How to Get Peace of Mind: A Look Back at the Million Man March and the Tools it Taught Us

How to Get Peace of Mind: A Look Back at the Million Man March

Bismillah (In the Name of God)

Do you know what can give you a great sense of peace? “Do unto others have you would have them do unto you.” Do you want someone to mislead you? Don’t mislead others. Do you want someone to give you unconditional love? Then try to extend that to others. This saying also sums up the Atonement process which includes the following steps.

1. Point out the wrong - the first stage is the most difficult of all because when we are wrong and we are not aware of it, someone has to point out the wrong.

2. Acknowledge the wrong - So in this context, the word acknowledge means to the truth of the fact that we have been wrong.

3. Confess fault - First you confess the fault to Allah (God), and then to the person or persons whom your fault has ill effected.

4. Repentance - means feeling contrition or self- reproach for what one has done or failed to do.

5. Atonement - means we must be willing to do something in expiation of our sins.

6. Forgiveness - means to cease to feel offense and resentment against another for the harm done by an offender. It means to wipe the slate clean.

7. Reconciliation and restoration - It mean to resolve differences and to establish or re-establish a close relationship between previously divided persons.

8. Perfect union with God - the result of completing the atonement process is achieving the perfect union with Allah (God) who is best at guiding us to freedom.

Over 16 years ago, Minister Louis Farrakhan introduced these eight steps to over 2 million men at the Million Man March. And many have been using this process, both men and women, to improve the relationships in their lives. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said in the book, Message to the Blackman, that “The worst kind of crime has been committed against us, for we were robbed of our desire to even want to think and do for ourselves.” When Minister Farrakhan made the call for the Million Man March, it was a calling for us to atone, improve and think for ourselves. It is a call that improved not only the lives of men, but the lives of woman because the women were positively impacted with having more “maintainers” and “protectors” in their lives. In this issue, we pay tribute to The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and other men we admire.

Now is the time to atone for what we haven’t done for ourselves, our family and our community. If you haven’t been eating right, get it right. If you haven’t been saving and investing, check out www.blackelectorate.com for some guidance on investing in gold and silver etc. If you want to do more in your community, now is the time to atone and make some improvements in ALL aspects of your life.

This atonement process helps us to develop our character and our integrity. If you and I can’t be honest with ourselves and acknowledge what we have done wrong, it will be difficult for you and I to improve our lives. You have one life to live as you know it. Wouldn’t it be best to live your best life and be at peace with your God, yourself, your decisions and your desires?

I will close with this quote by James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh. He said, “In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, an the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not. “Gifts,” powers, material, intellectual, and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort; they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized…The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—THIS you will build your life by, THIS you will become.”

As Minister Farrakhan has said, “There is nothing more powerful than a made up mind.” Make up your mind to improve and enhance your life TODAY. We can do it! The Million Man March is perfect evidence.

May God bless us all with peace, love, health, wealth and happiness.

Peace from your sister,

Audrey

(To read more about being true to yourself and the Million Man March, visit www.virtuemag.com. You may order Virtue Today Magazine online or send a money order for $6.99 plus $1.70(S & H) to Virtue Today Magazine, P.O. Box 61402, Raleigh, NC 27661.)

Get Fit for Self-Examination, Self-Analysis and Self-Correction

By Audrey Muhammad

During the month of Ramadan, I exercised my mind, body and spirit. It was a reminder of the importance of going through the process of self-examination, Self-Analysis and Self-correction. Although my workouts were not “heavy,” my study was enlightening. I truly desire to have my "thoughts harmonize with my actions." We can't let our mistakes get us down. Helen Andelin mentions in the book Fascinating Womanhood, "In the process of becoming an angel, you are a human being, prone to errors in judgment...If you forgive others, do the same with yourself." I will also add, if you know Allah(God) forgives, and you want to be like HIM, forgive yourself and EXAMINE what went wrong.

