Why Blackamerican Muslims Don’t Stand For Justice Pt. 5
After twenty years of the immigrants’ controlling the Islamic agenda in America, by the year 2000 Blackamericans had clearly taken the “back seat” when it came to community issues. Having taken up this knotty and controversial question of why “Blackamerican Muslims don’t stand for justice”, we’ve learned that one of the most important factors in our failure to develop and maintain a community activist, social justice tradition has been the overwhelming dominance and influence of the immigrant Muslim community. In arriving at this conclusion it has never been my purpose to demonize any group of Muslims or resort to racial demagoguery, nor assail the feelings of anyone. It is my firm belief that the Muslims in America are essentially good and well meaning people, nevertheless, I have always held to the principle of telling the truth as best I understood it, and let the chips fall where they may.
However after having looked at this issue from all angles, its also becoming clear to me that immigrant dominance does not fully explain why Blackamerican Muslims don’t stand for justice. The record reflects that the immigrant organizations’ power-play for control of the “Islamic” agenda in America met little to no resistance from Blackamerican Muslims. The question then is why.
It was certainly expected that in attempting to explore this question we would invite the usual criticisms that always tend to impede any type of serious and frank discussion of Black community issues, especially when viewed in the context of Islam’s universality. Unfortunately, in the minds of some confused individuals “Blackamerican progress” and Islam are mutually exclusive thoughts. Because of the ‘teachings’ of the past decade or so from certain imams and du’aat – even Blackamerican ones – we now see that any talk of Blackamerican Muslims showing concern for their own community immediately provokes shrill accusations of “nationalism” or of “dividing the Muslim community”. And what is so tragically ironic about it all is that at the same time these people raise the ugly specter of “nationalism” – being unable to advance even a cogent definition of the term – they will in the same breath utter the completely absurd statement of “I’m not Black, I’m not African American. I’M JUST MUSLIM”. However they are not able to sustain the delusion of being a racial and ethnic tabula rasa (blank slate) for very long, and waste no time reinventing themselves into the mirror image of a Saudi, Sudani, Pakistani, or what have you.
This type of self-negating attitude provides great insight into why Blackamerican Muslims ceded the agenda to the immigrant community, and ultimately came to accept their insular outlook on the community at large. In essence, they felt insecure in their Islamic identity and not really worthy of leadership. This in turn raises the more troubling question of how such a resilient people developed this profound lack of confidence? The answer, however uncomfortable, seems inescapable: Blackamericans – even after accepting Islam – still suffer from a crippling inferiority complex which has never abated since the days of slavery . Renowned sociologist and scholar E. Franklin Frazier, in his classic, earth shaking book entitled Black Bourgeoisie, diagnosed the malady brilliantly,
“The entire history of the Negro in the United States has been of a nature to create in the Negro a feeling of racial inferiority. During the more than two centuries of enslavement by the white man, every means was employed to stamp a feeling of natural inferiority in the Negro’s soul. Christianity and the Bible was utilized both to prove and give divine sanction to his alleged racial inferiority or, as some contended, his exclusion from the races of mankind”.
” A legalized system of racial segregation was established which stigmatized the Negro as unfit for human association, and every type of propaganda was employed to prove that the Negro was morally degenerate and intellectually incapable of being educated. Living constantly under the domination and contempt of the white man, the Negro came to believe in his own inferiority, whether he ignored or accepted the values of the white man’s world. The black bourgeoisie……exhibits most strikingly the inferiority complex of those who would escape their racial identification.”
With the learned professor’s diagnosis before us it becomes easy to explain the strange, bizarre – indeed pitiful – antics that some Blackamerican Muslims exhibit in the name of Islamic practice. In a desperate attempt to find relief from the psychic damage centuries of racial stigmatization has stamped upon his soul, he will rush to assume, in totality, the identity of another nation regardless of how ridiculous he looks in the eyes of the world. Because of his dark skin color he missed the opportunity to “pass” for a white man, but upon entering the fold of Islam he could comfortably cast aside his Blackamerican identity with the perfect alibi…. one centered in God and religion.
“Islamic passing” expresses itself in many interesting ways. One version is to literally “pass” from America to a Muslim country by shedding their past history and cutting off family in the hopes that their children and/or grandchildren will marry amongst the natives and become Saudis, Egyptians, Kuwaitis or what have you. Similar to ‘mulattos‘ and ‘octoroons’ in the early twentieth century that passed into whiteness by breaking with their past and living white lives, the intent here is to make a clean and complete break with their Blackamerican culture and heritage and start new lives as “real” Muslims. Hence the mantra: “I am just a Muslim”. They are not only making “hijrah” from America, but from blackness itself. Something leads me to believe that were it not for stringent visa regulations many of our brothers would have chosen this avenue.
In lieu of the above, another form of “passing” is to no longer wear “kafir clothes” and restrict ones attire to the national dress of some Muslim country – usually some kind of long thobes – speak English with a fake and broken Arabic accent (or perhaps Urdu), and believe Arab (or Pakistani) women are all princesses and all black women are low and unworthy. They will leave off “kafir food” (American cuisine) and only consume “Muslim food”, that is, Pakistani, Arab, etc. delicacies.
Just to cement the point, one popular salafi speaker – who is Blackamerican – even wrote a series in which he told his followers that – AS A RELIGIOUS POINT – the Arabs are Superior to the rest of the Ummah. He mentioned in this series that one of his teachers threatened that anyone who disbelieved in this noxious doctrine would be classified as a ‘deviant’. And the others under him readily accepted this without question despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary in Islam. It is no wonder we began to hear Blacks in the community say of Blackamerican Muslims that we have gotten off the back of the bus to get on the back of the camel. It was precisely this kind of indoctrination that passed as teaching that only exacerbated the inferiority complex that Blackamericans already had.
There are of course other ways to delude oneself into believing that one is no longer a Blackamerican, but perhaps one of the more pernicious ways involves turning away from Blackamerican women in search of “real” Muslim women from other country’s. It seems that Morocco is the hot destination for wives these days. This is of course not to over generalize or indict any specific person or couple, but only to highlight the frightful impact the phenomenon is having on the Blackamerican Muslimah’s prospects for finding a husband (see what I said about this issue here).
This inferiority complex is so pernicious that it causes a person to militate against his own self interest. Admittedly, in the abstract this sounds completely implausible, but this is exactly what happens when concerned elements in the Blackamerican Muslim community attempt to rectify the litany of ills confronting them. Self righteous – truly ignorant – members of that very same community stand up and scream “nationalism”. This leads one to ask, is it “nationalism” to protect the chastity of African American women and check the horrific out-of-wedlock birth rate in the Black community (70%) ? Is it “nationalism” to help brothers with felony records find work and rebuild their lives? Is it “nationalism” to fight against racial gentrification and help others find affordable housing? Is it “nationalism” to condemn a racist criminal justice system which positively targets Black men and boys? Is it “nationalism” to get Black folk, who suffer disproportionately from stroke, cancer, heart attack, and AIDs, affordable health care? And one could go on and on.
But of course all of the above issues are not the real concern of the ” I’M JUST MUSLIM’ Muslims, who, stumbling along in their self-abasing inferiority complex and identity confusion, perfectly attired in the garb of an “alien nation”, merely wish to escape (if only in delusion) the bleak reality of being Black in America. For the record (not that I’ve ever given anyone reason to believe otherwise), “nationalism” of any variety is a major evil and anathema to Islam, and all measures should be taken to condemn it wherever and whenever it appears. We have “nationalism” to “thank” for world wars, ethnic cleansing, and genocide, so to attribute this philosophy to a Muslim is no small matter. It is a filthy creed that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) likened to a “dung beetle”. But “nationality” is not “nationalism”, a critical distinction completely lost on the“IM JUST MUSLIM” Muslims. Nationhood is one of the marvels of Allah’s Creation, and attachment to ones racial or ethnic group is a sentiment deeply embedded in the fitrah (natural disposition) of the human being. And so we’ve been informed that mankind was created into “nations and tribes” and that the variation in our “colors and languages” are signs of Allah.
When racial, ethnic, and national sentiments are pumped up with pride and a feeling of superiority takes hold of the people; where aid and assistance are extended to ones own group to the exclusion of others;then you’ve identified “nationalism”.
“A Companion of the Holy Prophet asked: “What is partisanship? Is loving ones tribe (or nation) partisanship?” The Prophet said: “No. Partisanship is to support ones tribe (or nation) in oppression” (Ibn Majah).
Before leaving this topic, we should also like to make it clear that Al Islam is the balm which heals all the afflictions of men’s hearts, including and especially this sickening racial inferiority complex. This beautiful religion positively disparages, if not outright prohibits, the kind of “slavish imitation” and “feeble-mindedness”displayed by far too many Blackamerican Muslims.
So in conclusion, its important to say that the title of the series was in no way to imply (God forbid) that there are no Blackamerican Muslims fighting for justice, or trying to make a difference in their communities. To say such a thing would be an injustice in itself. The scores of sincere Muslims involved in Imam Jamil Al Amin’s case would immediately disprove that thesis. One such brother that comes to mind is long time human rights advocate El-Hajj Mauri Salakhan, who heads up the Peace and Justice Foundation in Maryland. But what we’ve attempted to do was examine the larger question of why Blackamerican Muslims failed to develop a national presense in matters related to social justice and community involvement in America. Our brief overview of recent history has brought us to where we are today in a post 9/11 environment. That horrid atrocity has changed the thinking of America in a myriad of ways; ways that have caused all segments of the Muslim community in this country to realize that we absolutely must bridge the gaps that divide us, and “cooperate in righteousness and God-consciousness”.
