“...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]
ISSUE 4
VOLUME 13
DHU AL-HIJJAH
14, 1429 — DECEMBER 12, 2008
Contact Us! Ple a s e s e nd yo ur cr e a tiv e s ub m is s io ns , c o m m e nts , a nd s ug g e s tio ns to m s a .nur @ g m a il.c o m o r v is it w w w .m s a um d .o r g
THE NEWSLETTER OF
al-Nur the Light
THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION AND THE MUSLIM WOMEN OF MARYLAND
Fall 2008: What a Semester! by Ridwanur Rahman All praise is due to Allah (swt), and may His peace and blessings be upon His last and final messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him, his family, companions, and those who follow him until the Day of Judgment, Ameen. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does not thank people (for their favors) has not thanked Allah (properly), Mighty and Glorious is He!” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi). With the semester coming to a close, I want to start off by thanking ALL the brothers and sisters who helped out in any way, shape or form this semester. JAZAKUM ALLAHU KHAIRAN! May Allah accept all of our hard work and efforts. And may He grant us the best in this life and in the next. Ameen! SubhanAllah, it felt like just yesterday we were in the midst of Ramadan with classes in the morning, iftar with awesome brothers and sisters in the musallah at Maghrib time, and taraweeh in the masjid to wrap up the night. Our school year couldn’t have started off any better.
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.
But before our school year started, we were truly blessed by Allah (swt) to have really strong and motivated brothers and sisters this semester who started preparing for events well before the first day of classes. And as a result, Allah (swt) again blessed us with another successful Fast-athon event, where we had over 400 people attend! — An opportunity that gave us a chance to spread the message of Islam to the college community and more. Alhamdullillah! The year continued with more smaller-scale events, such as the MSA picnic, archery, go-kart racing, “STAMP Out Hunger,” etc., where we got the chance to just hang out and enjoy the brotherhood/sisterhood and/or to contribute and give da’wah to others. Along with these social/humanitarian events and programs, we were blessed by Allah (swt) to have our chaplain, Brother Tarif Shraim, come and give halaqahs on a biweekly basis, giving us the chance to gain valuable knowledge to grow on (Continued on page 2)
Inside this Issue MSA Events Page 2 Quran & Spiritual Reflections Page 3
How-to Column Page 9
Personal Experiences Page 10
Special Hadith/ Duaa Page 12 Creative Writing Page 14
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MSA events Battle of the MSAs by Mehreen Rasheed "Only one can survive. Are you ready?" challenged slogans for the first annual Battle of the MSAs on promotional flyers and videos circulating local Muslim Students' Association chapters, as well as Facebook and YouTube. Battle of the MSAs, a jeopardy-style knowledge bowl among fourteen metro area MSA chapters, was hosted by the MSA DC Council at George Washington University. The event included dinner and a speech by Altaf Husain, but it was not until the quizzes began that the ferocity of the competition became almost tangible. "It was insane, you were seriously on the edge of your seat," recalled Nour Al-Muhtasib, UMDCollege Park competitor. After elimination rounds, fourteen schools were narrowed down to three, until George Mason University answered the final decisive question. American University placed second by 400 points and
Towson University in third, by another 2700 points. Greater than bragging rights and a trophy, however, the George Mason team won a trip to Umrah. The already emotionallycharged room practically burst
when this surprise was announced. In shock, the team embraced; some fell into prostration. Cheering "Allahu Akbar", the audience, too, seemed moved to tears.
"It was amazing," said Arqam Ahsan, a Virginia Commonwealth University competitor, "It was very moving to see the reaction of the winning team." Mariam Khan from UMD-College Park agreed, "It brought tears to my eyes. You could tell they really deserved it." The money for Umrah was anonymously donated; the benefactor only asks well-wishers to pray for him and his family. “The last thing I expected was for us to win. It was a really great feeling” said Abdulrahman Aulabi of the GMU team, “when they announced it, I was shocked… my legs couldn’t hold my body.” “The George Mason Sheeps” as they have been nicknamed after the winning answer, plan to make Umrah next summer. The idea for Battle of the MSAs (Continued on page 4)
What a Semester... (Continued from page 1)
every aspect. This was one of the many educational initiatives that the MSA offered this semester, which included MCAT classes, Study hall, and Qur’an classes. Now since this semester is almost over, we need to start thinking about what is to come next semester. But before we can
get there, we have to deal with our favorite part of college-life: FINALS! Let us make duaa for each other and study hard so that we can all get good grades. May Allah grant us good grades... both literally and figuratively. Ameen!
