Dear Followers of Messenger Elijah Muhammad:

 

We are about to enter our annual fast that is called "Ramadan" in Arabic. This is not the actual month taken by the Arab Muslims: however, it comes in this month every few years. But ours remain in this month every year.

The reason I have appointed December for our fast is because we were once Christian believers and we use to worship this month as the month Jesus was born. Since the knowledge of Jesus' birth, ministry, and death has come to us from the All-Knowing One: Who came in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad: to Whom praises are due forever; worshipping in Christianity was not true since being called to the worship of Allah and His true religion Islam.

I desire that we take this month in order to do away with our desire to worship along with the Christians, because of their great display of tempting merchandise to commercialize on in this month instead of of a sincere spiritual desire in honor of their prophet Jesus as they claim. Do away with this desire in us. I have asked you to abstain from taking part in any way, shape, form or fashion with the Christians by fasting throughout this month called December.

This year 1973, I am asking you to be more strict than you have been in past years. Let everyone of us sincerely keep up the five (5) prayers a day as near the designated time for such prayer as possible. There is an excuse for you who are working and is not given time to you who are able, keep up prayer throughout the day. Let us keep our minds clean and clear throughout the month.

Do not quarrel with anyone if you can prevent it.

Do not eat or drink during the day from dawn of day until night fall.

Do not eat any land meats (animal and fowl). You may eat seafoods, but no land meats. And eat as you have been taught -- one meal a day, but after night fall and before day break.

Do not engage in games of killing animals, fowl or any kind during your fast.

Take not the life of any kind. And unless you are fought against do not fight. But if you are attacked in the Mosque, Allah has given you the right to fight with those who fight against us regardless to the month, fast, or sacredness of the Mosque.

Married couples shall take no pleasure during daylight hours, they shall abstain from total pleasure during the day in the way of conjugal relations.

Keep your body and mind clean of filth and evil.

We shall concentrate on thanking Allah for bringing us Islam and choosing us as His people and providing us with a teacher of His religion, and thank Him for the blessings He has and is still giving us. And we shall not forget to pray for His help against our ever open enemies, the devils. And pray Allah's revenge on the devils and their evil plans of persecuting and murdering us, the poor Lost-found believers in Allah and Islam.

And do not forget this year that the enemy had killed some of our brothers. And pray Allah's chastisement to pour upon our enemies for this evil and the evils they have planned against us in the future.

So, remember, you may eat and drink all you desire during the night but do not eat animal or fowl flesh; nothing of the land. other foods you may eat.

May the blessings of Allah guide and help us to make our fast this month, December, 1973, a sincere one without seeking any vain glory or exaltation or argument. I thank you and may the peace of Allah be with you.

As-Salaam-Alaikum

Your brother, the Messenger of Allah

Elijah Muhammad

 

EM:ob