“...Light upon light! Allah guides to his light whomsoever he pleases, and Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah knows all things full well.” [Holy Qur’an]
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al-Nur the Light
THE NEWSLE TTER OF THE MUS LI M STU DENTS’ ASSOCIATI ON A ND THE MUS LI M WOMEN OF MA RYLAND
Eid Mubarak! by Lena M. Hassen and Ikhlaas M. Hassen In the night of the last, when the full moon has once again risen, after the holy month of Ramadan has passed, Now that we’ve fasted and done extra good deeds, We celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the two Eids! This is the time when Muslims share Love and happiness everywhere. Put on your best perfume and wear your best clothes, Visit a beautiful mosque with its pretty decorations. Pray Eid Salah and listen to Eid Khutbah,
And give each other presents to share your Ni’mah! Thank ALLAH for the blessings He gave you, Thank ALLAH for granting you your needs, Say Alhumdulillah, for He prescribed us these Eids, And continue to perform good deeds. May the peace of Allah and joys of Eid be with everyone, Eid Mubarak to all my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Islam!
Inside this Issue History Founded in 1969, the Muslim Students' Association is an organization dedicated to serving the Muslim students on campus and educating the campus community about Islam and Muslims. We carry out Islamic activities, sponsor social, community service, and charity events, and strengthens relations and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.
MSA Events Page 2 Political Action & Current Events Page 3 Quran & Spiritual Reflections Page 4
Personal Experiences Page 5
Hadith/Duaa of the Week Page 7
How-to Column Page 8 The Never Ending Story Page 9 Creative Writing Page 10
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msa events I Am Islam: Ambassadors of Allah by Mohamed Abutaleb Before our father Adam was created as the first human being, the angels were confused as to what good his children would serve. As we are taught in the Holy Qur’an: “And behold, when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Verily, I shall create on earth a vicegerent. They said, will You create therein those that will create mischief and commit bloodshed, while we glorify and praise You, and hold You most holy? He said, ‘Verily, I know that which you do not know.’” Indeed, the angels had captured immense truth in their statement. Entirely free from error and fully committed in devotion to Allah, the angels are ceaselessly engaged in prayer until they arise on the Day of Judgment, saying “Glory be to Allah, we have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped.” What could humanity possibly offer that is superior to the angels? What could justify the immense evil that would occur at the hands of the children of Adam and Eve? Among the divine wisdom that the angels did not comprehend was there was, from among humanity, to arise the very greatest of Allah’s devotional servants. While there are many who would make the wretched choice, others would choose piety and righteousness under no compulsion – and thus attain a status even higher
than the pure and noble angels. Do you remember in the Night of Ascension, that the great angel Gabriel (Jibreel) stopped at a certain point, while the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was allowed to proceed further? The Prophet (saw) he had attained a status higher than one of the most re-
spected angels. And do you recall that the angels were commanded to bow before your father, Adam? Such is the honor bestowed upon humanity by Allah. Yet, great honor does not come without great responsibility – and great consequences. Look at the first part of the verse: humanity was given charge of the care of this earth. You and I, by selection and by name, were ordered to bring this earth a little
closer to the way Allah ordained for it to function. Through sincere worship, a call to righteousness, and selfless service, we were entrusted with the well-being of the world. We are literally vicegerents, agents, representatives – we are Ambassadors of Allah. Perhaps you are startled by my choice of vocabulary, yet I mean every letter of it quite deliberately. Look again at the verse above – you find that you are a khalifa of Allah on earth. It is true that we are far from perfect, and it is also true that Allah, exalted and magnificent, is free from any needs or any shortcomings. Yet this does not preclude that the Almighty has given angels many trusts and assignments although He is in no need of their service. Similarly, it does not preclude that Allah entrusted you with a higher and greater assignment. Dear brother, dear sister: let me then emphasize the great task placed before us. Let this verse shed new light upon each of your decisions and actions. Think (Continued on page 5)
