“...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]
An-Nur “The Light”
The newsletter of the Muslim Students‘ Association & the Muslim Women of Maryland
Muslim Women of Maryland
Volume 10, Issue 1
by Ibrahim Elmoghazy
Please send your creative submissions, comments, and suggestions to msa.nur@gmail.com.
Inside this issue: Moving Forward
2
MSA Events
3
Community Building
4
Personal Journeys
5
Activism
7
Creative Writing
8
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.
MWM
“ No Thanks”
Contact Us!
MSA History
Ramadan 1427 October 20, 2006
―No Thanks‖. Those were the words that I uttered to the first brother who invited me into the musallah. He received the same answer at least three times after that yet nevertheless continued to invite me with a welcoming smile. I finally relented one day, almost in admiration of the brother‘s persistence and sincerity. Walking into the musallah for the first time, I remember thinking to myself that I wasn‘t going to spend more than 5 minutes in the musallah because I had about a hundred other places that I would rather be. Greeted by smiles and laughter that would light up the darkest of rooms, I ended up staying a whole hour, only leaving because I had to go to class (yes, I actually went to class back then). The whole time I remember looking at the way the brothers and sisters interacted with each other, amazed at the level of mutual respect and sincerity—the kind of interaction you only see between family members. Fast forward four years and I am still here, now a part of that very same family I watched in admiration from a distance. Looking back, I can‘t remember a happy moment when there wasn‘t another brother to share my laughter with, or a difficult moment when I didn‘t have someone‘s shoulder to lean on. Through the good and the bad and despite the differences that we may have—whether it be age, culture or whatever else—we‘ve managed to stick together and only become a bigger and closer family. Alhamdulillah, we‘ve accomplished amazing things together along the way, from fundraisers that bring in $40,000 to the MSA, to hosting a zonal conference with well over a 1,000 attendees. But when we look back to these days in the MSA twenty years from now, we probably won‘t remember the exact amount of money we raised or how many people we were able to sign up for Fast-a-thon. In fact, chances are we won‘t even remember the names of the events (depending on how senile we become). But this I promise you: we will remember each other—the laughter and tears we shared and the friendships we built as we strove
together for the sake of Allah. And perhaps one day we will look back on these memories in the highest ranks of paradise, may Allah make us all among its inhabitants. I leave you now with the ultimate goal for this 2006-2007 school year. The success of this year will not be determined by the outcome of any one event but instead, if at the end of the year we can truly say that we have come at least one step closer to Allah. Along the way we should try our very best to bring those we love and care about closer to Allah as well. For all you know, it could be something as simple as a sincere smile and a warm invitation that could change an individual‘s life forever. I know it did for me.
Old School
―Shoo?!‖...He‘s baaacck! Welcoming us to the Musallah and Ramadan Iftars yet again!
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Moving Forward
A Note from MWM by Hera Hashmi
Welcome to all the new students joining us this year, and welcome back to everyone returning after our summer break. By now we‘re all well into the semester, studying for midterms and working on papers, and I just want to take some time to introduce to you what‘s going on that you can be a part of. This year InshAllah you will find many opportunities to get involved in the Muslim Women of Maryland and the Muslim Students Association, but along with volunteering for events, and joining committees, we want to put the focus on improving ourselves. In college it becomes apparent how quickly time goes by. Sometimes we go from test to paper, one due date to the next. But in all the chaos, we should take a second and ask, are we taking any time to improve ourselves? To learn more about our religion, or prepare for our hereafter? The opportunities are all around you now. From halaqahs (discussion groups) that happen twice a week to help you learn how to improve your character, or to study the life of the Prophet (saw) to classes that assist you in memorizing the Quran or improving your tajweed (pronunciations). There are many qualified and learned brothers and sisters around us, and we should take advantage of being in their midst, by learning from what they have to teach us. All you need is the motivation to step forward, and everything is there for you. In a beautiful hadith, narrated by Abu Hurayra, the Prophet (saw) says that Allah (swt) said, ―"I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me in Himself I
mention him in Myself. If he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in a better gathering. If he comes near Me one hand-span (shibran) I come near him one cubit (dhira`an). If he comes near Me one cubit I come near him an arm's length (ba`an). If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running." (Bukhari and Muslim). Inshallah if we just make the initial effort, Allah swt will make the path to gaining knowledge easy for us. For those of you who are new, I would like to introduce to you the Muslim Women of Maryland. MWM is an organization designed specifically to meet the needs of sisters on campus, as well as to dispel stereotypes and negative images others may have about women and Islam. Through MWM you can find the opportunities to give dawah to others as well as to strengthen sisterhood with other girls on campus. MWM works together with MSA on many efforts, and we aren‘t a division from MSA but rather a specialized group that shares most of its members with MSA. This year, some events to look out for include our big dawah lecture that we will be holding on November 1st focusing on Muslim women for the campus community so that students and professors can come and hear what we have to say about the way we are portrayed. Also we have halaqahs once a month on issues that are important to the sisters given by invited guest speakers. And of course--something to mark your calendars for, our social event, the MWM ball, which is coming up Friday November 17th. This event gives us a chance to kick back, dress up, and have a fun time with all the girls. InshAllah the cabinet and I are here for you if you have any questions or want any information on the events and halaqahs or want to get involved. I encourage all of you if you haven‘t signed up to be on our listserv to receive our newsletter to send your email address to mwm_umd@yahoo.com. You can contact me personally with any questions concerns, or ideas for things you want to see happened this year at heerraaa@yahoo.com I hope this is the year that you decide to get involved, and the one that changes you
