Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed Speaks

QUESTION: Peace to you Earl Abdulmalik. I am seeking a better understanding of you and your claims. I have read what others say about you and what you say about yourself. I have also read what Imam W. D. has said about you. How do you explain the conflict between what you are accused of by believers, and being in prison for what you pled guilty to, and the person that Imam W. D. was speaking about and who you claim to be? 

IMAM EARL ABDULMALIK MOHAMMED: The same that you mean in your greeting I return to you. I seek Allah's Assistance. I seek His Protection from evil and troublemakers, and my own faults. I believe in Him, that He will deal with those that promote mischief and lies for their own motives. My name is Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed. I know what you and those like you attempt to do in shortening my name. You want to separate me from Imam W. Deen Mohammed's and Prophet Muhammed's name. There will be time enough in the very near future for me to speak on this in more detail in exposing your schemes. I do not prefer to answer you. There is a Truth, however, that your question permits me to address along with some other important and related concerns.

I want all troublemakers to be informed as to how they will be dealt with going forward, and that your schemes will be exposed for all to see. Ordinarily, I would not feel any obligation to answer those who criticize me, or those who want to mask their ugly intentions behind deceitful language and behavior. There was a group that would greet the Prophet with confusing words. Their greeting sounded like the greetings of Peace. They would greet the Prophet "As-samu alaikum," which means "Death to you." The Prophet replied to them: "Alaikum" -whatever you are implying by your greeting, the same to you. I see that your group is skilled and works very hard at creating mischief. You are an ancient bunch.

What I am obligated by is truth and the commitments of faith in Allah. Allah commands us "To satisfy all of the obligations." This is a duty of the Faithful, the Believers. I turn to Him and do not seek in any way to be outside of or distant from His Mercy and Forgiveness. I know from faith, from the Holy Qur'an teaching, that I do not owe any explanation to you. I owe Allah obedience, and I owe respect and consideration to the good People. To tell a part of the truth with the intent of obscuring the whole truth, is to lie. You imply that you are representing Truth, but it is half-truth. You imply it in your greeting. Your greeting does not qualify in Islam. You imply it by refusing my name. To disrespect someone's name is to insult them. You imply it in the phrasing of your question.

Your question is a statement implying guilt upon me and also error in Imam W. Deen Mohammed's opinions. It is clear to me that you know the Truth but you refuse it. This is the sign of the hypocrite. Every expression from the hypocrite is disingenuous. He lies. He exaggerates. He is purposely unclear. He wants those he influences to be left with feelings of doubt and confusion. 

I have not made any "claims". I am not aspiring for anything that you or others can prevent me from obtaining. There is nothing you have that I want for myself or those I love. I want nothing from that which you make a claim. I want only to be Allah's obedient servant. I am who I say I am, and what I have demonstrated for all to see in the open. My record and life are available for review. My thinking is available for all to see. My commitments are accessible for review. For those who threatened me that I should not attempt to execute any leadership influence in Imam W. Deen Mohammed's name while in prison, you have been proven short-sighted and wrong.

If I had the mind or heart of a criminal, guilty of criminal behavior, then such threats would be appropriate. The fact is that I have never had any criminal intent, and no criminal with criminal intent or disposition could produce what I have produced. The prison circumstances and our community's leadership role in these times are from Divine Purpose. Only a disbeliever, a hypocrite, or an ignorant person, will refuse to see what is evident, attempt to miscategorize it, or not admit to its true value, because of a seal on their hearts.

It is evident in the conditions of this world and society right now, the story of my incarceration and what has been done since I have been in prison, that the Joseph narrative in the Holy Qur'an is no fantasy-illusion. As the Holy Qur'an states, "It is no invented tale." And Allah is Over the Destiny. He is the Determiner. He is al-Qaadir. Unlike what you, and those like you who present incomplete pictures in order to create doubt and confusion, intend, this response is not to benefit you. I intend it for the "sincere askers."

