Native American Muslims

BlueFish

Junior Member
Asalamu Alakum,

I found this bit of info that could lead to so much more insight for those that live in america now and for those in other countries. The U.S. government has a small history, but the land has more to tell. Check this out brothers and sisters. (BTW, this is about another person not me.)


Native American Muslims
The Message, July 1996

My name is Mahir Abdal-Razzaaq El and I am a Cherokee Blackfoot American Indian who is Muslim. I am known as Eagle Sun Walker. I serve as a Pipe Carrier Warrior for the Northeastern Band of Cherokee Indians in New York City.

There are other Muslims in our group. For the most part, not many people are aware of the Native American contact with Islam that began over one thousand years ago by some of the early Muslim travelers who visited us. Some of these Muslim travelers ended up living among our people.

For most Muslims and non-Muslims of today, this type of information is unknown and has never been mentioned in any of the history books. There are many documents, treaties, legislation and resolutions that were passed between 1600s and 1800s that show that Muslims were in fact here and were very active in the comunities in which they lived. Treaties such as Peace and Friendship that was signed on the Delaware River in the year 1787 bear the signatures of Abdel-Khak and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. This treaty detailes our continued right to exist as a community in the areas of commerce, maritime shipping, current form of government at that time which was in accordance with Islam. According to a federal court case from the Continental Congress, we help put the breath of life in to the newly framed constitution. All of the documents are presently in the National Archives as well as the Library of Congress.

If you have access to records in the state of South Carolina, read the Moors Sundry Act of 1790. In a future article, Inshallah, I will go in to more details about the various tribes, their languages; in which some are influenced by Arabic, Persian, Hebrew words. Almost all of the tribes vocabulary include the word Allah. The traditional dress code for Indian women includes the kimah and long dresses. For men, standard fare is turbans and long tops that come down to the knees. If you were to look at any of the old books on Cherokee clothing up until the time of 1832, you will see the men wearing turbans and the women wearing long head coverings. The last Cherokee chief who had a Muslim name was Ramadhan Ibn Wati of the Cherokees in 1866.

Cities across the United States and Canada bear names that are of Indian and Islamic derivation. Have you ever wondered what the name Tallahassee means? It means that He Allah will deliver you sometime in the future.

http://www.themodernreligion.com/convert/convert_namuslims.htm

PEACE!
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
Another interesting letter

Another interesting letter from a muslim woman who found similarities between muslims and Native American Indians.

A Muslim Among Native Americans *

by M.I. Rajabally

As I boarded the tiny six-passenger plane out of St. Paul en route to Pierre, capital of South Dakota, I knew I was in for some adventure at the Sioux Indian Reservation. My curiosity grew as I talked to fellow passengers and the crew. Everyone was shocked to hear of my venturing into the reservation.

They warned me to be cautious because I was going to a “dangerous place with strange people.” The plane bounced up and down and I started feeling sick - not from the plane –but the negative preconceived attitude I was hearing from everyone. What they were telling me was quite the opposite of what I had heard from my brother who is not only a fervent sympathizer of the tribe, but also the expert on Native American culture, arts and crafts. It was my brother who arranged for my visit to the reservation.

The natural beauty of the place took my breath away. It was the best therapy for my high-strung “city” nerves. The air was pure and fresh. As I drove down the gravel road, the horizon unfolded in front of me. I drove for miles without seeing a car or a person. The land seemed so virgin that many times when I got out of the car, I thought I was the first person walking on these plains. But I reminded myself that this was not true.

By the time I arrived, the sun was already setting. The thought that I could be the first person to give Adhan here overwhelmed me. In spite of my terrible voice, I gave the call to prayer and said my salaat in the open wilderness. I had been cautioned to watch for deadly rattlesnakes while going into sujud, but I was at such peace with myself that I was not intimidated by the possible presence of snakes. There were hawks wheeling across the sky, nature itself celebrating the praise of Al-Mighty God!

It the natural beauty of the reservation moved me, its physical condition was an astonishing blow. I could not believe that I was in the United States, the land of the plenty. While the government was proclaiming its leadership role in the “new world order,” it sure forgot to clean its own backyard. I could not believe I was only miles from Rapid City and yet where I was, there was no sewage, and no running water yet (pipes were being installed). Surprisingly, there was electricity, which allows every house to accommodate television – to poison the mind with shallow distorted values. There was no infrastructure, only some gravel roads, few gas stations., rudimentary health care facilities. I could not imagine American without a shopping mall, grocery store or a restaurant.

As I talked to the people, I began to develop a strong respect and admiration for a people that refused to be subjugated. In my mind, I started drawing parallels between the Muslim community and the Native American community. It did not take me long to figure out that we have a lot in common. First, we both face the tidal wave of prejudice based on ignorance and hearsay. People in general do not understand the Native Americans any more than they know or understand Islam and Muslims. The media represents both groups in a stereotyped and biased manner.

Talking to some Sioux children, I kept thinking of Muslim children. Both Sioux and Muslim children have to learn distorted historical facts about their ancestors in their social studies classes. Both groups of children are incorrectly taught how barbaric their ancestors were, ruthless people who killed people indiscriminately. History has been rewritten to force innocent minds to give up their ancestral pride and values. I could not help but think about the constant struggle we Muslims face to keep our Islamic values alive in our children against such onslaughts. Like Muslim parents, Sioux parents worry continuously.

I was deeply impressed with their concept of One True High God or Spirit. There were no idols or intermediaries. Their concept of deity matches the core of Islam. I kept thinking of the Qura’nic verse, “To every nation, a prophet was sent.”

The status of mankind as the khalifah of Allah on earth is a fundamental aspect of Sioux belief. They believe that man is responsible for managing the earth’s resources in a way that preserves the harmony of God’s Creation to be used for the good of all. What a striking similarity to Islam!

I visited Bear Butte, a sacred place for the tribe. Not long ago, caravans from various reservations converged on Bear Butte for a pilgrimage. They were forced to stop the practice because it was interfering with tourism, which is what the sacred place had been reduced to. We Muslims should know the feeling remembering when Prophet Muhammad and his followers were barred from performing the lesser pilgrimage to makkah. As we speak against injustice against Kashmiris and Palestinians, we also need to let the Sioux people know that Islam dictates that we will support them. Communication channels should be opened on an official, organizational level. We should look into the possibility of asking to set up a Sioux-Muslim camp in the summer to allow each group to learn about the other and to erase false perceptions.

I propose that concerned and interested Muslims consider establishing an official relationship with the tribal council. As American Muslims, we have a responsibility to expose injustice wherever we find it. Only a few know what injustices have been and are being done to Native Americans.

* Originally published in the print edition of The American Muslim in a special Native American edition, December 1993

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_muslim_among_native_americans/

PEACE!
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
Prophets sent to every Nation

Surah 10 Jonah
46. Whether We show thee (realised in thy life-time) some part of what We promise them,- or We take thy soul (to Our Mercy) (Before that),- in any case, to Us is their return: ultimately Allah is witness, to all that they do.

47. To every people (was sent) an apostle: when their apostle comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.

Surah 13 The Thunder
38. We did send apostles before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of an apostle to bring a sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each period is a Book (revealed).

Surah 14 Abraham
4. We sent not an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom.

Surah 16 The Bee
36. For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle, (with the Command), "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil": of the People were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).

Surah 35 The Angels, Originator
24. Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: and there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past).

:laila:

PEACE!
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
Were the Native American Indians Muslims?

Geronimo's Song
Medicine Song


I was warmed by the sun, rocked by the winds and sheltered by the trees as other Indian babes. I was living peaceably when people began to speak bad of me. Now I can eat well, sleep well and be glad. I can go everywhere with a good feeling.

The soldiers never explained to the government when an Indian was wronged, but reported the misdeeds of the Indians. We took an oath not to do any wrong to each other or to scheme against each other.

I cannot think that we are useless or God would not have created us. There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say.

When a child, my mother taught me to kneel and pray to Usen for strength, health, wisdom and protection. Sometimes we prayed in silence, sometimes each one prayed aloud; sometimes an aged person prayed for all of us... and to Usen.

I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures.

Geronimo - Apache​
 

justoneofmillion

Junior Member
assalamu aleikum, i know that some native american muslim brothers have built an al aqsa mosque look alike in the middle of Arizona !can you confirm that bro?


wassalam
 

American Muslim

Just Another Slave
Assalamu alaikum,

This topic comes up from time to time on this site. I am not certain if it is a European fascination with the American Indians. Were Indian tribes influenced by muslims? Sure, why not.

Are there Amerind muslims who follow our Prophet (PBUH)? Undoubtably.

Are most Amerinds muslim, even though their cultures were influenced by Islam? No, of course not. Like most Americans, they are nominally Christian. Or they follow their traditional beliefs. They have knowledge of the Great Spirt. But most tribes also tell stories of totem spirits like Coyote, Bear, Raven, etc. Even the Quryash of Mecca knew of Allah, and did not serve Him.

Do I feel for their horrible plights? Yes. Remember Suleyman (PBUH) and the whale? You cannot feed the world. However noble or deserving, I believe I should aim my efforts to helping other Muslims. How 'bout you?
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
Assalamu alaikum,

This topic comes up from time to time on this site. I am not certain if it is a European fascination with the American Indians. Were Indian tribes influenced by muslims? Sure, why not.

Are there Amerind muslims who follow our Prophet (PBUH)? Undoubtably.