Let me take this opportunity to ask everyone if I have said and/or done anything to offend you, please forgive me and keep me in your duaa. I love all of you for the sake of Allah.
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quran & spiritual reflections Qur’an Advice by Shabnom Khan There was once a woman, who upon hearing that we will be held accountable for everything we say, only spoke through the words of the Qur'an. SubhanAllah. Every comment she made, every question she asked, every answer she gave, was from the Qur'an. In the style of this woman, the majority of this article is from the Qur’an. This article is meant to be a reminder. Allah says “But remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the Believers” (51:55). And of course, this is a reminder to myself, first and foremost… We can get a little frustrated with our brothers and sisters sometimes, but in the end, The Believers are but a single Brotherhood (49:10).
and that Verily, with every difficulty, there is ease; Verily, with every difficulty there is ease (94:5-6). Hard time studying? ...And they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills (2:255). And we know Help is always there: And when My servants ask you, concerning Me — indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided (2:186).
And when we hear rumors about ourselves and others, ...ascertain the truth, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, full of repentance (49:6). And when we see divisions within ourselves remember Allah created you from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (not that you may despise each other) (49:13).
And remember to purify our intentions, because Allah says, And I did not create the Jinn and men, except that they may worship Me (51:56).
And when we go through tough times, remember, On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear (2:286).
And let's strive to do what Allah has told us to do: • And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him,
[increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination (31:14). • O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters (7:31). • Through the Wisdom Allah (swt) gave him, Luqman advised his son: “And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass” (31:19). • Say to the believing men/ women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty... (24:30/31). • And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Allah takes careful account of all things. (4:86) In the end, we are all looking for the same thing: For those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have Gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment (85:11). So remember, there are answers to all our problems, just pick up the Qur'an and Read!... (96:1).
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quran & spiritual reflections The Need for Tarbiyyah-Based Programs in a Knowledge-Obsessed Culture by Sami Zaharna A great scholar once said that if the Prophet Mohammad ‍ ا‏ ‍ Ůˆâ€Źwas given no other miracle by Allah except for his companions, then they would be enough of a miracle to prove his prophethood. The Prophet taught, trained and nurtured his friends to transform them from Bedouin Arabs, who buried their daughters alive, to a people who conquered the ancient world in less than 50 years. It is no wonder the Prophet said “The best people are of this generation [i.e. the Prophet’s gen-
eration].â€? The question then arises: what enabled the companions to undertake such a large transformation? If we take a closer look at the treatment of the Prophet ‍ ا‏ ‍ Ůˆâ€Źtowards his companions, we find that the Prophet took a twostep approach in training them: He taught them and he nurtured them so that they made use of the knowledge they had. The prophet lived amongst the companions, engaging in their daily activities — visiting their homes,
helping those who were in need of help, enjoining what is good, forbidding that which was evil, teaching them the correct etiquettes — the list goes on and on. It was almost as though the Prophet was raising and nurturing the companions just as a father and mother would raise their children. This nurturing and raising is called the process of Tarbiyyah. Tarbiyyah is an Arabic word that linguistically means increase and growth. It is used to mean the (Continued on page 5)
Battle of the MSAs (Continued from page 2)
was a collaborative effort developed by Sufia Alnoor, Secretary of MSA DC Council, and Ubaid Bandukra, DC Council Treasurer and the project's Amir. They drew inspiration from MIST's Scholastic Bowl, and worked with its organizers, looking to them for experience. Despite its parallels to MIST however, Battle of the MSAs was organized with different goals in mind. "Holding this event at a collegiate level is important, especially in such a crucial time in our lives when we're in college‌ we are establishing our Islamic identities and are being faced with so many challenges," said DC Council Vice President Saud
Inam. Alnoor agreed, pointing to the importance of communication, "We have over fourteen MSAs in the area but some are near dead. We should be helping one another out‌ that’s what brothers and sisters do [for each other]." Bandukra noted the growing need for a "support network" among MSAs, wherein they help each other by sharing knowledge and resources in addition to brotherhood. "The main purpose is bringing us together for the sake of Allah, because after we establish the unity, after we know each other, then we have the potential for a lot more," he said, "the potential‌ of all these
MSAs working together fisabeelillah is greater than the individual parts." "I think we accomplished this goal and many others through the grace of Allah," remarked MSA DC Council President Ramy Zamzam, voicing the overall positivity toward the end result, "bringing Muslims together for good is a great blessing, and these events do just that." The Council now looks to the future, hoping that Battle of the MSAs has generated greater interest in area MSA collaboration and other DC Council events such as Project Downtown that was held on December 6.
