IMAM IBRAHIM EL-AMIN: As the presidential election approaches, many African-Americans, Muslims ones as well, are voicing support for and defending the political philosophy known as “democratic socialism.” This is clearly not an accident. What do you think is contributing to this trend and what should the People of W. Deen Mohammed be aware of given the history of socialism and it’s many derivations?
IMAM EARL ABDULMALIK MOHAMMED: I appreciate this question very much. I was hoping someone would ask it. First, I would like to address the implication in your question -that somehow our People, Muslim-Americans in the following of Imam W. Deen Mohammed are attracted by or attracted to these socialist ideas and ideologies. I want to make some related comments that have to do with the social welfare of this country and specifically the condition of the Community of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
If you had been present to participate in a meeting recently and heard my comments to some important persons in the leadership of this country who visited with me, you and many would know even better how our message is valued and why it is important that it be heard by the American public. These persons that came to visit me extended themselves in some remarkable ways to speak with me. They know what I represent, they had studied my commentary, and that is why they came. They know the quality of our message. They know its origin. They know that I am Imam W. Deen Mohammed's successor in message and in leadership for the good of this country and in service of the correct image of Islam.
Perhaps some people have interpreted my comments about being successor to Imam W. Deen Mohammed as ego-mania, or something like that. The people of faith know better. Only those competing to secure a place for their inflated egos to be in the focus of the people continue their attacks on us. They attack because their egos have been bruised. The people of faith know that faith will not permit any Believer to be driven by ego. Faith does not recognize insincerity or pretense. The people of faith humble themselves. This is a requirement of faith. You cannot claim faith without the recognition that Man has no measure of his significance against the Majesty of the Lord-Creator.
Man cannot compare or compete with G'd on any level. G'd's Authority over man can be shown in that an organism so small it can only be seen by a microscope can overturn Man's entire international economy and system of comforts, as we are seeing. It can shake and threaten to pulverize man-made Mountains of Economic, Political, and Social Stability. And I will comment further on this in this answer I give you because it is directly related to this question.
I am driven by and guided by faith in Allah and service to the people to which He has turned me. It is Allah that has raised me for the Purpose, no other than Him. I know that what I have been given as a determination and as an understanding with regard to the tradition of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is protected by Allah. I also know that the thinking and positioning in my moral sentiments and moral logic, the moral commitment to push through the difficulties of dealing with an oppressive order and the many veils of deceit it hides behind, and maintaining the purity of understanding and the principles of guardianship of our Islamic community life objectives was directed and nurtured in me by Imam W. Deen Mohammed's teaching and his personal attention over the course of his leadership.
He cultivated it in me to safeguard and to serve all our best Islamic and human interests. Honest people know this is a plain fact, and because of favorable circumstances given to me by Allah, I am the individual that has the grasp and use of it for effective public delivery and representation in this time. Praise be to Allah. I turn to Him. There is no doubt that we are saved from the destruction our enemies have plotted for us, due to His Mercy. The net effect of suspect leaders is that the People exist, at least for a time, in a confused state. This is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and the Bible too, if you can see it.
If there is any person who is doing what I am doing with Imam W. Deen Mohammed's teaching with the same intent, clarity, purpose, and effectiveness I am happy to support them immediately. I have sent messages of support to various ones that I see and have heard have the correct focus. In fact, if these Imams over these mosques who claim to be with Imam W. Deen Mohammed's way were sincere people they would be asking those close to me for my support and they would be asking when will it be possible for me to come to their city and help them. If they were sincere they would be praying for my good health and asking Allah to make my struggle successful, and they would be asking how they can be of assistance.
How is it that those supposedly uninformed or little-informed, and outside of our Muslim life and community like these person who visited with me and others, can see clearly who I am and what I am doing that is in the tradition of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and are asking my counsel, and our own leaders refuse to acknowledge the validity of my work and are actively trying to tear it and me down.
Someone may say, "Is he interpreting the prison as favorable circumstances?" I am interpreting every step taken in my life as the Help of Allah. It was all necessary to get to where we are right now to address these circumstances in the global human community and in America, and Allah's Knowledge is above and extends beyond our knowledge. I understand the verse in the Holy Qur'an where Joseph indicates that he would prefer the prison to any other circumstances in that particular moment. The prison reality permitted and means nothing more than one context for this work I am doing. The prison reality exposed Joseph's brothers for their stupidity, their jealousy, and their weakness of understanding of their father's commitments and its importance in their world. It was from the prison reality where Joseph established his necessary help to society.
Someone with a silly mind will ask, "What does this have to do with socialism?" The confused condition of our People as a result of this behavior I am pointing out in the leadership has created circumstances where our People do not appreciate and cannot discern where to look in their religion for answers. They have forgotten Imam W. Deen Mohammed's emphasis. You can see it in every mosque ever associated with his leadership. The so-called "youth Imams" of the late 90's and early 2000's, trained in the classrooms of the first wizard class who were themselves spawned by opposition to the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, have now become the tacticians.
Some may not be familiar with this term 'wizard'. It is a term given to me by Imam W. Deen Mohammed to describe a certain type of mosque leader who would depend on 'mysticism' and that is to say manipulation of the emotional nature and psychology of the congregation to maintain power over them. They would mix into their mystic potion some references from the Qur'an and Muhammed the Prophet, and some name-dropping of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, but their true devotion was to the mystic arts of falsehood and pretense in the interest of furthering their influence and maintaining power and authority.
They gave the label 'youth-Imams' to their students, and those students are now the major mosque influence. They think superficial knowledge of the Arabic language and passing references to Imam W. Deen Mohammed's name will suffice as a plan to keep their congregations in check. They are bold and arrogant in their stupidity. It is in the nature of human beings to seek what is healthiest for them, even in spite of plots against their intelligence -their moral and rational health of spirit and mind.
Our most bitter enemies, and those that secretly and clandestinely wanted to destabilize Imam W. Deen Mohammed's People and his message, could not detect me in my years of unseen preparations, and when they finally saw what was developing with me, they could not get to me because I was in prison. They attempted to project onto me the label of a guilty person with guilty intent, and they thought that that lie would stick, and that it would cripple me and destroy me. They estimated that they at long last had charge and authority over the Message and the People. Allah says He gives authority to whom He pleases and He strips off authority from whom He pleases. It is arrogance on their part to have thought they could overcome or alter Allah's Plan. They thought they would be done with me. I know they are crying the blues now, and they have an even bigger surprise coming.
By the time I am released from prison in a few months, what we are doing will have become too strong and have too much momentum for them to do anything to stop it. All they will be able to do is what Imam W. Deen Mohammed predicted in 2001. He said of me "He is not finished his work. He is going to enlarge the picture." He predicted that the enemies would have no recourse except to bite off the tips of their fingers in rage. Such is the state of hypocrisy, and the just desserts of evil liars. Actually, I would be very happy if some of them would be saved from their stupidity and humble themselves, if it is in Allah's Plan. We would welcome them and work with them.
Now to answer this question on socialism or a democratic socialism. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "... and see how the mountains have been fixed?" And in another place He says, "and the mountains will become as flakes of wool."
When, in our lifetimes in America, have citizens been more conscious of the social health of the society than right now at this moment? When has the world's population, world governments, been more attentive to the social health of its fellow man not only in home nations, but for all people everywhere? The social conscience of man everywhere on this earth, in every nation, mighty ones and weak ones, rich ones and poor ones, developed ones and under-developed ones, have been driven to this moment of attention and global concern for the general welfare of humanity.
I have an idea of what the politicians describe as the social interests in their political platforms. Politicians are hard to pin down to moral certainty and a consistent moral view that would satisfy our Islamic concerns. They will excite us and then disappoint us. When they are speaking of socialism I understand that they are identifying with the 'working-people' and the labor force, and they are wanting to draw attention to the unjust tension and friction between the poor classes and the wealthy classes that disfavor the poor. Ideally, when they say 'socialism' they are referring to the community of man in natural pride to have access to the means with which to enjoy a full and satisfactory human existence in society. They are also designating a space for conflict with those that they point to as denying that existence.
By and large they point to the wealthy, and more specifically they point to international financial systems and international corporations that regulate the flow of wealth as the culprit for inequity. There is some important truths to their rationale. However, Islam promotes social care, and the pursuit of wealth, simultaneously as both blessed and favored interests. As Muslims, we have no conflict between what Islam focuses as righteousness, decent human behavior, and the pursuit and possession of wealth. The spending of wealth in a just G'd-fearing, G'd-conscious, usage is a strong and central pillar of Islam. Islamic teaching is that Allah is the Owner and the Provider, that everything has been created by Him, and that His Authority prevails over all He has created.
