Dawah and Interfaith
Thoughts After Attending The Janazah of Imam W. D. Mohammed
I attended the janazah of the late Imam W. Deen Mohammed, rahimuhullah. There were THOUSANDS of people at our masjid, Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, IL. Literally thousands. Cars parked all over a 1-mile radius and, again, thousands there for the janazah prayer. I ask that Allah accepts our prayer for him and that the brother is forgiven any and all mistakes he made in his life.
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Before the janazah, we had to make multiple jama’at for Dhuhr due to the sheer size of the influx of people coming from 11am until 2:15pm when the prayer actually began. Due to the number of the attendees, the janazah later took place outside of the masjid on the nearby soccer field, loud speakers attached and all. Abdul Hameed Dogar, Islamic Foundation’s director, lead the janazah prayer.
There’s lots of coverage on the janazah and death of the late Imam as it is, so I won’t say much about it. However as a typical suburban middle class Desi Muslim kid who hasn’t really seen much of the world, I feel the need to say a few things.
Firstly, every one of us “immigrant” Muslims there, whether first generation or second generation, were absolutely blown away by the numbers that showed at the janazah. I’m sure many of us attend big masajid where hundreds can gather for Jumu’ah or other big events. Imagine around 4,000 people showing up to your masjid. And don’t think it’s the same old Desi or Arab community members. They were all African American.
The eye opener for us was just how wide spread Imam Warith Deen’s da’wah really went. How many of those who came, so many of them being Sunni Muslims, would have been members of the Nation of Islam had it not been for Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa and then the epic move of this man leaving NOI for mainstream orthodox Islam? The answer to this question was quite evident at the janazah.
NBA player Shareef Abdur Raheem (right).
Secondly, I witnessed just a fraction of the amount of African American Muslims that exist in Chicagoland, let alone our country. It was quite shocking and also empowering to see so many African American brothers and sisters at our masjid. Sure a lot of out-of-towners came (as there were many license plates and a few charter buses to prove so), but here were thousands of Muslims living in my same city vicinity of Chicagoland who I have never seen before and will probably not ever see again.
It’s not the really the numbers that I’m so surprised at, it’s the fact that I am surprised that’s so surprising. Sounds confusing? In other words, it’s sad that our Muslim communities in America are set up in such a way that it led to me being surprised. When I read in Islam and the Blackamerican: The Third Rising by Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson that as of the early 1990s, 30% of American Muslims were Black, I couldn’t believe it. After the janazah, I think it was pretty clear.
In closing, I say that we have a lot of work to do to literally “bridge” the gap in our communities. I know I sound like a recycled ISNA main session, but really it’s true! In the past two days we’ve heard so much of “their community” and “ours.” Unfortunately, that’s the way we’ve got ourselves set up. However with his passing, many of the immigrant Sunni American Muslims have now become a bit more aware of him and his jama’a, which truly can be a step away from “their” community and “ours” and towards one Islamic community in America.
I know that many people will say (I’m actually saying this myself), “We’ve heard this all before, that we need to do this and do that, but what is anyone actually doing about it?” Good question, I believe the first step begins with destroying ignorance. Many Muslims like me are very unaware of this issue, and I feel one of the key steps is awareness. We can’t change the world with blog posts, but we can certainly inform some people about the need for such a change.
Thus, I leave you with three things.
First is an 11-minute clip on the resurrection of Islam amongst African Americans from Yasir Qadhi’s speech entitled Islam In America: Whither and Where, with a short but enlightening history of the Nation of Islam and a message about Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. If you haven’t seen this already, watch it. It’s worth the view.
[youtube 5trGs46o_ew]
If you liked that, the full video is available here.
Second, is a 2-minute snippet from the never before released ISNA 2007 main session also by Yasir Qadhi where he spoke along with Dr. Jackson, Hamza Yusuf and others on the topic of joining immigrant Muslims with indigenous (Blackamerican) Muslims. MuslimMatters.org will put the full speech up soon, however for this post here, this piece from the audio clip will suffice.[audio:http://www.muslimmatters.org/audio/yq_indigenization_of_islam.mp3] (download)
And lastly, here’s the Chicago Tribune article highlighting how many of the janazah attendees came from over 18 states to attend and how so many of them converted from NOI to Sunni Islam. Click here to read the article.