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quran & spiritual reflections The Need for Tarbiyyah-Based Programs... (Continued from page 4)
‘development’, ‘upbringing’ and ‘training’ of people. This is exactly what the Prophet did with his companions — he developed them, trained them, and built their eemaan to such a high level that they were able to reach the heights that they did. In other words, the Prophet instituted an excellent program of tarbiyyah with his companions. In the remainder of this article, we will examine the desperate need for tarbiyyah based programs and present a model for this kind of program. The Need for Tarbiyyah-Based Programs: As Muslims in America, particularly in this tri-state area, we have a desperate need for Tarbiyyah based programs and halaqahs. What makes me say this? If you look at the programs and halaqahs we have in this area, we find that most of them are heavily knowledgebased. With the rise in popularity of weekend-intensive seminars and distance-learning classes (such as online classes), a wide array of topics is available to study from, which was never this easily accessible in the history of our Ummah. To a young practicing Muslim who has a lot of time on their hands, these avenues for learning are extremely attractive — A chance to learn the sacred Islamic sciences using the latest
technology. For a modestly reasonable cost, who wouldn’t want to make use of these opportunities? Alhamdulillah, over the past few years, an obsession with knowledge has spread amongst practicing Muslim youth. This is a great thing. However, what happens often is when our youth know a great deal about Islam, but don’t have an avenue to nurture that knowledge, the results are catastrophic. We begin to propagate a culture of “Indeed the
programs is to build character as the Prophet ‍ ا Ůˆâ€Źbuilt the character of his companions. When this is complimented with authentic Islamic knowledge, the results are great! Just look at the companions of the Prophet for proof of this. What should these tarbiyyah based programs be like? What elements should they contain? Outlined below is a suggested model as to what these tarbiyyah based programs should contain, based on the sunnah of the Prophet ‍ ا Ůˆâ€Ź and my experiences with these programs. In no way is this the only model, and may Allah (swt) forgive me If I say something incorrect: Key Elements of a Successful TarbiyyahBased Program/ Halaqah:
best of you with Allah are the most knowledgeable,� instead of encouraging a culture of “Indeed the best of you with Allah are the most pious.� Knowledge has become a goal in itself instead of becoming a means to reach the higher goal of piety. This is why these tarbiyyah based programs are so important. They give us an avenue to train and nurture the knowledge that we acquire; they keep us in check when we need it; they build brotherhood and mercy between one another. The goal of these
1- Competent Leader: Every tarbiyyah based program should have a leader. This leader ideally should be more senior in his knowledge level and experience in da’awah work with respect to the rest of the group. He should be the kind of leader who cares for his group — waking them up for fajr, visiting them when they are sick, helping them when they need help. This is the example of our beloved Mohammad ‍ ا‏ â€ŤŮˆâ€Ź. The one who joined his companions when building the masjid, sang poetry when digging the ditch to raise the morale of his friends, visited his best friend Abu (Continued on page 6)
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quran & spiritual reflections The Need for Tarbiyyah-Based Programs... (Continued from page 5)
Bakr twice a day and treated every one of his friend as though he was the most beloved one to him. It is important to note that this person does not need to be a scholar or a super-Muslim with a red cape or anything of this nature. Rather, he or she should be someone that the community looks up to and is a good role model for his fellow group. Every tarbiyyah based halaqah must have a figure who can assume this role. 2- Good Companionship: This is perhaps the most important factor of a successful tarbiyyah based program or halaqah — to build strong bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood between the group. It is ideal that the halaqah meet on a weekly or biweekly basis. During this weekly meeting it is important that they share a meal together, share news with each other, ask each other if they need help, encourage one another to be patient and steadfast if they are going through troubles, etc. One of the first things the Prophet ‍ ا Ůˆâ€Źdid upon entering Medinah was pairing up the Makkan immigrants and Medinan residents together in an effort to build a strong bond of brotherhood between them. In order for this to work, the group must be small enough so that they can build a strong relationship with one another. 3- Competing Friend: Identify someone in the halaqah that is on a similar level as you are, and let the competition begin! Push one another in staying on the right