Nevertheless, each segment of the community must pull their own weight and work in the areas where they’ll be most effective. All the talent and ability of our youth, and wisdom and guidance of our seniors, must be brought to bear on the vexing problems of American life. Perhaps with MANA we have turned a corner. I remain hopeful and even enthusiastic about this important undertaking….but guarded. We’ve seen big flashes before. Looked at from a number of different perspectives, MANA’s first annual convention was seen as a success, if only for the reason that Blackamerican Muslims were able to come together and make salat (prayer), an act of worship which contains its own power to unite. The conference clearly demonstrated a new level of maturity for in the past, Blackamerican Muslim groups tended to remain aloof from each other, nursing suspicions and at times contempt for one another. The fact that so many Blackamerican Muslims from all persuasions attended was also a good sign, for had such a conference been attempted in the 1990’s it would have been tarred and feathered by the salafis, and respected leaders in the community would have feared having their reputations trashed for even attending. The very fact that no such conference ever took place during the 90’s attests to the strenght of the salafi movement’s isolationist philosophy.
All this was very encouraging to see. There remained however at least one stain on an otherwise positive program, that being the invitation of NOI minister Larry 4X (sometimes known as Akbar Muhammad) to speak before the Muslims. This was more than a mistake, it was a wrong, and it is my fervent prayer that the leaders of MANA realize this and summarily drop this objectionable individual (maybe we can help them accomplish this, inshallah).
All in all, it is well past time to take responsibility for our families and communities and raise up a responsible and educated (Islamically and secularly) next generation of Blackamerican Muslim children, rather than waiting for the immigrants to do it for us. It is also my hope that the children of immigrants will understand these issues better than their parents.
And Allah’s the One whose Help is sought
Previous Posts
African-American Muslims face several challenges. First and foremost, there will be no genuine progress for AA without widespread dissemination of traditional Islamic knowledge. Until this takes place, AA Muslims will be arguing over matters that are not essential, while ignoring matters that are.
We have a misconception regarding unity. THERE CAN BE NO UNITY WITHOUT CLARITY regarding who is who and what is what. For the sake of what some call “unity,” (real) Muslims along with clear deviants and apostates are suppose to come together and “put aside their differences” for the sake of an alleged “greater good.” But how can there be a “greater good” that is not based upon obedience to Allah? There can’t. And there can’t be any lasting unity until people are willing to submit to the truth and sincerely seek to obey Allah.
As your fifth essay alludes to, how can there be Islamic unity with people who claim that Allah incarnated in a person who was suppose to have been born 130 years ago–or the alleged “Sunni” imam who it is said refers to people as the “children of Allah?” These are clearly kufri (blasphemous) statements that anyone familiar with traditional Islamic scholarship would not dare have come from their tongue. This is the state of AA Islam–we are compromising obedience for the sake of “politics.”
The solution lies in following the method of the Prophet. When the Prophet sent Mu`adh Ibn Jabal to Yemen, Mu`adh said the first thing he would teach is Tawheed, and the Prophet agreed that is what he should teach. In teaching the matters of traditional `Aqidah, we can from the “gitty-up” distinguish those who are teaching Islam and those who are not. This makes it much more easy and clear to establish who is who and what is what.
Secondly, in learning traditional Islamic `Aqidah, it gives African-Americans the remedy to their intellectual inferiority complex. To hold a belief about the Creator that is intellectually invincible and can systematically discredit any deviant doctrine from ancient Greek philosophy to whatever delusions the modern materialists may have provides a tremendous boost to one’s intellectual self-esteem. And also, as i said, acquiring such knowledge makes it much easier to distinguish the genuine Islamic Monotheists from those who belie what Allah revealed, or deny Allah’s Attributes, or resemble Allah to the creation in one way or another.
Furthermore, as i said in the other post, by learning the Traditional Islamic sciences (TIS), the African-American is plugged into the legacy of his West African Muslim ancestors and that of the entire orthodox Sunni world. Also, in learning those TIS, one comes to realize the general malaise that is so prevalent throughout the Muslim world is caused by the ignorance and neglect of the traditional sciences. One ceases to look up to the immigrants when he comes to realize how abysmally ignorant most of them are of their own Islamic (scholarly) heritage. This all requires sincerity and sincerely seeking the truth and obedience to Allah. This requires that one digs to the bottom of issues and seeks clarity. This means a person has to probe his heart and his motivations and ask himself (or herself) for the guidance from Allah subhaanahu. Until that happens in greater than today’s current numbers, then African-American Muslims will continue to suffer.
And Allah knows best.
As salaam alaikum,
You briefly mentioned African-American women in your posts. However, I wish you had touched on the way in which the “I’m just Muslim” men try to import Arab, Pakistani and other cultural norms into our community and place those norms onto African-American women. Another reason for the breakdown in the community is that Black women have been denied the ability (in many respects) to fully participate in the development of the community- all under the guise of modesty. The whole imported idea of women being seen but not heard has hurt us deeply. I don’t have to tell you that African-American men can’t afford to alienate Black women. We’re the backbone of the African-American community. We’re your partners in the struggle. We really look like some fools out here trying to pretend we’re afraid to talk and interact with one another. *rolling eyes*
To be fair, some sisters adopted the “foreign mentality” which also told them to quietly go about their life cloaked in hijab and accepting mistreatment from brothers. Some of us stayed home and no longer felt like we had to be involved in our community because it wasn’t our place to do so. Some of us tried our hardest to emulate Arab, Indian, Pakistani or other customs because we were told that this is the proper way for a Muslim woman to be. It’s really sad.
I say we need to stop this foolishness and get back to being who we are. No one else is going to clean up our communities but us. We cannot afford to separate from one another and we can’t afford to separate ourselves from non-Muslim African-Americans either. We have a culture, a community, traditions and all. Some of us just need to recognize the value in it. We need to get back into our communities and reestablish the respect and trust that non-Muslim African-Americans once had for Muslims. That’s the best dawah.
As much people have to say about Imam W. D. Muhammad, his community has done a great job of working in the African-American community and giving dawah. Meanwhile, the rest of us are doing what? Talking about kafir this and kafir that. Supporting causes of people who wouldn’t even come to the hood with us to clean up our community if we paid them. Better yet, some of them are right there in the hood with their little stores, selling haram and profiting off of our people.
I could go on and on but I’ll stop here.
Jamerican,
This is the whole problem i was speaking of. Until Muslims acquire traditional knowledge, a person will find one disaster feeding into to another. There are certain beliefs that are required for a person to be a Muslim. If a person doesn’t have those beliefs, then the person isn’t Muslim. If a person claims to be a Muslim but says: “Well, i don’t accept various verses of the Qur’an, and i reject what the Muslims unanimously have agreed upon,” then this person is obviously a non-Muslim.
If a person is helping others get off of drugs but at the same time is calling people to blasphemy, then he is not really helping such a person in the bigger picture. It is better to be a dope fiend and a Muslim than it is to be a sober kaafir. The challenge has been and will continue to be for African-American Muslims to get access to genuine traditional Islamic knowledge and make it relevant to their circumstances. For the most part to date, that hasn’t happened. You have some groups involved in necessary community affairs, but because of their dearth of knowledge, they end up furthering ruining what they attempt to fix. It is not an either-or proposition. We can be involved in helping the black community, while at the same time be devoted to traditional Islamic scholarship. Without a connection to such knowledge, we will be lost, and this (lack of knowledge) lies at the root of the problems we face.
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We must begin the whole process of loving ourselves again.Black self hatered as you identified in this post still exist .Any major city where there are large muslim populations we are the consumers of other people’s goods.I once recall looking at the magazine Islamic Horizon they showed the different muslim communties in Chicago. All the communties were building schools,residencys,and businesses to sustain there respective communties.When it came to us we were like a third world nation stiill trying to recover from the ravages of coloniaism.Yes we are one ummah, but being one ummah does not mean you neglect yourself.Self deteremation should not be looked as just some concept from the past. In New York city you can count the AfricanAmerican muslim Businesses just about on your hand. As one brother said were cant even put a elementarey school together even though we got the people with the qualifications and know-how to make it a success.Time is running out. A race of people who closes its eyes to its problems will become stricken.Time to move forward.-
Kwame,
A lot of what African-Americans suffer from can be ascribed to the Willie Lynch Syndrome (WLS–whether or not the letter is apocryphal is irrelevant). African-American Muslims will collectively continue to be on the bottom of the barrel until they are SINCERE committed to obeying Allah. First and foremost, African-American Muslims need to setrive to be pious. There can be no piety without knowing what Allah ordered and forbade. And there is no way to know that unless one commits him/herself to learning traditional Islamic Knowledge. By virtue of obedience to Allah, God-willing, Allah would enlighten the hearts of African-American Muslims, and they could become examples for all other Muslims and non-Muslims. Until that takes place, African-Americans will remain a race behind.
As salaam alaikum
Dear Brother Abdur –Rahman
Excellent series, simply outstanding work!
