Reflections from comrades in the ministry

By J.S. Adams, Contributing Writer | Last updated: Apr 17, 2020 - 12:08:18 PM

Nation of Islam student minister share a bond and friendship. From left: Bro. Abdul Khadir Muhammad, Bro. Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad, Bro. Nuri Muhammad, Bro. Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad, Bro. Abdul Haleem Muhammad, Imam Sultan Rahman Muhammad, and Bro. Abdul Hafeez Muhammad.

Abdul Haleem Muhammad likens the bond of regional ministers of the Nation of Islam to that of blood brothers. Brother Haleem, Student Southwest regional minister out of Houston, said losing Brother Abdul Hafeez Muhammad was like losing his own sibling.

Student Minister Abdul Hafeez Muhammad, Eastern Regional Minister based in New York, passed away April 11 from complications associated with the Covid-19 virus.

The labor and work of a regional minister who is responsible for multiple Nation of Islam mosques and study groups in various cities around the country, is not an easy one. Many of his current and former regional ministry comrades and companions described Student Min. Hafeez as a gentle giant with an incomparable memory.

“He could remember things in detail, of situations we were in, particularly with the Minister,” said Haleem Muhammad. “He would bring back the details of it and fill in blanks. The Minister named him Abdul Hafeez because of his memorization of the Lessons,” he said, referring to the Supreme Wisdom Lessons of the Nation of Islam.

“His mind was like a library, I mean this brother, his memory was just outstanding,” said Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad, Student Western Regional Minister in Los Angeles, Calif. “As student regional ministers, he was one of those ministers we would say, ‘Minister Hafeez, when did (and) what year did the Minister say this?’ And he would run it off,” said Student Min. Abdul Malik Sayyid.

For many of the regional student ministers, he was one of the best brothers they’d ever had.

Student Min. Haleem said Brother Hafeez went above and beyond for him when his mother passed away in 2012. She lived in a small town in New Jersey, which was hard to access by plane. So, Brother Hafeez drove three and a half hours from New York by himself in order to show his support. “Every time I think about that, I just get choked up because that’s the kind of man that he is, in my heart,” he said.

Student Min. Abdul Malik said he and Brother Hafeez were very close. They met at the Million Man March in 1995. They immediately hit it off, he said.

“He was just the biggest, kindest brother you would ever know,” recalled Student Min. Abdul Malik. “He would always just say how much he admired Los Angeles and I would say how much I admired New York.”

Student Min. Abdul Malik said back in those days, righteous competition in the Nation of Islam would sometimes turn into resentment. At the time, he and Student Min. Hafeez made a pact to never become resentful.

One of the most impactful moments the two shared was in Chicago, headquarters city of the Nation of Islam. It was after Student Min. Abdul Malik was invited by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to share his testimony, after taking Dianetics courses through the Church of Scientology.

“When I finished, out of all the ministers, Brother Hafeez sprinted over to me, and he said ‘brother, you helped me heal because you’re telling me things about your childhood experience.’ Man, I ain’t never seen no one other than the Minister open up like that,” Student Min. Abdul Malik shared. “I thought people was gonna reject it. I thought I was gonna be rejected. And he was the first to embrace me and I’ll never forget that.”

Student Minister Sharrieff Muhammad, of the Southern Region in Atlanta, said he met Brother Hafeez many years ago.

“We had a comrade relationship, then we had a minister-tominister relationship. But the best relationship we had was just being brotherly,” he said.

He said one of the most notable things about Student Min. Hafeez was his love for the Nation.

“He was dedicated to the Nation of Islam and his love for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,” said Student Min. Sharrieff.

“And his character—to me, my experience with him—if he gave you his word, he’s going to carry it out.” Student Min. Sharrieff described Brother Abdul Hafeez as always wanting to teach, and always wanting to share the words of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Patrick Muhammad, Student 7th Regional Minister based in Miami, said Brother Hafeez was an advocate for unity and structure.

“As I reflect about him, as a brother, colleague and peer, especially in the last few years that I got to know him, one of the things that he was always talking about is how to better help the Minister. ‘We gotta do it for the leader, we gotta do it for the leader,’” he recalled.

He said Brother Hafeez would always ask him about the wellbeing of the people of Haiti, where Brother Patrick was born. One of the most memorable moments the men shared was a phone conversation that lasted for hours.

“That was such a fond memory that I had because it was a scriptural conversation, it was spiritual,” he said. “Every little nuance that we brought up, it was magic. It was just him and I talking, and I remember, I think I was driving… and I made so many stops and we were still on the phone.”

His colleague and Student Mid-Atlantic Regional Minister in Washington, D.C. Abdul Khadir Muhammad told The Final Call Brother Hafeez was just 17 years old when he met him. “The same exuberance and love for Islam he had as a teenager only matured and got better as a grown man. He wanted freedom, justice and equality for his people. That was his goal and he worked diligently to accomplish that,” he said.

“Hafeez was an honorable man. He was very committed and loved his people,” said Student Min. Khadir.

Abdul Hakeem Muhammad, European Regional representative based in London said Brother Hafeez was always very kind and courteous to him and all the believers from the European region.

