Al-Nur: Volume 17 | Issue 1 by Al-Nur Literary Magazine

Contents

The Empowerment Edition

Cover image taken by Haithem Hammad; inside art by Mehreen Rasheed

5 6 7 8 9 10/11

News First Annual Islamic Finance Symposium, Hanifah Dasti To Sow the Roots of the Future, Zulekha Sayyed

News The CAIL We Have Come to Know, Zulekha Sayyed Collective Leadership, Neelam Sultan

News Creative Muslims, Tubah Sultan Days of Mercy, Aisha Hussain

Spirituality Loving For the Sake of Allah, Shabnom Khan

Spirituality Struggle: Part 2, Mohammed Shaikh & Bilal Tariq Ahadith of the Month

Feature

12 13 14 15 16

Lifestyle/Creative Writing Moby Dick, Emaun Kashfipour Jack Frost Takes Dump on CP, Manaar Zuhurudeen

Creative Writing Where is the Love?, Omnia Joehar

Alumni MSA Alumni Reunion Dinner, Susan J. Shatila

Alumni Alumni Spotlight: Maria Khalid, Tubah Sultan

Entertainment Comics & Crossword Puzzle: The Anatomy of Love

Influential African American Muslims, Jamal Jeter & Sofia Beg

Staff

The staff month of Valentine’s and I were really Day, we wanted to inteexcited to publish grate both events into a this particular singular theme— issue of Al-Nur. empowerment— being Not only did we moved by the contribuincrease our page tions of African Amerilimit and add a can Muslims in today’s new section for society, and highlightcomics and a ing on the most meancrossword puzzle, ingful form of love— we were able to loving for the sake of shine light on many uplifting Allah. and inspiring topics, and thus Look out for our next issue in came up with The Empower- March, insha’Allah! ment Edition. Because it is - Bushrah Rahman Black History Month and the Msa.nur@gmail.com

A Special Thanks to:

Editor-in-Chief: Bushrah Rahman

MSA/MWM Liason: Omnia Joehar

Editors: Aisha Hussain Anam Siddiqui Layout Designers: Sofia Beg Shabnom Khan Aisha Hussain Mai Salem Tubah Sultan Writers/Contributors: Hanifah Dasti Aisha Hussain Jamal Jeter Omnia Joehar Emaun Kashfipour Shabnom Khan Safia Latif

Zulekha Sayyed Mohammed Shaikh Susan J. Shatila Neelam Sultan Tubah Sultan Bilal Tariq Manaar Zuhurudeen

News

Upcoming Events & Current Events February 15: Prince Among Slaves screening & Discussion February 24: First Annual Islamic Finance Symposium March 6: MSA/MWM Family Night/Fundraiser March 13: MWM Mother-Daughter Event March 16: Dawah Event March 727: MSA/MWM Elections April 11-15: Palestinian Solidarity Week April 17: Muslimaat-Al-Nisaa Fundraiser April 28: MWM Graduation Bash May 2: MSA Graduation DInner

Image taken by Haithem Hammad

May Allah grant the citizens in Egypt a just and favorable leader. Ameen.

To Sow the Seeds of the Future By Zulekha Sayyed As registration begins to come to an end for the 2011 DC Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST), high schoolers from all around the DC/MD/VA area will be busy preparing for the annual tournament on the weekend of April 1st. For everyone who is ready to be (or already) MISTified, the tournament just can‘t come f a s t e n o u g h ! Of course MIST could not be possible without the support of parents, coaches, students, and the com-

munity that believes in the goal of fostering leadership within our Muslim youth. This year the community can come and help ―Sow the Seeds of the Future‖ through the annual fundraiser to be held this year at Dar al Taqwa in Ellicott City on March 5th. Alhamdulillah MIST has played a vital role in the community and strives to create an environment that fosters an Islamic awareness and identity, while refining the next generation of active Muslim leaders eager to affect real Islamic change. The fund-

raiser will allow for the community to invest in the future of our youth who will one day take over and become the leaders of tomorrow. To help make this happen, you can buy your tickets online at dcmist.com/fundraiser. Even if you cannot make it to the event, your donation will help ensure that generations more of young Muslims walk away with the stories, memories, and lessons from MIST that have changed so many lives already

First Annual Islamic Finance Symposium By Hanifah Dasti Interested in learning about the emergence of Islamic Finance, and how Muslims can properly manage their finances in America? Join the Muslim Students Association and Global Business Society in the first annual Islamic Finance Symposium, where we will be discussing Islamic home financing, halal investments, and zakat. Understand loans and interest through an Islamic perspective to help you make better use of your future investments.

When: February 24, 2011 68pm Where: Van Munching Hall, RH Smith School of Business Dress: Business casual

News

The CAIL We Have Come to Know By Zulekha Sayyed There is no doubt that the UMCP MSA is one of the most active MSAs in the region. There is a legacy of people before us that have built up an organization, where we have not only found the best of friends, but have found opportunities to become leaders, and grow mentally and spiritually. It is with the MSA‘s potential to foster growth that a few dedicated members of the MSA opened the Capital Area Library, better known as CAIL, back in 2003. During the winter break, I spent a couple of long days painting CAIL alongside my brother and a few great fellow MSAers. Alhamdulillah the result is a much brighter and welcoming room full of many great resources for everyone to access. While cleaning CAIL, I was surprised to

find old receipts, brochures, fliers, sponsorship forms, and records of donations that were all part of what made CAIL possible. While I looked through and organized all the old CAIL files, I realized that the brothers and sisters that created CAIL were serious and sincere about their efforts in making CAIL a place to benefit not only the MSA, but also the surrounding community. Stumbling onto the plaque that marked the

grand opening of CAIL pulled it all together. More important than the fact that CAIL has changed color, is what hasn‘t changed about it. It saddens me to think that CAIL has been neglected in the past few years. Many times it has been used as a storage room, or simply a room with books. Maybe it‘s because we don‘t have time to read, maybe it‘s because we can find so much on the internet whenever we want, or maybe it‘s for some other reason that people don‘t take a step into CAIL to check out a book or CD. The only thing I can say is this, I‘ve discovered things in CAIL that I never thought I would, and I‘m sure if you take the time to look, you Image taken by Jamal Aladdin will too.

Collective Leadership By Neelam Sultan Having a large MSA member body makes it easier to host events? Well, not always. Over the years the MSA at Maryland has pondered over an effective way to initiate student help in event planning and make the task less daunting and overwhelming for event heads. Last semester the MSA began implementing a strategy known as ―Collective Leadership.‖ Collective Leadership suggests that every individual has the potential for leadership and this potential can and should be capitalized on to maximize the success of an organization. The MSA implemented collective leadership through hosting a Friday meeting in which it‘s sole purpose was preparation for an event. This allowed both active and non-active MSA members

to become involved in event planning. This strategy proved successful and many benefits were recognized through its implementation. Collective Leadership utilizes human resources to the fullest, and allows those who are unsure, shy, or low on time commitment to participate in preparing for an event. Collective Leadership promotes teamwork as brothers and sisters alike work towards achieving a common goal for the collective good. Working with your peers in completing a task is motivational and it promotes healthy competition, as was seen last semester in preparing for the ‗Stamp Out Hunger‘ Food Drive. Brothers and sisters competed in creating the best Turkey Costume and in business

we know that healthy competition often results in a better product. And perhaps the most sought after benefit of this approach is its efficiency. Within a two-hour time span, we are able to complete the necessary tasks for an event from marketing (sending emails, creating fliers, posters, banners) to logistics (purchasing items for an event, food and decoration). This efficiency allows for more time that can now be spent on innovation and growth in making an event exciting and memorable. The benefits of Collective Leadership are numerous and widespread and inshAllah this new approach will take the MSA to greater heights.

News

By Tubah Sultan Did you know that Honolulu, Hawaii is the home to a Prestigious Islamic Arts Center? (―The Art of Shangri La‖)? Have you heard of Naif Al-Mutawa, the creative genius behind comic book superheroes inspired by Islam, dubbed ‗The 99‘? Believe it or not, President Obama gave a shoutout to this growing comic book franchise (―10 Ideas Worth Spreading (feat. Muslims, Islam, the World‖). Did you know that Shahed Amanullah (Founder of Zabihah.com), Saqib Ali (MD State Representative), Imam Suhaib Webb, Imam Zaid Shakir, Wajahat Ali (think Domestic Crusaders), and Shaykh Yasir Qadhi all have Twit-

ter accounts? These are just some examples of articles on Creative Muslims. Founded last January, CreativeMuslims.com is a blog that features Muslim Americans who exemplify a positive image of Islam through their contributions to the web, arts, multimedia, entrepreneurship, technology, and social media. We‘re a group blog that was started at UMD. Our current members include Anam Siddiqui, Hanifah Dasti, Zulekha Sayyed, Nour Al-Muhtasib, Khuram Zaman, Sofia Beg, Mehreen Masoud, and Mariam Askari. So what‘s the latest on the CM front? We‘re growing and always looking for enthusiast people to

join our team as Staff Writers and Social Media Associates. We get over 200 views weekly of our content and new twitter followers daily. We‘re also planning on making a big appearance this year at MIST by hosting a Social Media Workshop and presenting The MIST News Network Magazine, a booklet that will feature MIST Community news inshAllah. If you‘re interested in helping out with these projects, we need you! Please send an email to inquiries@creativemuslims.com. You can also support us by following us on Twitter or becoming a Fan via Facebook.

Days of Mercy By Aisha Hussain Ihya Humanity was founded Spring 2010 by a small group of friends at UMD. They were ―frustrated with a lack of organized volunteer opportunities for college students.‖ According to Anam Siddiqui, ―the naming process took… hours…[we eventually settled on] Ihya* Humanity: A Revival of Prophetic Mercy.‖ ―Ihya seeks to negate the distorted image of Islam in our society. We seek to establish a means by which Muslim youth can contribute into this society,‖ explained Ghazal Kango, and from this idea they created Ihya Humanity. Following the group‘s formation, Ihya Humanity held its kickoff event at Muslimaat an-Nisaa, a center for Muslim women and children located in Baltimore. Volunteers cleaned out the basement, followed by iftar and a talk with Sheikh Yahya Rhodes. This event was immensely successful and gave hope for the future success of Ihya Humanity.

The development of Ihya Humanity overtime established the organization according to regions encircling Baltimore, College Park, Howard and Montgomery County. They are now holding a series of events entitled Days of Mercy “to pump people up about volunteering and to spread the word about Ihya‖ said Ghazal. Day 1: Bagging event at SHARE DC in College Park, MD. SHARE is an organization that distributes high quality, and nutritious food to those who cannot afford it. They have ongoing volunteer opportunities for anyone that is willing to help out. Day 2: Cultural exchange at Ashbury Methodist Village—Wilson

Healthcare Center in Gaithersburg, MD. The volunteers dressed in their cultural attire and shared ethnic items with the senior residents of the Center. The residents were extremely happy to have the volunteers and everyone had an extremely good time. Day 3: An ongoing clothing drive taking place at Dar-al-Taqwa in Ellicott City, MD accepting backpacks, clothes, toys and shoes for people in Sierra Leone. Masha‘Allah the donations have exceeded expectations. Day 4: Day of Diversity at On Our Own, a mental illness recovery center in Columbia, MD. They hosted a Day of Diversity with the members of the center as well as a panel discussing living as a Muslim-American as well as living in America with mental illness. Overcoming the shyness of involving ourselves in our local communities will be the first step in eradicating the negative stigma towards the Muslim community. Look out for more events from Ihya Humanity so you can help out! *Ihya=revival in Arabic

