On social media, a poster started a meme to point out that this August 21st commemorates one of the most famous and impactful insurrections on U.S. soil led by Nat Turner. Because a solar eclipse occurred today, the meme creator proposed that this eclipse be called The Nat Turner Eclipse.
However, there was another impactful and just as important event that happened some 40 years ago on this day. That event is the reason that the Lost-Found Nation of Islam remembers today as Founder’s Day.
To give you a background understanding…imagine for a moment a man is standing in prayer. His hands are outstretched with his palms facing up to the sky and his head is slighty bowed. Around this man countless men and women prostrate themselves in prayer in the way of the Arab Muslims. The foreheads of everyone prostrate touches the floor in contrast to that one man standing. How out of place that one man standing must have appeared, yet courageous and sincere.
August 21st commemorates the 40th anniversary of that day that the Honorable Silis Muhammad (that one man who stood alone) resurrected the Lost-Found Nation of Islam with his very bold and correcting act challenging the then leader of the Nation of Islam Imam Wallace D. Muhammad, placing the Nation back on the course set by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (peace by upon him). See the Honorable Silis Muhammad below:
Posted by Hasan Salaam on Friday, August 18, 2017
Not only were the Honorable Silis Muhammad’s actions revolutionary–like that of our great ancestor Nat Turner–his acts were so profound that a spiritual and intellectual pathway formed for those who also believed that the true and unadulterated teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad must flourish UNCHANGED.
INTERESTING FACT: On February 26, 1979, Saviour’s Day, the birthday of Master Fard Muhammad (to Whom all praises are due), the last solar eclipse occurred. This writer was only a child. I do remember talk of that eclipse 40 years ago and also standing outside to witness the same ‘shade in the sunlight’ appearance of the atmosphere that I saw outside my window today during the 2017 solar eclipse.
What will Founder’s Day look like in 7 or 40 more years? I can’t tell you for sure, but it definitely will include commemorations of those Afrodescendant greats who took a stand to advance Truth, and to claim freedom, justice, and equality for the Afrodescendant peoples.
As time goes on, we will likely appreciate more and more the profound significance of these far-reaching acts, signs, and symbols. Like another social media poster said [initials M. A.], we may even come to call this eclipse “The Silis Muhammad Eclipse.”
If you would like to learn the deeper significance of the works and teaching of the Honorable Silis Muhammad, click here to learn more.