An-Nur: Volume 8 - Issue 2 (November 18, 2005) by Al-Nur Literary Magazine

“ALLAH IS THE PROTECTOR OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE. HE BRINGS THEM OUT FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT.” [HOLY QUR’AN]

An-Nur “The Light”

The newsletter of the Muslim Students‟ Association & the Muslim Women of Maryland

MWM

Muslim Women of Maryland

Volume 8, Issue 2

Fast-A-Thon 2005

Inside this issue: Current Events

Reflections on the Qu’ran

Faith in Allah

Student Advice & Perspective

Path to A Better Life

Creative Writing

Shawwal 1426 November 18, 2005

MSA 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.

by Saba Askari The 2005 Fast-a-Thon proved to be yet another success for the Muslim Students‟ Association. For non-Muslims, hunger and fasting is generally greeted with dismay. Yet for this year‟s Fast-a-Thon, many showed enthusiasm and excitement over fasting from sunrise to sunset. As Dina Raafat said, “Fast-aThon may have encouraged people to abstain from food for a day, but only to feed their spirits instead.” The reason for this excitement may be because, for every person that fasted, four Hurricane Katrina victims were fed. Every year, hundreds of schools across the country host a Fast-a-Thon dinner. Fast-a-Thon is a day during the month of Ramadan where the Muslim Students‟ Association asks all nonMuslims to fast to feed the hungry. Usually, the University of Maryland Muslim Students‟ Association gives the proceeds to a shelter in Washington DC through the organization, So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E). This year, however, due to the tragic events in New Orleans, the MSA sent all proceeds to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Over four hundred people attended the dinner, and approximately a thousand non-Muslims participated in fasting. For dinner, non-Muslims broke their fast with food catered from Panda Express, which is in the wonderful food court in the Stamp Student Union. Dinner included all forms of non-zabiha meat and fried rice. For those who wished to eat only zabiha meat, the MSA catered Italian cuisine from Sbbaro‟s (a.k.a. pizza). The keynote speakers for the event included the MSA chaplain Ali Darwish, William Desler, the Provost of Maryland, and Rizwan Mowlana of Islamic Relief. For entertainment, Amir Suleiman provided poetry. This year‟s Fast-a-Thon proved to be a good learning experience for not only the organizers but the entire Muslim Students‟ Association. Though only those who planned the event can judge its success, it‟s fair to say that the MSA learned a few things from it. A good deal of

work went into planning Fast-a-Thon, but it seems only a few people were involved. The head organizer of Fast-a-Thon was Sister Mona Ibrahim, along with Brothers Sami Zaharna and Sami Said, and Sister Namika Zaman. According to Zaman, “Amongst the hardest work was calling Muslim businesses to help fund the fundraiser and dividing up the different Muslim businesses amongst volunteer callers.” The fellowship of the Fast-a-Thon spent countless hours in trying to get business to pledge money for the event, and in following up. If Fast-a-Thon was a success, it is primarily accredited to them.

Above: Waqas Chaudhary helps serve Panda Below: Hosts mingled with Fast-a-Thon participants, in order to spread dawah

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Current Events

Muslims Fighting Muslims: A Reality In Darfur by Sana Din On September 28, 2005, almost one year after the US declared that the conflict in Darfur was in fact genocide, about 400 Janjuweed Arab militia went on a rampage on camel and horse back in West Darfur villages. Not much has changed a year after that declaration. Systematic murder, rape, hatred, ethnic cleansing. When one thinks of such occurrences he thinks in terms of the past. Surely, humanity has matured and since the 1940‟s the overall morality of the world‟s people has increased, right? Unfortunately this is not the case. In this century alone the world has witnessed such events as the holocaust of World War II, the genocide in Rwanda, the Serbian campaign in Kosovo, and more recently, the Sudanese conflict. Sudanese rebel groups sparked this conflict that has now lasted about two years, though the government‟s attack on human rights goes even further back. Such attacks include mass killing, rape, bombing, and destruction of villages, water wells and crops, all directed at three African ethnic communities (the Fur, Zaghawa, and Massaleit). The exact death toll remains a mystery. This is because the UN only documented a six month period of the conflict and the Sudanese government (which claims 70,000 dead) will not provide an accurate number since they are blamed for the murders. According to Africa Action, an organization dedicated to promoting justice throughout Africa, 400,000 have died, 80% of the villages have been destroyed and 3 million people have been displaced internally and in neighboring Chad, leaving most without adequate food, health, and shelter. But even counting the bodies of the dead is no way of measuring the need for action and involvement. Though many have died as a result of the violence, even more are dying due to malnutrition and disease, caused by the destruction of crops and water resources. Also, women are being raped and tortured. Rape is used as a weapon of genocide with the intent, it is believed, to change the ethnic identity of

