During much of this year (1999) many lists have been made about who ranks as the 100 most important or most influential persons during the past 100 years.

These lists include who certain people think were the most important persons in science; medicine; literature; music; and other significant areas of human endeavor, including sports.

Some lists are about the most important events. I�ve not seen the Million Man March, called by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, on any of these lists. Have you?

Some have produced lists ranking persons who lived during the last 1,000. I�ll not comment on that here.

My firm conviction is that all of the really significant lists will be severely revised within the next decade. Most people will then look back on their present views, of who were really the most important, from the vantage point of knowledge of which they are presently unaware; or ignore; or misunderstand and/or misjudge.

I�ve read that the knowledge of the top people of this world doubles or increases geometrically within ever shorter periods of the passing of time.

They give themselves the credit for the tremendous development of their knowledge. It is tremendous in contrast to what they knew up until a short while ago. Just look at where they were in 1900.

The root of their remarkable increase of knowledge, in a short time, is the blessing of Allah, Who is now present.

Their knowledge becomes ever brighter as the end of the time of unjust rule approaches. This situation is like the increasing brightness of an object as it moves ever closer to a real light source. In such cases the light of the object is the reflected light of that to which it is moving.

Despite their great growth in knowledge they�ve produced a most dangerous situation. According to the wisdom of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we would have to go back to an almost unbelievably long time to find a situation like this.

This is certainly the great and dreadful day of the Lord that is described in book of Malachi. It�s a great day in terms of the stupendous potential for good that could come to humanity from the fuller development of all of the sciences: spiritual as well as physical.

This is indicated, for example, from questions put before the public on the cover of the December 1999 issue of Scientific America: "Can Physics Be Unified?" "Can Aging Be Postponed?" "What Secrets Do Genes Hold?" "How Does the Mind Work?" "Can Robots Be Intelligent?" "Is There Life in Outer Space?" "How Much Do We Change the Climate?"

(As of the moment of this writing I am learning about recent scientific "breakthroughs" respecting menopause. More about this next issue, Allah willing.)

Many scientists are working on these and many other problems with great vigor and are convinced that the answers to these questions are all but in reach.

There are many brilliant thinkers who are convinced that the means of solving such immediately critical problems as worldwide poverty and hunger can be erased almost at once. Why is this not really being done? Why does such an extreme evil as child abuse persist the world over?

Many have put at the top of their lists as the most influential persons, during the last 100 years, those who tried to bring peace between people; who worked to lift the human spirit, who worked to make the earth a more humane place for all life.

Despite all of their efforts to bring about peace, this is also a dreadful day. There is a dark and massive cloud of destruction hanging over humanity.

Well, consider all of the above in the light of this from a novel written by Mr. Irvine Wallace, entitled "The Word." He wrote:

"Some years ago, the top newspapermen in this country were polled by a leading public opinion firm. They were asked to speculate on what story, within the realm of scientific possibility or beyond it, could be the biggest story of this century. There were many varied answers.

"Some newspapermen voted for the discovery of a cure for cancer. Others voted for a treatment that could enable human beings to live to the age of one hundred.

"Yet others voted for the landing on earth of creatures from another planet, or our reaching another planet and finding civilized life on it. Some voted for a day when the United States of the World was announced as a reality.

"But do you know what the majority of the newspapermen voted as the biggest possible story of our time? They voted for the Second Coming."

Mr. Irving concluded: "If Jesus Christ returned to our earth in person, in the flesh, if He proved the Resurrection a reality tomorrow�if He came down amongst us tomorrow�that, those reporters voted, would be the biggest story of our time."

Suppose He really did appear, somewhere on this earth, just as it was written of him�but recently�in the United States of America, just as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said He did? What then?

Why did He not come in a manner that all could know that he had recently arrived?

It was written in 2 Thessalonians 5:2 that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." Therefore, we ought not to think that He would come with fanfare.

This entire letter, in which this verse appears, is to be understood as after his first coming, but before the "day" in the verse mentioned above, which refers to his second coming. It was written to help the believers get ready. That "day" has not yet happened

His first coming was also without fanfare. It was written in the 17th chapter of Luke that the Kingdom of God was to come without observation. It did.

The kingdom of the 17 chapter of Luke is the Lost Found Nation of Islam in the West. This is really the fulfillment of what early Christianity, at best, pointed to. The Nation of Islam is the promised Kingdom of God, in its budding or infant or baby state, right here in North America.

And it is clear that under divine guidance, Min. Farrakhan�s work is growing it. Jesus, of 2,000 years ago, spoke of this growth under the symbol of the mustard seed. Read Matthew 13:31; Mark 4:31; Luke 13:19.

I won�t be, but if I was asked to list the 100 most important persons, during the last 100 years, without hesitation, No. 1 is, Master Fard Muhammad; No. 2 is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad; No. 3 is the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Then, I would select as the next 97 important persons: Mothers.

When I look back over my time in the Nation of Islam, it makes me feel that I�ve got to work harder than I ever have to help my beloved Brother, Min. Farrakhan with his mission. There are still too many people who don�t yet understand.

These are my primary reflections as this century concludes.