The opening verses of the Surah 'Joseph' ('Yusuf' in the Qur'an language) says that it is a story for the "sincere askers." They have dignity and respect, and they refuse to undermine or cheapen themselves by inquiring of something in public which may cause more difficulty than good. My response to you intends to serve the "sincere askers." It is they that are owed explanations. And, they do not only deserve that. They deserve to know that my actions and my intentions have always been those of a person seeking Allah's approval and acceptance. In spite of any of my shortcomings, my sins, my conscious mistakes, they deserve to know what is the Truth. 

What has been said about me is true and false, at the same time. Those closest to the situation know this. And those hypocritical toward me know this too. It is true that I received money from pioneer members of our community. It is false that I stole from them or misled them. Much of the money that was given to me -donations, was authorized and intended as support of the work I was doing for Imam W. Deen Mohammed's Office at that time. One pioneer brother from Detroit said to me, "I know you are not in a good financial situation and I asked Imam Mohammed how could I help him best. He asked me to help you financially, if I could. I want to help you and I am giving this to you so you can continue the good works you are doing. I hope it will help you. Please accept this from me and my family."

It would be inappropriate to mention any names now. When I travel to Detroit soon I will meet with all of those who are concerned, and I will ask their permission to mention their names. As of now, I have only been able to reach to the leader of that pioneer group. And he accepted my message on his and on their behalf. If he is reading this, I want him to know that I am anxious to meet him and the others again very soon. Also, some of the money given to me was solicited by me as an investment in some business ideas and plans I had at that time, with the intent of not being completely dependent on the charity from Imam Mohammed's Ministry Office and from other individuals. I was a poor man and could not explain to my young family why the electricity at the house was off. The Ministry office in those years had many obligations.

I could not feel comfortable that I not do my best to be less of a financial weight on the office. I worked jobs, drove cabs, sold goods door-to-door, until Imam Mohammed found out about it and told me that I should not have to do those things. He said to me, "I do not want you having to do these things. You have to be free and available to represent our office." The office workers at that time would know this to be the truth. In fact, one of them, walked into the pharmacy I worked at and was shocked to see me in the store uniform. It hurt them to see me as much as it hurt me to see them. Those were days of character-building. That is why when I hear or read of what others say about me, I think to myself that they are either ignorant of the reality, or devilish.

Even the persons that gave me money for business interests, most of them, understood and wanted me to know that they were wanting to help me in the work I was doing more than they were interested in the business itself. Some money I received had hidden strings attached. Some moneys I received were loans with hidden strings attached -the people loaning to me did so with the intent to weaken me by making it appear that I had coerced or abused them in some way. I went to them for emergency help. At the time, I did not see that they were the types that spread to others the fact that you borrowed from them yet never mention that you paid them back.

Most of what I borrowed I paid back. Some, I could not pay back. My introverted manner -shyness, was an impediment for me and I admit that I did not communicate to my debtors properly. Many know, but very few have spoken of the fact that I am by nature a shy, reserved person. It is due to Faith that I have recognized that this shyness has been a test on me, and that Allah has Helped me to understand it as His Blessing. My aloofness because of shyness has also been described as arrogance -that I am unapproachable and not friendly. Those who say this are those who saw that the shyness was not necessarily a weakness of character that could be manipulated against my strict commitment to Imam W. Deen Mohammed's way. My mistake was not answering the obligation to my debtors no matter the impediment or difficulty. 

Some of those who invested in me forgave those monetary debts because they considered the effective work I was doing to be full repayment with profit. I have not been able to contact all of those I owe, but most I have. Those who I have contacted know this, and they have sent word to me that they acknowledge my contact with them as a sincere act. All of these unpaid debts I consider open and unsatisfied obligations. They must be addressed by me, and I have never sought any other path and will not seek any other path but to satisfy them in totality.

What is absolutely false is that I took money or stole money from anyone. I don't have any inclination to steal or cheat, and never have. Those who know me know this and you will not convince them otherwise. The United States Government knows this too. If any person were to write to the Prosecutor or the Judge in my case of mail fraud, and ask them do they believe that I was consciously committing an illegal or immoral act in the affairs of my business, they would answer that in my case it was not a question of innocence or guilt. It was a question of subjective interpretation of law to ensure that I spent time in prison. This is well-known to those who had an agenda to cause disruption and confusion in the Muslim-American community. Long-time infiltrators in cooperation with immoral government actors acted against our community. They saw an opportunity to create trouble, and they did. In this process I learned a very important leadership lesson: Good intentions do not guarantee avoidance of hardship. Hardship breeds purpose, excellence, and wisdom. 