Those who have acquired wealth are therefore blessed persons, who have an opportunity to increase their blessing by spending in the interest of social welfare. The Holy Qur'an says that the payments due from the population of Believers belong to Allah and the decision of His Messenger, so that wealth "does not make a circuit only among the wealthy." Islam gives no license of reason and no moral support to a socialist revolution between classes. The obedient Muslim understands and pursues wealth so as to be a conscientious steward of social welfare. Islam does not seek to upend society. It seeks to build human beings, and thereby build human communities.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed used the term 'striving-poor' to describe the determination of a physical-resource-poor people pursuing wealth in the interest of service to G'd, and service to self and others in society. He taught the principles of the power of collective purchasing and its Islamic foundation when he organized and led AMMCOP (American Muslim Mission Organized to Purchase 100,000 Commodities Plus) and CPC (Collective Purchasing Conference). To organize the resources of a seemingly resource-poor people in order to secure wealth so as not to be a burden, or a public charge, on the society. And to give from the growth of that wealth for the overall benefit of the society. To become a major employer due to the growth of that wealth and its matriculation, providing economic stability in the place of economic hardship. This kind of social concern does not create tension between classes. It erases these tensions and thereby stabilizes society in such a way that a true culture of social benefits and social supports can develop into social systems respecting the demand for order, peace, and justice.
Someone may place on this process the label 'socialism.' Imam W. Deen Mohammed never did and never would. He knew what he was doing and what he wanted us to carry forward as teachings and as principles of community and economic establishment. It was the religion of al-Islam. I know what some are saying. They say "the Qur'an is the leader." It is true, the Holy Qur'an is the leader. And they are not saying that because they believe or even understand that. They are saying it to prevent a leader from being recognized. The Holy Qur'an is the leader of the Islamic community. And how is that expressed in al-Islam? Do we assemble ourselves in ranks with the Book on a pedestal in front of us leading us in prayers?
No, we have a human being reciting the words. A flesh and blood mortal coming first from excellence in nature, then excellence in rational interests and conclusions, and then following and obeying Guidance -which is the Holy Qur'an. It is not alive as a concept in human community except that human beings are living upon its principle, and so Allah made it necessary that we have demonstration of the life. So, the Prophet's wife said of him "His character is the Qur'an." He is the Qur'an living, and it is in his station that we stand when we lead the congregation or our private selves in the prayers. The lady, the female, can lead the men if she is the one most learned in the Qur'an in her family. This is established knowledge.
So, if you are pointing at the Qur'an as leader, and then denying that a human being is to be followed, you are disputing the Qur'an as leader. The Mountain of Falsehood you are attempting to erect is an idol, a 'taghuut' in Qur'an language. You are pointing to the Book revealed to a human being. It did not come down from heaven in a Book form. It came upon the heart and intellect of a human being, and he recited the words and then the words were written. I know what some of you are saying. You are saying the Book already existed and it is the Preserved Tablet, and it is held in the lowest heaven. Did you see it there? Did you experience it there? Did you even know of its existence before the words were revealed to Muhammed the Prophet and he spoke them and the ones who heard memorized them and later wrote them down?
Your scheme is weak. You want to break up the social units that Allah has established. You want to break up the social logic that brings man to his destiny. You want to promote distrust in the social systems. This is why some of our People are looking at socialism. They sense that your attack on leadership is a disruption of the nature-based worth of human social systems, and so they are looking for the message that saves the social urge for its created purpose.
They cannot find it in your meaningless leadership, and you have so mystified and corrupted the notion of Muslim leadership in a human being that they have lost trust in the concept of the leadership office as a servant of social excellence. You have pushed them out of their proper standing place in the congregation, and their nature is searching and searching for the solution. Their nature is searching for the help, and demanding the appearance of the social intellect to point out to them what is true leadership. And then, finally, comes the Guidance.
We are looking at the earth, the setting of man's unity as a society. And we are experiencing in this very moment a force in nature that is challenging the authority of mighty Mountains. It is challenging the authority of the international economic system. It is challenging the authority of international health systems. It is challenging the authority of government systems. It is challenging the authority of religious institutional systems. It is challenging the stability of education systems. It is challenging the authority of mighty cultural systems. No human movement in most of Europe. No sports activity whatsoever in North America. No Umrah at Makkah.
The mighty Mountains of man's social existence are being shown as flakes of wool strewn about as if with no importance or weight. Do you think that the weak and petty lies you are telling with regard to Islamic leadership and the role of the Holy Qur'an in the tradition of Muslim-Americans will hold up in this Day when all People's eyes are being opened to the true social condition of man on this earth? You are a bold fool!
Our People have been educated and prepared by a social history and special leaders that influenced their minds and hearts to live and lead in this time. These are the Signs of the Day of Religion. Allah says on that Day mankind will say "Where is the refuge?"
The refuge, the protection, is with Allah, the Most High, and all of what Imam W. Deen Mohammed left with us -that which his leadership was predicated upon: Faith, Peace, Excellence, and Justice as preserved in the Holy Qur'an and Muhammed the Prophet's teaching. It honors common sense, trusts nature, and promotes and supports human leadership in intelligent demonstration.