You and my responsibility to end the health care crisis

Posted by Brother Mustafaa

In 1993 The Hon. Louis Farrakhan published a book titled "A torchlight for America" which would offer light for America with the example of those under his leadership as testimony to the viability of the program offered. One of the important topics the minister addressed was "Ending the health care crisis." We are now 16 years removed from when The Hon Louis Farrakhan addressed the topic of health care and now President Obama's plan to reform health care is all the news.

Within this book it approaches the health care crisis from a spiritual and self help perspective. The Honorable Louis Farrakhan as his teacher before him advocates a "do for self" philosophy in our lives instead of waiting on government or others to take care of our problems. As politicians debate and radio commentators rave millions of the American people suffer from health issues in this country and it seems that many just don't give a damn.

In closing, I will present to the reader the words of Minister Farrakhan regarding this hot topic, health care reform. His words can be found on Chap. 7 starting on page 123 of

A torchlight for America.

"America spends more on health care than any other country. However, very little of this money is spent on preventive care. If America seriously hopes to end its crisis in health care, it must redirect its attention to preventive care.

While I support a reasonable universal health-care coverage plan, making America healthy must become the personal responsibility of each citizen, and not the responsibility of government, except in those cases where preventive care is not adequate. This approach would require each individual becomes more knowledgeable, and that leadership in the food industry , medical community and government become more responsible in providing and teaching the people the truth about caring for the human body.

Knowledge and valuing our bodies properly

The greatest gift that we have been given is the gift of life. The essence of our very being is housed within this magnificent creation of flesh and blood known as our bodies. Unfortunately, we live in a society that misdirects us and misinforms us in such a way that we place our own bodies at risk. We take care of our clothes, our pets and our material possessions better than we take care of our own bodies... Knowledge is the principle resource that can help us take better care of our bodies and health.

The "Deathstyle" of the American people and the merchants of death

We are living relatively short lives as a result of our careless lifestyles. Sixty to 70 years is the lifespan of a typical American, and if we are fortunate to live even that short period , our lives are still riddled with every type of disease... According to the Bible, we live in a world that is called "death." The lifestyles of the people reflect this world of death... Medical care is big business... merchants of death have a vested interest in keeping you ignorant and perpetually sick.

I've often noticed how people go into houses of God with such reverence... don't you think we should change our focus and become more respectful of the human body as the true house of God designed by the supreme architect of all creation. There is no house on earth more holy than this wonderful magnificent structure created by the Lord of the worlds. We ought to clean it up.

The desire to change must come before change can come. Desire must feed the will, and the will of the human being is what empowers us to make the change.

Preventive care guidelines

If you have the desire, then you need to develop the will and know-how.

First, you must pray. You must let the author of all existence into your life.

Second, you must imbue yourself with knowledge. You need knowledge. You must not take pride in what you think you already know... In fact the book that has made me a healthier individual is How to eat to live, books I & II by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad... Goto your library and read the books on health . Go to your store and get a copy of some of the health magazines like Prevention, Health, HealthQuest and Vegetarian times.

Third, strive to eat to live instead of eating inordinately and improperly in an attempt to deal with stress or to entertain yourself.

Fourth, We must exercise.

Fifth, Get rid of your addictions.

Sixth, Get proper rest and relaxation.

Seventh, you should spend a little time in the sun and communing with nature.

Eight and finally you should make sure that you and your family get regular dental and physical check ups.

You may feel that these simple guidelines for healthful living are too restricting and don't leave you free to enjoy life... think about how restricting lung disease is... think about how restricting it is to lose the use of your limbs due to the crippling effects of a stroke.

Let me remind you , the key to solving our problems begins with self improvement. The government and the medical community cannot be relied on to solve our problems."

What do you think?/Feedback

Thank you for reading these few words

(You can get your own copy of A torchlight for America by Minister Louis Farrakhan and read the full chapter on health care in addition to his suggestions of male/female relationships, the economy, education, prison reform, morality and his vision for America. Order your own copy here.)