for the better. The time is now. We can‘t expect life to stop being so busy, and if we don‘t consciously make an effort to step it up in our religion, or to get more involved, then the chance is just going to pass us by. Take the first step in working for the sake of Allah, and in bettering yourself, and try to move outside of your groups and get to know all the different sisters around you. You can leave college with a degree and maybe some skills aimed to a particular career… or you can add to that: new friends, stronger faith, a better character, and the desire to keep learning. The choice is yours. InshAllah I pray that everyone has a successful semester and does well in all of their classes. Oh Allah purify our hearts and intentions and accept our efforts as we work for your sake. Please help us Ya Allah to improve ourselves and strengthen our faith. Oh Allah please accept our struggles, our fasts, our prayers and our worship, and bless us with your mercy in this month of Ramadan. Ameen
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MSA Events
Cleansing our Stomachs, Purifying our Hearts By Namika Zaman ―O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) selfrestraint.‖ (2:183) Every year, Muslims around the world anticipate the blessed month of Ramadan in which we gather as brothers and sisters in Islam to observe the daily fasts from worldly desires; the acts of seeking knowledge; and the time of focusing on our faith. On October 12th: the 20th night of Ramadan, Muslims and NonMuslims joined together here at the University of Maryland after a day of fasting, as this night marked the Muslim Student Association‘s fifth annual Fast-a-Thon. The Fast-a-Thon has been a tradition rooting from Muslim Student Association (MSA) National and become a yearly tradition that universities across the country participate in each Ramadan, with 250 universities participating last year alone. The purpose of Fast-a-Thon is a means for the Muslim Student community to ―exemplify values of compassion and charity by actively striving to eliminate hunger and homelessness in their communities.‖ (MSA National) It is an event where during one day of the month of Ramadan, the MSA will ask the students and faculty of their university to observe the daily fast with them; breaking fast with a complete iftaar dinner where they receive dawah regarding the purpose of Ramadan and its importance in the Islamic faith. The charity aspect of Fast-a-Thon comes from the donations of local businesses to sponsor the efforts of the faculty and students fasting. This year, the University of Maryland successfully had over 1000 registered NonMuslims fast, raising 3000 dollars for a Washington DC homeless shelter, known as So Others May Eat or S.O.M.E. These funds will allow S.O.M.E. to better serve the poor and homeless in our nation‘s capitol, through services providing food,
clothing, and healthcare. This year, Fast-a-Thon not only was a dinner for the University of Maryland students and staff, but a complete program showing its guests the many facets in the religion of Islam: touching on subjects of world cultures, the holy Qur‘an, Science in Islam, and misconceptions of the faith. The event kicked off at 5:30pm where guests passed the last moments of their day -long fast to visit the booths set up in the lobby of the Grand Ballroom. Students and faculty alike were able to try on the traditional garments representing the diverse cultures of Islamic faith, including countries of Africa, Asia, and the Arab World. Passing right by the Clothing station, one could purchase media and decorations emulating the religion of Islam, with a vending booth offering items such as decorative prayer rugs and frames of Qur‘anic verses. Next, one could see how ―In the battle between science and religion, Islam takes a middle ground‖ with a full PowerPoint presentation and poster showing how recent advances in Astronomy and Medicine were revealed with the Qur‘an 1400 years ago, along with how in the Golden Age of Islam some of the most important inventions in science and mathematics were discovered by Muslim Scientists. Dawah of Islam continued as a complete Qur‘an listening station allowed NonMuslims to listen to the Arabic verses of Surahs such as Surah Mariam and Taha. Finally, the array of booths ended with the game of Jeopardy testing the basic tenets of Islam with awarded prizes for winning competitors. The MC for the evening was Mohamed Abutaleb, wearing the traditional Saudi dress: who provided a light, humored air to the event, with jokes such as instructions for how one should go about eating a date. Introducing the event, University Chaplain, Tarif Shraim explained the purpose and reasons for fasting during Ramadan: how it is an act of more than abstaining from food and drink; but rather, a means of reverting back to the remembrance of one‘s faith. The program than split into the serving of
the Sbarros vegetable and cheese pizzas for the Non-Muslim guests, while being able to view a full translation of Surah Rahman, as Muslims prayed the Jama‘a Maghrib prayer. The evening went on with a surprise appearance of University Provost, William Destler; who based solely on his admiration for the MSA becoming active in campus affairs, honored us with his presence and short congratulations for the organization of such an impressive interfaith event. Steve Adams, Assistant Director of the Stamp Student Union than spoke of his respect of the Muslim Student Association growing into one of the most charitable and community aware organizations on campus. Finally over traditional baklava and basbousa desserts: the keynote Speaker, Altaf Hussain provided an entertaining and informative explanation of the Islamic faith and the importance of understanding different faiths to battle ignorance and stereotypes. Fast-a-Thon 2006 ended for the night with a special viewing of a DatVon Productions documentary on the purpose of fasting and views of Muslim students on the month of Ramadan. Ramadan‘s Fast-a-Thon has become embedded as a tradition for the Muslim Student of Association of the University of Maryland, with each year marking a new success for the event. The theme of Fast-athon, ―Get Hungry for a Change‖ truly encompasses the purpose of Fast-a-Thon: a campus wide call for a change to encourage an interfaith community working together to prevent social injustices such as hunger and homelessness.
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Community Building Ya Ummati, Where Are My Youth? by Sami Zaharna Note: I am not a scholar or sheikh, nor do I consider myself a student of knowledge. Anything good that I say is from Allah (swt) and anything bad I say is from myself and the shayta‟an, and Allah (swt) knows best. Alhamdulilllah! It is time again: The time where Allah is remembered and glorified; where the believers stand in lines as if they are a solid wall and where the hearts are given tranquility and peace. It is the time for Salah, and what a time it is! The mua‟thin calls ―H‟aya a‟ala Assalah! H‟aya a‟ala al-falah, Come to prayer! Come to success!‖ There walks in Sheikh Mohamed! Masha‘Allah, he always comes to the masjid on time. Not to mention Sr. Fatima and Br. Ahmad!