Fasting, prayer and exercise gives us a chance to develop “the God within” as we feed on the word of Allah(God). During and after Ramadan is a wonderful time for Self-Examination and to set goals for yourself and “continue” to develop and reach those goals throughout the year. It is also a time to get rid of a bad habit and develop a new one. In his “Fasting strengthens Discipline” article, Minister Farrakhan encourages us try to rid ourselves of “one habit we know Allah(God) disapproves of.” He states that, “the fast of Ramadan and the discipline of prayer at prescribed times during the day is the greatest aid in developing personal discipline and regulating our affairs and habits…The Honorable Elijah Muhammad wanted to see his followers supremely disciplined.”

Not only is there a desire for us to be supremely disciplined, but also to be of good character. Try to engage in Self-Analysis. Let us analyze if our “thoughts harmonize with our actions.” Minister Farrakhan recounted in the same article above about a time he was in the Middle East where the temperature sometimes gets up to 115 degrees, 120 degrees in the desert. He said “I found myself losing a lot of water. In one incident in particular, there I was in the cool of my room, with a refrigerator full of all kind of cold drinks. No one would ever have known if I had taken a drink of water except Allah and myself. But so desirous was I not to break the fast and give in to my great thirst, I took water and rinsed out my mouth making sure that not one single drop passed into my throat, so that I might be obedient to Allah.” Minister Farrakhan not only exhibited discipline, but also good character. He wanted to keep his word to himself and not break the fast. I have many people, myself included, say ONE thing, but our ACTIONS bear witness to something else. I have learned to sometimes turn the volume and just look at a person’s actions. First, be a friend to yourself and be TRUE to yourself. Never deny yourself the best.

Doesn’t it feel good to be honest and be true to yourself, it will trickle into other aspects of your life. Good morals lead to good character. When we are misleading, or not honest, we will see that spirit of “dishonesty” growing and we become misleading in our relationships and business dealings because we our consumed with greed or our desires. Minister Farrakhan states in the above article, “When we can stop eating and drinking, drives which are natural to life itself, how much more easy is it for us to stop lying, stealing and the practice of those sins that destroy the peace and brotherhood of the society? This fast of Ramadan is one of the greatest means of inculcating self discipline…Look how beautiful a society can become when each individual imposes upon himself or herself the discipline of fasting, the discipline of curtailing our own behaviors, our own hungers, our own desires. This makes a very clean, peaceful, righteous, progressive and orderly society. This, by the help of Allah, is what we intend to produce,” states Minister Farrakhan.”

To get spiritually “fit to live”, spend time reading/studying your Quran or Bible before going to bed. The Quran, Chapter 2:183 states, “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, so that you may guard against evil..” The footnote #225 states that fasting “in Islam becomes an institution for the improvement of the moral and spiritual condition of man. This is plainly stated in the concluding words so that you may guard against evil. The object is that man may learn how he can shun evil, and hence fasting in Islam does not mean simply abstaining from food, but from every kind of evil. In fact, abstention from food is only a step to make a man realize that if he can, in obedience to Divine injunctions, abstain from that which is otherwise lawful, how much more necessary is it that he should abstain from the evil ways which are forbidden by God.” Fasting, thus, gives us practical steps for purification. Every concept we are given is followed by an action. Giving of our time and money follows the concept of charity, abstaining from food and bad thoughts follows the concept of fasting, and exercising should follow the concept of health.

Lastly, let us strive on a daily basis for Self-Correction. Whenever you Fast, it is a cleansing time to also give our bodies a mental and spiritual workout. Although the fast of Ramadan is not a complete 24 hour fast, it prepares us for that and much more. It is a time to discipline ourselves by abstaining from food and drink during the daylight hours. Also utilize times that you would normally drink something during the day as a time of study and reflection instead of sport and play. Ramadan is also a time to help us, as followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, to get back on track (if we have strayed) to our one meal a day and practicing “how to eat to live.”