the child, the product of rape. Death is only one measure of the horror taking place in the Darfur region. One would think with the mounting horrific events, intervention would be a priority. Unfortunately, ever since the US has declared it as genocide and the UN has defined it as “the worst humanitarian crisis,” not much further has been done to effectively put an end to the terror in the area. A ceasefire agreement was brokered by Africa Action in April of 2005, however, the Sudanese government has failed to follow through with it. Also, in January of 2005, the UN referred the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a court working under the UN, designed to try international crimes. The ICC planned to prosecute those suspects they found guilty of committing and leading the war crimes in Darfur. However, the Sudanese government did not comply with this decision. While putting those in charge of the crimes on trial may help alleviate much of the torture, it will not affect the many others who share a role in the violence and in effect, it will not put an immediate end as is needed to the genocide. The conflict is in dire need of immediate action. One that the international community including the US and UN have lacked. African Union (AU), an organization designed to promote human rights and the general well-being of Africa, has assumed the leadership position in resolving the conflict and providing aid. They sent over 5000 troops to Darfur on an observer mission, however these soldiers are unarmed and do not have the logistics to prevent the violence. In order for the AU to really be effective, it needs a substantial amount of help, including financial and logistical support from the international community. According to Africa Action, the AU needs about $250 million but has only received

$79 million in aid from other countries. The AU cannot act alone, and yet has been doing so since it was established in 2002, receiving only little aid from the UN. It was pressure from the AU that caused the US investigations last summer that confirmed genocide in Darfur. Two theories exist regarding the real US agenda for not getting involved in the conflict. One is that the US wants to maintain good relations with the Sudanese government in Khartoum so that they can continue to get information from them regarding terrorists. This will help fight the “war against terror”. Others believe the good relations are motivated by the US wanting to get its hands on the large amounts of oil in the region. Whatever the motives may be, it is evident that the US needs to be pressured in order to fulfill its duty as the only super power. The US needs to intervene by pressuring the UN Security Council to authorize a multinational intervention in Darfur, under the UN Charter‟s Chapter 7. With this, the AU along with the international forces, will have a mandate to protect the victims in Darfur as well as enforce the long neglected ceasefire agreement. The multinational intervention plan will also allow those who were displaced from their homes to return and rebuild. People can help with this. People are needed to sign petitions to the White House, (Continued on page 9)

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Current Events Natural Disasters: A Sign from Allah by Hafsa Siddiqui October 8, 2005 will be a day that will never be forgotten. It was the day when hundreds of children lost their lives, families lost their loved ones, and lives were changed dramatically. The earthquake that hit much of Pakistan and India was one of the worst ever recorded; Pakistan specifically had not experienced an earthquake in more than a century, reported BBC. Muzaffarabad was the region most strongly affected by the earthquake; it is estimated that at least 11,000 have died in the capital city of Pakistan-run Kashmir and the numbers continue to rise. The latest death toll reads like a horror story: 54,197 and climbing everyday, with the injured reaching 77, 925. As harsh and devastating as this sounds, once combined with all the other events that have taken place in the past year alone, the numbers are unfathomable. In retrospect, the one year anniversary of the tsunami is not yet upon us, however we have witnessed up to four major natural disasters, one of which is the Guatemalan landslide, which went unnoticed in the chaos of Katrina. The world is wondering (and people don‟t have the answers) why there has been such a rise in deadly natural disasters. Many Muslims, those who have just watched the news, as well as those who have been impacted directly, have asked themselves, what does this all mean? Are these natural disasters sent

