cultural/spiritual reality- and seamlessly so.
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As a homeschooler he was a natural autodidact, gaining a love for learning early on. He devoured books that were far above his grade level, and after studying the Arabic language in Cairo, Egypt as a very young teenager, he developed a knack for quickly learning foreign tongues. At one point he spoke approximately fourteen conversationally which included Spanish, Patois, Haitian Creole, Munsee, and Mohawk; others he was working on included Old Dutch, Greek and Turkish.
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His love of nature also began early as outdoor hikes were an important part of his schooling, and he worked hands-on in the family arbor company throughout his childhood. In fact, he loved being in nature so much that he often slept alone in the woods even as an older teenager.
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However, of all the listed and unlisted skills and talents that molded him into the man he became, the greatest and most important guidance was Islaam. Muriyd was born, raised, and died a Muslim. His predilection for humanity came from the teachings of the Qur'aan and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, who he believed to be the last Messenger in a very long succession of Messengers sent to humankind from The One Creator, Allah. His love of the Native traditional spirituality of his Lunaapeew and Haudenosaunee ancestors was a direct reflection of his Islaamic beliefs; he saw them all as the one- not separate- Truth.
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Muriyd never obtained the status of a perfect human being, nor did he attempt to do so. He had mortal flaws that acquired sins and regret, but what he always did was repent then strive to do better. This is why so many are incredibly heartbroken by his transition from this world. Simply put, he was a good guy: loyal son, loving father, sincere brother and cousin, respectful nephew, and attentive friend.
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There are no words that can be formed in any human language to express the pain of his departure. Only Allah knows best.
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Umm Muriyd Mumtahanah Ansari
Beyond Clouds
PO Box 60793
Harrisburg, PA 17106-07
Who is Muriyd 'Two Clouds'?
Muriyd Abdullah Muhammad Williams (jointly known as Niishwak Akumahkwak, translated as Two Clouds) was an Afro Native Muslim who in most recent years became known for his activism and teaching endeavors. In late 2016 he began fighting for the land, water, and civil rights of the Ramapough Lenape people in Mahwah, NJ of whom he is directly related through his paternal lineage. During the last nearly six years of his life he challenged large corporations, the Mahwah Police Department, and New Jersey state itself to (almost single-handedly) win back and/or stop the taking of dozens and dozens of acres of land which rightfully belong to the tribe. The very first being the sacred religious land where he was recently found deceased along the shoreline of the lake he loved so much.
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Along with his legal advocacy, Muriyd worked to teach others about the Ramapough plight as well as their millennia-long history. His knowledge was instrumental to great institutions such as Ramapo College, Mahwah Museum, Rutgers University, New York University, and the United Nations, to name a few. He also worked hard fighting against racist accusations made by Natives and non-Natives alike who attempted to make (and continue to make) claims that the Ramapough are illegitimate and therefore not the true owners of their ancestral land. Further, he was a main proponent in the historic Mohawk-Ramapough Alliance, as well as the (hopefully soon) validation by the federal government that the Ramapough are indeed true Native Americans, due their rightful place in society.
While Muriyd has become popular as a leader and academic in the past five and three-quarter years, he had long proven himself as both and more. Many newcomers are unaware of his life before his time in Mahwah.
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The truth is that Muriyd was raised to be exactly who he became. From the very beginning he had begun being groomed to serve others and to fight for his people, whomever they may be. He is from a long line of activists who had done the same. As an Afro Native living in America, he and his family assumed the label of African American thus his guidance came exclusively from others of his ilk. He was very proud of his Black heritage while also embracing his multiracial/ethnic/
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INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAJI'UN