I have been a Muslim for 9 years and have always wondered why Muslims (I mean all of us) are so excessively pre-occupied with each others lineage and parentage.
I’m glad that somebody finally pointed out the inferiority complex and its destruction.
I’m planning on printing out your entire series and compiling it in a binder for my own children. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I did, and I want them to be aware of what’s going on.
Proud Black Mother
I really don’t quite understand this last post. It reminds me of Black people like to hurl the insult “you acting white” when Black person is ambitious, articulate doesn’t want to act a buffoon. As if we all have to act the same way, . That I disagree with and its one the worse about many ethnic communities, that we are not allowed to be individuals.
In some ways I can see how Black American Muslims in the NE would want to move to something else,. Their communities were/are a mess and they were looking for examples of proper behavior. They just had bad(corrupt?) guidance.
Personally I think we can learn a lot from other communities, just like they can learn some things from us. As a Blackamerican woman I definitely respect Eastern women who take being a mother and house wife seriously and its something I wish existed more in American women.
Ultimately it is the fault of the leaders for not taking Islamic precepts and applying them to the reality on the ground, if this is your point, I agree. Just some of your wording sounded a bit troubling to me.
MY DEAR BROTHER
THIS HAS BEEN LONG OVERDUE BEAR WITNESS FOR THE TRUTH EVEN IF IT BE AGAINST YOURSELF. MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU I WILL SEND SOME RESEARCH I HAVE DONE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT. I WANT NO CREDIT FOR ANYTHING YOU USE.
YOUR BROTHER IN THE STRUGGLE FOR TRUTH
ABU SULIMAN
Swathmoor:
All those Salafi Imams were filled with “traditional” Islamic knowledge directly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, what was the result of this “traditional” learning.
The place you take your Islamic knowledge from is as important as its “traditional” nature. Part of the problem is that the Muslim world of the east has poisened the process of Islamic education with a variety of deviance and poltically expediant versions of Islam.
To get correct Islamic knowledge for a westerner is like trying to cross a busy street blindfolded, your happy when you get to the other side becuase you know it was just by the mercy of Allah. There is so much crap out there from so many sects. I think a Muslim should have at least 10 years of Muslim experience in the West before he goes to the traditional Muslim world to learn. If not, he can come back spouting allkinds of garbage under the guise of “traditional” knowledge.
Also, Abdul Rahman:
MAny brothers wanted to adopt the “Islamic” identity because they saught to escape the jeheliyha of the West and America particularly, not so much the African American community. But this contributed to many converts feeling resentment toward their own homeland because they confused the “politics of Musilims” with the Islam of the Rasul (saw).
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Brother Swartmoor ,I also would like to know what you mean by tradtional knowledge.The Ash’ari oriented sufis claim this is what tIey upon.The super dupers salafis say the same thing.The commercialise sufis have been claiming this tittle for the last 10years.They have even use it for the marketing of there books, magazines,and cd’s.Lets face it brother some of there products are way over priced.Sometimes you have to wonder if there just trying to reach the muslms who have six figure salary incomes.Im not trying to nick pick brother just trying to get some clarity.
Abdul-Jabbar,
The quasi-salafis are NOT traditionally learned. Their ideology and methodology goes back a mere 250 years. The orthodox scholars refuted them then, and they are being refuted today. This is part of the problem: nobody who has learned traditional Islamic scholarship would think that the quasi-salafi/wahhabi sect are traditional Muslims. The Wahhabis were only able to flourish because of the ignorance of the American converts and the ignorance of the immigrant Muslim population, who often happens to be nearly as ignorant about classical Islamic scholarship as the convert.
There is no getting around the fact that if a person wants to learn the Religion that he has to seek people who actually have an isnaad that goes back to the Prophet. That simply is just how the knowledge has been preserved and transmitted. Given that to be the case, that FOR SURE eliminates the Wahhabis, who innovated matters that did not exist before them (as a single ideology). The issue of isnad also eliminates the mass of so-called “modernists” who Cheryl Benard and the crew have let loose upon the Muslims, especially here in the West. Clearly, W.D. Mohammed can make no claims to having isnaad–and his deviant sayings can fill up a page or two.
The issue is to get down to the matter of the Creed. What has the Muslim orthodoxy taught regarding Allah down thru the centuries. The belief is the same, and it is consistent and intellectually irrefutable. Look at what At-Tahawiyy, Abu Hanifah, Al-Maturidiyy, As-Sanusi, Al-Ash`ariyy, An-Nawawiyy, An-Nasafiyy, etc. wrote in their traditional booklets on the Sunni `Aqidah. It clearly was not the Wahhabi doctrine. There has been a mainstream of scholarship/`Aqidah that has existed and flourished throughout the Muslim world–until the era of colonialism. We have to approach this by asking the right questions and being ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED to seek the Truth for the sake of Allah. This is not a matter we can be lazy or negligent about.
Now the challenge after finding reliable sources of knoweldge is making that knowledge relevant to our experiences here in America. This, by its very nature, takes time, and it takes maturity. An American first must learn, at least the basic knowledge (fard-ul-`ayn) and the general methodology of classical Islamic scholarship, which will take at least a couple of years, then he has to “translate” that knowledge so that he can apply it to his life and his community/society. I see this happening now, and i see how frustrated, stuck, and confused many Muslims are simply because they don’t have this knowledge. I am glad to be a part of learning and teaching traditional Islamic knowledge, praise Allah.
In the next couple of days i will be posting an audio explanation of At-Tahawiyy on my blog. Feel free to take a listen.
Kwame,
When we go back thru Islamic history, we find a mainstream of Islamic scholarship that was taught throughout the Sunni Muslim world. It wasn’t until the quasi-salafis came along that the orthodox Ash`ari-Maturdi methodology became a “bad word” among those calling themselves Sunnis. When we talk about the Sunni orthodoxy, we are not talking about anything other than the Ash`ari-Maturidi methodology.
This is one of the areas where the quasi-Salafis can be exposed for being nothing other than liars who attempted to exploit the ignorance of American converts (simply because the AMericans had little access to anything else 20 years ago). The Wahhabi-quasi-Salafi sect claim that the Ash`ari/Maturidis are deviant, but simply ask them: Name a dozen Sunni scholars in the past 800 years (besides Ibn Taymiyyah and his students) who were NOT Ash`aris or Maturidis. On the one hand, the Wahhabis call the Ash`aris deviants, but they don’t tell their followers that…
–Ibn Hajar `Asqalani
–An-Nawawi
–Al-Bayhaqi
–Salah-ud-Deen Al-Ayyubi (who defeated the Crusaders)
–Uthman Dan Fodio
–Abu Nu`aym Al-Asbahani
–Al-Qurtubi (the Qur’anic exegete)
–Abu Mansur Al-Baghadadi
–Ad-Daraqutni
–Qadi `Iyyad
–Muhammad Al-Fatih (the one who liberated Constantinople, and was therefore praised by the Prophet)
…were all Ash`ari (with the exception of Muhammad Al-Fatih–he was Maturidi) scholars. The quasi-salafis quote and even translated books of the above scholars WITHOUT EVER MENTIONING that these (and dozens upon dozens of other scholars they quote) are all among the most famous Ash`ari scholars in history–whose scholarship is recognized by all of AHLUS-SUNNAH WAL JAMA`AH.
Regarding tasawwuf (“Sufism’), it is a confirmed science in Islam, and many of the above scholars wrote about tasawwuf extensively. What the Wahhabis did is take the sayings of some deviant folks who CLAIMED to be sufis (or books that had been corrupted or misinterpretted) and used them to try to discredit the science of Tasawwuf. The doctrine of wahdatul-wujud, for example is clearly rejected by orthodox Sunnis/Sufis, for it contradicts the basics tenets of the Islamic creed. Yet the Wahhabis claim that is what the (genuine) Sufis teach. The wahhabis propped up a bunch of straw man positions and then knocked them down with ease–without honestly presenting the positions of their opponents. And again, they got away with it for as long as they did because there were very few people around who were capable of challenging them. Until we get down to the bottom of the issues by addressing the matters of creed and laying down what is what and who is who, folks will not have a sound basis for unity, for they will lack essential clarity.
Kwame,
Regarding the 800 years period–let me add to the exclusion of those who arose with the wahhabi movement, for the so-called salafi will surely mention Ibn Baz, Uthaimeen, and the likes.
here we go again… one movement mentality to another one…
the pdf refutations are flying off the presses
the tapes preaching the “only truth” are rerunning
the attacks and hatred is spewing unchecked
the focus is shifting from dawah to the majority of non-Muslims all around us to focusing on who is on the “haq”
welcome super-sufis… the super-salafis have left a big gap for you to fill.
Brother Swathmoor what is you opinion of the unity pact between some members of Zaytuna Institute and Maghrib Institute?The pact of mutal cooperation.
White May Be Might, But It’s Not Always Right
By Khalil G. Muhammad
Sunday, December 9, 2007; B03
Recently I showed my college students a YouTube clip of Bill Cosby’s and Alvin Poussaint’s appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” After hearing Cosby plead for poor blacks to embrace their parenting responsibilities, many of the students said they wished their parents had followed his advice. They regretted that some of their peers had done poorly in school, abused drugs and alcohol, and run afoul of the law. These problems, they agreed, might have been avoided with more supervision at home.