Let us wisely use this time to exercise and strengthen our Will. Our ability to be consistent and reliable helps us to build “trust” in ourselves and one another. Minister Farrakhan states that “Self-imposed discipline leads to a healthy society, one where the people truly can rule…The fast of Ramadan and the discipline of Prayer at prescribed times during the day is the greatest aid in developing personal discipline and regulating our affairs and habits.” (Final Call Vol. 28, No. 47 p. 21.)

May Allah bless us all with peace, love, health, wealth and happiness.

(Audrey Muhammad is the author of the new book, Get Fit to Live: Be your best you!, available at www.getfit2live.org and the Respect for Life Bookstore. Her audio book, Get Fit to Live is also available. To order the Book and get a FREE copy of the audiobook CD, send a $12 money order(plus $3 shipping) to Get Fit To Live, P.O. Box 61402, Raleigh, NC , 27661. Please consult a physician before beginning any new exercise or dietary program.)

Learn for What?!

(An educational column dedicated to giving you practical steps to understand the process of learning)

Why should we learn anything? We should all “study to learn and learn to apply.”

Whenever I see something well put together, I think, “That is how to put your mathematical theology to work.” As an educator for the past 17 years, I have implemented a number of strategies in the classroom. Some worked and some did not. As an educator, I have always seen the value of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Recently, Dr. Larry Muhammad, Director of Chicago’s Muhammad University gave a wonderful presentation at a local charter school. As I listened to his presentation, which was based on principles he learned from a Applied Scholastics training, I thought of how I could see the basis of what he presented in various aspects of the teachings of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Once again, we should all “study to learn and learn to apply.” However, some things are “barriers to learning.” According to Applied Scholastics, there are 3 main barriers to learning.

The first barrier they mentioned is “lack of mass,” or lack of a physical object or substance to help you “see” and “touch” what you are learning. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that we should see how a subject relates to us. Children should be able to say “I am Math!, I am Science!” In order to do that, they have to see themselves in relation to subject. One of the best ways to do that is to actively have students engaged with clay, pictures or blocks. For instance, a teacher can ask a student to show the how blood flows through the heart with red and blue yarn and a large picture of an open heart.

The second barrier is “Too steep a gradient.” A gradient refers to an “incline” or angle. Have you ever tried to walk up a steep hill? It is difficult, right? Well, it is easier to walk up a hill that “gradually” inclines. It is interesting that at the root of “gradual” is the latin root “gradu” which means “step.” In the book How to Eat to Live, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad talks about value of “gradualism” when he suggested “gradually” or step by step how to reduce form three meals a day to one meal a day. He said, “If you are eating three meals, cut down to two meals and from two meals cut down to one. In Message to the Blackman, he gave us the “basic” steps to prayer. He didn’t give it to us all in Arabic. He made every step very plain so that we would “fall down the hill” of knowledge(smile).

The last barrier Applied Scholastics mentioned was “the misunderstood word.” Have you ever listened to news and heard a word you didn’t understand what it meant? Did it stop affect your understanding? Of course it did. I remember listening to some of the commentary of the Tonight Show when I was younger, but couldn’t laugh at the jokes because I didn’t understand them. One thing The Minister has always taught, along with Brother Jabril Muhammad is the value of looking up and understanding the meanings of words. Minister Farrakhan is able to touch so many people in his lectures because of his spirit of love and is wonderful, proper and CLEAR use of words. He “walks” us through a subject so that by the end of the lecture, even before then, you are on your feet.

How can you get your child to “stand up” and get excited with learning? Here is a simple exercise. Ask your child to look up the meaning of their name and another relative’s name (brother, sister, cousin, father etc.) and ask them to write down 1. The meaning of the word. 2. Where does the word come from? (Greek, Arabic, African etc.) 3. Write a paragraph discussing if he or she thinks they are “living up to” their name.