track — compete in memorizing Qur’an, visiting the sick, praying fajr in congregation, giving charity and all else that is good. This is how Abu Bakr and Omar, may Allah be pleased with them, would compete, and what a beautiful competition it was! (Although, we hope we can be like Abu Bakr by beating our friend in this competition.) Perhaps this is what Allah meant when He said “and for this [i.e. Jannah] let the competitors compete!�
4- Heavy Emphasis on Qur’an: The Qur’an is the book that changed the companions — not fiqh, usool al-fiqh, uloom al-hadith and ilm al-maqaasid (If you don’t understand this, don’t worry about it)! In no way am I degrading these sciences, as they are all extremely important. However, the priority should be reading and, more importantly, understanding the Qur’an. When the companions read the Qur’an they were moved to action. They strived to implement every last letter of this holy book. Unfortunately, our priorities are with learning other sacred sciences and memorizing the Qur’an before
learning Arabic and understanding the Qur’an. The tarbiyyah halaqah should place a strong emphasis on reading, memorizing, understanding and reflecting upon this holy book. Perhaps this is why the companions memorized, understood and implemented 10 verses at a time and would not move to the next 10 verses until they understood and implemented the previous 10. 5- Healthy balance between knowledge, spirituality and activism: It is important that these tarbiyyah programs balance between knowledge activities (going over hadith, for instance, or attending a seminar together), spirituality (praying qiyaam, visiting a graveyard) and activism (attending a protest, planting trees, etc.). These activities would not be on a regular basis. Every month or so, you can try to cover one of the above activities as a group. In conclusion, the MSA is a perfect avenue to act on one or more of the above elements. The MSA builds leaders, and what better way is there to build leaders than the Prophetic tradition of tarbiyyah! It is my hope that our leaders can build a culture of tarbiyyah here at the University of Maryland, and that us followers can help in every way possible. Anything I said that is good is from Allah, and any mistake I made is from myself and the shaytaan, and I ask Allah (swt) to forgive me for it, and He is sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs.
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quran & spiritual reflections The Thought of Ease by Eman Haggag Ease. What a harmonious onomatopoeia — such a short, simple, relaxation-inducing… well …easy word! I have often had a recurring daydream as a child, that when things would go wrong, when life just wasn’t on my side, I would be able to curl up in a cave of goosefeathers and watch Spongebob Squarepants, all the while eating popcorn and sitting amidst a pile of Calvin and Hobbes comic books. But I now clearly know that that kind of ease is not tangible. I learned quickly that when life is hard, you just have to deal with it, right? Yes… and no. At least, that’s what I thought, until I opened up the Quran one day and came upon this intriguing ayah: “God intends for you ease, and does not intend for you hardship” [2:185]. And suddenly, just as I read that verse from Allah’s book, I became utterly confused. Confused you say? Don’t think I’m weird just yet — let me explain to you my dilemma, and then you’ll get what I mean. Yusr, “ease,” seems perhaps too difficult a concept to think about. I mean, if you think about it, thinking is even hard to begin with! Thinking usually means reading a lot— books, Quran, and ahadith. Thinking means listening to the wise ones before us, watching the good and the bad from those who have experienced our plights beforehand. Thinking means restructuring our absorbed blips and bloops of knowledge into categorical data.
