CHICAGO—As the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan concluded, Muslims, friends, and family gathered to reflect on the 30 days of sacrifice, acts of kindness, and community service during the Nation of Islam’s Eid-ul-Fitr held at The Salaam Restaurant on April 10. The gathering was hosted by the Nation of Islam Shura Executive Council.

It was an afternoon that connected Muslim communities. Members of the Nation of Islam and the community of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad shared brotherhood and sisterhood with one another at the “Palace of the People,” upstairs in the fine dining area.

Nation of Islam Student National Imam Sultan Rahman Muhammad, great-grandson of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and member of the Shura Executive Council was one of the coordinators for the gathering.

Attendees enjoyed delicious food, music and fellowship. The significance of the gathering and the coming together of two communities was not lost on Sister Ndidi A. Okapu, from the community of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, son of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. She is based in Chicago.

“Our families have been connected since before I was born, through shared roots with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and later through Masjid Muhammad in Washington, D.C., under Imam Warith Deen Mohammad,” she said. Sister Ndidi, founder of her own consulting business, expounded on this shared bond.  

“Through our communities’ shared history, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us all that Islam is freedom, justice, and equality. For Black people, not just in America but across the world, those principles resonate deeply because of our shared history with the denial of those very things,” she said.

Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and engaging in marital intimacy during daylight hours. It is also a time of reflection and spiritual renewal.

This Sacred Month commemorates the time when the Angel Jabril appeared to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and conveyed the divine words of Allah (God) that would eventually form the Holy Qur’an, the Islamic holy book.

“We are rooted in our shared struggle to overcome the carnal realities of self that are represented in our abstention from wrongdoing, food, drink, and intimate relations during the daylight with our husbands and wives,” Imam Sultan said in a previous interview with The Final Call.

“As a member of The Nation of Islam, it is always a delight being with the believing family at any occasion,” said Sister Gesselle Muhammad, originally from Los Angeles, now in Chicago. “After a month of fasting, we are able to start our commitment to Allah again and continue striving to be one with Him,” she said.

“It is (also) important that we celebrate together and that our children celebrate with their peers too. It exhibits safety, fun and hope for our future,” Sis. Geselle added.

Jr. M.G.T. Sis. Jannah Muhammad, an 11-year-old from Chicago, expressed her excitement about attending the Eid celebration with her family and friends.

“To me, the importance of Ramadan is to be able to get closer to Allah and to follow the instructions of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, ‘How to Eat to Live’ and fasting.

I tried to fast for Ramadan because I have never done it before and it was a way for me to contribute. So, I fasted from the morning until after school time and it really felt good,” she said.

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DETROIT—When culture and refinement meet artistic expression, you have an evening of peace and enjoyment. That was the spirit in the room as The Ministry of Arts and Culture presented an evening of highly civilized entertainment Feb. 19 during the Saviours’ Day 2026 convention.

Believers came from near and far to celebrate and observe the Birth Anniversary of our Saviour, Master Fard Muhammad, with a weekend full of activities, including a performance by the musical ensemble. Those who attended this event believed it spoke beyond a usual night of entertainment and that it connected music to the soul.

“There’s such an intricate connection between the music and the soul,” said Sister Takiyah Muhammad, who attended the concert with her husband, Student Minister Sultan Muhammad of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

She shared how the concert made her reflect on the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan picking up his violin to play again and on the impact it has had on young musicians today.

Ensemble performers ranging from 9 years old to adulthood played in unison while finely dressed attendees listened attentively. Suddenly, a small group of N.O.I. Waltz Dancers accompanied the musical selection with smoothness and grace.

The waltz is a dance style loved by Master Fard Muhammad and was a pleasant addition to the traditional classical instruments such as piano, violin, cello and harp played by selected members of the group.

“Black people need to see classical music reflecting now and pertaining to them,” said Fard Muhammad of Mosque Maryam. Brother Fard, a trumpeter for nearly 40 years, is also the composer and arranger of the N.O.I. Musical Ensemble.

