JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was empowered by God, Himself, to do that which is right next to that which is impossible to do. This work continues in the work of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Both men were born to do what they have and are doing. Neither man sought their respective assignment. Each man was chosen, prepared and guided by God, Himself, to do their work.
Their lives manifest principles or keys by which we can learn that which we were born to do and the best route to gain that most valuable knowledge.
However, most all of us are too impatient; too hasty; and we waste valuable time. One reason is because we seek shortcuts.
The word “shortcut” means “a route more direct than the one ordinarily taken.” It’s a “method of doing something more directly and quickly than, but often not so thoroughly as, by ordinary procedure.”
Shortcuts can be good or bad. They’re good when they “save time.” When we too hastily form plans to accomplish something–regardless how good our motives and objectives may be–more often than not, we’ll fail. If we’re motivated by envy and seek to accomplish something at the expense of another, today, now that God has arrived, we’ll fail even if we temporarily gain what we’re after. In these cases, the gain won’t be worth it and we’ll finally lose even what we’ve gained.
Seeking shortcuts, while suffering from short sightedness and/or tunnel vision, to accomplish anything, often results in the short-circuiting of our plans, whether good or bad. Thus, we cut short our objectives and deprive both ourselves and others.
Finally, some take shortcuts because they are motivated to get something for nothing, or near nothing.
From our mistakes and errors, we learn, or we should. This learning is called, “experience.” It’s often said that, “Experience is the best teacher.” Yes, if it doesn’t kill you. In that case, others may learn.
Footnote 5:16 of the Muhammad Ali translation of the Holy Qur’an reads: “It should be noted that trusting in Allah does not imply inaction. Everything necessary is to be done, a course of action must be determined in the proper manner, and then in pursuing that course, trust must be placed in Allah, which clearly implies that a man should do his utmost and then leave the consequences to Allah; that is, he must be resigned to what follows, taking the consequences with a cool mind.”
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that Allah came to get some of us whom He could use to get others. He certainly came to get the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Louis Farrakhan–the Moses and Aaron of today–who certainly have and are getting us for Allah.
Now, what we’re looking at, in these articles, is the critical place of the scriptures; their relevance to our struggles to understand our divinity, and something of the roots of envy, negative jealousy and even “positive” jealousy, (with its limitations) in the early history of the Nation of Islam in America.
After this summary, we’ll show how vital this is to a more mature grasp of the very difficult work of Minister Farrakhan and our duty by him.
Two months and 72 years ago, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad first met his Teacher. After he indicated to Master Fard Muhammad that he knew His identity, to a certain extent, He told him (Elijah) that he should keep quiet about this. He would let him know when to make that known. Then, gently, He nudged Elijah away and began talking with the others nearby.
Excitedly, he left the meeting, telling his brother (Charlie) that: “This was the man!” However, his brother did not see what he saw. Nor did the others.
A short time later, he wrote Mr. W. D. Fard a letter. He told Him what he couldn’t say in the public. His Teacher said openly to his wife, during a meeting, that her husband could start teaching. So, he started teaching where he lived, in Hamtramck, which is a section of Detroit.
He began teaching that this man, Mr. W. D. Fard, was the answer to the Bible’s prophecy of the coming of Jesus. He boldly declared that the Son of Man was present. But he did this within limits. There were the limits of his own understanding at that time. And, in a very short time, His Teacher would set limits on how far he could go into the truth of His (Master Fard Muhammad’s) identity. In fact, he was told by his Teacher not to talk too much about Him while He was present. He could do that after He was gone.
That He (Master Fard Muhammad) was God, Himself, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad understood to a great degree, even before He departed. Meanwhile, others took Him to be a prophet or, at the least, a very wise man. In any case, they did not see Him as He really was. That was His intention.
He told His servant not to give “the little baby” (us) “meat,” but “milk” instead, until time. Meanwhile, He (God) would feed the man He chose to be His Messenger “meat” and plenty of it during the next three-plus years.
In the month following their first meeting, which was October (1931), He paid him a visit at his humble home. That began His teaching of His servant, over the next 40 months; night and day; seven days a week.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad told us that he and his Teacher would often sit from the early part of the night and continue to sunrise and beyond. He constantly taught him things of Islam, of that which was before, and of what was to come.
There were times when Mr. Fard carried Elijah just outside of town in His Chevy Coupe. They would sit many hours while He taught His pupil many facts about the universe. It’s interesting to see that the scientists of this world more and more bear witness to many of the scientific facts that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad made known years before they knew and publicized these scientific facts for themselves.
One day, Master Fard Muhammad gave His Apostle a copy of the Holy Qur’an in Arabic. He couldn’t read it. Then He gave him an Arabic English copy. He had a wise, immediate and far-seeing purpose, in first giving His servant a Holy Qur’an, which at that time, he couldn’t read.
Afterwards, He lined him up with about two thirds of it to study, although He taught him the understanding of the whole book. He also taught him the true understanding of the Bible.
He also gave him the titles of 104 books. When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked Him if these books were in the library there in Detroit, He answered “No.” He did not know, at that time, that those books were in Washington, D.C., in the Congressional Library. But his Teacher did.
Why didn’t his Teacher just tell him where those books were?
Some claim to know these books.
More on this next issue, Allah willing.
[Correction. In Farrakhan the Traveler Volume 23, Number 8, the meeting between Master Fard Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad should have been referenced as September 1931.]