And finally, thinking means exercising your mind to the highest epitome of performance, to systematically reflect upon those sacred (and non-sacred) texts themselves and critique the perceptions of others to arrive at our own conclusions. THAT is what thinking is, as Allah described: “Will they not, then, reflect on the Quran…”[4:82]. You can see from this philosophical rollercoaster of brain oozage that the thought of thought is crazy by itself. So how then, can we think about ease? My
friends, it seems that there is a contradiction, that it’s so much easier not to try so hard to understand the concept of yusr, to relax our mind and literally settle in a pile of goose-feathers. So I ask you what I have asked myself, what those before me, with me,
and after me question all the time — if the Creator himself wants us to live easily, why then is life so painfully, universally difficult for all of us, Muslims and nonMuslims, female and male, east and west, old and young, animal and human? Do you now understand my dilemma? But wait, hold up. Let’s think here for a minute. That can’t be all there is. Ease can’t be that hard. Call up the courage of an honest analysis. Could it be that life is so catastrophically toothpulling for the inhabitants of this Earth because we are doing something wrong? Did we ever obey Allah all the time, or better yet, do we even think about what He asked us to do and why? Do you? Before you start rolling your eyes, imagine what would happen if you rolled them and they got stuck in that position of rolling so that your eyeballs were just white – man that would be so disgusting! No, no, I’m kidding. Sarcasm aside, I’m not here to preach on to you about how we must obey Allah and execute that obedience by performing mechanical acts that harbor no thoughts. I’m here to ask you to think with me, to try to find an answer. You see, faith-communities before us confused faithfulness to the will of God with hardship. I always remember meeting two types of people that had this notion mixed up. You had the first kind of people that passionately, vehemently, zealously believed (Continued on page 8)
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quran & spiritual reflections The Thought of Ease (Continued from page 7)
that the harder an action was, the more reward you got in the eyes of Allah, even if both actions got the same amount of good deeds! Their idea of ease was reserved in the Hereafter, and as for this life, they lived in it like Opposite-Land. And then, you had the second type of people. These guys eliminated all “inconvenient” worship and severed all compulsory good deeds, reducing the pillars and consequences of belief to an airy feeling in the heart: “Love.” All talk, no action. They pushed faith to the personal, banished the public soul, and lowered life to the purely sensory and egotistical level. Forget action then, if you just love Allah, right? Follow only your feelings — they really understand ease… in this life… yippee! With that logic then, do these two “implementations” of ease really fill these two types of people with love and accomplishment? Did their lives grow easier? No, not really I don’t think. I believe that these two compartmentalized ethics of yusr have exhaled the world of all remnants of compassion. Truly, we have idolized materialism and the cult of the “self” as the natural religion of ease for man, thus justifying all manner of viciousness and harm of the vulnerable. Do you see what I mean? Think about this: how many zillion times a day have you thought of a sentence using the word “I?” What about the word “we?” I looked up the definition of ease in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and to be frank, I didn’t like what I got. “The state of being comfortable, freedom from pain or discomfort.” It seems like those guys have the same view-
point on ease as the people I have described above. However, in the primordial understanding of man, ease always meant one thing — subduing selfishness because it destroys the self and others. Ease is accepting the responsibility of the spiritual AND worldly aspects of Islam that have been created, not evolved, by a single eternal God. If we go by that definition, then, things become so simple! Think about the prophets of Allah. The way they understood yusr was by executing their worshipful responsibilities in order for us to be blessed and disciplined for the benefit of the weak and the human community. It makes sense, then, that we learn in Surat al-
Sharh (94) that when the revelation of Islam seemingly brought the Prophet (saw) from a state of ease in life to one of hardship, the reverse is actually true. Hardship, in reality, is when you think you know and you don’t. It’s when your heart is constricted by recognition of evil and injustice plaguing the society around you. It’s when you finally realize the problems and not have the capacity or comprehension to train that heart to grow and love.
It’s when you finally find the key, the true and wholesome Islam, to help that heart, but push it to sacrifice the mere things and immediate comfort. It’s when you forget yourself for the sake of others, and for the sake of seeking the Face of Allah. And finally, finally, when you get past all of that, your heart and soul are free, along with the countless human souls. Your true brothers and sisters. That is yusr. This is why Allah twice stresses that only “with hardship comes ease.” We have to endure two types of difficulty to get two types of ease. First, we have to strive to deliver the message of truth, that God is One, so that we can depict this as an end to the inequality that gives unfair advantage to a few. Second, we ourselves must undergo privations in our strive to perform the ritual worship He has made obligatory upon the believers, so that we may prepare our hearts and souls to withstand the great pressure if they uphold Allah’s message and establish it in the world. Ease is not easy. Hardship is not hard. It seems, then, that opposites attract. Yusr, the ethics of ease in Islam, is one of our religions’ greatest objectives. Allah has placed so much goodness and guidance for all, provided us Muslims own up to the apparent hardship. We can’t resort to our feelings or actions only. If we want to get somewhere in this world, we have to use both. Alhamdulillah, we are at a stage in our lives where we can do so much. Let’s go beyond ourselves and our personal problems to help those around us. Let’s strive in our obe(Continued on page 9)
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how-to column Cheesecake! Submitted by Nour Al-Muhtasib Ingredients: 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese 1 ½ c. sugar 2 T. flour 2 T. lemon juice 1 stick of butter (½ cup) graham crackers (or two of those pans that already lined with graham crackers) 1-16 oz. Pkgs of cream cheese 4 eggs 2 T. cornstarch 2 T. vanilla 16 oz. Sour cream Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Break up graham crackers and strain to flour consistency. Butter 9 ¾" push up pan and coat with graham crackers. Do the same for the second pan. Don’t worry about this step if you are using the pre-made pans. 3. Melt butter and cool. 4. Separate egg yolks and whites. This is kind of tricky to do, so you can just call your mom to help like I did :) 5. For the next few steps it might be easier if you had a cake mixer or your arms are going to get tired. Make sure you blend each item as you go along or you are going to have a mess at the end. 6. Blend cream cheese, and ¼ c. sugar. 7. Add ricotta cheese, and ¼ c. sugar. 8. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and ¼ c. sugar. 9. Add flour, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, and ¼ c. sugar.
