THE NATION OF ISLAM S T U D Y C O U R S E WEDNESDAY CLASS WEEK 35 STUDY GUIDE 9 Our Intimate Relationship With Rabbi-L- Alamin 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 is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. What are contemporaries? Contemporaries are those living or occurring at the same time. It is belonging to or occurring in the present. What is guilt? Guilt is a feeling of having done wrong or failed in an obligation. What does abrogate mean? Abrogate means to repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement). KEY WORD CLEARING What does intimate mean? Intimate means closely acquainted; familiar, close. A very close connection; personal. What is prominence? Prominence is the state of being important or famous. It is the fact or condition of standing out from something by physically projecting or being particularly noticeable. What is perfection? Perfection is the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. It is the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible. (free from flaw, exactly right) What does it mean to nourish something? Nourish means to provide with the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. What does it mean to foster something? Foster means to encourage or promote the development of (something, typically something regarded as good); to bring up. What does temporary mean? Temporary means lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent. What does eternal mean? Eternal means lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning. It is (of truths, values, or questions) valid for all time ; essentially unchanging. What does regenerate mean? Regenerate means bring into renewed existence; generate again: It means to bring new and more vigorous life to. What is nationalism? Nationalism is patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts. It is an extreme form of this, especially marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries. What is disapprobation? Disapprobation is strong disapproval, typically on moral grounds. What does it mean to extract? Extract means to remove or take out, especially by effort or force. It means to derive (an idea or the evidence for it) from a body of information. What does wake-up mean? Wake-up means an instance of a person waking up or being woken up especially from sleep or unconsciousness. What is a favor? A favor is an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. It means to feel or show approval or preference for. What does colour (color) mean? Color means a shade of meaning. 3
Minister Louis Farrakhan NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND THE NATION OF ISLAM 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. As Salaam Alaikum. Dear Believer: May this letter find you well and in good spirit by the help of Allah (God). Fear restricts. Guilt restricts. Fear presupposes the absence of knowledge of what we fear. Guilt comes as a result of our knowledge of our violations of a standard of behavior. Beloved Brothers and Sisters, as we look deeper into ourselves, we must not fear what we see, so that we only look at the study guides on the surface and present our bodies to the study guides; but we are afraid to look deeper and ever deeper within ourselves. I desire that every one of you renew your commitment to this study. Get rid of Fear. Only the Fear of God is necessary. All other fear can and should be conquered. Get rid of Guilt. Allah (God) knew what we were before He chose us. His aim is to save us from our sins and to present us to the world spotless and without blemish. So, if you discover a spot within yourself, or a blemish, do not retreat. Look at it with joy, as though you have found precious gold, or a precious stone; for every time we find a spot or blemish and apply spot remover (smile), we are a step closer to manifest proof that Allah (God) has intervened in our lives. It is written in the Bible, If you cannot understand my words, then, examine my works, for my works testify of me. In this verse, there is a supposition. If you cannot understand my words sets forth a condition followed by a comma (,). A comma is a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in a sentence, accompanied by a slight pause in speech. For forty long years, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us the Word. But it was not clearly understood. This condition, our lack of understanding, was corrected by Allah (God), Who produced a comma (pause), through the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975. When the comma occurs in speech, the speaker takes in breath during the pause. The speaker inspires. We were given a pause to take on a new inspiration. Then means next in order of time; soon after. After the Word, if we could not understand it, we are then to examine my works. It is time for us to do the 4
Works of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that they may be examined by the world. For our work of doing His Work bears witness that every Word He spoke was true; that He was indeed Who He said He was and more. You, as an individual, are part of His Work. The more you and I manifest the results of self examination, self analysis and self correction, the more we demonstrate that we have been touched by Allah (God). Through our works, we will prove to the world that Allah (God) has intervened in our lives and is at the very root of this resurrection process that we are now a part of. Best wishes for your continued success. Thank you for reading these few words. As Salaam Alaikum. Your Brother, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan National Representative of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Nation of Islam LF/am 5
Our Intimate Relationship With Rabbi- L - Alamin by THE HONORABLE MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN RABBI L ALAMIN (LORD OF THE WORLDS) READ IN THE NAME OF THY LORD WHO CREATES (Holy Qur an 96:1) After the proper name, ALLAH, the Holy Qur an has given the greatest prominence to the name RABB. The name RABB occurs approximately 960 times, no other attributive names being so frequently mentioned. We are learning that the evolutionary process toward perfection cannot take place without RABB, the...lord Who brings all that is in this Universe to a state of perfection through various stages of growth, [beginning with] nothingness... Thus, RABB signifies the Author of all existence. This great attribute combines two senses: (1) Fostering, bringing up or nourishing; and (2) Regulating, completing and accomplishing. Thus, the underlying idea is that of nourishing every part of His creation from the crudest state to that of highest perfection. Everything created by Allah (God) bears the impress of Divine creation. That is, there is no such thing as a life form that He is incapable of fostering in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of perfection. GLORIFY THE NAME OF THY LORD, THE MOST HIGH! WHO CREATES, THEN MAKES COMPLETE, AND WHO MEASURES, THEN GUIDES... Holy Qur an 87:1-3 The full meaning of RABB is explained in the above verses: He creates things and brings them to perfection; He makes things according to a measure and shows them the ways whereby they may attain to perfection. The true meaning of the evolutionary process is fully developed in the first two actions: Creation and Completion. Everything created by Allah (God) must attain to its destined completion. The last two actions show how the completion is brought about. He makes everything according to a measure, that is, with certain laws of development inherent in it; and it is also shown a way, that is, it knows the line along which it must proceed, so that it may reach its goal of completion. (Reference: The Religion of Islam, Maulana Muhammad Ali. Pages 113 114, 128, 132, 307-308) 6
ANALYSIS Whenever a man loses the ability to read Allah s (God s) Will in that which is around him (or her), then it is incumbent upon Almighty God, Allah, out of the Abundance of His Love and Mercy for humanity, to raise a Prophet, a Messenger, an Apostle, to teach us the Will of Allah (God) and to give us the privilege and the opportunity to submit our Will to do the Will of Allah (God) and come into favor with Allah (God). The Will Of God - Part I (Paragraph 8) Prophets, Messengers and Apostles teach us Allah s (God s) Will; specifically, for a certain people and for a certain time period. Whenever Allah (God) sends a Prophet, he gives that man a temporary message; that temporary message is based upon an Eternal message. Both messages embody the Will of Allah (God). Yes. There is a pattern of evolutionary development both in the messages and in the people to whom the messages are brought. Prophets bring a temporary message for their contemporaries. And Prophets bring an Eternal Message. Whenever a new Prophet appears, he abrogates much of the temporary message of former Prophets. This, of course, is an abrogation of that temporal Will of Allah (God), for the curing of a particular disease at that time. We do not need the medicine after we have affected the cure. But no Prophet has ever come and abrogated the Eternal Will of Allah (God). All Prophets bear witness that God is One and His Eternal Will is One; all of the Prophets spoke to us out of that Eternal Will of God. The Will Of God - Part I (Paragraphs 18-19)...in the absence of God, prophets reflect the light of God to the people of the Earth. But, they do not see perfectly. They are not a witness of the fullness of God s Divine Presence; they are only a witness that God is interested in the affairs of men. The Will Of God - Part I (Paragraph 33) Prophets appeared in every nation but their message was limited to that particular nation. Though their message was based upon an eternal message, their work was limited to the moral upliftment of the people from among whom they were raised. However, while national growth was of necessity the first step, the ultimate aim of Allah (God) is the spiritual regeneration of the whole of humanity and the making of humanity into one. Until then, we have not reached the fullness of Allah s (God s) Will. In our study of the lives of the prophets, we say that when mentioning the earlier prophets, the Holy Qur an says Noah was sent to his people ; Hud, Salih and Shu aib every one of them was sent to his people. Holy Qur an 7:59, 65, 73, 85 Moses was nationalistic. The Holy Qur an (14:5) speaks of him as having been commanded to bring forth thy people from darkness into light. He formed Israel into a nation from tribes. But Israel did not carry out her function. She made a covenant with God. She recognized her function, yet did not carry it out. She corrupted herself in not carrying out her function. According to the teachings of the Bible and the Holy Qur an, Allah (God) chose Israel for exaltation. But He wanted them to submit. He made Israel above the nations of the Earth. But when she got to a certain stage in her development, she lost her humility. She became proud, self centered, selfish; she became greedy. She became all of those things that corrupt and redirect the Will. So her Will was no longer the Will of Allah (God); it became the Selfish Will of Israel, with God s name added to that Selfish Will. So Allah (God) punished Israel and made her an example for us today. The Will Of God - Part I (Paragraph 49) Jesus starts out nationalistic, to those whose view is limited to that period of time. The Holy Qur an 3:48 speaks of him as a messenger to the children of Israel. He said of himself, according to the Bible, that he was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 15:24 7
When Muhammad begins his mission, he is working among illiterate, disunited Arab tribes. The whole evolutionary process unfolds in his history. From Abraham to Muhammad, we see the evolution of all of the principles of Islam. Prayer evolves. Charity evolves. Fasting evolves. Sacrifice evolves from the sacrifice of animals in the time of Abraham, to the sacrifice of Allah s Servant, Jesus [Muhammad of the Resurrection], which represents the sacrifice of our own lives in the Cause of Truth. There is even evolution in the way the message was revealed. The world did not know that a Messenger of Allah (God) had been raised among the Arabs. But at a certain point, Muhammad sent emissaries to Ethiopia, Persia and Rome. The Arabs, at the time, were not universal. They were concerned with tribal affairs and behavior. They had not yet even evolved into a nation. The Holy Qur an was revealed over a period of 23 years. The Arabs were then to be the witnesses of Allah (God) to the ends of the earth. This they did, until they confused conquering for Allah (God) with conquering to make themselves rulers over those whom they conquered. When the aim and objective becomes the destruction of the culture of another people and the imposition of your own, that is not the teachings of the Holy Qur an The Holy Qur an brings its own culture. When you impose your own culture, it ceases to be a Way of God and becomes your own traditions and practices; then the Way of God and the culture of the Holy Qur an become obscure. Nationalism is a necessary stage of evolutionary development. When carried to the extreme, however, nationalism is niggardliness, because there is no interest in others. Nations must overcome the forces which adversely affect the Will, just as the individual Self must do. The ways of ascent for the individual and the ways of ascent for a nation are one and the same. The Eternal Will of Allah (God), the Eternal Message that is the basis of all temporal messages), equals the Eternal Principles of Islam: Belief in the One God; Revelation; the Hereafter; Prayer; Charity; Fasting; Hajj (Pilgrimage); Jihad (using one s utmost efforts in contending with an object of disapprobation). With this view of all of the Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) and the evolutionary development of the message they brought, we may look at the Mission and Objective of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad with clarity, which gives us some comprehension of the difficulty of his task. The Arabs were not in slavery to another people. But Black people had been kidnapped from their homeland and kept in a state of darkness by a powerful enemy. When labeled Black Nationalist, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad never fought the term. He told me that Black is not National, Black is Universal. So first, Black people must be made into a Nation, then a Witness of Allah (God) to the ends of the Earth. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad would simply say of his critics, they don t have my mission. Those who condemn the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as a teacher of Black Nationalism are not aware of the evolutionary development of the message. Though Muhammad brought a Universal Message, Black people could not get it until we evolved. We had to be brought through the stages of evolution. You cannot give the Black man and woman Universal Knowledge before basic Self Knowledge, lest in giving him the Universal, he gets further lost to Self and the Identity of Self. Yakub did not see the completion of the evolutionary development of that which he had initiated. We who follow the Honorable Elijah Muhammad may not live to see the completion of the evolutionary development of his teachings. But our duty, in every generation, is to keep the law and the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad until he abrogates them himself with something new. 8
