The following text was excerpted from Minister Farrakhan's
Saviours' Day speech delivered February 25, 1996 in Chicago, Il.
I am very thankful to Allah that He blessed us with a safe journey and return to the United States. Much has been said and much has been written, but we are here today to speak to you and, through you, to America and the world; and just as it is written in the Holy Qur'an as well as in the Bible, Pharaoh and his magicians cast first and these damnable liars have cast first. But it is said that when Moses and Aaron cast their rod, swallowed up their (Pharaoh's) lies. Today we will swallow up the lies and tomorrow Allah will swallow up the liars.
A word of instruction to Black people and to leaders in particular. Whatever you read in the paper from our enemies you should not rush to comment because they put a microphone in your face. You should just be quiet and tell them, "I have not heard from my brother yet, but I'm sure that when he returns he will answer those questions." Don't be so quick to jump out there because the enemy has said something in his press. That's his paper, that's his television, that's his radio, this is his world for the time being. His whole idea is to get you to say something contrary to put you on the opposite side of me so that instead of my dealing straight with him, I have to deal straight with you; and you are not my enemy, except by ignorance. You don't understand so you become an enemy. My father, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, didn't deal with the small time stuff. Like Elijah in the Bible, he dealt with kings and rulers because That's where the problem is, it's with the kings and the rulers today.
February 26, 1877 in the Holy City of Mecca in Arabia, this man Master Fard Muhammad, was born. His father was an original Black man His mother was a woman from the Caucasus Mountains region. When He was six years old He saw Himself pushing the Rockefellers and the DuPonts and the wealthy rulers of this world into a lake of fire. His father was a great, wise scientist who would go and get bits of wisdom from here and there to give to his son because his son has a mission that was termed by the less than wise as impossible. His mission was to come among us at the proper time and under the right circumstances to bring about a resurrection of a mentally dead people and to lay a foundation of a whole new world. I'm going to talk about these two men (Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad) today and my trip and why I'm so successful.
This man, Fard Muhammad, studied for forty two years to deliver us. In order to become a master one has to study. And the particular course that you study should be a course that prepares you for your life's work. If at six years old He saw Himself pushing the Rockefellers and the Duponts into a lake of fire, what have they done to deserve such? He studied what He needed to know to accomplish His assignment, to raise you, Black man, from a state of mental death and ignorance and to deal with your enemies, whoever those enemies might be. H had to develop the mind, the skill, the wisdom, and the power to effect complete change. His mission is to bring us into the light of diving wisdom and to connect us to the source of power with power. He had no helpers, He came alone. The Bible teaches that One would come without observation, as a thief in the night. He would come in disguise. The prophet Habakkuk saw him coming. God, the books says, came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran. It says He had horns coming out of His hands and there was the hiding of His power and the curtains of Midian did shake and tremble. It's talking about a man, not a spook, not a spirit, but a man in whom was great wisdom and power.
Isaiah, the prophet, saw Him coming treading the wine press alone, traveling the greatness of his own strength, mighty to save His people. Isaiah, again, said for unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given, and a government shall be upon His shoulder; and He shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the prince of peace, the everlasting Father; and of the increase of His government of peace there would be no end. Yet, He is a child born of a woman.
John the reveler said there was a wonder I heaven; A woman clothed in the sun standing on the moon with 12 stars in her crown. The Hon. Elijah Muhammad taught us that a woman clothed in the sun means that the woman was pregnant. Clothed in the sun means wrapped in the light of God. That what she was carrying was supported by the moon, meaning the moon is that which gives light in the absence of the sun, and the prophets are they who speak of God in the absence of God. So this pregnant woman was going to bring forth a child that all the prophets heralded is coming. He would be a strange child, a man child destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron. But he is born of a woman.
He was born February 26, 1877. You may say, how do we know that you are telling the truth Farrakhan? We have had liars before. Yes, but the Book said ye are my witnesses. How do you know except there is a witness of the power bigger that the powers that we know. Since you don't like me, government of America; since you don't like me, Jewish people of America; since you don't like me, press of America; why have not you been able to stop me from doing what I do? Every chance you get you beat up on me. You have fought me every step of the way. Nevertheless, somebody bigger than you, somebody with more power that you enabled us to be successful in spite of our enemies. You see, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh us to lie down in green pastures. He restores our soul. He leads us beside the still waters. And He leads us in the path of righteousness. And yea though we have been walking in a valley of the shadow of death, we have feared no evil because the Lord, the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of creation, is with us. He anointed our heads with oil until our cup runneth over. He who? I'm talking about He, Master Fard Muhammad. That is He. You say, He's a man born of a woman. Well, who was Jesus? Was he not a man born of a woman? Who was Muhammad? Who was Moses? Who was Abraham? Were they not born of a woman? But the man that comes at the end of the world is unlike any man that was born before Him because he's born to be a master.
We call Him Master Fard Muhammad. What has He mastered? He has studied to become master of what He did not create. Allah created the heavens and the earth. We don't know when, we just say in the beginning. When was the beginning? We don't know, just so long ago. But this man was born in 1877, born into a creation that is trillions of years old, yet, He has become its master, a master who has studied to master self and then to master the universe and to master all circumstances where when He come He's called Maliki Yaumi-d-din--Master of the Day of Judgment. He is a human being, but He is a master of that time period. He masters it by the power and permission of Allah.
Since man is created to master and rule creation, Master Fard Muhammad came among us like a simple man. You can't tell Him from any other man, He's just a man like us. Well, how do you know the difference in men since we all have the same physical characteristics. You have to seen men with the inner eye because the only reality is the unseen. This (body) that you see is an illusion; it come and it goes. But the real being is the unseen, and it is the unseen in me and the unseen in you that moves what you see. You see the tongue move, you hear words come out, but something is moving it that you can't see and That's the real person. The real person doesn't have color, color is what the real person comes in. If you get color conscious you loose reality. When you begin to think White or Black, you get all messed up because God is neither. He can come in any flesh. He can manifest in any flesh. You say this is heretical teaching. I don't think so.
When that man came, he uttered six words: "Accept your own and be yourself." Well, that is my own? He said, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the high civilization. You have to learn to accept knowledge. And what is knowledge? You have to become acquainted with facts, truths and principles from study and investigation. So He started us off with actual facts. What is the square mileage of the earth How much is the land? How much is the water? What is the diameter of the earth? How much does the earth weigh? What is the square miles of deserts and islands? Rivers and Lakes? You have to get acquainted with your environment and master it. He gave us facts, He gave us truth, and He gave us words in which are principles, understanding. It's one thing to know something, but when you understand what you know, then you can apply knowledge to bring about a change in reality.
The wisdom of this world, the Bible says, is considered foolishness with God. It's almost tragic to turn on the television and see the foolishness that is being fed to the American people. And it just sickens me to turn on FOX-TV and see the stupidness that is being projected as Black comedy, and we sit in front of the television laughing at stupidity. There is no wisdom there, it's called entertainment. This is what you do for your children. When you are running a house and your children get in the way you give them something to entertainment them. You give them a little toy, something to engage their minuscule minds while you get on with the business of your house. Well, the rulers of this world are feeding the American people trash. And you are busy sitting in front of your television being entertained while others rule the world and master circumstances and investigate truths and principles.
And you wonder why they call you boy or gal and never respect you as a mature individual. It is because you are not mature. You love foolishness. And this is why to call this a democracy is mockery. Democracy means the rule of the people, and a people who are ignorant can not rule. The Bible says you are like sheep needing a good shepherd, you are easily led in the wrong direction, but it's difficult to get you to go in the right direction, but it's difficult to get you to go in the right direction because you are fed foolishness and you love the slop that you are being fed. A man is what he eats. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. If you're feeding on garbage, then what are you here (points to head)? High civilization is what God wants you to build. There is a lot of wisdom in this world but you are not the master of it, you are the subject and the object of it. There are a few that are ruling that are masters. And those are the few that The Master has come to set down.
