THE NATION OF ISLAM S T U D Y C O U R S E

FRIDAY CLASS WEEK 17

SELF-IMPROVEMENT The Will Of God Lecture: Part 1

(Continued) Pages 7- 13

Muhammad University of Islam © 2011

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This study course is designed to be done both in a course room, mosque, study-group or self-paced at home. Certain parts of this course (Key Word Study) will be done with a partner. Other parts will be done independently (by yourself). When its time to partner, you and your partner (twin) are to follow the steps provided in this guide. The study course is laid out in the order you do them. It is important not to skip any steps of the guide. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED IN OUR CLASSES.

Purpose of this Study Course Guide:

The purpose of this study course guide is to guide you through this course of study.

Time to Complete:

Although the hour and a half that we have for study this evening will hopefully allow you to progress through most of this study, however it is strongly recommend that you continue to work on this study course at home at your own pace.

Important Note: During the study course session, if you have any questions raise your hand for assistance. Each believer (student) should have a copy of this handout and its instructions to take home and continue studying on their own. All steps may not be completed in the class sessions in its entirety.

Study Course Steps Step 1: Key Word Clearing Time Frame: 30 min Key words are important words related to key concepts found in the reading. Having a good understanding of the meanings of these words will help each student better understand the important concepts and ideas of the study, as well as eliminate misunderstandings that come with misunderstood words. Use the key word list and definitions found in this packet to do the drill (exercise) a and b.

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1.) Select a partner (closest to you) and study the Key Words together, through reviewing the questions and answers to master. (If done in course room or mosque/study group the time allotted is 30-45 minutes)

2.) First time through: The student has the questions and answers in front of him or her. The partner asks the student the question, and the student answers it. He/She can look at the answer if needed. The answer does not have to be word-for-word or memorized; just the concept must be correct.

3.) Second time through: Once finished with the drill the first time, you start again from the beginning, this time without the answers in front of you. Your partner asks the question and you answers. If the answer is incorrect, your partner shows you the answer. Look at the answer again and repeat until you have grasped the concept, then continue to the next one.

Step 2: Independent Reading Time Frame: 30 min After completing step one, you may begin to read the selected reading materials. Step 3: Check Your Understanding Questions: Time Frame: 30 min Review the lists of questions. Each question is formulated to check your understanding of the key concepts and ideas found in the reading. Answer each question on a sheet of paper and be prepared to discuss your answers at the conclusion of this session. Sufficient time may not be given during class session to answer all of the questions. If you do not finish in class, please continue this step at home.

S t u d y C o u r s e I n s t r u c t i o n s

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What is power?

Power is the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something. It is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.

What does original mean?

Original is that which is present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest; not dependent on other people's ideas; not a copy or imitation.

What is the meaning of exaltation?

Exaltation is a feeling or state of extreme happiness; the action of elevating someone in rank, power, or character.

What is the meaning of humility?

Humility is modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.

What does absolute mean?

Absolute means to be free from imperfection; complete; perfect. It is not mixed or adulterated; pure; ultimate.

What is disinformation?

Disinformation is false information that is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media.

What does it mean to manipulate?

To manipulate means to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner; control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.

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What does beatitude mean?

Beatitude means supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.

What does it mean to encase?

To encase is to enclose or cover in a case or close-fitting surround.

What is the meaning of poor?

Poor means having little or no money, goods, or other means of support. It is to be deficient or lacking in something specified.

What does it mean to mourn?

To mourn means to feel or show deep sorrow or regret for (someone or their death); to feel or express sorrow or grief.

What does it mean to revile?

To revile is to criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner; to speak abusively.

What does meek mean?

Meek means to be humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others. It is to be quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.

What does dispensation mean?

Dispensation means a system of order , government, or organization of a nation, community, etc., especially as existing at a particular time. It also means a divinely ordained order prevailing at a particular period of history.

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STEP 3: Check Your Understanding The following questions are for discussion at the conclusion of the study session. The remaining questions can be completed at your own pace as you continue your study at home. You can use your book if you need help answering the questions. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

Questions For Discussion: 1. Explain the difference between the fear of Allah and the fear of man? 2. What is Allah's aim and purpose for choosing a people? 3. What are the prerequisites for exaltation? 4. What was the key cause of the downfall of prior “chosen peoples”? 5. Jesus and Muhammad are considered dangerous by this world. Why? 6. How does The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan overcome his

opposition?