to punish humanity, and Muslims abound, or is it a warning for us to remain on the straight path? Contrary to popular belief, it is not anyone else‟s fault; rather as Muslims, we need to observe how we are impacting the world around us. We Muslims are living in a society in which the general view of Islam is very negative. Everywhere you go you can hear at least someone say something derogatory about Islam. It is on our TV‟s, newspapers, and internet. Sadly, many Muslims are buying into this propaganda; it‟s easier to do as you please, to stand with a majority, rather than “suffer” as an outsider. Consequently, instead of following Islam correctly and whole-heartedly, many Muslims are molding their beliefs and practices to find acceptance in society. Of course, no one has the right to judge others; that is Allah‟s authority. However, there must be some deficiency within the Muslim community for such disasters to occur. Disasters such as the earthquake were not sent entirely as punishment for the Muslims. Instead, we should see the disaster as warnings, that this life is just of play and material possessions, nothing else. In an article featured in IslamCan.com, Jami‟yyatul Ulama states: “It is very sad to see that many of us regard these (natural disasters) as natural happenings and a result of nature, thus it does not have an affect on the mind or heart.” Ulama is saying that to say that the disasters that are happening around the world are not just “mother nature.” Instead, we should recognize that they are signs from Allah, whether they are signs of Judgment Day, or warning signs to not fall astray. “And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth they pass by, while they are averse therefrom” (Al-Qur‟an, 12:105). Our duty as Muslims, regardless of wherever each and every one of us falls in respect to our deen, is to take heed of such signs. Keep those that have suffered and have been sacrificed in your prayers insha‟Allah. Remember that nothing in this world is a coincidence; Allah is the creator

and therefore the master of the divine plan. If we have encountered so much death in the mere span of 12 months, it means we need to reevaluate what it means to be alive and healthy, but most importantly, what it means to be a Muslim. For many, the answer is simple, these are the signs outlined in the Quran, the signs of Judgment Day. There are many signs, as many Muslims know, of Judgment Day. These signs include things from the lifting of knowledge and the prevalence of ignorance, to the major signs, such as appearance of the Dajjal. Amongst these signs, there are the signs of natural disasters. According to Sheikh Ahmad Ali, it is reported that Abu Saeed al-Khudri has recalled that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) stated (in reference to the appearance of Imam Mahdi): “He will be sent at a time of intense disputes and differences among people and earthquakes.'' It is also known that earthquakes will hit Medina three times, until “all the hypocrites will be forced to leave.”

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Reflections on the Qu’ran Surah Al-Asr - Explanation and Commentary by Sami Said or even failing an exam, but loss is the deprivation of the mercy and pleasure of God, paradise.

Except those who believe, do righteous deeds, call towards the Truth, and call towards patience.

By the token of time through the Ages. Mankind is in definite loss. Except those who believe, do righteous deeds, call towards the Truth, and call towards patience.

This surah is among the shortestchapters of the Qur‟an, containing only 3 verses, yet its meaning can cover oceans. Imam Shafi‟i said regarding this surah, “if this surah was the only surah revealed, it would be sufficient for the guidance of humanity”. Why is that so? First of all, we should try to take a closer look at the theme of this surah. It is talking about salvation and the way to attain it. After all, the purpose of guidance is for us to attain salvation. Yet this theme is mentioned so many times in the Qur‟an. What is special about this surah? Let us take a look verse by verse.

By the token of time through the Ages. God swears by many things in the Qur‟an, yet in this verse he swears by time. There are many reasons for this. One being to remind us of how little we have left and how short this life is in comparison to the Hereafter. Even if we were

to live a hundred years, on the day of resurrection we would feel as if we had only lived a day or part of a day. This is an urgent warning to what is to come next.

Mankind is in definite loss. In the Arabic of these verses, the most emphatic way of saying the statement is by having two words of emphasis. Generally, when this verse is read you would become sad and it seems as if Allah is hinting towards pessimism, yet that it not the intent. It is that we may realize the seriousness of the reality of the next life. We know from

In the previous verse God makes a general statement that all of mankind is in loss or in other words, doomed to hell. Yet God has made a way out for those who seek to change their condition. God is the one who knows us best, even better than ourselves, and he has commanded those who desire salvation to take these four steps. In actuality, these four steps are the outcome of one, faith. If faith truly enters the heart, then good deeds will subsequently be performed to thank God and seek his pleasure. When this person sees someone doing something bad, he will call that person to what is right because he doesn‟t want to see his friend enter the hellfire and because he has true faith that evil deeds lead to an evil end. This person wants to reform himself, his family and society. After the call towards the truth, there will undoubtedly be those who dislike the call and will aggravate this believer in any way, as was done to our beloved Prophet (saws) and his companions for 13 years in Mecca. Yet the Prophet‟s (saws) response was to “call towards patience”. When the companions complained of their abuse, he advised them to be patient until it was

If faith truly enters the heart, then good deeds will subsequently be performed to thank God and seek his pleasure. the narrations of the Prophet (saws) that only 1 out of every one thousand people will enter heaven and the rest will go to hell. This verse defines loss in the true sense. Loss is not losing a parent, a friend,

time to migrate. The believer should act in the same way if another person is giving him difficulty, he would stay firm and persevere through it all so that he may truly be of those who are successful.