“Minister Farrakhan said that more Black people would come to the concert hall, to the opera house if we were on stage playing. So now we’re here, we’re playing, but we are playing music that’s relevant to us,” he said.

Sis. Akilah Muhammad, also known as Akilah Nehanda, a performing artist from Houston, agrees. “The Ministry of Arts and Culture is important because it pushes society forward,” she said. “Sometimes we put a lot of emphasis on the sciences of architecture and engineering.

However, the background of all of that is usually music and culture. It shapes the type of society that we live in because it sends vibrations into the atmosphere. When I heard that harp, it took the vibration of the entire symphony to a whole other level.

And that’s what music does. So, if we really want to raise the vibration of the people and raise our people from the dead, we could, and we should manipulate music and the arts and culture to be in our favor.”

The concert concluded with a classical rendition of “The Fight Song” sung by Sister Khadijah Muhammad from Mosque Maryam, written by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as the audience sang along.

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But no longer can others dismiss the influence of the Nation of Islam’s foundational beliefs of God coming as a Man and the reality of the Mother Wheel presented in the documentary, “Answered: Part 2: The Coming of God” Saviours’ Day weekend.

In the documentary, film producer and member of the Nation of Islam Research Group, Student Minister Illia Rashad Muhammad interviewed a plethora of guests, scholars and believers to give testimonies, evidence and facts concerning two of the most dominant declarations by the Nation of Islam.

Some featured speakers interviewed included National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad; Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad (May Allah be pleased); Dr. William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in Houston and many others.

“It’s Saviours’ Day and we’re dealing with the coming of God, highlighting His work here in Detroit, where it all started. That, in my judgment, really is the most important of all knowledge of who God is, and that God has been identified as Master Fard Muhammad. So, it is imperative upon us as believers in the Nation of Islam to be further inculcated, further grounded in what we already know and believe.

And be strengthened in that, as well as those who may not believe. I think those who may not believe, and even are critical, once they just see some basic facts that are presented, now that starts to change things,” Student Min. Ilia said.

The standing-room-only crowd filled the convention room excited to view what is described by some as one of the most important films of this time. Bro. Ilia’s first documentary, “Answered: The Prelude,” debuted earlier this year in Phoenix and also attracted a large crowd and buzz as the film premieres continue throughout cities.

“I think it was absolutely amazing!” said Sis. Rhianna X from Dallas. “I saw the first documentary ‘Answered: Part 1’ and it has made me feel closer to Master Fard Muhammad, understanding who He is as a Man and as our Guide.

It showed the power that we have as members of the Nation, and Black people in America; which we were unaware of before but are coming to the awareness of,” she said.

“The Mother Wheel is the greatest sign of His presence and the proof that God is real,” said the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan from a clip of a previous lecture shown in the documentary. The United States Pentagon has reported more than 400 sightings by pilots and science that cannot be explained.

According to the Teachings of Master Fard Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam, the reality of God must be explained as well. This reaffirms proof of the N.O.I.’s position of God as a man and the Mother Plane, the documentary shared.

“When He comes, He defies the people’s expectations,” said Minister Farrakhan. The Minister shared how Allah (God) found the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, a man preconditioned with a certain heart and with that heart he heard God.

To conclude the evening, a panel, including Student Min. Illia and some of the film presenters, provided a question-and-answer session. Student Minister and Shura Executive Council member Dr. Wesley Muhammad shared, “No other theologies teach the way we teach the theology that God is a man.

People made slaves and robbed from their names, language and religion have been programmed into thinking God could never be in human form so that for many years and even today, people reject this idea,” he said.

“Wherever I go now people share similar stories because now they feel comfortable to speak about it now. It may be difficult to admit that the Nation of Islam was telling the truth all along,” he added. But he challenged scholars of this world to contest this truth introduced by the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Other panelists included Southwest Regional Student Minister Abdul Haleem Muhammad; digital creator and hip-hop artist Sister Akilah Nehanda of Mosque No. 45 in Houston, and activist and attorney Sister Sadiyah Karriem also of Mosque No. 45 in Houston.

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The above quote from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, from “How To Give Birth to A God, Part 1,” stresses the importance of a woman’s value and why her protection is the greatest priority. Recently, young women of the Nation of Islam’s Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class (M.G.T. and G.C.C.) presented an online program for women and girls. 

Hosted by iDENY, the program was titled, “The Sacred Duty to Guard Our Chastity: A Matter of National Security.” It was held June 5 and featured special guest speaker Sister Aaniyah Muhammad of Miami. Women across the U.S., as well as internationally, tuned in to hear a divine message from young N.O.I. sisters based on the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught and exemplified by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. 

This special event was another presentation of a series of iDENY events made available to women of all ages to discuss the importance of being chaste and how women in Islam are the most important work for the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation, according to Minister Farrakhan. 

iDENY is dedicated to inspiring women, showcasing modesty, promoting chastity and empowering them to rise into the god that they have the potential to be. As a woman, you deserve respect, love and are worthy of respect and love. According to the iDENY mission statement: “You are valuable. You are a god.”

iDENY hosts included Sister Nyah Muhammad, Chicago; Sister Madinah Muhammad, Chicago; Sister Sabbath Muhammad, College Park, Ga; Sister Ameerah Muhammad, Waxahachie, Texas; Sister Annura Muhammad, Chicago and and Sister Kim Muhammad of North Carolina who provided sign language interpretation during the program.  

Minister Farrakhan expressed his desire for the M.G.T. and G.C.C. Vanguard (women and girls ages 15-35) to continue using social media as a tool to encourage, uplift, and empower women and girls in the way of righteousness, purity, dignity, self-respect, self-love, and high civilization.

“Anything that corrupts the woman, anything that makes an improper use of women is destructive to the national aim of God and His Christ because their aim is that we must become a new people—a new creature,” Minister Farrakhan said in his message,“A New Mind, A New Woman,” from 1998.

“And we can never become a new people and new creatures unless we have a new woman. And we cannot have a new woman without a new mind in that woman. And that mind that is being offered to the woman is the mind of God, Himself. The question isn’t if that mind is offered to us in and through our M.G.T. and G.C.C. Class. The question is, do we accept that mind in our personal and daily lives?” the Minister added.

(For more information, visit Facebook and YouTube @iDENY, Twitter @IDenyDeny and IG

@divineessenceinyou or linktr.ee/DivineEssenceInYou)

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Three leading ladies of the movement, Opal Lee, Clare Peoples and Lula Briggs Galloway worked and sacrificed in their respective cities for many years to establish the holiday on a national level. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan once shared that anything of value has a difficulty factor attached to it.

There were tremendous difficulties and challenges in getting Juneteenth acknowledged as a federal holiday although, in the beginning, it began as an informal celebration by Blacks in Galveston, Texas, and other parts of the state, before growing. 

Blacks in Texas learned of their “freedom” more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Texas was the last state where Blacks received the message. On June 19, an army of Union troops announced by executive decree that enslaved Black people had indeed been freed.

However, this was initially only applicable in the Confederate States. It was not until a year later that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution ended slavery across the entire United States, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The exception, according to the U.S. Constitution, is “except as a punishment for a crime.”

Today most states recognize the holiday with different activities and celebrations to educate and highlight the importance of this day in history. Juneteenth is a combination of the words “June” and “nineteen” or June 19th mispronounced by former slaves who were prevented from reading and writing. There have been different names recognizing June 19th over the years including: Juneteenth National Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day.

Opal Lee, a 97-year-old resident of Marshall, Texas, is known as a “grandmother of the Juneteenth movement.” She realized people were not being taught about the importance of this day, so she made an effort to dedicate her life to spreading the message. Ms. Lee began “Opal’s Walk 2 D.C.” in 2016. She started with the plan to walk the 1,400 miles from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to gain support from Congress to officially name Juneteenth a national holiday as well as bring attention to other disparities Black people still suffer, according to The Real Opal Lee website.

