Master Fard Muhammad was born Feb. 26, 1877 and taught the Honorable Elijah Muhammad for 3-1/2 years during the 1930s before leaving him to build the Nation of Islam in America.

An additional highlight of the day was an overview of the Atonement Commission by Nation of Islam Min. of Health Abdul Alim Muhammad. The Commission is charged with planning the restructuring and reorganizing of the Nation of Islam to assure its perpetuity.

"He came to North America in 1910, but he did not make himself known until 1930," Min Farrakhan said of Master Fard Muhammad. "There in Black Bottom in Detroit, he began teaching our people. He appeared, at first, as a salesperson, being very handsome, very light-complexioned.

"In the 1930s, the state of mind that we as Black people were in, our leaders almost had to look like White people in order for us to accept them. In those days, we didn�t think well of Blackness. So Master Fard Muhammad was immediately a hit because he was very handsome.

"And as he knocked on doors, he would say mostly to the Black women who were home, �I am bringing you silk from your people in the East.� And that started a thought, �People in the East? What people?� He began to tell them that they are descendents of a great people who were the builders and architects of civilization," Min. Farrakhan explained.

He said the people�s curiosity was pricked, and they began to hold meetings so that Master Fard Muhammad could teach them about that history.

"What Master Fard Muhammad confronted was a Black mentality of complete inferiority and a White mentality of complete superiority. Both mentalities were sick," Min. Farrakhan said.

He added that a world contrary to the world that Allah (God) intended was allowed to come into existence so that the people would become so dissatisfied that they would call for and submit to the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Putting his comments in Christian theological context, Min. Farrakhan explained: "The Kingdom of God is a government under the rules and laws of God. God loves humanity so much that He gives us free will. He will not force us to bow down. You can but you don�t have to. He has to give you the freedom to exercise everything of yourself until you make such a mess of it, then He can say He so loved the world that He sent or gave His only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."

He further explained, "Fard Muhammad knew that White folks were sick and he knew we were sick and he knew the world was sick. So he started in the sickest place on earth, the modern Babylon, the modern Rome, the modern Egypt, the modern Sodom and Gomorrah, the United States of America.

"If you can fix America," he said, "you can fix the whole world, for the [people of the] world live in America."

Prior to Min. Farrakhan�s address, Min. Abdul Alim Muhammad, in a brief overview about the Commission for the Restructuring and the Reorganization of the Nation of Islam, said: "We are moving towards our 72nd year of existence as a nation, so we are attaining to the age of maturity. And with maturity comes development and evolution and increase in complexity and structure and function."

The Nation�s need for reorganization is mandated because of its success in impacting the minds, hearts and lifestyles of Black America and others, Min. Alim continued. People have a desire to contribute and build a nation, which means structure must change to accommodate those desires and to increase effectiveness, he added.

Under Min. Farrakhan�s guidance, the 37-member Commission will lead an open dialogue on the needs and future of the Nation and its operations, Min. Alim said. Lawful dialogue, based on truth, is a process whereby God�s presence in the midst of his people can lead to the discovery of the proper course of action, he said.

That will include exploration, debate, investigation, critique, analysis and other reasonable ways to consider issues, procedures, programs, policies and affairs as well as underlying ideas, motives and beliefs regarding the Nation of Islam.

"The work of the Commission is a healing work that must produce a greater unity and harmony that increases the enjoyment of freedom, justice and equality by every single member of the Nation of Islam," Min. Alim said.

The Commission has 10 major areas�or budding ministries�to allow better service in accord with a model approved by Minister Farrakhan. In essence, the structure is modeled after the human body with a Spiritual Ministry as its head. The other nine major areas and special task forces include Agriculture, Housing and Community Development, Justice, Finance, Personnel Management, Foreign Affairs, Mosque Affairs, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, Trade and Commerce, Information, Research and Development, Religious Affairs, Family Life, Youth, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture, Communication and Transportation.