“He was a man who accepted responsibilities. A man with few words but reliable actions that his friends and his neighbors respected and cherished. A family man that loved providing for and protecting his family. And also a religious man that prayed often and acknowledged God often by saying, ‘the Good Master,’ ‘the Good Master.’ ”
The reversion of millions of Americans to the faith of their African Muslim forbears remains among our country’s world’s worst chronicled stories, ranking with U.S. new organizations’ Iraqi “weapons of mass destruction” debacle.
In African-American communities, hardly any family, regardless of its educational, economic or ethnic makeup, doesn’t have a member, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker or someone who knows someone who claims the label, Muslim.
Family reunions and Thanksgiving dinners find these Muslims of various backgrounds sharing with relatives and acquaintances of various Christian and other denominations, including those claiming no particular denomination.
These families’ ongoing reconciliation with their own — and the larger community’s — various faith paths and practices is another remarkable, yet largely unremarked upon, American story.
These nuances were underscored again in Muqtaddir Muhammad’s eulogy for his father, the late Leonard Spate, Sr.:
“As people of God, whatever things we start or whatever things we do, we should always mention God’s name first to the utmost or to the uppermost and last but not least to the furthermost.
“As Muslims we begin everything with God’s name. We say with the name of Allah, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer.
“To our Christian family, we would like to say, we love you and we hope you love us too. And may our love for each other permeate or spread from wall to wall, then penetrate these walls, and our united love pour into the local towns and then flow through national cities, and continue to spread to the global communities and transcend or leap into the outer regions of the universe.
“I did not come here to preach or teach. As Muslims we respect and protect every Holy House that worships the Oneness of God.
“We have a minister, a religious man of God, and I am quite sure his enlightened eulogy would probably have all of us speaking in tongues with different interpretation but a better understanding.
“So, why is there so much turmoil and turbulence in the world? When all of the scriptures of God or Books are totally and completely in agreement. When all of the prophets are connected in a chain of fraternity or brotherhood.
“As Christians you have a beautiful or excellent expression when you say ‘Our righteous acts are like filthy rags before the Lord.’
“As Muslims we say that God does not look at our physical appearance but He looks at our heart.
“So, let our love embrace each other and pour into one cup of interfaith, one cup of understanding and one cup of peace. And let the worship of one God be our common bond.
“We should be just like two rivers finding their way to the sea. Or two eyes with one vision or one focus.
“Again, why is there so much turmoil and turbulence in the world? Because we are divided, deceived and separated by a common enemy. You Christians call him the devil or Lucifer, and we Muslims call him Iblis or Shaitan, the same arch enemy that divided, deceived and separated our parents of the human race Adam and Eve.
“You know our father just like your parent. He was a man who accepted responsibilities. A man with few words but reliable actions that his friends and his neighbors respected and cherished. A family man that loved providing and protecting his family. And also a religious man that prayed often and acknowledged God often by saying, ‘the Good Master,’ ‘the Good Master.’
“We as family members dropped many tears, but one of sadness and one of joy. The tear of sadness is the departure of his love and the absence of his presence on Earth. The tear of joy his ascent and sojourn to the heavenly abode, a journey we all must take in the present future.
“But we pray and hope that God’s Mercy and Grace would intercept his spirit as well as our hopes and prayers.
“And may God say, ‘This is My Faithful Servant that called me Good Master while on Earth. I remember him and yes I Am what I Am, The Good Master. So enter my Pearly Gate, enter My Paradise.’
“Thank you. May God guide us all to a path that is straight.”
Muqtaddir Muhammad’s eulogy for his father was delivered Monday, July 20, 2009, at the Palms West Funeral Home in Royal Palm Beach Florida.
Leonard Spate, Jr., a World War II veteran, was buried with military honors, at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, in Lake Worth, FL.
From his printed obituary:
“Leonard Spate Sr. was born on October 26, 1927 to the late Mr. Kelly and Mrs. Winnie Spate. He was the oldest of seven children.
“Leonard attended school in Jenkins, Georgia. He was enlisted in the Army and later became a World War II veteran. In 1947, he was honorably discharged in Tallahassee, Florida, where he met, fell in love, and wed Naomi Tyson.
“In 1954, Leonard and his family moved to Newark, NJ. He was gainfully employed as a construction laborer of Local 472 where he worked on numerous roads and bridges. He retired in 1989. Soon after in 1998, he relocated back to West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Leonard was a kind and humble man and believed in the ‘Good Master.’ He was known for helping others in the community such as fund raising in the religious community and also a transportation aide to the local supermarket. He and his wife were foster parents and ‘second parents’ to children in the community who also participated in family outings and gatherings.
“Leonard is survived by his wife Naomi of 61 years. From their union, they had seven children: Baseemah Muhammad, the late Kelly Spate, Salahuddin Muhammad, the late Siddiq (Ocie) Muhammad, Muqtaddir Muhammad, Walida Muhammad, and Carol Spate. To which he and Naomi joined to their union six adoptive children: Isaiah, Dorothy (Dottie), Samad, Tanya, DaJohn, and Elijah. He also raised two nieces, Margie and Mildred; and two nephews, James and Austin.
“Leonard also leaves twenty-one grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren.
“Leonard leaves to cherish his memory: his sister, Lillian Boston; two brothers-in-law; four sisters-in-law; host of nieces and nephews, and a community of friends.”
“He was a man who accepted responsibilities. A man with few words but reliable actions that his friends and his neighbors respected and cherished. A family man that loved providing for and protecting his family. And also a religious man that prayed often and acknowledged God often by saying, ‘the Good Master,’ ‘the Good Master.’ ”
[Read more →]
(More I21 from The Coastal Star)