They might have been the perfect audience for a Cosby town-hall lecture on the dangers of self-destructive values in black America. They might also have been perfect illustrations of the growing “values gap” between poor and middle-class blacks described in a widely cited recent Pew Research Center poll.
Except almost all my students are white.
Cosby and the recent Pew study are the latest in a long finger-wagging tradition of instructing poor blacks to lift themselves up by their bootstraps and reject pathologically “black” values. Today, rap culture is usually presented as Exhibit A, but strains of the same argument have cropped up for more than a century. If blacks would just get their act together, this old story goes, all the social inequalities between them and the rest of society would disappear.
In its coverage of the Pew report findings, National Public Radio asked whether some blacks were lagging behind because they were choosing not to become “closer to whites in their values.” Unfortunately, this line of questioning reinforces one of the most persistent myths in America, that white is always right. The myth reflects an enduring double standard based on “white” and “black” explanations for social problems. And it assumes that “white” culture is the gold standard for judging everyone, despite its competing ideologies, its contradictions and its flaws, including racism.
The masquerade began over a hundred years ago. Shortly after the end of slavery, sociologists and demographers began presenting research on black failure and struggle as “indisputable” proof of black inferiority. One of the first studies was released in 1896, when the leading race-relations demographer of the period, Frederick L. Hoffman, analyzed census data showing that blacks were doing worse than whites in mortality, health, employment, education and crime. The problem was not racism, he argued, but “race traits and tendencies.”
To him, the civil rights acts of the 1860s and 1870s had leveled the playing field. Blacks should be left to compete against whites on their own and face the inevitable. The black man, he wrote, “has usually but one avenue out of his dilemma — the road to prison or to an early grave.”
At the same time, when explaining rising rates of crime, suicide and mental-health problems among whites, Hoffman blamed industrialization and the strains of “modern life.” He called for a reordering of the nation’s economic priorities. Hoffman’s study coincided with — and provided justification for — the Supreme Court’s notorious Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which legalized segregation.
As segregation took hold, there was a powerful need to minimize the role of racism as a factor in explaining racial disparities. The “Cosby” role at the start of Jim Crow was first played by Booker T. Washington. Counseling blacks to conquer their inferiority, he repudiated civil rights activism in favor of self-help and moral regeneration.
Many whites loved Washington, and his ideas were echoed by liberal social scientists such as the psychologist G. Stanley Hall, who instructed black people to stop sympathizing “with their own criminals” and “accept without whining patheticism and corroding self-pity [their] present situation, prejudice and all.”
But when Hall turned his focus on whites, his research on adolescent psychology directly influenced national efforts to protect them from the ravages of industrial capitalism. Drawing on his work, the child-welfare activist Jane Addams established Hull House in Chicago at first to help immigrant families adjust to American life, and later to save thousands of Chicago’s white youth from lives of crime, violence and drug abuse attributed to “modern city conditions.” But black children were not generally welcome at Hull House. Addams claimed that similar problems among black youth were due to the race’s “belated” moral development, manifested in poor parenting and a lack of “social restraint.”
The pioneering black social scientist W.E.B. Du Bois challenged this first generation of white liberals and social scientists, including Hoffman, on the flawed assumptions and racial double standards in their studies and in their practices. But when Du Bois tried to argue that pathology knows no color, he was ignored, criticized and dismissed by his white peers as an angry black man with, as one sociologist put it, a “chip on his shoulder.”
Du Bois’s frustrations led him to leave academia for a life of anti-racist activism. In 1910, the year he became director of research and publicity for the NAACP, he warned that “whiteness” was becoming the new basis of the nation’s consciousness. “Are we not coming more and more day by day to making the statement, ‘I am white,’ the one fundamental tenet of our practical morality?” he asked.
In today’s era of hip-hop, Du Bois’s warning still goes unheeded. If rap music is so bad, why are white kids its major consumers? And by what value system should we judge the large media companies that publish and distribute hip-hop — or, really, gangsta rap, its most popular and sinister cousin?
Were “white values” on display two years ago when the federal government failed to adequately respond to one of the greatest natural disasters in American history?
If lower-class “black” values are so distinct from those of the rest of America, particularly the “white values” supposedly now embraced by middle- and upper-class blacks, why, according to the Pew report, do less than a third of white Americans graduate from college? Are legions of whites similarly devaluing higher education? Are they “acting black”?
If lower-class black values are so peculiar, why do whites report the same or higher levels of illegal drug use as blacks, as numerous studies show?
What of underperforming white schoolchildren in rural America, the Great Plains, Appalachia or the Deep South? Are they “acting black” because they can’t compete with their upwardly mobile suburban counterparts?
Today’s liberals still empathize with America’s invisible white working poor, who they warn are being “nickel and dimed” to the point of near homelessness. But why the empathy? Isn’t their poverty really a function of their choosing to embrace their hidden blackness?
Du Bois’s scholarship and activism helped pave the way for the modern civil rights movement, which helped exorcize the ghost of America’s Jim Crow past. That he was right about racism but that we still continue to accept the same flawed thinking about race and social problems suggests a powerful and enduring paradox.
If we insist on explaining racial disparities in terms of black vs. white values, then we need to explain what exactly white values are. When we do, we’ll find that whiteness is an inadequate standard by which to judge good black people vs. bad ones.
As my students would tell you, the real white world is as pathological, as respectable and as diverse as the black one.
kgmuhamm@indiana.edu
Khalil G. Muhammad is an assistant professor of history at Indiana University and the author of the forthcoming “The Condemnation of Blackness: Ideas about Race and Crime in the Making of Modern Urban America. “
Swathmoor your cowardly attacks on the leadership of Imam W.D. Mohammed is totally without merit. You provide no proof and from what observe you don’t qualify to judge anybody.
Abdul Alim,
I am not cowardly attacking WD Mohammed. Sadly, many people defend him (and his deviance) simply because they are assessing things according to their emotions. Muslims judge. We are obligated to judge, for if we were not commanded to judge, then Allah would not have revealed that this Ummah, the Ummah of Muhammad, is the best of all Prophetic Nations, for we order what is good and forbid what is evil. If we didn’t judge, then we wouldn’t know what is good and what is evil. Muslim judge, and we judge according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet.
W.D. Mohammed has many strayings that blatantly contradict the Qur’an and what is commonly known and well established in the religion of Islam. These are just facts. I will give you a couple of examples. W.D. Mohammed deems it legitimate for Muslim females to marry non-Muslim men. This CLEARLY CONTRADICTS THE QUR’AN. W.D. claims that it is acceptable to deem Allah a liar, and deem the Prophet Muhammad a liar, and he says that people who do so will be rewarded Paradise. Again, a clear contradiction to the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
Like i said in the beginning, a person with just an elementary level of traditional Islamic knowledge would see not only is W.D. HORRENDOUSLY ignorant of the Religion, he calls people to outright disbelief in the Qur’an and the teachings of Islam. I invite you to sincerely examine what Muslims believe and what W.D. teaches, and you will come to see–very quickly–that W.D. does not believe in what Prophet Muhammad taught.
With Allah is the success.
Amad,
I would simply say, let us dig down to the heart of matters and get to the truth: who is who and what is what. Simply put: it cannot logically be possible for all these different groups with different methodologies–and often even different beliefs–that they could all be correct. We have to investigate, ask the right questions, use our minds, and sincerely seek the TRUTH.
Josef,
My understanding is that the Maghrib Institute is quasi-salafi (Wahhabi) and the Zaytuna Institute i believe is Maliki traditionalists, but they seem to have an increase of a “modernist’/apologist” trend going on in the ranks.
When people talk about mutual cooperation to what end are they talking about? The objective of unity should be to unite to be more obedient to Allah. However, i know that people at Zaytuna teach from an Ash`ari book (Ibn `Ashir). The Ash`ari–and the Sunnis in general–deem the Wahhabis corporealists/anthropomorphists. And the Wahhabis (unjustly) deem the people of tasawwuf to be grave worshippers. That’s just a strange marriage, if you ask me. Given that it is part of the Deen to speak out against evil, i don’t see how either group could be sincere to their methodology while not publicly warning the public about each other. I don’t know what is really going on between the two groups, but it seems like it might be just about politics and increasing the number of people they can attract. About the best construction i can put on it is that the people at Zaytuna don’t know what the folks at the Maghrib Institute teach.
In truth, what needs to be done is that folks need to sit down, and go thru the issues and make it clear TO THE PUBLIC who is who and what is what. There can be no genuine unity without clarity. That is the problem that the Muslims in America (and many other places face). Priorities are WAY out of order in many Islamic centers. In sha’ Allah, Allah will bestow upon us the knowledge and the ability to distinguish what is acceptable to Allah and what is not.
To all,
On my blog, i started putting up some audio lessons from the famous book classical text on the Islamic Doctrine, The `Aqidah of At-Tahawiyy. Please let me know how the audio is coming out.
Abdul-Jabbar,
I cannot help but wonder if people are trying to claim that there is no such thing as “black culture?” If we admit a difference in culture between the races, then we have to admit that at least some of the problems in black America, especially the poor, are rooted in their (poor folks) culture. To any objective person, there are clear differences in behavior amongst cultures. Even religiously, we know that certain tribes had certain reputations amongst the Arabs. I am not saying that it is inherent or genetic. We just see that certain behaviors prevail in certain areas. Nobody confuses Ozarkian hillbillies with Greenwich Village metrosexuals.