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Http://brothermustafaa.com

President Obama's message to Muslims for Ramadan

I am posting this message by President Obama concerning the Muslim month of Ramadan, which is a month of prayer, study, charity and reflection. The President's speech has great significance, because it shows mutual respect for a religion which is the fastest growing in America and is home to around 1.5 million worldwide. To my non-Muslim readers of this post let us recognize our commonalities and discuss our differences in the spirit of respect.

As all faiths encourage fasting as a means to develop spiritually, I would hope that our co-religionist, who are not Muslims, will join us in fasting as is comfortable for you as we all work to better ourselves, family, community and world. Brother Mustafaa Abdul Muhammad

What do you think?/Feedback

Http://brothermustafaa.com

Beware of mercury in your fish... so what fish is good then?

Posted by Brother Mustafaa

Taking a second look at The Hon. Louis Farrakhan and yourself

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

I am writing this post as part of my continued mission to encourage others to learn of the great man of God, The Hon. Louis Farrakhan. This misunderstood human being has been clouded by those who know better with labels, which turns others away without investigating the matter for themselves. Today this attitude must change, through investigation of the man and what he represents, because this man is too important to be overlooked.

I am now speaking to the whole human family of the earth. Why do I make such a bold-bodacious statement as such? It is because The Hon. Louis Farrakhan represents a man and a movement which is designed to uplift fallen humanity to fulfill their divine potential.

During an interview March 10th, 2002 on Historically Speaking with Munir Muhammad, the minister defined and explained the word respect in it's root understanding. He taught during the interview that respect has a meaning of "looking back" or "to return". I looked up this info on the internet prior to this posting for those who might need further proof.

According to Dictionary.com Respect also means

"c.1300, from L. respectus "regard," lit. "act of looking back at one," pp. of respicere "look back at, regard, consider," from re-"back" + specere "look at"

He used this definition of respect to make his point regarding someone who had been adversarial towards him. He reminded that as long as a human being is living we cannot accurately judge that person, because life is about forward motion and what we were yesterday we may not be today. Hence the need to "look at" a person again. We can apply this principle in our personal lives as well. All of us as human being are on a journey, sometimes we have great victories and other times we have great disappointments, however we must remember our life's testament is still being written as we move forward. We say in the church, "God is not finished with me yet!"

In conclusion, this principle of taking a second look should be applied to The Honorable Louis Farrakhan, a human being whose life's testament is still being written. There are many people saying many things about him, but I challenge you to goto the source if you want to learn of him. This is a man who has been teaching the word of God for over 50 years and has as long a record in working to redeem the most lost of fallen humanity. He has given thousands of speeches, lectures and many interviews over the course of his ministry. Therefore, we have plenty of resources if we desire to learn what this man really represents.

In 2006, in collaboration with Jabril Muhammad, the minister published a book entitled CLOSING THE GAP which is a compilation of his interviews on wide range of subjects including theology, his history, the Nation of Islam, his mission, black redemption, his response to charges of racism/anti-semitism, handling difficulties, how to improve the country, his mission to humanity and many other insightful topics.



I would recommend THIS BOOK as your first step in taking a second look at The Hon. Louis Farrakhan.

Thank you for reading

Feedback/What do you think?

Copyright2009 Mustafaa Muhammad

Http://brothermustafaa.com

Getting a handle on Anger or it will handle us

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

Allah's Apostle said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger." Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him)

The above Hadith(Saying) attributed to Prophet Muhammad is one of my favorite saying of this misunderstood Prophet of ALLAH. As one who has dealt with anger for many years the first time I read these words, many years ago, I was compelled to reflect on what real strength is.

It is a natural response to respond angrily when one feels they have been wronged(Real or imagined). However, Muhammad ibn Abdullah teaches it is real strength to rise above what is natural(Anger) and take the high road. Imagine if we followed this advice when interacting with our wives, husbands, children, co-workers, co-religionist and family? There would be more peace, because we would withhold unleashing hurtful words or actions in the moment of anger and would rather use our intellectual faculties to rise above emotions into the thinking of God as Minister Farrakhan teaches.

