Al-Nur: Volume 17 | Issue 2 by Al-Nur Literary Magazine

Contents

The Activism Edition

Cover by Parise Henry; inside art by Mehreen Rasheed

5 6 7 8 9 10/11

News Mothers & Daughters in Wonderland, Manaar Zuhurudeen

News Muslims Without Borders, Omnia Joehar Knit to Make a Difference, Mehreen Masoud

News Brave New World, Sarah Mostafa

Spirituality/Lifestyle The Significance of Community Services, Mehreen Masoud

Spirituality Secularity vs. Spirituality, Mohammed Shaikh Hadith of the Month, provided by Saad Rehman

Feature

12 13 14 15 16

Lifestyle | Book of the Month Medicine of the Prophet, Anum Ali

Creative Writing Out of Control, Anonymous The Grace of Giving, Tara Mohammed

Alumni Alumni Spotlight: Abdul Saboor Khan, Tubah Sultan

Message from Our Advisers Just Like Water, Br. Tarif Shraim New Mediaâ&#x20AC;Ś,, Sr. Sahar Khamis

Historian Page Collage of images from the 20102011 school year

Serving the Communityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Affecting the Globe

Staff

It is such an amazing feeling being able to be of service to others. Because the University of Maryland provides so many opportunities to serve others, the staff and I wanted to feature a whole issue on the various organizations found on campus, devoted to improving the condition of people worldwide. Through community

service initiatives, we are able to be proactive in our own backyards, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to educate and encourage social media and creativity among the youth, creating bonds to bridge the gaps between various groups of people throughout the world, or to promote awareness about issues Americans are not aware of. Be sure to keep your eyes out for the April issue, God willing! -Bushrah Rahman Msa.nur@gmail.com

A Special Thanks to:

Editor-in-Chief: Bushrah Rahman

MSA/MWM Liason: Omnia Joehar

Editors: Anam Siddiqui Layout Designers: Parise Henry Meher Kachwala

Shabnom Khan Tubah Sultan

Writers/Contributors: Anum Ali Omnia Joehar Mehreen Masoud Tara Mohammed

Sarah Mostafa Mohammed Shaikh Tubah Sultan Manaar Zuhurudeen

Center Spread Contributors: Michaelle Bond Saad Rehman Luoth Chou Anam Siddiqui Hanifah Dasti Angela Wu Naomi Henry

News

Upcoming Events|MSA/MWM Happenings March 13: MWM Mother-Daughter Event March 15: MSA/MWM Open House March 7-27: MSA/MWM Elections April 1: Dinner in the Musallah April 10: MSA â&#x20AC;&#x2014;Friendraiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; April 11-15: Palestinian Solidarity Week April 17: Muslimaat-Al-Nisaa Fundraiser April 26; Dawah Week May 2: MSA Graduation Dinner May 6: MWM Graduation Bash

Sunnah Empowerment Series: March 16, March 30, April 7, April 13, April 21, April 27, May 5 Breakout Sessions: March 31, April 6, April 20, May 5 MSA Meetings: March 18, April 1 (Journeys to Islam), April 8 (Leadership), April 15, April 29, May 6 (Last Meeting)

Mothers & Daughters in Wonderland By Manaar Zuhurudeen Alice chased after a little white rabbit, Carrying a watch and of curious habits. She found herself in Wonderland Met a cat, caterpillar, a queen of hearts and Soon grew sad, miserable, and lonely For she missed her family and cat, hers only. She left home at first to escape from strife But in the end realized she loved her real life. Thus, for our mothers on this special day, We'll pamper and appreciate them, and of course play. Because Alice taught us, don't take anything for granted, Nothing replaces loved ones, even a land enchanted. It's long overdue, we often realize when it's too late So you don't want to miss this very important date! It's that time again! The MWM's annual Mother-Daughter Tea Party is coming up this weekend, inshaAllah. This year, it's Alice in Wonderland-themed! At the event inshaAllah, we'll pamper our mommas (or aunts/cousins/ sisters/nieces/grandmothers), show them what the Muslim Women of Maryland (MWM) is all about, and have a splendid time kicking back with tea, crumpets, and friends. When: Sunday March 13, 12:30-3:30 pm Where: Benjamin Banneker room, Stamp Student Union We ask that all attendees and their mothers RSVP on the Evite that has been sent out. We are also asking MWMers to send us pictures of themselves with their mothers. Please contact Shamma or Manaar with any questions.