What are deemed “white values” are clearly not the ideal. The ideal are Islamic values. Then we have to ask ourselves: to what degree does the collective behavior in black America (especially, among the poor) conform with the honorable, wise, chaste, modest, dignified, and virtuous values that are part of Islam? If black folks valued the above values, their condition would improve. As the saying goes: “You can’t keep a good man down.” And the other saying: “If you are black, you have to be better than everyone else.” Well, the latter is certainly an Islamic ideal–we are suppose to strive to outdo each other in good deeds. We (black folks) are in the condition we are in simply because we have not been good enough–otherwise we wouldn’t be in this mess. We dropped the ball after Malcolm, and now we gotta pick ourselves up… and yes, by our boot straps. There is no way out of this, except for African-Americans (Muslims, in particular) to set a higher standard for black folks–and for all of humanity. That is simply circumstances of the world in which Allah created us.
Swathmoor when you make such damning accusations you must bring proof of your assertions. Otherwise all you are doing is causing divisiveness in the community. And when I say proof I don’t mean quotes taken out of context or hearsay. Imam Mohammad is widely recognised a respected Islamic leader not only in America but also throughout the Muslim world. And by the way I have more than just an “elementary knowledge” of Al-Islam.
Abdul Alim leave brother Swathmoor alone.WarithDeen deviance is well known amongst the muslims. Unfortunely certain muslim organzations have chosen to play poltics instead of being principal and taking stand aganist this deviance.He and his Imams are leading many astray.His deviance can fill a whole book.Remember when they wanted to start a new madhab afew years ago.Totaly absurd and most muslims would agree who vaule the Quran and the sunna and ijmaa.Just trying to learn the rulings in one madhab can take a lifetime of study.Unfortunely many follweres of this strange islamic sect think they have some special knowledge that have been given to them by this individual.They blind followed his daddy now there blindfollowing him.Our evidence is based on textual proofs .Warith and coharts days are numbered Black american muslims want the Quran and Sunnah .
Abdul Alim,
It is common knowledge that W.D. deems it legitimate for the Muslimah to marry the non-Muslim. This contradicts the Qur’an (60:10), and it contradicts what is thoroughly established as part of the Sacred Law revealed unto Prophet Muhammad. The prohibition of the Muslimah to the non-Muslim is a matter of Consensus (Ijma`).
Regarding the second matter i mentioned, Allah revealed in the Qur’an:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” (48:29)
The Christians and Jews (among others) say that Prophet Muhammad is NOT the Messenger of Allah. Clearly, their claim blatantly opposes and belies Allah. The Qur’an also says:
“Whoever does not believe in Allah AND HIS MESSENGER [Muhammad], then he is a non-believer for whom Allah has prepared Hellfire.” (48:13)
Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad said:
“Any Jew or Christian who hear about me and my Message, but does not believe, then he will be a denizen of Hellfire.” (Muslim related)
The above, along with other verses, such as, 3:19/3:85/5:3/etc. clearly establish that the only legitimate Religion is Islam. W.D. teaches that Christianity is a legitimate religion, and that Christians of will be saved in the Hereafter (and he is talking about the Christians nowadays and not the Nasrah who were genuine followers of Jesus). This simply can’t be, for the person who rejects Allah’s Prophets and claims Allah lies, cannot be considered a Believer by the standards of Islam (and that is besides the out right shirk and tashbih of the Christians). These two grievous strayings are enough to demonstrate the degree of W.D.’s misguidance.
Again, with just a basic understanding of the Islamic Doctrine, one could readily see that W.D. teaches a creed that opposes what the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) taught and what the Ummah of Muhammad believes. If you follow the lessons on the `Aqidah of At-Tahawiyy i have on my blog, it will help a lot in understanding what is the belief of the Islamic Sunni orthodoxy.
May Allah guide us and grant us the success.
Assalaamu Alaikum to All:
Let me begin with a word of congratulations to Abdul Rahman for this fine series (despite my different point of view in a couple of areas). It is a well written and thought-provoking series, akhi. When the book comes out I will buy it (insha’Allah).
That said, this will probably be my last comment on this blog; for I have found some of the comments to be unfortunate, painful to read, and for me (I’m sorry to say) a waste of time.
Our beloved Prophet (saaw) is reported to have said, three things are sacrosanct from one Muslim to another: “blood, property, and honor.” ALLAH Ta’Ala also mandated in the Noble Qur’an, and Rasullulah (saaw) exemplied this for all posterity: “Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue in ways that are best.” (If this should be our posture with the non-believers, how much more should this be our posture with fellow Muslims.)
When we criticize leaders (generally speaking), we should do so with sensitivity and respect; if not for the leader himself, than at least for the office and for his (or her) constituency. (The larger the leader’s constituency, the more sensitivity should be shown in HOW we criticize.) This was the minhaj of the Prophet!
Now, in order to underscore the point that I’m making here, let me share with the reader(s) a little background on myself. I was once a follower of Imam WD Mohammed – and before him, of his father. I began my journey to Islam as a teenager in the 70s shortly before the death of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad. (Now, I can already hear the reaction that one or more of you is having right now, by my use of the term “Honorable,” with respect to our departed elder. Allow me to explain my logic.)
I have no problem acknowledging the FACT that much of what I believed back then, indeed, much of what my leader and teacher taught, back then, was SHIRK (plain and simple). But to be fair, a critic would also have to acknowledge that DESPITE THE SHIRK, a lot of good was done as well.
The good that he did – by the grace and mercy of ALLAH (who is always in control) – coupled with the fact that his son advised the community that before his death, he (Elijah) acknowledged his religious short-comings, made TAUBA, and then prepared the way for his son to be able to lead the community from where it was to where it was supposed to be, is what enables me to still feel comfortable in giving him his props. His official title was the “Honorable” Elijah Muhammed…and this is what it remains for me to this day. (Surely ALLAH knows best.)
If we (as Muslims) can refer to the judges and politicians of this corrupt system as the “Honorable” (this or that), than I can refer to a little black man from Sandersville, Georgia (who The Almighty chose to play an instrumental part in my life) by this title as well.
With regard to Imam W Deen Mohammed, the same principle applies. I stopped calling myself a “follower” (or in today’s lingo, in some circles, an “associate”) of Br. Mohammed years ago, because of the disagreements that I had with some of his decisions, the direction in which he was taking the community, and, most importantly, because of the venal opposition that I encountered in some circles (particularly from a number of self-serving “Imams” under his leaderhip), for simply having such differences. After a while, I simply decided that it was time for me to go.
After I left, I NEVER attacked him over any differences. I constructively disagreed (when necessary), while still respecting the man and his office of leadership; and I’ve always shown respect for his constituency.
But even more important than that, I NEVER FORGOT that he was the one who ALLAH blessed to take an entire community of people from an OPEN BELIEF IN SHIRK, to an OPEN BELIEF IN TAUHEED. While it may not always measure up to what it should be (in the estimation of some of us), no honest person can deny the FACT that it nevertheless represents a quantum leap on the spiritual plain of distance traveled! And for this we should all be grateful.
Point # 1: We must learn how to disagree without burning bridges. In this day and time we have more than enough enemies; we don’t need to be engaged in the foolhardy practice of manufacturing even more…from within our own ranks!
Point # 2: We really need to get away from the labeling mindset that far too many of us have fallen into; from labeling each other to labeling bodies of knowledge. I think we would ALL be much better off as Muslims, if we were to limit the label that we applied to ourselves to MUSLIM…the only label that Rasullulah (saaw) applied to himself. (And the Rashidun Caliphs applied to themselves.)
Point # 3: As far as “traditional knowledge” is concerned, I don’t mean to sound cynical, but if “traditional Islamic Knowledge” were truly the magical, mystical, revolutionary force that some of us have made it out to be, than the world where that special knowledge is posited (the “traditional Muslim world”) would not be in such bad shape, would it?
While knowledge (both “traditional” and non-traditional) is indeed important, it is my humble belief that our MOST IMPORTANT intellectual and spiritual possession is not knowledge per se, but SINCERITY! If one has embraced Islam, and is truly sincere in that embrace, ALLAH Ta’Ala will guide that person to the knowledge that he (or she) will need to sustain his (or her) faith, WHERE EVER that person happens to be, and whomever that person’s teacher happens to be (as long as that teacher is a committed, God fearing Muslim).
Point # 4: Regarding “Black Culture.” At the end of the day, in my humble opinion, “black culture” is no different than “white culture,” or “brown culture” (or any other culture, for that matter) vis-a-vis Islam. It has its positives, and its negatives. When we look at the world today, we find that the misery index across the RACE, CLASS and SOCIO-POLITICAL spectrum is high; it is not at all unique to poor black folk in America!
ALL CULTURES ARE PAYING A PRICE FOR HAVING DEVIATED FROM THE SIRATUL MUSTIQEEM! (Again, this is NOT unique to black folk in America.)
To borrow from one of the respondent’s points, looking at the “Muslim world” today: To what degree does the “collective behavior” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, etc., etc, (among the poor or the rich) “conform with the honorable, wise, chaste, modest, dignified, and virtuous values that are part of Islam?”
