Team  \ˈtēm\

noun

a number of persons associated together in work or activity: as  a:  a group on one side (as in football or a debate)  b : crew, gang;

 

transitive verb

1 : to yoke or join in a team ; also : to put together in a coordinated ensemble;

2 : to convey or haul with a team.

Many times when one hears the word "team" their first association is with sports; one group of people pitted against another set of people. But team is more than a noun. Team takes the form of a verb as in to team up on someone or thing and it it takes on the form of an adjective - ie Bilal was a team player.

 

So it goes without saying that when people first heard of the Allah Team back in 1997 they were confused. Was this a group formed to combat another group? Was this a splinter group? What possible purpose could such a team have? Rarely was an explanation satisfactory for those who opposed this self-proclaimed team. But rarely was the transitive verb form of team given as an explanation.

 

"To put together in a coordinated ensemble" is by far the best definition that defines the 'Team' in Allah Team. Of course this definition would bring derision from critics as well. "Put together by whom?" They'd demand - and that question is worth addressing.

 

Who put together Allah Team and why? With members from Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, how did this ensemble become coordinated? The base answer is time and circumstance.  At a time when the principles and traditions of the Five Percent Nation became convoluted with the advent of the internet; during a time when Minister Farrakhan's health was waning, his death assumed imminent - and with several members registered in school at the Atlanta University Center - this group came together out of their desire to defend. 

 

And that's what the Allah Team is - a Defense Team. Who is the defendant? Allah. Whether it's proving that that which WD Fard brought is true Islam, or that god can be muslim - whether it's archiving the origins of Islam in America or returning credit to unsung pioneers, the Allah Team continues to mount strong arguments in the face of constant opposition.

 

Though the team may be known by its stars it's the members and their cause that give the Allah Team strength - and our greatest desire is to unearth and present our stories, our history, our traditions.