Lets from this day, if we are angered easily, try to take these words into consideration the next time we are confronted with a situation that makes our blood boil.

Practical tips for dealing with anger by your truly

1) Get away from the source of your anger temporarily or in extreme cases permanently.

2) Take a walk to "cool off".

3) Take a deep breath. BREATHE!

4) Think about the big picture. What are your angry words or physical actions in anger going to improve?

5) Go to a place of solitude and scream or hit something (Just not the thing that makes you angry-smile)

6) Write a letter detailing why you are angry. This letter doesn't have to be sent, however it is therapeutic in allowing you to release emotions by in a sense telling off the person or situation.

7) Know that you are better than to allow your anger to make you do something you may regret for the rest of your life by hurting yourself or the ones you love.

What do you think?/Feedback

Copyright2009 Mustafaa Muhammad

Http://brothermustafaa.com

All religions of this world have failed Pt. 1

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

This title of this article may seem paradoxical taking into account the fact that I am a Muslim, a member of the Islamic community, and am part of a religion. However, let me say I am not impressed with religion as it is presently understood by most people in the world. In the course of this writing, I wish to explore this bold assertion that all religions of this world have failed.

Before I delve into the subject matter of this article, I must present my understanding of the Islamic faith.

Islam is an arabic term which means submission to the will of God. Islam as I understand it is a way of life revolving around the principles of faith, charity, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage(physically and spiritually). I understand it as a way of cultivating ones personal relationship with the Creator or ALLAH. Therefore, though I come under the banner of a world's religion, I function by the universal principles of faith and avoid the dogmatism and sectarianism.

Am I including Islam in my denouncement of religions failure? Absolutely! I believe, in essence, the principles of faith are perfect and good for all of humanity, however the way religion has been presented to humanity has been more a slave making tool than a liberating force. I believe in the truth of Almighty God and the word that was revealed to the prophets were absolutely correct in their original form.

The Honorble Minister Louis Farrakhan on Oct 19th 2008 spoke of this religious failure at the dedication of the flagship Mosque of the Nation of Islam, Mosque Maryam.

"All of the scriptures of the Torah, Injil (Gospel) and Qur’an talk about Adam. Did God give him the way? We call it “religion,” but that is man’s invention. We ask each other “What is your religion? What is your religion? What is your religion?” No! We should be asking “What is the nature in which God created you?” That is the way. The real religion of God is this: “Obey My commands.” That is the right way, but most men know not.... May I humbly say religion, as it is being preached and practiced, is a failure. Not some religions—all of them."

It was the misrepresentation of religion by a father that caused a young Karl Marx to become disillusioned with religion and to formulate the idea that "Religion is the opiate of the masses." It is similar disillusionment with religion that is creating a backlash anti-religion movement today.

What is religion and how has religion failed the human being?

"The ultimate origins of Latin religio are obscure. It is usually accepted to derive from ligare "bind, connect"; probably from a prefixed re-ligare, i.e. re (again) + ligare or "to reconnect." This interpretation is favoured by modern scholars" (Religion partial definition from Wikipedia)

Taking the above definition into account it can be said that religion is supposed to reconnect us to our Creator. The scriptures of the Bible and Qur'an teach that the human being was created in the image and likeness of God and of his essence.

If we scan the lives of the prophets and spiritual men of the Bible, we do not find them prescribing to any particular religious doctrine by name. From Adam, the supposed 1st man, to Jesus there is no religion named for the divine spiritual teachers. However, we find similar principles practiced by all of the prophets that unite them in oneness. These principle are a belief in the One God, prayer, charity, service to humanity, struggle against personal weakness and occasional fasting.

This is the way the faith of Islam has been taught to me by my teachers The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad and The Hon. Louis Farrakhan. This understanding of the universality of faith allows me to hear truth whether it is presented in the Church, Mosque, Temple or from a Muslim, Christian, Jew, agnostic.

(We will continue this subject in part 2 of this article exploring the greater purpose of faith, satanic influence on faith and making a greater human by knowing God as he really is.)

