Ratana church, 20th-century religious awakening among the New Zealand Maoris and a national political influence, especially during the period 1943–63, when its members held all four Maori parliamentary seats in the national capital. Encyclopedia Britanica Spiritual ties between Ratana Church of New Zealand with Nation of Islam in America by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad Throughout the course of my many journeys to New Zealand, which began in 1990, perhaps the strongest spiritual connection has been made with the Ratana Church and society in New Zealand. Many parallels have surfaced and truly exist between the history of its founder and leader, the late T.W. Ratana. and that of the rise of the Nation of Islam in America. He is identified as the last and most prominent spiritual guide in the line of a century of Maori prophets raised for the guidance of the Maori people. Ratana also gained prominence in his spiritual work as a famous healer and performed extraordinary feats, among them healing the infirmed and the blind and even to the raising of the dead. Of those particulars, I don’t have a detailed account. One of the most impressive signs and observations at the site of the church is the carving of the crescent and the star on two entrance pillars. The crescent is tilted in a downward position in the form of a cradle, with the star set above it. This symbol also appears everywhere inside the church and on the rooftop. I also noted a painted mural on one of the upper walls outside of the inner sanctuary, displaying men wearing their official apparel, which were business suits with bowties, and some carrying attaché cases. This is also identified as the official apparel of the men in Islam called F.O.I. (meaning Fruit of Islam). --- Mother Tynetta Muhammad The main symbol (tohu) of the church is the five-pointed STAR and CRESCENT MOON the whetū mārama (shining light), worn on the LAPELS of mōrehu (the scattered remnant, Rātana followers) and at pivotal points on church buildings. The golden crescent MOON (symbolizing enlightenment) can face different parts of the coloured STAR ,blue represents te Matua (the Father), white is te Tama (the Son), red is te Wairua Tapu (Holy Spirit) and purple is ngā Anahera Pono. Te whetū mārama represents the kingdom of light or Māramatanga, standing firm against the forces of darkness (mākutu). [1] --- [1] Newman, Keith. Te Haahi Rātana – the Rātana Church - Church growth. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. NZ Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 4 January 2013. It interesting to note that Ratana’s work and travels correspond to the period of a timeline of when Master Fard Muhammad was traveling back and forth to America for a 20-year period before making Himself known in 1930. According to Mrs. Huda [T.W. Ratanas Daughter] while traveling with her father and a delegation on a world tour, they were sailing aboard a ship crossing the Mediterrean Sea in the Middle East near Palestine, when another ship approached them going in the opposite direction. He called for all those who were below in their cabin to come to the top level and made the following statement : He told them that there was a man on board that ship who has a mission similar to his own on his way to America. In the same evening, a cloud overshadowed the appearance of the MOON. But as the cloud dissipated, there appeared a sliver of the MOON in an upside-down position and above it was the appearance of a STAR. This was later taken as the symbol of the church and of the Ratana Movement. -- Mother Tynetta Muhammad “And for every nation there is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, the matter is decided between them with justice, and they are not wronged. And they say: When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful? Say: I control not for myself any harm, or any benefit, except what Allah pleases. Every nation has a term. When their term comes, they cannot put it off an hour, nor can they bring it before (its time).” -Holy Qur’an, Surah 10, verses 47-49
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 03:58:03 +0000
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