In the light of what is swirling about the person of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, consider this from a chapter, written 32 years ago, in 1968, from "This Is The One:"

"One of the beautiful facts about the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is that he never gets into the mud of slander and libel, even with our worst critics. He has not and does not use the underhanded, rotten devices that many of our enemies have and still use. For whenever one resorts to trickery to sustain their point of view, they are at the same time admitting defeat and the lack of true value in their stand. Certainly, the use of trickery has been successful during a little over the past 6,000 years. But we are in a new day when trickery and wickedness has just about run its course. The �sun� light of truth is enough to reveal the slanderers for what they are and their sayings for what they are worth.

"Besides all this, the word of Allah to Messenger Elijah Muhammad contains the following:

"... argue not with the People of the Book except by what is best ... Holy Qur�an 29:46

"And again it is written in the Holy Qur�an:

"Call to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the best manner ... 16:125

"Messenger Muhammad follows this 100%.

"It should be remembered that the people who have undertook the work of �explaining� Messenger Muhammad and his work to the world are, for the most part, scholars and journalists. Naturally, they are of varying degrees of competence. However, it can be safely presumed that these writers were sufficiently educated to appreciate what is involved in the research process. Surely they knew that the purpose of research is, or should be, the discovery of the truth. They knew that research is the careful, systematic inquiry, especially into subjects of importance.

"Surely, these writers knew that aside from the addition of knowledge and the deepening of understanding, research may force the revision of knowledge, or the way in which one does things. In other words, the results of research may strengthen previously held views or lead to the complete destruction of ideas, methods, etc., which prove to be worthless.

"In addition to all of this, research, in the broadest sense, should lead to the increasing grasp of the true relation between facts and the significance of both the facts and their understandings.

"There is no need to enter into a full discussion of the research process here. However, there are a few aspects of the research process which are usually neglected by the critics of Messenger Elijah Muhammad and The Nation of Islam.

"The aim and purpose of the research process is to uncover truths by means of the principles of scientific investigation. The first step involves the determination of what questions can or should be answered. Now the steps of the research process are of such nature that they merge one into the other. The interrelatedness of the steps in any effort of research are such that the nature of the first step greatly fixes the nature of the last step.

"Errors at the beginning steps of investigation may produce problems which result in the prevention of the successful conclusion of the research effort. Worse, conclusions rooted in errors, fallacies, etc., can end in death and destruction, when they are applied to such serious problems as the �race� issue.

"The more important the issue, the greater the care that must be exercised, from the formulation of the theme to be studied, through the collection of data, to the final presentation and use made of the conclusions. This does not mean that care ought not to be used in small matters.

"It is well known among scholars and students that the seeker of truth must maintain thoughtful attention between his studies, and their relation to the accessible knowledge that there is, and to emerging views and even to possibilities. Researchers also know that the application of the results must be anticipated from the start of a study, if the research is intended to resolve an immediate and practical problem.

"What the investigator determines that can or can�t be measured or weighed will influence what elements he selects or omits as he forms his approach to the problem he faces. This in turn greatly influences the type of evidence seen as relevant to the answer the searcher seeks.

"After the data has been gathered and the research design or pattern has been fixed, several irreversible decisions are built in, which substantially determines the type of analysis and interpretation of the findings.

"This brings us to the fact that an overemphasis of certain factors, or omitted information, can result in the total failure of the seekers of truth to realize their objective. The omission of relevant facts must result in the same thing as the deliberate discarding of facts�something less than the truth or no truth at all. It goes almost without saying that the purpose with which one approaches a subject, influences the selection and use of material in any research project.

"Now, how well have the various writers on Messenger Muhammad done their research? With what purpose did they approach their subject? What relevant facts did they omit? How did these and related elements influence their analysis, and the meaning they offered the world of the person and work of Messenger Elijah Muhammad?

"Some simply did not understand their subject, and have admitted this later. Fallacies in our reasoning make our conclusions wrong. When we try to walk in the false light cast by incorrectness in our thinking, our line of reasoning, our beliefs, we can get ourselves into big trouble. Fallacies are dangerous. Why? Because they often appear as truth. They may seem reasonable when they are senseless. They frequently look right when really wrong. They resemble sound thinking but are really unsound.

"Sometimes a speaker makes his point in such a way that one may be led to think he has supported his point with evidence, when he has not. Sometimes he will give a few examples, and from that speak of other things as though the few are typical of the rest. Sometimes he will make comparisons between things in which there are critical differences.

"Giving the impression that a minor relation between two things is bigger than it really is, and that this caused that, when it hasn�t, are two often used fallacies. Taking what seems to be the sign of one thing to be the sign of something different is another instance of a fallacy."

The above applies to what is going on now against Minister Farrakhan. Yes. He has changed. He has gotten deeper, wiser and, in short, closer to Allah and his teacher. No. He has not deviated from God�s truth revealed through the Honorable Elijah Muhammad nor from his assignment, as the wicked are tricking some into thinking.

Definitely more next issue, Allah willing.

I have asked the editor not to advertise "This Is The One," as it is now out of print. I intend to include in the next edition my observations about Minister Farrakhan�s "more than a vision" experience.