10. Add the rest of the butter, and ¼ c. sugar. 11. Add sour cream, and ¼ c. sugar. 12. Beat egg whites till foamy and fold in. 13. Pour batter into pans. Make sure to leave at least 1 cm between the batter and the top of the pan. 14. Bake for one hour. 15. Leave in the oven for two hours longer. This step helps avoid any cracks in the cheese cake so it will look pretty! :) 16. Cool and refrigerate. Cheesecake tastes ten times better when cold. 17. Eat and ENJOY! Tips 1. It makes things easier if you already have everything measured out before hand, and right next to you. 2. Make sure you use a BIG mixing bowl. If you use one that is too small the batter will splatter everywhere. 3. Feel free to used reduced fat cream cheese or sour cream, it really doesn’t affect the taste. 4. Add any toppings you would like while eating! 5. Oh and don’t forget to say BismiAllah, and use your right hand.
The Thought of Ease (Continued from page 8)
dience to Allah and take the Prophets as an example. The time is up — forget goose-feathers. I pray that inshaAllah all of you, yes, ALL OF YOU, will push your-
selves beyond the apparent limits of thought and really, just think dynamically and act. It won’t be easy to consider new ways to give back to your community and methods to enrich yourselves, but
it sure will pay off in this life and the next. Embrace then, this time to strive… for herein lies the all world’s ease.
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personal experiences My First Weeks on Campus by Omar Elnabawi The MSA at the University of Maryland was one of the factors that influenced my decision to come here. I wanted to surround myself with people who would influence me positively and who shared the same religion and interests as me. I have endless stories about my first weeks on campus last year, but I am going to try and briefly walk you through it. On my first day on campus, my roommate, a very nice brother who was a sophomore last year, showed me where the Musallah
was. We walked in and as we entered the brothers’ side, I said, “Alhamdulillah! We actually have a place to pray here!” My roommate responded smiling, “Man, praying isn’t the only thing that you’ll find people doing here.” I replied, “What do you mean?” And as soon as he was about to answer, I saw a pole right in the middle of the brothers’ praying section and I asked, “Uhhhh….what is this for? I hope this isn’t part of the ‘other’ activities that people do in the Musallah,” and we both started laughing
hysterically. He replied, “No man, the Musallah used to be the womens’ swim team locker room which was recently remodeled for us, and the pole is just part of the building that they couldn’t remove.” Sitting on the ground next to us were three brothers who stood up to greet me. As we exchanged names and salaams, my roommate told me that they were from Saudi Arabia. I couldn’t believe what I heard. There were actually authentic Arabs from the motherland standing right in front of me! This amazement was due to the fact that I graduated from a high school that consisted of a student body that was 35% white, 45% Chinese and Korean, 15% Indian and 5% other. Oh yeah, and there were 11 African Americans in the entire school!!! So I quickly asked them, “Do you guys speak Arabic?” They laughed in my face and said, “ Tab3an! [of course]” I learned from our conversation that every year, Saudi Arabia sends a ship(Continued on page 11)
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personal experiences My First Weeks on Campus (Continued from page 10)
ment of their students over to the US to study, and some of them end up here at Maryland. After a few weeks and occasionally stopping by at the Musallah, it was time for the “First Look Fair.” As I walked around looking at the tables of all of the different clubs, I wondered if the MSA had a table because I hadn’t seen one all day. Alhamdulillah, I finally found the table which was strategically situated in front of the Jewish Club’s table. Coincidence? I think not. When I approached the MSA table, two very polite brothers and sisters informed me about everything there was to know about the MSA, and I helped them pass out flyers for an upcoming event, Fast-a-Thon, because they were having trouble distributing them. Later on that week, I attended my first MSA meeting. As soon as I walked in, I saw all of the sisters sitting on the right side of the room and all of the brothers sitting on the left side. In my head I thought, “Wow… They take things very seriously up in here!” I sat down and the president started reciting Qur’an to begin the meeting. Again, in my mind I thought, “Mashallah!” As the meeting went on, I looked around at all of the brothers and began scrutinizing them. I saw a few brothers with
beards, and I automatically thought they were the most serious people on the face of the earth because they were sitting there grinning to the point where