“We’ve got to address the disparities, and I’m speaking about homelessness and joblessness and health care that some people can get and others can’t, and the police brutality and climate change,” said Ms. Lee. “None of us are free, until we are all free,” she said. Born October 7, 1926, Ms. Lee shares the same birthday as the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Lula Briggs Galloway was another key figure and organizer of early Juneteenth celebrations. She spent years in the early 1970s lobbying for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday. She is the author of the book, “Juneteenth: Ring the Bell of Freedom,” former CEO of the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage, Inc. and founder of the Juneteenth Creative Cultural Center and Museum in Saginaw, Mich., which commemorated the emancipation of Black American slaves.

She died in 2008 but spent many years traveling the country to spread the word about our history, said her daughter Kim Roundtree, according to an article on Spectrum News. She said her mother at one point was a Black Panther.“She was okay with it being nationally recognized, although she wanted it to be a federal holiday, it wasn’t as important as educating people,” Ms. Roundtree said, reported spectrumlocalnews.com.

Clara Peoples is known as “Mother of Juneteenth.” She moved to Vanport, Oregon, in 1945 where she worked for Kaiser Shipyards during World War II and started a Juneteenth event. Later she started the non-profit organization Juneteenth Oregon before she passed away in 2015. Her granddaughter Jenelle Jack and her family now run the organization to carry on their mother’s legacy. “Once we go, the younger people need to carry the baton,” Ms. Jack said, reported The Oregonian newspaper. This year they celebrated the 50th Annual celebration, the newspaper reported.

On June 19, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the historic day into law in the aftermath of nationwide protests following the brutal death of George Floyd in 2020 at the hands of Minneapolis police. National recognition for Juneteenth resurfaced as well as demands for Congress to pass the federal George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The George Floyd legislation failed.

Over half of U.S. states acknowledge the Juneteenth holiday but not every state. States with large Black populations such as New York, Illinois, Texas and Louisiana have enacted laws to observe the holiday; others such as North and South Dakota and Montana have not.

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I’m so excited to have the honor and privilege to celebrate the life and 90th birth anniversary of Min. Farrakhan. As it relates to sisters, he has affected so many of our lives during his nearly 70 years of unconditional love and sacrifice, 48 years in the absence of his teacher, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I wish to highlight a few women who bear witness to how a Man of God has affected our lives throughout the years.

Sister Rhea Muhammad, 71, said the blessings go back to the days with the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in Chicago. “As a child, I played the Louis X record, ‘A White Man’s Heaven is a Black Man’s Hell’ over and over on my little record player until I knew it by heart,” she said. “So, Minister Farrakhan’s trusted and sincere voice of truth has been in my ear for 62 years. I graduated valedictorian from Muhammad University of Islam (M.U.I.) High School in 1969.

“The decades have brought a myriad of changes to my life but, with Our Savior Allah and the inspirational voices of encouragement of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan via cassettes, CDs, DVDs and live, I was blessed to achieve both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Science and I worked 30 years in Information Technology as a computer programmer, systems analyst, project manager and software auditor,” she said.

“In my humble opinion, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is the personification of love,” said former National M.G.T. and G.C.C. Captain Charlene Muhammad. One story she recalls is how when traveling on behalf of the sisters across the Nation, her presence was requested by Min. Farrakhan and the Laboring Board in Chicago.

“I headed straight there and when I got there I apologized to the Minister for being late. He asked me why I was late and I told him that the plane had circled the airport due to the weather for an hour. Then he said something that changed my life forever. He said, you should have ‘willed’ the plane down. Then he gave me permission to sit at the table. I thought about that statement over and over and from that point on I began to study ‘the will,’” Sister Charlene Muhammad explained.

“We have an entire ‘Study Guide, Self-Improvement: The Basis For Community Development,’ The Will of God Part I, II and III and it was from this that I understood what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said. I am eternally grateful for those words,” she said.

