THE NATION OF ISLAM S T U D Y C O U R S E WEDNESDAY CLASS WEEK 39 SELF-IMPROVEMENT The Will of God (Part III) Sections 1-41 Muhammad University of Islam 2011
Study Course Instructions This study course is designed to be done both in a course room, mosque, study-group or self-paced at home. Certain parts of this course (Key Word Study) will be done with a partner. Other parts will be done independently (by yourself). When its time to partner, you and your partner (twin) are to follow the steps provided in this guide. The study course is laid out in the order you do them. It is important not to skip any steps of the guide. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED IN OUR CLASSES. Purpose of this Study Course Guide: The purpose of this study course guide is to guide you through this course of study. Time to Complete: Although the hour and a half that we have for study this evening will hopefully allow you to progress through most of this study, however it is strongly recommend that you continue to work on this study course at home at your own pace. Important Note: During the study course session, if you have any questions raise your hand for assistance. Each believer (student) should have a copy of this handout and its instructions to take home and continue studying on their own. All steps may not be completed in the class sessions in its entirety. Study Course Steps Step 1: Key Word Clearing Key words are important words related to key concepts found in the reading. Having a good understanding of the meanings of these words will help each student better understand the important concepts and ideas of the study, as well as eliminate misunderstandings that come with misunderstood words. Use the key word list and definitions found in this packet to do the drill (exercise) a and b. 1.) Select a partner (closest to you) and study the Key Words together, through reviewing the questions and answers to master. (If done in course room or mosque/study group the time allotted is 30-45 minutes) 2.) First time through: The student has the questions and answers in front of him or her. The partner asks the student the question, and the student answers it. He/She can look at the answer if needed. The answer does not have to be word-for-word or memorized; just the concept must be correct. 3.) Second time through: Once finished with the drill the first time, you start again from the beginning, this time without the answers in front of you. Your partner asks the question and you answers. If the answer is incorrect, your partner shows you the answer. Look at the answer again and repeat until you have grasped the concept, then continue to the next one. Step 2: Independent Reading After completing step one, you may begin to read the selected reading materials. Step 3: Check Your Understanding Questions: Time Frame: 30 min Review the lists of questions. Each question is formulated to check your understanding of the key concepts and ideas found in the reading. Answer each question on a sheet of paper and be prepared to discuss your answers at the conclusion of this session. Sufficient time may not be given during class session to answer all of the questions. If you do not finish in class, please continue this step at home. 2
What does it mean to have considered? To have considered means to have thought carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on. What is a concoction? A concoction is a mixture of various ingredients or elements; an elaborate story, especially a fabrication. What does specific mean? Specific means clearly defined or identified; relating to a specified or particular thing. What is the meaning of desecration? Desecration means to violate or outrage the sacred character of (an object or place) by destructive, blasphemous, or sacrilegious action. KEY WORD CLEARING What is the meaning of scope? Scope is the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with or to which it is relevant. What does accept mean? To accept means to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor. It means to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of. What does upright mean? Upright means vertical; erect. It is one whose person or behavior is strictly honorable or honest. What is the meaning of set? To set means to place in a particular position or posture; to put in the proper or desired order or condition for use. It means to post, station, or appoint for the purpose of performing some duty. What does harmony mean? Harmony is agreement; accord; harmonious relations. It is a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity. What does the word new mean? New means not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time. It means of recent origin or arrival. What does it mean to transform something? Transform means make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of. It means to undergo a change. What does identity mean? Identity means the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another; the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. It is the individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized. 3
THE WILL OF GOD (PART III) A Message From The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan In The Name Of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful. I Bear Witness That There Is No God But Allah And I Bear Witness That Muhammad Is His Messenger. I Greet All Of You With The Greeting Words Of Peace In The Arabic Language: As Salaam Alaikum. 1. Once again, it is my extreme pleasure and privilege to have this opportunity to share with you some of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Once again, we are coming to you live from the Palace, the home of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which we, his followers, have been blessed to repurchase, renovate, and rededicate to the furtherance of his teaching and mission. 