Days leading up to the July 3 janazah (Islamic funeral service) for Nation of Islam First Lady, Mother Khadijah Farrakhan, the beloved wife of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
A few brothers and sisters who served as members of her personal security team and executive staff shared their reflections about her impact on their lives. Mother Khadijah was a true giver and deeply passionate about children and their future, they told The Final Call.
Brother Don Enoch Muhammad hardly knew where to begin. “Mother has had a profound impact, not only on me, but on our Nation and everyone that she came in contact with,” he said. A salient lesson that has stayed with him for years came while traveling on the road during Minister Farrakhan’s speaking engagements.
He once walked back into a hotel room without greeting those already inside, and Mother gently corrected him, reminding him to always give the greetings of peace (As-Salaam Alaikum) whenever he entered a room. He also recalled how she cared for the brothers on her detail, always making sure they stopped to eat.
“You had no choice about that. You were going to eat,” stated Bro. Don, who also recognized those believers who served Mother daily in Chicago, who did so, without seeking public acknowledgment. “They care for the Minister and Mother 24/7,” he said. “What we see at an event is only a small part of it.”
Mother Khadijah, he said, was warm, humble, and youthful in spirit. “She was approachable. … We have friends we may never meet, because of Mom’s love and charity,” he continued.
What he will carry forward is her example and work to incorporate the lessons she taught him in his life. “Mother will continue to live in me,” he said.
Bro. Arvence Muhammad drove Mother Khadijah to daily to appointments, family functions, and errands for years, and said her strength and motherhood were never occasional. “That was her DNA. That’s who Allah (God) made her to be, and she never wavered from that,” he stated.
She treated strangers with the same warmth she gave her own family, often giving money to people who had no idea who she was, he recalled. And that love extended to every child she met. “She loved everybody’s children like they were her own. That’s where the Children’s Village came from,” he said.
Once at a short-staffed restaurant, she gave an overwhelmed young waiter, a total stranger, a hundred-dollar bill, and said, ‘I’m giving you this because I love you and I appreciate you.’ “That young man cried. He never met nobody like her. She’s God’s woman, simple as that,” said Bro. Arvence.
The main thing he wants everyone to know is “this time is a hard, difficult time, but Mother Khadijah was always strong through everything Allah allowed her to go through. And Mother Khadijah, she would want us to be strong right now, all of us,” he encouraged.
Sister Jonnita Dockens came to know Mother Khadijah years ago through the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Prostate Cancer Foundation and said working alongside her shaped who she became. “She helped me to be a better woman.
Working with her taught me how to have a servant’s heart,” she said. No matter how involved Mother had been in planning the Children’s Village, she still insisted on touring it in full each time she visited, said Sis. Jonnita.
“She was always in awe of how the village became a reality. … It was a personal moment, because you want to do your best, and to see her excitement every time, it was just like, ‘wow!’” she added.
Sis. Tania Muhammad first became involved with creating activities for the children of The Nation of Islam on a small scale, working alongside fellow teachers at Muhammad University of Islam (M.U.I.) for the Saviours’ Day convention.
Over time, those activities evolved into the organized vision of Mother Khadijah’s Children’s Village. She acknowledged the contributions of those early M.U.I. teachers, including Sister Khallada Farrakhan (Mother Khadijah and Minister Farrakhan’s youngest daughter),
Sister Marlo Muhammad, Sister Adeelah Muhammad, Sister Shahidah Muhammad, and Sister Erika Muhammad, and emphasized how the Children’s Village team has expanded over the years.
The dedication of Mother Khadijah Farrakhan and her hands-on involvement helped build the structure for Mother Khadijah’s Children’s Village. Mother Farrakhan, along with her daughter, Sister Maria, have always been intricately involved in the planning of events.
Each year, activities include Holy Qur’an recitations, Islamic presentations, musical showcases, drill exhibitions, games, toys, puppet shows, educational programming and so much more, Sister Tania explained.
Saviours’ Day, particularly coordinating the Children’s Village with Sister Jonnita Dockens, can be extremely tiring, Sister Tania said. After months of preparation and days of setup, by Saturday she would be exhausted, with her feet throbbing. “But Mother would look at me, wink her eye, and say, ‘Thank you, Sister,’ and it was like my feet just magically stopped hurting,” she recalled with a laugh.
“It was like magic. When she would give you that wink, that smile, and point that perfectly French-manicured finger at you, it made it all worthwhile because I knew that if she was happy, her husband was happy, and ultimately, Allah is pleased,” she said. “That is the goal!”