Today with hard work and consistency, Sister Charlene has “willed” a Spanish online course for children and adults since the COVID pandemic.

Chicago community leader and longtime friend and supporter of the Nation of Islam, Sister Aleta Clark, 33, also known as @englewoodbarbie on Instagram, shared thoughts of gratitude after she commented on a post where Minister Farrakhan donated 2,000 free dinners throughout Black communities in Chicago distributed by the F.O.I. at the close of the holy month of Ramadan in later April.

“I’ve been very grateful to say the least,” she said. “Not only because of his (Minister’s) Teachings but because I get to be connected with an army of men (F.O.I.) taught by him that love God and Black people. (They) are very respectful and aren’t judgmental. If it wasn’t for the Minister’s love for us all these men wouldn’t even be available. I’ve had nothing but a great time being connected with the Minister and his family and I’m honored to have been given the opportunity to say happy 90th birthday to such a great fearless, God-fearing leader. He really represents the culture.”

Sister Taliyah X from Mosque No. 61 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was 15 years old when she first heard the Teachings and remembers seeing the brothers on the corner selling The Final Call newspaper. 

“I’ve been in the Nation of Islam for two years now,” she said. “He’s been a father figure to me in my life. You really can’t love something without understanding the true knowledge of it. It’s his love and understanding of the value of the woman and it all leads back to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” she said.

Sister Dr. Christina Parks is a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology. She is also an educator, researcher and scientist.

“I just sent in my (Saviours’) letter, and I think that the most surprising aspect—and it shouldn’t be surprising—but in a world without love, it is. It is the love that I found in the Nation,” said Sister Dr. Christina Parks of Freemont, Michigan. “My first Saviours’ Day was in 2022. The love the Minister had for his people was so apparent. Through study, I came to understand that I believe the same beliefs that the Nation believes,” she said. 

“But I think what really cemented my bond with the Nation under the Minister’s guidance and direction and the guidance and direction of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the love.”

Happy Birth Anniversary to our Brother Minister Farrakhan!

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Everywhere we look, women seem to be searching for change in a changing world, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Fighting for our voices to be heard in American society, we still manage multiple tasks caring for others while oftentimes neglecting ourselves.

This world uses a term commonly known as “self-care” to address the needs that sometimes are ignored. Self-care is defined as the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, particularly during periods of stress. Another definition is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.

As we juggle life’s ups and downs, dedicating time and attention to pampering or relaxing shows that we do have some value for ourselves. But is there a difference between self-love and self-care? Sister A’ishah Muhammad, a member of the Nation of Islam Executive Shura Council and former mental health specialist, social worker, and counselor says, yes.

“Although self-care and self-love are often conflated, and are thought to be one and the same, they are different,” she said. “Self-care simply means taking care of oneself. Self-love, simply stated, is demonstrating, or practicing kindness to oneself. It means regard for one’s own well-being and happiness by actions that support our overall well-being.”

With many years of experience working in the Black community, Sis. A’ishah is also the Student National Auditing Supervisor of the Nation of Islam and works with men and women throughout the Nation.

She credits the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, under the divine leadership and unequaled guidance of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. “My experience has and is showing me, that women have learned how to put up a good façade as a survival technique to cover the trauma we may have experienced. So, to cope, we push it all back and engage in other behaviors, both positive and negative, in order to survive and function. So, what you see isn’t necessarily what is,” she said.

New York City resident and small business owner Sis. Malik’ah Muhammad of Mosque No. 7 in Harlem is familiar with the “life-less” faces on the streets she sees operating in a busy world.  “Caring for ourselves requires a deep respect and understanding of your priorities for yourself and those around you.

Incorporating Islam in my business, providing self-care, teaching people how to care for their skin naturally, and how to achieve a useful beauty,” is how she offers self-care to her clients. People are feeling more stress, anxiety, and loneliness, which leads to conditions of depression and maybe even suicide, she said.

