From Imprisonment on Death Row to a Respected Leader in his Community
“Son, You didn’t get cheated”
Abdul Qadir Al-Amin was born on March 12, 1950, as Milton Earl to parents Eugene Robert Earl and Evelyn (Render) Earl in Danville, Illinois.
In 1961, his parents moved from Illinois to Vallejo, California. Al-Amin’s father served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and stationed at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. He attended Solano Jr High and Vallejo Senior High Schools.
Navigating an unstable environment, a young Al-Amin found his way into the “school -to-prison pipeline” by way of the CA Juvenile (in)Justice system, and finally to a capital conviction in 1970. He was sentenced at the age of 19 to California’s Death Row. In 1969, while incarcerated at San Quentin, he was introduced to the orthodox Muhammad. At about the same time he received his ‘letter’ and became Milton X, and later he took the surname ‘Al-Amin’ (The Trusted One).
In 1978 Al-Amin received a $200 “gate check” from the State of California upon his release from prison. In an attempt to cash this check with no valid identification, he entered a San Rafael Bank of America where he hoped to catch a break. Understanding his situation the bank teller facilitated the cashing of his check and as if by Divine Providence the following year, on June 23, 1979, Abdul-Qadir married that bank teller, Diane Sanders, now known as Diane Hafsah Al-Amin. From the union of Abdul Qadir and Diane Hafsah Al-Amin were born son Qadir Al-Amin b.1980, daughter Saidah Al-Amin b.1982, son Bilal Al-Amin b.1984, and daughter Darisah Al-Amin b.1986.
In 1988, Al-Amin was one of 5 individuals featured in an ABC News 20/20 documentary, which tracked the progress of men whose death sentences were commuted and were subsequently released. He was also a guest of the Mc Neil Lehrer Hour, hosted by Soledad O’Brien.
Al-Amin became seriously ill on April 13th, 2023, and experienced a subsequent decline in health, ultimately succumbing to his condition on April 18, 2024.
An Interview with Imam Abdul Qadir About How He Came to Islam
As told to The Islamic Bulletin
Q: What is your current occupation?
A: I am the Imam of the SF Muslim Community Center. I am also the founder and director of a rehab center for Muslims and ex-inmates; I help them to reacclimate into society and make a smooth transition back with their families.
Q: When and how did you become Muslim?
A: Having been a former death row inmate, I was sentenced to die in San Quentin’s gas chamber May the 4th, 1970. The death penalty was overturned in 1972.
As a result of that, my sentence was changed from death to life. While serving a life sentence, I became a Muslim. I began to learn and practice Islam. Allah had mercy on me and gave me a new lease on life. I was released from prison on December the 4th, 1978.
Q: Did the difficulties in your life become easier or more difficult after you became Muslim?
A: Islam made my life easier; Islam gave me guidance. Many Americans have trouble finding the purpose of life. Islam gave me purpose; I was responsible to Allah. My behavior needed to conform to what Allah says in the Quran. I realized that the best way for me to fulfill my human potential was to obey Allah. It also got easier as I grew in my Islam. I became more comfortable following the guidelines in the Quran. And I became very uncomfortable doing many of the things that were available in society. Society is filled with temptations. At that point in my life, those challenges became less of a struggle for me because I had grown using the Quran. I learned the dangers of this society from my life before I became Muslim. I made a conscious choice to leave that lifestyle behind.
Q: What kind of Islamic education is available to Muslims in prison?
A: In some prisons in California, the State hires Muslim chaplains. They provide education, Islamic teachings, counseling, and guidance. Also, the Islamic Bulletin organization got volunteers to go into the prisons to provide services to that community of Muslims. They are knowledgeable people who instruct and support them. Many help the Muslim prisoners overcome the mental and spiritual deficiencies that caused them to be incarcerated.
Q: If you had to describe the Five Pillars of Islam to someone raised in this society, how would you do it?