“I loved him tremendously—because of his unwavering love for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam,” he told The Final Call.

“He will truly be missed, as I could not see a time that he would not be among us. He dedicated his life to the rise of our people and for that, we should all be eternally grateful to Almighty Allah for being blessed to work with and walk beside such a noble brother and gentleman—Abdul Hafeez Muhammad.

His friend and brother in the ministry Jamil Muhammad described Bro. Hafeez as “the ultimate New York Muslim.”

“We lost a giant,” Jamil Muhammad, former Southern Regional representative told The Final Call. “He set a high standard for his work efforts, his attention to details, his connection with every community he could possibly touch. Bro. Hafeez was a pastor to the Nation of Islam in New York and the East Coast,” he said.

“There’s hardly a family that doesn’t have a memory of his service for a wedding, janazah (funeral), or any need. He was there. That’s what made him such a fine example in the ministry class. I love him and I will miss him.”

Abdul Akbar Muhammad, international representative of the Nation of Islam and longtime Muslim pioneer, wanted it known how well Bro. Hafeez worked with each of the brothers who came before him as ministers at Mosque No. 7. “He was a very beautiful brother in the cause of Allah and as a helper to Minister Farrakhan in a difficult city in the redemption of our people,” he said.

Minister Hafeez’s first teacher and mentor in the Nation of Islam, since 1980, was Minister Abdul Karriem Muhammad, aka “The General,” who described his brother as a “great worker in the cause of Islam.”

In the early ‘80s during the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam, Abdul Karriem was the Eastern Region minister of the Nation of Islam. He told The Final Call, “We are hurting for him and his family. Hafeez was a great helper for Minister Farrakhan. From the day I saw him walk in the door, he has been a helper to the resurrection of the Black man, woman and child. My heart is aching. We take the work of the Nation of Islam very serious and this is painful,” said Abdul Karriem Muhammad.

As young Muslims, Conrad Bennette Tillard (former minister of Mosque No. 7 and Eastern Region representative known then as Minister Conrad Muhammad) and Bro. Hafeez (formerly Bro. Kevin) worked together for years. They first met over 30 years ago, barely out of their teens.

“Malcolm X served 12 years, Minister Farrakhan served 10 years, I served 8 years and Bro. Hafeez served 20,” Rev. Conrad Tillard, Sr. minister of Flatbush Tompkins Congregational Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn, told The Final Call. “I met him when I came to New York. He was the interim minister and I was the national youth minister. Bro. Hafeez and I were two young men in the mosque committed to the labor. I was 23, he was 24. We were fearless and ambitious. We wanted to be successful in the work,” he shared.

“I was made the minister in Manhattan and Bro. Hafeez was sent to Brooklyn. He worked very good with the clergy in Brooklyn and every level of the community. In those days we were very productive. He was a born teacher. He loved to teach and loved the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. He and I maintained our brotherly relationship. I speak for many clergy who hold him in high regard,” said Rev. Tillard who also shared a beautiful tribute on Facebook.

Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. (former East Coast Regional Minister of Mosque No. 7 known then as Minister Benjamin Muhammad) expressed his condolences. “We mourn, we pray and we thank God for the life, ministry, sacrifice, leadership and undying love of our brother Regional Minister Abdul Hafeez Muhammad,” said Dr. Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association, representing over 200 Black-owned newspapers.

“Brother Hafeez was a true soldier and a leader for freedom, justice and equality. He will always be my brother in life and in death. May he rest in eternal peace.”

Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad, national spokesperson for Min. Farrakhan said she was devastated by the loss of her brother and friend of nearly 40 years. “My husband and daughters loved him and his wife, Sister Loray. They and their children are an authentic Muslim family whose brilliance, loyalty and work ethic have benefitted our Nation, especially on the East Coast,” said Student Min. Ava who served as Southern Regional representative.

“Brother Hafeez was a ‘Muslim’s Muslim.’ He loved being in the Nation of Islam and embodied the unique persona and presence of a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad under the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. He was one of those fervent Muslims that came in the ranks at Mosque No. 7 in New York City during the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam,” she continued.

“He was Kevin X, barely out of his teens. We were real soldiers together, trained under Minister Abdul Karriem Muhammad I always enjoyed being in Brother Hafeez’s company. He had tremendous influence in the Harlem community which showed at the powerful Town Hall Meeting on Separation last year. His absence will be felt for a long, long time,” said Student Min. Ava.

Brother Hafeez was loved by all who knew him, said Student Minister Ishmael R. Muhammad, national assistant to Min. Farrakhan. “He did a great work in the city of New York and in the Eastern Region. He was loved deeply by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and I loved him. Brother Hafeez and I grew very close to each other. We enjoyed a wonderful friendship and relationship,” shared Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad during opening remarks of his Sunday message broadcast via internet from Mosque Maryam in Chicago on April 12.

“He was a beautiful soul, a beautiful man. He was a brother, a soldier, a friend and I personally will cherish the many memories I have of my brother.”

(Nisa Islam Muhammad, Daleel Jabir Muhammad and Final Call staff contributed to this report.)

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