Recently, during Mother Khadijah Farrakhan’s 90th birthday celebration on November 26, 2025 Sister Tania reflected on the “I Am Mother Khadijah Farrakhan” contest. Although the contest was for young girls 15 and younger, she thought about what she would have said.
Her husband, Brother Hassan Muhammad, serves on the staff of The Final Call in service to Minister Farrakhan. Because of Mother Khadijah’s example, Sister Tania said she knew to tell her children, “Dad is traveling with Minister Farrakhan right now.”
She added that she knew how to endure with sometimes limited resources, following the example of Mother Khadijah. The many accounts Minister Farrakhan has shared about Mother Khadijah have always inspired her.
“Although I haven’t reflected her example perfectly, I have a goal. I know what to do because of her. I don’t need any self-help books. I have a real example in my lifetime of an M.G.T. wife, mother, sister, and soldier.”
“She has impacted my life in ways far beyond the smiles, hugs, and thank-yous she gave me for my work with the Children’s Village. She has made me a better Muslim. Her integrity, her grace, her dignity, her love, and her example have permeated my being. I Am Mother Khadijah Farrakhan.”
Sis. Najimah Muhammad served Mother Khadijah for nearly four decades, beginning in security and growing into something far deeper. “She was my mother, my friend, my caretaker. I always felt like I needed to protect her, secure her, make sure all her needs were met.”
She recalled holding Mother’s hand through crowds for years, and being present with her, Mother Winnie Mandela, wife of South African President Nelson Mandela, and other women dignitaries during the historic 1995 Million Man March. It was just good to see her really control the spirit of the room without even trying, she reflected.
Their bond deepened after Sister Najimah’s own mother died in 1992; before passing, her mother spoke with Mother Khadijah by phone and afterward told Sister Najimah simply, “You’re in good hands.” Mother later helped raise her, teaching her how to be a wife and a mother. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her,” she said.
For Sister Dr. Saaudiah Muhammad, Mother Khadijah provided a home away from home. Their bond began after she spent money ordering and receiving her regulation garments as a new Muslim, which she said prompted Mother Khadijah to inquire “who this young sister was.”
Sister Saaudiah said at the time she then explained to Mother Khadijah that her own mother had recently passed, leaving her the money to purchase the garments, and began to cry. “Mother just really went into natural mother mode,” and nurtured her, even throughout college, she said. Mother was so welcoming, and she was free to ask endless questions, she recalled.
Brother’s Vernell Muhammad and Mikal Muhammad also drove for Mother, the former for more than 10 years. She treated them like sons. Especially after he lost his mother during COVID, said Brother Vernell.
Mother left an imprint on everyone she met, regardless of race, and people were routinely stunned to learn her real age given her youthful spirit. “You don’t think about maybe one day they’re not going to be here … it’s very painful,” he said, adding, still, “She represents the spirit of a believer and how we should carry ourselves.”
Brother Mikal reflected on the profound impact she had on his life, describing her as the embodiment of kindness, mercy, and beneficence. “I’m forever grateful to Allah that He allowed me the opportunity to serve the wife of the Messiah, Mother Khadijah.
I’m so thankful for the many memories that I can lean on and share with others on the pure essence and kindness of her heart, because to me, being around her was like being around Allah’s Mercy and Beneficence, because she has such a pure soul,” he stated.
She was always caring, loving, and attentive to the needs of others, especially the brotherhood, he said. Brother Mikal observed that Mother Khadijah was so motherly, always concerned about the brotherhood, and wanting to do something for them, especially feed them.
He recounted memories he cherished, particularly the time he spent driving Mother Khadijah to appointments and errands. He described how she would often make stops, find out how many brothers were at the Michigan Farm, buy treats for them, always thinking of others and showing appreciation for their service.
He felt that every act of service he performed for her, whether driving, running errands, or assisting with her wheelchair, was a blessing and a privilege. Despite his efforts, he humbly felt he could never do enough for someone as great as Mother Khadijah.
“The love I had for Mother Khadijah only increased the more I got to know her on a personal level and the more I got to serve her,” said Bro. Mikal. “I didn’t feel that I was even worthy enough to serve the Messiah, but Allah allowed me to serve him and his family.
So, what I did is I just did my best in trying to be a good servant and a good helper to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Mother Khadijah and the Farrakhan family,” he continued.
Brother Mikal highlighted Mother Khadijah’s role as a perfect example of a wife, mother, sister, soldier, and warrior, saying he believes that she was divinely created to be the ideal companion for Minister Farrakhan, helping him fulfill his destiny. “And she’s Mother to us all.”