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Faith In Allah

True Story—Truer Lesson by “Langdon Alger” It took every ounce of my strength to keep from speeding headfirst into a utility pole on Rhode Island Avenue. It wasn't raining, there was no ice on the ground and I was in complete control of the car. The only thing I wasn't in con-

unmotivated, but eventually I realized it was something more than that. The most important bit of advice to anyone, not just anyone dealing with depression, but any hardship, is to never lose faith in Allah (swt). If you don't have this base it makes

We must learn to accept this and work toward that constant struggle to maintain our faith and please Allah. trol of…was myself. You're probably asking, 'what on earth is wrong with this kid?' Believe it or not, this was an almost daily struggle of mine for a while. I realized later on that living with depression can make your mind play all sorts of tricks on you. Rationality exits out the window and emotions control your existence. I thought about killing myself a lot: how, when, where. I even planned it out once. I never followed through obviously and I have none other than Allah (swt) to thank for that. If it wasn't for this religion and my relationship with Allah, I don't know if I'd be here today. It isn't easy for me to even write that. I knew suicide was haram and I hated myself even more for thinking about it. Still, I couldn't help it. Circumstances had led to me my state and I wondered long and hard about why I was where I was. I wasn't insecure. I didn't care what others thought about me. Islam was the most important thing in my life yet some days it was impossible for me to get out of bed and eat something much less pray. I was a walking contradiction to myself and it ate away at me. You might be wondering why I'm even writing this article. I'll be honest; part of the reason is selfish. I learned in counseling how therapeutic it can be to write out your feelings and I recommend it to everyone. The other reason I'm writing about this is that I know that if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone and most of us don't have a clue how to deal with it. I know I didn't. For a good while I just thought I was lazy and

life infinitely harder. Whenever those thoughts of 'why me?' would enter my head I would remember the words of wisdom so many people had told me in my life: Allah only tests those he loves. This was a test I was faced with and I knew I couldn't take the easy way out, yet at the same time I didn't know how to overcome it. I could probably write out in detail every time my father ever hit me or my mother. The verbal abuse was a lot worse though and a lot more frequent. The images are stuck in my brain and despite my greatest efforts to eliminate them they will probably be there forever. Sometimes I kind of feel like John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (minus the genius part). He couldn't ever get rid of the people in his mind, but he learned to live with them and that is what all must do. Allah (swt) will always test us and there will be always be hardships for the believers. We must learn to accept this and work toward that constant struggle to maintain our faith and please Allah. I had to withdraw from school for some time but

friends and it is vital to distinguish between your real friends and the ones who are just there in the happy times. Talk to these people, talk to a sibling you trust or talk to your doctor. Just don't be afraid to be honest and express how you feel. This is a key step towards getting better. It is important to have faith in Allah, but it is also necessary for us to act in accordance with that and struggle to get better. The positive effects are worth the struggle. My parents didn't understand my situation at first but it was also a learning process for them. Alhamdulillah, through my situation my father has realized the error in his ways (something I had given up on ever happening outside of making dua for him) and I have noticed a change in him that only can come from Allah (swt). I realized that this was all a part of His plan and my supplications for my family were finally being answered. Patience truly is v i r t u e . I apologize if my thoughts are jumbled and I apologize if this is a downer but it is truly not meant to be. It is more of a depiction of the beauty of Islam and the greatness of Allah in a more tangible way. It is a validation of the fact that having faith in Allah will foster success in your life whether in this life or the hereafter. It is a testimony to the fact that anyone is capable of change and everyone has the ability to better themselves as long as they have that faith, remain

Anyone is capable of change and everyone has the ability to better themselves as long as they have that faith, remain steadfast, and patiently persevere. this led me to eventually get the help I needed. This leads me to the other major point I wanted to make: Know when to ask for help and don't be scared to do so. I can't stress how important it is to have people you can trust and who will be there for you when things are tough. Those are your real

steadfast, and patiently persevere. I leave you with the words of Allah (swt): "Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? Lo! We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and

