Black Muslim set trippin must end now

As Salaamu Alaykum!!!

Hotep!!! (Peace)!!!

We Black Muslims are in a struggle to maintain a Black identity, support Black liberation, and keep unity in the Muslim Ummah in America in 2019.

Allah (SWT) teaches us in the Holy Qu’ran that we did not become divided until after revelation came into existence. Since the death of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 632 AD, the Muslim Ummah (an Arabic word for community) has been divided.

Over the centuries, Muslims have been in a long struggle to create Islamic unity to establish a real Muslim Nation in the world. Unfortunately, this has not become a reality in our Muslim Ummah. We have various Madhhab (an Arabic phrase that means Islamic schools of thought), Islamic leaders, Sheikhs, ulamaa (an Arabic word for scholars) and conservative Islamic movements that keep us Muslims divided from one another in the Islamic Ummah.

While these troubling events were going on in the Islamic world, Black Muslim leaders in America embraced Al-Islam as a means to unify Black people to fight against white supremacy, Black self-hatred, racial discrimination, racial violence, segregation, and racism in America. Although some contemporary Muslims of today may argue that the early pioneers of Al-Islam in America did not fully embrace the religion of Al-Islam and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), with the little knowledge of Al-Islam and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) they laid a foundation for Al-Islam and Black liberation for the masses of oppressed people in America.

One of the very first Black Islamic leaders to begin the process of unifying Black people to challenge racism through Al-Islam was Noble Drew Ali. He established the Moorish Science Temples of America in Newark, NJ in 1913. The second major Islamic movement to unify Black people through Al-Islam to fight racism was started by Master Fard Muhammad. He came from Makkah, Saudi Arabia to establish the Nation of Islam on July 4, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan. When he left America in 1933, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, his greatest student, was chosen as his successor. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was very successful at working to liberate Black people from racism using Al-Islam. From 1933 to 1975, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad built a massive following that became the largest Islamic movement in America. He placed Muslims, particularly Black Muslims, as the leaders of Al-Islam in America. From the Nation of Islam movement under Master Fard Muhammad and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad came many great Black Muslims, such as sister Clara Muhammad, Malcolm X, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, sister Khadijah Farrakhan, Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad, Minister Abdul Rahman, Minister James Shabazz, Imam Ali k. Muslim, Imam Mustapha El Amin, Imam Aqeel Mateen, Minister Khadir Abdul Muhammad, Minister Don Muhammad, Clarence 13X-founder of the 5% Nation of Islam, Muhammad Ali, Imam Wahhaj Suraj, Imam Faheem Shu’aib, Dr. Na’am Akbar, Joe Tex, Marla Gibbs, Carl Sharif, Fredrica Bey, Yusef Shaw, Ahmed Burhani, Imam Dawud Adeeb, Bilal Philips, and many other Muslim brothers and sisters. But most importantly, out of his loins, came the great Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. In 1975, to the present, Imam Warith Deen Mohammad established the practice of pure Al-Islam and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for Black Muslims in the Nation of Islam. Changing the Nation of Islam into a mainstream Black Sunni Islamic movement while fighting to maintain a Black identity and a Black voice in the Islamic Ummah. In 1978, the fourth major movement to unify Black people to fight for Black liberation is the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan reestablishing the Nation of Islam movement. He has led the Nation of Islam under his leadership to continue on establishing Al-Islam, the fight against racism, and Black self-hatred in America to the present.

(Imam Warith Deen was once named Wallace Muhammad. In 1975, after the Honorable Elijah Muhammad departed from the Nation of Islam, the Muhammad family elected Imam Warith Deen Mohammed as the next leader of the Nation of Islam. In three years, Imam Mohammed directed the Nation of Islam into Sunni Al-Islam. His leadership led to one of the main foundations for Al-Islam in America. Under Imam Mohammed, Muslims traveled overseas to study Al-Islam in Medina and Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to bring the knowledge of Al-Islam back to the Ummah around the Black community. Unfortunately, some of these Muslims became consumed with just the religious aspect of Al-Islam and not in Black liberation. Some of these Muslims left Imam Mohammed's leadership. These overseas trained Muslims accused Imam Mohammed of not being authentically Muslim. They went on to establish their own more hardline Islamic movements in New Jersey, and around America, based upon the hardline Islamic leadership in Saudi Arabia in 1980s and 1990s. In 1978, out of this atmosphere, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan made the decision to leave the Muslims under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed to rebuild the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam as a vehicle for liberation for a whole new generation of Black Muslims and oppressed Black people in America).

Now that Al-Islam has been established in America, with help of Allah (SWT), Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and Black Muslims; the Islamic fitna (an Arabic word for divisions) from Muslim leaders in the world are being passed down to the Muslim Ummah in America. This Islamic fitna is manifesting itself in Muslims in organizing separate Eid Al Fitr events, ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Qaida, the Taliban, Muslim youth fighting one another in youth detention centers, Masaajid (Mosques) based upon cultures and madhhab.