I used to give this assignment to all my high school freshmen. Why? We all want to learn about ourselves, right? We learn with words and by doing. This assignment encompasses both. Students were so excited about presenting their name or a family member’s name to the class. Even though some couldn’t find their name in a dictionary or online, it sparked a discussion at home as to why one young lady was named, “Markeysha.” Her father’s name was “Mark” and her mother’s name was “Keysha” and she found out the mother decided to put the two names together.

Let’s put our together our knowledge to learn and our ability to “do.” Get knowledge for life! May we all be blessed to find our purpose and help others along the way.

(Ms. Muhammad is an Academic Support Specialist and an Adjunct Professor in English. She has a MA in English and worked as a high school teacher for over a decade. As an educator for the past 17 years, she has learned many techniques to motivate young people. She is a former West Contra Costa Unified School District Mentor Teacher (California) and Leadership Advisor. She is available workshop presentations on developing “Positive Energy and Discipline” in a classroom and how to bring out the “little genius” in your child. She is the editor of Virtue Today Magazine, a women's magazine that is redefining women today with articles featuring sophisticated fashions, financial empowerment and spiritual healing. Visit www.virtuemag.com. Her fitness books and videos may be ordered at www.getfit2live.org.)

True Beauty: A lesson for my daughter in 3 easy steps

By Audrey Muhammad

A few years ago, my daughter and I attended a Hip-Hop summit at North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro, North Carolina. My daughter was so excited to meet Rocsi from BET’s 106^th and Park. She thought Rocsi was so pretty and she later described her as a “beautiful person” because Rocsi was so kind to her. She even asked my daughter to autograph the page of Virtue Today Magazine where my daughter was modeling. My daughter was elated! Now this would have been a much different experience had Rocsi not been so warm and kind to me and my daughter.

When I asked my 9 year-old daughter recently what makes a person beautiful, she said, “The inside of a person[their qualities] and their appearance.” And I asked her which is more important and she said the inner qualities of a person. I was so proud of her because she not only values being a good person, she looks for the good in others and loves to put a smile on a person’s face by giving them compliments.

Beauty is often defined in the dictionary as “the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind.” However, a person can be beautiful in their outer appearance, but not in their inner attitude. We must honor ourselves and know that we are beautiful and not give energy to anything that is other than truth. For instance, I was inspired to write this blog after reading a commentary about a recent article on “Psychology Today” magazine’s website. The article described a study that claimed that Black women aren’t as attractive as other women of different races. I will simply state what I told my daughter a few years ago when a classmate told her she wasn’t pretty. I asked my daughter, “Is it true, that you are not pretty?” She said, “No, it is not true.” I said, “So, if it is not true, it[the comment] is a what? She said, “A lie.” “Do we listen to lies?” I asked her? “No,” she said, “We don’t. I’m Beautiful!” “Exactly,” I said. Period.

In a lecture entitled, “Make God Sufficient in Your Life,” Minister Louis Farrakhan stated to a group of women, “All of you that believe are beautiful to Allah(God). He[God] has the Power to take your belief and turn it into absolutely indescribable beauty. You can come here ugly, pimply-faced and hair so short you can’t twist it with tweezers. I don’t care how people think you look, or how you think you look. The moment you say you believe in God and start trying to be what God has asked you to be, He turns the beauty of your faith into an indescribable charisma that makes you draw all people unto yourself…You can have the prettiest face, but if your faith is not there, you drive people away from you.”

