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Prince—The Essence Of Beauty

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan | Last updated: Apr 28, 2016 - 10:13:02 AM

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A tribute from Minister Louis Farrakhan

In everything that Allah (God) created, there are lessons to be learned. There is exquisite beauty in the flowers, in the rocks, in the birds, in the beasts, in the fish and this exquisite beauty that only comes from God says that Allah (God) is the Most Beautiful of those who have beauty.

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Prince performs during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in a Los Angeles, Ca. File photo from Feb. 8, 2004. Photo: AP/Wide World photos

All beauty is from Allah (God), who is the Author of Beauty.

The soul of the man that we know as Prince was beauty. The manifestation of his many gifts was a manifestation of beauty. The essence of his being, in the way Prince gave to others, serviced others through his gifts and skills was a thing of beauty. The creation of his songs, the majesty of their rhythms, the beauty of its content says something about the beauty of the man.

I never had the privilege of meeting this beautiful, unique human being.

When I had my first near death experience, I was in the hospital at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Prince came to see me, but I had lost so much weight and was looking so ill, some of those around me did not permit Prince to come and see me. Later, as we were organizing the Million Family March, Prince donated $50,000 to that effort. After writing him and thanking him for his gift, I tried to meet with my brother but unfortunately, I was unable to meet him.

From what I know of him, he was like a Pearl of Great Price, a Diamond of Matchless Beauty that everywhere the light struck him a color emitted from his being—thus the song Purple Rain became one of his great musical masterpieces. The movie, the song, the man.

I like you will miss Prince. I like you saw the Greatness in his Struggle just to gain ownership of his own name. I saw the Greatness of his Being, the courage that he had to fight for, not only his own image, his own likeness, and his own music masters but to fight for others who were not as blessed with the depth of love and the breadth of courage that he demonstrated.

As I think of my brother Prince, I think of Allah (God), the Essence of Beauty, planting that essence in him and then wrapping that essence in the flesh and the bones of the earth that speak to physical beauty through which we gained access to that essence which is the soul of the man that we called Prince. He has returned to Him who gave Prince to us and I like all who have admired him and loved him rejoice that a man like that came this way.

Though I am saddened over the fact that I will never physically meet him, we will always have him with us through the music that he gave us, the struggle that he made that taught us how we must stand up, fearless against that which is ugly in its injustice, its unrighteousness and its wickedness.

He loved his faith. He kept the faith and fought the good fight. The Essence of Beauty remains, the beautiful flesh that wrapped that essence from head to foot is gone from us, yet beauty in a man named Prince remains.

May Allah (God) bless his family, those closest to him that helped him make his music, those who helped him in any way; may we all be comforted in our loss. But may we be joyful in the Gift that Allah (God) gave to us and to the world, the Essence of Beauty in a man called Prince.