2. Our subject today is PART III of THE WILL OF GOD. All of us know or should know that the Will of Allah (God) is Righteousness; the Will of Allah (God) is that which is Good. No man or woman can be considered good, except that we are doing the Will of Allah (God). Certainly there are acts of kindness and there are acts of goodness that all of us know are universally recognized as good, but we cannot be considered good people; this cannot be considered a good people; this cannot be considered a good nation (America); nor can we, the Muslims, be considered good, unless that goodness is rooted in our doing the Will of Allah (God). 3. The Holy Qur'an teaches us those who believe and are the doers of good to others, there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. The Holy Qur'an and Bible are very clear on this point. One must not only do good to Self, but the doing of good to and for Self should lead us to the doing of good to and for others. 4. The Book of James says faith without works is dead. The Holy Qur'an teaches that mere belief counts for nothing except that belief is carried into practice. For us to consider that being good means doing our five (5) daily prayers (if we are Muslims), or saying our prayers if we are Christians or Jews and paying ten percent (10%) of our wages in tithes or zakat or offerings --- this is only a portion of good. For that is the Will of Allah (God), but the doing of His Will has very specific requirements for each era of time in which a Messenger or Prophet appears. 5. Here we are in 1986 and we are living in the Time of the Mahdi, the Great One Who was to come to guide all of humanity to the right path. We are living in the time of the Messiah, that One Who was prophesied to come and Who, along with the Mahdi, would save the people and redeem them from the path of wickedness that they had been treading upon. 6. The Will of Allah (God) today is very, very specific. No man or woman, sitting in a church, mosque synagogue, temple, or in the street, can be considered doing the Will of Allah (God) by singing songs or hymns of praise. Even preaching sermons of praise and honor to Allah (God), performing rituals of religion --- this is not yet the Will of Allah (God). The Will of Allah (God) means the doing of good and that good is very specific. That specific good, by the Help of Allah (God), I shall outline to you in today s broadcast. 7. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that there is no birth record to Islam; Islam is older than the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Islam did not originate with Prophet Muhammad of Arabia, nearly 4
fourteen hundred (1400) years ago (Peace Be Upon Him). Islam did not originate with the Holy Qur'an. Islam did not originate with the teachings of Moses or the teachings of Abraham. Islam was before Abraham. Islam was before the Sun, Moon, and Stars. 8. What is Islam? Islam is the Nature of God Himself. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us that Allah (God) is Self-Created, meaning He was not begotten. He had no mother or father. He is the Originator of Himself and all things. In His Self-Origination, His act of Creation by His Will is to create man or to make man. In creating us, He created us from the Essence of Himself. The Holy Qur'an teaches us, O people, keep your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same kind and spread from the two many men and women. 9. We, the Original People of the Earth, are the First Creation of Allah (God). He created us from a single Essence or Person and that Person was the Essence and Person of Himself. If we are from His Essence, then His Nature is our nature and as He is Divine, that same divinity and spark of divinity is likewise in the Original Man. The Holy Qur'an calls Original Man Adam. And, of course, we are wrangling over this subject matter, but the Holy Qur'an teaches us that Adam was created from black mud and fashioned into shape. All human beings have some color, or are from the essence of what color comes from or what color is. 10. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that the Black man is the Original man. He is not trying to teach you racism or racial superiority, he is making a statement of fact: that we are the First Creation of the Originator. We came here from His Essence; the Essence of Allah (God) is Islam. We are taught that the law by which a thing comes into existence determines its nature. The law by which we, the Original People, came into existence, is by Order of the Will of the Creator. Therefore, our Nature is to submit to His Will. 11. When we accept Islam we are not accepting the Arab religion, we are not accepting some new way of civilization, we are accepting ourselves. The nature of the Original man is obedience to the Will of Allah (God). That, in Arabic, is Islam. 12. The very Nature of the Original Man or the Original People or the Black People of the Earth is Islam. We are Muslims by Nature. 13. Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi, Who was the Teacher of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and is our Guide today, gave us six (6) words. These six (6) words are: Accept Your Own and Be Yourself. The Christian world has gone to the extreme [in the use of the word conversion.] Certainly, conversion means to change. However, when Master Fard Muhammad taught us, He said to us to accept what is our own. 14. To be our own means that it belongs to us; we are its natural, rightful owners and possessors. We are the owners of Islam. It is our Nature, it is our Divine Right. When you are asked to accept Islam, we are not asking you to join a church, to join a mosque, or to join an organization. We are asking you to accept the Nature in which you are created; then we are commanding you, by the order of Allah (God), to Be Yourself! Be Yourself! 15. What is Yourself? So many of us are confused over our identity. We are Black. We are African. We are this, we are that, we are the other. But this question is asked of us in our lessons, from Master Fard Muhammad to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad: What is Your Own Self? And the answer is Your Own Self is a Righteous Muslim. Now of course, there seems to be some redundancy here, because if a Muslim is one who submits his Will entirely to do the Will of Allah (God) and the Will of Allah (God) is good and the Will of Allah (God) is right, then when you say Muslim, you are saying righteous. When you say Muslim, you are saying a good person, a godly person. 5
16. Your Own Self is a Righteous Muslim. Why is the word Righteous put on this? It is because the Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that your nature is right, but we have been living other than our own selves. So even though Allah (God) has declared us to be Muslim, or to be Righteous, yet we now have to live up to that title, live up to that name, live up to that nature, by being upright. 17. In the Holy Qur'an [30:30] it reads: So set thy face for religion, being upright, the nature made by Allah in which He has created men. There is no altering Allah s creation. That is the right religion--- but most people know not---. Allah (God) is asking us in the Holy Qur'an to set your face, set your mind, set your eyes, set your heart, set your being. Get set, be firm and ready to receive a way of Truth, a way of religion that is in the right state, in the Nature made by Allah. Set your face for religion, being upright. 18. My Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters (in the Nation of Islam, or those of you who are Black People), your identity is not your color; your identity is not the landmass from which you come or originate; your identity is the Nature in which you are created. Since your Nature is to obey the Will of Allah (God), your nature is Islam. You are by Nature a Muslim and any name other than that is not a proper name for you. You are a Muslim. Accept Your Own and Be Yourself. 19. Are there any Muslims other than Righteous? In our lessons it is answered, I beg your pardon, I never heard of one. In the Bible, it says that Allah (God) would wink His eye at sin. Certainly, the whole Muslim world is full of sin. The whole of humanity, who by Nature is to obey Allah (God), is full of sin. But Allah (God) now is saying to a specific people of His choice; not that you are not sinful, but that He will forgive you your sins altogether. In the Bible, it reads a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a child and His name shall be called Jesus and he shall save His people from their sins. 20. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has taught us that this is not referring to the great Prophet of Allah (God) that lived two thousand (2,000) years ago, but it is referring to the Messiah Who would come in the last days of this world of disobedience to the Will of Allah (God). 21. This world is world of rebellion to the Will of Allah (God), and this is why this world has limited time to rule and exercise power and authority over the peoples of the Earth and he shall save his people from their sins. 22. Today, we are very happy to say to the world that the Messiah, that One that was to come is now in the world and has come to birth among a people that were no people at all. And today, He calls us Muslim He calls us Righteous, but His aim is to save us from the sins of Caucasian people that we have adopted and now from the sins of our own selves that we have poured upon by our rebellion against a Teacher that Almighty God has placed in our midst. 23. Today, Black people of America and humanity have involved themselves in religion. But religion is not as it was intended to be for religion, in a sense, seeks to change what is unalterable. The Holy Qur'an says you cannot change nor alter Allah s creation. But religion today seeks to change the nature of the Righteous and make them into that which they [religious leaders] purpose. 24. I am speaking specifically now of this brand of religion that has been given to Black people by the Caucasian slave masters and their children to make us better tools of service for themselves. 25. They have misused the Bible and the teachings of the Prophets and corrupted it in such way to make us slaves of theirs in the name of Allah (God). 26. This is why the Black man and woman today are absolutely powerless. We have a powerful Nature, but if we submit to Satan, thinking that we are submitting to Allah (God), then we do the bidding of 6
Satan, thinking we are doing the bidding of Allah (God). Then we get weaker and weaker; less powerful and less powerful, until we become total slaves to the powers of this world. The preachers of Christianity, for the most part, are enslaved to the powers of this world. I am sorry to say this, but the preachers of Islam are for the most part enslaved to the powers of this world, in the name of Allah (God). 27. What better way for Satan to come than to come in the name of Allah (God), in the way of Allah (God), in the path of Allah (God). According to the Bible, Satan will transform himself into an Angel of Light. And the Holy Qur'an teaches us that Satan will come after the Righteous: I will certainly lie in wait for them in Thy straight path and I shall cause them all to deviate. And Allah (God) says to him, Whoever of them will follow thee, I will certainly fill hell with you all. 28. Look at you and look at the condition that you are in, that your family is in, that the church is in, that the mosque is in, that the synagogue is in, that the world is in. You are in hell, sitting up in church praising Allah (God) in an empty, vain way. You are singing hymns of praise while your life is a desecration of all of the things that we preach. We have become hypocrites, feigning to do the Will of Allah (God), but doing the Will of Satan in the name of Allah (God). 29. Away with such religion! Away with such people! Today, Almighty God is asking humanity to set your face for religion, being upright the Nature of Allah (God) and the Nature in which Allah (God) has created man. 30. My beloved Brothers and Sisters, when we submit to the Will of the True God and do His Will, we come into power, we come into eminence, we come into greatness. Then the shackles of this world are easily broken, for the shackles of this world are compared to a spider s web and surely the spider s web is the frailest of houses. 