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Writer's pictureBrother Rasul

How to Avoid Being Dumbfounded

Most of our people would take offense to being told that their mode of communication, with emphasis on speech, is a major indication that characterizes them as being ‘dumbfounded’. Please, if characteristics and descriptions of a state of dumbfoundedness begin to irritate or even offend you, it is absolutely not the intent of this writing.


Just this morning, as I was reflecting on the condition that the Bible gives as a description of our people, which is mentally dead and particularly evidenced in our being mentally and spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb to the knowledge of ourself, our God, and proper way to live, I thought to myself that I should look up the word ‘dumb’. I took for granted that the word ‘dumb’ simply implied ignorance, which is a person that habitually ignores truth (evidence) that is before them. However, when looking at the Biblical description of a people’s condition, blind and deaf seemed readily understandable; but dumb I found has to do with speech. A ‘dumb’ person is not necessarily ignorant in my mind. A ‘dumb’ person is descriptive primarily of the inability to speak clearly in past, future, present and perfect tense. So, when we are ‘dumbfounded’ there are two main attributes exhibited in our expression. One of them is ‘astonishment’ and the other is ‘amazement’. With the thought in mind that dumb has to do with mentally or intellectually being caught by surprise, this brings to mind the saying “like a deer being caught in headlights” (smile). Please, don’t take offense. I think we all have been caught ‘dumbfounded’ at some point in our life or in everyday occurrences. In this post, I’d like to see how we might avoid this most embarrassing state of being which may have already made us, in those moments, become the cause of unnecessary ridicule.


Review these words from the Supreme Wisdom of our Teacher and Founder of the Nation of Islam, Master Fard Muhammad and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad: “No man can be Successful in Teaching a People that cannot speak, clearly, the People’s Language.” Studies will show that we cannot even maintain good relationships if we do not speak well to and with one another. The Holy Qur’an in Surah 96 “The Clot” is where the first Revelation or command from ALLAH (God) is mentioned to Muhammad and that was to “Read in the name of thy Lord who creates--- Creates man from a clot, Read and thy Lord is most Generous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not.” (HQ 96:1-5). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was illiterate at the time 1400 years ago. However, the first command of ALLAH to His Prophet was to READ, But read in the name of thy Lord. This means with the help of Almighty God ALLAH.


This clearly indicates that the command to read is also a command to consider the message and instruction of God that is coming into the mind and thinking of His Servant. The attribute of God described as “gracious” is found here to be shown because the Prophet could not read. Reading is ‘interpreting’ not just print writings, but it is a faculty of the human brain in the very thinking process itself. So it makes sense that the first Revelation from ALLAH to His Servant is to ‘read’ and since ALLAH, according to the Holy Qur’an, is said to be closer to man that his own jugular vein, then the command of God to ‘read’ at this point is not written on paper; instead, it is written on the mind and heart of the person. This form of reading is what the mind does when INSPIRED. So, Revelation can be understood also as Inspiration, which can help us to see how we can and should inspire each other in all of our interpersonal relationships when speaking to one another. Again, as human beings it is easy to detect on a tone scale the effect of what we say and discuss with each other from the quality of the response.


The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said that the highest frequency of communication is when we’re speaking on ALLAH and His Word. So, this is why the remembrance of ALLAH is truly the Greatest Force because it is a force that lifts your spirit, most noted in the frequency of communication. It elevates your mood from a negative one to a positive, creative one. Mood speaks to attitude and of course, your attitude will determine your altitude (smile). When we become dumbfounded in any kind of interpersonal relationship, that relationship can become susceptible to being taken over or seduced by someone or something else.

Please let us practice greater consideration of our speech. Improvement of our speech is a sign of resurrection from the Biblical description of blind, deaf and dumb into a communication with ALLAH (God) and with each other. To Be Continued… 😇


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