In essence, there are 3 ways to enhance our beauty:

1. Develop our relationship with God and try to be “pleasing” to him. Be obedient to him. Don’t you want to be viewed by God as a “beautiful person.” Have “godly” thoughts and develop a spirit of gratitude. Isn’t it beautiful to hear a person say, “Thank you.” It is hard to have a bad attitude if you are thinking of how grateful you are for your life. Remember, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Thinking “good thoughts” gives you a beautiful disposition.
2. Take care of the temple that God dwells in. Keep it clean and in good condition by fasting, exercising and eating healthy. Eating poorly robs us of our beauty appearance. In the book, How to Eat to Live, Book Two, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad writes, “Take, for example, a new born baby. Many times its beauty lasts for just a short while and then passes away with its growth. Even in our late twenties and early thirties—because of the life that we live and the frequent eating of poison food—our beautiful appearance begins to pass from us so rapidly, until by our forties and fifties it is nearly completely gone.” To keep our cars and homes beautiful, we provide them with the best; we should treat our bodies in the same, if not a better fashion.
3. Lastly, honor yourself and treat others how you want to be treated. Better yet, treat others with the love, kindness and forgiveness that God gives you. THAT is beautiful. Always treat YOURSELF with respect and honor. As women, we have to learn to “distance” ourselves from men and anyone else who may not “honor and respect” us. I am blessed to have wonderful family members and friends that show me and my daughter such respect. Honor and love yourself and always do things in the spirit of the “highest good.”
   

Beauty is in eye of the Beholder. The main “beholder” we should be concerned about is our Creator. If we are beautiful to Him, nothing else matters because He is the one that bestows blessings. Honoring him gives us “true beauty.”

(To read more about “true beauty” and being a virtuous woman, visit www.virtuemag.com. You may order Virtue Today Magazine online or send a money order for $6.99 to Virtue Today Magazine, P.O. Box 61402, Raleigh, NC 27661.)

The Power of Our Intentions

Do you remember the poem entitled “Footprints?” The poem is about a man that is looking back over his life and he notices that there were two sets of footprints during much of his life, showing that God was walking with him. However, during the difficult parts of his life, he noticed that there was only once set of footprints and interpreted that as God having left him during that time. However, God corrected him and said, “No, during the most difficult times you only see one set of footprints because it was then that I carried you.”

For many of us, we may have experienced a rough year in 2010, but here we are in 2011! Didn’t God carry us through? Well, what do you “intend” to do this year? Write out your intentions and “resolve” to carry them out. This is an ongoing process. I have really become fascinated on how to follow through with my “intentions” after having a wonderful discussion with our Contributing Editor, Latonja Styles CEO of I AM Image who recently earned her Masters of Science in Entertainment Business. (Congratulations Sister Latonja!)

What is an Intention? An intention is described in the Oxford Dictionary as “ an aim or purpose.” An intent can be described as a desire or wish one means to carry out. What does “desire” feed? Desire feeds the will. What is the Will? According to the Study Guide, The Will of God Part I, “Will is the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action…The Will is the Real Power of Allah (God) in Man. However, the Will must be buttressed, or supported, by Faith and by Knowledge…To be able to “Will” is to have a creative force within that actually can change the conditions of our live.

Dr. Wayne Dyer described the difference between “free will,” which we all have and “intention,” in his book The Power of Intention. For instance, if I intend to lose weight or stop smoking cigarettes, I have the “free will” to go and buy cigarettes or cupcakes. However, when I partner my “free will,” that God Force within me and instead channel it toward my “intention,” or desire I wish to carry out, my free will works to my benefit and I put the cigarette or cupcake down. Good intentions help us stay connected to our creative energy and our “source,” our God.

List your intentions for this year for yourself, your family, your education, your career, your community. This issue will show you how to improve yourself on many levels. How do you intend to improve yourself and serve others better? Try to question every action you make and ask yourself, “Is this going to bring me closer to my goal or intention?” This act helps us to be “mindful” and in the moment. Remember, life is for living. Choose love and “accept your own and be yourself.”

May God bless us all with peace, love, health, wealth and happiness.

Your sister,

Audrey

Read more in this issue of Virtue Today Magazine available at www.virtuemag.com

Can a model be "modest?"