31. What is the Will of Allah (God) for us today? In the Bible, it is written, for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembered, nor come to mind, [Isaiah 65:17] The Book of Revelations, the man is seen making the declaration that Isaiah prophesied he would make, Behold, I make all things new. In the illuminating book, Our Saviour Has Arrived, by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Page 153, Paragraph 3, it says, First Allah makes a new mind for us and a new way of thinking. Let us stop there. Is this in harmony with the Bible s prophesies? 32. Brothers and Sisters, if you are a Negro or some reasonable facsimile; if you are Colored ; if you are Afro American; if you are Black (in the sense of the nationalistic term); you think you are on the right path, but Brother and Sister, Allah (God) wants to make a new mind for us and a new way of thinking. 33. If Allah (God) is going to make all things new, He has to make a people; He has to take a people and make them new. He is not going to do it easily, He is going to do it as the Originator did it in the Beginning. He took nothing and created something. In the end of the world, Allah (God) takes a foolish people, a people who are nothing, a people who are the rejected, and the despised. Both the Bible and the Holy Qur'an refer to this people as dead people. And He takes that dead matter and He puts in it a new mind, a new way of thinking; He gives it a new form and a new expression. Behold, I make all things new! 34. The scriptures of the Bible are in perfect harmony with the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and His teachings are in perfect harmony with both Bible and Holy Qur'an. For Paul says put off the old man which is after Christ Jesus. Then Paul says, Be ye not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind. 7
35. Dear Brothers and Sisters, we cannot say that we are doing the Will of Allah (God) if there is no transformation taking place in our lives; if there is no constant renewal taking place in our minds; if our thoughts are not being made better, closer, more akin to Allah (God) and His Will. No! No! No! Then we are only using religion as a cover, as a shield. 36. We are sitting in the seat of one who is to be made new, but we are following after the old, exemplifying the old, demonstrating the old, acting after the old, bringing works out that are akin to the old. Then we are hypocrites, for Allah (God) demands of us to be new creatures! 37. Let us go on. He teaches us a different education, one that we have never had before. I know that we honor and respect the education that we have received from the institutions of learning of this world. Certainly if I had a degree from Harvard I would probably be more respected than I am now, not having one and that is a fine degree to have. It is a wonderful degree, from Harvard, or Yale, or Radcliff, or Princeton, or Cornell, or Oxford, or Howard. 38. But what does the Honorable Elijah Muhammad say here, He teaches us different education. Who is He? Allah (God), is He Who teaches us a different education, one that we have never had before. Let us look at this education then, if it is an education we have never had before. 39. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad goes on to say that He gives us an education on the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God. Not of the prophets, but of the God of the prophets of the past. Lets us try and understand this. A prophet is a Servant of Allah (God). Almighty God, Allah, today, is not trying to get you to be after the mold of a prophet; He is not after making you a servant; He is after making you like He made Adam. 40. Muslims, I want you to think over these things. If Adam was made powerful enough that the angels were forced, or asked by Allah (God), to bow down to Adam---and here Jesus is called a second Adam ---and Adam is a man that angels attend and serve and according to the scripture, this Jesus is put in power over all of Creation except God Himself; then He is making of Man a God. 41. This is not strange. You say, Well, there is no God but Allah. Yes, that is true. But we are aware of the Essence of Him, we are in His Nature. He allows us to wear His name. He asked to be our Teacher and if we submit to Him, what will He make us into? He will give us power over the Heavens and the Earth and over the laws that govern both. This will make us a God, but lower than Himself in obedience to His Will. He makes us Gods. To Be Continued Next Week 8
STEP 3: Check Your Understanding The following questions are for discussion at the conclusion of the study session. The remaining questions can be completed at your own pace as you continue your study at home. You can use your book if you need help answering the questions. Write your answers on a sheet of paper. Questions For Discussion: 1. What is the Will of God today? 2. How can a person be considered good? 3. Why is faith without works, dead and mere belief counts for nothing except that belief is carried into practice. 4. Why did The Honorable Elijah Muhammad state that Islam has no birth record? 5. Explain the "essence" of our creation. 6. The Minister states, "the law by which a thing is created determines it's existence". Please explain and give an example. 7. Explain what Accept your own and be yourself means to you. 8. What is the cause of identity confusion? 9. What was the cause of Allah putting a limit on the current rulership of this world? 10. How can we be transformed? 11. How will Allah make all things new? 12. Why is Jesus called the second Adam? Questions For Further Study: 1. Each Prophet brings and a specific requirement or aspect of Allah's Will. In this era, what is His specific requirement in doing His Will? 2. What is the prerequisite knowledge for one to do good for or to self? Give examples of how you can do good for or to yourself? 3. Explain why The Holy Quran calls the Original Man Adam. 4. Why are Black people powerless? 5. How can we come into power? Muhammad University of Islam 2011 www.noi.org/gostudy 9