NEW YORK—The National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Student Minister Ishmael R. Muhammad, a son of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, delivered a special and well-received keynote message at Harlem’s Mosque No. 7, on Unity Sunday, held May 31.

At the start of the service, Nation of Islam Student Eastern Regional Minister Arthur Muhammad referred to Minister Farrakhan as, “the man who has saved my life, and many of our lives.” 

He referred to Student Minister Ishmael “a constant mentor, a constant brother, a constant teacher, constantly guiding me and directing me, because what is on his heart is that the people of New York City feel the spirit of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakan in the spirit of Allah (God).”

Introducing Student Min. Ishmael, Student Min. Arthur called him a “very special guest,” and described him saying that “he has a love for our people and the sensitivity for the people.

In his remarks, Student Minister Ishmael reminded the audience that Minister Farrakhan was born in the Bronx, New York. He told the crowd that, “New York is the heart. We need to get up, you cannot sit down, you cannot lay down … .

This body depends on a strong heart that is not calloused and diseased. You are the heart. So, start pumping, because the extremities of the body, and the brain need oxygen, and the rich nutrients that come from the bloodstream of faith.

When New York is popping the whole nation dances. Come on New York! Come on Brooklyn! Come on Bronx! Come on Queens! Westchester, all that!”

Referencing the Bible in the book of Daniel and Revelations about the “end time” prophecies, Student Minister Ishmael mentioned that the 7 in Mosque No. 7 is significant, and that 70  means “grace.”

“Minister Louis Farrakhan represents grace, and in the 69th year of his service, and in the 69th week of the prophecy of Daniel the ‘Messiah is cut off’… . He has not been cut off physically from us yet.

But it started in 2024,  after his Saviours’ Day message, shortly after that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad telling him to ‘be quiet.’” Student Minister Ishmael was referring to Minister Farrakhan’s last major public message, titled.

“What Does Allah The Great Mahdi and The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?” After that message, Minister Farrakhan was ordered and guided by his Teacher to not speak publicly and to watch and see what he was guided to reveal, unfold.

The audience listened intently to Student Minister Ishmael’s message.

“You and I need not be afraid, nor worried. It’s all in God’s hands, you give too much credit to these other people. We’ve got to get together, and be brothers, and be sisters and make our community a decent and safe place to live.”

So powerful and inspirational was his almost one-hour message, that over 30 people lined up to shake his hand, and desired to learn more about the Nation of Islam.

New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, formerly of the Central Park Five, now the Exonerated Five—the wrongfully charged teens who spent 7 to 13 years in prison charged for a 1989 crime they did not commit—was also in the audience. Mr. Yusef Salaam parlayed the trauma of what happened to him as a teenager, into triumph and became the city councilmember for Harlem in 2024.

Councilman Salaam told The Final Call, “As I continue my personal and deeply spiritual journey in life, I am happy to join my brothers and sisters in the Nation of Islam, to continue to serve my family and my community to the best of my ability.” 

At the beginning of the special Unity Day gathering, saying “Unity is strength,” Brother Tariq Muhammad introduced all of the speakers. Brother Jacques Muhammad from Queens reminded everyone that Minister Farrakhan gave a Saviours’ Day directive to “Make our community a safe and decent place to live.”

There were also presentations by the young N.O.I. members, Sister Aja from Buffalo and Brother Joshua, who encouraged the audience to keep the faith and trust the process as they move through life.

During his keynote message, Student Minister Ishmael also said people should thank The Creator (Allah/God): “We thank Him for His many blessings … for the gift of life, our parents, our mothers, our fathers … we thank Him for getting us through the night.”

He continued,  “The focus of our message today is deeply spiritual with practical application … when we talk about the spiritual, we are talking about God.

And the most important relationship in your  life and my life–is not with mama, not with husband or wife … the most important relationship that you and I could have in life’s journey is our relationship and our connection and our bond to The Creator.”

He added, “We have to look at ourselves, because to make our community a decent and safe place to live starts with me, and I have to be the change that I want to see in the community.

“We can’t make the community safe, until we are willing to obey God. Money, politics is not going to solve the problem … .”

Speaking with The Final Call, Student Minister Ishmael shared how he felt about the warm welcome and reception he received in New York. “It was wonderful. I always feel right at home and with family here in New York, with so much love. 

I am very humbled and honored to be in New York, and the wonderful loving reception that we received today, and those that heard the Teachings, accepted, and it appeared as though there was a lot of love and high spirits in the mosque today,” he said.

In response to the audience members who stood up to accept to learn more about the Nation of Islam, Student Minister Ishmael replied, “I always feel good, because that lets you know that you did a pretty good job in representing the Life-Giving Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad,  and that the people accepted and received it.

So, it’s a great reward for the work that is done by the student minister. We always want the people to accept the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and to become a part of the Nation of Islam.”

Student Minister Arthur shared his thoughts about the day. “Today, New York City was blessed to hear Student Minister Ishmael Muhammed deliver a spiritual message. Light bulbs actually turned on as he was going through the scriptures and sharing with us our responsibility in our connection to Allah, God, The Creator.

The people who joined the Nation today just demonstrated that he had the right note. He came to New York with the right key to unlock maybe the questions, or the skepticism, or the fear that was in the people for them to embrace the word. It was beautiful.”—Nayaba Arinde

Nayaba Arinde is a freelance Editor-at-Large and award-winning reporter and activist. Follow her on Instagram @NayabaArinde1