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to me, Do not change the teachings while I am gone. What I have given you is just a wake-up message. But if you are faithful, when I return, I will reveal the new teachings through you. Although I am accused by many of changing the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I must say that they don t have my mission. Each of the students of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad must extract all that we can from this wake up message. In 1973, when I did a broadcast on the teachings of Jesus, repeating the exact words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he whipped me (verbally); he told me, I do not want you to give the people the same history as I taught it 40 years ago. I want you to give the meaning. ******* The Prophets struggled in the absence of God with light from God that is considered, in symbolic language, Moonlight. Since the Moon represents the Sun, in the absence of the Sun, it has no light of its own; it borrows light from the Sun and reflects it to the Earth... If you have a limited light, you have a limited sight. Therefore, you can only be a limited example. If Prophets are Moonlight, Moonlight is not Perfect Light. It does not allow you to see with perfect clarity. In Moonlight, we can only see partly, but in Sunlight, we can see fully. The Perfect Will of God abrogates the imperfect knowledge and even the imperfect perception of the Prophets. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part...but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 Moonlight does not display color. You can see the outline of things in the Moonlight. In the Sunlight, we can see not only the outline of a thing, we can see a thing as it is. Praise be to Allah. (We take) Allah s colour, and who is better than Allah at colouring, and we are His worshippers. Holy Qur an 2:138 When we see from Allah s view, we are taking His colour, His perception. It is the ending of Prophets. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, What more is there for another Prophet to do if you get the knowledge of Self and the Knowledge of God? To see in the Sunlight is to see from God s Perfect Sight, with His Perfect Perception. We do not have the tendency to make mistakes in the full light of His Revelation, because we see from His View of things. The Message that Allah (God) revealed is a message that has evolved. It has reached a perfect state in this book, Holy Qur an:...this day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islam as a religion. Holy Qur an 5:3 However, as with all things, we must grow into perfect understanding of this perfected Revelation. We must become perfect doers of the Perfect Will of Allah (God). Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is Perfect. Matthew 5:48 Allah (God) says in the Holy Qur an, when He desires a thing, He only says, Be! and it is. Is it His Will that we be perfect? Yes. He has already arranged forces to bring this about. His Power is actively at work to perfect His Will that we be perfect human beings. And what does a perfect human being look like? A perfect human being looks like God. 9
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. How should we handle fear and guilt? Why? 2. What is meant by, Through our works, we will prove to the world that Allah (God) has intervened in our lives and is at the very root of this resurrection process that we are now a part of? 3. The name RABB occurs approximately 960 times, no other attributive names being so frequently mentioned. What is the significance of this attribute of Allah as it relates to the human being? 4. The aim of Master Fard Muhammad is to make us perfect rulers. In reflection of what you read, how will He accomplish this? 5. What is the pattern of Allah (God) when the people are unable to read His Will? 6. Explain how there is a pattern of evolutionary development both in the messages and in the people to whom the messages are brought. 7....In the absence of God, prophets reflect the light of God to the people of the Earth. But, they do not see perfectly. They are not a witness of the fullness of God s Divine Presence; they are only a witness that God is interested in the affairs of men. What does this mean? Explain. 8. What is the ultimate aim of Allah (God)? 9. Nationalism is a necessary stage in the evolutionary development of a people. What happens when Nationalism becomes extreme? 10. Why did some people condemn the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as a teacher of Black Nationalism? What didn t they understand? 11. What lesson can be learned from Yakub s history and the fact that he did not see the completion of the evolutionary development of that which he had initiated? 12. Why did the Prophets struggle in the absence of God with light from God that is considered, in symbolic language, Moonlight? 13. (We take) Allah s colour, and who is better than Allah at colouring, and we are His worshippers. What does this mean? Give an example. 14. According to the Supreme Wisdom Lessons, Mistakes shall not exist among the Laborers of Islam at NO time. How will we achieve this level of development and perfection? 15. What does a perfected human being look like? Muhammad University of Islam 2011 www.noi.org/gostudy 10