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political action & current events To Vote or Not to Vote, That is the Question by Anonymous Presidential primary elections are around the corner - are you prepared to vote? Does it seem like sometimes you just can’t seem to find the time to register to vote? Or anyways, is there even a presidential candidate out there worthy of your support? Do these bobble head p o l i t i ci a n s even care about half the issues they are advocating for or against? I mean either way we’re still going to be in Iraq, the PATRIOT Act is still going to invade our private lives, and the resolution to go to war with Iran is already in Congress… and if these issues don’t concern you anyways, then you have other problems on your hands, don’t you think? So…is there a candidate unlike the others? One that will take a chance to do the right thing…maybe… The candidates criticize the Bush administration’s war in Iraq, enactment of the PATRIOT Act, and dealings with Iran. But do these candidates really offer us a better alternative? Barrack Obama has said that he would bomb Pakistan to fight terrorism. Hillary Clinton has refused to give a concrete stance on the major issues; meaning we really don’t know what to expect from her in office. One republican candidate,
Senator Tancredo, thinks that the most reasonable course of action in response to another terrorist attack would be to bomb Mecca and Medina. All of these candidates supported the PATRIOT Act’s initial enactment, and regardless of any criticisms they may have of it, they continue to support its reauthorization. These candidates also supported the invasion of Iraq, and are pushing for greater sanctions on Iran. Is there anybody that seems a little bit sane? Don’t give up the search just yet…there might still be hope. There are a few candidates out there, while they may not be getting as much spotlight as the others that seem to be getting the right idea on foreign/ domestic policy. Congressman Dennis Kucinich from Ohio is running for a second time in the Democratic primaries. Congressman Ron Paul from Texas is running in the Republic primaries. Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul are the only presidential candidates who voted against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Kucinich and Ron Paul were the only congressmen against the Rothman-Kirk Resolution, which calls on the UN to charge Ahmednijad with violation of the genocide convention after his remarks about the holocaust. Dennis
Kucinich even went so far as to say that Ahmednijad was mistranslated and that he never called on for the destruction of Israel. Kucinich voted against the Patriot Act and has been very outspoken about his views on Iraq saying that the US is involved in an illegal occupation. In 2004, Kucinich signed a letter of solidarity with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez; and has advocated the abolition of nuclear weapons calling on the US to be a leader in a unilateral disarmament. This article isn’t supposed to be about telling you who to vote for, but that you SHOULD VOTE. That with a little bit of research, we may find a candidate that has the answers we are looking for. While it might seem like the elections are a lost cause, as you can see, there are a few candidates out there that know what they are doing and are not afraid to voice their opinions. Because not voting is not doing anything; and living in the m o s t powerful country in the world, even if it doesn’t make a difference, make an effort to change what we find unjust. It is our intentions and actions that matter. So please VOTE and get others to VOTE.
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quran & spiritual reflections The Etiquettes of Fiqh by Khuram Zaman
In Arabic, Shariah means the clear, well-trodden path to water. Islamically, it is used to refer to the matters of religion that God has legislated for His servants. Just as water is vital to human life, so the clarity and uprightness of Shariah is the means of life for souls and minds. The sources of the Shariah are: the Qur’an, the example of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), scholarly consensus (ijma), and analogical reasoning (qiyas) The Shariah covers all aspects of human life. Classical Shariah manuals are often divided into four parts: 1. laws relating to personal acts of worship (ibadah) 2. laws relating to commercial dealings (mu’amalat) 3. laws relating to marriage and divorce 4. laws relating to crimes and punishments (hudood) The Shari’ah is considered a mercy to mankind. It promotes the welfare of humans by fulfilling necessities, needs, and comforts. As a Muslim, you may come across problems that you didn’t have to face before. For example, how do you pray salah on an airplane? One of the conditions for salah is to face in the direction of the Ka’aba. However, since an airplane travels very fast, it may be difficult to determine the direction of the Ka’aba, which may actually