A: The Prophet (PBUH) explained that Islam is based on certain principles. The way you build your Islam is similar to the way you build a house. First, you build the foundation, then walls, roof, electricity, etc. Many elements go into building a house. The same is true of your spiritual life. The foundation is belief in the Oneness of Allah. The walls, metaphorically, are the five daily prayers (salah). In conjunction with the foundation, they keep the whole structure together. Then a person practices fasting in Ramadan, pays a Zakat (mandatory charity) and sadaka (voluntary charity), which are like a fortress – not just a house – for our souls in this life and The Next.
Q: What do you see as the most significant challenge Muslims face in the criminal justice system?
A: The most difficult challenge is not while they are in prison, but when they get out. The question is: “What are they going to do with their Islam after they get out?” They did not go to prison because they were Muslim but because their behavior was not Islamic. While in prison, Islam made sense to them so they became Muslim. It gave them something to believe in and to do. When they return to society, the challenge is: “You believe in Islam, do you practice your beliefs now?” Islam is not just saying that you are Muslim but doing it. Islam is word and action – Belief and practice. It is not easy, but it is essential. Because we don’t have a Muslim life in our society or many services for us in our Muslim communities, i.e., we don’t eat or study together, it is difficult for many Muslims. Because of this, ex-inmates and new Muslims often lack the support they need to practice and strengthen their Islam. It requires their individual faith and commitment. They have to strive hard to avoid the pitfalls in society. They usually have to avoid previous relationships and the community they were a part of before they went to prison or became Muslim. All their old ideas have to be re-evaluated in the light of their new Islamic views. For many, this is a great challenge. They expect that they will have a great reception for them as Muslims when they get out and there is not. There should be assistance for them from the Islamic community. There should be homes and jobs. It is not the reality. People must be self-motivated in Islam. Perhaps, in the future, there will be that kind of community support. But, at this time, it is not the reality. Muslims are supposed to help the needy, but we are not yet organized for that kind of support.
Q: How can the Muslim community reach out to Muslim prisoners to help them adjust to life outside?
A: Books, Qurans, literature. There is a huge demand for that. Currently, the demand is greater than what we supply. Hundreds, even thousands, of Qurans are being requested.
Q: How is “dawa” (inviting to Islam) being practiced in the prison system? Are there pitfalls?
A: Many prisoners realize the spiritual benefits of Islam and convert. They also feel responsible to pass on what they have learned; they want to give something back. That’s one of the motivations for many people, including myself. I came into Islam like that. It was a great blessing and a source of relief and guidance. I came out of that maze (prison) with my sanity, body, mind, and health intact. I learned a lot from individuals there; some are still there. I feel indebted to them. I also want to offer them hope. It is possible for people to change and begin a new life of integrity. It comes from the blessings and favor of Allah. When in prison, ironically, you have the “freedom” to study. You don’t have to worry about paying rent, electricity, water, heat, groceries, etc. You don’t have the normal burdens of life. In a way, it’s like “boarding school” – if you can see it from that perspective. That’s one of the benefits I found from the nine years that I was incarcerated: I had time to study. I would spend time reading. I was exposed to a great deal of good information about Islam. I studied Arabic and was able to start reading the Quran in Arabic. It was difficult, but I had the desire. It became my time for preparation. In some ways, it was easy because there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. There was no reason not to make salah five times a day. The demands are different on the outside.
Q: Did your family object to you studying Islam?
A: Not really. Interestingly, when I was 17, I also started going to Islamic meetings more. In my youthful enthusiasm, I went home and threw away all the pork. I didn’t want them to feed pork to my brothers and sisters. My father said, “Are you crazy, boy? You don’t buy the food.” He had a point.
Q: How did your mother react to your acceptance of Islam?
A: Initially, because of the Nation of Islam, she had reservations. However, as she began to understand Islam, and see the change in me, she would (and still does) give Zakat. She tells me that whenever she doesn’t give Zakat, it seems like “something always goes wrong with her money”! One day we were talking about my beliefs in Islam and she told me, “Son, you didn’t get cheated.” That said it all for me!
