The following question was posted on Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed’s Official Facebook page. The nature of the question demands a larger platform from which to answer. Please note that the question has been abbreviated for clarity as another portion of it pertained to a separate matter which has already been addressed.

We seek refuge with Allah and we acknowledge His authority over creation, which includes human life in all of its expressions and possibilities. 

The term Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s Successor or Successor of Imam W. Deen Mohammed is not a position that Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed has taken, nor is it a title that is claimed or conferred. Rather, it is a necessary function given the trajectory upon which Allah has placed our people and the circumstances we face in this time after our late leader.

Despite what might be popular belief, Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed did not seek out the responsibility of succeeding Imam W. Deen Mohammed. It is well known and openly acknowledged that he possesses a uniquely precise command of Imam Mohammed's reasoning and knowledge. A fool may dismiss it as mimicry, but Allah confers such a blessing only as a reward for innocence, sincerity, and commitment. All of us who share these qualities have access to the blessing, but social, psychological, and spiritual currents shaping the present condition of man have singularly distinguished Imam Abdulmalik Mohammed in the responsibility for continuing in the leadership tradition of our people.

It is a well-known fact that his office extended open letters of congratulations here and here to the organizers of the two conventions and subsequently sent representatives to attend both events. The principles of Islamic behavior require that an equal or superior greeting be given as a reply to those who greet you. What was the response of the convention organizers to Imam Abdulmalik Mohammed’s greeting? Did the institutional leadership of our community express any support for the establishment of Muslim-American Leadership Day on the birthday of Imam W. Deen Mohammed? 

It was in the immediate aftermath of Imam Mohammed's passing that these same persons rejected the notion of continued leadership, and thus rejected faith, causing severe damage to the spiritual trajectory of our community. In so doing, they have disqualified themselves from exercising any influence on the matter. Further, that they persist in their rejection, despite all that has been made available from Imam Mohammed’s public teaching on the leader to follow him is a further indication of what their interest is and perhaps was all along.

I am a witness to the fact that it was a small group of individuals—sensitized to Imam Mohammed’s teaching in general, and this matter in particular—that in ways both direct and indirect, demanded that Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed accept the responsibility of succeeding in the Guided Tradition of our Imam. They represent the best qualified for mutual consultation on the matter because they are and remain the only ones actively acknowledging that the matter even exists!

I want to be clear and those reading this should help me make it known: Imam Abdulmalik Mohammed initially refused to take up the responsibility, despite entreaties. But Allah’s Plan encompasses the whole of creation and through a unique set of circumstances, recurrent in the life of each and every one of our special leaders, Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed came to see what was needed as increased awareness and determination in himself in order to shoulder the responsibility. 

Thus, the requirements of Shura have already been met. 

Whether or not the general public of our community acknowledge what is plainly before them is another matter. In an address at Harvard University, Imam W. Deen Mohammed stated that only about fifteen percent of the people who publicly associated with his leadership were truly committed to what he was committed to. This statement should be considered carefully in this discussion.

The soul of our people and mankind demands that Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s leadership be succeeded. Allah answers the demand through His servant and our brother, Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed. We stand upon this in faith and with knowledge, and we move forward to the destiny not fearing the criticism of any criticizer.