We all know the famous hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) where he spoke of the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment. Amongst them was a person whose heart was attached to the mosques. This ‗attachment‘ is more than just making your „salah‟ or ‗namaz‟ and then leaving. The masjid is more than just a place for prayers. In fact, the first thing that the prophet (pbuh) did upon moving to Medinah was to build a masjid. The masjid was the center of religious discourse. It was the center for political discourse. Furthermore, it was where the army would meet before going out for jihad. It was even from the sunnah to wrestle in the masajid! The masjid was the center of the Muslim community and this is an important sunnah that we have completely abandoned. Unfortunately, the place we are aban-
of our Islamic work. In 3 or 4 years when we graduate, where do we go next? The Prophet (pbuh) told us in a hadith to take advantage of 5 before they take advantage of you, and the first one he mentioned was our youth. Make use of your free time to start making your salah in the masjid with jama‘ah where the reward is 27 times “Of the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment, amongst greater. Get to know the brothers and sisters at the them was a person whose heart was attached to the mosques” masjid and those who are in charge. Ask where help Never do they miss Salat ul-fajr with the doning is the same exact place where we are is needed, even if it is with somethin that are congregation. But hold on, something is needed the most. We tend to be turned away small but consistent. Let us strive to help in not right, someone is missing. Where did from masajid because of the dirty politics anyway possible now when we are able to so all the youth go? What is keeping them that go on and the dry treatment from the that when we graduate we can be ready to from coming? Oh my ummah, where did elders of the community. But it is important continue our Islamic work outside the arena to realize that these elders come from differof the MSA. ent cultures and have different habits that We ask Allah that he helps us in being are very hard to get over at an older age. from among the people of the masjid and You and I both see this very clearly and from among those whom Allah shades on the don‘t need to read it in an article. However, day of where there is no shade except His this understanding also comes with a reshade, so that the next time the masjid loudsponsibility of striving to help improve our speakers call us to come to success, the youth masajid. Twenty years down the line, Islam will be on the forefront of this response, and won‘t survive in the West if we continue to it will be more than just a response to do our abandon the house of Allah and the center namaz and leave ;). of our community. We might think that because we are my youth disappear? doing Islamic work with our local MSAs The masjid complains daily of its that it is enough. We should contemplate on pain. The mua‟adhin is calling the ummah what the MSA really is doing. This organito success, but the only ones who are zation strives to build leaders. It gives us the responding are those who are grey-haired. opportunity to develop leadership skills that Nights do the masajid spend crying over we can bring to our masajid. It also gives us youth who have the potential to make a the time to learn our religion better so that difference in this ummah, but instead we can share this knowledge with those choose to spend their time else where. younger than us. But the MSA is not the end
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Personal Journeys
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Hajj: In Search of Salvation, Part I– Visiting the City of the Prophet By Mohamed Abutaleb About fifteen years ago, I remember the instructions of our Sunday school teacher who would advise us after Dhuhr prayers. Although we were only young children, he encouraged us to stop feeding our piggy banks and start thinking about our Hajj banks. Even if it was a dime, a nickel, or even a penny, he wanted to see a contribution to that Hajj bank every single week. Only now in hindsight do I understand that it was not the money that was his central concern, but developing that longing to make pilgrimage to Allah‘s Sacred House. He wanted us to build that desire as youngsters, so we would appreciate it if and when Allah granted it to us in our lifetimes. And last winter, exactly that happened to myself and over a dozen other MSA brothers by the grace and mercy of the Almighty. I still haven‘t figured out exactly how it happened, other than to say as Allah teaches us in the Hadith Qudsi, ―… and if you come to Me walking, I come to you with speed.‖ Once the intention was set, Allah made the pieces fall in together – and I have no doubt
… but it was not written for us. The Prophet‘s Mosque closes for part of the night, and we arrived just after closing. So, we waited a few hours and then descended. Yet, this was no Fajr prayer standing in two lines with your immediate family … nor was it a half line at the local masjid back in the U.S. Here we were, coming down a full hour before Fajr, and there were thousands – no, tens of thousands – who were already ahead of us and making their way for prayer. I was used to knowing that if one attends Jumu‘ah prayers in the U.S., then they‘re among only 10-20% of Muslims … and here I was a full hour before Fajr, which was good enough for a spot a few hundred lines back of the imam in the masjid. I started to see my place in the world much differently – started to see myself behind leagues upon leagues of people who were so much better than I – and little did I know that that realization was just starting. I remember being asked after I returned what I touched me most about Madinah. The Masjid An-Nabawi is beautiful beyond description, and the whole city has a beautiful
panions turned to face the new qibla, even the renowned Mountain of Uhud, the plains below it, and the Mount of the Archers where the Prophet‘s commands were disobeyed at the cost of the battle. Seeing the graves of the martyrs adds new meaning to the sacrifice they gave. Seeing the spot where the Prophet‘s orders were disobeyed, and the precise move that Khalid ibn AlWaleed made to turn the tides of the battle, add new meaning that we missed when we first flipped the pages of the history books. Even in the relative mild conditions of winter, the desert sun and its heat remind us of the sweat and sacrifice that went into Islam reaching us today. Back in the Prophet‘s Mosque, there is a spot called Ar-Rawda which is the original boundary of the masjid, which is said in the authentic hadith to be a garden from the gardens of Paradise. Upon our first attempt and second attempt, we don‘t even get within eyeshot of it. There is also the grave of the Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr, and Umar. After dressing in the best clothes and preparing for the visitation of the Prophet, the crowd moves so fast after Fajr that we barely catch 5 seconds before him. Again, I realize the sheer number of worshipers that are in this pure, sacred place along with me. But, alhamdulillah one day we went at a time with relatively low traffic, and just barely caught about 20 beautiful minutes in both places. On the next morning, we all prepare to head to Makkah. When I descend from the hotel stairs, the men who had been dressed in their cultural clothes and with signs of
“… and if you come to Me walking, I come to you with speed.” Hadith Qudsi it was the same for the others making Hajj. Some time before Hajj, we started reading up on the rites and rulings of Hajj, seeking to increase our awareness of something we knew essentially nothing about. At the airport, the plane was suddenly rerouted and we learned it would arrive about six hours late. Any other time, this would have been unwelcome news – but today, it was only an open door from Allah to get a head start on our Qur‘an recitation. As Maghrib and Ishaa came in, the entire waiting room at Dulles followed to pray with us. It was clear from the outset, this was no ordinary trip. While it is not mandatory for Hajj, many people take the opportunity to visit Madinah and the Prophet‘s Mosque, as we did for the first day and a half of our trip. As we touched down and left the airport, we knew exactly where we were headed for that night
feel to it … but there is nothing more touching in Madinah than its people. Here, truly, you feel that you are among the grandchildren of the Prophet (saw) and his distinguished Companions. People here greet you with a smile although they have no idea who you are, ask about you, where you come from, and if you need anything during the stay. When we were buying dates we hesitantly asked to try one type (there‘s a lot more types there than here by the way), to which the owner started heaping tons of dates in our hands to try of each kind. Here, you feel the true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood. Here, you feel like anyone would freely give you of what they had. Here, you really do feel like you are among family. During the day, we take a short bus trip around and visit the areas we have read about so many times in the books. We see Masjid Qubaa, Masjid ul-Qiblatain where the Com-
(Continued on page10)
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Personal Journeys
My Way to the Truth by Parise Henry
I became Muslim during the spring of my junior year in high school. The first time I was exposed to Islam it was in the summer during my elementary years of school. My grandmother reverted to Islam when she was older. She took me to the masjid, had me in Arabic class, and I prayed the five daily prayers. I did not take shahada (I was not Muslim) or anything and I did not fully understand what I was doing but I did not object because it did not seem strange to me. I was raised as a Christian by my mother so when the summer was over I left my grandmother and I left Islam behind as well but I did not have any idea that later I would come back to it and actually accept it as my way of life. Now I will jump to the tenth grade. For some unknown reason I got the idea in my head that I was going to hell. I didn‘t exactly know why I had that feeling because according to my beliefs of what a good person was I was up there. I didn‘t lie or steal, I never had a boyfriend, I was a good student, played sports and did what my parents told me to, and I believed in God. Yet, I thought that somehow this was not good enough while my aunts were constantly saying they wished their children were like me. I hardly went to church because
my dad did not go and rarely did I read the Bible. However, that was going to change. I began to read the Bible every day. I thought that I was becoming a better Christian but what I read caused me to question the faith that I thought I knew all my life. I never really put any thought into my beliefs. All I knew was that I believed in God. However, the things that I read stirred my mind and my heart. I read Revelations in the Bible and how only a specified number of people will be saved. I read about dietary laws and how the Bible says not to eat pork and other things but yet Christians ate it freely like it was air or something. Then I questioned trinity and the notion that Jesus is the son of God. I had never thought about these concepts before but I realized that I did not believe in them. At the time this frightened me because I thought that if I did not believe in these things that I was definitely going to hell. I tried in vain to make myself accept trinity and Jesus as the son of God but I couldn‘t so I stopped trying. I decided that I can‘t make myself believe in these things because they were ridiculous to me. At the same time that I was reading the Bible I occasionally read a Quran that my grandmother had given me. I found many
similarities between the two so this persuaded me to continue reading. I found that the Quran shared my rejection of trinity and confirmed my belief of Jesus being the son of Mary, rather than the son of God and this made me happy. I questioned the crucifixion of Christ because I found it preposterous that a good person such as him would really die for our sins. I also rejected the idea of Jesus being our savior. I once said to a friend, ―Do you think it would be right that man could do many very evil things and say that Jesus is his savior and go to heaven while another person who is righteous believes in God and believes in Jesus as prophet and not their savior would go to hell?‖ I decided that I would be the second person. I couldn‘t believe that I held the same beliefs that were in the Quran but I became frightened because as I got closer to Islam I realized I was distancing myself from Christianity and I was unsure if I was doing the right thing. I stopped reading the Quran for a little while and went back to the (continued on page 10)
Freshman Perspective By Tooba Mohammad Okay, so University of Maryland College Park was not my first choice, that is until I found out about all the things it had to offer. Since Freshman year, I had my mind set on Hood College, a small private ex-all girls school in Frederick. And I was 100 percent sure that was the school I‘d end up going to but just in case I also applied to College Park. Seeing as how Hood College had been my dream college for almost 4 years, one can imagine my excitement when I received the acceptance letter, a hefty academic scholarship, and a promise of more financial aid if I confirmed my enrollment. I was definitely not as excited when I got the acceptance letter to College Park and a very small scholarship amount.
As senioritis kicked in, I kept putting off my work to chat on AIM or look up more stuff about Hood College. But eventually, I ran out of stuff to read about Hood, so I started looking up College Park. Being entranced by the smallness and high school like atmosphere of Hood College, I completely didn‘t even think about all the thing I‘d be missing out on. As more and more time passed by, I realized that Hood wasn‘t the right choice for me, I wanted to grow from college, to learn and see new things and Hood wouldn‘t give me that. And so my fascination with CP grew and the more I looked up, the more I decided that I‘d rather experience the new and exciting things College Park had to offer than the familiarity and warmth of Hood College.
