The Time and What Must Be Done (Part One)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

In this corner: Slavery, Suffering and Death, and in that corner, Freedom, Justice and Equality. It was these words that I read every time I came into the auditorium of Muhammad’s Mosque #25 in Newark, NJ, which also did double duty as Muhammad’s University of Islam, where I received my primary education through the 7^th grade. These words were painted on the blackboard, along with a vivid image of a man (a black man, of course) with a noose around his neck. For me, even in those formative years, the scenario painted on the front side of the board represented challenges and choices. Moreover, it illustrated for me that the theme popularized by the Nation of Islam during that period, “the time and what must be done” dictated the choices one must make in order to face the challenges that the time presents.

Well, I guess congratulations are in order; we’ve made it. That time, the 21^stcentury, is here. It seemed so, so far away “back in the day” when it was referred to in popular culture in futuristic terms, and by social scientists and others, some of whom “predicted” that the world as we knew it would have ended before this moment in time (or at the very least we’d be cohabitating the earth with alien beings). Yes, we have survived, and we live in a society that is more economically well-off than ever before. Technologically, in the areas of medicine, communication, finance, etc., we have seen advances in our lifetime that we could not even imagine just a few decades ago. That is just some of the good news.

Yet, we also see that the gap is widening between the haves and the have-nots. Freedom in a physical sense has been attained, yet ideologically, psychologically, socio-economically, even politically and otherwise, many are still enslaved or in servitude to some degree or another. Justice in many cases is still an elusive ideal that many long for in our society; one that can be bestowed or denied all too often based on race and class. I continue to reflect upon the statement by the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Equality is yet another area where the real has not met the ideal. Often times I wonder how the framers of the US Constitution would view the claim of all men being created equal were they alive and present today in 21^st century America.

 

What is evident is that we have a myriad of challenges facing us in 21^st century America. This theme, 21^st century America, is one that you will see recurring throughout this blog, which I hope to be a work-in-progress results-oriented dialogue. It is a deliberate attempt on my part to heighten our sense of awareness of the urgency of our issue. I hope to identify and address some of the many challenges that face us in 21^st Century America. This blog is not meant to be a definitive guide, nor does it claim to offer all of the answers. You may agree or disagree with the challenges, priorities, assertions and the conclusions drawn therein. However, what I am certain we are in agreement with is that none of these challenges will be effectively met and overcome unless we meet them head-on.

The Qur’an states (translated as): Never will God change the condition of a people until they change themselves. (Ar-Ra’d, 13/11).

 

It is in this light that offer my humble contribution to this important discourse, as a reminder to all of us. I am honored and privleged to join the ranks of Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, Tariq Nelson, Jamerican Muslimah and the many others who are continuing to raise the bar of consciousness in this process! I pray that I can adhere to those high standards that have been set.

I must emphasize from the start that the approach I propose for dealing with these challenges is one that I’ve been advocating for some time now. When I wrote Muslim Unity By Any Means Necessary in 2004, many readers were surprised at the importance I placed on the issue I have been referring to for quite some time now as functional unity. Their questions were usually aimed at the same paradox: if we were to achieve any real measure of functional unity, with the abundance of challenges that face us in America, how would we agree upon where to start? And equally as important, how do we get started? I outlined the establishing of priorities as a prerequisite for any collective action, and indicated that it was just the starting point of the dialogue.

These past four years since have been filled with continuing to deepen my own reflection upon the sources, looking for a practical application of them, and traveling as much as possible spending time face to face with those throughout the country striving to forge their own way in 21^st century America. In many cases, they represent the overlooked masses and the best and brightest among us. I share with many of them a feeling of angst and a sense of frustration, as well as a burning desire to see us do better. And among the sometimes painful lessons I’ve learned in the recent past is that we have to love each other and our people enough to tell one another the truth. There is no panacea for the challenges that face us. There are no easy answers. Yet, we are reaffirmed by the promise of the Creator, as it states in the Qur’an: Never does God burden a soul beyond its capacity. (Al Baqarah, 2/284). This has oftentimes been a source of reassurance on the darkest of days.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure and to outline the rules of engagement, I need to be clear on who is the us and we that I refer to here, and will continue to do so as we move forward on this blog. The title of my recently published book, Message to the Grassroots in 21st Century America (What Would Malcolm Do?) makes it obvious that I seek to primarily engage a particular audience or segment of readers, both in my works and on this blog!. The term “grassroots” is synonymous with common. This simply means that when one refers to anything as being from the grassroots, it is common and basic in origin and approach. So my message is one that I direct to the “group” to which I belong; the grassroots or common American, with a special interest in both the faith tradition to which I belong, and to the tribe that I was born into and that I am more readily identified by within the landscape of a still race-challenged 21^st century America. Yes, I am a Black man and although not to the exclusion of others, I have an immense love and concern for the Black man and woman of America, commonly referred to and popularly known as African-Americans. There, it’s been said, hopefully it’s understood, and the proverbial 800-lb. gorilla in the room has been acknowledged and embraced.

In a prophetic tradition (hadith), the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, (pbuh) said: Religion is sincerity (or good advice). We said: To whom? He (pbuh) said: To God and His Book (the Qur’an) and His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and the common folk. (collected by Muslim).

It is within the context of this faith tradition that I use the term grassroots, applying it to the Muslim community and the society-at-large, my fellow brothers and sisters in humanity. The core of my discourse, activities and endeavors are aimed at, and for the benefit of, the common folk among the 21^st century American people. For me, the distinction of grassroots defines one who usually has no official title, is not a scholar or leader (not as properly understood or as we the masses commonly define a scholar or leader). Particularly within the Muslim community, the grassroots Muslim is the one who when the leadership makes a request, whether it be an appeal on the floor of the mosque for funds to support the institution and its programs, or any other need, he or she answers the call. Although their hopes and aspirations usually receive little more than perfunctory treatment, they truly constitute the rank and file of the Muslim community.

I do not think that anyone either within the Muslim community, or among the seemingly endless entities who study and profile it, will disagree with my assertion that the grassroots community, if properly mobilized and organized, using the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition with a practical application as a foundation, has the potential to affect the most dramatic, positive, lasting change on the Islamic landscape in America today. I think that our history as Muslims in this country will bear me witness. And certainly God knows best.

To be continued