DIMENSIONS OF MOORISH SCIENCE

An Aid to Guidance
What is Moorish Science? In the Library of Congress of the Moorish League, there is a
video of Supreme Grand Sheik P !avis "# speaking on the sub$ect %&re Moorish'
&mericans (ea# Mos#ems?% In this video, avai#ab#e through the #oan system, the Grand
Sheik )ho represents MS* of & +o ,, the origina# *emp#e in Chicago, compares
Moorish Science and Is#am from an officia# %orthodo-% Moorish Science perspective We
thought it )ou#d be usefu# to a#so address the .uestion of Moorish Science and re#igion
from the +e) Current perspective as )e## We most humb#y undertake this task for the
benefit of a## +ob#e moors and those seeking *ruth
Part 1: Moorish Science and Religious Systems
A. Moorish Sources. Within Moorish Science, there are concepts )hich have been
defined in the .uestionnaire and in numerous speeches by Moorish #eaders, some of
)hich are avai#ab#e in )riting and audio'visua# cassettes Chapter ///0 in the 12,
1o#y Instructions from the Prophet'(e#igion consists of thirty verses3 and there are many
other verses regarding re#igion and the spiritua# path in the 1o#y 2oran that are
interre#ated and present a consistent teaching on this sub$ect
B. Islam. *he re#igion brought by Prophet Muhammad, based upon the 1o#y 4ur5an and
traditions of the prophet is practiced by eight bi##ion persons of a## races and nationa#ities
*his faith is based on the revea#ed &rabic scripture and the practices demonstrated by
Prophet Muhammad )ere not transmitted to the +6*SMS, and are genera##y not
practiced by Moorish'&mericans un#ess they make an individua# decision to become an
orthodo- %Mus#im% 1o)ever, many princip#es ' such as kno)#edge and attributes of
&LL&1 ' did enter Moorish Science so that its adherents )ere ca##ed %Mos#ems% In fact,
)henever a faith enters a ne) cu#ture, it takes a different form Many Moors have chosen
to fo##o) orthodo- Is#am )hi#e retaining their free nationa# name and pursuing the
Moorish %+ationa#% program It is possib#e to be#ong to both temp#e and mos.ue 7e)
persons have studied sufficient#y to grasp the rea#ity of the Moorish Science faith, )hich
+ob#e !re) &#i ca##ed the re#igion of %Is#amism% to distinguish it from %Is#am%
C. Black Muslims. *hose of this movement, )hich has its roots in the MS* of &, use
more of the &rabic termino#ogy to appear to be orthodo- Mus#ims *hose )ho )ent )ith
Warithuddin Muhammad certain#y are, )hi#e for the most part those under Minister
7arrakhan do not practice Is#am in the universa# manner and in no )ay appro-imate
Moorish Science *his is more of a po#itica# and nationa# movement, and fa##s short of
many !ivine teachings of +ob#e !re) &#i *herefore a Moorish'&merican cou#d not in
good faith participate in this organi8ation )hich refers to humans as %b#ack% and %)hite%
and does not emphasi8e the need to #earn to #ove instead of hate
D. Christianity. *he origins of Christianity )hich are discussed in Chapter 9: of the 12,
are comp#e- *hough ;esus is the centra# figure of the 12, he is in no )ay teaching the
re#igion of (ome, but rather in the above'mentioned chapter, !re) &#i has %returned% the
church to (ome ;esus meets )ith Masters of many #ands and both instructs them and is
instructed by them Said instructions form the foundations of the true Moorish Science,
and can be said to encompass therefore a## re#igions Christians are #imited, for the most
part, because they take the +a8arene to be the e-c#usive master and savior for a## the
times and c#imes &s )e kno), &LL&1 has b#essed every +ation )ith a messenger &s
)e #ive in a Christian society, it )ou#d be most difficu#t to participate in a church as a
Moorish'&merican, e-cept for the mystica# teaching as e-pressed in the Moorish
6rthodo- Church
E. Mysticism. *here is at the core of every faith, the inner )isdom often referred to as
mysticism In *ruth, Moorish Science embodies the mystic tradition and can best be
re#ated to &+< re#igion by comparing it in the favorab#e #ight of its mystic core *his is
the 2"< discovered by the 7ounders of the +ob#e 6rder, and the concept fo##o)ed in the
Moorish +e) Current In Is#am, the mystic path is referred to as the S=7I path, and
beyond a## forms and ritua#s, moorish Science can best be identified )ith the Sufi
tradition of Is#am *hat is )hy, in its >nd and ?rd "pochs, the name of the +ob#e 6rder
)as changed to the +ob#e 6rder of Mystic Sufis, and the Sufi symbo# of the )inged heart
)as adopted and by permission given to Sharif @ey from Pir Musharraf 2han and to
1akim @ey by Pir Wi#ayat Inayat 2han *hese masters )ere of the Sufi 6rder of the
West, )hich a#igns itse#f by its teachings )ith Moorish Science, even more than the
traditiona# Is#amic Sufi 6rders With a due undertanding and appreciation of mysticism
and )ith initiation and guidance, a Moorish'&merican cou#d certain#y participate in the
practices of any mystica# community, especia##y a Sufi order &s in a## such matters, it is
)ise to receive guidance from the +ob#e 6rder
F. Eastern Systems. 7or the most part, the mystica# path in a## of the "astern faiths are
very beneficia# to pursue for persona# deve#opment Many of the masters of the Secret
@rotherhood )ere from these traditions, such as those of the @uddhist, Sikh and 1indu
&mong the Sikhs, for e-amp#e, is the path of Sant Mat that brings one to the sound
current *here are many practices of <oga, such as hatha yoga, )hich bui#d the physica#
body through meditation, and chanting & true seeker )ho e-periences the Presence of
&LL&1 )i## have a mystica# e-perience of *he *ruth under the masters of these systems
*hey se#dom re.uire membership and provide a peacefu# atmosphere to go deep#y )ithin
G. Masonry. Masonic Science is a#igned )ith Moorish Science in its basic conceptions
and kno)#edge of the !ivine Masonry has been a tremendous force in our +ation and is
respected, )ithout the #imitations of re#igious dogma 1o)ever, as in a## things, it is the
spiritua# and esoteric understanding of Masonry a#one that has appea# and va#idity in the
houses of Moorish Science Initiation into Masonic degrees fo##o)ed by serious study of
the mystica# understandings through appropriate channe#s cou#d on#y be he#pfu# to the
Moorish'&merican
Moorish Science encompasses a## systems of spiritua#ity and esoteric sciences *he &dept
Chamber is the proper p#ace in the *emp#e for co##ective consideration of the various
paths of kno)#edge and their connection )ith Moorish Science *he #eaders of the +ob#e
6rder have a#)ays encouraged its members to undertake the *rave#s of the +a8arene and
to discover the tru#y =niversa# .ua#ity of Moorish Science *he same is being e-tended
through the Moorish League a#ong )ith advancement on the Sufi paths
- Sheik Rafi Sharif Ali Bey,
Honorable Past Regent ML