Halimah Adilah Muhammad was born into this world on October 14, 1985, becoming the youngest of four siblings, to parents Siddiqu and Aesha Muhammad. She was an influential and bright young woman who loved life, her family and those she served.
Late last year, Halimah succumbed to stage three breast cancer which had spread to her kidneys, bones, liver, and lungs. She passed away on November 23, 2023.
Halimah’s diagnosis on January 18, 2017, would be the second time the family would battle cancer. Her father, Siddiqu, passed away from pancreatic cancer several years prior. During her battle, Halimah completed six rounds of chemotherapy, the last one on July 17, 2017. However, in January 2020, Halimah was re-diagnosed with an aggressive form of metastatic breast cancer.
She faced her challenges head-on.
Throughout her life, once Halimah set a goal for herself, she made her mind up to complete that goal. Halimah received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Howard University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Washington, D.C. During her time at Howard, she joined the Howard Bison Cheerleading Team, and became captain.
In 2019, she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Halimah was a Muslim and was part of the extended family of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, son of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
“Halimah was the youngest sibling and she was the baby of the family, so it was a lot, hearing of her diagnosis,” said her only sister, Ayanna Muhammad.
“Our father had also passed away of cancer, pancreatic cancer. I was at work when Halimah called and told me of her diagnosis, and I said to her ‘We’re going to deal with this, we’re going to beat this.’ She was so young, maybe 30 , 31,” said Ayanna.
“I get frustrated with insurance companies because most of the time, they tell you that you don’t need a mammogram until you’re 40 years old. She was 31. So, by their standards, she wasn’t supposed to have a mammogram. These types of things make me frustrated with the system,” Ayanna said.
Halimah’s cancer battle and other information about her life is chronicled on goham.info where she shared photos, including one with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and details about her journey. Her mother, Aesha, in an email to The Final Call, credited Minister Farrakhan and his National Assistant Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad with “walking this journey with us.”
Those who love Halimah desire to keep her legacy and memory alive and to work to touch the lives of others like she did.
“I live in Atlanta, so soon after she passed, I came back home and thought about what I could do in her memory. Based on everything she had gone through, I just thought about situations that could have been done better. In her memory, I created goHAM Foundation. HAM are the initials of Halimah’s name. I feel like with cancer patients, a lot of times insurance, jobs, and medical professionals don’t know them on a human level,” Ayanna explained.
“This is an opportunity to create a foundation that can help cancer patients and their families. Insurance does not cover all the medicine, so we pick up the slack. Education is a major component of goHAM Foundation. Insurance companies are going to tell you one thing, but no, this is your body, you need to listen to it.
Breast cancer can go undetected for a long period of time, and those exams are needed before the recommended age. Our foundation will assist cancer patients with rent, car payments, pet care, insurance information, childcare payments, and more,” Ayanna explained.
Halimah was a 12th-grade teacher,and mentor who developed bonds with the youth she encountered. “I want to thank the teacher of the year for being there for me like a second mother! I appreciate you for everything. I’m going to miss you dearly. If there was a reward for you that explains it all, I would give it to you. I love you to the fullest, I can’t imagine how my high school experience would have been without you.
Thank you truly. Once again, she did everything for her students even while she was battling her sickness. Just know I’m forever grateful for your presence,” one of her former students posted on social media after Halimah’s death.
Another student posted on Facebook, “Rest well, you were such an amazing person inside and out. One of the best teachers I ever had.”
Halimah’s brother Siddiqu, shared pictures and videos, showing not only their sibling bond, but that they were best friends. “I love my sister and she will always be a part of me. I’m grateful for the time we had together,” he stated. For more information, visit thegoham.org.