WE ALL MUST SET HIGHER STANDARDS (for each other and for the world), ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF ALLAH, AND THE SUNNAH OF HIS PROPHET. May ALLAH (SWT) guide us toward that end. Ameen.
One final thought: In my humble opinion, the most important challenges confronting Muslims the world over today – including us right here in the wilderness of North America – is not the absence of “traditional knowledge,” but the challenges of FAITH, FAMILY, AND PROPAGANDA! Just a little parting food for thought.
MS
Assalaamu Alaikum:
Abdur-Rahman: Thank you for this excellent series of articles. All of this needed to be said.
M. Saalakhan: Thank you for your comment. You’ve said almost everything I’ve wanted to say—and with an elegance that I can’t match. I’ve been extremely distressed and depressed by what I’ve read on the internet coming from orthodox African-American Muslims.
Much of what I’ve read seems to be the same old self-hating slave mentality dressed up with a new Arabic vocabulary. I’m not a religious scholar, but what happened to some of the basic values such as:
1. Gratitude. Of course, we thank Allah as the ultimate author of all events. We should also acknowlege people who helped us. Without Elijah Muhammad and his shirk, how many of us would be Muslim today? No Elijah Muhammad means no Malcolm X; which would have meant no mass exposure to anything called Islam among African-Americans. Arabs, Pakistanis, etc. weren’t bothering to make da’wah among us. As far as I can tell, the only immigrants that preached among Blacks early on were the Ahmaddiyya sect.
2. Manners. Brother M. Saalakhan has covered this point much better than I could above. We’re so quick (as always) to belittle and denigrate our own people—especially those among us who are willing to shoulder the burden of leadership.
3. Common sense instead of slogans. No, Muslim dope fiends are not better than sober unbelievers. Really, now. Drug addiction leads to behavior that will put one on a fast track to the Fire. In fact, this thought sounds just like the self-proclaimed “blessed & highly favored” Black Christians who think that lip-service statements of faith will save them. Just because someone labels themself a “Muslim” doesn’t make it so. Truly, only Allah knows best.
I also marvel at our inclination towards schism; meanwhile all Muslims are the same as far as our enemied are concerned. Only Allah knows how close we are to being rounded up (with the immigrant Muslims) and being placed in detention centers. Will we engage in the same quarrels over who’s “on it” while sitting in Guantanimo or some other such place? Will we persist in focusing on the same quarrels while the Black community continues to crumble around our ears?
M. Salaakhan,
Ordering the good and forbidding the evil is an essential aspect of Islam. In making people aware about those who masquerade as Muslims and call people to kufr, i am attempting to help dispel some of the confusion that prevails in the Muslim communities. And this is the problem here with the issue of W.D. Mohammed and his father: people are not honestly critical of them, much less are they evaluating them according to what Allah revealed. By your own admission, Elijah Poole was a mushrik. Not only that, he called an untold number of people to his kufr, and misrepresented an untold number of people from Islam. That is so to the point that even until today, you still have many people thinking that Islam is a religion for black people or non-white people. As a result of the work of Elijah Poole, thousands and thousand of people became fuel for the Fire.
To be fair, one can say that Elijah Poole had a profound insight into the workings of race in America and the psyche of the black community. He proposed solutions and put programs into place that African-American Muslims need to look at today, for there is much benefit in some of what he suggested. Nonetheless, that doesn’t make him any less misguided, and it doesn’t make him any less of an enemy of Allah.
Regarding WD, his misguidance is even more dangerous–for whereas many people know that Elijah Poole wasn’t a “real Muslim,” many people think that WD is not only a Muslim, they think he is a guided Sunni Muslim scholar. If a person knowingly rejects what is in the Qur’an, then the person is not a Muslim–for by the very definition of Islam, one must believe in what Allah revealed. This is why it is critical to inform the Muslim public about WD.
The case with both of these people is that the people who follow and support him are wrapped up in a cult of personality and are not examining these leaders from the Qur’an and Sunnah. A person who teaches blasphemy–especially, in the name of Islam–needs to be warned against, just as Muslims should warn against those who commit terrorism in the name of Islam. For the honest and sincere, we can sit down and go thru the issues point by point so that we can arrive at the Truth. If we are not willing to do that, then it indicates that our intentions are less than pure.
Khadija,
It is the common ploy of the WD followers to “get their anti-Arab hate on” when people are critical of WD and his teachings. This is merely a red herring used to obscure the ignorance and misguidance of WD. The discussion here isn’t about Arabs and the ignorance that is prevalent amongst them today–the discussion here is whether or not Elijah Poole and WD taught/teach blasphemy. There can be no doubt that is the case when we look into their writings and speeches.
Khadija, this is a very important issue you need to understand, for it is among the basic aspects of the Islamic belief: a Muslim who commits enormities is superior to the kaafir who has good manners and avoids criminal behavior (such as, murder, robbery, buying/selling alcohol or other drugs). The Qur’an is explicit on this point:
“Allah does not forgive the sin of shirk, but He may forgive what is less than that for whomever He wills.” (4:48)
“The only religion accepted by Allah is Islam.” (3:19)
“The vilest of creatures is the disbeliever.” (8:55)
“As for those who blaspheme neither their wealth nor children shall benefit them against Allah. They are denizens of Hell wherein they will dwell forever.” (3:116)
What you have repeated regarding the status of those who think that kufr is superior to Faith is among the worse of the innovations spread by WD. It is the stated plan of the (open) enemies of Islam that they wish to promote this doctrine to confuse the Muslims (and in essence pull Muslims out of Islam). WD’s claim BLATANTLY contradicts a multitude of Qur’anic Verses and has no basis in the Religion of Prophet Muhammad. Many people have fallen into disbelief regarding this matter, and that is why it is so critical that people learn about Islam CORRECTLY.
Lastly, the schisms are not caused by people having traditional knowledge and abiding by what the Prophet taught. These schisms result from ignorance of the Religion–and people refusing to reason and assess matters from the Qur’an and Sunnah, as opposed to their emotions. Let us put aside the cult of personality and simply walk step by step through the issues so we can arrive at the Truth. If you have questions, ask. One more word on unity: it simply isn’t possible for a sincere person who fears Allah to be unite with people who are not–and have no interest in–obeying their Lord. Unity can only be had when we have clarity, and we can only achieve clarity when we have the knowledge of what the Prophet came with.
With Allah is the success and guidance.
P.S.
Khadija, if you wish to have an introduction to traditional Islamic knowledge, feel free to check out my audio lessons from the Creed of At-Tahawiyy.
http://swarthmoor.wordpress.com/
BrotherAbdul Alim,
Sayyidina Ali narrated;I heard a man seek forgiveness forgiveness for his polytheist parents.I asked,”Do you make istighar for your parents who were both polytheists?”He retorted,”Did not Ibrahim make istighfar for his father who was idolator?So, I mentioned this to the Prophet and this verse was revealed[It is not for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for those who associate partners with Allah.]This is hadith is hassan no 3112 in the Jami Tirmidhi.Umar ibnKhattab’anhu narrates that he heard Nabi Sallallahu wasallam saying;He who dies believing in Allah, and the last day, it will be said,Enter from any of the eight doors of paradise that you wish .This is recorded in the Musnad of Ahmad.Notice brother Abdul Alim Christain and Jews are not mentioned .Unfortunately your leader has them entering paradise in many of his talks and sermons.Aisha reported that the Prophet Sallallahu wasallam said who ever innovates into this deen works for its demise or destruction.Brother advise to think over your postion.Brother Swathmoor , may Allah reward You for being principled.No unity can come about with those who dont, even adhere to the basic articles of the deen.
Swarthmoor:
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my concerns in detail. I need to think more and contemplate the verses (and their historical context) that you have cited. In the meantime, here are some of my initial thoughts about your response:
I must admit that I find large chunks of what you’re saying appealing on the surface. Who hasn’t had the wish of being connected to an old and legendary chain of scholars dating back to the beginning? However, I have practical concerns:
On what basis are you selecting teachers to learn from & why do/should you trust them? As you’ve alluded to, African-Americans in general have the bad mental habit of choosing leaders/teachers for emotional reasons—we love “charismatic” leaders. This is how we’ve been tricked and abused by charlatans in the past and present. [By the cult of personality type thinking you've mentioned.]
How do you make the claim that whatever you’re encouraging me check out is “traditional Islamic knowledge”? Even if they are “traditional,” why would I trust them? Didn’t a lot of “traditional” Christian leaders support and wish to continue the enslavement of our ancestors? Don’t a lot of “traditional” Muslim scholars support the abuse of women? And isn’t the claim to “tradition” part of the rap that the charlatans use to gain followers, other people’s money, and a harem of women?
Please be patient with me if I’m skittish about African-American Muslims being bit from the same hole multiple times.
Oh yes, before I forget: I am not (nor have I ever been) a follower/supporter of WD Muhammad. I have been blissfully free of all these partisan groups. My imam left from following WD Muhammad’s leadership to form his own masjid. I don’t have to be one of WD’s followers to be dismayed by the hatred being sent his way by other African-American Muslims. This is another, more subtle, problem with the discourse among African-American Muslims—partisan thinking and responses.