News

Muslims Without Borders By Omnia Joehar The admiration I have for the invaluable work done by Muslims Without Borders (MWB) is indescribable. MWB has been an amazing life teacher for me, and a blessing that only Allah could grant me. I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to Mexico and take part in life-changing experiences and projects, Alhamdulillah. MWB is currently continuing their volunteer abroad in Mexico and medical aid to Haiti. Most recently, they were the first American NGO (non-governmental organization) to enter Libya and successfully deliver medical aid convoys to the Libyan people Alhamdulillah! It‘s beautiful to see MWB expanding, with its new College Park, MD Chapter established this month. I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming projects. This summer, with the will of Allah, we‘ll see the commencement of Sisters Helping Sisters and the 1,000 Wells Project. Sisters Helping Sisters is a development project aimed at helping Haitian women become self-sufficient. Haitian sisters are able to sew abayahs

and hijabs, which Muslims Without Borders will then sell here and give all the revenue back to the women as their salaries. Development projects like these are to help people get back on their feet, earn money, and make a life for themselves, with a specific focus on the affected populations‘ self sufficiency. One of my favorite projects, 1,000 Wells, is insha‘allah aimed to launch in Ramadan of this year! The goal of the project is to build 1,000 wells all over the world. Water is the source of life, and unfortunately roughly one in eight of the world‘s population does not have access to safe water (UNICEF). Us, those who Alhamdulillah are more fortunate, can help! 1,000 Wells appeals to organizations, masaajid, families, students, and anyone able to donate, to build a well in a country of their choice. In addition, the sponsored well will have the donor‘s name engraved on the top! Can you imagine providing a well in a village or town that is able to quench the thirst of so many people during the month of mercy and giving?!

As narrated by Aisha (RA) in Sahih Bukhari (vol. 8, hadith 471), the Prophet Muhammad (S) said, ―Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah’s is the most regular and constant even though it were little.‖ You don‘t have to travel to Mexico or Haiti or Libya to make a difference or change the world. We can all make a difference right here. First, we must begin by changing ourselves, purifying our hearts and our intentions. Second, get involved! For example, with MWB, you can come to our meetings, take part in planning our fundraiser and our hygiene kit drive, or donate to one of our projects. It‘s the little things that go a long way. Every one of us has the moral obligation and responsibility to do good for those that are suffering, and Muslims Without Borders has made it easy and incredibly rewarding for me. I urge my brothers and sisters to make an investment in the future of the global society and get involved with Muslims Without Borders.

Knitting to Make a Difference By Mehreen Masoud Knitting is a hobby that many people around the world enjoy because it‘s relaxing, fun, and makes for a great stress reliever! However, knitting can also be a great way to help those in need. KasCare‘s Knitting for Charity project, Knit-A-Square, is doing what it can to help AIDS orphans in South Africa. It is estimated that there are approximately 14.8 million AIDS orphans in Sub-saharan Africa, 1.9 million of whom live in South Africa alone. Many organizations strive to provide AIDS orphans with food and shelter, and Knit-ASquare hopes to provide warmth and comfort. Furthermore, the organiza-

tion‘s larger goal is to raise awareness about children suffering with AIDS. A passionate woman from Australia, Sandy McDonald, came up with the idea to create the Knit-A-Square website, where she invited knitters to make and send 8-inch knitted squares to the Soweto Comfort Club (SCC) in South Africa. The women of SCC then transform the squares into blankets for local AIDS orphans. By the end of 2010, the organization had received 175,000 squares with an addition of 11,000 garments like sweaters, scarves, etc. And now, knitting Terps can greatly help this charity! I started knit-

ting for this charity; however, on my own I could not contribute very much. So I decided to hold bi-weekly meetings! You can come any time between 6:30 – 8:30 to either learn how to knit or knit a square! We meet on second floor of stamp (on the comfortable couches across from the colony ballroom). Come out to the meetings to make squares or to simply learn how to knit. If you cannot make it to the meetings, but would like to donate knitted squares, contact us at knit.a.square@gmail.com. Also visit http://www.knit-asquare.com/ for more information!