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Student Advice & Perspective What's the Daleel? By Sabir Syed That's the question I've been asking others and myself a lot lately. It seems everybody has an opinion on everything these days. Granted, it is one of the very positive things about living in America that we have the freedom to open our minds, think, contemplate and develop ideas and viewpoints. It is necessary, however, to realize that this ability to contemplate and question is in itself, a blessing from Allah (swt). As is the case with any blessing Allah (swt) bestows upon us, we are required to fulfill our responsibilities to Allah and to ourselves as well in regards to that blessing. In this case the responsibility being our obligation to educate ourselves based on the laws of our Lord. I refer to this as an obligation in order to emphasize the

evidence. Within Islam, that evidence is in the Qur'an and in the actions and teachings of the Prophet (saw). If we come up with our own justifications for our actions that have no true basis in Islam, we may be committing sins while thinking we are doing good. This is the most dangerous of states to be in. Allah (swt) instructs, "Say (O Muhammad SAW): 'Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were society when Zainab (ra) spoke from acquiring good by their deeds! They are behind a curtain even before the verses of those who deny the Ayat (proofs, hijab were revealed? How do we evidences, verses, lessons, signs, convince ourselves that we have more revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the self-restraint than the companions of the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So Prophet (saw)? We give ourselves too Without a sound foundation of knowledge, we are left with their works much credit and it goes back to the fact are in vain, that many of us are not knowledgeable our own nafs, surroundings, and the accursed shaytan to and on the about the basics of Islam or that we formulate our opinions and beliefs. Day o f choose to deny it. Intermingling is just Resurrection, one example I chose, but there are importance of having the basic knowledge We shall not give them any weight." hundreds more. Allah (swt) says in Surah of the Qur'an and the sunnah. Without this (18:103-105). Truly, this is a frightening Al-Anbiya', "Say (O Muhammad SAW): 'I warn foundation, we leave ourselves open to state to be in, because if we think we are generate a belief structure that is based, not doing good then what will make us stop? you only by the revelation (from Allah on the laws of Allah (swt), but on our own Educating ourselves on the basics can and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who personal whims and desires. help us avoid this situation. Mankind has always been in a perpetual What does a snake do when you try to follow the religious scholars and others state of ignorance, and hence the blessings kill it? It plays dead and gets you to blindly) will not hear the call, (even) of Messengers to bring us knowledge and lower your guard. Once you lower your when they are warned (i.e. one should guidance. This is sound proof to the fact that guard even the slightest bit, it takes that follow only the Quran and the Sunnah as without a sound foundation of knowledge, opportunity to escape. Your nafs is the Companions of the Prophet SAW we are left with our own nafs, surroundings, exactly like this snake. It will play dead did). (21:45) If anything I've said and the accursed shaytan is wrong or you don't to formulate our opinions The problem arises when it is almost as if we are afraid to open the Qur'an or study the life of the Prophet (saw) out of fear of agree, then I implore and beliefs. This is not you to prove me simply referring to just what they will tell us. wrong based on the Muslims, but all people do this in general, it is a part of human nature. until you lower your guard and make you truth, because that is the true point of this The problem arises when it is almost as if think things like, 'I'm so good, I don't article. Despite what this society seems to we are afraid to open the Qur'an or study the have inclinations toward the opposite perpetuate, ignorance truly is not bliss and life of the Prophet (saw) out of fear of what gender, I am strong enough to overcome we will all be held accountable for our they will tell us. We choose selective any temptations.' And that is when it actions. I pray to Allah (swt) to make us ignorance, and come up with our own takes over and you start making those among those who read, contemplate and justifications for our actions and make it justifications in your mind that give you practice the teachings of the Qur'an and sound nice and logical, but as with any a false sense of security in your action. the Prophet (saw). Ameen. argument a person makes, you need credible How do we justify intermingling in our

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Student Advice & Perspective A Wake Up Call From Allah on Eid By: Anonymous Inefficiency and Stress are two concepts that seem to go hand in hand. We seem to have a billion things going on in our lives all at the same time, without enough time to get them all done. We don‟t seem to know where our time goes, or how the summer turned in to the middle of fall semester. Then when crunch time rolls around the corner, we stress. We spend so much time thinking about how much we have to do and how much we haven‟t gotten done that we end up just stressing. In the end, we are left in a mess of stress, as our To Do List just keeps getting longer.

correctly. I got only four hours of sleep before I had to wake up and get ready for Eid prayer. My clothes weren‟t ironed, I was running late, and I still hadn‟t decided whether I was going to go to class, or take the day off. I got to the masjid 10 minutes before prayer started, and there was no room to stand in the prayer line. I ended up being crammed between people, with barely enough room to make sujood. We went to my aunt‟s house afterwards, which wasn‟t as much fun, because all of my cousins were celebrating Eid elsewhere. It

