To Complete My Education

 

Greetings, 

My name is Damon Muhammad. I am currently a student at National American University working on my Doctorate’s Degree.  

Growing up I hated school.  I knew the only way I was going to college was if I received a football scholarship.  I did not receive a scholarship, but I did enroll to attend Mesa Junior Community College and joined the football team. I ended up dropping out of college when I was injured.

Seven years ago, I decided to go back to college to obtain my Associate’s Degree.  I made a promise to myself not to quit until I obtained my Doctorate’s Degree. Unfortunately, I ran out of financial aid and grant money.  It is going to cost me $10,800 to finish.  My Academic Advisor told me, that the lowest monthly fee I can pay is $300, which I cannot afford.  I am a single father raising my two youngest daughters. I had to quit my second job when they came to live with me due to the inability to find a babysitter.  

Over the years, I have overcome several obstacles in my life. From divorce, losing my job, and becoming homeless. Even going through these different obstacles, I did not give up on my goal. I am asking your help to finish my goal in order to provide a better life for my two daughters.

Thank you,

Damon Muhammad

Please share: https://www.gofundme.com/f/will-you-help-me-complete-my-goal?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

Be A Father To Your Child

It has been a while since I wrote a blog and on this day; Father's Day I want to share a testimony of my personal life. As a son and as a father.
 
I want to begin with a quote from a song by Ed O. G. and Da Bulldogs: Be A Father To Your Child – “You see, I hate when a brother makes a child and then denies it.
 Thinking that money is the answer so he buys it
A whole bunch of gifts and a lot of presents
It’s not the presents, it’s your presence and essence
Of being there and showing the baby that you care
Stop sittin’ like a chair and having your baby wonder where you are
Or who you are-fool, you are his daddy.”

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said, “Men who make babies, and walk away? Is that good? I watched dogs and cats, and lower animals, take care of their young. I watch animals fight to protect their young. We don’t see too much of that among us, so some of us haven’t even gotten on the ladder to being one of the few good men. And the duty you have to yourself: You violate that duty to self when you smoke, drink and eat the wrong foods, because you are destroying the body that God gave to you. That is not good.”
 
This time last year was one of the worst years of my life. I remember last year after the Mosque meeting the Sisters gave the Brothers, who are Father’s, Father’s Day gifts. I was hurt because I didn’t get one until the local Student Captain saw I didn’t he was able to get me one and he informed me that the Sisters didn’t know I had children.

Sad but true. Last year, I didn’t get a call or text wishing me a Happy Father’s Day from none of my children and I have four daughters.

Well, this year it is different, and this is going to be a Father's Day, I'll never forget because, for the last few months, I've been a single Father, taking care of my two youngest daughters. When their mother contacted me stating she wants to send them to me, I could’ve said, “NO!” But a real man will step up and take on the responsibilities of being a Father.

I know a lot of us men may pay child support and, sadly, it could be for a child or children that you don't get to see. I know because I have experienced this; we shouldn’t have to fight to see our child or children. But we do! Money we can always get back, but we can never get back time. 

We must fight so our child or children won’t grow up feeling like we felt, my daddy never cared about me!

So, step up and (BE A FATHER TO YOUR CHILD)!!

ED O. G. and Da Bulldog: “Be A Father To Your.” https://youtu.be/ZQMVsQW_kjM
 

A New Year, A New Beginning

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 

I said HAPPY NEW YEAR because it is truly a blessing from Allah (God) for us all to see another year. We can all bear witness that a lot of people were not blessed to see another year.

 

I know some of you may be thinking, we should not wait until the New Year to make new changes or get back started on things we put off or failed to do.

 

Some of you may be thinking, we have every day to make a new day and make new changes and that is correct!!

 

Some of you may be thinking, I DO NOT celebrate no holiday or helladay.

 

I did not say anything about celebrating a holiday, I just said HAPPY NEW YEAR.

 

I just want to say, businesses and corporations set yearly goals because they are aware that it is going to take more than a day, a week, a month, and sometimes even more than a year to implement changes and to make certain goals.

 

It may take some of us a year or more to lose weight, to start a business because it takes a minimum of 3 years for a business to get off the ground. It takes two years to get an associate's degree, and it takes four years to get a bachelor's degree. My point, somethings take time and they take patience.

 

Also, when you are working on your New Year’s resolution if you make one….

 

Think positive, be positive, and most of all talk positive!!