Questions For Further Study: 1. What causes discontent and ill-will? 2. What is the best part of you? 3. How can man become "Caliphate"? 4. Allah asks that we give to him the best part of ourselves. What is that part and how

can we give it to Him? 5. Give examples of the Nations or peoples that Allah have exalted and how they fell

out of grace and were chastised. 6. What is the key ingredient to become "worthy of regard in this world and the here-

after? 7. How can a person be made a slave? 8. How can the knowledge of this world potentially corrupt you? 9. How does The Minister define our current enslavement? 10. Please note the relevancy of The Minister's reference of President Qaddafi 24 years

later! 11. How does prayer and fasting develop the will? Give personal examples. 12. How do you handle and overcome your difficulties or opposition in your life? Give

example.

Muhammad University of Islam © 2011 www.noi.org/gostudy

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The Will Of God – Part 1 continued

A Message From

THE HONORABLE MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN Delivered from The National House in Chicago, IL – October 26, 1986

In The Name Of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.

I Bear Witness That There Is No God But Allah And I Bear Witness That Muhammad Is His Messenger.

As-Salaam Alaikum.

LUST

1. Lust is a voracious appetite; a sexual appetite that is inordinate. It is out of the Divine Law. It is

out of the way of the Order of Allah (God). It is something that we feel we have to do. It is a

compulsion. And we allow that drive, that sexual drive, that Lust, to actually corrupt our Will and

direct our Will towards ends that are nonproductive of good.

ANGER

2. To those of us who are angered much, Anger can direct the Will. Anger directs the power of our

being toward the object of our Anger. And ofttimes, in our Anger, we can do very destructive

things to Self and others. Anger is something that must be controlled.

GREED

3. And of course, lastly, there is Greed. Greed is the accepted inordinate or rapacious desire for

wealth, power, food, or drink. Allah (God) wants us to be satisfied. But when we are overcome by

Greed, this lust for wealth or power or food or drink, it manifests itself in our conspicuous

consumption. It manifests itself in our directing our Will to destroy those who stand in the way of

our assumption of Power. It leads to obesity, where one destroys one’s health because of one’s

Greed; or destroys ones” health because of our uncontrolled urges.

4. When Allah (God) asks us to become His servants, He asks us to give Him the best part of

ourselves. What does Allah (God) ask us for? He asks us for our Will. What does He ask us for?

He asks us for the Power of our being.

5. Since He gave it (Power of our being) to you and you say ‘the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh

away”, then if Allah (God) has given you a bit of His Own Power (which is His Will) then He asks

you will you give it back in surrender, what should our word to Almighty God be? Of course, we

should say “Yes. I submit my Will to do Your Will.” Not by force, but willingly.

6. And this is the meaning of the Arabic word ‘muslim”. To be a Muslim is not some strange thing.

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To be a Muslim doesn’t mean being radical or being an extremist or being a parrot. To be a

Muslim means that you recognize that your Will that has been given to you by God, as His

Gift to you. And He is requiring of us, obedience to His Will; submitting our Will to His.

And when we do that, we are called Muslim.

7. And the religion of obedience to the Will of Allah (God) is called, in Arabic, Islam. And so

we say to you, Beloved, that every prophet of Almighty God, was, by the action of that

prophet, a Muslim, though he may not have called himself Muslim as such. But his act of

submitting his Will and time to do the Will of Allah (God) is an act of surrender, that, in

Arabic we say he is Muslim, his religion is Islam.

8. So when we are asked to submit to our Will to do the Will of God, He takes that Will and He

fashions it. He makes that individual unto Himself. So when The Honorable Elijah

Muhammad asked us, “Who is The Original Man?” he is gently directing you back to your

original state, since your original state is to submit.

9. You came into this world not knowing anything. You came into the world pliant, ready to be

taught, to be shaped, to be guided, to be developed, to be evolved, to be nurtured. And so, you

submitted when you came in. Your original state is one of submission to Almighty God,

Allah. And if you return to that state, you can become the Original Man of a New

Dispensation. You can become the Cream of the Planet. For those who submit to the Will of

Allah (God) rise above all of those who reject obedience to His Will. By submitting to the Will

of Allah (God), we can become the Fathers of a brand new civilization; a civilization superior

to those who have rebelled against His Will.

10. In fact, we can become that which the Holy Qur’an calls “Caliphat”, or “one who takes the

place of God”; God’s Vicegerent. We can become the Supreme Ruler of the Universe Itself. It

starts with obedience to the Will of Allah (God). Because of the awesome power that Man can

come into by obeying Allah (God), he must learn valuable lessons.

11. Brothers and Sisters, whenever Allah (God) has chosen a People, He chooses them for

Eminence. He chooses them for Greatness. He chooses them for Exaltation, but He requires

of them obedience to His Will.

12. If we submit, Allah (God) starts exalting us. There is a requirement – a prerequisite, if you will

– for Exaltation. And Allah (God) gives us that prerequisite in the very first verse of the Holy

Qur’an: Al-hamdu li-llahi (The Praise belongs to God.) If you submit your Will to the Will of

Allah (God), The Most High, and He begins to exalt you, to nurture you into greater power

and creativity and greater influence, then there should be in us obedience.

13. So Humility is the state of mind that each one of us must be in in order for Allah (God) to

continue His Plan of Exaltation for any of us. And, unfortunately, History tells us that every

time Almighty God chose a people for exaltation – when He gave them Power, when He gave

them Wealth, when He gave them Influence, they began to forget Him. They lost their

Humility. Their Will became corrupt. They became hypocritical. They began to speak what

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was no longer in the heart. And so, Allah (God) chastised those people and He brought other

people in their place.

14. Dear Listeners, this was the fate of Israel. According to the teachings of the Bible and the Holy

Qur’an, Allah chose Israel for exaltation. But He wanted them to submit. He made Israel above

the nations of the Earth. But when she got to certain stage in her development, she lost her

Humility. She became vile; she became envious; she became greedy. She became all of those

things that corrupt and redirect the Will. So her Will was no longer the Will of Allah (God); it

became the selfish will of Israel, with God’s Name added to that Will. So Allah (God) punished

Israel and made her an example for us today.

15. The Prophets and their magnificent accomplishments that make them of regard in this world and

worthy of regard in the Hereafter, are all due to the quality and the degree of their submission of

their Will to do the Will of Almighty God, Allah.

16. The only reason that we call the name of Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon and the great worthies

of Allah (God) is because they distinguished themselves by doing a mighty work. They submitted

their Will to do the Will of God. They are on the pages of history as an example for you and me.

17. But what about the breaking of the Will? Whenever another individual wants to make you a slave,

he wants to break your Will. He wants to absolutely interfere with the faculty of conscious,

deliberate action on your part. He wants to take control of our minds over our own actions.

18. This is terrible, Brothers and Sisters, but all over the world today, humanity is enslaved by people

who come in the name of Allah (God). People who come in the name of politics, medicine,

religion, or science. But their aim is to make you and me submit to them as though they are God

besides Allah. And the knowledge of no leader, no teacher no prophet is absolute. The prophet

only gives you a knowledge of how to reach the Absolute. The prophet’s knowledge may be

absolute for that time, but it is not absolute for all time. He brings you a knowledge that you can

rely upon, but it is a knowledge that must lead you to Higher Knowledge, or leads you to the

Absolute. And the Absolute is Allah (God) Himself.

19. Why, then, must you be enslaved to a textbook by one whose perception of reality may or may not

be proper? One whose mind may be damaged by one or more of these damaging things: Envy,

Fear, Greed, Lust, Anger, the swelling of Self-Importance? This kind of thing, that comes out of

the textbooks of learned men, can corrupt our Knowledge if we take our doctors of law and our

monks for lords besides Allah (God). No, no, no! Their knowledge is not perfect.

20. We must not take imperfect men or textbooks as the Absolute and build our complete world on

that which is an assumption or to direct the Light which He has given, for He alone is the Light-

Giver. When we submit ourselves to these “Johnny-come-lately(s)” and become slaves to

preachers or teachers who come in the name of Allah (God), or in the name of science or

education, then we put ourselves under the control of a mind that is lesser. We become, in the

words of a movie ‘the Children of a Lesser God”. Why should we be the children of a lesser god,

when we can be the children of the One True God?

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21. Every day that we live there is someone trying to break our Will. In fact, Black brothers and

sisters, that is what made us slaves. Our Will was broken; our ability to control our own minds

was broken. Somebody wanted mastery over our thought processes and over all of our actions.

Somebody wanted to make us a slave. And I respectfully say to you, that in making us a slave,

white people, who are the descendants of the slavemasters, have made themselves slaves.

22. Now they are slaves to their own material world. Slaves to the Lust for Power. Slaves to Greed.

Slaves to their own Self-Importance. Look at all of these slaves that are in the world. So any of us

who come today in the name of Jesus, in the name of Muhammad, we come to redeem and to free

a world of slaves. Some know that they are slaves and some know not. Many Black people under

the sound of our voice think that they are free. How foolish could we be? You are not physically

enslaved to Caucasian people, but you are enslaved to false ideas and concepts espoused by those

who know how to trick and deceive the mind and fill you with false delusion; breaking your Will.

23. Today, there are people who are fat--just plain fat. Fat for what? You eat too much. What do you

want to do about it? “Oh God, I’m so fat.... I’ll go to my doctor, maybe he will give me a pill.” A

pill?! A pill to do what? A chemical? To slow down your Lust for food? Or, ‘maybe I will go into

surgery and he will put a balloon in my stomach or clip my stomach.” Clip your stomach?! Oh,

Brothers and Sisters, what fools we have become. We are relying on surgery, when the very thing

we have to clip our stomach---the very thing that we should be developing that will give us Power

over our actions, is our Will.

24. But your Will has been broken. Your Will is destroyed, so the Power of Allah (God) in you is

almost non-existent. You are, in fact, slaves. Oh, Brothers and Sisters, your knowledge is

undermined and your Faith in God and Faith in Self is broken. How many preachers I hear on

Sunday morning talking about Faith in God.

25. But they do not demonstrate this Faith. They are afraid to make a move because of political

consequences. “I am afraid to do this because it might cause that.” What are you afraid of? Fear

restricts the Free Will to choose. “I can’t choose my friends because I am afraid. I will not walk

with Farrakhan because it will hurt me. I will not speak to him publicly because it may hurt me.”

What is it? It is Fear that restricts you and it is Desire and Lust that make you a slave to your own

desires. This is a shame, for men whose Will is to be leaders, to be bound and shackled and

fettered with such demoralizing chains and yet claim to be leaders of the people.

26. This is the way it is with politics. These politicians are the weakest of leaders. One should never

put a vote of confidence in a politician, because he is like a leaf which blows whichever way the

wind is blowing. How can we put our hand in such leaders” hands? Politicians, it is corruption of

your Will, the breaking of your Will and the making of yourselves a slave. Again, the Government

of the United States is guilty of misdirecting the people’s Will. You can be angry, justifiably, but

suppose someone lies to you. They make you angry and then the Anger directs your will and your

Will becomes destructive of the object or the person for whom you have this Anger.

27. Can you imagine that just a few weeks ago, it came out in the newspapers that the President and

his staff sat down and agreed to a Lying Campaign. Oh, they give it a nice sounding name:

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“Disinformation”. What is “disinformation”, but a big, bold, Lie? What is the plan behind the

Lie? The plan is to create Anger by lying on Qaddafi.

28. You create Anger against Qaddafi. When you lie on Qaddafi, you make the people angry then you

direct their Will against him. So now, the government, which is to do the Will of the People, says

“We must destroy Qaddafi.” Then you bomb the home of a Head of State. “We are not doing

wrong, we are doing the Will of the People.” But who manipulated that Will? You manipulated it

by lying. And you have the audacity to quote Winston Churchill to justify that, by saying that in

war, the truth must be protected and surrounded by a big platter of lies. What are you saying, Mr.

Schultz? That you are a liar? And that you wish to make slaves of the people, misdirecting their

Will? And those who will not go along with you, you will put out a propaganda campaign against

them in hopes of breaking their Will.

29. But you have noticed, that no matter what you say about Farrakhan, you have not broken my Will,

nor can you. As long as I submit my Will to do the Will of Allah (God), then the Power of Allah

(God) sustains my Will.