Also, I don’t have a problem with accusations of getting my anti-Arab hate on. I don’t waste time “hating” Arabs; I don’t like their activities in the Black community. And I’m not fond of ANYBODY who’s harming my people. There’s no shame in my game with not feeling warm & fuzzy about people who are damaging my community.
More to the immediate point, considering the collective behaviors that they are manifesting (here & in their own countries), they aren’t exactly reliable repositories of legitimate Islamic knowledge. The salafi disaster is but one example of how African-Americans following immigrant guidance has led to more calamities, and helped disfigure the image of Islam in the African-American community.
Another practical question: As you stated, Elijah Muhammad had solutions and programs that we need to look at. How are we to find out more about these programs if we don’t talk to his followers? How will we be able to talk to his followers if we hatefully demean him and his work? Aren’t there some manners and protocol for disagreement?
Finally, let me repeat that I am not a religious scholar. At what point do you feel that it’s appropriate to slap the label “kaafir” on someone? At the point of conscious & proclaimed disbelief? At the point of doubt? At the point of confusion or misguidance? I would appreciate any citations you have in response.
Swarthmoor:
Before I go read up on your citations, you stated that the Muslim who commits enormities is superior to the kaafir who has good manners and avoids criminal activities.
Again, I’m not a religious scholar. I’m focused on practical matters. Are you saying that the “Muslim dope fiend/criminal/pedophile/purveyor of whatever enormity” is superior in the view of Allah? Or superior here on earth while possibly in close proximity to me and mine? I don’t want to be anywhere near a Muslim who is committing enormities. I don’t want any child to be in danger of being preyed upon by Muslims who are committing enormities.
The achievements made by persons such as Salahudeen Al-Ayyubi and Uthman Dan Fodio weren’t done by dope fiends.
Khadija,
I appreciate your questions. I will give a little of my background, so you can know where i am coming from. After reading Malcolm X, i became extremely pro-black. Initially, i took from the book a nationalistic bent than a religious one. Soon thereafter, i started learning religious “things”–some of it was religiously genuine and some was not. I went thru a stage of being heavily influenced by the 5% program, Farrakhan lectures, the Metu Neter (Afrocentric Egyptology), Pan Africanism, and Malachi York–along with doing the yoga meditation thing–while calling myself a Muslim. To say the least i was JACKED UP… but at least i knew i was jacked up, and i kept on searching. (And for the same reason you expressed, i was not affiliated to any particular leader, for i wasn’t into the charisma thing. I wanted to find someone who was teaching the Truth–and could explain RATIONALLY why it was the Truth–without trying to sway me emotionally.)
In the course of this, Allah placed in my hands a copy of Imam Al-Ghazali’s autobiography (“Deliverance From Error”). The book gave me the theoretical construct i was looking for: a system of laws for personal and social governance that had a Belief that was intellectually irrefutable and had a means to profound and deep spirituality. This is what traditional Islamic scholarship has taught down thru the centuries.
Now after graduation (from college)–and still in that jacked up state of mind, i once again crossed paths with some Brothers i had met a year earlier. I took some lessons from them, but i was too jacked up to put things into perspective. Nonetheless, i knew that they were on to something. Essentially, i sat with one of those Brothers and went down a check list of questions that had been in my head–from matters of conspiracy theory, the jinn, Western philosophy, to the Saudis, to Sufism, to the 5%ers. The Brother didn’t say: “Akh, don’t you know the Qur’an says…… ?!?!” Instead the Brother gave me clear RATIONAL ANSWERS–things that gave me mental clarity. I had never been impressed by people who could recite Arabic verses but could not explain the issues in my language–furthermore, experience told me that a person could misinterpret a Verse or Hadith, but a person can’t misinterpret a common sense rational proof.
It all starts with the belief in God. The Sunni orthodoxy (the very thing that the so-called Salafis have tried to hide and obscure from African-Americans) have a system of theology that is intellectually irrefutable, and once learns that methodology, one IMMEDIATELY starts to see who is who and what is what. By virtue of that knowledge, one gains INTELLECTUAL clarity–and that was the clarity i craved, and i believe it is the clarity that many African-American Muslims and even non-Muslims are craving. We are fed up living in darkness. With that said, God-willing, i will explain what that methodology is in the next post…..
Swarthmoor:
Thank you for your thoughtful reply—I’m embarassed to admit that I was surprised. So many of these discussions devolve into mutual recriminations. As I said before, I have to read & contemplate. I’ll also add the al-Ghazali book you mentioned to my reading list. Thank you.
When I have any further thoughts, I’ll get back to you on your blog.
The Thirteen Attributes of Allah
Khadijah, in this post, i will attempt to give an introduction to the classical Islamic explanation of the Belief in Allah.
A typical lesson on the Islamic Creed would start with talking about the 13 Attributes of Allah. That is not to say Allah only has 13 Attributes–Allah has innumerable Attributes–but when one knows 13 Attributes, one can readily distinguish the correct belief in Allah from the incorrect. (Also, Allah is not Attributed with the opposite of these Attributes.)
Those 13 Attributes are:
1.Existence
2. Oneness*
3. Eternality (“Begininglesness”)*
4. Everlastingness
5. Absolute Freedom from Need*
6. Absolute Incomparability*
7. Power
8. Will
9. Knowledge
10. Life
11. Hearing
12. Sight
13. Kalaam (“Communication,” which is not composed of letters, language, sound, voice, or the likes)
…………………………………………..
Now let us get down to business. I want to focus on the Attributes i put asterisks next to (Oneness, Eternality, Absolute Freedom-from-Need and Absolute Incomparability). When a Muslim says that Allah is One, it contains three meanings:
—Allah is the One and only God–nothing besides Allah deserves worship; no one other than Allah has the ability to create (that is bring from non-existence into being; humans don’t create, we manipulate).
—Allah is one in the meaning of not being a body (this is one of the meanings of Al-Ahad). Allah is Indivisible, and not a body composed of pieces, parts, organs, or limbs. This needs to be explained some more. A body is a being (entity) that has parts and takes up space. The body exists within direction and within dimensions. Allah is not a dense material body, like the minerals, plants, or humans, and not a subtle body, like gas, light, the jinn, or the soul. Abu Ja`far At-Tahawi said in his standard treatise on the Islamic doctrine 1,100 years ago: “Allah is clear of having boundaries, extremities, sides organs/limbs, and devices. None of the six directions [below, above, right, left, in front or rear] contain Allah, as is the case with all created things.”
With the above said, we know–right away–that the pseudo-sufis who claim that their souls “unite with Allah” or claim that Allah is everything and everything is Allah (if the latter were the case, then Allah would be divided into a multitude of pieces and parts–and they would be claiming that Allah is in filthy materials, like sewage) are teaching something that violates the Oneness and Perfection of Allah. Allah is not in all places–or in one particular place. Allah KNOWS about everything everywhere without Allah being there. Allah exists without being in a place.
With the above said, we know that Allah is not a humungous laughing and smiling faced entity sitting “in person” (their words–not mine), on the Ceiling of Paradise with an enormous pair of hands and fingers, a tibia (shinbone), and a really big foot. Nonetheless, this is the creed of the so-called “Salafis” (or Wahhabis, as they are known to the Sunnis). This is the doctrine the Wahhabis are trying to foist on the Muslims in America, and this is a doctrine that a 12 year old who has learned the traditional Islamic creed can rationally dismantle in a matter of minutes. The Prophet’s Creed cannot be rationally discredited by a kid. The Prophet’s `Aqidah cannot be discredited by anyone–by whatever method they choose.
On the Eternality of Allah
Allah alone is without a beginning. The Prophet said: “Allah was and there was nothing else in existence.” This knocks out the box the so-called Muslim philosophers, like Avicenna and Ibn Rushd who claimed the universe is beginingless along with Allah. Given the saying of the Prophet, we know that Allah was and there was no darkness, light, place, distance, or direction. Allah existed before dimensions without being in a dimension, and after creating the dimensions, Allah did not transform and materialize in or into a dimension. Allah is Eternal. Allah is Perfect. Allah does not change, develop, or transform. Allah is, as Allah always was, and always will be.
On the Absolute Transcendence and Incomparability of Allah
If one understands that Allah existed before the creations, then one can understand that Allah is not dependent on the creations–and this includes space/place. Allah is not a spatial entity–for no space or place could contain the Greatness and Glory of Allah–and Allah is not in need of what He created. Only Allah is Beginningless, so this means Allah is ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE. Allah cannot be fathomed by the imagination. Allah does not have the properties of created beings. Look at yourself, and look at your characteristics and properties. You and i exist in time, we age and go thru changes. Allah is different from that. We occupy space/place–and that makes us similar to all the other things around us. Allah does not occupy space/place, for Allah is not comparable to ANYTHING AT ALL. And that is the meaning of the verse:
“Laysa kamithlihi shay’.”
(There is absolutely nothing like Allah in any way whatsoever.”)
With that said, anyone who interprets (distorts) Qur’anic Verses and Hadiths and believes that Allah has limbs, organs, moves about from one place to another at nighttime (don’t fail to forget that it is always night at some place on earth), comes in the shadow of clouds–or simply believes that God is in direction or place, has, as one could say: GOTTEN LOST IN TRANSLATION–and is confused between the Creator and the creation.
This is a typical introductory lesson on the Islamic Creed.
May Allah guide us and grant us the success.
Excellent post. May ALLAH azza wa jalla bless you.