News

Brave New World By Sarah Mostafa On February 12, 2011, the world held its breath as the sullen and sleep-deprived prime minister of Egypt announced that the reigning pharaoh, Hosni Mubarak, would no longer lead the country. At that split millisecond, news channels in every corner of the world exploded with incredulous commentaries and footage of the brave souls in Tahrir Square crying, laughing, and dancing in disbelief and euphoria. Weeks of fighting aggressive attacks from pro-government supporters, sleeping in tents, and living off fava beans had paid off. The announcement was made just as a large group of protesters were completing the last raka‘a of the evening salah. It took every ounce of their self-control to stop from screaming and celebrating with their fellow Egyptians. As soon as the Imam completed the prayer, the worshippers sprung to their feet and pumped their fists in the air, shouting ―Allahu-Akbar!‖ Some collapsed in tears and completed a long sujud, thanking Allah for granting them nothing short of a miracle. And indeed, what happened this year in Egypt is a modern-day miracle. It took 18 days of largely peaceful protests to end a brutal Western-backed 30-year regime. If you had told the greatest political analyst or Middle East expert in that this was going to happen, he would have thought you had just landed from the moon. If you have not been following the revolution, I urge you to view videos of the highlights, starting with the catalyzing events in Tunisia. It is full of beautiful glimpses that capture the real spirit of Islam. Some highlights are: The protests were peaceful and brilliantly well-organized, with makeshift hospitals and security checkpoints set-up by volunteer youths

Everyone brought food and drinks to share, even with foreign reporters and journalists Absolute and total unity- there was no room for debate of political or religious ideology. People from all walks of life stood shoulder to shoulder during the protests The protests were very festive atmosphere- to keep morale high. CNN reports that at times, the protests seemed more like a ―music fest‖—with people singing, doing stand-up comedy, and painting. The organizers even set up a ―welcoming committee‖, that placed lines of people at the entrance of Tahrir square to sing ―welcome, welcome to the heros!‖ to the newcomers entering the Square. Through this pleasant and dignified behavior, the Egyptian people were able to avoid the country sinking into anarchy during the political unrest. What is happening in Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and Libya gives me hope for a new era---an era in which Muslim values and ethics leads the world by example. The events have even inspired protests in African countries, South Korea, and China. The greatest transformations of

all time—starting from the peaceful conquest of Makkah by the prophet (SAWS) -- were accomplished through nonaggressive struggles. In 18 days, peaceful Egyptian protesters brought the democracy that a 10-year war and thousands of lives still have not brought in Iraq and Afghanistan. The point of our daily prayers and our fasting is to help us carry out our role fighters for justice. Islam does not support the view that a Muslim should be content with simply praying in the mosque when the entire country is full of corruption and injustice. "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who….gives away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in the time of conflict. These are they who are truthful; and these are they who keep their duty." Ch. 2:177 Let us focus on what unites us and not what drives us apart. We can all agree on fighting against injustice, promoting basic human rights, and ending world poverty. The Muslim ummah is commanded to stands in support of each other, regardless of differences of opinions on controversial matters, or individual shortcomings in our practice. It is only when we are united can we accomplish great things. As all eyes turn to the painful massacre of our fellow Libyans, who have bravely grabbed the baton of democracy from Egyptians, we must not forget that the fall of a dictator is not the end of the struggle---it is the beginning. Let us pray and make dua‘a that this is the start of a new era of justice and prosperity in Muslim societies. And while our fellow Muslims are struggling overseas, let us double our efforts to make Islam a beacon of light in our own communities.

Spirituality/Lifestyle

The Significance of Community Service in Islam By Mehreen Masoud I remember sitting in my high school history class when my teacher pointed out how Islam is different from other religions because of the immense amount of importance attributed to the Zakat and helping others. This comment took me aback because I thought all religions stressed the importance of helping others as much as Islam. Yet, his point was, even though all religions state that helping others is important, Islam has dedicated an entire pillar to this principle. The following is just a highlight of how stressed it is in Islam to care about one another and dedicate yourself to helping humanity: ―And remember when we took a covenant from the children of Israel: Worship none but Allah and be dutiful to your parents, to kinfolks, to orphans and to poor and speak good to people and perform Salaat and pay Zakaat‖ (Al Baqara, 2: 82). Jarir bin Abdullah reports the prophet said, ―Allah is not merciful to one who does not show mercy to mankind‖ (Tabrani). Abduallah bin Masood reports that the prophet said, ―You can not be believers till you show kindness to others‖ (Musnad Ahamad). However, the question is how do we help those less fortunate than ourselves? And how do I work towards these righteous deeds that will help me follow the Sunnah of the Prophet and bring me closer to humanity and Allah (SWT)? This question has many answers and a lot of them fall under the umbrella of community service. Community service is simply being an active member in ones‘ community and doing what you can to improve and bring about change. Islam directly tells us what we should do in order to help others. Here are just a few social

