PLAINFIELD, New Jersey—Traveling from near and far, family, dignitaries and friends gathered in the Rose of Sharon Community Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of Student Minister Abdul Karriem Muhammad—a community pioneer and helper to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in the rebuilding effort of the Nation of Islam. The service and janazah were held on May 30.
After decades of noble service, Bro. Karriem made his return to Allah (God) on May 17 at the age of 87. While his return to Allah has been made, the impact of Bro. Karriem’s leadership and contributions remain deeply rooted in the lives of those he touched.
As testimonies of Bro. Karriem’s long-lasting impact, his celebration of life ceremony consisted of remarks from some of the countless family members, believers, dignitaries and friends he impacted. The service also featured a welcoming prayer and Qur’anic reading, acknowledgements, and a reading of the obituary.
Student Minister and Student Imam Abdul Salaam Muhammad of Baltimore’s Mosque No. 6, brought the ceremony to a close with a reading of a letter from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. “I, Louis Farrakhan, am honored to have known this brother as not only a helper and a minister to me, but also a friend,” said Minister Farrakhan in his letter.
“I, as well as you who are present were touched by this man and his sincere commitment to Allah, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and myself. The thought of rebuilding the work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad started in Chicago.
But the building of a new Nation of Islam began with this brother in the City of Plainfield, New Jersey,” continued Minister Farrakhan’s letter. Minister Farrakhan said he shall always remember Bro. Karriem and give honor to his name for the work that he did to help him rebuild the Nation of Islam.
“His birth will live long after his body returns to the earth and decays over time. What he is and was, can never be placed in a grave. His work should be remembered, honored and duplicated, so that it will be a continuation of his life. A life well lived, a job well done,” Minister Farrakhan.
“He was a man that was respected. He lived a life that made a difference, and he will always be remembered for the mark that he made on this city [of Plainfield], on other cities, and on the lives of so many people,” Mayor Adrian O. Mapp of Plainfield said during his remarks at the ceremony.
“It was important for me to come because not only was he dear to me, but he was dear to my family—my father, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Mother Khadijah, all my brothers and sisters, we have history together from the start. He’s like a second father to me,” Sister Khallada Farrakhan, daughter of Minister Farrakhan and Mother Khadijah, told The Final Call.
Following the ceremony, a motorcade escorted Bro. Karriem’s remains to Hillside Cemetery, where Student Minister, Student Imam Abdul Salaam Muhammad, performed a prayer and his loved ones laid him to rest.
Those who were impacted by Bro. Karriem’s work as a helper to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan reflected on his life.
“His strength, his personality, his overwhelming capacity to love unconditionally, served to lay strong foundational stones that we stand on today. Every Believer in this Nation, particularly those of us on the East Coast, owes a debt of gratitude to this wonderful soldier,” Student Minister Michael Muhammad of Plainfield’s Mosque No. 80 told The Final Call.
“His thought was always in the community, he was always thinking of what he could do to help,” Plainfield’s Student M.G.T. and G.C.C. Captain Deanna Muhammad said while reflecting on the ways Bro. Karriem encouraged her to continue her work as a student laborer over 19 years ago.
However, Bro. Karriem’s encouraging work in the Nation of Islam goes back much further. Following the departure of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975, Bro. Karriem became a pivotal figure in assisting Minister Farrakhan with the rebuilding efforts of the Nation of Islam. Then known as Minister Linward X, he served as a trusted helper to Minister Farrakhan in working along the East Coast.
Student Minister Abdul Karriem Muhammad was born Agurs Linward Cathcart Sr., on December 8, 1937, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to James Cathcart and Bever Carden. When he was just 8 years old, his family relocated to Plainfield, New Jersey.
While in Plainfield, Bro. Karriem owned and operated the African Queen Snack Bar, where the community would gather in a safe, home environment.
Additionally, he also held significant leadership roles to lead in the advancement of the youth, such as Community Action Director of Head Start, Associate Director of the Urban League and Director of Freedom House for Youth for Action Movement.
As an acknowledgement of his great work, he was given the name Abdul Karriem Muhammad, which means “Servant of the Noble,” “the Generous,” “One Worthy of Praise,” by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in 1983.
Bro. Abdul Karriem Muhammad’s legacy lives on through his wife of 69 years, Sister Karriemah (Rose-Marie) Muhammad, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, many family members, friends and brothers and sisters in the Nation of Islam.
Final Call Staff Writer Brian E. Muhammad contributed to this report.