Are most Amerinds muslim, even though their cultures were influenced by Islam? No, of course not. Like most Americans, they are nominally Christian. Or they follow their traditional beliefs. They have knowledge of the Great Spirt. But most tribes also tell stories of totem spirits like Coyote, Bear, Raven, etc. Even the Quryash of Mecca knew of Allah, and did not serve Him.

Do I feel for their horrible plights? Yes. Remember Suleyman (PBUH) and the whale? You cannot feed the world. However noble or deserving, I believe I should aim my efforts to helping other Muslims. How 'bout you?


Asalamu Alakum,

Ok, Ok, Bro,
I think you missing my point by showing this info. What I am hinting at is the miracle of truth displayed by Allah(God), the miricle of truth to all nations, and people, not just one group of priviliged individuals who have their right to pray. But the truth can be found everywhere, you were born with it in your "heartmind", but it gets corrupted as you begin to learn from others who draw you away from the simple truths of life. WHy does this happen, well maybe its the devils trying to obscure your way to God and truth. Only Allah knows. And only Allah can help who is left of the Native American Peoples. My point is we could all learn from what happened to them, does their tragety not remind you of what is happening today in Palestine or Iraq or to the Chechins, or in Africa or in Australia. Of coarse bro, I want to help other brothers and sisters. But we can't just use "Yeehaaw" as a foreign policy. We must seek some wisdom, and open our minds carefully to look at mistakes made in the past, without bigotry. The future is our hope. This earth was not passed down to us, but is loaned to us by our children. I hope you understand. Please seek truth, it is hidden, but we can find it if we dig. :inshallah: We will find a way one day.


PEACE!
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
assalamu aleikum, i know that some native american muslim brothers have built an al aqsa mosque look alike in the middle of Arizona !can you confirm that bro?


wassalam

Yeah, I will look into this one. Did this happen recently or was this ancient history we talking about? That will help.
 

thefighter

New Member
Brother Bluefish said something so unique & important about the Islam; namely, Internationalism of it.
as for the native American Muslims, I heared about that very recently & it was astonishing to me coz in the media you only know native Americans as some backword people, I used to know that the Americas were discovered by Phonecians (Arabs) who were sailers & used to communicate many nations, but as for Islam, I only knew about it recently & it's so sad not to know that about my great religoin, it's our responsiblity to spread it.
 

justoneofmillion

Junior Member
Yeah, I will look into this one. Did this happen recently or was this ancient history we talking about? That will help.
assalamu aleikum i don`t know i read it in a book it is called "ISLAM IN THE 3RD YEAR THOUSAND " by DR MURAD WILFRIED HOFMANN but i never got the chance to see it it must be sooooo cool a little taste of palestine in the middle of "yankee" land!wassalam

SINDBAD
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
assalamu aleikum i don`t know i read it in a book it is called "ISLAM IN THE 3RD YEAR THOUSAND " by DR MURAD WILFRIED HOFMANN but i never got the chance to see it it must be sooooo cool a little taste of palestine in the middle of "yankee" land!wassalam

SINDBAD

FYI:
In the American South, the term is rarely used as a derisive term for Northerners, especially those who have migrated to the South. As some Southerners put it, "A Yankee is a Northerner, and a Damnyankee [written and pronounced as one word] is a Northerner who moves (or comes) South".

A humorous aphorism attributed to E.B. White summarizes these distinctions:

To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.
To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner.
To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.

Another variant of the aphorism replace the last definition with "an outhouse". There are several other folk and humorous etymologies for the term.
sited:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee

And when it comes to baseball I am a St. Louis Cardinals (world series champs) fan, can't stand the NY Yankees team, LOL! I usualy dont consider myself so politicaly correct. LOL!

Any way bro, i have been searching for the mosque in arizona and i have not come across anything exactly related but this link may lead you to something.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.myplink.com/images/Mosques.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.myplink.com/community.htm&h=457&w=200&sz=61&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=LxBsEtL4PP6uBM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=56&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darizona%2Bmosques%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
Let me know if you find anything.

So I will get back to the topic and leave you with a few quotes from the Native People of America (the original people of this land we call america) to spread more knowledge. We can learn from them also.

In 1868, men came out and brought papers. We could not read them and they did not tell us truly what was in them. We thought the treaty was to remove the forts and for us to cease from fighting. But they wanted to send us traders on the Missouri, but we wanted traders where we were. When I reached Washington, the Great Father explained to me that the interpreters had deceived me. All I want is right and just.

Chief Red Cloud - Sioux


A Sioux Prayer
Translated by Chief Yellow Lark - 1887

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds
Whose breath gives life to the world, hear me
I come to you as one of your many children
I am small and weak
I need your strength and wisdom

May I walk in beauty
Make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
And my ears sharp to your voice.
Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught your children.

The lessons you have written in every leaf and rock
Make me strong--------!
Not to be superior to my brothers, but to fight my greatest enemy....myself

Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes,
So that when life fades as the fading sunset,
May my spirit come to you without shame.