services we should perform: Feeding the Hungry Provide Clothing Serving the Sick Serving the Poor and Widow Serving the Orphans Establishing a School Establishing a Masjid Establish a Clinic and Hospital Helping the Oppressed and those facing injustice It is clear that Islam puts a great deal of emphasize on performing social services and being an active member of one‘s community. However, it is very important to ask oneself – ―how can I participate in community service?‖ The great thing about going to University of Maryland is the amount of community service opportunities offered. The following are some suggestions on how to take advantage of University of Maryland opportunities and start making a difference: Office of Community ServiceLearning: visit the website or their office in Stamp to learn more about this program. But here are a few of their opportunities to get involved: Terps for Change: You sub-

mit an application before the start of every semester and get assigned to a volunteer site. The site issues range from education, environmental, homelessness, etc. You usually volunteer at your site once a week and meet with other members of Terps for Change once a month to discuss current issues in the community. Service Link Database: Check out this database on their website! The database has a listing of different sites looking for volunteers. This is an incredible database with up-to-date service opportunities to meet anyone‘s schedule! STARS University of Maryland‘s organizations are all placed on this website. Joining an organization is a great way to get involved in your community. Here are just a few community service organizations at the University of Maryland: Relay for Life, Ihya, The American Red Cross, Best Buddies, Colleges Against Cancer at UMD, Habitat for Humanity, Marrow for Tomorrow, etc. The importance of helping others is stated in our Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith, and the ways in which we can perform social service acts were exemplified through Rasuallah (SAW). Furthermore, the University of Maryland provides us with ample opportunities to perform these community service tasks. So, get up today and change the world! One Muslim at a time.

Spirituality

Secularity vs. Spirituality By Mohammed Shaikh Religions in the world are widely different. Some religions care a lot about spirituality and almost ignore the normal lifestyle and the human needs of a person, and vice verse. Islam, as a great gift from Allah, is a religion that cares about both worldly and spiritual issues. Islam teaches its followers that doing secular things in a certain way can even develop their spirituality!!!!! How? We can eat and drink to have the power to perform the religious virtues. We can go to work to get money to feed our families and buy necessities. We can go to school and read books to gain knowledge. We believe that knowledge is supposed to be a great thing because ignorance is one of our biggest enemies. We can teach other people to take them out of ignorance. We can raise our children to have a

great influence on society, and to make Du’a for us. We can get married to have a righteous wife/husband to help us strengthening our relationship with Allah, and to satisfy our sexual desire in the way Allah wants it. Everything between the wife and the husband can be for Allah‘s sake. We can collect money to help society and poor people. We can go to gym and play sport to strengthen our bodies to help us doing the other things. We can take a shower to clean ourselves. We can write books, so other people might benefit from them.. We can visit our relatives for the sake of keeping our kin and kith. We can hang out with our righteous friends because that what Allah told us to do in the Quran. We can entertain ourselves using any kind of halal entertainment for the sake of refreshing our energy to go back to worship Allah.

If we want to be rewarded for our normal actions, we should have the right intention, making it for Allah‘s sake, and the actions should be done while maintaining the other guidelines of our religion. For example, if someone wants to work to feed his family, then his work should be halal and he should pray the five prayers on time. Always check your intention and be honest with yourself because our intention needs to be renewed continuously. Do not forget that we need Allah to be on our side all the time to help us be steadfast in our religion. Brothers and sisters - always be humble; know that there is always more to learn, thank Allah for Islam, appreciate it, implement what it teaches in your life, and you will see the difference inshallah.

Hadith of the Month Hadrat Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Among the actions and good deeds for which a believer will continue to receive reward after his death are: knowledge which he taught and spread, a good son whom he left behind, a copy of the Qur'an which he left as a legacy, a mosque he built, a house which he built for the traveler, a stream which he caused to flow, or a sadaqa which he gave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he will continue to receive reward after his death” (Ibn Majah and Baihaqi).

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

Provided by Saad Rehman

Center Spread LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) at UMCP, is an advocacy group on campus whose main mission is to raise awareness about the human rights crisis in North Korea. LiNK aims to educate the public about the severity of the humanitarian issue in North Kora through movie screenings, awareness events and much more. In addition to raising awareness, LiNK at UMCP also holds fundraisers to raise money to send to LiNK Global ). This money goes directly toward providing food, clothes and shelter to the North Korean refugees who have managed to defect from the cruel life in North Korea and need money to start a new life. Currently, LiNK has the go al to raise $2,500, which is enough to save 1 North Korean refugee.

Serving the Communit

Muslims Without Borders (MWB) is the first student based relief agency, and aid organization dedicated to helping alleviate suffering throughout the world.

The American Red Cross Club supports the mission of the American Red Cross and is dedicated to community service and emergency preparedness. The Club's continuous blood drives and CPR/First Aid classes help members of the community to save lives. Engineers Without Borders is an organization that brings students together to design and eventually implement sustainable engineering projects for the benefit of people in the developing world. . The UMD Chapter currently has projects Peru, Burkina Faso, Brazil, and Ethiopia. This is an absolutely brilliant opportunity to get engaged in real tangible aid for people found all around the world. Just think of the continuous reward (Sadaqah Jariyah) for one who helps provide water for a village, or electricity to a medical clinic!

Knit-a-Square is asking knitters around the world to send 8inch knitted squares to South Africa, so the Soweto Comfort Club can sew the squares together. Personalized and special blankets are distributed to local children with AIDS. "The United States Campaign for Burma is a U.S. based organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to rally for human rights and to bring an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. As avid members of the University of Maryland community, we are dedicated to spreading awareness about the political situation in Burma. In our strive towards a free Burma, we will host different events on campus in order to educate students about the ongoing crises and human rights abuse. We hope the world will recognize our voice & support our campaign for freedom."

Center Spread

ty—Affecting the Globe Terps for Change is committed to connecting the university with the local community through sustained, collaborative, and meaningful community service-learning. By exploring the root causes through critical reflection and meaningful dialogue, we seek to better understand the systemic complexities o f s o cial issues and the action steps that we can take to address them.

FRIEND: Our mission reads, ―As an alliance of Jewish and Muslim women, FRIEND aims to foster communication, friendship, and unity between our two communities.‖ FRIEND strives to provide opportunities for enriching dialogues that force you to think critically about your beliefs and how you apply t h e m . Week of March 27: Religion: Choice or Chore? Week of April 4: Why Can't We Be FRIENDs? Week of May 1: Study break: Exercise class for girls! CreativeMuslims is a social media news blog founded in Jan 2010. It features Muslim Americans who exemplify a positive image of Islam through their contributions to the web, arts, multimedia, entrepreneurship, technology, and media. We‘re sharing how people, ideas, projects and communities are embracing the pillars of the Islamic faith to spread social good. i n q u i r i e s @ c r e a t i v e m u s l i m s . c o m Baltimore/Washington D.C. Metro Area

Ihya Humanity, started at College Park by a group of students in the summer of 2010, seeks to bridge the gap between those that need and those that have by coordinating monthly events that serve different parts of the community. Islam recognizes that all people, Muslims and non-Muslim, face difficulties and all are worthy of help. Recent Ihya events have included volunteer opportunities at the Asbury nursing home in Gaithersburg and On Our Own of Howard County, a mental health recovery center, along with a very successful clothing drive and sorting event held at Dar-al-Taqwa. . Ihya hopes to revive the hearts of man, revive the hearts of our communities and thus revive the hearts of humanity. Ihya Humanity can be found on facebook, or emailed at ihyahumanity@gmail.com for more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities or getting involved with organizing.

The Love Movement (TLM) is a cross between a community service club, a social action club and a party, and is 100% actionbased. Our events take place on a large scale and are fun for participants while still making a concrete positive impact on the world. We take action on a wide array of nonpartisan causes including local homelessness, global hunger and poverty, the environment, human rights, HIV/AIDS, cancer and rape. TLM is actively seeking to partner with and otherwise support existing campus organizations in the advancement of community service, sustainable norms, awareness, cultural exchange and fun. Together, we hope to redirect our culture towards greater positivity, creativity, compassion and common good.

Lifestyle | CAIL Book of the Month

Medicine of the Prophet by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawaziyya By Anum Ali Medicine of the Prophet, authored by the great and widely-acclaimed theologian - Ibn Qayyim alJawaziyya (751AH-1350AH), bridges Islamic medicine and medical science together. The author has summarized Islamic prescriptions of health, prevention, and cure from a collective mix of authentic resources; the Hadith (sayings) and Sunnah (lifestyle) of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the wisdom from the Quran. The summary works in relativity with the references of medicinal views by the Muslims of the thirteenth and fourteenth century. The original Arabic text, an absolute favorite in the Muslim world, is a part of Ibn Qayyim's collective work Zad al-Maad. However, this English translation by Dr. Penelope Johnstone, Ph.D. in the history of Arabic medicine and herbals, is a contemporary and more comprehensive version with better presentation and authentication of Hadith and Sunnah. Dr. Johnstone has undertaken fieldwork in SyriaJordan and spent a year with the Welcome Unit for the History of Medicine, Oxford. She now teaches Arabic at Oxford University. The book has been categorically written in two parts. Part One 'Medicine' introduces the definitions and kinds of sickness, prevention and cure and works its way to discuss various maladies - mental, physical and spiritual. The author has discussed, in reference to Hadith, common ailments

like fevers, diarrhea, epilepsy, sciatica, headache, etc. Also, the more serious and contagious maladies like plague, leprosy, poisonous intoxication, and etc. have also been mentioned. The 13th and 14th century Arabic medicine (Tibb) has been referenced alongside to incorporate authenticity of traditional treatments like cupping and cautery, and by using rare herbs and elements. It concludes by establishing

healthy etiquettes of food and drinks and way of life as prescribed by Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in reference to authentic Hadith. Part II is an index of 'Simple Drugs and Foods' fruits, vegetables, grains, naturally occurring and chemical elements, and other products of use. It elaborates on the benefits by suggesting wise methods of consumption/ usage for extracting the best out of each provision, and highlights the harmful effects while suggesting a combination of other foods to be used along with a particular one to counter the harms. Medicine of the Prophet, while re-establishing some widely accepted medical practices of prevention and cure, tends to suggest alternative, spiritual treatments contrary to medical science but authenticated by Quran and Hadith, such as a detailed chapter on preventative spiritual incantations (ruqya) for treating evil-eye spells, magic and scorpion stings. However, no scientific arguments for and against the Islamic wisdom have been added to the original text because it is an unaltered translation preserved for providing only the authentic work of Ibn Qayyim. The late Hakim Mohammad Saeed (1920-1998); founder of Hamdard Foundation, Pakistan, in his appraising foreword for the book, writes: "I myself have found this masterly translation a significant and welcome addition to the treasury of translated Islamic medico-religious literature and to the historical and cultural heritage of Islam."

Creative Writing

Out of Control Anonymous When I realized I no longer had control of the car, I panicked. In horror, I watched my car jerk uncontrollably into the far right and left lanes of the 270 freeway, feeling as helpless as a rag doll being whipped around between a dog‘s teeth. It was a moment too surreal to recount. I remember thinking to myself: “God, is this it? Is this how I will die? Will people create a Facebook page tomorrow mourning my death?” I had no idea as to what would happen when I finally collided with something, mentally preparing for death, mentally preparing for the end of my existence. A thousand thoughts entered my mind: meeting Allah, leaving my family, leaving this world with unanswered questions, my spiritual qualms. All I could do in those brief three seconds as the car sailed into its demise was hope desperately that somehow, I would survive. I was simply not ready for my soul to leave my body in its defective state. What shocked me was how eerily quiet I was before the impact. I did not scream, or gasp, or say anything at all. I just stared thoughtfully

through my windshield as the car sailed ahead, knowing that there was nothing stopping me from dying, because thousands had died this way before. Only Allah knew what would happen three seconds later. I have never felt, and will likely never feel, anything more horrifying than when the car rammed into the concrete highway medium. The car screamed a deafening shriek as metal collided with concrete at 50 mph. From the driver‘s seat, I felt the entire car quake and heard the awful sounds of the car tearing apart as my body snapped back and forth uncontrollably. Then it was over. My vision had slowly blurred into a white haze. I could not feel my body. I tried moving my hands. Nothing So, this is how death looks like, I thought. I wonder why it’s all white. Are those the angels of death coming? My mind was gone. I was completely detached from my body. I was in a peripheral subconscious state. Slowly, like the haze rising to reveal the gruesome scene at the end of a battle, I became aware of my body, my seatbelt, and the cars that had slowed