shift while you pray salah. What would you do in this situation? You have several options: (a) follow your desires, (b) follow your own independent choice, or (c) follow the opinions of a scholar. With regards to the first choice, following your desires, this is something that is strictly prohibited in Islam. We do not do things in Islam because they “feel good.” We do them because it is the command of Allah (swt). In the Qur’an, Allah (swt) prohibits us from following our desires and commands us to obey him (Qu’ran 5:48-49).The Qur’an is the Speech of Allah (swt), so when He commands us to do something, it becomes obligatory to obey. There are many other examples in the Qur’an where Allah (swt) commands us not to follow our desires but to follow the Shari’ah. Thus, when deducing rulings, we shouldn’t make up things just because it is easy or fun. The second option is to make up your own opinion. This option is just as bad as the first. Here is a hadeeth that explains why: Jabir said, "We were on a journey and one of us got injured. Later, he had a wet dream. He asked his companions, 'Can I perform tayammum?' They said, 'No, not if you have water.' He performed ghusl and died. When they came to the Messenger of Allah, they informed him of what had
transpired. He said, 'They killed him, Allah will kill them. Do you not ask if you do not know? The rescue of the ignorant person is the question. He could have performed tayammum and dropped water on his wound or wrapped it with something and wipe over the wrapping, and wash the rest of his body." This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutni and Ibn as-Sakin, who said it is sahih. In this hadeeth, several Sahabah (ra) gave some bad advice based upon their own opinion which resulted in the death of a person. This made the Prophet (saws) very upset. He asked them “Do you not ask if you do not know?” So whenever we come across a situation where we don’t know what to do Islamically, the Prophet (saws) instructed us to ask those who do know. Who are those people who know? These people who know are referred to as the ‘Ulema (singular: Alim). Allah (swt) in the Qur’an instructs the Muslims that a small group of them should study the deen. “. . . if a contingent from every expedition remained behind in order to understand religion (Deen), and so that they could admonish their people when they return to them (from war) that thus they (may learn to) guard themselves (against evil).” (Surah (Continued on page 7)
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personal experiences Remembrance of Death by Sumayyah Taufique
“Oh my Allah. What was that?” I remember screaming. My voice echoed against the cold marble walls of the minaret as I quickly started to run down the spiral steps trying to figure out what was going on. I was at the campus masjid of the Islamic University of Malaysia were I had been studying as part of a study abroad program for 2 months along with 15 other youth. Going up the minaret was going to be the last adventure of our trip since we were heading back home in a week. My question was directed at the fact that I had just seen what seemed like a piece of cardboard fly
down through the center of the spiral staircase and heard screams coming from the top. I turned to one of the brothers standing on the opposite side of the stairs from me
down through the center of the spiral stairs was actually a 16 year old brother, Luqman, falling down 54 stories from the top of the minaret to the bottom floor of the masjid. For those of you who were at the MSA meeting on Friday, the trip to the cemetery was a wake up call waiting for an answer and the exto us all. I realized that the last pression on his face was so fear stricken that without any words, I time I had been to one was to bury Luqman over a year ago, on the knew what had happened. All he other side of the world. How could I kept saying to me was “don’t look have ever forgotten that night? It down” as he ran off to call our group leader. After a few seconds wasn’t Luqman I had forgotten, I of hesitation and panic of not know- remember him clearly. His crazy afro hair, his love for playing ing what to do, I forced myself to look over the ledge. The cardboard pranks on people and his need to (Continued on page 6) like thing I had just seen flying
“For those of you who were at the MSA meeting on Friday, the trip to the cemetery was a wake up all to us all.”
