on the proof as we are sitting here!
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad: He has not made me afraid! I don’t give a skip what power you think he has—I am taught and backed by The Lord of The Worlds and His Exalted Christ! And another name for “Exalted Christ” is Al-Mahdi, “The Crusher of The Wicked.”
How To Win Against Satan: ‘Level up’ your conversations, energize your words using God’s Words
I close with this: Satan wants you. They say: “Farrakhan will soon be 90. Hell, he won’t be around a year long!” You better not say what you don’t know. If I am blessed to go to The Wheel, there’s a whole new life for me there. I’ve done what I was sent to do to earn my ticket!
Here is what Master Fard Muhammad said to me to talk to you about… Brothers and sisters, see, you are young, gifted and Black—but stupid, too, because you do great things and then destroy them by your love for aspects of the White man’s world. Did you see Rihanna at the Super Bowl? (Audience: Yes Sir!) I know. (Smile) “I, uh, I don’t look at no Rihanna!” Shut up. I damn sure was lookin’ at her! “Well, what was you lookin’ for??” I was looking to see. That’s what you “look” for; to measure her growth, her development. She had a baby, and she was pregnant that night. She ain’t the same Rihanna. … …
Now, this is what He wanted me to say to you (although He gave me all these nice words for you, too!); He said: The weight of the world is in the word that He revealed to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Not the weight of this world, the weight of the new world coming in is in that word. Look at this. One day the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad told me: “Brother, when a person is sick and you go to their bedside, and you speak into their ears the word of God, within 8 minutes and 20 seconds you will see a change.”
I was on death row one day, meeting with those who had been condemned either to life imprisonment or death, and I wanted to minister to them, and I met a big strong-looking man, like some of you who go to these workout sessions. (I know I got a grandson that’s like that; and I mean, when you look at him, you say, “Boy, look at that!”)
Some of you that are so physical: You like to look at physical displays of beauty that may cover a world of ugliness. You have to set your eyes on higher goals than the bust size, the hip size of any female. And you, as a female, have to look at more than somebody who is handsome. Yes, this is “the rough side” of this mountain; the “rough side” of this mountain is outer beauty covering inner ugliness.
The real you is not the you that you show up as, the real you is the one that you hide. Some of you love social media, and you just can’t seem to get enough of attention in social media. I love social media, too! But the way I use it? They have taken me off of every platform because they don’t like the way I use what they came up with.
But if you are a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad through me: Why don’t you follow me? Why is it so hard for you to make up your mind to clean yourself up from this nasty woman (or man), this dirty mind, and “Accept your own and be” who? (Audience: “Your Self!”) Hm, y’all said it right. But between saying it right, and doing it right, there is a world. You can mean well, but the road to hell is always paved with “good intentions.” We want you to win. We want you to be pleased with yourself. And if you accept a freak life, you’re a very unhappy person sitting in here with me.
Why are you unhappy? Why are you sad? Why do you cry a lot? Why do you wonder, “Where do I fit in this?” See, it’s because you don’t really know how to be you.
The God, in one of these nights when I really couldn’t sleep well, He told me to talk to you about your level of conversation. Ifyou’re a savage, it’s reflected in your conversation. If you don’t like being around Muslims, who are trying to live the Teachings—and you’ve got your set of savages that you hang out with—then your talk on social media reflects who you are becoming.
Sisters in the M.G.T.: Never show yourself to the world as you do sometimes. You want a man. I don’t blame you; glad you don’t want another woman. But some of us have gone that way, too. Your level of conversation helps you with the strength to win. What do you talk about? Worse, who are you talking about, and why? See, if your conversations are negative; you don’t like this one, so you get on the phone, “Did you see what that so-and-so said?”; and you may use a few “nice words” to talk about your sister, or somebody. That’s a sick level of expression. See, our words…
“Words”: I spoke a lot of words, but the words that I spoke have a level of energy in that word! And I can speak that word, and in eight minutes and 20 seconds, you’re up (“I want to hear more!”). The electrical energy in the word of Allah is the highest energy of any word! So if you don’t read His word, if you don’t converse about His words, then your conversations bring you down instead of bringing you up! I want you to feed your minds better food.
Now, the rappers are rapping, you like the beat, but on that beat is a dirty, nasty word; and when you listen to that, and dance to that, look at your motions. I saw a deaf girl doing Rihanna’s word, and that girl was so into that word; every action that she took had meaning! She studied Rihanna’s words, and then in delivering that word through the medium of sign language, she became the star of that night.
If you transformed your speech pattern… Just try it out! A Man gave us a body of knowledge. I don’t know what you read, I don’t know what you listen to, but I know if you took some time, take the word of Elijah Muhammad found in Message To The Blackman, feed that to your mind, and then get on the phone with your sister and discuss what you read, that conversation is so uplifting, you don’t even know where the time goes! You’ll be up talking all night, and you’ve got to go to work the next morning—but you don’t even feel no way tired, because the energy of the word of God is what will keep you from Satan’s grasp.
You were talking about it (in your plenary session): You know what I am saying is what you’re not doing, but it’s what we should be doing. Because if you want righteousness, you must feed the word of righteousness into your thought process, and it will translate to your actions.
That is what He told me to tell you. Did you get the message? I love you! (And no, no, no! You can’t say “more”!) Be kind and loving to each other. And the best way to live is with the word all in your head, governing your speech; governing how you talk, how you walk, how you live! And then Satan says: “Those are some negroes that we won’t be able to trick.” Don’t let him win. He is a loser.
Thank you for reading these words.
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