I‘m sure it‘s not going to come as a surprise to anyone to find out that I wasn‘t disappointed whatsoever. The learning started almost immediately for me, starting with my roommate. My roommate is Jewish, and she takes her faith very seriously which kind of comforted me knowing that I wouldn‘t have to feel uncomfortable practicing my own faith. I wasn‘t sure at first about how things would work out between us, but mashAllah they‘ve been going great. I don‘t really feel like I‘ve had to adjust at all living with another person. She and I get along great and we‘ve learned (continued on page 6)
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Activism Diamonds: A Precious Stone? by Saba Askari Since the 1940‘s, the diamond company De Beers has been able to brainwash American pop culture into believing that diamonds are both valuable and costly. In addition to these two fallacies, De Beers has also been able to implement the tradition of buying diamond engagement rings into American culture, which previously had not existed. Diamonds are neither rare nor valuable. As happens with many other monopolies, De Beers which owns 60 to 80% of world diamond trade shares over prices the cost of diamonds. More importantly De Beers and the rest of the diamond industry have been able to keep the truth about what goes on in the mines they receive their diamonds from hidden until a few years ago. Even with legislation and a Hollywood movie on the way, people are still unaware of the horrors that go on in these mines. The truth about some of the diamonds in the diamond industry is that they are conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by armed forces, generally guerilla armies, who are opposed to their legitimate government in the area. These diamonds are then sold and used to fund the armies to further their rebellion
and the gross human right violations they commit. Two prominent cases are the UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) and the (RUF) Revolutionary United Front. The human right violations that these armies commit include and are not limited to: rape, abduction, forced labor, forced military entrance, murder, mutilation and amputation of civilians and workers in the mines. Of these two armies the most horrific cases of conflict diamonds stem from Sierra Leone where the RUF has fought to control Sierra Leon's rich diamond-producing areas since 1991. These diamonds have provided the RUF with millions of dollars to buy sophisticated weapons which has helped its cause in claiming control of 2/3 of Sierra Leone. The RUF In patrolling the mines they have forced local civilians to take part in diamond mining through the means of rape, abduction, and threat of murder. Their trade mark especially after mining the diamonds is to amputate the limbs of their victims which include young children. In addition to these abuses, the RUF has forced millions of civilians from their homes and committed tens of thousands of abuses, including raping, recruitment of
child soldiers, and the amputation o hands of thousands of children, men, and women. Despite legislation to prevent conflict diamonds to enter the market, many Diamond companies have found loopholes in which to purchase the cheaper conflict diamonds and smuggle them into their market. For this reason, I would highly discourage buying any diamond from an American company. To buy something that has the stain of someone‘s blood and being aware that there is a possibility that a person may have died or been tortured for that diamond is an egregious sin to which one must answer to Allah (swt). If you must buy a diamond, Canadian diamonds are known to be from clean mines. Otherwise next time you consider buying a diamond, stop for a moment and think ‗Did someone die for this diamond?‖
A Call for Action By Maria Khalid & Nadia El-Hillal Fear. A distressing emotion we all have struggled against at some point in our lives. ―Face your fears‖ they tell us, yet they, whoever ―they‖ may be, continue to instigate the fear they want us to face. We see injustice, we do nothing. We hear slander, we don‘t respond. The Quran clearly tells us, “…So fear Allah, and keep straight the relations between yourselves: Obey Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe” 8:1. The only fear we should have is the fear of Allah. So what is holding us back? Alhamduillah, so many Non-Muslim groups are joining together to fight against the injustices occurring amongst OUR people. OUR UMMAH. Does this sound right to you? How can we allow other groups to fight our battles for us? We must unite as
one Ummah, face our fears, and put our trust in Allah. The prophet Muhammad (saws) was sent as a mercy on all mankind—all humanity. Following his example, we as Muslims are here to give all humanity a voice, not only for Muslims. In surah AlNisa verse 75, Allah says: “And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us one who will protect; and raise for us one who will help!” Yet many of us hesitate to get involved in activist work because we think of ourselves as individuals who cannot make a significant difference in the grand scheme
of things. But the greater war today is not the one fought in the battlefield, it is a war of images and rhetoric, and it is one that we are all a part of. It is a war that is fought over the television, radio, newspapers, internet, and other media outlets. People all over the world are suffering and dying everyday and nobody is saying anything because the media has us (the people with the ability to protest and make change) convinced that either it‘s not happening, or that the oppressor is actually the victim (e.g. in the case of Israel).
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Creative Writing A Sit-Down With the President (George W. not Ibrahim) By Sabir Syed Note: The following is a fictional account of how I think an interview with current President, George W. Bush would go...I believe that you'll find it could be very accurate.
SS: How is that possible when Iraqi civilians, not to mention American soldiers are still dying everyday? Where do we even see the glimmer of hope that you are referring to?
SS: Good Afternoon, Mr. President! I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me.
GWB: Come on, don't be so pessimistic, Sam. SS: My name is Sabir.
