photos by Hannibal Muhammad
Ebony S. Muhammad: Many don’t know that the #FTA100 Ceremony is not the first time the Farrakhan Twitter Army has been acknowledged for their hard work with spreading the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s words via social media. The FTA hosted a record breaking Tweet Up at the Holy Day of Atonement in Tuskegee in 2013. You were the host at that event as well and it was the desire to have the Minister address the FTA, but he was not able to make it.
How did this #FTA100 Awards Ceremony actually come about along with the confirmation of Minister Farrakhan to give the “State of the Tweet Union” address?
Brother Jesse Muhammad: This event was inspired by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. For the last several years he’s had the desire to salute and honor those who have been working so hard to spreading his message via social media. He wanted to do it, but time was conflicting. However, now he said that he did not want Saviours’ Day to pass without that happening. So here we are now and we had the chance to partner with Mosque Flow, our brothers from Austin with their wonderful designs of the first FTA lapel Twitter bird pin. They have made the special #FTA100 lapel pin. So the Minister is excited, we’re excited.
Of course to get confirmation that he would be with us is one of the most exciting parts of this, because the awards are good, honoring us is good, the hashtag is great but to have the Minister give up his time and his presence to us is an absolute blessing. We’re excited!
Ebony S. Muhammad: Absolutely! Thank you sir, and see you at the awards ceremony!
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Next I had the honor of speaking with the Mosque Flow family, Brothers Jeffrey (Father), Ahmad and Maajid (sons) about how they found out Minister Farrakhan would be speaking to the #FTA100. Here’s what they shared!
Brother Jeffrey B. Muhammad: I received a call from Brother Jesse. He said, “Bruh, I just talked to Minister Farrakhan”. The Minister relayed to Brother Jesse he was concerned that he had never had the opportunity to properly honor or give tribute to the work of the Farrakhan Twitter Army. So he asked Brother Jesse, “What can I do to honor them?” On 10.10.15, we had given the Minister a custom jewelry box with the FTA Twitter bird pins, and Brother Jesse reminded the Minister about them. The Minister said, “Yes brother! I was just thinking about those the other day! As a matter of fact, that’s it! That’s it Brother Jesse, that’s what we’ll do!” Brother Jesse was kind of like, “What Brother Minister?” The Minister told Brother Jesse, “We are going to, at Saviours’ Day, honor the top 100 Farrakhan Twitter Army members for the work they’ve done.”
So of course Brother Jesse is super excited about it. He immediately calls me and relays the information. So that’s how we found out about how this was going to come to be, by Allah’s grace.
Ahmad Muhammad: I found out when we (pointing to his brother Maajid) were at college. He (Brother Jeffrey) said, “Ahmad, I have to tell you something, but we have to wait until after class!” So I waited, and it was actually my birthday – I turned 18. So I get into the car and he said, “The Minister wants to award the top 100 in the Farrakhan Twitter Army at Saviours’ Day”! I was like this is the best birthday gift ever (Laughs)! I was beyond excited and I was thinking it’s the Minister so you have to deliver and give it 100 percent when it comes to him.
Maajid Muhammad: How it happened with me was at the college we go to we work at the bookstore. While we’re working I see my dad come in, and he asked the manager if I could come out for a little bit, but it ended up being 30 minutes. So when I went out I had no idea what he was going to say. I thought maybe it was going to be about the pins, because he told me he got a call from Brother Jesse. He started to tell me the whole story about how the Minister wanted to honor the top 100 members of the Farrakhan Twitter Army. I was just syked! I just went back into the bookstore and I was smiling the whole day.
Ebony S. Muhammad: So what has the preparation for this event been like for you all; from organizing to ordering to making sure it comes together the way you envision it?
Ahmad Muhammad: I think the main thing that our dad likes to press on us for preparing for such a big event is perfection, because it has to be perfect at the end of the day. So we would work for hours trying to figure out everything. I remember the design process that took days and weeks; we had so many drafts saved. It was an experience where you have to be in to win it. You just have to be there in the moment.