Spirituality

Loving for the Sake of Allah By Shabnom Khan In what other scenario would an organization have such a vast number of students with different majors, hobbies, ethnicities, backgrounds, ages, etc. who come together, not because of a mutual friend, or a mutual hobby, or where they‘re from, or something that forced them together, but because of something that amounts to a few words: La ilaha illallah, Muhamm a d a r R a s o o l A l lah. SubhanAllah. The tension, the judgments, the awkwardness of meeting someone new is all eased by the fact that the people we meet in the MSA are Muslims, who believe in Allah too. Out of the billions of people living on this earth, they are among the ones who have believed in Allah. They, like me, love Allah, and because of that I love them too, for His sake, for His pleasure. To me, that‘s the start of what it means to love someone for the sake of Allah. Being so different can sometimes cause problems though. A comment can be made here or there that can really be hurtful to someone, but the person who said it might not even realize it. We may approach situations differently and disagree on how to go about things. We may not have grown up with the same culture, so sometimes we may not understand why someone does or doesn‘t do something (for example, giving and returning salaam). But if we dwell on these things, it can really hinder our progress. I feel like the solution is simple though, it‘s a two way street. We have to give our brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt - make 70 excuses for them before blaming as an imam once said. We should also advise our brothers and sisters so they are aware of what we saw as an issue, but we should do so in a sincere way, as the Prophet (S) said, ―the deen is a name of sincerity and well wishing (Nasiha).‖ The Prophet (S)

Image taken by Jamal Aladdin

Brothers exhibit ‘loving for Allah.’ also said, ―none of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself.‖ If someone were to advise us, we would want him/her to do so privately and sincerely. We wouldn‘t want them to be angry or to attack us, so we should refrain from doing things like that. If we‘re on the other end, then we should also be open to advice, and again, try to see it through someone else‘s perspective. Being different is a huge blessi n g mo re th an an y th i ng el se though. Many of us are familiar with the ayah from Surah Hujarat: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted”(49:13). I think our MSA really exemplifies this ayah. The only reason I know a majority of the people I am close with is because we met through the MSA.. We can really utilize our differences and our interests for the benefit of the community. Those of us who are great at art/design can contribute to advertising activities; those who are really organized and detail-oriented can help to plan out activities and events; those of us who are really outgoing can help educate the campus community about Islam; those who are really pas-

sionate about community service and reaching out can put together service events; those who are really neat and clean can help take care of the musallah; those who are tech-savyy can help maintain the website and other IT components of the MSA; and the list goes on. The relationships we form through the MSA can be some of the most impactful on our lives. Whether we remain close friends or not, the memories and effect lasts. I‘ll end with this hadith to remind us of the weight of loving someone for the sake of Allah: ―Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying):" I fear Allah" ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given: and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears.‖ (Muslim)

Spirituality

Struggle: Part 2 By Mohammed Shaikh & Bilal Tariq After I have already spoken about desires and some reasons why we sin, I will introduce you to one of the solutions inshallah. Desires are defined as something that we find difficult to fight against because we like them – even though they sometimes harm us or the society. In addition, we have Shaytan. We know that he is not going to let us live in peace; he hates us and always wants to deceive us using his whispers and tricks. We always hear them, don‘t we? We have that struggle in our nafs to do or avoid bad things. However, we have Allah and he loves us. Allah is the most loving, the most forgiving, the most merciful; Allah is there to help us. He knows our weakness, He

knows our need for Him, and He knows our enemies. Allah says: ―People, it is you who stand in need of God– God needs no thing and is worthy of all praise (Surah 35 Ayah 35).‖ Allah is calling you to ask Him for help. Ask him and he will provide you with the strength and the courage to start and continue the fight against our desires. Never stop making Du’a. Real Du’a (with concentration and believing that Allah will answer you). The first thing you have to do is admit your weaknesses. Sin is a sin, and doing it is a bad thing. Islam does not teach its followers that falling and committing sins can make us less of a believer, but giving up, not trying to find a solution, or insisting on doing the sin,

