Just in case anyone was wondering if membership in the Moorish Science Temple of America (herein referred to as MSTA) is open to any and everyone…
While many meetings are open to the general public, taking up membership in the MSTA and proclaiming your nationality is specifically designed for those described in ACT 6 of our Divine Constitution.
Act 6.—With us all members must proclaim their nationality and we are teaching our people their nationality and their divine creed that they may know that they are a part and a partial of this said government, and know that they are not Negroes, Colored Folks, Black People, or Ethiopians, because these names were given to slaves by slave holders in 1779 and lasted until 1865 during the time of slavery, but this is a new era of time now, and all men now must proclaim their free national name to be recognized by the government in which they live and the nations of the earth, this is the reason why Allah the great God of the universe ordained Noble Drew Ali, the Prophet to redeem his people from their sinful ways. The Moorish Americans are the descendants of the ancient Moabites who inhabited the North Western and South Western shores of Africa.
Visually, this truth can be easily seen within the ranks of the MSTA membership in the past while the Prophet was alive.
Check this video out for more information on the Negro Acts and Black Codes:
For further understanding on this matter I submit “Prophet Drew Ali Speaks To The Nations” which was published in the Moorish Guide newspaper and written by the Prophet in 1928.
PROPHET DREW ALI SPEAKS TO THE NATIONS
If you have race pride and love your race, join the Moorish Science Temple of America and become a part of this Divine Movement, then you will have power to redeem your race because you will know who you are, and your forefathers were. Because where there is unity there is strength. "Together we stand, divided we fall."
Come, good people, because I, the Prophet, sent to redeem this nation from mental slavery which you have now, need every one of you who think that your condition can be better. This is a field open to strong men and women to uplift the nation and take your place in the affairs of men.
If the Europeans and other nations are helping me, why not you. It is your problem. The Negro problem is being solved only as it can, and that is by the Moorish National Divine Movement. If you have a nation you must have a free national name in order to be recognized by this nation as an American citizen. This is what was meant when it said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all these things would be added unto you."
BY THE PROPHET.
September 28, 1928
I also recommend these verses from the Divine Warning by the Prophet for the Nations, which was also published in the Moorish Guide and written by the Prophet. I recommend reading the entire Divine Warning later on to fully understand the context, as I will be highlighting a few verses here with my commentary in parenthesis.
A DIVINE WARNING BY THE PROPHET FOR THE
NATIONS
“I, the Prophet, was prepared by the Great God Allah to warn my people to repent from their sinful ways and go back to that state of mind to their forefathers Divine and National principles (The Prophet is warning his people to repent from their “sinful ways”, which he further clarifies as clinging to labels deluding to slavery, in other words negro, black, and colored) that they will be law abiders and receive their divine right as citizens, according to the free national constitution that was prepared for all free national beings. They are to claim their own free national name and religion. (In chapter 48 of the Holy Koran of the MSTA the Prophet clarifies what our “own free national name and religion” is. More on that later, however he explicitly states that “we are returning the Church and Christianity back to the European Nations...while we, the Moorish Americans are returning to Islam.”) There is but one issue for them to be recognized by this government and of the earth and it comes only through the connection of the Moorish Divine National Movement, which is incorporated in this government and recognized by all other nations of the world. And through it they and their children can receive their Divine rights, unmolested by other citizens that they can cast a free national ballot at the polls under the free national constitution of the States Government and not under a granted privilege as has been the existing condition for many generations.
(From these words it is obvious that the Prophet is speaking on a remedy for systems plaguing his people such as the Black Christian Codes, which were created to restrict the education, economic, political and movement of those misnomered negro, black, and colored.)
...I need all support from all true American citizens of the United States of America. Help me to save my people who have fallen from the constitutional laws of the government. I am depending on your support to get them back to the constitutional fold again that they will learn to love instead of hate, and will live according to Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice, supporting our free national constitution of the United States of America.
I love my people and I desire their unity and mine back to their own free National and Divine standard because day by day they have been violating the national and constitutional laws of their government by claiming names and principles that are unconstitutional. (In other words claiming negro, black and colored labels) If Italians, Greeks, English, Chinese, Japanese, Turks, and Arabians are forced to proclaim their free national name and religion before the constitutional government of the United States of America, it is no more than right that the law should be enforced upon all other American citizens alike. (The distinction is made between the Prophet’s people, i.e. Moorish Americans, and the other nationalities because they all have a line of descent, their own culture and religion and fall under constitutional rights that the Prophet’s people lacked.)
In all other governments when a man is born and raised there and asked for his national descent name and if he fails to give it. He is misused, imprisoned, or exiled. Any group of people that fail to answer up to the constitutional standards of law by name and principles, because to be a citizen of any government you must claim your national descent name. Because they place their trust upon issue and names formed by their forefathers.”
There is no hatred at all in the Prophet’s message. While the spiritual lessons are for humanity in general, he had a specific mission to help his people, who are clearly defined as those misnomered negro, black, and colored, because they fell away from Allah and were clinging to labels deluding to slavery. "There is no one who is able to change man from the descendant nature of his forefathers". "With us" members can proclaim their nationailty because they must "know that they are not Negroes, Colored Folks, Black People or Ethiopians, because these names were given to slaves by slave holders in 1779 and lasted until 1865"
In Chapter XLVII (47), verses 9 – 13 of the Holy Koran of the MSTA it states the following:
"According to all true and divine records of the human race there is no negro, black, or colored race attached to the human family, because all the inhabitants of Africa were and are of the human race, descendants of the ancient Canaanite nation from the holy land of Canaan.
What your ancient forefathers were, you are today without doubt or contradiction.
There is no one who is able to change man from the descendant nature of his forefathers; unless his power extends beyond the great universal Creator Allah Himself.
(In other words, Europeans cannot join and proclaim their nationality because the proclaiming of nationality was to help his people who had fallen and no longer knew their line of descent define who they were so that they could join the human family and the family of nations.)
These holy and divine laws are from the Prophet, Noble Drew Ali, the founder of the uniting of the Moorish Science Temple of America.
These laws are to be strictly preserved by the members of all the Temples, of the Moorish Science Temple of America.
(Some misguided people are attempting to twist the Prophet’s words. The laws are clearly cut and to be strictly preserved, not erased or altered to fix the whims and desires of those who do not agree.)
That they will learn to open their meeting and guide it according to the principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice."
Finally, I recommend reading chapter 48, the final chapter in the Holy Koran of the MSTA. Below I have a few verses with my commentary in parenthesis.
Chapter XLVIII (48)
THE END OF TIME AND THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHESIES
Verse one: "The last Prophet in these days is Noble Drew Ali, who was prepared divinely in due time by Allah to redeem men from their sinful ways; and to warn them of the great wrath which is sure to come upon the earth." (It is signified here that his message is universal, for all men, just as all Prophets before him.)
Verses six - eleven:
"We, as a clean and pure nation descended from the inhabitants of Africa, do not desire to amalgamate or marry into the families of the pale skin nations of Europe. Neither serve the gods of their religion, because our forefathers are the true and divine founders of the first religious creed, for the redemption and salvation of mankind on earth.
(This is laid out in our Holy Koran as law for us because marrying into the families of the pale skin nations of Europe and converting to their religions and customs has hastened our own downfall. It is unsustainable for our nation if we wish to be successful. A clear line is drawn.)
Therefore we are returning the Church and Christianity back to the European Nations, as it was prepared by their forefathers for their earthly salvation.
(Christianity is for the Europeans, meaning the nationality card which declares you a Moorish American Moslem under the “Divine Laws of the Holy Koran of Mecca” is not meant for the descendants of Europeans.)
While we, the Moorish Americans are returning to Islam, which was founded by our forefathers for our earthly and divine salvation.
(As stated above, it does not get any clearer than that. On our nationality card it says the following: “This is your Nationality and Identification Card for the Moorish Science Temple of America and Birthrights for the Moorish Americans. I do hereby declare that you are a Moslem under the Divine Laws of the Holy Koran of Mecca.”)
The covenant of the great God-Allah: "Honor they father and they mother that thy days may be longer upon the earth land, which the Lord thy God, Allah hath given thee!"
Come all ye Asiatics of America and hear the truth about your nationality and birthrights, because you are not negroes. Learn of your forefathers ancient and divine Creed. That you will learn to love instead of hate.
(Very clear statement of who this movement is for. This is reiterated in the last chapter of our Holy Koran for a reason. This cannot be twisted or overlooked. A key component of this Moorish Divine and National Movement is getting our people out of the “black” status that was specifically created to take advantage of and enslave them. Our people are classed as undesirables. This is the sole salvation for our people.)
We are trying to uplift fallen humanity. Come and link yourselves with the families of nations. We honor all the true and divine prophets."
(Return to family of nations. This is not a universal problem. There are specific people suffering from this condition in their own homeland. The spiritual lessons are universal, but membership in the MSTA and subsequent correction of your understanding of your heritage, customs, and religion are specifically for the so-called negro, black, and colored people in America. Those people do not know who they are and their condition needs to be corrected. Now it would be wrong for us to force our customs, ways and religion on other people. That would be returning the same crime which was committed to our ancestors on Europeans. We are not here to obliterate their history and lie to tell them that they are Moors and that their true religion is Islam. They do not need to return to the human family. Their ancestors already took care of that a long time ago. Christianity was adopted by the European nations in the fourth century at the Council of Nicea. More specifically, in 380 when Emperor Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which established Christianity as the official state religion, that is to say the faith established by the Council of Nicaea earlier in 325. Once they universally agreed upon their own spiritual system they were able to partake in the family of nations. Once again, as the Prophet stated in this chapter, “we are returning the Church and Christianity back to the European Nations… while we, the Moorish Americans are returning to Islam.”)
Well wishers and sympathizers are welcomed to assist in whatever capacity they are able however, we are not deeming those who have not had their nationality and LINE OF DESCENT stripped from them Moors! Some people may want to include everyone in membership but it goes directly against the Prophet's words in our Koran.
Once again Act 6 states plainly who the movement is aimed at and also who the membership is to be comprised of. It is for the so-called negro. If anyone does not agree with this, just be aware that you are attempting to remix what the Prophet brought and start your own thing. Actually, that is fine, go right ahead but do not get things twisted. You have examples of Moors who played around with their jazz buddies and started the Moorish Orthodox Church in the past. That is not what the Prophet Noble Drew Ali or the forerunner to the Prophet, Marcus Mosiah Garvey were about at all!
Sources:
Moorish Guide article PROPHET DREW ALI SPEAKS TO THE NATIONS
Divine Constitution and By Laws of the Moorish Science Temple of American
Moorish Guide article A DIVINE WARNING BY THE PROPHET FOR THE NATIONS
Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America Chapter 47 and 48
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Europe