The role of fatherhood, according to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as taught under the guidance and leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, is primarily a spiritual and moral responsibility and goes beyond the biological. A father is meant to be the head of his household, establishing a kingdom where God’s law, guidance, and respect are honored.

“To all the men who may be reading this: You can’t be a ‘father’ without God. You don’t know how to be a father or a husband without God. And as men, it has been our failure to submit to God that has weakened us in our ability to be a father or a husband.

When you rebel against God, you weaken your own power to provide a place for your wife, to provide a wholesome environment for your children,” said Minister Farrakhan during his message on “Father’s Day” on June 17, 2007, at the Life Center Church of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois.

In addition to being a provider and protector, providing a safe, wholesome environment for his wife and children, also his community and the society they live in, fathers or father figures’ role is to teach right from wrong and to set an upright example.

A father must instill in his children a strong love of self, spiritual discipline, and self-determination, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Farrakhan teach.

The important impact of fathers

For Brother Salih Muhammad, a student in the ministry at Mosque No. 27 in Los Angeles, it is important that fathers serve as strong role models. 

“At every point of my life, my father has been an example of a man whom I could admire and look up to. He has done it by living his life in harmony with the words he speaks—Islam. There’s nothing more valuable to me than a good example,” he said. His father is Student Minister Abdul Sabur Muhammad, of Muhammad Mosque No. 26 in Oakland.

“The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches us that a good father should be morally upright—one whom we can look to represent the correctness of God.  A good father passes along the knowledge of God and Self that we may help further the work of Muhammad,” added Bro. Salih.

Student Minister Willie Muhammad of Mosque No. 46 in New Orleans shared his journey of understanding and appreciation for his father’s influence.  He learned during his father’s speech at his fifth-grade graduation that his father had dropped out of high school and never wanted that for his son.

“I was the only child at that time, and so that’s what made him be so hard on me. Could he have been balanced? Yes. Could he have explained that to me, which would have made it a little bit more understandable? Definitely, but he didn’t, for whatever reason,” Student Min. Willie shared.

However, he explained that his father’s parenting style and approach began to help him.  “The foundation that he laid, as relates to stressing the importance of education, prevented me from dropping out of school,” he said.

He also discussed how his father’s absence during his teenage years, after his parents’ separation when he was 12, shaped his views on manhood and fatherhood. “I remember my uncle coming to me, saying, ‘You have to be the man of the family, now.’

I didn’t know what a man was. But if that’s what my mother needed, I’m going to be a man, so I went through my teenage years, chasing this false idea of what manhood was, from rap, music, TV, movies, males in my family, in my neighborhood.  So, you can imagine, I got a twisted view of what manhood was,” he reflected. 

That was until he was introduced to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad delivered through Minister Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, which helped him develop empathy and appreciation for his father.

Through Islam, self-improvement, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan talking about the experiences of Black people and what Black men deal with, Student Min. Willie said he began to look at life in his father’s shoes.

He learned recently that his dad’s father died when he was young, so he grew up in a family of three brothers with no head male figure as the authority or leader.  

“I began to start understanding that and listening to Minister Farrakhan and working on myself and understanding what our people have been through. It helped me to begin to start finding a place of compassion for my father, and I can remember the first time I told my father I loved him. It was Father’s Day, and I wrote it on a letter. …

I was in the Nation of Islam,” he shared.  He told his father that he held no grudges against him, that he appreciated what he had done for him, showing up every time he needed him.

Though he had seen his father since he sent the card, his father said nothing about it as he is not the most verbally expressive person, shared Student Minister Willie. However, he knew his father got it because of a friend who told him, “Your daddy read the letter.  He was showing it to everybody!”

“Fathers are not perfect, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be fathers. As Allah (God) says in the Holy Qur’an, lower the wing of humility to our parents, because they raised us,” he said.

Student Min. Willie also referenced the book of Exodus in the Bible, Chapter 20, verse 12, which “Honor your mother and father, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord, your God, gives you.”

Encouragement and engagement

Contrary to what is often portrayed in mainstream media narratives, Black fathers, based on statistics, are more involved in their children’s lives than other ethnic groups.  According to past research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Health Statistics Reports analyzed by the Sacramento, California-based Centers for Fathers and Families:

Black fathers (70%) who live with their children were most likely to have bathed, dressed, changed or helped their child everyday, compared with their White (60%) or Hispanic (45%) counterparts. In addition, Black fathers were more likely to eat meals with their children every day, to help with homework, and to take children to and from activities than White and Hispanic fathers.

Student Minister Jason Muhammad of Mosque No. 27 said that, growing up, he did not yet know Allah (God), but to him, his father, John Stradford, was the closest example of strength and authority he knew.

He carried himself as a strong man who believed deeply in discipline, accountability, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. He earned a master’s degree in education and made sure his children understood the value and importance of learning.

“I thank Allah for my father. I believe he was the best father he could be in a world where the enemy has worked tirelessly to destroy the Black man and weaken the Black family.  While my father had his challenges, he always found a way to provide for and care for his family,” Student Min. Jason stated.

“I remember times when my father would come to my school and personally introduce himself to my teachers and counselors so they would know he was actively involved in my education and paying close attention to my progress. Those actions left a lasting impression on me and showed how much he cared about my future,” added Student Min. Jason.

There were also times when he and his father did not see eye to eye, especially as he became aware of some of his father’s shortcomings and struggles, he reflected.

“However, I thank Allah for the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as represented to me by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, who taught me that regardless of the imperfections I may perceive in my parents, I should always honor my mother and father.

Today, I choose to remember my father with love, gratitude, and respect. I thank Allah for the sacrifices he made, the lessons he taught, and the foundation he helped establish in my life.”

Meanwhile, for those with or without a father present, Black men have been stepping up across the country to fill in the gap and to also shine a light on the critical role fathers play in the community.

In Maryland, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is hosting the Fathers’ Stroller Walk on June 18 at the Silburn Arboretum to encourage fathers to celebrate fatherhood and community. The event, announced recently with Councilman Perez Gray, aims to highlight the importance of community support and the role of fathers in family life.

In Chicago, The Dovetail Project, founded in 2009 by Sheldon Smith at age 21, planned to host its Relief on the Grove! to celebrate fathers on June 14. It includes free giveaway of essential household and personal care items. 

In Los Angeles, the March of Dads, now a national effort, is a signature event and movement organized by The Dad Gang, an organization dedicated to celebrating Black fatherhood.

Since its first march in 2018, the March of Dads has become one of the largest meetups for active Black fathers in the country. The public demonstration celebrates fatherhood, creates a safe space for dads to connect and build community, and directly challenges the misconception that most Black fathers are absent.

The event has grown into an annual multi-city tour, with stops in Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.