The Position of men and women

The following are notes recorded verb atum From our Leader and Teacher, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Relative to the position of men and women.

These are the words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I begin to quote:

"I have Sister Frances teaching the sisters, and seeing how they cook in the kitchen. I want to see what they have learned. I say you are in class to learn how to take care of home, cooking and taking care of your husbands. A man has no better heaven than a wife, and if he has no heaven there, there is no heaven. Heaven begins in the home. A man is like an ox trying to go out and pull a cart to get something to eat. Yet you will find some of our women will treat the ox better. She would give it a pat on the back. A wife's mind should be to console her husband's mind. We want to prepare better men and women to be wives and husbands. A Woman is the only heaven a man has. Our Saviour said this and said the woman must honor the man and must obey him. A man and woman are like twins before marriage and after marriage are one. Man and woman are part of each other, flesh and blood. Holy Quran states you are created one of each other. Saviour says, 'Brother we control the woman, we are the boss. If you want her to obey you, keep her in the house. If you don't keep her under control she is dangerous. We don't trust her. Satan ruins the woman. He does not want her shut in, but on display. She is hard to train. What is woman for? We got her to work for her and for her to console you. She is to do something in the way of making you feel good to go out tomorrow to work. Otherwise, man is outside looking for peace of mind. No man wants a woman home arguing with him. I'm telling you the truth. I know by experience. Man does not care if he satisfies her or not. He has no spirit for it. Woman, speak a good word for him. whether he works hard or not. Console him. Respect him. When we learn better, we should do better. Man should not wreck the peace of the home by arguing. He should tell her by not acting savage. Don't depart from each other without letting the other know. Be civilized in asking and telling. That's right acting. The man in Islam must change. We must treat her right and we must make her treat us right. Give her what she needs. Provide for her. Tell her if she wants to see what's out, I'll take you around. What does a wife look like telling her husband she has a right to go because he goes. The man always goes out looking as a provider for his wife and family. What does a man look like taking care of a woman who goes where she pleases. She should go where he pleases and it pleases him. Holy Quran teaches "one is an enemy to each other for they are divided". Keep up the happy spirit in the home. Again the woman is to be a consoler in every way; mends his clothes. She is to work to try to please you. Then you'll try to work to please her. This is for all of us.

Newly married and those who have been married. Islam is a peaceful religion. When you become one, one can be one. If you have to take away from one you must turn it into a fraction. If you have become one you should think in terms of one and work in the interest of one. Man and wife in Islam are one. She works to please her husband and he works to please her when he knows he has that kind of wife. God is one, the religion is one and man and wife are one. One and One. Woman must do her part as a wife. Birth children, nurse them and have a peaceful home. This is Islam. We were savages yesterday. Let us be civilized today. Birds show good examples of love toward each other. The worst hell is an icy spirit between husband and wife in a home where there is no peace, no love. This is hell, where two don't want each other. A wise human being who has vision should show more sense than that animal who has no vision. Then, God can smile saying I extend peace to them and they have peace. The Holy Quran states, "I have adjusted your affairs adjustable." And I say to you, nothing is more pleasing than to have peace at home daily. Holy Quran states if you can't get along, I permit you to divorce, but it is not the way of the Lord. Settle down to a good choice, settle down to one who will bring you peace and contentment. Don't speculate; if you can't get along, go. When you come to an agreement, don't pick up embers of it and throw it into a new disagreement. We must learn to live in peace or live out of it. A man and woman are made to make peace for each other, that makes peace for a nation. Woman must always submit and recognize man as the head. Even if the husband is a junky husband yet he is the man. By nature man can't submit to the woman. Holy Quran says woman has equal rights as he has rights over her, But these rights are defined. We are talking about rights now, not authority. Rights are not authority. Holy Quran says he is exalted over you. He is the sustainer over you. He is the authority and woman is subject to the authority. Love makes us humble to the law. If we love each we won't disagree. When you love someone, you love them for yourself. Its the woman who is the 2nd self. Man is the 1st self. When first life germ created in darkness it brought itself into being and became a light of himself and from himself he produced a sphere and mattered it into matter. How could man be a self light? We need that which gives off a light and the lightning bug is in their own light. The God did that to give you a sign. Jehovah made Moses' skin to shine. Electric is in the light and the light is part of us and we created that sun but the sun did not create us. We are self created. Since you can't find the end of light, you can't find the end of God. If you can't understand the source of light you can't understand the source of God. Thank you.

These are notes pertaining to the role between man and woman given by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in December, Nineteen hundred and sixty seven.