We ask Allah to make things easy for us.
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AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
September 12, 2008 at 2:40 AM
bismillah. mashaAllah! jazak Allah khayr for posting such a good article. and for adding the video and audio — both would have been a great addition to the article initially announcing the death of imam wd Muhammad, RahimAllah. may Allah accept from him his good deeds, overlook his mistakes, and open for him the doors of His Mercy. may Allah permit Him to be of those who see His Face.
may Allah keep steadfast the Muslims whose love and respect for him brought them close to Allah and distanced them from the mistakes of his father.
may they pardon and overlook the faults and excesses of their brothers from Muslim lands, and the children of those immigrants. well-intentioned brothers who in their zeal to make dawah to the Muslims of America, nevertheless fail to practice the best qualities of the Prophet sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam. qualities of kindness, mercy, and patience that not even the mushrikeen could deny. may Allah be pleased with the Muslims of America, those born here, those whose parents were born here, those who are descended from other lands, and make us one ummah in every good sense, one ummah united on His deen and reflecting the strength of diversity of opinion that also strengthened the sahabah and the generations that followed.
Khalidah
June 28, 2020 at 6:14 AM
Unfortunately, alot of African/African American experience racism from Middle Eastern Muslims. That is something that needs to be addressed.
Amad
September 12, 2008 at 3:25 AM
Blogging at its best mashallah.
suhaib webb
September 12, 2008 at 6:18 AM
Asalamu alaykum,
May Allah reward you Saqib for the excellent effort. We ask Allah to forgive the Imam and grant him thadhbit in his grave.
SDW
anon
September 12, 2008 at 7:31 AM
Are you going to post up Sh Yasir’s speech on the Sirah and and Orientalism? Pleeeease? :P
MR
September 12, 2008 at 8:34 AM
Excellent Post!
Pingback: September 11, 2008 - The Janaza of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad attend by thousands! | MR's Blog
Yasir Qadhi
September 12, 2008 at 11:38 AM
High quality pictures of the janazah are posted here:
http://kaptureimages.smugmug.com/gallery/5950156_R3rjq#370877300_i3nQn
MuslimBro
September 12, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Great Post!
Another book that I would like to recommend is the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley. This is a must read for all, immigrant or native, muslim or non-muslim.
Also, one thing that all of us can do, especially if we live in a major city like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles etc. is to visit the African American communities and masajid in your localities. Work with them and organize some activities together.
One African American brother was asking me once if I knew people that could come to their masjid and teach them how to read the Quran with tajweed. He said that so many people in his community are eager and thirsty for Islamic knowledge, but they don’t quite have the resources to provide for this. They also organize many humanitarian events where they can use all the help that they can get.
Subhanallah, these are simple opportunities for us to work together. Each and everyone can do something to their own capacity even if it is something that seems quite small. Remember what may be small to us, can be heavy on the scales if done with sincerity.
MR
September 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM
JazakAllah khair Sh. Yasir Qadhi!
KR
September 12, 2008 at 1:36 PM
JZK for the post!
Here is a video link from Chicago news. Imam Muhammad was asked, why dont he have an entourage like Minister Farrakhan. He replied, ” I dont need an entourage, Allah is my protector.”
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/wd.mohammed.services.2.815324.html
The video is in the top right hand corner.
KR
September 12, 2008 at 1:50 PM
‘Aishah (RA) said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, ‘If a Muslim dies and his funeral prayer is attended by a group of a hundred Muslims, and they all sincerely pray for his forgiveness, he is forgiven’.” This is narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and Tirmizhi.
Abu Alee
September 12, 2008 at 1:54 PM
You can download the biography of Malcolm X here
H. Ahmed
September 12, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Jazakallah khair!!!
Thank you so much for this great post!
sisterindeen
September 12, 2008 at 4:32 PM
JazaakAllaahu khairan. This is one of the best articles I’ve read at MM mashaAllaah. Watching the slideshow Sh. Yasir linked to was just amazing and undescribable. Seeing the thousands of people from all over the US, prostrating themselves to Allaah (swt), making du’a to Allah (swt), and gathering for His sake, with the guidance of Allaah and then Imam WD is very humbling. May Allaah forgive Imam WD and grant Him Jannatul Firdous, ameen.