How to be a Classy “Modest Model”

Faatimah T. Shabazz-Muhammad is New York native and nursing major who enjoys modeling, cooking and dancing. Her parents, Sherry and Reginald Shabazz-Muhammad, are proud of her accomplishments. She is the youngest of three siblings and attends Muhammad Mosque #7 in New York and loves helping out in the mosque whenever she can. She has modeled for Barba’s Elliot’s show, “A Book of Fashion,” Exclusive Designs and many others. She plans to also be an entrepreneur. She discussed with Sis. Saajida Shabazz-Muhammad how a woman can be classy “modest model.”

Sis. Saajida: Where are some of the places you have modeled? And what kind of modeling do you prefer?

Sis. Faatimah: The world is my audience and the concrete is my runway (laughing). Off the top of my head, I have modeled for Exclusive Designs by: Sis. Jennifer Muhammad from Chicago and GOVVY Fashion House by: Ms. Barbara Elliot. I have done runway modeling and also print work. I enjoy both, but I prefer runway because you’re not a controlled environment- you’re free, you’re vibing with the music, your interacting with the audience, you become a different person in a sense- which also takes a bit of acting. It’s ironic that I enjoy runway the most because the average height for a model doing runway is about 5’8” and I’m pocket-size- I’m a staggering 5’3” (chuckle).

Sis. Saajida: What is your purpose for modeling?

Sis. Faatimah: We are taught by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that 75% of His work is with the woman. In a way, I see the MGT representing as being apart of the mission. Being a magnet through fashion is a part of the work and we are to make the whole world bear witness to Master Fard Muhammad’s words, “I can sit on top of the world and tell everyone that the most beautiful nation is in the wilderness of North America. But do not let me catch any sister other than herself in regards to living the Life and weighing properly.” I see modeling as a way of showing the world the product of what our MGT training produces.

Sis. Saajida: Do you personally have a favorite model that you look up to as a source of inspiration?

Sis. Faatimah: Well, I have two- Liya Kebede and Selita Ebanks. I like Ms. Kebede because she is a Goddess on the runway, she represents, and she’s a sister who comes from Africa. I also admire her because she is a Humanitarian who is passionate about many issues regarding women and children. In 2006, she set up the Liya Kebede Foundation; which focuses on maternal care for those who may lack such vital resources during childbirth. Now, Ms. Ebanks is my other favorite because I can vibe with her. I feel like our personalities are parallel; she is funny, bubbly, a social butterfly, adventurous, and also a Goddess on the runway. She’s not just a model but functions as a Philanthropist and has developed the Women’s Coalition For Empowerment and Opportunities (WCEO). The organization’s mission is to help “support women’s educational and professional programs in the civil war-torn African nation.”

Sis. Saajida: What do you think about modeling for different companies, other than within the Nation of Islam?

Sis. Faatimah: That’s an easy question- I don’t. Simply because there are certain compromises I know for a fact I would have to make that would conflict with my morals and beliefs, not just as a Muslim but as a striving to be a righteous woman. Anything that the devil puts his hands on, there is fine print. You would have to compromise something to become successful under his guidance; like “selling your soul to the devil”. While you’re given fame and fortune, it will be at the expense of someone else having control over what you wear and the various explicit poses you will be coerced to do. I cannot identify with modeling or fashion in this world’s industry. I’m just trying to expand the concept of modest beauty.

Sis. Saajida: What do you see as your mission for modeling?

Sis. Faatimah: To expand the idea of virtuous beauty. The world gives us a standard of what beauty is (ex. Skinny jeans, Apple Bottom jeans, red lipstick, hot pink hair, etc.). I take it upon myself to widen the scope of another standard of beauty with the brand name G.O.D. (smile)

Sis. Saajida: Many may think that a female could not possibly be in the Nation of Islam and partake in modeling- what are your thoughts on this?.....

(Read the entire interview in the New issue of Virtue Today Magazine available at www.virtuemag.com. See marvelous m,odest fashions along with articles on: Rebuilding the Black Family, Ten Tips for Your Daughter and much much more..Order your copy at www.virtuemag.com)