Chapter - What the Muslims Teach: Father to a Son
My son had been questioned concerning my teachings and had been asked to sign an unprecedented qualifying statement completely contrary to his teachings and principle. My son, refused to sign the letter.
After months of an adoption preceding in Chicago Cook County Court which appeared definitely prejudiced against the religion of Islam, the right to adopt a Muslim baby girl was granted to my son and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Muhammad, Jr.
Instead, he referred the matter to me, and presented to the court a letter written in direct reply to him by me, authorizing him to show the message to the Judge so "that he may have a better understanding of what I am teaching."
Because the message expounds on many aspects of what the Muslims believe and teach and because it answers many historic questions, the full text is herein presented:
"Dear Son:
In regard to the letter that the court gave you to sign, I think it was given only to try you at answering to the good of self and the truth.
To bear witness to the truth is the fundamental principle of the teachings of truth of those who believe. I am sure the Judge was not expecting you to agree with such answers as written in the letter you are supposed to sign; for it will be giving the lie to the truth and making you an absolute hypocrite to your own religion and its teachings. I laughed after reading the words that you are supposed to put your signature to, which would affirm all that is written in the letter.
The coming of Allah, in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad, with truth which means life and light to us, the mentally dead of the civilized world, cannot be denied and condemned as false. I have taught you from your cradle of what Almighty God, Allah, revealed to me who appeared in the Great Person of Master Fard Muhammad.
He taught me there is no birth record of the black man but that there is a birth record for the white race. He referred to the Black Nation as being the original people of the earth, which means the first.
He said that the beginning of the white race came through graftage of the white race from the original people -- this is universally agreed upon by the scholars and scientists of the white people, both religious and non-religious. That which comes by grafting cannot be the equal of the original. This is also universally approved, as in the horse and the mule; the orange-grapefruit and the lemon. The mule is not the equal with the horse and is not the same; the grapefruit is not like the lemon or like the orange, although it is grafted from them it looks more luscious. It is not as good as either however.
It is impossible for us to agree that all men are created equally. There is superiority even in the animal world. Some animals are created strong, and some are created weak; some are vicious, and some are harmless. God has created two kinds of everything, so teaches the Holy Qur'an and we have these things in reality to study for our own education. The universe was not equally created. There are lesser and greater in the whole of the creations. When I have the chance to visit you I will go into details on all of this with you.
I am quite sure the court will not be objecting to the truth of what has been said in this letter, and this is universally known.
The white race, we must remember, was given superiority or supremacy over us for a limited time in wisdom. The God who grafted them gave them a superior wisdom to qualify them to 6 thousand years.
To be equally created is to be of the same; one is self-created, the second one is made from the first. It would be foolish to say that God made all men from one man and then say that all are equal with that first one in the creation; because if they are made from one, then everyone who is made from that one must be totally the same. And the children who are produced by the original, who have not been changed by graftage into a different race, are the same as the original.
We do not teach superiority of races in the sense that I think the court is trying to get you to answer to. They seek an answer to charge us with aggressive teachings of superiority of the races, while we know that they have made us inferior. I shall be glad to clarify to the court any misunderstanding on what I am teaching.
Now concerning the child, she already belongs to us as far as religion is concerned and as far as the legal giving up of he by her mother, who is also a Muslim. Actually, I do not know why the court has such power over the child. I do not see just what the court is arguing about, since the baby has been legally given and under the same faith.
The child was not born a Catholic, nor is her mother a Catholic. It is universally approved that no black person is born a Catholic by nature. But by nature, all darker people are of the religion of Islam -- this the Holy Qur'an teaches. So since the child's mother is not of any faith other than Islam, I do not see why the question of religion comes up in court at all. Our religion of Islam is universal.
If I had been teaching hate for the past 32 years in Chicago, I do not suppose I would have been able to live there -- not to think of my followers! I have been teaching the truth, and if they call truth hate, it is up to them and God to settle.
As far as the hatred of groups and races, as your letter mentioned, that is a misunderstanding. It is just the plain truth that Allah has revealed to me that I teach. It is natural that the white race would not want to be known as the real devils. But who am I to prevent it if it is the will of Allah (God), while His Prophets have foretold of it (John 8:44)? Shall I not teach and bear witness to the truth of Allah?
You may give this letter to the judge that he may have a better understanding of what I am teaching. Thirty-two years in Chicago have not produced any insurrection against the white people from what I teach. In fact, we have lived more peacefully among the whites since having the knowledge of them.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you, my son, and all the Believers.
As-Salaam-Aliakum
Your father,
Elijah Muhammad,
Messenger of Allah