The Realist
September 12, 2008 at 9:36 PM
I fail to see any positive contributions having originated my original comment, therefore, I have been edited.
Pingback: Imam Warith Deen Mohammed has passed away - Forums - Islamica Community
sharmarke
September 12, 2008 at 11:53 PM
Asalaam Alaykum,
Subhanallah! Thanks for sharing this brother……….the turnout is a testament to the massive impact Imam WD Muhammad had. May ALlah (swt) reward him for his efforts.
The Realist: What a sad commentary……….it’s also rather short on logic, please reexamine your thoughts on the matter.
Pingback: Imam WD Muhammad passed away... - GupShup Forums
The Realist
September 13, 2008 at 7:57 AM
I use words like “atropied intellectual” to demonstrate my intelligence. In the future, I will learn to disagree respectfully and tastefully, with constructive criticism, not destructive criticism devoid of substance.
May Allah reward you for patiently humoring me, especially during this Ramadhaan.
Imam A. Mustafa Ali
September 13, 2008 at 1:36 PM
As-salaam-alaikum:
I thank you for your kind words. As a student of Imam Muhammad (ra) for almost forty years, I am confident in saying that he has made a great contribution to inviting people, especially African-Americans, to Al-Qur’an and the Life example of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). Like everyone he will have his detractors….that is the state of mind of some individuals. I would only ask them two things….restrain your tongues and hands. Ask yourself if you will have as many people bearing witness to your veracity and commitment on the day that it is announced that you have departed this world? Ask yourself how many people have taken shahadatain because you told the truth. Please, do not look at this great inviter to Al-Islam in the dark wilderness of North American ignorance as being insignificant. May Allah grant his faith servant the highest place in the Company of our dear Nabi Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him) and the choicest blessings…Ameen
Asim
September 13, 2008 at 5:21 PM
SubhanAllah, I got swept up in the emotions seeing the janazah pictures.
The beauty of Islam is just so amazing. The Oneness of Allah and the oneness of our ummah.
They were praying out of the door guys. Out of the doors…
May Allah forgive him of his faults, open Louis Farakhan and NOI members to the haq of Islam and unite this ummah.
Ameen and Ameen to all the du’as above.
Imam A. Mustafa Ali
September 13, 2008 at 6:51 PM
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (24:19)
24:19 Verily, as for those who like [to hear] foul slander spread against [any of] those who have attained to faith grievous suffering awaits them in this world and in the life to come: for God knows [the full truth], whereas you know [it] not.
Respect The Life Of A Good Man And A Believer
It is with great humility and appreciation to our brother Yasir Qadhi for his kind words on the passing of our Sheik and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (raheem’ullah)that offer these few comments. May he be richly rewarded for his struggles in the cause of Al-Islam and be forgiven any errors. We are reminded that “No man charges another with corruption or unbelief, save that the charge return against himself if the other is not as he said.” We also recall that our elders taught us not to revile the dead. Why, because, they have gone to meet whatever they have sent ahead. Al-hamdulilah.
We were blessed to know Imam Mohammed for almost 4 decades. We can say that he was a good man, a sincere man who loved Allah subhana wa ta’ala, loved our dear Nabi Muhammed ibn Abdullah (the peace and blessings be upon him) and loved the muslims. The Imam was tolerant of his critics and patient with those who praised him greatly. Those of us who are his students will try as best we can to emulate his behavior. It is the example of the Prophet who was patient, tolerant, forgiving and merciful because he had hopes that even his worst enemies would accept the truth.
On the authority of Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu ‘anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, say:
“Islam has been built upon five things – on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadhan.”
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
There is a beautiful book on prayer that Imam W. Deen Muhammad wrote and on page 143 he said:
“Muslims are drawn together by one force in their lives the will to obey and worship Allah. The coming together of Muslims as members of one humanity first begins within our families and communities and it grows as we become more aware of our membership in a universal society based on one truth: there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”
This is the essence of the understanding of aqeedah (the creed) of Al-Islam. It reflects what Allah has ordered and what the Prophet Muhammad worked for and the belief that the Imam called his students, followers and supporters. This is a simple and concise proof. Who can argue with that but a disbeliever, rejecter of faith or a hypocrite?
It can be suggested that even in his earliest period of leadership of the old so-called “Nation of Islam” he was evolving toward the truth in an article written in 1976 entitled, The Lost-Found Nation of Al-Islam in the West he said:
“We are thankful to Allah for the many blessings He is bestowing upon us. In a cruel and savage environment, He alone has given to His believers in America the help that we needed. Now He is blessing us with success. No people can be strong without Islam. If any people have strength, it is because they have some measure of Islam no matter what spiritual, political, or social label they may put on it. Any philosophy which ignores Allah will eventually have weaknesses to develop in it, grow in it and destroy it (the Teachings of W.D. Muhammad, p. 204, 1976).”
We see Imam Mohammed as a sincere worker in Al-Islam who invited those of us who were his students to study the two sources: the Book of Allah and Life example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). We also acknowledge that we have a great deal of work ahead of us to grasp the great sciences of Al-Quran, its exegesis, the knowledge of the tafsir of our righteous predecessors and the insights provided by the scholars of hadith. But we are grateful to Allah that this humble and kind man was patient enough to strive in Allah’s call to bring us out of the ignorance in which he found us and call us to the truth. He was blessed to provided us a unique perspective on Al-Qur’an and the life example of our Nabi Muhammad (pbuh). Someone who is outside of the old nation of Islam may not be able to appreciate the challenge he inherited.
In 1985 Imam Mohammed stated:
“We have started in the right way. We have done our best to bring a healthy Islamic environment to be a reality for us through the teachings, the Daw’ah, the propagation. We have stressed the importance of education (Challenges that face man today, p51).”
During this talk the Imam pointed out that there were still a number of people who were not willing to follow Al-Qur’an and strive to be true Muslims. This was a major part of the challenge he faced during the first decade of his leadership. Moving hundreds of thousands of the followers of his father to reject the ideology of the old Nation of Islam and accept the responsibility to study Al-Qur’an, the life example of the Prophet and to implement the teachings into their individual, family and community lives. He was attacked within and without the movement. His detractors within the movement insisted he had abandoned the “truth” that his father taught for Islamic spirituality. Those outside the movement criticized him for not teaching the “true aqeedah” and holding on to the ideas of the nation. However, to his credit he bore it patiently and kept working.
“So we find that Prophet Muhammad is called the ‘Ummi Prophet’, and his people are called the ‘Ummi’een’, which means those people who are not scholars, those people who were not highly cultured or highly educated. They were not the children of the academic class. They were the common people who no more than mother-wit, common knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was one of them, and he was made the leader for all the people (Imam W. Deen Muhammad speaks from Harlem, N.Y., p.34, 1984)”
We can safely say that statement reflected his hope that those of us who had followed his father would eventually “grow-up” into a better understanding of this wonderful way of life that Allah subhana wa ta’ala gave us in Al-Qur’an and the life example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لآئِمٍ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (5:54)
5:54 O you who have attained to faith! If you ever abandon your faith,” God will in time bring forth [in your stead] people whom He loves and who love Him – humble towards the believers, proud towards all who deny the truth: [people] who strive hard in God’s cause, and do not fear to be censured by anyone who might censure them: such is God’s favour, which He grants unto whom He wills. And God is infinite, all-knowing.
An important point was made by the Imam in October 2006 that should help us further understand that he was willing despite the critics to compel us to reflect more deeply on the significance of Quranic revelation. While discussing the Mi’raj—the ascent of the Prophet from the holy precincts to the furthest Mosque, he stated:
“Allah took him to the great peak for excellence in the life of those people (the Bani Israel) symbolized as the government under Solomon the wise (upon him be peace). And you know what happened. Later almost right away, he decided to go to Madinah. And with the experience and knowledge that Allah gave him in that ascent and that travel, night visit, he was prepared to go and establish the first Muslim world in Madinah. We say government but it was a world. It was a new world. He went there to Madinah and became the leader for the establishment of the ummah, the new world of Islam (Ramadan session, 2006).”
