Zaid Shakir – Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim on the left rhumbline.
		

			Stadium
		

			Imams a shout out here at the Martin Luther King Memorial on the day commemorating the birth of Dr.
King. Brothers and sisters let us commemorate the great life of this great freedom fighter, a
fighter for freedom for his people, human dignity for its people, in fact for all people, and let us
remind ourselves, we reflect on the struggle of Dr. King and the movement that he led and the
struggles of the likes of Malcolm X notes. Remember, brothers and sisters, we have to struggle. This
is a message that the quarter end gives us what Jay has
		

			struggled in the way of Almighty God and the word Allah should rightfully be the case. Allah Tala
reminds us or has he been nurse when you Turaco and your guru and then our hula, you know, the
people think they'd love to be left alone beauty saying we believe that not be tested. So these are
days of tests and trials. But we reflect on the dark lives of the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. and the trials that he confronted and the tests that he was confronted with and what he had to
overcome, and then remind ourselves of a critical critical factor brothers and sisters, at the
foundation of the struggle of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the spiritual struggle with spiritual
		

			strength happening into spiritual strength. It was a struggle that was rooted in the African
American church. Brothers and sisters, our struggle, first and foremost has to be a spiritual
struggle. It can't be for first and foremost a political struggle, economic justice, etc. Those
things will only be obtained if they're built on the foundation of a spiritual struggle, because
only when we have a strong connection with our Lord with Allah subhanho wa Taala will we be
sufficed, and we have the energy and the hope to make it through the many, many trials the many,
many tribulations that lie before us. So brothers and sisters, as we reflect on the time of darker
		

			came, let us reflect indeed, he was a fighter for freedom. He was a fighter for justice and
equality. But first and foremost, he was a spiritual man whose message was rooted in the spiritual
history of his community. That has to be our foundation. That's what I'd like to leave you with on
this day brothers and sisters, may be a blessing day for all of you wherever you find yourself. This
is Imam Zaid Shakir at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial here in Atlanta, Georgia, reflecting
on the life of this great giant and the example that he set for all of us, regardless of our race or
color, or our creed, brothers and sisters for too long, be strong struggle with dignity and struggle
		

			from a spiritual foundation. Assalamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh