Abdur-Rahim Rashada

Ninety-two years ago, on December 17, 1925 in the deep south, in the State of Mississippi, five miles from a little town called Starkville . . . out on a dark, dirty and dusty road called Black Jack Road that leads to a little settlement called Black Jack, Mary Ethel (Millon) Tate gave birth to a baby boy. The baby boy was presented to his father, Frank Tate, for inspection. My mother said that my father’s first and only words were, “He is a man.” That baby boy was me and from that point on, everybody called me “Man” for a nickname.’ My mother gave me the name Luthus Ward Tate.

Abdur-Rahim Rashada –Seventy-Five-Year-Old School Boy: Still Finds Joy Sitting in The Classroom

I am the 5th of 9 children; two boys and two girls that were older and two boys and two girls that were younger. My brothers were Willie, Millon, Jerry and Judge Tate. My sisters were Ruthie Mae Tate Bell, Sydonia Tate Fox, Sadell Tate Moore and Fannie Tate. They all are deceased.

I served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 until 1946 and received an Honorable Discharge. January 5, 1948, in Starkville, MS, I married Annie Louise Harris. In 1975, our family name was changed to Rashada. I changed my name to Abdur-Rahim and Louise changed her name to Sabreen.Sabreen was a good wife, mother, grandmother and my best friend. We were married for 50 years, 8 months and three days. She transitioned this life September 1998.

In 1948 I moved to Saginaw and was employed by General Motors. I retired after 25 years of service.Having dropped out of school at an early age, my thirst for knowledge prompted me to go back to school in my late 40’s and I received my high school diploma at the age of 50. I also attended college for 2 years. I wrote a book at the age of 75, entitled “A Seventy-Five-Year-Old School Boy: Still Finds Joy Sitting In The Classroom.”

In 1958 I became a Muslim under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. After serving the Nation of Islam for 10 years, I was appointed the first Ministerto head the newly established Temple in Saginaw in 1968. In 2009, I had the honor of breaking ground for the new Islamic Center of Saginaw.

Imam Abdur-Rahim Rashada was called to Allah’s Kingdom on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. He leaves to cherish precious memories his wife of 17 years, Marie Thomas Rashada; his son Willie Tate,Rockford, IL; 3 children from his marriage to Sabreen, Rahim S. (Jamillah) Rashada, Las Vegas, NV, Hafeeza Rashada Hester(Willie), Romulus, MI and Fathiyyah Rashada, Saginaw. They had 10 grandchildren, (Rahim & Susan Lee), Abdur-Rahim Rashada (Kimberly), Southfield, MI and S. Ali Rashada, Margate, Queensland, Australia; (Rahim & Iman) Zakiyyah Chadwick,Luqman Rashada, Taliah Rashada (Kenny) McGowan andKhalid Rashada, all of Dallas, TX and Jennah Rashada, Brooklyn, NY, (Hafeeza & Bashir) Pastor Ameerah Lewis(Emanuel),Cincinnati, OH; (Fathiyyah Rashada) Ali S. Rashada, Saginaw and Khalilah Rashada, Flint, MI. Step-children, Elijah (Helen) Thomas Jr., Saginaw, Rev. Samuel Thomas Sr. (Marcelyn)Grand Rapids, MI, Craig Thomas,Temple, TX, Brenda (Delbert) Irving, Killeen, TX; Bridgette (Mark) Thomas, Killeen, TX, and 25 great-grandchildren. One son Maurice Tate and two step-children, Shelia Freeman and David (Patricia Ann) Thomas predeceased him.