is the problem. Change is not going to happen suddenly; it is going to take time and hardships to happen. You are going to fall sometimes, but it is a war. Winning one battle does not mean that you won the war, and losing one battle does not mean that you lost the whole war. Start with the most important things, and then continue to the other things. Start by doing the five prayers on time - including Fajr, and try your best to have concentration. Remember: "When my servants ask you (O] Muhammed) about me [tell them], `Verily I am close (to them); I listen to the prayer of everyone who calls on Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me in order that they maybe guided aright.‖

Ahadith of the Month The Similitude of the believers in their Compassion, Mercy, and Affection toward each other is like a single body: when one ails, the whole body suffers and reacts (Bukhari).

The Holy Qur’an—image taken by current MSA student

__________________________________ The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. They are a just ruler...and two persons who love each other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only” (Bukhari Vol. 2 : 504).

Center Spread

Lifestyle & Creative Writing

Moby Dick By Emaun Kashfipour

Above (from left to right): joojeh kabobs with rice and tomatoes, lamb platter, fish salad, & lamb & chicken on naan bread. The well-known kabob chain restaurant Moby Dick has been a part of the DC-metro area for many years and has recently opened up a new location here on campus, in the Stamp Student Union. For those who are unfamiliar with the chain restaurant, it is an Iranian kabob restaurant, which also sells

all sorts of traditional dishes such as kabobs, yogurt, kashk-o-bademjan (fried eggplant), and dolmeh (rice in grape leaves). According to Zabihah.com, the restaurant clearly labeled its lamb and chicken dishes as halal on its menu. Aside from its meat dishes, Moby Dick also has falafels and swordfish.

However, keep in mind that this Moby Dick is located in an eatery and can‘t offer the same as other locations that you might have visited outside of campus. The food is prepared in a chipotle-like manner and is not cooked for individual orders, which diminishes the quality of the food.

Jack Frost Takes Dump on College Park By Manaar Zuhurudeen The familiar sounds of metal scraping poorly maintained P.G. County asphalt filled the air this past week in College Park. For the second consecutive year, the city received howling winds and over 20 inches of snow, resulting in treacherous conditions that forced schools and the government to shut down for a week-exactly as the weatherman predicted. Make no mistake, a weatherman and his hairpiece never lie. Clean up has been slow and laborious. Plows made it to the streets four long days after the heaviest snowfall, and sidewalks are still icy, since ecstatic students threw all shovels on campus into the miraculously victorious Maryland vs. Duke game bonfire earlier this month. The storm, dubbed the ―Dump of 2011,‖ and its effects mirrored those of the blizzard that hit the

area last year. Last February‘s Snowmageddon, the result of a larger storm that originated in the Pacific Ocean, reached areas as far south as Mexico, and was even the cause of a few deaths. Although the conditions of this year‘s storm were harsh, the only deaths that occurred were those of the spirits of DOTS workers at the University of Maryland, who yearned to distribute parking tickets. The fine citizens of the livable community had mixed reactions about the storm and the closings it brought. Needless to say, many students were jubilant. ―When I saw that first news report, I‘m not going to lie…my heart skipped a beat,‖ said Ranya Eshera, a freshman who had heard of last year‘s closing through her older siblings at UMD. ―I wanted to experience how the world comes to a halt, and everyone

has to stay at home with their family because there‘s nothing else to do. But you know, as a college student.‖ However, many local mothers have expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of work these storms bring. ―It‘s white, cold, and makes a mess. It‘s like trying to shovel Mel Gibson out of my driveway, and I‘m tired of it!‖ ranted Megan Shillings, mother of four. As the sun comes out of hiding, classes are likely to start again next week. However, many students, like Denton Hall resident Ihsan Siddiqi, are already hoping for more closings. ―Oh, I definitely want another storm. Cancelled classes plus I don‘t have to shovel?! Hellz yea!‖ he said, as he turned his sweatshirt inside out for another round of snow dances.