What do you think?/Feedback

Copyright2009 Mustafaa Muhammad

Http://brothermustafaa.com

We could accomplish so much more if we just didn't procrastinate

I am dedicating this post to discussing one of my worse personal flaws, which keeps me from accomplishing all that I am capable of. I know this flaw is not good for me, yet I still find it having the upper hand on me at times.

If we could master this debilitating flaw more productivity would be realized from the 168 hours we are given each week of our lives. I would like to introduce to some Mr. Herbert Harris who has written an informative article filled with tips in getting the upper hand on procrastination.

You can read his informative article here

Feedback-What do you think?/What tips have you found in helping you deal with procrastination?

Posted by Brother Mustafaa

Gaining more out of life by showing gratitude

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

I had the pleasure, a few hours ago, of being honored along with my brothers in faith by the sisters of my Mosque, Muslim place of worship. I was speechless, to say the least, by this surprise appreciation dinner, poem and song.

This brought to my mind the importance of showing gratitude for the many blessings that we receive. Gratitude means expressing thankfulness. Many times when we offer prayer it is for the purpose of asking for something or to avoid something. However, we should, today, offer a gratitude prayer to Almighty God for his blessings. Right now think of 5 things you are grateful for and just pray thankfully for those five blessings.

I know that due to the current economic downturn many are experiencing despair and loss, therefore they many not feel blessed right now. I am suffering my own personal realities as well as most people in this country are. I would just like to say in response that even if you woke up this morning in horrid conditions, homeless, bad health, unemployed and a host of other problems you and I should still offer a gratitude prayer. Why? Each morning that we are blessed to wake up we are given an opportunity to correct the ills of the day before. If we are homeless, but with goals and a plan we can work towards a fine home. If we are unemployed, but with goals and a plan we can find the right work for us. And on and on we can change the conditions of our life.

We can do all of this by showing gratitude and not allowing a down moment to make us down. I know this is hard advice to follow in the midst of hardship, yet if we can still show gratitude while we are down we will find a way being made for our rise.

Action steps towards showing gratitude

#1 Write down 5 things you are grateful for everyday for a week. At the end of the week this will give you 35 things to remember while making your gratitude prayer.

#2 When was the last time you thanked someone for their assistance when you needed them?

#3 Utilize the power of visualization, affirmation and goals to create the life you desire if you are not satisfied with your present standing.

#4 Remember that sometimes bad things happen to good people. Yet, find comfort in the Biblical story of Job who lost everything, but still showed gratitude to God and was blessed again.

#5 Focus on what you have instead of what you do not have.

What do you think?/Feedback

Copyright2009Mustafaa Muhammad

Http://brothermustafaa.com

Water: The source of spiritual and physical life

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

(In this article we will explore the relationship between the physical and spiritual properties of water)

" We made from water every living thing" Holy Qur’an 21:30

Over 1400 years ago the Holy Qur’an established that water was the foundation upon which life was created. It is hard to believe that a man living in the 7th century without an education or link to the rest of the world could know such a scientific fact without divine intervention. Modern science has confirmed that what was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago is an actual fact.

According to the article “Qur’an and Science on water" by Ibrahim B. Syed water is very important to the earth and human beings.

“Three-fourth of planet earth is covered with water and water is the most abundant substance on earth. If one analyzes the human body one finds that a normal adult has about 70 percent water…If water is not in liquid form we will not survive. This is one of the signs of God. One can live without food for a couple months, but without water no one can survive for more than a few days…Water is essential for the survival of man.”

He then goes on to quote Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgi who says,

"There is no life without water. Water is part and parcel of the living machinery. ”

Water can be represented in three stages which is liquid, steam and solid.

In the spiritual traditions of the world water plays a significant role in the lives of spiritual people. For instance, the ritual of baptism in Christianity deals with water. Also, the Muslims prior to each of their daily prayers will enter into what is called wudu or ablution, which means cleaning certain parts of their body with water or taking a full bath.

