“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
It goes without saying that the word, works and legacy of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad would hardly be mentioned in history if not for one man—the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Through the Minister, we see the divine work of Elijah, who, in scripture, demonstrated that God—through Elijah’s works—was in the midst of His people.
As the Minister celebrates his 91st birth anniversary, we see in him the presence of God among His people—the once enslaved Black man and woman of America. It is the Minister’s faith in his Father that has taken him to the pinnacle of success in this world, but also has made him the primary target of Satanic forces who are witnessing the word and works of Elijah manifesting in the collapse of their world.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad spoke of the Minister’s value to him long before he (Elijah) departed. “You are more valuable to me than all the wealth in the earth,” the Father told the son, and also that through the Minister, Elijah would get all of his people.
In that sense, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was given the hardest task than any man before him, a task he passed to Minister Farrakhan: To raise the dead to life.
A contention Biblical scholars have with Elijah and Farrakhan is the interpretation that “the dead” refers to physical death, as expressed when Elijah raised a child and Jesus raised Lazarus. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said it refers to mental and spiritual death, a condition of the masses.
When Minister Farrakhan realized he had departed from his teacher, he reawakened with the help of Minister Jabril Muhammad, in September 1977 and went to work to revive the Teachings. He crisscrossed America, establishing small circles of people in study groups who read the books of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as a foundation of their faith.
In that way, he was manifesting a seed that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad planted in him: “You know, when a seed germinates in the earth, it sends a root down before it sends a chute up,” the Messenger told him.
He Lives!
In 1981, Minister Farrakhan emerged with the first Saviours’ Day convention since the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s departure. Drawing thousands to Chicago, Minister Farrakhan proclaimed to the world that “Elijah Lives”—physically!
That declaration made the Minister a target among those who wanted to erase the Messenger’s name from history. But it didn’t deter his servant. The Minister went to work establishing friends—among them the Black Patrolman’s League in Chicago—officers who would protect him until he got a firm footing and the Fruit of Islam (men in the N.O.I.) could be established..
For the next 30 years, Min. Farrakhan continued to address growing audiences, reawakening the spirit of God in the people through teaching the knowledge of Self. He also set his eyes on repurchasing, rehabilitating, and rededicating lost N.O.I. properties, including the mosque and the homes of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad—and he was successful.
Unlike leaders who are out for personal fortune, Minister Farrakhan invested his personal money to establish The Final Call newspaper and to purchase the Final Call Administration Building before allowing his followers to help raise money to purchase other facilities. He poured honorariums he received for speeches back into the work of the N.O.I.
His national speaking tours included such subjects as “Politics without economics is symbol without substance,” during which he introduced Nation of Islam produced P.O.W.E.R. personal care products. He called for Blacks to own businesses to develop their communities without dependency on others.
Another tour was titled “Stop the Killing,” which called for peace—particularly among so-called youth gangs. His efforts were successful in quelling feuds and saving lives. His works resulted in several meetings, bringing warring factions into the same room and calling on hip-hop artists to produce more conscious-raising lyrics in their songs.
The Nation of Islam is historically known for its militant stance and economic thrust in owning its businesses and farms to produce healthy food for Black communities. In the mid-80s, Minister Farrakhan introduced the first study guide in his now 21-part series, “Self-improvement: The Basis for Community Development.”
The N.O.I. fell with the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. In rebuilding the Nation, Minister Farrakhan works to establish a strong spiritual foundation to complement the militancy needed to secure the institutions developed so the N.O.I. would never fall again.
Leading up to the historic 1995 Million Man March, Min. Farrakhan embarked on a year-long “Men Only” tour, discussing our failures as men and calling us to recommit ourselves to God, our families, and our communities.
Those gatherings and the inspirational messages resulted in the overwhelmingly successful 1995 Million Man March, where two million men heard messages from national male and female leadership on atonement, reconciliation, and responsibility.
The Power of Farrakhan’s enemies
It is said that you can judge a man by the power of his enemies. Minister Farrakhan, throughout his 69 years as a member of the N.O.I., has stood to defend every Black leader who was set upon by the enemy of Black people. Yet, when he wanted to deposit $5 million in a Black-owned bank, some forces encouraged that banker to tell Minister Farrakhan to take the money out.
When the Minister was invited to speak at the 30th anniversary of the March on Washington, the conveners of that meeting— some of whom Minister Farrakhan personally defended in attacks against them—were forced to “disinvite” the Minister.
The question Black people must ask and answer is: Who is this force that has power over Black leadership to dictate who their friends are? And what must our community do with regard to these powers?
Demonstrating the activity of a “free Black man,” Minister Farrakhan has embarked on numerous world tours, seeking to make friends for Black America throughout Africa and the Islamic world. He has even traveled to “sanctioned” countries to demonstrate what freedom indeed looks like.
A legacy of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is one of a Messenger from Allah (God) to resurrect the Black man and woman of America along with a consequential warning from Allah (God) to the Government of dire circumstances for rejecting the warning.
An ongoing legacy of Minister Farrakhan is one of Grace and a continued and expanded warning in a final effort to redeem a people—Black America and the human family—and offer a chance for America and nations of the world to delay the judgment of Allah (God).
In 2013 and over the course of a year, the Minister released a series of lectures titled “The Time and What Must Be Done.” The series sums up the works and messages of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, offering further insight and explanation of the teachings, how they relate to current events, and further warning.
His message of warning intensifies
In recent years, the message of warning has intensified. The Minister’s 2020 Saviours’ Day message was titled “The Unraveling of a Great Nation.” The Minister pointed out America’s wickedness and the nation’s further erosion by acts of those in power who are inciting violence and anarchy.
That same year, as COVID-19 gripped America, the Minister pointed out that the virus is a pestilence from God. His voice against the COVID-19 vaccine influenced thousands to refuse the treatment. The Minister warned that the vaccine was “death itself.” The COVID vaccine has been shown to be injurious and in some cases deadly.
Many anticipated a retirement announcement when Min. Farrakhan disclosed his 2022 Saviours’ Day message as the “Swan Song.” Instead, he announced that it was the Swan Song for the enemies of God and those who choose to continue in unrighteous ways.
The dreaded “War of Armageddon Has Begun” was the Minister’s theme for his 2023 Saviours’ Day address. He pointed out that the war to end all wars is active and that God’s wrath will continue to plague America and the world through increased natural calamities.
If there is a lynchpin for war to be pulled, it may be the current genocide in Gaza as the Zionist state of Israel seeks to annihilate Palestinians under the pretext of going after the territory’s ruling party, Hamas. The Saviours’ Day 2024 message titled “What Does Allah the Great Mahdi and Great Messiah Have to Say About the War in the Middle East?”
painted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being given the “heart of a beast” because he knew of the planned Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Jewish settlers but allowed their deaths to occur anyway.
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.” Is this the beginning of that conflict that will draw America and world powers into that final war?
Through Elijah’s witness, Son and Servant, Minister Farrakhan, America and the world have been warned. At 91 years of age, that warner still stands strong.
Happy birth anniversary, Minister Farrakhan!
