May 19, 1925.

On his birthday, just a little after the clock turns past midnight, I watch Malcolm X, and then I perform two rakat as du3a2 on his soul.

Alex Haley wrote His implacable marshaling of facts and his logic had something of a new dialectic, diabolic in its force.

El-Hajj, is the masculine title given to those who perform the annual pilgrimage.
Malik, is the Arabic word for king, and also one of the 99 names of God.
El-Shabazz, also Arabic and broken down as sh’ab, which is a people, and azz, the root of which is ‘-z-z, with Arab connotations meaning mighty / noble / respected / precious. (Source: The Beautiful Names of Allah, Richard wahiduddin Shelquist.)

El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz; the pilgrim king of a mighty, noble, respected, and precious people.

There has been no one since you left us.

Today, I am grateful for:
1. Alex Haley. Thank you for The Autobiography. (Which every single person ought to read. Which should be made compulsory reading in all high schools literally across this world.)
2. Spike Lee. Thank you for making the movie.
3. Denzel Washington. No one else could have portrayed him. Thank you.

Ottawa | May 19, 2019

Comments closed.