These are the kinds of things that our Sheik was criticized for. Simply, because he saw more in Al-Qur’an and the life example of Prophet Muhammad than his critics believed was in the scripture. It really is not our fault that they missed the richness of his visions, ideas, thoughts and teaching. We have been exposed to many great Islamic thinkers from the past and in our own times. We are grateful to Allah that he blessed the Imam to teach us to understand the criticizers and nay-sayers. We realize that in time as we continue to work in the Islamic movement we will see the spread of this faith despite those amongst the ummah who are more wedded to speaking about the example of our Prophet than living out his example. Our vision of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is that of a sincere devotee who was busy trying to invite the humanity to truth—we believe that was his sunnah. The amazing thing about that great man was he never back bit people nor assaulted the character of man despite his dislike for the person’s bad behaviors, instead he called them to the truth of the words of his Lord.
It is important to appreciate a good man and it is destructive to one’s own soul to criticize without having done a thorough study of what he actually taught. We can only invite the students of faith to take the time to study 4 decades of the teachings of W.D. Mohammed. As a student, I believe one will find more to appreciate than to criticize. Personally, I discovered that over time the things that I did not believe my Sheik was correct on were either clarified and explained, supported by the evidence from the two sources or he openly declared that he had made an error in judgment. It is rare to find a man like that who will acknowledge his own errors.
…..”When I was taken up in the Ascent M’iraj, I passed by people with fingernails of copper who were raking their faces and chests with them. I asked, ‘who are they Jibril?’ and he said, ‘they are those who slandered others (literally: ate people’s flesh) and attacked their reputations.”
My hope for all of us, his supporters and critics alike is that we take this historical moment and reflect on what we can do to contribute to the growth of vital and productive Islamic community here on the North American continent that will reflect the best of our faith. I pray that we rise up to meet the challenge in providing leadership to the people of the Americas so that they may more greatly appreciate the greatness of our Lord and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Perhaps, our failure to take that course of action will do us more harm than good. Insha-Allah we won’t engage in petty partisan bickering and criticism over the veracity of the Imam’s life, he is with his Lord. Our challenge is to attempt to bring more insight to the people from Al-Qur’an and the life example of our wonderful Nabi Muhammad in order to establish the Islamic community life not to argue and debate over our various opinions. As the Imam had so enthusiastically stated, “We can’t stop now!”
If I have said anything to offend the reader, I beg Allah to pardon my errors. If I have added some value in some way to the hearts and the minds of the readers, we give all praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds and systems of knowledge.
13 Ramadan 1429
Imam A. Mustafa Ali
Atlanta, Georgia
Yasir Qadhi
September 13, 2008 at 7:02 PM
Jazak Allah khayr Imam A. Mustafa Ali for your duaas and kind words, and your attempt to defend the honor of this leader.
I know it must be painful for you to see what some people have written about him; all we can do is pray that Allah softens their heart to see the contributions of Imam Warith Deen to our Ummah.
As someone who knew him for forty years, your words mean infinitely more to me, and to most of our readers, than the words of those whose entire intelligent life spans probably do not exceed half of that time period.
And I must add one point: as a close student of the Imam, your akhlaq, etiquette and true Islamic manners that you displayed in the face of those who made such harsh and vulgar comments against your personal mentor speaks volumes to me about the legacy that he left you with. Truly, you can tell a teacher by his students.
May Allah forgive all of us for our shortcomings and bless us in this Sacred Month.
Yasir
Baraka
September 13, 2008 at 7:41 PM
Salaam ‘alaykum & thank you for your reflections. Indeed, we have much work ahead of us to integrate our community.
Warmly,
Baraka
Abu Sabaya
September 13, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Honestly, I’m not sure whose words mean what to me anymore. People seem to be teaching something one day but applying something completely different another.
For example, I’m looking at the notebook from the excellent Light of Guidance I class Yasir Qadhi taught only a few summers back, and from p. 56 onwards ( the ‘Manifestations of Kufr’ section), there is example after example of actions/statements that WD Muhammad fell into that Yasir Qadhi specifically lists as being major kufr and expelling the doer from Islam in this section.
