[Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint that was published online on February 4, 2003; and The Final Call will continue to publish articles written by our beloved brother and friend, Minister Jabril Muhammad.]
“Under deceit, the weak minded–who have no understanding … are made prey in the hands of the archdeceiver. This will bring about war as a showdown between the God of righteousness and the God of unrighteousness … . It already has begun.”–The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, from Fall of America, page 190.
One day, in Lansing, Michigan, in 1956, Brother Minister Philbert Omar took a Brother and myself to see a movie. It was “The Ten Commandments.” On our way to his home we stopped and got some ice cream. As we sat at his dinner table, eating that delicious vanilla ice cream, he asked me a question about the movie. It was, “What did you see?” Excitedly, I told him what I saw. In short, I pointed out this, that and the other that I saw in the movie, in terms of the teaching of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
When I finished I looked at him to get a sense of how he graded my answer. I felt my response had earned a high grade. He smiled and turned to the other Brother. He asked him the same question. My Brother described what he saw literally.
Then my Minister looked at me and said that the other Brother answered his question correctly. The other Brother did not interpret what he saw. He got 100. I got 0.
I learned a great lesson that night. First, start with the actual facts. Think. See exactly what is to be seen. Then, and only then should one begin to interpret.
It’s like taking a picture with a camera. First, see what’s really there. Think. Then release the shutter or take the picture. Ideally, we should determine meaning, significance, implications, through accurate interpretation, only after we have the facts. Then, and then only, should we speak or write. This takes time. And practice.
Suppose I could have met the producers, the directors and the actors of that movie, and gave them my interpretation of their movie. Suppose their response was, “Who and what are you talking about? We’ve never heard of Elijah Muhammad. We didn’t have anything like what you are talking about in our minds when we conceived of this movie, all the way through, to its completion and release.” Now, suppose you were in my shoes in this imaginary discussion. How would you look?
Haven’t we made mistakes in our views of persons; of events; of things? What were the origins of our mistakes? Misinterpretations? Were those misinterpretations based on misconceptions? Why were those misconceptions made, in the first place, and how? What are the causes of our misconceptions that lead to our mistakes? I am not referring to errors. Errors develop by a different process. Of course, mistakes can be just as deadly as errors. Nevertheless, they are to be judged differently.
What happens when we learn that we made a mistake? Do we easily discard our mistakes and eagerly claim what’s correct? Big subject.
Nowadays, everybody with a mouth, a pen or computer has something to say and write about everything. But, how many mistakes and errors are made daily, misleading billions?
This world’s “experts” on everything, never get to the root of the universal upheaval of the nations of the earth. Daily changes take place, in every field of human endeavor, at an astounding rate. Humanity seeks understanding. However, the usual explanations fail to really explain.
Aside from the mistakes of many, could it be that the real controllers of the educational process, the media and the other means by which people form their views, work hourly deliberately concealing the truth from the majority?
Slander and libel are more widespread than ever before in history. These are major weapons of this world’s fight to exist. Hypocrites also fight to keep this evil world alive.
The history of this world has been filled with people who invented false issues and other deceptive means to advance and justify some cause or position they hold, and/or to advance personally. This is always done at the expense of truth; the reputation and even the lives of others. It always begins through the surreptitious planting of evil suggestions. It’s always done in a way that seems plausible to the unsuspecting, who may be unaware of all or of some key facts. Such evil people are always on the alert to take advantage of circumstances. And there are always those who are willing participants in such wicked schemes because they think they will also gain some advantage.
This has worked well for the wicked until today. What such schemers today don’t realize is that the emotions and motives, out of which they formed their plans and policies, always have the subtle effect of producing spiritual blindness that produces self-delusion. They do not see the pit they are digging for themselves. God is present.
All involved in such evil “rationalize.” The word “rationalize” means, basically, to give oneself reason(s) for saying or doing, that’s not really the real reason(s) for their behavior. In this process the person(s) involved in such evil plotting, over time, blur and then, over time, the truth becomes hidden from themselves. They have tricked themselves. This is happening to men and nations.
“Rationalization” is the substitution of a safe and reasonable explanation for the true (but threatening) cause of behavior. This effort to deceive others produces self-deception.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan deals with this subject beautifully in his study guides and in his great (and excellent) speech on Deceptive Intelligence.
This world has been ruled by falsehoods of every kind. Truth now is disturbing falsehood like never before. The greater the falsehood that is being revealed, and replaced by truth, the greater disturbance and the effort of falsehood to fight truth.
The wise, the world over, agree: Satan’s wisdom was to rule humanity until the coming of God. He is here.. He has raised the Messiah. They are at work.
His supreme wisdom is the only wisdom with power to overcome Satan’s wisdom. It’s the root of what is now called “the information age.” Minister Farrakhan is from and is backed by God and the Messiah..
We must know the truth. The kingdom of God has been birthed and is growing here in America. The Mosques under Minister Farra-khan’s leadership are the primary training ground where we learn to master God’s supreme wisdom and overcome Satan’s wisdom, in ourselves and in Satan’s children.
Minister Farrakhan’s teachings and the intelligent use of his example, removes the worthless (“poison and rust”) of our past, which hinders our efforts to master God’s wisdom and qualify for permanence in His kingdom. This is the only means, today, of overcoming the effects of Satan’s wisdom, which qualifies us for the best future.
Anger; self-pity; moaning; denial–all defense mechanisms–never solve any problems, personal or otherwise. Instead, they always make things worse. Only the wise use of God’s wisdom, emanating from hearts filled with love (“tough love” too), combined with patience, will enable us to overcome the Satan of self and the effects of the same in others. Minister Farrakhan exemplifies the truth of this fact.
See the “Critical Thinking” link in www.writtentestimony.com.
Now, let’s “conclude” “the test of knowledge” and “the explanation of all things” in “Jesus.” Meanwhile, lets earnestly pray for Minister Farrakhan.
More next issue, Allah willing.