The Holy Qur’an often compares the truth or revelation to the water. As water replenishes the earth or our thirst, the same can be said of God’s revelation or word.

Our ancient ancestors taught us that for every physical reality there is a spiritual reality. So, if in the physical world there can be no life without water then how about the spiritual side of human beings? The Bible teaches us in Deuteronomy 8:3, that "man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

This teaches that just as we need water for the physical survival, we equally need the spiritual (water)word of God. As we conclude this article, I will be dealing strictly with the spiritual growth and development of us as human beings.

What is life?

As we mature we oft times begin to question the purpose of our life in particular or the purpose of life in general. What is life? If you ask 100 people what is life you will probably come away with 100 different answers. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches, “Life is living in accord with the nature in which we are created and fulfilling our purpose for existence.” The Christian perspective says it like this, "This is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17,3). Both the Bible and Qur’an teach us that the human being was created for greatness. However, we live in a world where the true human greatness has not been realized only theorized.

According to the Qur’an’s teachings of human growth and development, there are 3 stages that we go through as human beings. As we saw earlier water is expressed in three stages as well. The three stages of development are Ammarah, Lawwama and Muta’innah. I will elaborate upon these three stages of our development.

Ammarah

“(man’s) self is wont to command evil.” Holy Qur’an 12:53

This stage of development finds us at our base animalistic self. We are found being guided by appetites and emotions like eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, anger and provocation as opposed to reason. This stage is similar to the stage of a new born baby. It is when we begin to develop our conscious self(mind) that we begin to grow to the second stage of life.

Lawwama

“Nay, I swear by the self-accusing spirit!” Holy Qur’an 75:2

We now recognize that we were functioning from the lower stage of development and we now desire to rise to higher plains. This stage is the transitional stage from lower self to higher self. This stage deals with the self accusing spirit or the conscious now calling you to account for your actions. We recognize that we still have emotions and appetites, but we now understand that the mind controls the body, therefore we don’t submit to emotions and appetites.

Muta’Innah

“O soul that art at rest.” Holy Qur’an 89:27

This is the final and the most difficult stage to reach. We have now transcended the weakness of the flesh and our minds to find peace within and peace without. This stage finds us in complete control of our mental faculties, in complete harmony with Almighty God and his creation. We discover that just as there is ‘one’ God there is similar oneness in nature and there should be oneness in humanity.

Our ultimate destiny

It is common to hear people say when they fall short: “I’m just human.” I do believe that we all go through things and mistakes are an inevitable part of our journey in life, however we must not be so hasty to think what we currently see in humanity is the highest we can go. Both the Bible and Qur’an teach we are made in the image, likeness or essence of the Creator. Modern scientists have concluded that the human being uses 10% or less of their total brain potential. Look at what this world has created using less than 10% of brain power. We saw man being sent to outer space not using the full powers of his brain. We see the advances in science and technology everyday by humans using less than 10% of their brain.

Could you imagine the possibilities if we just doubled, not to think of using the full 100%, the total brain usage to 20 percent? Man and woman can potentially function as a god in the earthly realm exercising the powers of the Creator.

The Bible teaches us of this truth in the following verse

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” (Psalm 82:6)

It is not meant by us being called gods to worship other than The Supreme God.

The Holy Qur’an doesn’t use the exact same explicit language to describe the high state of man and woman, but it’s there if you understand. The Qur’an(2:30-35) says that ALLAH created Adam and taught him knowledge of all things and put him over all things except God himself. The Qur’an calls man and woman his Khalifa or vicegerent in the Earth.

Furthermore the Qur’an says,

“He has made the ships subservient to you to run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you…and He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon, pursuing their courses; and He has made subservient to you the night and the day”.(14:32-33)

We were created in the image and likeness of Almighty God to be great and we should never think less of ourselves.