All of the CPC investments made under Imam W. Deen Mohammed's leadership must be answered. It is too costly and of no lasting benefit to chase down the wrongdoers who stole the CPC money and properties. Most of those pointing at me -the order of hypocritical liars, are guilty parties covering the tracks of their corrupt alliances by not accounting for what happened. It is convenient for them to deny responsibility for the maintenance of community resources while at the same time suggesting that the next leader is a guilty party. I see them in their scheme. And while some are criticizing me for "bashing" and saying that I am "self-promoting", I have recognized that what is necessary is to address the debt by building on and establishing the vision. I am no shrinking, weak, fearful leader, and I am neither an arrogant boaster.

No person of faith can be weak, and no person of Faith can be without humility before Allah and Truth. What these criticizers refer to as "self-promotion" is a necessary confidence that is based in recognition of responsibility, and the support given by Allah to those who are strengthened by Faith, to accept the responsibility of good works, even if they are heavy and difficult, for their proper Islamic purposes. They mislabel it because they do not know how to appreciate it, or they cannot measure up to supporting it. Other than this is disbelief and loss. And Allah says that "mankind is in loss, except for those with faith, and commitment and performance in good works upon Truth and with Patience." The performance of good works in Truth and upon Patience, is a heavy weight. Most cannot carry it, and that is why most are lost.

As the leader succeeding Imam W. Deen Mohammed, it is my commitment to satisfy those investments that were made in CPC with his objectives in focus. Responsible leaders accept the burden of delivering on the honest promises made by the leaders that preceded them.

Therefore, all CPC investors must be made whole. The works and objectives that Imam W. Deen Mohammed had in focus for CPC must come into view as a tangible reality for all deserving and investing community members. Investments are not only dollar amounts. Many volunteers labored to bring the CPC objectives to reality. Their dividends are not money. Their dividends are a restoration of the vision and objectives. I cannot treat this commitment as in any way separate from my personal obligations to those I borrowed from. They are from the same intent.

My personal debts, and the return of principle and dividends on all CPC investments are an obligation on me in my leadership role. Just as Imam W. Deen Mohammed defended the integrity of his father's work in the Probate Courts of Illinois, in the interest of the Truth of Islamic identity and the Islamic intent behind the establishment of the No. 2 Poor Fund to the Probate Courts of Illinois, I have committed myself to our community establishment. This is the required turning to Allah. This is what is meant by 'tawbah.' I owe nothing to hypocrites. If they were expecting waffling, or head-scratching and stumbling over words out of insincerity or lying, or foot-shuffling, or any manner of blaming or excuse-making, they have underestimated Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed and those with him. We owe obedience to Allah and the best intentions of service to the People, always following that which is the best expression of the well-established Islamic principles of decency and truthfulness. 

We are living in moments that expose arrogance, and weakness, and unwillingness to prepare for responsibility, as the characteristics of hypocrites and charlatans. We are living in moments where every system that human beings have relied upon has been weakened, and confidence in societal structures has become suspect. I would not have even dealt with this question except that it provided an opportunity to say to our People that the mantra that leadership is confined to the decisions of this order showing themselves to be selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed, and a general, unproductive and corrupting influence has been voided. I am not referring to sincere People. I am not referring to Islamic leadership. How could I be?

We are not permitted to turn away from those who invite us to Faith, teach us the proper understanding in Faith, live their lives upon the disciplines of Faith, and defend the community of Faith. I am speaking directly to the hypocrites and liars who Imam W. Deen Mohammed resigned from representing. Who are they? Consult your heart and best mind. You will see them clearly.

Leadership is in our productive people, wherever they are found. I ask you to stand with me now. I pray for Allah's Protection and His Aid. We turn to Him. With Him is the Success.