STOP Step out of reality for about five minutes, and look at your life. Where does your time go? What are your priorities? Are you working towards your goals or just making goals that you think you want to work towards? Are you working for the sake of Allah, or working to just get through the day? Are you getting worked up about little things, because the big things are too much to think about??? Well…here‟s my story about a little wake up call I got on Eid… I cannot deny that I am a victim of stress and inefficiency. I make too many goals for myself, and just worry when I don‟t get them done. This Ramadan was supposed to be a time for me to improve my deen, become closer to Allah, and excel in my school work. And in an effort to become the best I could be, I lost sight of what Ramadan truly represents. I tried to wake up every morning for Tahujood, pray Taraveeh every night, get all my school work done, and tried to live off of 5 hours of sleep every night. I made a list of all the virtues I wanted to encompass during the month, and took on more Ramadan projects than I could handle. Ramadan became a matter of achieving goals, rather than understanding. It became a matter of just being and doing, rather than understanding why. And while it is important to do, without understanding, it becomes a motion that we go through. Eid was interesting…nothing was going

was just me and my sister. On our way to one of my mom‟s cousin‟s house, we got lost, and couldn‟t get a hold of the family for directions. Their phone line was busy. We were stuck in traffic, and on a very short time schedule. Then, an ambulance passed us by, and we had to move on to the shoulder to let it pass. In the process, my uncle‟s car ran over something and it burst his tire. Everything was a mess. We ended up finding our way to the house moments later…to see that the ambulance that had passed us was parked in front of it. We came up to see my mom‟s cousin being

taken to the hospital. She had had a massive heart attack. In that moment, everything that happened that day seemed insignificant. I spent the rest of Eid in a hospital lobby in Virginia. I had spent so much thinking about everything I needed to do, and now I was just praying for her. I was ashamed to have even worried about anything that day. Alhamdulillah I am alive and healthy. alhamdulillah, my aunt is alive, and insha‟Allah recuperating. I had completely missed the lessons that Ramadan was suppose to teach me. The entire month I spent thinking about my to do list, and in the process did exactly the opposite of what I should have been doing. Ramadan is a month for us to improve ourselves and get a better understanding of our deen. A big part of that comes with understanding that we shouldn‟t stress about things that are related to this life, such as work, because we can control those things. We should be worrying about the afterlife. Things happen, it‟s a part of life, but stress is what keeps us from recuperating from it. Stress is a disease that consumes our time, so the process of achieving is slowed done. I am in control of what I do with my life and time, and if I want to become more efficient and achieve my goals, I need to manage my time properly. Little things like work, clothes, flat tires, and lack of sleep are all irrelevant in the greater picture. While stress is something that happens, I should not let it get the best of me, but use it to fuel my ambition. Life is short, and yes while it sounds very cliché, its true. A friend told me once, to look at the span of the average life and see how much time we actually spend working for Allah. If a person lives to be 60 years old, 20 years of his life are spent sleeping. Now imagine 5 years are spent eating food, 25 years are spent working and studying, 8 years are spent enjoying with friends, watching television, etc. How much time do we spend for the sake of Allah? Life is short and it just keeps getting shorter…don‟t waste any of it being inefficient with your time and stressing about little things….be thankful for everything you have, and just pray that it gets better…

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A Path To A Better Life

Turning to Allah By Waqas Mannan

The Holy Qur‟an tells us that Allah loves intensely those who believe in Him. The depth of this love is directly proportional to the amount of faith a believer has in his Lord and is inversely proportional to how strongly a believer will feel the difficulties he faces in his life. This means that a believer will be able to endure and overcome more difficulty and obstacles, the greater his love for Allah and vice versa. If you look at the way people interact in relation to the things that they really enjoy, or the things that they fall in love with, you will see that they drown themselves in that thing. For example, if there is a person who loves basketball, he will always be thinking about basketball, he will spend a lot of time playing, or even watching basketball. Similarly, if a person enjoys any particular art, then he will put time into it and devote himself to it. Now when people are involved with one another, it is a little bit different. When two people fall in love they become engrossed in each other. You will see that when people first get married, they are engrossed in each other to the point that between the two of them they forget about what is going on around them. For example, the husband‟s mother will start to complain that her son doesn‟t come around her house enough and the wife‟s parents are upset that they don‟t get to see their daughter regularly. Now a similar relationship, but on a much deeper level, can exist between Allah and a servant of Allah. When a person becomes engrossed in Allah (swt), he forgets about everything else, especially when he is really getting deeply into it. All he can do is remember Allah. Every time he looks at something, he thinks of Allah. Every time he speaks to someone, Allah is on his mind. When he‟s doing something, Allah is in the back of his head. So what happens is that

