Moorish Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of New Jersey
Saints Sergius & Bakkhus
Ongs Hat, Pemberton, New Jersey
For those of the Moorish Orthodox branch of the Tradition, and most particularly for adherents of the Moorish Orthodox Church in America, whilst reincarnation is certainly not to be denied the general direction an answer must proceed in is clear. The only successor to a Prophet of Allah is another Prophet of Allah, and only Allah consecrates, anoints and appoints Prophets. The Divine alone can transmit Divine Authority.
Not the Patriarch or Matriarch, not the Bishops and not the Holy Synod, but only Allah alone can call out one so chosen. The hierarchs and the Church can do nought beside recognize that preexisiting call, but it cannot initiate a call itself, being a mere human assembly. An assembly set out on a noble purpose, and an assembly enjoying Divine approbation, guidance and protection, but a human entity in any case, and not one imbued with inerrancy. As far as the Prophet's seat in the Church - that is to say the exercise of ecclesial authority, is concerned, Moorish Orthodoxy holds that a call is needed. For one to exercise office in the Church without such a Divine call is to be a blasphemer, not a deacon or a priest or a bishop, but a usurper of holy things. So it is that within Moorish Orthodoxy, most if not all of those holding ecclesial office are said to be "self" appointed, choosing for themselves such titles as they feel to be appropriate to their realms of work. But the appointment is not really of "self" but an answering by one's self to the call of appointment, ordination, initiation or consecration issued from on high.
The assumption of such authority is a weighty thing, and while the honors of its prerogatives are great, its burdensome obligations are far greater.
Those few who have sought to promote themselves to ecclesial office for the sake of vanity or ego-augmentation in the absence of a Divine calling have - thankfully - lasted in such pretended offices only a very short time. Absent the indwelling power of the father Allah, of the indwelling guidance of Vesel, the Holy Spirit, and absent the compassion of the Redeemer of humankind, the unaugmented human mind and spirit cannot stand unattended in such a position.
Thus, in Moorish Orthodoxy, one asserting claims to ecclesial authority is presumed to be acting in recognition of a Divine call and treated in accordance with custom. The head of the Church, and of the Temple, will always be the prophet, Noble Drew Ali, and we bear witness that he is more powerful out of flesh than he was in the flesh. But the leaders of such human assemblies as the Church, which exist in time and whose functions are governed by temporality, exist in great number; unlike the prophet, theirs is not a singular office.
Many are called, and all are chosen who wish to answer.
In contrast, legal authority would be embodied - in the Temple branch of the Tradition - in the Supreme Grand Sheik and the Council which were given authority by the Prophet. In the view of the Temple branch of the Tradition, and as the current Sheik has often stated, no one can succeed the Prophet except another divinely ordained Prophet of which there has been no other since the coming of Prophet Drew No reincarnated and no resurrected ones can claim to be other than themselves, for this would be known as not as a continuation of prophetic lineage but as "possession. "
The Supreme Grand Sheik of the Temple appointed by the prophet himself was the saintly Brother E. Mealy El, S.G.S. The Prophet appointed him, none can change the Prophet's will apart from the living prophet or Allah himself.
Legal authority is embodied - in the Moorish Orthodox Church branch of the Tradition - by such corporate organizers of individual Churches, Oratories, Dioceses, Deaneries and Patriarchates as are responsible to the civil law of the political jurisdictions in which they are domiciled.
So it is, my beloved, that we in the Moorish Orthodox Church are all called to one or another office of authority . In line with the injunction of our great sage, Mufti Hakim Bey, "make each one of you himself and herself a priest, a bishop, a patriarch or a matriarch; but whatever name you call yourself, whatever call you answer, heed always to the paths of righteousness, truth, beauty, and justice. For it is not by one's titles one will be judged, but by one's thoughts, words and deeds."
+SOTEMOHK, Bishop August 22, 2001