30. That is what made Jesus so dangerous. That is what makes Muhammad of the Holy Qur’an

(Peace be upon him) so dangerous. These two men attract the Will, give a buttress and support for

the Will, show Man how to increase the Power of his Will and strengthen his Will. This means the

breaking of the back of all pharaohs, all slavemasters, and all slavemakers. This is why the true

message of Jesus is a message that the totality of the human family needs. The true message of

Muhammad is a message that all of us need.

31. In building the Will, Jesus asked his disciples to fast. Many of the followers of the Honorable

Elijah Muhammad, here in Chicago, have been on a three-day fast. This fast is to develop the

Will. It is to develop the Power of your and my being. Why? Because it is only when our Will is

developed and properly directed, properly supported and properly encased, then we have the

awesome Power to change the reality under which we live. The support for your Will has got to be

Prayer. Prayer gives you humbleness of mind that allows you develop properly---to submit your

Will to the Will of Allah (God).

32. Fasting gives you the Power to reject food when you want it; reject drink when you want it; reject

sex when you do not want or need it or when you are not in the presence of those whom you are

married to. Think about this! It is the destruction of your Will that has made you less than a man,

less than a woman---even less than the animals and beasts of the field.

33. Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, gave his disciples the “Be (attitudes)”. He wanted his disciples,

who were with him in a work of redemption, to develop a “Be (attitude)”. What is he saying?

Develop a mental posture that will support and encase His Will so that your Will is not subject to

the things of the world that come to break your Will.

34. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Now, no man that

is poor is blessed. I want you to get out of it, of that thought, that your poverty is a blessing. But

those of you who are poor of the energy of life; poor in the control of yourself; poor in the Will or

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development of the Will and poor in submission to the Will of God---for you, Jesus said, is the

kingdom of Heaven. For Allah (God) is going to give you someone that will give you all that you

have been deprived of that has made you poor so that you will once again be rich indeed.

35. Solomon said, ‘the House of Knowledge is the House of Mourning.” Because the more you know,

the sadder you are about the reality under which we as Black people and all of humanity lives. We

who mourn over human beings living like animals, to us the Scripture says: “Blessed are you who

mourn, for you shall be comforted.” We know that Allah’s (God’s) Will is to redeem us; to save us

from this condition; to heal us of this broken Will, this broken Spirit, this broken Faith that has

corrupted us. When you know that, you don’t look at the conditions and fall into despair and let

the mood of despair cause an Attitude that will redirect your Will in a negative direction.

36. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men shall revile you and say all manner of evil against you

falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Jesus is

saying, again, take the Attitude that you are blessed when people speak evil of you, persecute you,

and say all manner of evil against you falsely for his sake. Don’t think that this is a curse. Think,

‘this is a blessing.” Keep that Attitude and your Will will grow stronger to resist the persecution

and the evil speaking of those who speak evil against you.

37. “Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the Earth.” “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they shall be filled.” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

38. I say to you Brothers and Sisters, that you are the Salt of the Earth. But if the Salt has lost its

flavor, wherewith shall it be salty? You that have been guided by the Message of the Honorable

Elijah Muhammad, by the Light of the Truth, you are the Salt. You can give flavor to the Life of

Black people. You have a knowledge of God and a strong Will that can give flavor to the lives of

Humanity. But if your Will and your Faith are broken, and your Knowledge is undermined, then

what good are you? Your salt is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of

men.

39. And so Beloved, in my conclusion of this broadcast, I hope that you will do everything in your

Power to strengthen your Will. Next week, be it the Will of Allah, we will reopen the Final Call

Building, which is undergoing some repair---both spiritually and physically. And on November

9th, we hope that you will be present and we will be broadcasting, God Willing, from there.

40. Until then, until next week, strengthen your Will. Do not be a slave to any man. Bow down only

to Allah (God). Fast and learn to strengthen the discipline of your Will that you may be able to

eat, drink, and live the good life, without the obstruction of all of the forces that come against the

Mighty Power of your Will. May Almighty God, Allah, bless and keep you, as I greet you in

peace, in the Arabic language, thanking you for these few moments of your time:

As-Salaam Alaikum.