when a person begins to recognize Allah, begins to discover Allah, begins to appreciate Allah, he completely drowns in Allah‟s (swt) love. An interesting thing about it is that you will realize how conducive our surrounding environment is for reaching this level. For example, look at the moon, look at the sky, and look at the ground. Notice the fact that you‟re breathing and look at the people around you. In essence, all of this is a reminder of Allah (swt) and if you get into the habit of noticing these signs, you will get to the point where you cannot help but remember Him constantly. So what ends up happening with the servant once he begins to pay attention to his environment, when he begins to think about the grandeur of Allah (swt), when he begins to

read the Qur‟an and recite all these incredible qualities of Allah (swt), is that he completely drowns in love for Allah. This love is then also reciprocated. When a person falls in love with Allah, Allah also falls in love with that person. So much so that Allah begins to focus on that person and then the environment around the believer becomes irrelevant to him. For example, in the story of Prophet Yusuf (as), he was so deeply in love with Allah (swt) that if it came to breaking the laws of Allah or going to jail, he preferred to go to jail. As we know, the story goes like this: Queen Zulaikha who was so attracted to Prophet Yusuf (as), she had tried so many times and ways to tempt Prophet Yusuf (as) but failed. But one day when Prophet Yusuf (as) was working in

one of the rooms in the palace, Queen Zulaikha locked the door and took this opportunity to try to seduce him into having illegal sexual intercourse. Furthermore, it says in the Qur‟an that she locked many doors so no one would find out but he still turned her down because he was afraid of Allah (swt). This resulted in him going to jail. But he was happy to go to jail. He thought it was better for him to go to jail then to break the laws of Allah. Now he was so much in love with Allah (swt) that Allah became in love with him in turn as well. And so what happened? Allah (swt) sent a famine on all of Egypt in order to create a situation to get Prophet Yusuf (as) out of jail. Now imagine the whole country of Egypt went into famine, how many thousands and hundreds of thousands of people went hungry so Allah could get Prophet Yusuf (as) out. Anyhow, what this is highlighting is a very central principal in purification of the soul. That is that we need not worry about our surroundings, we need to worry about Allah (swt). In fact this is exactly what we recite so many times a day: “You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for assistance.” This is literal and it means that anytime we encounter a difficult situation, we should not think about anything except turning to Allah (swt). Nothing should interest our desires, our hopes, our dreams, our aspirations, except Allah (swt). This is because we know that in reality, everything lies in the hands of Allah (swt). And we also know that in reality Allah (swt) is the one that is going to change things but you have to turn to him. Therefore it is very important for the righteous to remember that our focus is always on Allah. If a difficulty arises, turn to Allah and if everything is going right, turn to Allah. Thank Allah for what he provided and beg Allah that he doesn‟t create another difficult situation after the ease that he put us in. So may

An-Nur

Volume 8, Issue 2 Page 9

Creative Writing Reality in Darfur (cont.) (Continued from page 2)

join movements, have their voices heard by organizing marches and simply getting involved. Only then, with the help of the public, will the US government, as well as governments the world over, realize that the only right option is to intervene in Darfur, by providing aide and pressuring officials in Khartoum. It seems that Muslims are so caught up in the Israel-Palestine conflict that no attention is given to a place where the title of „Muslim‟ is being severely destroyed and manipulated. The reality is that Muslims are killing Muslims and if people speak out against the atrocities, they can help in saving lives as well as the name and reputation of Islam. The actual conflict began with two African rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice Equality Movement (JEM). They attacked the government and accused officials of abusing power by torturing and killing black African inhabitants in Darfur, while favoring those of Arab descent. The government reacted by hiring an Arab militia called the Janjuweed to target the rebels as well as black African civilians.