George W. Bush: Well, the pleasure is all mine....uh, sayber? GWB: I know, but I figured "Sam" would be easier for me. SS: Oh, close. It's pronounced Sa-bir, but that was better than 75% of my professors. GWB: Hehe...not bad for a Southern boy. SS: I guess I want to just get to the point and start by asking: Do you still feel, at this point in time, that invading Iraq was truly the right course of action? GWB: Well, Saybeer...hehe, your name has 'beer' in it! If we had not gone into Iraq, your fellow Muslims would still be suffering under the rule of a horrible dictator who quite frankly, was also a threat to your fellow Americans as well, WMD's or no WMD's. SS: Isn't it true, however, that Iraqis were already suffering even more because of U.S. imposed sanctions that were passed when your father was in office? UNICEF reported that 500,000 children died as a result of these sanctions. GWB: Oh, anyone can make up statistics to prove a point. I mean 40% of people know that. What is UNICEF anyway? SS: Umm...moving on. Do you feel any remorse for the innocent lives that have been lost, especially in a war that by your own admission was started based on inaccurate information? In Islam, it is a grievous sin that any innocent people, in particular, women, children and the elderly, be harmed during battle. GWB: Here's the thing. It's not that I want people to die, it is that for the greater good, sometimes you have to make decisions that don't make sense. Does that make sense? SS: No, it doesn't. My point is that even if we are at war, why not use ground troops rather than these horrible bombs that kill anyone in their path, which are many times innocent people. It seems as though you care more about reducing your own American soldier casualties rather than reducing the innocent Iraqi/Afghani/ etc. casualties. Aren't these the people you said you are trying to protect and "liberate"? GWB: As I said before: the greater good. You'll see; in no time, the people of these nations will be swimming in the fountain of freedom.
SS: That's fine...I suppose. Anyway, let's get back to the issues. Don't you think that your administrations policies in the Middle East are creating more extremists who see America as an oilhungry imperialist nation? GWB: Oil? Who said anything about oil? Are you cooking? SS: Okay, fine, let‘s take oil out of the equation. Don‘t you think that your policies, such as siding with Israel when no other countries in the United Nations would, are simply breeding more AntiAmerican extremists? GWB: Here‘s the thing about Israel. If Hamas wasn‘t doing that sh..tuff, there wouldn‘t be a problem. SS: But Mr. President, even before Hamas kidnapped the Israeli soldiers, Israel had ‗accidentally‘ killed an innocent family picnicking on a beach in Gaza, which is just one example of Israeli aggressions in the region. How come that doesn‘t count as ―shtuff‖? GWB: Where did you hear that? You can‘t trust everything AlJazeera reports. I suggest watching FoxNews. That is where I get all my information. SS: That explains a lot. One final question, Sir: What do you suggest American Muslims do to help combat the negative image that has been portrayed of Islam by misguided extremists and the media? GWB: Ooh, that is a tough question. I would have to say: make sure ya‘ll vote Republican in 2008. My brother, Jeb, might be running and you know no one wants Hilary Clinton in office. And lastly, don‘t mess with Texas. SS: I wouldn‘t dream of it.
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Volume 10, Issue 1 Page 9
Creative Writing The Real Treasure By Rafia Ali On an island off the shores of Andalusia, in a time when merchants traveled by the palaces of India through the deserts of Arabia to sell treasures of silk and gold, lived King Lucia. Lucia was the ruler of a vast kingdom, whose economy had flourished for many years on the goods the merchants brought with them from the East. But times were not as pleasant as they had been in the king‘s youth, and wealth was not as abundant as it had been before. The kingdom‘s agriculture was producing lesser harvest every year, and the merchants seemed to have found better markets in neighboring kingdoms. The festivities and celebrations which used to color the city now remained as a bitter reminder of better days. There was no explanation for the phenomena other than times had changed and people had moved on to greener grasses. King Lucia realized that if the city were to be restored, he and his soldiers needed to take initiative in finding wealth that would attract people back to his country. On royal orders, he sent his best soldiers out on a mission, to find out how other kingdoms and cities were able
alive with people and animals. The island was colored with flowers and fruits of all tastes and sizes. Peter was taken aback by the beauty and festivities of this island, remembering the days when his own country used to celebrate with such pride. But, the island was small and hidden away, without the lure of merchants. How did they have so much wealth without trade, where did they get so much money for their economy? When Peter stepped out on the shore, he was approached by two men gave him a huge hug and took him into their house. Shocked by their welcoming nature, Peter told them they had the wrong person, and that he was just a visitor. The men said, ―Nonsense, you are a guest to the island, and thus a guest in our home, come eat with us.‖ And so Peter stayed with them that evening, and ate a hearty meal rich in meat and vegetation. He was saddened by the thought of the starving cattle and dying agriculture in his own town. Comfortable with these men, Peter began to inquire into the wealth of this island, and how they managed to keep such a flourishing agriculture. And the men
this chest you find the secret to wealth, but the treasure comes from faith and knowledge, not the chest‖ Disheartened and upset by the men‘s response, Peter returned to the kingdom to tell his king of the island that flourished by treasures given to them as a gift. The king, shocked by such a thought, asked Peter what the men had told him exactly. After hearing Peter‘s story, Lucia concluded that the island had a treasure chest filled with treasures, and that the men had lied. And, if the treasure was only a secret, than it was the secret of alchemy, and how to turn stones into gold. He decided to go to the island with his army and offer them a hefty price for this knowledge. When he arrived, the king in a grandeur speech, announced they he would offer the people a place to live in his kingdom as noblemen if they would tell him where he could find the chest that made treasure grow from within. And the people laughed and told him that there was no such thing as a treasure chest, and that gold and silver were not valued on their island. Insulted by their response, the king demanded that they tell him where he could find the chest, and the secret to wealth. Again, the people laughed and explained to the