Maajid Muhammad: Out of all those drafts we had, Brother Rashad Muhammad out of Austin, Texas; he was the one who helped us design, the SD, where we replaced the God with the Twitter bird. So we had all of these drafts and we never thought of this particular design and he was like, “That’s it brother, right there!”
Ahmad Muhammad: It was slightly different, it started as a square. So we took both designs that we had and put them together.
Ebony S. Muhammad: Awesome!
Along with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement, of course, how will it feel seeing most of the 100 honorees wearing the #FTA100 pins as well as everyone who is excited about the business and the brand? Have you all thought about that aspect?
Jeffrey B. Muhammad: It’s unreal! Surreal, unreal, unbelievable! First it’s a tremendous honor for Mosque Flow to even have this opportunity, and we so intensely thank the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for this blessings and to Brother Jesse Muhammad for really being the forefront of the brand and getting the word out there.
To see the reaction [online first] of all of the honorees; they’re the Farrakhan Twitter Army so when they got their email from Brother Jesse, Twitter just blew up (laughs)! Thankfully Brother Jesse is still alive (laughs) because of the couple days of the emails getting to them. It’s just been a remarkable time. It’s almost hard to put in words. We’re just honored and thankful. To be able to see it come into fruition where all of the brothers and sisters who have been putting in that work, who have always been on deck, who have been sharing the Minister’s words ever since he’s been on social media; actually prior to that because the Farrakhan Twitter Army has been on social media a long time. So when the Minister came on [social media] just really exploded.
Mosque Flow’s purpose has always been to inspire and to give that experience; we call it the Mosque Flow experience. When our client base receives something from Mosque Flow, we intend for it to be the best and to touch and reflect the lifestyle that we come to, which is Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Ahmad Muhammad: For me it’s new ground at Saviours’ Day to walk around with a product and people know it and they know you. It’s kind of surprising. Anyone that we sell something to we want them to take a picture. So we posted a picture with me and some brothers from NU World and the caption read, “NU World X Mosque Flow”, because everyone is together on everything.
Another brother I met today said, “I saw y’all on Twitter! I gotta get the black one, it’s modern and nice”. It’s good to know the people appreciate what you do and you can give back to them. I bought his CD right after that. I’ve heard his music before, so it’s just a good way to connect with businesses with like minds intending to push the Nation [Of Islam] forward.
Maajid Muhammad: Ever since the Minister announced that he wanted to honor the #FTA100, over and over we’ve been discussing the magnitude of the event and I’ve probably said this about a hundred times now but I think I understand the magnitude (laughs). Now it’s rising up. Whenever there is a new announcement or when we are on a conference call with Brother Jesse about what the Minister is thinking about, it just rises up.
Our father was talking to us about this that after 76 trillion years, right here and now this is happening. We’re just so humbled and glad that Brother Jesse has done this for all of us. All Praise Is Due To Allah!
Jeffrey B. Muhammad : So tonight we have the #FTA100 being honored and Sunday we’ll have the FTA 10,000 tweeting and sharing the Minister words. While there are few selected for the #FTA100, it’s the broader body and we’re all inclusive.
Ebony S. Muhammad: All Praise Is Due To Allah! Thank you for sharing all of the background to this event and what it means to you. We are moments away and I know you all have a lot of last minute touch ups to do. I’ll see you on the inside!
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Soon after the awards ceremony I caught up with Brother Jesse Muhammad for his reaction to seeing the FTA100 being awarded and hearing the words of Minister Farrakhan. I also spoke with Mosque Flow to ask the same and here’s what they said!
Ebony S. Muhammad: What was it like looking into the faces of the #FTA100 and giving out the awards? What did you think about the Minister’s “State of the Tweet Union” address?