Even if one argues for establishing the proof, clarifying his words, etc. before passing a judgment, the fact that WD at least committed acts that are classified as major kufr according to the LOG notes should at least warrant a refraining from referring to such a person as an “Imam” to be looked up to – for the sake of consistency, if not for the sake of clarifying the truth.
I’m all for giving people the credit they are due, and I am quite aware of the history of the NOI and WD’s role in pulling people away from it, but I’m seeing inconsistency between what was taught in the past regarding issues of Iman/kufr vs. what is applied in the present, such as in this case.
rahim
September 13, 2008 at 10:50 PM
AsalamuAlaikum
JazakAllahKhair for your reflections
http://rickshawdiaries.wordpress.com/2008/09/13/be-the-brothers-and-sisters/#more-1335
Ilyas (Alex)
September 14, 2008 at 12:45 AM
Abu Sabaya-
Salaam ‘alaikum,
Among the benefits of studying with a teacher is that the teacher, if good, will help one see one’s own limitations.
In the case of Shaykh Yasir’s course, he specifically stated, multiple times, that the judgements learned in the class were NOT TO BE APPLIED BY US TO OTHERS. And that making such rulings is left up to real scholars ONLY. Again, NOT US.
You might want to add that to your notes.
Abu Sabaya
September 14, 2008 at 1:40 AM
Alex: ‘Alayk as-Salam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh;
I’m sorry you so horribly misread, as my post mentioned nothing of applied judgment. That’s a whole other story. Rather, the problem is that even the theoretical aspect of what was once taught is also now ignored.
Even if final judgment on a specific person is what is up to the scholar, the kufri nature of beliefs/acts/words themselves is clear and does not require a degree from Madinah to determine. So, it is with that that I’m finding it hard to swallow how one who at the very least fell into many instances of kufr (more accurate word than ‘mistakes’) can be referred to as an Imam, an example, etc., even if you aren’t making takfir of him.
Once again, problem = lack of consistency. If beliefs are changing behind the scenes, coming out and saying so will clear things up.
sharmarke
September 14, 2008 at 2:30 AM
Asalaam Alayakum,
Dear Imam A. Mustafa Ali……thank you so much for sharing your reflections…..as our Shaykh Yasir said quite accurately….your words and adaab are a beautiful tribute to the excellence of your teacher.
Jazak’Allah.
Dear Abu Sabaya……….are you familiar with the expression “a time and a place for everything”? We have a comprehensive set of etiquettes in Islam with regards to disagreements….to speak nothing of the fact that these sorts of disagreements are the purview of scholars and not laymen.
Please leave off this line of argumentation akhi…..it is fruitless and Ramadan has much more to offer the vigilant muslim insha’Allah
Abu Sabaya
September 14, 2008 at 4:48 AM
I was under the impression that a discussion forum was to be a forum for discussion. If this is not the place for such, then what is?
And what seems fruitless to you might be a subject of importance for someone else, so let’s not be so selfish in our thinking.
Amad
September 14, 2008 at 4:56 AM
Actually this post was not meant to be a forum for arguing about the status of imam WD. It consisted of photoblogging and some general reflections.
Sharmarke put it well.
Jazakallah khair Imam Mustafa for sharing the info.
Abu Sabaya
September 14, 2008 at 5:33 AM
Subhan Allah, it’s sad how insignificant kufr is nowadays in the eyes of the Muslims.
Abu Bakr
September 14, 2008 at 6:08 AM
Even if this is not the place for it, I think Abu Sabaya has some honest questions that deserve some honest answers.
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
September 14, 2008 at 9:46 AM
innalhamdolillah. bismillah. i would like to see more editing/moderation of the comments in this article.
perhaps it should become a new MM policy that articles announcing the death/janazah of any person who said “la ilaha illAllah” should be treated as FULLY moderated.
you should screen each and every post. immediately posting written comments is not working out. even if a latter comment corrects misinformation, or advises to better akhlaque, or apologizes for the conduct of others, or any other good — the harm done by an inappropriate written word cannot be undone.
sadly people who speak and write without fear of Allah dispute even what it means to write with fear of Him.
so moderate all the comments in articles of this nature. defend those who have died, who cannot speak in their own defense anymore. protect those who love them and are still in the period of grieving, and do not insult or promote the grieving lest someone innocent then transgress the bounds of Allah.
and pray that Allah will defend us when we have returned to Him. that He will make easy the lives of those who love us when they are grieving.