king that he would never “By the token of time through the Ages, verily Man is in loss; Except find the treasure, because the secret was hidden away in the such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual chest, something that nobody teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy” (Quran, 103:1-3) could find, but only pray to to attract wealth and economy. The most said, no merchants were needed to bring see its wealth. successful of the soldiers would be given wealth to this country, rather wealth was a Angry and impatient, the king ordered his the status of a nobleman. gift from the All Mighty. But Peter did not soldiers to destroy every crop and house in the Peter, the son of a farmer whose understand, had someone given them a island. If the people would not tell him where harvest had suffered severely in the past gift? And so he inquired some more, ―How to find the treasure chest, he would have force few years, was among the soldiers sent did you get this wealth, where did it come it out of them. But even afterwards, the people out in search of wealth. As he set sail, he from?‖ And then men laughed, ―Why my did not care, they said that the treasure would could imagine the pride he would bring boy, it is in the chest, we have strong faith only be in the hands of the worthy, and the his father if he were the one to find the and it grows from inside.‖ Skeptical of the king truly was not worthy of treasures. They wealth. No longer would his father be a men‘s explanation, Peter asked, ―Where said that if he wanted to find the treasure, he poor farmer, but the father of a nobleman. would I be able to find this treasure? And needed to stop looking for it, and that it would And it is with this thought that he anxhow does it make wealth from inside?‖ come to him by prayer. The king, infuriated, iously awaited the treasures the sea had to And the men laughed some more, ―You demanded that every person on the island be lead him towards. can‘t find the treasure, nobody can, you killed, one by one, until somebody told him On his fourth day at sea, Peter‘s boat must pray and hope that it increases, and where the chest was hidden. came upon a small island hidden away the fruits of your prayer will show you in And so the soldiers destroyed the island behind rock cliffs. As he approached the your crops.‖ [Peter] ―But you mentioned a and its people, but the location of the chest shores, the small speck of green became chest? [Men] ―Yes there is a chest, and in remained a mystery. (continued on page 12)
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Personal Journeys Hajj: In Search of My Way to the Truth (cont’d) Salvation (cont’d) (continued from page 6) (Continued from page 5)
their pasts are transformed into uniformity. Each is dressed in two simple sheets, and the king can not be distinguished from the peasant. This scene will be even more shocking when there are millions thus dressed in Makkah, and all of them will be gathered together in Arafah. Hajj has shifted our focus from the luxuries of this world to matters much more important and deserving of attention. We are reminded now of the Day of Judgment, when all will be brought before their Lord with neither wealth nor power come to their aid. As we head to Makkah, little do we know that what is to come will be more transforming than what has come to pass …
To be continued in the next issue of An-Nur insha‟Allah.
Bible but then soon after I started back up with the Quran. I checked out books from my school library on Islam and fasted during Ramadan. I prayed my five daily prayers and I gave dawah to kids at school, which at the time I had no clue that I was doing. I debated with my peers about Christianity and answered their questions about Islam. All was well until my father found out. He is not the religious type but when he caught wind that I was learning about Islam it got ugly. He told me I would regret this decision later. He asked me would I be doing this if my little sister, who I love dearly, was killed in one of the planes that struck the Twin Towers. My reply was, ―yes‖. He asked me why I am following a book that Louis Farrakhan wrote, which is so far from the truth. Up until that point I had always been fearful of my father. I would never talk back and what he said was final no comments or questions. However, something came over me and I lost all my fear and defended my belief and cited evidences from the Quran. When he realized how serious I was and
that he could not break me down I was dismissed from his room. This was not the end though. I was constantly harassed by him about this deen and many times my feelings were deeply hurt and other times he tried to belittle Islam but I brushed it off which only made him more frustrated. While visiting my grandmother I opened the Quran randomly to a page and this is the first thing that I read, ―..This day have those who reject Faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…‖ ( 5:3) Immediately after I read this I told my grandmother that I wanted to take my shahada and become Muslim, officially. I took my shahada and I have never looked back. As time has passed my father is finally at peace with my faith and my mother is fine with it as well. I thank Allah for making me Muslim. I no longer feel that hell is my certain destination because now I have the Quran as my guide and Islam as my deen. With Allah‘s mercy and forgiveness Jannah will be my final home. Insha‘Allah. If you want Jannah strive for it and if you fear the hell fire stay away from that which brings it closer and if you want the truth as I did you will have it.
“Say thou: “This is my way: I do invite unto Allah,- on evidence clear as the seeing with one's eyes,- I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah. and never will I join gods with Allah.”” The Holy Quran 12:108
Freshman Perspective (cont’d) (continued from page 6)
a lot about each other‘s religions by talking to each other. The MSA was also something relatively new. I‘ve been fairly religious all my life, coming from a mediocre religious family, but my interest in Islam has definitely grown over the past year as my mom‘s gotten more involved with ICNA and seeing her change made me want to change as well. I wasn‘t sure how I‘d keep up with my religious studies, prayers, and reading the Quran in College but being a part of the MSA and going to the halaqas has helped me maintain my prayers. The sessions on The Prophet (pbuh) have been a wonderful way for me to learn more and grow closer to my religion. The past month has been a blur, everything went by so fast, and I‘ve seen and learned so many new things, it‘s been hard to keep track of time. It‘s been a bit difficult to balance my religious practices, social life, and studying for classes, and then still giving myself time to explore new things but the struggle has definitely been worth it. I‘ve had an amazing experience at College Park and I‘m sure it‘ll only get better as I spend more time here.