I was hostile to the white man...We preferred hunting to a life of idleness on our reservations. At times we did not get enough to eat and we were not allowed to hunt. All we wanted was peace and to be let alone. Soldiers came...in the winter..and destroyed our villages. Then Long Hair (Custer) came...They said we massacred him, but he would have done the same to us. Our first impulse was to escape...but we were so hemmed in we had to fight. After that I lived in peace, but the government would not let me alone. I was not allowed to remain quiet. I was tired of fighting...They tried to confine me.. and a soldier ran his bayonet into me. I have spoken.

Crazy Horse - Sioux

Allahu Akbar!:allahuakbar:
PEACE!
 

IslamIsLight

Islam is my life
Staff member
Very interesting.I also had the question in mind many times about how the American Indians look alike to the muslims of south of Russia,or I mean those countries like Kirgichzstan,Kazachstan ,Turkmenistan.....We had a discussion with one of my muslim friends about this topic,and we were thinking why they look so alike?Then we thought that when Russia and Alaska were connected long time ago,sorry I'm really bad in history,thats when probably many people were going over to America and may be there is a chance that they are related.The american indians and the asian muslims.
May be somebody knows about it?I didn't find any information.But this was just our idea ,may be I'm wrong....
 

justoneofmillion

Junior Member
assalamu aleikum, i also have a letter called" the letter from chief seattle "chief stealth (seattle) was his reply to the request by governor stevens on behalf of the US governement for the purchase of 2 million acre land in 1854. it was delivered as oration and copied down from the original Duwamish. the land comprise a great city that now ironically bears the chiefs name! he had lived during a long periode of time among native american people and learned about the quality of their spiritual life! however the lette is kinda too longue so i will just choose the last few lines it goes something like this:
"how can you buy or sell the sky , the warmth of the land?the idea is strange to us if we do not owe the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water how can you buy them?..........................................................
i do not know our ways are different from yours , the sight of your cities pains the eyesof the red man, there is no quite place in the white man`s cities. no place to hear the unfurling of the leaves in spring or the rustle of the insects wings . the clatter only seems to insult the ears . And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whipoorwill or the arguements of the frogs around the pound at night! am a red man and i do not understand. The indian prefers thr soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pound and the smell of the wind itself cleansed by a middway rain, or scented with pinon pine.!
The air is prescious to the red man for all things share the same breath, the beast , the tree , the man , the white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. like a man dying for many days he is numb to stench. But if we sell you our land you must remember that the air is precious to us . the wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also recieves his last sigh.And if we sell you our land you must keep it apart and sacred as a place where even white man can go to taste the wind that is sweatened by the meadow flowers. You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grand fathers. so they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is our mother. whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. if men spits upon the groun he spits upon himself.

this we know the earth does not belong to men!......................

we may be brothers after all.we shall see one thing we know which the white man one day shall discover our God is the same God!

you may think that you owe him but you cannot!(yallah filestine)he is the God of men and his compassion is equal for the red and white man!

the white too shall pass perhaps sooner than all other tribes. contaminate your bed you will one night soffocate in your own waste.....


this destiny is a mistery to us for we do not understand when buffalos are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tame, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the sento of many men and the view of thehills blotted by talking wires:

where is the thicket? gone. where is the eagle? gone the end of living and the beggining of survival!" sounds familiar?:wink: cool they would have prevented global warming!!!!!!!!!:)


wassalam



SINDBAD
 

BlueFish

Junior Member
Asalamu alaykum,

I do like history alot, but i am only an artist not a history scholar, although it would be nice to get a history degree when i have time. But i do research and read books. Now about the relations of natives of america and people of asia, during the ice age (about 200,000 to 100,000 yrs ago) the people of the earth dispursed through out the world. Northeastern tip of Russia and what is today N. America's Alaska, were believed to be connected by glaciers, and that was the passage for people to migrate over. Please research the details more for yourself. I may be wrong about the time period. Yes, these people were spiritual. Also like you said, there are similar physical apearances between people of asia and natives of n. america. And yes, the native americans surely would be all for protecting the environment! The men of economical development are going to have none of that earth savin buisness, there is money to be made.

That was a nice piece that you posted brother justoneofamillion.

Here is some interesting historical notes i found. I don't know who the man is. He seems to know what he is talking about.
http://www.tony5m17h.net/iceciv.html

Shooter - Teton Sioux

All birds, even those of the same species, are not alike, and it is the same with animals and with human beings. The reason Wakan Tanka does not make two birds, or animals, or human beings exactly alike is because each is placed here by Wakan Tanka to be an independent individuality and to rely upon itself.

Shooter - Teton Sioux

QURAN
Surah 98 The Clear Proof, Evidence
7. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds,- they are the best of creatures.

PEACE!
 
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