Tariq Lang
September 14, 2008 at 12:25 PM
As Salaamu Alaikum:
When I was informed that Imam W.D.Muhammad had passed away I called the local masjid which was under his direct leadership to see if this was a fact. After it was confirmed by them I then proceeded to call only the people I knew who were part of his community or had good feelings toward the Imam.
I know allot of Muslims but many brothers who I knew I did not call. I did not call Muslims who I believed would make negative comments, I did not call them for two reasons. One, I just did not want to hear anything negative about Imam Muhammad. The other was to protect these brothers from harming themselves in this life and the next. Allah, subhana wa ta’ala (SWT), had commanded the Muslims to investigate statements about people before you end up spreading false statements. he has commanded you to hide your brother’s faults, he has command you to forgive, and he has commanded you love those that love Allah and his messenger.
I knew that none of the people meet him personally allowing them to ask for clarification. I knew None of them asked what date were these so called statements made or even what Imam Muhammad’s current position on that subject was. I knew that none of them had ever asked the person who told them this news did they themselves verify the information or check the date of the video they saw was made.
Allah (SWT) says investigate; therefore, as a Muslim you have no option you must properly investigate. Several years ago I did my investigation because I was born into the community and I had concern about what different people had said, so I decided to go to Chicago to hear him in person and to be able to ask questions. When I visited I heard him say that we must have the knowledge and live our lives as though we have the knowledge that “there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah (SWT), and that the prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, Salalahu alaihi was salaam (PBUH) is his servant and final messenger to mankind, jinn, and all creation. He also stated that we must study and know the book of Allah and the life of the prophet (PBUH), follow his perfect example which is preserved through the recording of his Sunnah. He also warned us of our responsibility as Muslims and citizens to make a change in our society just like our prophet did in Mecca in that period of less than 10 years ( hijrah until the conquest of Mecca),
Imam Muhammad also said true Islam (submission to Allah’s commands) causes change and development in a dead society. He said it was our duty as Muslims to follow the example of our prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (PBUH). Imam W.D. Muhammad tried his best to do just that!
On Sept. 11 2008 literally millions of Muslims were making dua for Imam W.D Muhammad to be forgiven for his sins, and mistakes, and for Allah to enter him into paradise. Allah answers the call of the callers, especially those who answer his call and live his book.
The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received revelation over a 23 year period, during that time Allah guided him, corrected him and even admonished him for his actions (Abasa WA Tawala). At that same time the enemies of Islam and the hypocrites made issues with the things he did and spread false teaching about the prophet (PBUH). Allah answered these peopled by saying tell them that he is only a warner in the face of a terrible punishment, and a bearer of glad tidings that all will receive a just reward for our actions. He also told him that it was not his responsibility to change the hearts but to just deliver the message.
The out pouring of the Muslims all over the world since his death is “proof and evidence” of Imam W.D. Muhammad’s tireless effort to do what we have been commanded to do and that is to live this deen and spread this deen through your example.
Tariq ibn-Jamil
Amad
September 14, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Salam Br Abu Bakr, I don’t believe anyone is discounting the questions; just that this is not the appropriate time or place for it. I agree with abu abdullah of more strict moderation for such posts, just out of respect for the deceased.
I am sure brother abu sabaya has access to MM shayookh via email (or they can be sent using the contact page), so those questions may be handled better among people of knowledge on email.
Jak
Hanunah Uqdah
September 14, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Thank you my brother in Islam. Insha Allah, there will be more like you to see the significance of all Muslims, really coming together and working together as one unit. Allah, Sub Hana Wa Taala only knows how we will be able to do this. I am at least happy to know that there is one more who feels this way. Insha Allah, it will spread.
May Allah Bless and keep you.
Siraaj
September 14, 2008 at 5:49 PM
Salaam alaykum all,
Abu Sabaya, if you want to ask questions about Light of Guidance, then you should do so in the appropriate place, that being the AlMaghrib forums, or see if you can speak to Shaykh Yasir directly to get his views.
I think it’s legitimate that you have concerns that you want to have addressed (the cure to ignorance is asking), but I have to agree that the time, place, and tone of such discussions ought not to be as it is right now.
Siraaj
tr
September 15, 2008 at 12:45 AM
jazakallah kahir. Thank you for this heartfelt post.
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
September 15, 2008 at 10:00 AM
jazak Allah khayr, Tariq ibn Jamil. “O Allah protect from every tariq (night visitor), except that tariq which brings good.” MashaAllah, your post brought much good. and, alhamdolillah, by sharing the ‘ilm and ‘adab you learned from Imam Muhammad, you know well that your post increases him, too, in reward.
and it bears repeating how much good Imam Muhammad will find, inshaAllah, in his favor from all the ‘ilm, ‘adab, and dawah that he put forth during his life, which his students and those who answered the Call of Allah — which the Imam was not afraid to announce openly and often — which these people will likewise pass on to generations to come. this is the kind of knowledge and dawah that earns good even after death.
may Allah give us so much tawfiq to call people to Islam, to be heard, to be listened to, and to be successful in this life and, inshaAllah, in the next.
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Anti_Shaytan
September 18, 2008 at 2:38 PM
The Prophet (saw) said “One who says to his brother, O kaafir! then it returns upon one of them”
Allaahum-maghfir lihayyinaa, wa mayyitinaa, wa shaahidinaa, wa ghaa’ibinaa, wa sagheerinaa wa kabeerinaa, wa thakarinaa wa ‘unthaanaa.
O Allah forgive our living and our dead , those who are with us and those who are absent, our young and our old , our menfolk and our womenfolk.
ummkhamsa
September 18, 2008 at 7:20 PM
As salaamu alaikum,
Thank you for sharing. I am wondering, are there special circumstances where women are allowed to follow the jinazah to the burial site? Or allowed to put flowers or dirt on the coffin as we see some of the women doing in the pics posted in one of the links above?
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Amatullah
September 25, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Have you all heard about this? http://www.siddeeq.com/khadijah/
She is the sister of the Umm Zakiyyah (author of “If I should Speak”).
KALEM, First of DeCider
September 30, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Much Peace to the Umma of Al-Islam
As-Salaamu-alaikum
To any who respect mankind AND who with his or her inner being reach for the heart and soul of the humanity,.. such was the heart and mind of Imam W.D.Muhammed, to do. It was a reach that had nothing but what… is better than best… for those who would gather in humility to hear and learn of the message of Al-Islam from a trusted spokesman. I hope that the community will remember WD Muhammed with a breath of prayer and understanding. I cannot… with my limits understanding for those who would compete for the acceptance of their Lord… to do so with mockery of his innocence of him who loved them more. Such was the cause and the agenda of WD Muhammed. Peace, Love and Acceptance be in the hearts of those who respected his leadership, his efforts and his presence among us. Let us who are grateful, leave him legacy intact with service to the way his Lord as he best knew, and to give as best that he could… to those he hoped to point in a direction of trust to a better life… and for that, the hope for tomorrow to the end of his days… in this Presence has obtained a greater measure of hope our times–for me, I owe it to the life and times of W.D. MUHAMMED, Son of Elijah Muhammad, NOI. See how our history marches on. Be then of good faith.
Malik Bilal Muhammad
February 9, 2010 at 9:55 AM
My blessings and prayers go to Warith Deen Muhammad and his family. My question is why was he buried in a casket? muslim’s do not get buried in caskets, that is not a proper jenazzah. We were made of dirt, and we should lay in dirty as Allah made us from the soil of the earth. I am a muslim, and I saw Imam W.D. Muhammad’s wedding on youtube and I ask, why are black muslims so influenced by christianity lifestyles.
Abu Sinna Muhammad AbdulAziz
April 7, 2012 at 9:08 PM
As Salaamu’Alaykum WaRahmatullah..
Love from Malaysia..
I’d like to share that our brother Abu Taubah has been caught by the Feds.
Marcus Robertson, Imam at Orlando’s Masjid Al-ihsaan.
accused of handgun posession.
anyone whom may reach please help aour Muslim brother because Muslim Matters..
InshaAllah..
love from Malaysia..
AsSalaamu’Alaykum WaRahmatullah..