around me to watch the horror unfold. I surveyed the car. Both airbags had deployed. The front and inside of the car were completely wrecked and there was an overwhelming smell of something burning. In my naïve state, I panicked, thinking that the car was going to explode. Forcing my hands to stop trembling, I unbuckled the seatbelt and flew towards the medium that I had crashed into. Crying and trembling, I fell against it. Two men had parked behind me and were racing towards me. They tried to help me stand, but I was too hysterical to do anything. One of the men was a paramedic off duty. He quickly checked for any injuries, shaking his head the whole while. I was too shaken to do or say anything intelligible. ―Well, ma‘am, you‘ve got some nasty bruises, and you‘ll probably have some whiplash tomorrow. But for a crash like this…‖ He looked me in the eye. ―If I can be frank, you should have died.‖ I just stared at the ground, knowing, knowing, that Allah was talking to me.

The Grace of Giving By Tara Mohammed What are youBut an indebted soul to your Lord? Yes, you are a gem. Because He created you with a soul Worth nothing less than Paradise So to Him, you are forever grateful. But when He, the Greatness, Hands you goodness at your fingertips What will you do? See now, Many of us grieve over tomorrow Our have not's or our jackpots And either way, neither is enough. But what have we really? Except our dignity and our grace Gracious beings The Greatness has made us Kings and

Queens on His earth Greater than the best of his creations But we act like the worthless of His nations You see your sister on the street Little brother with patched feet Father looking for some food to feed his little mama And mama- she just cries cuz her eyes can no longer deny the horror of their lives So where is our grace? When we stand watching in disgrace Defaced by everything we refuse to face Walking blindly past the pains of our own kind Mankind

Is composed of men and kindness So lets live up to our name What more honor do we need Than the ability to extend our hands And give dignity to those who are living without it Because humility is the manifestation of wisdom Allowing us to build communities and share kingdoms Because we are Kings And giving is our power So lets fulfill our responsibilities And plant our seeds of goodness With grace and honor Until our very last hour.

Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: Abdul Saboor Khan By Tubah Sultan

Brother Abdul Saboor Khan

lamic lectures and Muslim-geared events, and often if an opportunity comes along, it is difficult to budget time in to participate. What is something that people don't know about you? (i.e. hobbies, community work, be creative, humor is welcome) I play hockey, collect model cars, [and] love movies (and yes, I cry through some of them - i.e. Blind Side). I'm the eldest in my family and have two younger brothers looking at my footsteps. But overall, I love being a goon and just chillin' in the company of brothers. Life after college. What opportunities did the MSA provide that benefited you after you left school?

Education:

Gaithersburg, MD Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:

Doctorate of Medicine (expected 2013), Windsor University; Master's in Double chocolate chocolate-cookie Public Health (expected 2012), Bene- dough dictine University; Cell Biology and Genetics (B.S.) University of Maryland Are you currently a member of the Muslim Alumni of UMD? Year Graduated from UMD: 2009

Yes

Current Job Position and Company:

What is your favorite campus memory at UMD?

Student; Bio Tech Hometown:

The most memorable moments have been the consistent halaqas - an opportunity to learn and develop one's deen. Out in the "real world," it is difficult to constantly be attached to Is-

The MSA provided me with tools in dealing with people, being able to take on leadership roles and public speaking, and most importantly, developing a better understanding as to my identity and role in society as a Muslim. There are a lot of "interesting" occurrences that take place and fellow "Muslims" that find it difficult to hold onto their Iman. This is seen even in the states, but especially down here in the Caribbean; and I can't thank MSA enough for bringing me closer to Allah (swt). If you could give advice to current students or soon to be graduating seniors what would you say? Take advantage of the resources that MSA provides in strengthening your Iman and develop a strong brotherhood or sisterhood with fellow MSA-ers. The friendships that develop through the MSA stay for the years to come.

