W Deen Mohammed Tribute

With Allah's Name the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer:

Before I even state my name I would like to upgrade the subject to: "Why Imam W. Deen Mohammed IS My Leader". I offer this modification because even though Imam Mohammed's body is no longer with us; his wisdom, his enlightenment, and his insight still leads me and will continue to lead me all my life and hopefully my children and their children and their children's children, and forever.

On April 25, 1975, Imam Wallace D. (Warith Deen) Mohammed gave me the name 'Agin Muhammad; under his father, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, I was called Granville 2X. I heard him speak to us, ministers, the afternoon after his father passed; and I went home and told my wife, the Late June Latifah Muhammad, that we had not lost anything--we had received a great increase.

One day while he was teaching us on Stony Island about Pharaoh; I had just gotten an arabic dictionary. He told us that in arabic Pharaoh is Fir'aun. I hurriedly found Fir'aun in the dictionary while he was still talking and I observed that he took us to the root word farra'a noting the shaddah on the middle radical connoting intensive and extensive energy in the act of divisiveness. He expounded on the various shades of meanings of words derive from that root word. THAT WAS THE DAY I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MAKING CONNECTIONS. As I learned to read the Holy Qur'an (which I am still learning) I observed in 12:2 that Allah says that He revealed the Qur'an in arabic that we might make the connections. Most translations say that you may get understanding or learn wisdom---But what is understanding and/or wisdom but "receiving new information and connecting with that which you are already familiar so that you can benefit from the new infromation. The word that is translated understanding or wisdom is ta'qiluun; it is derived from 'aqala which to tie or bind. From this root word we get the 'aql which means "mind" because it is with the mind that we make intelligent connections. If we will but reflect; Imam W. Deen Mohammed placed great emphasis on making the connections. He taught us that everthing is connected.

This process of "making connections" that I learned from Imam W. Deen Mohammed has benefitted me beyound measure in my life. I recently labeled that benefit in my life as a "MRM". I know we are familiar with an MRI; but an MRM is a MENTAL REPONSE MODIFICATION. This MRM benefits me not just in my religious studies but in every aspect of my life, every endeavor, every pursuit. THIS IS JUST A GLIMPSE OF WHY IMAM W. DEEN MOHAMMED IS MY LEADER--THE LEADER IS GONE BUT THE LEADERSHIP REMAINS AND WILL REMAIN FOREVER THROUGH OUR PROGENY.

As-Salaamu-'Alaikum, Ramadan Mubarak & 'Eid Sa'eed,
'Agin Muhammad, Sr.