Brother Jesse Muhammad: Giving out the awards: All I could think about was that everybody knows how to appreciate their own and sometimes we fail in doing that. So to look at the faces of everybody and the excitement and joy and the crowd applauded for them as they were coming up, it reminded me of what the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that “Your brothers’ and sisters’ success is your success”. So it was as if we were ALL winning.
I loved the fact that we were honoring those who promoted OUR brand, a platform that the Minister inspired us to create, so while everybody is talking about these other awards shows WE have our own so you can’t beat that.
The Minister’s words: I’m just in awe. Of course we never know what Allah is going to bless him to say. His words were so on point, it pinched a nerve, it moved me to tears several times, but I also believe it penetrated us to want to work hard and not get comfortable. He said that the reward doesn’t really come until the work is done. He said more rewards are to come. So this is just a start. We thank the Minister. If he’s happy, I’m happy.
Ebony S. Muhammad: Did you see how big his smile was?!
Brother Jesse Muhammad: Man…YES!!!
His words were so deep, I believe it shows the forward thinking of the God, the Teacher of his Teacher, that They had to have seen this happening. That this man during this time would need these tools to go inside the nook of the nook and the cranny of the cranny that he’s already been. I believe that years down the line they’ll be talking about what Farrakhan did on social media. So If I got one pinky toe print to help in that and all of us, All Praise Is Due To Allah.
I want to say congratulations to all of the honorees and congratulations to everyone who has utilized social media. It doesn’t matter if you posted one tweet or a thousand tweets or Facebook or Instrgram post. Anything that you have done to help Truth trafficking and spreading Truth to the people, we honor you too.
Ebony S. Muhammad: Thank you for your words and ALL of your hard work on behalf of our Minister and the Nation Of Islam! May Allah continue to bless you!
Brother Jesse Muhammad: Praise Be To Allah!
Ebony S. Muhamad: What was it like for you all giving out the awards and hearing the Minister’s message to the #FTA100?
Ahmad Muhammad: It was an unexplainable experience meeting two people (Minister Farrakhan and Mother Khadijah Farrakhan) who saved the lives of your parents and they brought you in. It’s like your spiritual mom and dad. It’s kind of like seeing the Grandparents you’ve never met.
Maajid Muhammad: I was sitting right here this entire time and I’m thinking, “This man (Farrakhan) saved the lives of my parents and if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today”. I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was the most amazing experience of my life. I shook the Minister’s hand! He asked me about the logo on the back and I was telling him that this is the Mosque Flow logo.
Jeffrey B. Muhammad: To be that close, to see him and for him to look at my face (becomes tearful)…that’s all I wanted. He looked at me…he saved my life and my wife’s life….we wouldn’t have these wonderful children.
Ebony S. Muhammad: Allah U Akbar! Yes sir! What was it like giving out the awards and seeing the reactions of the honorees and everyone in the room?
Jeffrey B. Muhammad: To see the reaction of the Believers and to see the faces of the warriors who are on deck…to be a part of that it was beyond my imagination.
Maajid Muhammad: I don’t have the words. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long and now that I’m seeing it happen right here…it was too amazing of an experience. Our brand right here and the Minister is promoting our brand on a live webcast. It couldn’t get any better than that.
Ahmad Muhammad: It was good to see people that I knew. I remember messaging a few people like Ayinde asking if he got his email yet. Everyone was so hype and wondering what’s going to happen and how it’s going to happen.
Ebony S. Muhammad: Is there anything else you would like to add?
All: Thank you!!!
Ebony S. Muhammad: All Praise Is Due To Allah! It’s a honor, a tremendous honor. I am so proud of you all! May Allah continue to bless you!
To view the full replay of the #FTA100 Awards Ceremony: Click Here! (Click “Watch Again” and use the navigation arrows to locate)
To read the official coverage of the #FTA100 Awards Ceremony featured in this week’s Final Call Newspaper: Click Here!
Visit Mosque Flow online and order your personal FTA lapel pins: MosqueFlow.com
To read the H2H Black Business Exclusive featuring Mosque Flow: Click Here!
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