I Am Islam: Ambassadors of Allah (Continued from page 2)
no more of your actions as being reflective of only yourself, rather, imagine your deeds reflecting upon Islam. Visualize yourself as an Ambassador of Allah. Sister, whether you have begun practicing hijab or not, you are the symbol that the world now associates with Islam. Your actions, words, and demeanor will either convince the world that the Muslim woman is the oppressed, exploited person most believe her to be – or that she is instead the pinnacle of what humanity should strive to be. Brother, if many imagine a Muslim to be backwards, greedy, and spiteful to all that is good, then through your actions this will ei-
ther be reinforced or exposed for the fallacy that it has always been. The task is great, but the reward is greater – success and tranquility in this world, and Heaven and the contentment of Allah in one to come. Let me leave you with this: there was a tribe who, like us, had become complacent in their concern for Islam, who had momentarily forgotten the great trust of an Ambassador of Allah. A select few words were hurriedly scribbled and sent in a letter to them. They read: “From Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha to Banu Bakr: Do not embarrass the Muslims.” Perhaps the shortest letter in history, yet it
had its desired effect plus more. Thus do I share these same words with you today. Dear friends, do not embarrass the Muslims. Rather, hold your heads high and grant us honor – with your studies, your professions, your character, your worship, even with as little as a caring smile. Remember the One you represent – for you are, after all, an Ambassador of Allah. I Am Islam: Footsteps on the Journey Within is a lecture and discussion series held on select days throughout the year at the University of Maryland. To join the listserv or for any inquiries, email mohamed@abutaleb.com.
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Remembrance of Death (Continued from page 5)
always see a smile on everyone’s face. What I had forgotten was how quickly all that was taken away from us, how fast death came and changed our lives. We’ve all hear the imam say “pray as if its your last prayer” before each salah but not once did any of us think that the isha prayer we prayed 30 minutes before the accident was really going to be the last for one of us. The janazah took place after Asr the next day. Reality struck as I watched his body being lowered into the ground, the first burial I ever witnessed. I had heard and spoken the words “Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon” (to Allah we belong and to him we return) often, but for the first time I truly understood and felt their meaning. Luqman had been called back by Allah, a calling neither he nor anyone else could delay or stop. We like to think that we have control over our lives, control over what we’ll do tomorrow, where we’ll be the next hour and then bam. We’re standing at a funeral, watching the person we had class with yesterday wrapped in a white cloth being lowered into the ground. Is life really this fragile? The only thought that kept running through my head was the ayah "Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgment will you be given what you earned. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of deception." (3:187). If Luqman, a 16 year old, could die so suddenly without any warning right before
my eyes, what guarantee did I have from life? I didn’t know whether to run away from it or to embrace it. It seemed bizarre to think of embracing death but running away from it felt inadequate, as if Luqman’s life would lose some of its
purpose if I just stored his death in some sorry corner of my mind. As unfortunate as Luqman’s death was, I realized that the only way to honor his life was to be inspired by his death. We had spent a lot of time in the classroom while in Malaysia, learning tajweed, Arabic, hadeeth, fiqh, aqeedah and seerah, yet somehow all of that didn’t feel like enough. His death gave me the motivation to put all the knowledge I had gained into action, to reanalyze my focus in life and to really question the validity of my Iman. We live in a world, in a society, whose social and materialistic culture is based on the denial of death and this notion that we’ll live forever. We focus on attaining all the great things in life, the best education, a high paying job, a nice car and big home but we forget that focusing on the hereafter will get us both. Anas bin Malik
and Zayd bin Thabit narrated that the Prophet (S) said “If anyone’s intention is to seek the hereafter, Allâh will place his sufficiency in his heart and order his affairs, and the world will come to him submissively; but if anyone’s intention is to seek worldly good Allâh will place poverty before him and disorder his affairs, and only so much of it as has been ordained for him will come to him.” (Tirmidhi 5320; Ahmad and Darimi). As Muslims, we don’t consider death to be something taboo and bizarre to discuss and think about, unlike the culture we live in. The remembrance of death is a motivational tool to keep our lives in this world in check and to prepare ourselves for the hereafter. Before you do anything, honestly think to yourself if the action you are about to do is one you want to be engaging in when the moment for you to meet Allah comes. Death reminds us to renew our intentions and make everything we do only for the sake of Allah, it teaches us the essence of time and how every second matters, it serves as a reality check when we get too engrossed into the dunya and it helps us remember that nothing we have will last forever. Luqman’s death is not stored in a sorry corner of my brain but is a constant guidance throughout my day. Don’t wait for death to hit close to home to remember it, remember it often and have it be the tool that not only benefits you in the hereafter but makes you a better person in this dunya.