 

DO NOT be looking at yourself in the mirror saying, dang, I am ugly. I am so ugly, I give Freddy Krueger nightmares or I am so fat, I need to go on a seafood diet. See food and do not eat.

 

I am just throwing some humor in…

 

But allow me to quote from Bible:

 

Ephesians 4:24

King James Version

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

 

Hebrews 8:13

King James Version

¹³ In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

 

 

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR because we have a new beginning, we have a reset, and a year to get our things and ourselves right!!

 

 

 

 

 

My Spiritual Birthday

 

December 24, 1995, is one of the greatest and happiest days of my life. On that day, I became a registered member/believer in the Nation of Islam. I became Brother Damon X.

 

A young black male was told by one of his high school counselors in front of his mom, that, he would not live to see the age of 25.

 

That school counselors were nearly right but Allah (God) is the best of planners!! Allah (God) saved a young black male who was on the wrong path. A young black male who at the age of 13, became a gang member, became a dope dealer, became a womanizer, and became an atheist.

 

A young black male who said he will never believe in God until he met God himself and God would have to show and prove that He is God.

 

According to my knowledge, I never met Master Fard Muhammad in person but I met His works!!

 

I saw what Islam has done for other members of the Nation of Islam and I saw what it has done for me!!

 

I did not like to read but now I love to read. I dropped out of community college 27 years ago shortly after I joined the Nation of Islam.

 

But, I was inspired to go back to college 6 years ago to get my associate's degree. All praises are due to Allah (God), since, then; I got my associate’s degree, I got my bachelor’s degree, I got my master's degree, and I am currently working on my doctorate.

 

I struggled financially for years and I am still struggling but I found the struggle for balance and that is to hold on to Allah (God).

 

It has not been an easy journey for me. Living in a world where it is easy to do wrong and it is hard to do right.

 

But, we all must strive to do right because doing right will save our life!!

 

I truly thank Allah (God) who came in the person of Master Fard Muhammad. I thank Him for The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and I thank Him for The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan!!

 

I know for a fact if were not for the Nation of Islam and its teachings. I will probably be dead or in prison or heading in one of those directions!!

 

I was once lost but now I am found, I was once blind but now I see, I was once deaf but now I hear, I was once dumb but now I have the knowledge of self, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of the devil!!

 

So, being a member, a believer, and a knower of the Nation of Islam; I do not take it for granted!!

 

Because again I know for fact I could be dead or in prison and or heading in one of those directions.

Who Cares About Black People In America Pain?

 

I want to pose a question to you all as food for thought:

I originally was going to ask who cares about the black man's pain but instead, I want to ask who cares about black people in America pain?

Since we were brought here as slaves in 1555, we have been raped and I am not just talking about females. Our oppressors, our open enemy raped males too and they still do!! We did not know anything about homosexuality in Africa or in the Middle East.

Our oppressors raped us, brutalize us, tortured us, and lynched us. So, who cares about black people in America pain?!

We are protesting and marching yelling black lives matter but saying that to our open enemy who through their actions is telling us, that, black lives do not matter especially to them!!

Black lives do matter, and it should matter to us. For us to unite and get something to call our own. We need our own land, we need our own country, and we can show our open enemy and the world that black lives does matter because it matters to us.

We cannot continue to sing we shall overcome and still have not overcome anything!!

We cannot continue to expect justice from a racist police system that cannot stand the sight of looking at us. We want justice and we want peace but the only peace we get from them is when we rest in it!!

We expect justice from people who traded their white sheets for police uniforms. The Ku Klux Klan is now working as police officers.

Who took a pledge not to protect us. But themselves and their people. Yes, they protect themselves and serve us with billy clubs and bullet slugs.

Us wanting justice from our oppressors is like mice wanting just from cats. Cats are natural predators to mice and our former slave masters is our natural enemy.

So, who cares about black people in America pain?

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

 

It has been seven months since I wrote a blog post. I have not been inspired to write as I was during the COVID – 19 Pandemic but I was inspired to share this because most of us believe in Allah (God), whatever we can His name. We want Him to forgive us and be merciful with us, but we are not that way with each other. What if Allah (God) treated us like we treat each other?

 

We want Allah (God) to be the most merciful and forgiving when it comes to our faults, shortcomings, mistakes, errors, and sins but we are not like that with each other.

 

A brother or sister can step on our shoe or slightly bump into us and say they apologize but we still want to hold a grudge and be upset with that person.