Message from our Advisers

Just like Water By Tarif Shraim, Manager at MarkMonitor, MSA Chaplain Beneath all their glories and impeccable lives, prophets were at their core people who wanted to serve Allah‘s creation. This quality ultimately defined their legacy. Such a privilege however, is not exclusive to a tiny class of people on earth, but is offered by Allah to anyone who shows interest. When Allah loves a human being, He gives him the insight to appreciate such treasures and expands his capacity to impact life around him in extraordinary ways. Allah does promise to give us from His infinite treasures, but only when we decide to ―give.‖ The capacity to ―give‖ does indeed lie within all of us, but how many of us fail to see those potentialities? And how many of us even bother to ask whether Allah has used us at all for any of his work on earth? Think for a second about all the opportunities that Allah gives us to serve in a good cause, put a smile on a sad face, or to take the hand of someone back to Allah.

Think now of the many times in which we turned our backs on such opportunities, depriving ourselves of the chance to be used by Allah for His work on earth. Our excuses for not taking part in Allah‘s cause on earth are endless, with the end result of depriving ourselves from Allah‘s special gifts. Allah constantly invites us to reflect upon our lives, and upon the endless signs that can teach us the fundamental lessons of life. Water is indeed a sign and the source of life. But water is the source of life only when it ―moves.‖ As the heat of the sun falls upon water, it evaporates, condenses, and then descends as rain to bring life back to earth. When water stops moving and gets confined, it becomes stale and loses life. This water is precisely like the believer. He has the capacity, just like water, to bring life to creation around him. As faith settles into his heart, it generates within him the energy to

move with vigor. He begins to serve his friends, family, and community with passion. He does not belittle a single deed, but moves about from place to place, from activity to activity, and from neighborhood to neighborhood, doing everything in his capacity to serve Allah‘s creation. Within this purposeful movement of service, Allah brings this believer to life and uses him to bring life to creation around him. Soon the opportunities as well as our lives come to a close. I would imagine that once we depart from this life, nothing would be more painful than to look back at our lives and see what we could have become had we decided to fulfill our potential and move in the service of Allah. But we are still alive, and Allah is still knocking on our doors. The prophets answered the call and left their legacy. Will you answer the call? What will be your legacy?

New Media & Youth Engagement By Sahar Khamis, Assistant Professor of Communication & Affiliate Professor of Women‘s Studies, MWM Advisor Who would have thought that a group of young digital activists blogging, tweeting, chatting on Facebook and texting on their cell phones could have set the first spark for a sweeping wave of political change and democratization in the Arab world? Well…they did! Today, the new media revolution became the catalyst for new political and social revolutions. We are entering a new phase where youth will play a much more active and predominant role more than ever before using the new weapons of communication which became very widely accessible and which they master more than anyone else. The implications for young Muslim men and women who are educated, intellectual and technically savvy are vast. They simply have unlimited opportunities to tap into this new invaluable resource to spread proper awareness of their own religion, to correct misperceptions and to overcome negative stereotypes. It is indeed the responsibility of

every young Muslim man and woman to think about how they can use these new unlimited opportunities to best serve their religion. In my talk during the Empowerment and Engagement event that was organized by MSA and MWM on March 2nd, I strongly encouraged initiatives to establish a vibrant and active student Muslim community on-campus and off-campus, through connecting with successful alumni and inviting them to maintain links with their former colleagues, so that new brothers and sisters can learn from their experiences and follow their good examples. I also encouraged efforts to serve the wider community, through participating in good causes to help the homeless, the elderly and the disabled, even if they are not necessarily carried out under the umbrella of Islamic organizations. I highlighted the equal importance of engaging in interfaith dialogue, both on campus and off campus, in an effort to spread the virtues of love, peace, tolerance and coexistence, which are at the

very heart of Islamic teachings. My main emphasis, however, was on the necessity of exploring the great potentials that new media could offer the new generation of Muslims to achieve all of the above goals and to also reach an unlimited, global audience with the correct awareness and knowledge of Islam. One of the suggestions I proposed in this regard was initiating a YouTube channel, which simply transmits ―young Muslim voices‖ to the whole world through broadcasting the stories of ordinary Muslim youth who set good examples and represent positive role models. These simple narratives could speak for themselves. They can show the whole world these ―true‖ good faces, who represent the sweeping majority of peaceful and constructive Muslims everywhere, rather than the ―distorted‖ mediamanipulated images of a handful of extremists and fanatics. This is just one of many ways through which new media could be used as very powerful and effective tools for Muslim youth to effectively engage in serving their own religion.

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