Speaking at a conference on "The Seerah of Prophet Muhammad in the Light of the New Millennium," an international symposium on the life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Min. Farrakhan said America�s leadership is not in harmony with God, and her reckless handling of her technological prowess is contributing to her downfall.

"Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what man�s hands have wrought," Min. Farrakhan said, quoting from the Holy Qur�an. "It�s going to take a righteous scientist to perfect the work of unrighteous scientists. It�s going to take a righteous nation to correct the wickedness of this present world," he said.

Continuing, the Muslim leader noted: "Political leaders have adopted ideologies and philosophies that may not necessarily be in harmony with the teachings of the Prophet or the teachings of the Holy Qur�an. And religious leaders�imams and sheikhs�have come up under these political leaders and they have preached a watered-down Islam for fear of persecution of political leaders who have gone astray."

Introduced with a moving testimony by Sheikh Ahmed Tijani Ben Omar, the outspoken Minister challenged the religious scholars to preach the purity of the message of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to the poor, who would gladly hear the message.

"Most of the leaders, as the Qur�an teaches, have put the Qur�an behind their backs," Min. Farrakhan said. "If the Qur�an is behind your back, what is guiding you? And by what light are you guiding the people?"

He said too many Islamic scholars are appealing to white intellectuals and scholars in their flowery dissertations, but, "How can you go to the poor, who are the best recipients of the faith, with a language that the poor cannot understand. You�re not thinking about propagating the faith to the masses of the people. You�re thinking about impressing white scholarship that you are a scholar."

But you are not proving your scholarship, he said, "because the means of conveyance of an idea is the proper use of language. If you speak above the people�s head, then you are not following the Prophet, because he spoke the language of the people and they understood him."

Min. Farrakhan said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not divide the ummah (community) into the sects that exist today, and that the ummah must not exalt specific differences over one another.

He also compared the history of the rise of Islam among the Arabs with the rise of Islam among Blacks in the West, adding that the mission of his teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was first to resurrect a Black people who had been destroyed by slavery, just as Prophet Muhammad�s mission was first to an uncivilized Arab people.

He described the Saudi Arabian topography as a desert with mountains of stone. The people of America, he said, are a stone-like people, hard against the way of God.

In Arabia, there is not a lot of water, he continued. In America, there�s not a lot of spiritual water.

"The Holy Prophet in his Hadith (sayings), said, �The sun that rises from the East would rise from the West� " in the last days. "Did he mean the (physical) sun? Or did he mean that the light of wisdom that has always come out of the East and shone westward, in the last days of the world, a light would come out of the West that would shine back eastward?" Min. Farrakhan asked.

He told the audience that Prophet Muhammad once said that he heard the footsteps of Bilal�a Black man who was a companion of the Prophet and called the Muslims to prayer�going into Paradise before himself.

"Do you think that Bilal could enter paradise ahead of the Prophet himself?" the Minister asked. "I don�t think so. I believe he was saying that his community that was entrusted with the responsibility of spreading the message fell victim to Satan and started attending to those who felt free of need.

"God is raising up a people today that are unafraid and willing to pay the price to free the whole world from Satanic influence. How dare any of us say we are Believers and yet be afraid when Allah says, �Me, and Me alone, should you fear,� " Min. Farrakhan said.

Following his speech, participants dissected the points raised in the message.

"The Minister�s speech was different in the sense that he is a very practical person dealing with problems on the ground," observed Dr. Kaukab Siddique, the international Amir of Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Baltimore, Md. "He�s applying theory to real life."

In addition, Dr. Siddique noted that Min. Farrakhan "is able to deal with non-Muslims. And he showed people how he does it, because he knows the Bible so well. Most of our scholars ... only deal with other Muslims."

Dr. Siddique applauded Min. Farrakhan as the only Muslim leader who has gone on record in support of Sheikh Omar Rahman, the blind Muslim cleric convicted in the World Trade Center bombing case.

"I�ve gone to the scholars all over the country to speak for the sheikh," he said. "We get support from ordinary Muslims, but the leaders are dead scared."

"The impact of [Minister Farrakhan�s] message was very, very important," commented Dr. Syed Ibrahim, a man recognized as one of the top 50 scientists in the country. "Minister Farrakhan is a gifted man, he knows the culture, he knows the language. He should lead."

Dr. Ibrahim noted that "the majority of Muslims in the United States are African American. We [the immigrant Muslim community] are the minority. We support him."

Salim Khattab, a Muslim business man from Ontario, Canada, was impressed by the words and spirit of Min. Farrakhan, saying Muslim countries need leaders who likewise are not afraid to speak up.

"We don�t have many honest persons to stand up. I felt honesty in Minister Farrakhan," he said.

His 19-year-old son, Mohamed, remembered crying when he saw the movie "Malcolm X" because of the force of his message and the description of the suffering of Blacks. He said Minister Farrakhan had a similar impact on him.

"I recommend anyone to listen to him," he said. "He will touch anyone, even a non-believer. It was powerful."

"Minister Farrakhan�s speech was one that must be understood with ears and hearts of compassion," observed Dr. Ahmed Muhaiyyadeen, vice president of the NGO Committee on Disarmament at the United Nations, explaining that he better understands the suffering and condition of a people to whom the Hon. Elijah Muhammad had to teach.

"It was a pleasure to hear Minister Farrakhan affirm strongly our mutual understanding that in that which we value so highly, submission to one God, there must be no difference of race or class. Let that truth help guide America in the 21st century," he said.

Photo: Min. Farrakhan greets conference members after his address.