Sis. Malik’ah is a licensed aesthetician in holistic skin care with over 20 years of experience including selling her skincare line to a major retailer across the Mid-Atlantic and DMV area. Sis. Malik’ah also works with crystal jewelry and incorporates it into the business as a teaching tool as another way to offer self-care.

In a world that has rejected our valuable role, women continue to survive and thrive but sometimes, we take on these responsibilities as if there is no Higher Power in control.

These two successful and influential sisters offered a few tips to point us in that direction. Some tips include:

• Feed on the pure, unadulterated Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
• When a thought pops up in your mind that is harmful, messy or mischievous, immediately ask Allah (God) to remove the thought. Tell Satan (of self) to get behind you!
• Stop beating yourself up if you make a mistake. Remember, we are obligated to save ourselves before saving others.
• Exercise and eat healthy (One Meal A Day).
• Make Allah (God) sufficient. Really make Him the sole source of strength, not any man or any “thing.” Pray to Him

(Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich.)

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If you don’t believe me, look at what our world would be without you. You have reshaped and redesigned American style through music, dress and artistic expression. Whether it’s the innovative ideas of the past and present, athletic excellence, or overall achievement; Black men, you continue to surpass expectations and break records showcasing your greatness and value. In fact, the world would not exist without you because you are directly connected to God.

The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teach that every time you look at a Black man, you are looking at God. However, negative headlines and portrayals of our men in the media present Black men only as criminals, victims and assailants.

For years we have been bombarded with a narrative that condemns you. The rise of Black-on-Black crime only proves that the ways of a degenerate world have taken over a once righteous mind. Your struggles are not without blame or responsibility, but what needs to be brought to our attention are the God-given abilities that come from our nature and not the circumstances that seem to define you. 

Scrolling social media recently, I was not surprised to hear constant negativity, sometimes even by our own people. In the midst of a common narrative, Detroit social media influencer and co-founder of Modesty International of Sister Tamorah Shareef Muhammad provided another refreshing approach to recent news events:

“Dear Black men

You are seen

You are loved

You are strong”

Sis. Tamorah is the owner and operator of a healthy lifestyle and coaching business for women and she creates social media content promoting positivity and change.

“I hate to say this, but some of us as Black women are so ignorant that we act as though we don’t know that we need to stick up for our men when they are being attacked by the wicked in this society,” said Sis. Tamorah who attends Muhammad Mosque No. 1 in Detroit.

In a 1994 lecture from Minister Farrakhan titled, “Father’s Day Message,” he explained that when estranged from a real father you begin to get lost. “Estrangement from a real father is similar to being estranged from God. Whenever a human being is linked to God, we are linked to the source of our life and the source of creation. The moment we start breaking our relationship with God and become more estranged or removed from God, then we begin to feel the loss of peace, the loss of contentment of mind, the loss of security, then the loss of health and wealth and the loss of our own selves. Then, we’ve become savage,” he said.

We, as the Black community, are in this struggle for survival and achieving greatness together, Sis. Tamorah said. “There are many great and righteous Black men of principle who are doing their part and great works in our community,” she said.

“The story of our brothers who strive hard in Allah’s way and cause is never told enough. Despite all of the traps and negativity against the Black man in this society, these brothers of ours stood up like no other in their various walks of life; from skilled professionals to hardworking brothers formerly from the streets to unite together as one in answering the call of our leader, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, to be the leaders and fighters for our community to redeem our suffering people by being real-life saviors by showing them the better way of life,” she added.

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich.

The post We love you Black man! appeared first on Final Call News.

CHICAGO—The Salaam Restaurant returned to its glory as the crowning jewel of the Southside just in time for The Nation of Islam’s 2023 Saviours’ Day convention, which took place Feb. 24-26.

Saviours’ Day is an annual event held to honor the birth anniversary of our Saviour, Master Fard Muhammad, Who was born on February 26, 1877. Believers gathered for plenary sessions and a host of activities concluding with the keynote address from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. The Salaam experience was just another part at the center of this Muslim reunion.