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hadith / duaa of the week Submitted by Kadiatu Bah Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah created His creation, and
when He had finished it, ties of kinship got up and said, 'I seek refuge with You from those who sever the ties of kith and kin.' On that, Allah said, 'Will you be satis-
fied if I bestow My favors on those who keep you, and withhold My favors from those who sever you?' On that, ties of kinship said, 'Yes.' Then Allah said, 'So, be it.' "
The Etiquettes of Fiqh (Continued from page 4)
al-Taubah : 122) This verse of the Qur’an clearly states that a group of Muslims should devote themselves to acquiring the knowledge of the Shari’ah and all others should consult them for their rulings. Becoming a scholar is not an easy thing. A student of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal asked him "When a man has memorized 100,000 hadiths, is he a scholar of Sacred Law, a faqih?" And he said, "No." The man asked, "200,000 then?" And he said, "No." The man asked, "Then 300,000?" And he said, "No." The man asked, "400,000?" And Ahmad gestured with his hand to signify "about that many". How many hadeeth do we know? If we don’t know a single hadeeth or much Qur’an, how can we possibly start giving rulings from these two sources? It is simply not possible for a person without knowledge to do so. This is why Allah (swt) and His Rasul (saws) told us to follow those who have knowledge. When someone follows another person in rulings of the Shari’ah, this is known as “taqleed.” Linguistic Definition: Literal: Taqleed is a verbal noun from the Arabic root q-l-d which means to
place, to gird, or to adorn with a necklace. Shari’ah Definition: The acceptance of another’s statement without demanding proof or evidence on the belief that the statement is being made in accordance with fact and proof. The basis for taqleed is a Qur’aanic command where Allah (swt) says “O you who believe! Follow Allah; follow the Messenger and those in authority (Amr) amongst you.” (Surah al-Nisaa: 59) Those in authority (Amr) can mean either the rulers or the jurists. Abdallah ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu), a companion of the Prophet (saws) was of the opinion that the verse was applied to the jurists. Taqleed was something that was practiced in the time of the Prophet (saws) and after his death. Imam Bukhari (rahmatullah alayh) mentions that the people of Madina asked Ibn 'Abbas about a woman who did tawaf and then started menstruating. He said to them, "She can leave [before doing the Farewell Tawaf]." They said, "We will not take what you say and abandon what Zayd said." He said, "When you arrive in Madina, ask about it." When they arrived in Madina, they asked. One of those they
asked was Umm Sulaym and she mentioned the hadith of Safiyya.” The Sahabah (ra) did not follow their own desires or use their own minds but followed the most knowledgeable person amongst them and did not even ask for evidences or proofs because they knew that they weren’t qualified to interpret them. Another example is when Abdallah Ibn Abbas (ra) said "When some authentic person brings us the fatwa of Ali (ra), then we will not move from it a bit.” In fact, out of the hun-
dred thousand or so Sahabah (ra), only seven of them issued legal opinions. [Imam] Suyuti, in Tadrib al-rawi, quotes Ibn Hazm's report that most of the Companion's legal opinions came from only seven of them: 'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, Zayd ibn Thabit, and 'A'isha; (ra). If the majority of the Sahabah (ra) engaged in taqleed without asking evidence, what about those of us today who lack their intellect, piety, and closeness to the Prophet (saws). **Stay tuned for the remainder of this discussion in the next al-Nur!
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how-to column How-to Espeek Like dee Indian, Bangali, and Pakistani FOB by Sanjana Quasem So, I am now in dee Amrika. In dee Amrika, all dee peoples talking eso funny. I telling my Amrikan friend he needs to espeek like me because I talking dee bery cool vay. Here are esome tips to talking like me, dee FOB:
many peoples dere, nobodys vould esee you. no hab to be dee embrassd.” •
All words beginning with “W” are now pronounced with a “V” “VHATSSSSS???? You tink her biryani dee better den my vone? All dee peoples vishes dey vere my son so dey could eats my biryani! I vorking eso hard to making you dee good foods and you tink my is dee vorst?”
•
Put an unnecessary “the” (or ‘dee’ in the case of a true FOB) in front of literally every other word. “All dee peoples telling me dat my ecletric blue eshirt is dee eso cool and dee eso hip! In dee estore vhen I esaw dee shirt I esaid “VOW!” Eberytime I vearing dee eshirt I getting all dee compliment from all dee peoples.”
• When a FOB is on the phone with somebody it can be difficult to understand said FOB. But, it’s all good because FOBs still have ways to communicate with people. When all else fails, SPELL IT OUT! “Esir, I telling you my name is dee Mahfruz!!!! I espell for you. M like dee man. A like dee apple. H like dee Henry. F like dee family. R like dee ring. U like dee umbrella. Z like dee zoo.”
•
Sure a lot of dhesis are Muslims…. but for some reason FOBs (and their offspring) pretty much butcher Arabic words. “Assamalakum Farida Bhabi. You know, in dee Ramzan my eson alvays going to dee masjid. He goings all dee time for dee iftaari and he alvays praying dee taravih and before ebery namaj he doing his wuzu. Mashalah he alvays vearing dee tobe. AllaKasam, he eso good Muslim boy.” •
• Pluralize your words… even if they are singular. “Vhat is dee matters vith you?? Dee estore gibings avay dee free estuffs and you only gets vone? So
Dhesis could make great poets. We’re especially great at rhyming. Check out our skills: “On dee Eid-teid, after dee dinnertinner vee alvays eats dee rusogullah. I no lie-tie to you, I makes dee best rusogullah. Oh, and of course den vee have chaa-taa. ” • If you’re Paki, “yaar” comes before and after every other sentence. “Yaar I vent to my friends’ home and he vasn’t dere yaar. Yaar I eso esad, I vanted to see dee Ibrahim bery bad yaar.”
•
Words beginning with an “s” are pronounced with a soft “eh” type sound before it. “ESHUT DOWN right now!!!! Estop argue vith me!!! You dee estupid person and you making dee no esense.”
You
•
Switch Zs with Js. “I lowb to go to dee Pijja Huts vit my friends.”
Use random numbers when trying to make a point. “I vill gib you $2.37 if you can find an Amrikan vho know vhat dee Bangladesh is. In facts, only abouts 33.2546% of dee Amrikans know vhere dee Bangaldesh is on dee maps.” •
• Since our Ws are now Vs, our Vs are now Bs. “I lowb vorking at dee Seben Eleben. Eberday I can drink dee coffee for dee free!” **Of course, this list never ends :). Don’t forget to check out the next issue for How to Speak like De Afrikaan FOB!!**
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the never ending story Allah Will Help Me by Adam Stephenson It was a bright sunny morning when Brother Hisham woke up to go to the University for his first class. There, he was encountered by Brother Tamer, who asked Hisham for help with some school work. Hisham happily agreed and when Tamer apologized for preventing him from going to class, Hisham said, “Don’t worry, Allah will help me”. After helping Tamer and missing his class, Hisham should have gone to his intramural soccer team’s last-minute practice before their big play-off game. Hisham was the goalie, but he said to himself, “Allah will help me, I don’t need to go to the practice, and instead I’ll read some Qu’ran.” After reading some Qu’ran, Hisham went to the game and failed to block many key shots, resulting in their loss and the end of their season. Later, as the once bright sunny morning started to get cloudy, Hisham thought that this was okay, it was Allah’s will. Then, Hisham went to the campus Musallah to pray Salat Al Duhr, before studying for his test that was later that day. Just after they finished, the Imam gave a halaqa which lasted for the duration before his test. He said to himself once again, “Allah will help me,” and he stayed for the entire halaqa. When Hisham finally took the test, he could not remember anything he had studied the night night before. He left the test knowing he had done badly, mumbling with his fading faith, “Alhamdulillah, it was Allah’s will.”