Now many Muslims, especially Black Muslims, find Islamic disunity extremely ridiculously and non-Islamic. Especially when Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught us Muslims that the basis of Islamic unity are the five pillars of Al-Islam. The five pillars of Al-Islam are the declaration of the faith (that there is no God worthy of worship, except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), Salaat (prayer), Zakat (charity), saum (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia). No matter what your madhhad is in Al-Islam, nothing supersedes the five pillars of Al-Islam. But unfortunately, while some Muslims immerse themselves in some of the fitna promoted by some of these Muslim leaders from overseas, to keep the rest of us Black Muslims divided, the Muslim Ummah around the Black community has not come together to create the necessities we need in America. Muslims, especially Black Muslims, are not producing any hospitals, schools, feeding programs, anti-poverty programs, men’s empowerment programs, marriage programs, gang intervention programs, youth empowerment programs, anti-racism programs, and women’s empowerment programs. But most importantly, Muslim fitna in America is not allowing Black Muslims to be good examples for the Muslim Ummah, Black people, and humanity.

Our Muslim Ummah, particularly the Ummah around the Black community has little to no structural programs to teach Islamic and Black liberation to Black Muslims and Black people. However, the one Islamic organizations that have that structure is the Nation of Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Inspired by the Holy Qu’ran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him), the Nation of Islam is working to establish a Nation for Muslims and Black people. On a daily basis, they implement Islamic and Black liberation teachings to Black Muslims and Black people. This is why they are successful at freeing Black Muslims and Black people from gangs, drugs, alcoholism, drug dealing, bad health, bad diets, alcoholism, domestic abuse, Black on Black violence, Black self hatred, dysfunctional families, sexual abuse, broken homes, broken neighborhoods, disrespect of Black men, disrespect of Black women, disrespect of our Black youth, broken marriages, and broken families. But it is unfortunate, some of us Black Sunni Muslims, following the fitna of some of these Muslims leaders overseas, fight against our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Nation of Islam. Some of us Black Muslims in America work night and day to disrespect and dismantle the Nation of Islam. Some of us Black Sunni Muslims purposely do not include the Nation of Islam at Islamic conferences, forums, meetings, and town hall meetings. THIS FITNA MUST STOP NOW! We must work together in unity to improve our Ummah, particularly the Ummah around the Black community. The Ummah around the Black community is in disarray and disorder. Yes, we learn Qu’ran, salaat, the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Arabic, Ahadith, Islamic history, and Deen (an Arabic word for spiritual path) Al-Islam, and we should; but we struggle with putting all of this in a program for Islamic and Black liberation amongst Black Sunni Muslims and Black people!!!! This is why many Black Muslims straddle the fence between being Muslim and being in the dunya (an Arabic word for this world). Some even choose the dunya over practicing Al-Islam. Allah (SWT) and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah ( May Allah’s Peace and Mercy Be Upon Him) have laid out the groundwork for us to help ourselves make our Ummah better in this world, particularly for us Black Muslims. We cannot follow the examples of some Muslim leaders in the Ummah, especially some Muslim leaders from overseas.

Many times we Black Muslims get confused. Some of us think that what is Al-Islam is really an Arab or someone else’s culture. We as Black Muslims must be careful in Al-Islam. Many of these people are infusing their cultures onto Al-Islam. Let me stop there family. I could go on and on about that situation. Let me get back to my point.

For the record, and this message is particularly to our Black Sunni Muslim brothers and sisters, the Muslims in the Nation of Islam are our brothers and sisters. In fact, Allah (SWT) is showing us signs every day that they are the physical examples of Islamic aqida (an Arabic word for practice) and adab (an Arabic word that means the conduct) of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) walking and living. We need their examples to bring some needed structure in the Muslim Ummah, particularly the Muslim Ummah around the Black community. They need our knowledge of Allah (SWT) and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so that they can grow deeper in Deen Al-Islam. WE NEED EACH OTHER TO BUILD A REAL UNITED MUSLIM UMMAH AND NATION IN AMERICA!

Since 1930, Black Muslims have taught, and shown by example, people in America and the world what it means to be Muslim and have a thriving Muslim community. We did all this because we were free from the fitna of Muslim leaders from overseas. If we Black Muslim are going to build a real united Muslim Ummah for Black Muslims and continue to help liberate Black people from oppression in America, then we must continue to base our leadership from the Holy Qu’ran, the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessing be upon him, and Black Muslim leaders.

As Salaamu Alaykum!!!

Hotep!!!

Bashir Muhammad Akinyele
-Community Activist
-Educator
-Co-Founder of the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC)
-Co-Host and Co-Producer of the All Politics Are Local radio show-the Number #1 Political Hip Hop Radio Show in America