I had never heard of Imam Marcellus Williams before last week, when people were sharing stories about his imminent execution which has sadly now happened. [1]
He was 55-years-old, younger than me. He had been on death row since 2001 — 23 years in prison.
And all over the accusation of the murder of Felicia Gayle, and the theft of a laptop and a purse.
He was convicted after being tried.
BACKGROUND
- Khaliifah ibn Rayford Daniels — more commonly known as Marcellus Williams — has been executed by the state of Missouri
- His death via lethal injection occurred on Tuesday, despite objections from all parties, including prosecutors and members of Felicia Gayle's family
- At the age of 55, Williams had spent nearly half his life behind bars; he maintained his innocence up until his last breath
- Across the US, there has been outrage following the execution, which was carried out by order of Missouri’s Attorney General, Andrew Bailey
- We ask Allah to have mercy upon him and grant him the best in the next and everlasting life
Convicted with no forensic evidence
Since the conviction, lawyers and politicians had argued that his conviction was unsafe, that the death penalty should be revoked, and even that the sentence be overturned.
Reporters at the scene described his lethal injection being followed by a very dignified death, but what has moved most of us are his final words.
When this Imam was faced with death, he chose that his last words, last witness and testimony, last statement, consist only of:
“All praise be to Allah in every situation!!!”
It is a very moving thing that this man chose to use these words as his last words.
May they be Sadaqa Jāriyah for him, for the inspiration he gave to others!
He died while praising our Creator
Those of us who are Muslim yearn for a good death, one in which our īmān is not only intact but firm.
We’re all going to die, every one of us. Those in Gaza and more recently in Lebanon are dying the deaths of shuhadā (martyrs), where their blood has been spilled unjustly.
Imam Marcellus Khaliifah Williams died a death where his last words were the praise of Allah, our Creator.
This was a testimony to his conviction, that our existence doesn’t stop at death, that we’re going to be resurrected and judged for our deeds.
So, in that respect, it’s a reminder for all of us to do good in this life, so that when we die, inshāAllah our final deeds will be the best of our deeds.
This case reminds you about justice and injustice
Justice is not just that a person be rightly punished where they are proved to have committed a crime, or that due process is followed.
These are indeed aspects of justice, but it is also that law be applied equally.
In the United States, you’re three times more likely to be arrested if you’re Black than if you’re white. And once you’re arrested and tried, you are more likely to be convicted.
Your sentence is likely to be harsher and you’re more likely to face the death penalty in a capital case.
And that’s the same in many countries around the world.
You can also look at that disparity in the way it reflects in other people in society, whether it’s the poor, whether in the case of women, and so on.
World leaders are honoured for injustice
What we can also see in this world is a level of Injustice where somebody like the President of the United States — who can fund, fuel, and justify the murder of 40,000 people in Gaza and hundreds more recently in Lebanon — can get away scot-free.
They are even honoured and respected in their role as President of the United States for doing just that.
That is also the case for politicians in other countries as well.
And by contrast, some tinpot dictator who serves Western foreign policy interests — once they’ve expired their usefulness — can be sent up to be judged in the Hague?
I don’t say that tinpot dictators don’t deserve to be judged, tried, convicted, and punished. I say that it’s not justice when it applies to some and not others.
We urgently need universally-applied justice
It is recorded by Bukhārī in a narration from A’isha (radiy Allahu ‘anha) that the Prophet ﷺ was asked to revoke a punishment for somebody.
He (ﷺ) said,
“The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich.” [2]
Very powerful words.
And they indicate that justice needs to be something that is applied universally, justly, and fairly, not selectively.
In the case of Marcellus Williams, he was punished not once, but twice. He was imprisoned for over two decades, and then executed.
We pray that Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) gives him the best in the Ākhirah and forgives his sins and shortcomings, just as we pray that Allah has mercy upon all those who are killed unjustly, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, or elsewhere in the world.
And we pray for a world in which the injustice of today is replaced by the example of the justice of Islam, because that is what this world desperately needs today.
May Allah bring His help and victory soon.
Source: Islam21c
Notes
This article was transcribed and edited from a livestream available here.
[2] Sahīh Bukhārī, 6,787; https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6787
Thank you for sharing this powerful and thought-provoking piece about Imam Marcellus Williams. His story, and particularly his final words, are incredibly moving. It’s heartbreaking to think about someone maintaining their innocence for over two decades, only to face execution. The racial disparities in our justice system that you highlight are deeply troubling and deserve more attention and action.
Your reflection on Williams’ last statement – praising Allah even in such dire circumstances – really struck me. It’s a profound example of faith and dignity in the face of injustice. As someone who isn’t Muslim, I found this perspective enlightening and it made me reflect on the role of faith in difficult times.
I appreciate how you’ve connected this individual case to broader issues of justice, both in the US and globally. It’s a stark reminder of how selectively justice is often applied. Your call for universally-applied justice is something I think many people, regardless of their background, can rally behind.
This post has definitely made me want to learn more about Marcellus Williams’ case and to think more deeply about how we can work towards a fairer justice system. Thank you for bringing attention to this important issue.