My father did not like the Nation of Islam, either. In 1970, when I was on death row and really started to study and practice Islam, my father told me that I would be better off taking the direction of Malcolm X instead of Elijah. I told him that he didn’t know what he was talking about. That was my understanding at the time. He evidently had insight because of his life experiences, which, in my youth, I didn’t appreciate.
Q: What is your relationship with your family as a Muslim?
A: It’s very good. I have really good relations with my mother. She is back in Illinois now. We talk and write. When she is around me, she prays with me by following me in salah. That’s a blessing! Recently, I talked to her about accepting Allah and she didn’t say no. I’m very hopeful for her. Several weeks ago, my older brother who introduced me to NOI took his Shahada. I also have another brother and his wife who accepted Islam several years ago. My youngest sister also accepted Islam.
Q: How difficult was it to suddenly stop and give up many of the non-Islamic things you had been doing?
A: It was a challenge. Even down to speech. I went through withdrawals on cussing. I had to become conscious of my tongue – not using certain words or saying certain phrases. A lot of effort went into that. At that time, since I was confined, I didn’t have the temptations of drugs or alcohol which I had used for a brief period as a teenager. That part wasn’t a challenge for me while I was on death row.
Once I returned to the main line population in the jail, the opportunities and temptation to use those things were there. They were available in large quantities and that was a prevailing problem. People were hooked on heroin in prison. Having the self-worth that Islam gave me made me appreciate that my body was sacred. I no longer wanted to participant in my own desecration through drugs and alcohol. It was available, but it wasn’t a problem for me because I had been practicing Islam for two years and four months by then – while on death row. I was also making Tahajjad (prayer in the middle of the night). To this day, I believe that I was released due to my consistent Tahajjad prayers.
Q: Because you were raised a Christian, did you find it hard to give up belief in the Trinity?
A: No. It was a blessing that my mother, instead of preachers, taught me about Christianity and the Bible. She didn’t give me a heavy dose of the Trinity. She taught me the basics, like about God and how He is All-knowing and takes account of everything and is kind. She believed in Jesus. Around age 12, I began to be aware of some inconsistencies and unanswered questions in Christianity. I was being told things that didn’t make sense. I began to recognize some of the misinformation we were being given and I began to question it. I began to have doubts about the doctrine. As a teenager, I began to hear some of the NOI arguments against the Trinity, such as how could you get 3 in 1? It is a contradiction. The NOI would teach against it. I was influenced by those teachings. But, the strongest influence on me was the bad treatment of the Christian establishment towards African Americans. Something inside me wouldn’t allow me to accept a doctrine that had treated people so badly. That made me cautious and I never opened up wholeheartedly to their beliefs. Although I believed in God wholeheartedly, certain aspects of Christianity did not work for me.
Q: How do you deal with the Trinity when you tell Christians about the Oneness of Allah?
A: I keep within the realm of what they know and accept. For instance, since Jesus prayed, he could not be God because God has no need to pray. Also, Jesus said, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Doesn’t that prove that Jesus wasn’t God. In the Bible, Jesus asked (the people), “Who do thou say I am?” The people responded: “Good Master.” Jesus said, “No, there is none that is a good master, but One, and it’s He that is in Heaven.” So he denied being called “Good Master.” If he didn’t accept being called “Good Master,” how would he accept being called “god”? A “good master” is much less than a “god.” There are people who master things. We call them “masters” of a subject or trade or craft, not a god. Additionally, the Bible referred to David too as the “only begotten son”.
How can there be two “only begotten sons”?
Q: In Christianity, is there a difference between the Creator and the son?
A: Sometimes Christians say they are the same. Sometimes they say there are three in one. Sometimes they say one in three. In Christianity, there are three concepts that you cannot question. You have to accept them on “faith” (because they don’t make sense). They are the Trinity, original sin, and the divinity of Jesus. Because Jesus was born of a human parent, he too would have original sin. So, none of those three things make sense. It contradicts them all. Many Christians can’t have a rational discussion about these things. They get very emotional – unless Allah blesses their hearts. Then, they convert to Islam. Their questioning of Christianity leads them to the logic of the Quran and Islam.
Q: How do you address their idea that you will go to Hell if you don’t accept Jesus as your Savior?
A: I refer to what Imam Mohammed from La Grange, Georgia said. A Christian woman told him that he would not be saved unless he accepted Jesus as his lord and savior. He said, “Ma’am, I respect your desire to see me with salvation, but if we can talk for a minute I would like to get your opinion. What do you think about Abraham?” She responded: “He was the best man, etc.” The Imam then asked her, “Do you believe he had salvation?” She answered, “Of course he had salvation.” “What about Noah?” She responded, “Of course he had salvation.” He then pointed out that they lived before Jesus and so they didn’t know about him. He could have gone on to mention Moses, etc., but he merely made his point. I don’t argue with anyone. I merely point out the inconsistencies in their beliefs. Sometimes, just our presence is a form of dawa. Make them think and consider their positions.
Q: What impressed you most when you first read the Holy Quran?
A: The Holy Quran impacted me on many levels. Primarily, it satisfied a need in my soul and my intellect. Intellectually, it provided essential guidance and logic. I find it gives the seeker information of the highest caliber. Allah will grant us knowledge as we seek it. It is a great equalizer and allows a person to lift him or herself to the highest degree. It offers the possibility for personal growth for as long as we live. It is like a seed that, when it is nourished, it becomes the most beautiful of Allah’s gifts. It allows us to realize our highest destiny. It offers dignity, self-respect, and self-realization. It is all there for the taking. With other doctrines, I was forced to compromise too much of my personal dignity as an African American man. With the Quran I could learn things from Allah’s Word. That gave the idea the authority it needed and gave me the advantage I needed to master myself and to self-regulate. It gave me information and insights into life that enabled me to progress and become a better person. The relevance of the information to my own personal circumstances was invaluable. I didn’t feel obligated to anyone for this information. It was just all there in the Quran …free for the taking. All it required was the courage to turn the pages. That really impressed me. When I started using the teachings of the Quran in my life, I got respect from others. That was something that had been denied me before. It restored something in me and no one could challenge it. They couldn’t find any fault in what I said to them from the Quran. It couldn’t be disproved. That meant a great deal.
Q: What message would you like to relay to Muslims and non-Muslims?
A: For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, I would say that in our book, the Holy Quran, “the People of the Book” are mentioned with respect. We Muslims live in a country with “the People of the Book.” We share the same ancient religious history mentioned in both the Bible and Quran. We identify with the same prophets of the Jews and Christians. We are taught to respect “the People of the Book” and there is enough room for them to respect us too. We would like to see them accept and respect our prophet too because he was sent as a universal prophet for all mankind. That is the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We are not at variance with anyone; we are just trying to obey Allah too.
Q: Did anyone notice a difference or change in you after you accepted Islam?
A: My father acknowledged changes. He actually commended Elijah Muhammad once for getting me to do things that he had been trying to get me to do for years. The administration in prison acknowledged the changes. People I had associated with in the past, in the so-called “free” society, saw the changes too. My friends, the people that really knew me, told me to never leave Islam. They said they didn’t want to see me go back to be the person I was before Islam. They were happy for me.
MAY ALLAH (SWT) HAVE MERCY ON OUR BROTHER, IMAM ABDUL QADIR
Editors Note:
It was a pleasure interviewing Imam Abdul Qadir Al-Amin. Iman Abdul Qadir has a beautiful way of giving the Friday talk. When I attend Jumma prayers, I, like hundreds of others, are touched by his powerful message. One can tell it comes from the heart and that Allah has given him Hikma (wisdom). May Allah continue to shower His blessings on Imam Abdul Qadir and his family.
“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; And he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing.”
(Quran 2:269)