 

We are like, I am not forgiving that ninja, he or she did that on purpose.

 

Allah (God) forbid, if we loan that person $5.00, some of us act like we loaned that person $5,000.

 

We are acting like Big Worm from the movie Friday talking about it is the principal.

 

Little things, lead to big things. It is $5.00 today but it will be $5,000 tomorrow so I have to treat that person like he or she owes me a grip because I need my chips!!

 

We are just like this scripture:

 

Matthew 18:21-35

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?^(A) Up to seven times?”^(B)

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a](C)

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like^(D) a king who wanted to settle accounts^(E) with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[b] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,^(F) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold^(G) to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.^(H) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”^(I)

 

So, in closing:

 

We want Allah (God) to continue to be the most merciful with us. We want Him to forgive our faults, our shortcomings, our mistakes, our errors, and our sins. Then we should strive to be like that with each other.

They Saw The Best In Me

I was not going to write another blog until my Celebration of Life, which is this coming Tuesday, May 10^th. But Allah (God) put it on my heart to do it today and to dedicate this to two very special women in my life and that is my mom and my big sister!!

 

My mom raised me and my big sister, who is my half-sister, we have different dads, but she is my sister and is like a second mom to me!! As children, we fought like cats and dogs and I honestly thought she hated me, but I did not know she was toughening me because she knew growing up in our neighborhood, I could not be weak or no punk!!

 

I did not know her thoughts until she eventually moved out and we became closer. Our mom also put me in sports but the one I loved the most and played from age 8 until the age of 19 when my dream/football career came to an end at Mesa Community College.

 

I am thankful to Allah (God), my mom, and my big sister for supporting me and never giving up on me!! Being the baby, the boy, I got in a lot of trouble. I got mixed up with the wrong crowd searching for a male figure. I got involved in the gang life at the age of 13 and most of it was not by choice. I was guilty by affiliation. As the saying goes, "you are who you hang with." So, I got involved in the gang life because of who I hung out with.

 

My mom and big sister did not give up on me because they love me, and they both saw the best in me when everyone around could only see the worst in me. My mom was at most of my football games from pop warner until my senior year of high school. My big sister was a cheerleader, and she would come to my games when she could. She would later come to my high school games. But no matter what, they both supported me!!

 

I am going to share two stories to show the support that my mom and big sister gave me.

 

Story number one, my mom – I was 9 years old, and this guy in my apartment who was a few years older than me, who hated my guts because his girlfriend thought I was cute. He would bully me, one day, he took my bike. He pushed me off it and was like what do you want to do?! He was asking me do I want to fight? I was scared and I went into my apartment crying and I told my mom this guy took my bike. She said, “go get it back!” I told her no because I was scared!! She asked me “who are you more afraid of, him of me?!” I said you!! She then, said, “well, go get your bike back or you are going to have to fight me instead of him.”

 

So, I went outside marching like a soldier ready for battle. He saw me coming with my fist balled up like, I was ready to fight. He jumped off my bike and was like, what is up?! What do you want to do?! I look became because I was going to run but I happened to look up in my bedroom window and I saw my mom watching me. She nodded her head like, you already know what time it is!! So, I turned back around and rushed at him swinging for my life. He fell to the ground, and I jumped on top of his chest. Sat down on his chest and give him the fist of fury!! 

 

Some of my neighbors came to pull me off of him as they were pulling me, I wrapped his shirt around my left hand and I was still swinging with my right. My mom instilled in me back then to face my fears, or I was going to have to face her (smile).

 

Story number two, my sister – A few years ago, I was trying to complete my bachelor's degree. I was separated going through a divorce, my apartment caught on fire, and I had to move in with one of my spiritual brothers/friends, and my job cut my hours. I was so stressed out and I told my sister that I was going to take a break from school.

 

I only had a few semesters left and my big sister encouraged me not to take a break. She said, "you are already at the door, you are almost done, do not take a break because you are going to end up quitting!" She reminded me, of how I started quitting things later in life when they got too challenging. She reminded me of my goal, when, I first told her I wanted to go back to school. I told her, I wanted to get my associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's, and doctorate. Thanks to my big sister for encouraging me not to quit, I am now working on my doctorate.

 

I truly thank Allah (God) for my mom and big sister for always encouraging me and supporting me. I thank Allah (God) for not allowing them to give up on me and to see the best in me when everyone around could only see the worst in me.