It was the desire of Min. Farrakhan to restore the N.O.I.-owned-and-operated restaurant for the Believers to enjoy during the anticipated weekend. Efforts to bring the restaurant back to his standards of creating a “Palace of the People” was not an easy task. The restaurant has reopened and closed throughout the years since the structure was completed in 1995. Years of wear and tear had taken a toll from the inside out.

Late last year, a committee comprised of members of the N.O.I. Executive Shura Council was formed to work on The Salaam Restoration Project. Student National M.G.T. Captain Naeemah Muhammad led the project. Other committee members included Student National Secretary Sa’ad Alim Muhammad, Student National Auditing Coordinator A’ishah Muhammad and Sister Aminah Bayyinah Muhammad, the administrative assistant to Min. Farrakhan.

“It was an absolute honor to be a part of this project,” said Sister Aliyah Muhammad, Sis. Capt. Naeemah’s assistant on the project. “To be able to work with so many different and talented Believers who all have their areas of expertise and watch as they poured their hard work into making sure our restaurant was restored was amazing! Everything from the floors to the ceiling was important and it showed in the end result. Nothing was overlooked.”

The restoration project began with a united effort of N.O.I. Muslim volunteers, contractors, electricians and helpers to restore every detail. Believers worked extremely hard to ensure that the Salaam Restaurant was ready for Saviours’ Day. Sister Aneva Muhammad of Chicago held a position of leadership as Salaam Manager of the project. She helped to organize volunteers and workers.

“When I accepted the post—to come in and see the Salaam with everything, everywhere—we had to sort through, organize, and clean from top to bottom and restore from October to this day, with the M.G.T. by my side,” Sis. Aneva said. “To see all of the Believers come through; it was such a beautiful experience. Although it was taxing on the body, it was well worth it.”

The completed project renewed and highlighted the original beauty of the unique structure complemented with updated greenery and curb appeal. Beautiful murals greet you as you enter and the details all throughout make for new experiences for first timers while bringing back memories to some who expressed fond memories.

“It almost felt like we never left. It looked almost identical as it did when we first opened,” said Sister Kutabi Muhammad of Mosque Maryam in Chicago, who assisted with the restoration. “And I was here when we first opened.”

The restaurant offered two floors of dining including a lower level of healthy and delicious meals while, the second floor offered a fine dining experience with a live jazz band and exquisite cuisine. 

“It was exciting to be a small part of the process of restoring a place the Minister put so much into,” said Ayanna Muhammad of Mosque Maryam. Sis. Ayanna spoke about her role in the early stages as a helper all the way to the final presentation as a hostess in the fine dining area.  “To help restore it back was definitely a reward. Really, the ultimate reward is to see all of the Believers truly enjoy the experience. I think everyone who walked out had something wonderful to say about their food, about the way it looked, you could see the joy and that made the difficult parts really worth it,” she said. 

Head Chef of Fine Dining Sis. Haniyyah Muhammad, worked alongside a team of experienced cooks including her mother, Sis. Carmen Abdullah Muhammad. “To be a part of something so significant as to usher in the reopening of the Salaam Restaurant and be able to work alongside my daughter was truly a blessing,” Sis. Carmen said.

“This is my very first time here at the Salaam Restaurant,” said Sabrina Muhammad of Richmond, Virginia. “It has been absolutely amazing! The beauty and just the high civilization of this facility reign supreme! Top tier!”

After more than 20 years, Student M.G.T. Captain Samantha El-Amin Muhammad of Richmond, Va., agreed. “Love, love, love my experience here. It is wonderful to be back. I did come once before and I definitely enjoyed it then,” Sis. Samantha said. “But it is so wonderful to be back and I’m just hoping that it’s reopened for good so that everyone can enjoy this wonderful experience in this wonderful place. I came last night as well, and it was divine so now I have all of my family here, my mom, my brother, my husband, my children, my cousins. We were just so excited!”