This man (Fard) started in Detroit in what they call Black bottom, meaning, it's deep down in the bowels of the ghetto. And He began knocking on doors with silk on His arm. And when the sister opened the door and saw Him, she said who is this fine looking man? But He didn't come for that. He had His mind on His work. And He showed His sister silk and He said this is from you brothers in the east. She said, in the east? She didn't even know she had brothers in the east. She didn't know that she was once in the east and was brought on a westerly course to be hit in the head and made a slave. So, He wisely began to talk and then He said, would you like to know more? He said gather your friends and I'll be back this evening. And on time He would come and He began to teach. Before you know it, the house would swell until it just too much for the house. And then he found a little place and He said the rent is so many dollars, would you share the cost? They all said yet and then Temple No. 1 in Detroit was started. Around August, 1931, there was a Black man named Elijah who was from Georgia but was living in Detroit with his wife and six children and hardly had any food on the table. Circumstances were beating him down. But his wife, Sister Clara, had gone to the Mosque and heard this man Fard. And she told her husband. He didn't have a suit, he just put on his khaki paints and went to the little meeting place to hear that man (Fard). And that man (Fard) knew him (Elijah) before he hit the door. He knew he (Elijah) was coming. He was waiting on him. And at the end of the night when it was time to join, Elijah Poole came up. Elijah was different because Elijah had read the Bible, he had studied it from a little boy. His father was a Baptist preacher. He knew this man (Fard) was the one that was to come. Some how it was communicated to him. He had one dime in his pocket and when it was time to give charity, he gave his last dime. But that man on that rostrum knew what he had and told him that he had given his last. And when he came up and shook Master Fard's hand he (Elijah) said, "I know who you are." And the Master pulled him over and said, "yes, but don't say it now."
And for three and one-half years those two men were together almost night and day. And he was teaching that man, Elijah, who only went through the third grade. So you can't say you taught him white folks. When it was time for Master Fard to go, he asked the ministers since they had been choosing, he said, "will you let me choose?" And, of course, they would. And He said, "I want you to hear Kareem." Kareem was the name that also was given to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). But when this man, Fard Muhammad, was about to go, he told Elijah, "you don't need me any more." And Elijah said, "oh, yet I do." He said, "oh, no you don't." He said, "I'll be with you. You go on now." And little Elijah, tears streaming down his eyes, watched that man walk out of his life. That man (Fard) never asked for any money. He came and He did a job and He went away, just like the Bible and the Qur'an says He would do. But He left a witness of His power, of His wisdom, of His ability to control circumstances. And when He got ready to go, he said to the public, "my name is W.F. Muhammad." He was under an alias before. My name is W. (Wallace) Fard Muhammad. Wallace means, one of its meanings, a stranger, and He came to North America as a stranger. But when he left, He was a friend. His name was Wali Fard Muhammad. Wali means a friend, but a protecting friend. One that is your friend but can protect you from your enemies because he is your friend. And you sing that song, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus." If you really know your friend, he's a protecting friend. Fard means one we are obligated to obey. In the prayer service of Islam you have parts of the prayer that are called Fard, they are obligatory, and others are the sunnah, or the practice, of the prophet. But you must perform the obligatory part, That's called Fard. He used the name Fard because He was telling us that He is one we are obligated to obey. And sooner or later every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that a Master came to North America, and with the master grip He pulled Hiram up out of the grave. He allowed Himself to be persecuted; to be sent to prison; to be driven out of Detroit because He wanted to show Elijah what price was to free us. And any man that will work for the freedom of Black people will have to pay a price.
Sometimes the price is jail. Sometimes the price is death. Sometimes the price is to be falsely accused and evil spoken of. But Elijah went through all of that. They only thing that he did not suffer was death. He was not to suffer death because God, as it is written in the Bible, had made a pact with the devil. Have you considered my servant Job? God said (to the devil), you have gone everywhere on the earth to and fro seeking whom you may devour, you've eaten up everybody. But have you considered my man? That's a man I made. The devil said, yes, I have considered him. If you would take the hedge from around him, I'll make him curse you to your face. God said, I'll remove the hedge. The only thing I'm asking is you don't take his life. But you can do to him whatever you want. He'll never deny me. And for 44 years in America, I don't care who came or who went, Elijah Muhammad never denied Master Fard Muhammad, and he was a winner all the way through.
©1996 FCN Publishing
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED