JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
The way, or road to self–offered by both the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan–is a straight path, in terms of integrity. It includes such factors as the utmost sincerity and the most worthy purposes. However, it also contains that which only seems to be indirection (also called ironies, or better, paradoxes). Despite all of this, it is the shortest path and the most direct route for us to get to God and self. In this sense it is the straight path that seems crooked only to us who are, at the present time, simply unaware or ignorant of the ways of Allah, or are too crooked to see straight.
However, as it was with Moses, who came upon events or sit-uations, which his limited knowledge and experiences did not permit him to grasp, so it is with us. These events, situations (and the consequences of same) were produced by the God Who guided the one with whom he traveled. So, it is with those (the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan) with whom we travel. The former was guided by God right to Himself. The latter is guided and backed by both.
The actions of the teacher, were rejected by the student who only thought he understood that which he saw. The student re-coiled indignantly, and even in horror, at some of the actions of his teacher. Finally, at the third event, he was thoroughly puzzled.
In none of the three instances given, in the passage we are looking at, would Moses have acted as his teacher did. He indi-cated that he would have acted very differently. He didn’t have this teacher’s knowledge nor insight. He, therefore would have handled those situations differently. And he would have ob-tained terrible results!
Yet, remember, Moses started out by strongly telling his teacher (at the beginning of their relation-ship) that he would not disobey him in anything, regardless. The text shows us that Moses did not anticipate what lay ahead. He did not foresee that which was in the future. He did not see deep enough into the present, so he could not see well into the future.
However, at the root of his problems, with his teacher, was shallow knowledge of his teacher, and the principles he was acting on, in these incidents. Moreover, he did not have enough faith. If he had seen deep enough, into his teacher, he would have had the faith to travel properly with his teacher.
He suffered from insufficient faith in his teacher. That was the key to properly following his teacher: faith. The deeper one can see, into people, and into the events, situations and the circum-stances that people produce, the further into the future, or into the consequences, or results (of actions and events people pro-duce) one can foresee. The student, (Moses) did not trust his teacher as he thought he did and should have. The student thought he saw what his teacher did not see; or, he thought he saw better than his teacher. He didn’t.
Moses’ teacher, according to the testimony of Allah, was a very special man. Allah had also granted special knowledge, to this man, and an understanding deep enough that this special man was enabled to act with the wisdom of Allah Himself. In effect, the teacher of Moses, at that stage of his life, (the teacher’s) and at least in those circumstances, acted exactly as God wanted him to act. He acted for God. He acted as God would have acted. He acted as God in those circumstances. So, rejection of him–at least in those instances in which Moses rejected him–was rejection of God. Such rejection produces blindness, or if we are already blind, we can’t gain sight, as long as we con-tinue to reject that which produces sight.
The wise man was able to do as he did, because he was filled with God’s spirit. His student (Moses) did not see as his teacher did, so he did not see into what his teacher did. Where the teacher had insight, the student had short-sight. Therefore, when he saw his teacher do things he would not have done–due to his limited grasp of right and wrong–he condemned his teacher as evil.
Notice, Moses did not question his teacher for understanding from and of the teacher. He did not ask him anything. He raised no questions in the proper manner. And if he had, given his state of mind, it would not have been for wisdom, but for confirmation of what he (the student) already thought and felt, which was based on a short, narrow, and limited knowledge. Remember, Moses’ views were not rooted in the wisdom that was in the teacher, which he claimed that he sought from his teacher.
“Moses” only saw what he imagined to be the case with his teacher. In other words despite the fact that he desired to travel with and learn from his teacher, he was still predisposed to think, feel and act on the base of “wisdom” which he brought to this new relationship with his teacher. He still was leaning on that which he claimed was leaving, even as he traveled for-ward with his teacher to gain what he had. So, he charged his teacher with evil motives and with doing evil. He had a quick mouth borne of impatience, narrow thinking, tunnel vision, and shallowness of sight.
You doubt? Look at the text! Read it! The more differently Moses thought the situations should have been handled, the more violent was his condemnation of his teacher. Again, the words of Moses, when he condemned his teacher, showed that he considered his views of good and evil as sufficient–at least in contrast to his teacher’s view. Could this be the reason that he did not really question his teacher for understanding?
Let us think deeply, as we consider these simple illustrations. Two men are walking down the street. One knows where they are going. The other doesn’t. The first one knows how to get there. The other doesn’t. The first one knows the full reason for their trip. The other doesn’t.
OK, then, with respect to this journey, is the one who does not know as, or like, the one who knows? Do they see the same? Suppose the one who does not know decides to set out on a path of his own making? What are the chances they will arrive at the same destination? Not much? Does knowledge enable one to “see”? If so, what kind?
If the Nation of Islam is not going to fall again, we must follow the Honorable Elijah Muhammad through the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan better than we followed the Honorable Elijah Muham-mad. We will.
More next issue, Allah willing.