As Hisham drove home, he remembered that he had an optometrist’s appointment for a pathogen in his eyes, but the misery of the day caused him to use “Allah will help me” as an excuse, and he went straight home. After being alone at home for an hour, Hisham started to find that he was having issues seeing, and soon afterwards his doctor called in a frenzy. Hisham was about to apologize for not making it into his appointment, when the doctor reported to Hisham that his eyes had a complication they did not realize until now, and due to this complication Hisham would go blind unless he got certain antibiotics immediately. Worried, Hisham uttered, “Alhamdulillah there is still a chance if I come to you immediately.” The doctor said sadly, “No Hisham, it is too late for that, look outside.” Hisham pulled up his shades to find that the once bright sunny morning had changed into a terrible cloudy storm, rendering transportation by car impossible. Hisham’s faith had gone down so much now that he could not even praise Allah for being alive. And by the power of Allah, within less than twelve hours Allah had taken Hisham’s once perfect vision from him. As Hisham sorrowed in this terrible turn, a knock came to the door. Hisham felt his way around his house to the door and opened it. He heard the voice of a man who addressed himself as a police man, telling Hisham to come quick, “there is a flood coming, and we’re evacuating everyone from the area.” With adrenaline
pumping through his body, Hisham said, “No, this house is all that I have left, and Allah will protect me inshallah. I can not leave.” And following this comment, in the heat of the moment Hisham did yell with his whole heart the Shahada. The next thing Hisham remembered was opening his eyes to find that he could see, but he was no longer in his house. He didn’t know where he was. It took Hisham just a minute to realize that he had passed away in the flood, and he saw an angel approaching him. Hisham asked the angel, “What happened? I was a devout worshipper of Allah, but he did not protect me.” The angel replied, “Yes he did, Allah did protect you from all the bad things that happened to you during day of your death. He gave you an opportunity to go to your practice, he gave you an opportunity to study for your test, and he gave you an opportunity to protect your health, which would’ve saved your eyes. He even sent to you a police man to save you from death, but you rejected every form of help that Allah sent you. While you replaced Allah’s help with other acts of worship, as the day went on you let the problems of the Dunnyah get to you, thus rejecting Allah’s help when you needed it the most. Through all these self-chosen times of hardship, by your own free will, Allah did test you of your faith for the Day to come. Remember that Allah helps those who help themselves first, and then ask for His help.”
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creative writing Dear Mother
THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION University of Maryland College Park Box 44, Stamp Student Union College Park, MD 20742 umcp_msa@yahoo.com www.msaumd.org
by Habiba Wada Dear Mother, You're the one I'm writing to Because I am thankful for all you do I have learned so much from you. You taught me, when I was little, how to talk You also taught me how to walk Not just to walk, but with my head held high You taught me that I could reach the sky if I tried. You taught me to work hard, and hold fast to dreams Everything is not as easy as it may seem But you also taught me "where there's a will, there's a way" And so I strive for the next day. I learned from you that dreams can come true I want you in my dreams, too I love you.
“Eidy” Meeny Miney Moe by Nadia El-Hillal
President: Sami Zaharna VP: Adam Stephenson VP Sis’ Aff.: Namika Zaman Masjid Aff.: Ridwanur Rahman PR: Adil Zaman Secretary: Ameer Abutaleb Treasurer: Faten Gharib
MWM Muslim Women of Maryland
President: Maria Khalid VP: Namika Zaman Secretary: Shama Sheikh Treasurer: Sanjana Quasem PR: Nadia El-Hillal SGA Liaison: Tooba Mohammed
Newsletter Staff Editor in Chief Eman Haggag Co-Editors Maria Khalid Nour Al-Muhtasib Zeynep Ozer Susan Shatila Manaar Zuhurudeen Staff Writers: Mohamed Abutaleb Kadiatu Bah Mouhamad Diabate Lena & Ikhlaas M. Hassen Nadia El-Hillal Sanjana Quasem Ridwanur Rahman Adam Stephenson Sumayyah Taufique Habiba Wada Khurram Zaman The views and opinions expressed in al-Nur are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editing staff or of the MSA.