(The following words were delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to the family members of the great hip hop artist Earl Simmons, who impacted the world through his music and film as DMX, his stage name. The words were spoken in an April 3 telephone conversation as our brother was hospitalized. His highly successful career included an initial studio album in 1998, which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. A multiplatinum-selling artist, he released seven albums, earned three Grammy nominations and was named favorite rap/hip hop artist at the 2000 American Music Awards. He also starred in movies and was featured on film soundtracks. Min. Farrakhan offered a prayer, heartfelt words and pastoral care to the family. The prayers and interaction were desired by the family and was facilitated by Muslims and Uncle Ray Copeland of the Simmons family. At the time of these words Brother Earl Simmons had not departed this life but was on life support. May Allah (God) be pleased with the life and work of our brother, comfort his loved ones and all whose lives were impacted by his great gifts.)
As-Salaam Alaikum. (Peace Be Unto You.)
Those words my dear family are a prayer for Allah’s (God’s) peace to be with us all and at a time like this, Allah’s (God’s) peace is what we need to make it through an hour we have entered.
To Uncle Ray and family, we want our brother to return to us whole though we don’t know what Allah’s (God’s) will is. I don’t want to refer to him by his celebrity name. To all that are gathered together around Brother Earl’s bedside, I don’t know what the Doctors have said to you, Uncle Ray and family.
Doctors know what they know and we respect that but no one can call time on him or us other than He who gave life to him through the womb of his Mother and the life germ of his Father. And he, Brother Earl, is with us today because Allah (God) has brought him forth and only his Creator can call time.
And when the Creator calls time on us, there is nothing for us to do but submit that this is the irrevocable will of Allah (God). His blessed Mother who brought this giant into the world may not have known the time that she was pregnant nor could she call the time of her delivery, she had an idea of time.
But Allah (God) is and has never been absent, He can’t be shut out, He’s present. Brother Earl is His creation; Allah’s (God’s) creation. What we know of Brother Earl, he has been a blessing to us through his talents and gifts that only Allah (God) can give. This is our brother, and this is a man I’ve been personally moved by in his life and in his work with his gift.
He was loaned to the earth but he came from Allah (God), that’s why the scriptures teach us of both Bible and Qur’an; that the Lord is the giver of life and He is the ultimate cause of death.
Oh Allah (God), if Your will is different from our desire of life for him please give us the strength to bear Your will. Knowing that no soul dies but by Your permission; the term is fixed!
If this is the time for Brother Earl to return to Allah (God) we can’t stop it. We must accept it.
I know one day my term will come as all of you that hear the sound of my voice know that one day death will touch us all so the precious gift of life that we now have we owe it to ourselves and to Allah (God) to do the best we can with our lives to make life better for each and every member of the family … but let’s go beyond that.
Our people are suffering and among us, there’s wisdom, there’s skill, so Allah (God) give us the desire to save our people from the destruction You are bringing upon this wicked nation!
Let’s rise up and know there’s time that we have so let’s use our time wisely to clean up our lives and stop allowing death to come through our mouths in the food that we eat and the drinks that we drink and the smoke that we smoke!
Let us clean up our lives and make our lives a living testimony to our gratitude to Allah (God); for our lives and Brother Earl’s life.
Let’s praise Allah (God) for the wonderful work Brother Earl did when he was among us, and elevating the consciousness of the many people he touched. We pray that Allah (God) will keep him in the hearts of all of us that he positively affected. We hope the young rappers will learn from his marvelous approach.
Thank you very much for allowing me this privilege to pray with you, to pray for my Brother Earl and for us. May Allah’s (God’s) peace be with all of us.
As-Salaam Alaikum. (Peace Be Upon You.)