Thank you for reading these few words

What do you think?/Feedback

Copyright2008Mustafaa Muhammad

http://brothermustafaa.com

Should Muslims and Christians unite?

by

Brother Mustafaa Muhammad

In the Name of ALLAH, The Beneficent, The Merciful

(part 2 of a 2 part series)

In this writing we will continue with the subject matter discussed in the last article regarding Muslim/Christian unity. I raised the question: Can Muslims and Christians unite? We saw in the previous article that on the basis principles the oneness of God and the oneness of the prophetic community that such a unity can be achieved.

With the question answered with regards to unity, we will now discuss should the Muslim believers and the Christian believers work towards such a unity in modern times for the benefit of our families, community and nation.

As I mentioned in the last article, our unity does not mean agreement on every issue, theological position, belief or ideology.

Operational unity

A lot of time has been wasted in the black community pointing out where we disagree with each other's position, belief, religion, program, platform or organization. We have witnessed the debates and fall out between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson, the civil right movement and the black power movement. If we add up the time of debates and arguments of all the aforementioned men and organizations we will see 100 years of stunted progress.

What is needed since we are not all going to agree no time soon?

I want to bring up the concept of operational unity as a principle for the progress of our community among the varied brothers and sisters. Operational unity takes into consideration all of our differences, but recognizes that the problem or situation at hand is more important than where we differ. We have tried everything under the sun to achieve our goals as a people, yet their is recognition we have a way to go before the whole of us will experience freedom, justice and equality.

Looking back into time to the horrible events that transpired on September 11th 2001, we saw an example of operational unity among Republicans and Democrats. In the aftermath of the strikes both parties realized an attack was made on the country and they set aside their differences for the good of their nation. Everyday in our community we face a number of problems including aids-hiv, black on black crime, male-female relationship problems, police misconduct and many others. The problems of our communities dictates the need for operational unity for the sake it's survival and upfiftment. This brings us back to the question posed by this article: Should Muslims and Christians unite?

"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace"

The above biblical quote from 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us that God's way is of peace and order. I once heard someone say that God deals with the mathematics of addition and multiplication, but the enemy deals with division and subtraction. The black community is filled with Mosques, Churches and other places of worship, yet we still find all of the ills and divisions mentioned earlier. We have taken God's love and mercy out of the picture only to replace it with our egotistical opinion of what is right or wrong.

There is a story mentioned in chapter 9:38-40 in the gospel of Mark where Jesus taught his disciples, and through them all of us, a lesson in tolerance. One day the disciples came to Jesus upset and mentioned the following, "Teacher, we saw someone who doesn't follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn't follow us." What was Jesus response to his short sighted disciples? Did he agree or disagree with their action? He said according to the gospel of Mark, "Don't forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is on our side." 

 Unfortunately many in the community have taken the attitude of the disciples regarding their brothers and sisters ready to condemn them to hell if they do not follow their interpretation of the Gospel.

This attitude is also displayed by some Christians against their Muslim brothers and sisters. Jesus reminded his disciples that he has other sheep that are not of this fold. The "Black Muslims" have a 79 year track record of reforming our people, taking the worse of the worse and making them dignified. 

The Muslims have shown an ability to go into the worse prisons and turn the most hardened criminal into a law abiding citizen. We have gone into crime and gang ridden areas and in a matter of months turned them into an oasis of peace. We are doing the work of Jesus, casting out demons, in your midst, yet there are some who would forbid us from this work or seek to have nothing to do with the Muslims. 

Where do we get the power to transform human life and communities? From the same God and word that our Christian brothers and sisters believe in. In the Christians seeking to unite with the Muslims in operational unity we can share our tactics. The black preacher and black church has been the rock of our communities from slavery time to the present, so they have a lot to share with their Muslim brother and sisters, who are eager to receive.

With this type of operational unity between the believers in God, can you imagine the type of progress we would achieve in casting out the demons of aids, crime, drugs, hunger, homelessness, police misconduct, unemployment, addictions, domestic violence that may exist in a neighborhood near you.

Can Muslims and Christians unite? Yes! Should Muslims and Christians unite? Yes!

Thank you for reading these few words

What do you think?/feedback

Copyright2009 Mustafaa Muhammad

http://brothermustafaa.com