Creative Writing

Where is the Love? By Omnia Joehar

Allah would say on the Day of Judgment: ―Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today I will shelter them with My shade, as there is no shade today except My shade‖ (Muslim). This day is usually commemorated with roses, teddy bears, chocolates, diamonds, and hearts, all in an effort to prove the love we have for someone. Sadly, society has made ―showing love‖ a one-day holiday. A holiday that is supposed to be hated by all the single ladies and gentlemen. Doesn‘t that sound ridiculous?! Should we not honor love every single day of our lives? Seriously. Why don‘t we buy bouquets, cards, and gifts for our spouses, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends to show love and appreciation on any given day? Instead, America has to pick a date where Saint Valentine died and his last words were a letter to his love signed your valentine. And the world wants to honor him so much that we mark a day on our calendars for the man. But as Muslims, we‘re quick to call it ―bidah‖, ―haraam‖, and otherwise completely shut down the idea. Why not show that for Muslims, love, appreciation, and kindness were engrained in every word and every action the Prophet (S) ever said or did. Love for him, and love in Islam, is not marked in a grand one-day holiday. It is shown through our kindness to the poor, the orphans, the hungry, our fa mily, friends, neighbors, and nature ultimately all of Allah‘s creations. Our greatest love is shown and given to our creator, Allah, as we prostrate to Him every single day. In Islam there is a word called mawadda. Mawadda is not just love, it is love amplified at a much deeper level. It is an unselfish feeling that becomes embedded in the heart

and shines through the hardest of times, outshining and outliving regular love. Mawadda is not only exhibited between a husband and wife, it is an emotional attachment between two people that are to each other what they need to be (siblings, friends). Subhana'allah, we should be grinning that our religion describes such a beautiful emotion! Our ―Valentine‘s Day‖ is every day - it's clichéd but true. So when you see roses, teddy bears, and chocolates (which I completely advocate to indulge in any day!) remember that although you may not celebrate Valentine‘s Day, Islam celebrates love every single day, and ask yourself everyday, have you told and/or shown appreciation to a loved one today?

“You will not enter Paradise until you have faith and you will not have faith until you love one another. Do you want me to tell you something you can do to make you love one another? Make it a habit to greet one another with “Assalaamu Alaykum” – peace upon you” (Muslim).

Image taken by Jamal Aladdin

Have you told and/or shown appreciation to a loved one today?

Alumni

MSA Alumni Reunion Dinner By Susan Shatila On Thursday January 20th, 2011 The MSA Alumni Association held their first reunion dinner in the Atrium of Stamp Student Union. Being one of the first events the alumni had, it was a chance for past MSA members to get together once again, enjoy a nice dinner, and craft the visions of this newly formed alumni association. After the guests arrived, the program started with a welcome speech from the organizers of the Above: Adam Kareem, co-organizer for the MSA reunion dinner, Adam Kareem, SanAlumni Reunion Dinner jana Quasem, Reem Dughly, and DiBelow: Brothers enjoying their meal and each aur Rahman. Along with the help of other’s company other alums, these organizers put a lot of effort and hard work into this dinner, making it memorable to the alumni attendees. After the welcome speech followed a delicious dinner catered by RJ‘s Café. As the alums munched down on their food, they enjoyed conversations with old friends, and reminisced on old MSA memories. From jumah memories, to chilling in the musallah, to MSA barbeques and halaqahs, the alums had lots to talk about and catch up on! The dinner was then followed by a talk led by organizer Adam Kareem about the future of the Muslim Alumni of UMD. He wanted the alums to discuss their goals, visions, and ambitions. Adam focused on four main goals that the MSA Alumni Association wanted to achieve and/or improve on, and those were: 1) MentorBelow: Program from the Alumni Dinner ship (of current MSA members), 2) Islamic Learning, 3) Professional Networking, and 4) Social Networking. The alums spoke about how to achieve these goals, and through what activities. A lot of creative and interesting ideas were put on the table, with a lot of initiative and excitement in the atmosphere. While many alums were sad to part ways at the end of the event, all were happy to have had this chance to reImages taken by Jamal Aladdin

