JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
The word context means: “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.”
I intend to end this series with the next one and my reason for them, Allah willing.
In Farrakhan The Traveler 33-43 I wrote, “I recall in April the following year, which was 1958, it might have been the very first part of the month. In fact, it was the first part of the month, Minister Malcolm told us of a need for four volunteers, in the F.O.I.
The fifth man had already been selected as the minister for Los Angeles. He sent out there one of the assistant ministers, a brother by the name of Henry as his assistant minister to be the minister in Los Angeles, California.
The mosque had not been built yet. There were people who wrote the Honorable Elijah Muhammad letters requesting him to give them the teachings and to send them someone who would guide them into that which he had taught them and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had sent Minister Malcolm there a few times, and he evidently had instructed Minister Malcolm to get volunteers.”
So Minister Malcolm had picked Brother Henry to be the minister. Then he asked for volunteers to be sent to Los Angeles.
I was one of four who volunteered on a Monday. I immediately raised my hand and that Friday, or rather it was Saturday morning, the four of us were in a car on our way straight across America from New York City to Los Angeles, California. That began that. We stopped in Chicago first, and Brother Adam taught that Sunday.
We had a wonderful meal at the Muslim restaurant, the Nation’s restaurant after the mosque meeting that Sunday, and I recall the Supreme Captain, Raymond Sharrieff coming over to us and giving to us as a gift from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, money to purchase four brand new tires, which we were “knocked out” over that. The next day we bought the tires and we hit the road for the rest of the trip–nonstop.
I was in Los Angeles a total of, again, 23 months. Then, I moved to Chicago, Illinois. I’m skipping obviously, over very, which were to me, very significant events.
Now I’m in Chicago again. March, April and May, and during the last two weeks in May 1960, I was blessed and privileged to have dinner and coffee during certain mornings and dinner with him at certain nights several times.
I learned several things, one of which was that I had made a “mistake,” in his eyes, walking away from a post that I didn’t even know I had.
He (the Honorable Elijah Muhammad) said to me, well I’ll describe it like this. Let me take it with a little bit more details, because, I want to lead up to May 29th, and 30th of 1960. I was sitting in the restaurant on a day during a lunch break.
I was actually painting a few blocks away from our restaurant, in Chicago. I had taken a break to have coffee for myself and just be to myself for a few minutes.
Then a sister came over to me, and asked me a couple of questions. I don’t recall her name right now. But I wish I could think of her name and thank her in this article, publicly.
Now without going into the details, I was beat up on, being “beat up” on by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in different ways, through that two and a half month period for something I didn’t understand, at that time.
I was sitting there drinking coffee and this same sister came over to me, she asked me some questions from the Holy Qur’an and the Bible.
I don’t recall the questions now, but I recall giving her my answers. It had something to do with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad though, of course, and I recall simply giving her Surah’s and verses of where she could read this and that, certain versions concerning him–the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I don’t quite recall the questions.
I don’t recall all the scriptures in the Holy Qur’an and the Bible I gave to her, except for one. I do remember, Chapter 4, verse 80, and whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allah.
She thanked me and she went about her business and I thought no more of it.
The next day, I was finishing up this painting job. I just had a cup of coffee and was reading something. My sister came over to me–the same sister–and she told me that, she thanked me for what I had given her the day before. She told me she had shown these passages to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
I was surprised and a bit nervous. She told me that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad liked them. Then she said that the son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad–Elijah Muhammad Jr. was a few doors down at the bakery and wanted to see me.
So again I was nervous. I finished my coffee and went down there and went in and he told me that his father–the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, wanted me to call him. So I did, and I was nervous. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad spoke so beautifully to me on the phone.
Such the opposite of the “head whippings” that I had been receiving by him (or through others) for something I didn’t understand, at that time.
Then the Honorable Elijah Muhammad invited me to his home for coffee and in fact he said on the phone that he would send me to any city I wanted to go to.
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Now please study the words of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in the book Closing The Gap Inner Views of The Heart, Mind & Soul of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
More next issue, Allah Willing.