Brothers and sisters in Islam, never forget that agents and provocateurs come onto these blogs just as they come into our masajid.
Take the constructive critiques and continue with your work. Many of the people who write essays on these blogs are not involved in meaningful Islamic work and spend their time playing the role of `aqeedah police.
Khadija,
Just for the record, i am not saying that it is a good thing to be a criminal or a dope fiend. I am saying that the first and greatest obligation upon the human being (i.e., legally responsible person according to the Sacred Law of Islam) is to believe CORRECTLY in his (or her) Lord, to believe in ALL the Prophets Allah sent, and to be a Muslim. If a person misses that, then they have truly missed the first and greatest priority they should have had in their existence. Muslims simply need to work harder to get the true Message out to the public, so we help save people, and so we can earn God’s reward.
May Allah guide us and grant us the good endings.
As Salamuliakum,
Plots and plans aplenty to keep the base of the pyramid in place! The poor is at the base of this evil structure and black people are a significant part of the base. Don’t we realize that Al Islam will destroy the debt / interest system carefully constructed by Jews, Christians and others. If the queen of England (the head of the Anglican church) and the pope in Rome (head of the Catholic church) own banks and collect interest, do you think they really want a true Islamic force in this world?
Religion is not a hustle – Allah has revealed that charity should motivate the human being not greed! Ask yourself, where have you seen this actually practiced in the Muslim community? If you get into a jam and need financial assistance, the masjid administrators and some imams treat you like a chump. They really don’t want to give any assistance even though just before your run in with trouble you had supported the masjid with regular donations. Yet, you hear them week after week demanding more and more money. When are we going to get about the business of building an Islamic system as directed in the Quran? This is what the wicked and greedy unbelievers and their dupes fear – an Islamic infrastructure. This idea is what they don’t want Muslims to spend mind and time on. False issues are raised, fake leaders are promoted, zakat and sadakah are collected, yet the conditions do not improve. When the wicked wanted to attack the Muslim “community”, they went after the money. Foundations were investigated and some were shut down. Donations by the wealthy donors among us slowed to a trickle due to the fear of being associated with undesirable elements.
To tell the truth, African American Muslims have their own unique set of issues when it comes to money. The majority of Africans brought here during the transatlantic slave trade were Muslims in a great effort to break the Islamic movement of West Africa! The westerners and northerners wanted the gold and other mineral wealth in the ground. By systematic depopulation, the way was opened to invade the interior. We need to complete the circle. They brought us here to make money for them. Now we need to go back and make money for ourselves, inshallah!
The powers that be want us to go along with the current game – this scam that is robbing and enslaving us. The so-called intellectuals and “experts” want us to accept the status quo with the instruments of 21st century enslavement – maintaining a good credit history/check, credit card and mortgage by just paying your bills on time and don’t make waves. If you are concerned about your job and what your boss thinks, you will go along with the program because “I got a mortgage, Man!” We can do better – and by obeying Allah become an example for the others to follow. Now let us discuss how we can break out of this oppressive scam.
1. Concept of community property – the property owned by the masjid should be held as a community trust and not the sole property of one individual. The deed to the property and the decision concerning it is left to a duly elected board of community members.
2. Community based saving and investment plan – for those who are financially able, start a money pool where a small amount is collected saved every two weeks by a defined group. The first turn is donated to the pool and is converted to hard currency (silver for small amounts and gold for large amounts). Given time and turns, the effort should be to increase the hard currency holdings (www.kitco.com). Obtain the proper permits for a credit union once the pool grows, inshallah.
3. Start a food Coop – boycott the major stores, buy what you need wholesale and supply the community. Start a small store based on shares where the community benefits from the profit. Most inner city stores are rip-off joints. If the non-Muslim portion of the community invest as micro-investors rather than playing the lotto or other gambling devices, you show how the same money used for sin can help them pay their bills and provide jobs for the youth.
4. Make, Import and sell what you wear. Replace items currently purchased outside of your community. Start clothing manufacturing and strive for low price and quality. Focus on infants and small children as well as Women clothing, Men shirts and suits. Boycott the major stores and participate with those in your circle. By trading with other Muslim circles in other cities, trade will make us all stronger, inshallah.
5. Insist on all payments of Islamic obligations (zakat, dowry, sadakah) be paid in silver or gold. The sooner we get away from debt paper money the better. And once the community business group has grown, a money exchange must be opened to convert paper into silver coinage. When dealing with farmers, the use of hard currency will be an advantage along with making a fair deal for their produce and animals.
6. Obtain apartment buildings and land for development with the community in mind. Single family and multifamily homes built and sold near wholesale on no riba contracts. Invest in a community farm close by. By partnering with a nearby farm, get the skills and fresh produce they have to offer.
7. Partner with a masjid in West Africa (Ghana, Senegal, you pick). Find out what their needs are and work together, inshallah. Start a mining, farming or trading partnership with the local Muslims. Provide capital and manpower to build up both communities. Provide summer trips and educational camps to West Africa. Remember CHARITY over greed! Enjoin the good and forbid the evil! Yes, some of these ideas have been tried before. We need these and many others that were tried years ago with a renewed focus on re-establishing ties with West Africa and building strong Islamic communities, inshallah!
Brothers Swathmoor and Kwame,
We can go back and forth continuously and accomplish noth nothing. Ultimately it is Allah who decide what the fate of Elijah Muhammad and Imam Warithudeen Mohammad will be. Not me nor you. But on a personal note with all due respect both of you betray a level of prejudicial and accusatory analysis that inhibits one from looking a person’s life’s work in total from an objective perspective. You tend to predraw certain conclusions and then use selected facts to support those conclusions. I base my observation from some of the other blog sites that I’ve visited where you have made contributions and critiques regarding Black American culture, hip-hop music, rap music etc. I say this with a spirit not of malice but of love for my brothers for the sake of Allah. Balance your knowledge with wisdom and compassion. There’s awful lot that the various communities can learn and share from another; but to pronounce takfir on a leader and by extension the entire community is not only wrong but dangerous. Talk with some the elders in the community and learn about some of the conflicts that took place back in the day and how the enemies of Islam and of Black people manipulated and exaserbated those tensions and wrought havoc on the entire community. As Allah says: “Travel through the earth and study the of those who came before you.” May Allah put love and Rahma in our hearts, Amin
Abdul-Alim,
The matter is simple: the person who teaches or believes in kufr is a kaafir. I am not talking about what Elijah did–i already said he is probably the most brilliant black nationalist leader. That still doesn’t change that what he taught about Allah and the Religion of Islam is blasphemy. If person says: “I am a Muslim, and I believe that the sun, or the moon, or a human being is Allah,” then we cannot hesitate on this person’s disbelief. This person doesn’t worship Allah–and it is not possible to be a Muslim while not believing (correctly) in the Creator. We teach the person, and share with him what the correct belief is in Allah, and invite him to (genuine) Islam. That is a simple and balanced approach.
I know MANY people who used to be in the WD community. However, they left it and became Sunni Muslims when the mistakes and deviances of WD were pointed out. I still have families affiliated with that community. I have had extensive discussions on line with current followers. I am familiar with their methodology and pretty familiar with what went down back in the day. Now does that community have some things that African-American Muslims could benefit from? I’d say, “Yes,” for they have a good business sense, and that could be a great asset if they learned how to conduct dealings as per the Sacred Law (and for them to learn the Religion in general).
This is the core problem: who is caring the right Religious knowledge. A sincere Muslim cannot sleep well until this matter is resolved. Muslims simply cannot make any progress until they set the acquisition of traditional Islamic knowledge as a priority. Because of ignorance, people will argue and squabble over non-essential matters while neglecting the most important aspects of the Religion–such as, the CREED.
Just for the record, i didn’t make takfir on everyone in the WD community, for it is possible that many of them are ignorant of what Warith teaches. And that is what i assume when i deal with their members. However, anyone who thinks that kufr is legitimate cannot be a Muslim. Lastly, your advice is sound. I love Islam and the Muslims, and i hate for them to adopt the immoral customs of the disbelievers–so i use some harsh words to make a clear distinction between the Muslim culture and the kaafir culture. Perhaps i didn’t take the best approach. Your advice is well taken.
CORRECTION:
This is the core problem: who is caring the right Religious knowledge….
I meant to say:
Who is CARRYING the Right knowledge….
[...] More about that in our final installment. [...]
majida el roomi
Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts..
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[...] feel that part of this is a self hatred and addressed this in part five of the ‘Why Blackamerican Muslims Don’t Stand for Justice’ [...]
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AsSalaamu Alaikum,
Brothers and Sisters,
I have thorougly enjoyed reading this series of articles. This conversation is brought up quite often here in Baltimore. My name is abdur Rasheed Abdul Aziz, and i am a 34 year old african american muslim. Allah’s deen Islam, has the remedy for our ailments, b we have to first diagnose (which you have) and then prescribe the right medicine. It seems to me that we have a hard time applying this knowledge. My generation has not the direction or fire of the previous generation. Because of this i establshed Tawheed Community Development Association in 1997. Our mission is to be a catalyst for economic development among the muslim youth. We have created 4 businesses models that fuse retail and manufacturing, along with a cash flow mechanism. You can find more info. at http://www.tawheedcda.org please visit our site and see what this generation of muslims are doing