connect with people they had spent their 4 years of college and their fondest of memories with. A feeling of content and love for the sake of Allah was filling the atmosphere. The organizers and other alumni were asked to reflect on the reunion dinner and share with us one thing that they enjoyed most about the night. Below are their responses: ―Alhamdulillah the best part of the evening was just the feeling of reconnecting that was in the air. It was all smiles across the room and I've never seen people so genuinely happy just to see one another and enjoy a meal.‖ - Organizer and Alum Adam Kareem ―Alhamdulillah for me the best part of the night was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere to reconnect with friends. This event served to put a face to the Alumni Organization and provide an outline for the future goals we hope to fulfill within the Maryland community.‖ - Organizer and Alum Reem Dughly What‘s next for the UMD MSA Alumni Association? ―I am really excited about all the ideas that were brought about the goals of the alumni association and am looking forward to seeing everyone reunited again soon inshaAllah.‖ - Alum Shaza Abnouf ―I am excited to see what the future holds for the Alumni Organization and am eager to get started on achieving our goals!‖ - Organizer and Alum Reem Dughly ―We're hoping that this inaugural event for our Alumni body will energize the community and serve as a springboard for us to begin working on the many goals and aspirations that we have as graduates of Maryland.‖ - Organizer and Alum Adam Kareem

Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: Maria Khalid By Tubah Sultan Full Name: Maria Khalid Education: English; Government & Politics, BA, University of Maryland; Teaching of English, MA, Teachers College, Columbia University Year you Graduated: 2008 Current Job (Position & Company): English Student Teacher, New York City Public Schools Location: New York, NY Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Milk & Cookies! (Ben & Jerry's) Are you currently a member of the Muslim Alumni of UMD? Yes What is something that people don't know about you? (i.e. hobbies, community work, be creative, humor is welcome) When I was a lot younger, I used to think that cats and dogs married each other. My favorite memories are the ones I shared with my roommates. The best one would have to be when I entered our Commons apartment one night and was quietly tiptoeing into the dark hallway. It was during winter break and I was being cautious be-

cause I thought Parise was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her. But in fact, she was lurking in the bathroom, awaiting my arrival. As I passed by, she jumped out and surprised me. I got so scared that I let out a blood-curdling scream that literally took her breath away (out of the two of use, I don't know who was more shaken by the incident). Meanwhile, Namika and Mahvish, who were in the doorway and had only heard my scream, slowly edged out of the apartment to save themselvesâ&#x20AC;Ś Life after college: What opportunities did the MSA provide that benefited you after you left school? Honestly, I don't think I can count all of them... I guess the thing I am most thankful for is that MSA taught me the importance of having a unified Muslim community and that, like with anything else worthwhile, it requires sabr and hard work to maintain and flourish. If you could give advice to current students or soon to be graduating seniors what would you say? Stay involved with the MSA, even when you are busy, overwhelmed, or feeling a little jaded. Work at building relationships and take advantage of the educational Islamic resources and the spiritual atmosphere that the MSA offers. Insha'Allah you will never regret the effort you put forth for the sake of Allah.

Mariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventurous side is seen as she goes water-rafting

New Section Coming Soon! Brother Tarif Shraim

Starting next month, we will feature a section just for the MSA & MWM advisers, Tarif Shraim and Sahar Khamis. If you would like either of them to address specific topics/issues, please email msa.nur@gmail.com. Sister Sahar Khamis

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