Roma’s vs. Meeting by Rashad Ahmed

However, the government still denies this involvement. Investigations into these crimes produced much evidence that attacks were predominantly against those of non-Arab descent. However, to say that the motives are strictly ethnic would be oversimplifying the situation. Many factors are involved in the conflict such as racial, political, and economic which are deeply rooted in the tribal history of the country. Understanding the roots of the problem is important to finding a resolution. But the fact remains that as a result of the ongoing conflict, thousands have died and millions have been tortured and left homeless. As Senator Brownback from Kansas stated in a speech in DC on April 20, 2005, “400,000 is a number, when [it is] an individual, [it is] a soul.” Ignoring the magnitude of the situation is easy when viewing it from afar. We fail to realize that with each murder an individual‟s life is being taken. The mantra since the Holocaust has been “not again” and yet we see such behavior repeated over and over. Brownback went on further to compare this situation to Rwanda, which was clearly a mistake and an embarrassment for the US. He stated, alluding to the recent movie, “Hotel

Rwanda,” “when the movie comes out you can say you knew what was going on.” Brownback ridicules the US government and emphasizes the need to recognize and act immediately and in effect, prevent another Rwanda. The point remains that genocide is the mass killing of a people. If the UN cannot recognize that the government-hired Janjuweed is oppressing the African people, then the question remains: to what extent do people need to be systematically tortured and murdered before there is intervention by a stronger power? No matter what the definition or title declared for these actions, the truth is that the people of Darfur are undergoing cruelty, pain, suffering, and torture. Essentially, anything that will end this turmoil should be planned out and then executed immediately. If the conflict continues as it has been, the death toll may increase up to 1 million by 2006. The situation has been exacerbated for far too long, showing that the US, as well as international governments, will not act unless people like you and I act now and let our voices be heard. Unless we speak up and say that we will not allow for these atrocities to proceed.

An-Nur

Volume 8, Issue 2

Page 10

THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Creative Writing

University of Maryland at College Park Box 44, Stamp Student Union College Park, MD 20742 Email: umcp_msa@yahoo.com

Spiritual Liberation

WWW.MSA-UMD.ORG

by Anonymous I tried to scream out to YOU today But the only thing that came out was silence It was so loud, it pierced my ears And the struggle within me became so violent I tried to hide it I became mute and IT… MUTATED… ME Metamorphosised into this thing Blurred and not in focus I latched on to this life and menial things like a locust I CHOSE THIS! I tried to scream out for YOU, YA ALLAH! But I forgot how…and now my head hangs low...bowed Embarrassed by the shroud of MY NEGLIGENCE It‟s no appreciation of your grace This disgrace comes out in the form of tears… I crippled MYSELF all these years My hand reaches out for your embrace My silent whispers utter the words of your praise “ALLAHU AKBAR” … God is Great… GOD…IS…GREAT And I find it hard only because my back is SCARRED from the whips of MY OWN ACTIONS But it is YOU, ALLAH that has now … become …MY PASSION! The manifestation of my silence ...this lack of action has come to haunt me Bestow your mercy …that‟s what I ask of thee Grasp me by my neck…HUMBLE ME so that I can humbly Kneel down The TRUTH IN YOU is what I have found There‟s no need for me to look around Constantly my back bends before you as my forehead touches the cold ground

WWW.MWM-UMD.ORG

At times of weakness I feel so naked …so much so I feel that this battle I can‟t take it That‟s when I reach for Allah‟s words which become my blanket It is only then that by His will I know I can certainly make it My truth today is not something I am faking It is So Real that I am shaking The alarm of reality awakened me From the slumber of negligence I can see the beauty of Islam, this deen, siraatul mustaqeem I am free and happy to be the Muslim that Allah wants me to be Allah‟s mercy has replenished me This slumber has now become a HUNGER! My heart finally beats AMEEN It is ALLAH I yearn to meet Let every obstacle end with defeat I pray one day a servant of ALLAH At the gates of heaven I will be by HIS thrown…HIS seat I no longer scream…….. My silence has transformed INTO A SPIRTUAL LIBERATION I am overcome with this new sensation My renewed faith has no longer allowed me to lull about in my complacence Now I pray in patience That JANNAH… paradise will be my final destination. AMEEN!

MSA Chaplain: Ali Darwish

MSA Officers President: Hosam Haggag Vice-President: Ibrahim Elmoghazy VP Sisters’ Affairs: Faten Gharib Masjid Affairs:Hamzah Abu-Ragheb Pub. Relations: Sami Zaharna Secretary: Rafia Ali Treasurer: Raafat Raafat

MWM Officers President: Fasiha Khan Vice-President: Chancey Gannett Secretary: Maria Khalid Treasurer: Rama Taib Pub. Relations: Rafia Ali SGA Liaison: Saba Askari

Newsletter Staff Editor in Chief Sabba Zahir Co-Editors: Maria Khalid Aamira Ali Staff Writers: Langden Alger Saba Askari Rashad Ahmed Sana Din Waqas Mannan Sami Said Hafsa Siddiqui Sabir Syed

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.