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Volume 10, Issue 1 Page 11
MSA Educational Programs You are cordially invited to take part in the MSA's diverse array of educational offerings. The Prophet, blessings and peace upon him, says: "Whomever takes a path seeking knowledge therein, Allah makes a path for him to Paradise." We are pleased to help you start building your palace in Paradise insha'Allah by inviting you to the following programs: THE CONTENT OF CHARACTER Presented by Sami Said Wednesdays, 5:00pm - 6:00pm in front of the Musallah Take a semester's journey through the traits, ethics, and manners that make a Muslim a true mercy to the world. MUHAMMAD: MAN & MESSAGE (blessings and peace upon him) Presented by Mohamed Abutaleb Thursdays, 3:30pm @ Margaret Brent Room, Stamp Student Union Learn about the best of mankind and the message he brought to grant humanity the best of this life and the next. BROTHERS' QUR'AN MEMORIZATION Led by Br. Hazem El-Alfy and Br. Mohamed El-Sayed Hussein Fridays, 12:00 - 1:00pm @ Student Involvement Suite, Stamp Student Union All levels welcome, bring a copy of the Holy Qur'an and a dedicated heart. BROTHERS' QUR'AN RECITATION Led by Sami Zaharna Fridays, 11:00am - 12:00pm @ Student Involvement Suite, Stamp Student Union Gather each week to read selected portions of the Holy Qur'an. SISTERS' QUR'AN MEMORIZATION Led by TBA Fridays, 11:00am - 12:00am @ Nanticoke Room, Stamp Student Union All levels welcome, bring a copy of the Holy Qur'an and a dedicated heart. SISTERS' TAJWEED CLASS Led by Chancey Gannett Fridays, 10:00 - 11:00am @ Nanticoke Room, Stamp Student Union Learn to read the Holy Qur'an as the Prophet (saw) recited it. MONTHLY SISTERS' HALAQAS Led by Invited Guest Speakers Tuesdays Sept. 19, Oct. 17, and Nov. 21 @ Banneker B Room, Stamp Student Union
A Call for Action (cont’d) (continued from page 7) The first step towards fighting this war is to educate ourselves about issues the world over and to educate one another and the community around us. It is time for our MSA and time for us as individuals to become more aware of current events both locally and internationally and to understand the truth behind the false rhetoric presented in the mainstream media. Remember, we can make a difference—whether in the life of one individual or the lives a large group, and more importantly that the reward for even our smallest deeds is with Allah. We should strive to do what is just and good even if we do not see the reward of our actions in this life. Verse 11 of Surah Al Raed states that “…Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)….” So we can only succeed if we work from the ground up—bring about change in ourselves, our families, friends, communities, etc. first. The worst thing the media has done is that it has ingrained fear in us. So now when we think of doing something, anything, the first thing we think of is how the society, the government, or the people around us will respond. But if we have this fear in us we need to ask ourselves what we are living for; for who and for what purpose? If we are truly living for the sake of Allah, fear of anything other than Allah should not ever even enter our minds.
Du’aa to Remember: Look for a special Du’aa in each An-Nur Aishah (radiya Allahu Ta'ala anha), said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?" He said 'Say
Allahumma innaka 'affuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'anni' " O Allah You are The One Who pardons greatly, and loves to pardon, so pardon me. [at Tirmidhi]
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Volume 10, Issue 1
THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
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Creative Writing The Real Treasure (cont’d) (continued from page 9)
It was until they were getting ready to leave that the king found a gate hidden away behind a garden. As he opened the door, he could see the light shining on a small wooden box. ―At last, the chest!‖ the king exclaimed, joyous at his finding. The people had lied to him, there was in fact a chest, and they had kept it hidden from him. He opened the chest, careful not to be blinded by the gold, to find it filled with a stone. ―A stone is there treasure!‖ the king screamed in disgust, but Peter took it from him to read the inscription engraved in it. “By the token of time through the Ages, verily Man is in loss; Except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy” (Quran, 103:1-3) As he read the lines out loud, it occurred to Peter that the people had been right all
along. The chest held a secret, it held the soul, and from the prayer and patience of the soul, came wealth. The wealth was not in gold or silk, yet rather in the fruits of labor and patience. The treasure was faith, and it was a gift from God. For so long the king had been in search of monetary wealth, and how to attain gold and attract merchants. But really, the people needed only to have faith. Prayer from the heart and soul increased the wealth of their faith, and thus they saw God grant them mercy in their crops. The king returned to the city with his soldiers, sorrowful of his loss and the many people he had killed in his selfish search for wealth. He ruled his kingdom, not in hopes of gold or silk, and not to lure merchants. But rather, he asked his people to pray and be patient, and that only after having faith would they see the fruits of their labor. It took ten years before the crops began to flourish as they once had, and the cattle became healthier. But it happened, with patience and prayer, the kingdom was alive and wealthy once more.
University of Maryland at College Park Box 44, Stamp Student Union College Park, MD 20742 Email: umcp_msa@yahoo.com
WWW.MSA-UMD.ORG WWW.MWM-UMD.ORG
MSA Chaplain: Tarif Shraim
MSA Officers President: Ibrahim Elmoghazy Vice-President: Sami Said VP Sisters’ Affairs: Faten Gharib Masjid Affairs:Hamzah Abu-Ragheb Pub. Relations: Rashad Ahmed Secretary: Sami Zaharna Treasurer: Salman Shah
MWM Officers President: Hera Hashmi Vice-President: Maria Khalid Secretary: Anum Shami Treasurer: Jesmin Saikh Pub. Relations: Sana Din SGA Liaison: Qundeel Rafiq
Newsletter Staff Editor in Chief Nadia El-Hillal Co-Editors Aamira Ali Maria Khalid Sabba Zahir Staff Writers: Mohamed Abutaleb Rafia Ali Saba Askari Nadia El-Hillal Ibrahim Elmoghazy Hera Hashmi Parise Henry Maria Khalid Tooba Mohamed Sabir Syed Sami Zaharna Namika Zaman The views and opinions expressed in An-Nur
are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editing staff or of the MSA.