Qadira Muhammad of Oklahoma City recalled her experience at Salaam as a child and coming back years later as a young adult. “When I walked in, I felt the energy, and it was amazing! Live music, that was really cool and the food was incredible,” she said.

Like many, Sis. Qadira recognized the difference of the time and valued every moment of her experience: “Being here at Saviours’ Day has been very unique to us. This year, I felt like it was different from recent previous years. And I think it had to do with us coming back together,” she said.

“There’s a new elevation of where we are, where we feel we need to be. And with the weightiness of the time right now, to come into the fine dining has been something that’s gonna take some reflecting, to be honest, because we’re in a different time now, and so we really do have to treat it like every time we meet might be our last time for a while.”

—Abisayo Muhammad

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In Hollywood, a “star” is a term used to describe some of the most popular actors, musicians and sports figures. They are treated with respect and honor for showcasing their beauty and talent and are recognized all over the world. But what really is a star? 

A Google search defines a star as “a fixed luminous point in the sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.” Another definition is a beacon of hope; a shining light that guides the way. These descriptions display the majesty of Allah’s creation that reflects its light on those able to appreciate its magnificence. But what does it represent?

Still reflecting on 2022, one of the major things that shook our Nation, Black leaders and the community as a whole was the passing of our beloved Sister, Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad. During the Janazah service, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan highlighted the light she illuminated as a star and shared with us her true value. He liked that Student Minister Ava was called a star but said she should be called a “Star of God.”

“She was a Star of God. Only God makes stars,” Min. Farrakhan said.  Whether it was her great defense of the Minister, which she so passionately spoke about in lectures, books, and radio programs, or her strong promotion of women empowerment, love of self and separation, she affected us all.

“I was one of Sister Dr. Ava Muhammad’s students,” said Margaret Mahdi, founder, producer, playwright and artistic director of Mahdi Theatre Company in Chicago. “She taught me at Muhammad University of Islam from the age of nine all the way until the age of 16. She was our Islamic Studies teacher; she set the foundation for the day and all of what she taught stays with me, resonates with me and I pray to Allah I will live and represent what she gave to us until the day that I die.”

Former Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins shared her reflections on Sister Ava during her Janazah service: “I’ve known her and worked with her when I was in college. I did my thesis on ‘Black Women in the Nation,’ she oversaw that.” Sen. Collins was the Assistant Majority Leader. She recently retired after 20 years of serving as the longest-serving woman in the Senate.

“She [Sis. Dr. Ava] was a woman to be reckoned with—a force to be reckoned with. She was a fierce fighter for justice in raising the dignity of the Black race,” she said.

One of the most impactful things Sister Ava was involved in was the revelatory study course, “Self Improvement: The Basis for Community Development,” revealed through Minister Farrakhan. The Minister dictated the entire series of books (Study Guides 1-21) to her. This series is a life-changing study and practical application is designed to bring us into the true knowledge of God by examining self, analyzing self and correcting self in order to affect true change in our communities.

“I’m thankful to be a part of this study,” said Online Study Group Coordinator Sis. Lenore Muhammad. “To be asked to be in the study circle as a coordinator and to be able to communicate with her on that level, it has been absolutely life changing. To be able to carefully go through that study with her, it gave me a new appreciation that I didn’t realize until reflecting how much it has changed me in being able to handle situations in my life.”

Nearly three years later, the online study circle is still in place as a complement to in-person study circles held at NOI mosques and study groups across the country.

In the Janazah, Minister Farrakhan also shared: “You can’t be great and not be willing to sacrifice to achieve greatness.” Using Sis. Ava’s example, we must pick up the mantle and challenge ourselves to apply this valuable teaching to our lives and the community and carry further the work that has already begun.

So, women of faith, we must shine like true stars and begin to work hard to shine our light across this universe! Like the Minister said, “We say we praise God for Ava, because she worked and her work touched us, but you and I are still the living. You’ve got time. What are we doing with our time?”

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send any material to finalcallsubmissions@gmail.com.

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