I thought their cheeks were sore. One of them looked up at me and I thought, “Oh #$%@!” But I just smiled back, and he looked at me as if I was retarded. I then saw one or two brothers who were starting to doze off, (probably dreaming about Jennah), and a few other brothers who seemed “normal.” Then, the president asked a question, to which a lot of people began replying. One of the sisters started answering his question and I looked at her. Immediately I thought to myself,
“Hold up… should I be looking at her? These people seem kinda hardcore and I don’t want anyone to think that I’m some sort of weirdo… Does this count as my first glance??? Astaghfarullah!” I blinked and thought, “What should I do?!” So I busted out my cell phone and acted like I was texting someone. When the meeting was over, I got up and started out when suddenly, I heard a deep voice saying, “Assalamu Alaikum brother, are you new?” So I turned around and looking straight at me were two muscular, intimidating African American brothers. However, I quickly found out that they were gentle giants who would soon introduce me to everyone. As the year progressed, I made more and more friends and became more involved. I learned that all of the people I met were actually just like me! Alhamdulillah; I thank Allah everyday for allowing me to meet all of the kind and thoughtful brothers and sisters in the MSA, who have become my second family. I advise everyone to take every advantage of becoming more involved in the MSA and to go and meet new people. The end!
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special hadith / duaa of the term Your Guide to Making it Through Finals: (And Actually Passing with Excellent Grades inshaAllah!) by Omar Chatila and Susan J. Shatila “And your Lord says: Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): But those who are too arrogant to worship Me will surely find themselves in Hell-fire in humiliation!” ~ Surat Ghafir (40:60). There you have it. You must call unto Him. In a hadith Qudsi, Allah ‘azza wa jal says: ‘I am what my servant thinks of Me, and I am with him if he calls up on Me.’ The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Al-duaa (supplication) is worship”. In another hadith, the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: “The most honorable thing for Allah, is supplication”. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam also said in a hadith: “He who does not ask Allah, Allah becomes angry at him”. In a hadith by the Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he says: “The most incompetent is he who is unable to do duaa (supplication), and the most stringy is he who does not give salaam”. One of the companions said: “I do not worry about the supplication being answered, but I worry about making duaa”. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said that: No Muslim makes a supplication with nothing bad in it, but Allah will give him one of three: it is answered, saved for the hereafter, or keeps away something bad. In another hadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he says: Allah the Most Generous, is shy if a person raises his hands to Him in supplication, to return them empty and disappointed. In another authentic hadith by the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam: “If anyone of you asks, then let him ask for a lot, since he is asking his Lord”. A hadith by the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: “The servant is closest to his Lord when he is prostrating (in sujood), so increase in making duaa”. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: Every night, Allah the most blessed, the Superior, descends to the heaven of the world when the last third of the night is left and says “Is there anyone invoking Me so that I respond, is there anyone asking Me so that I give him, is there anyone asking Me for forgiveness so that I forgive him?”. In a hadith by the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he said: “When you appeal to Allah for something, ask with determination and don’t say ‘Oh Allah if You wish, give me’, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His will. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The invocation of anyone of you is granted by Allah as long as you do not show impatience by saying: I invoked Allah but my request had not been granted”. In a hadith by Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Supplication of a Muslim for his Muslim brother behind his back, is answered, and the appointed angel says: Ameen, and for you the same.”
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special hadith / duaa of the term (Continued from page 12)
Your Guide to Making it Through Finals...
Some Duaas to be said and used: •
"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the Fire!"
•
"There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!" **
•
"Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!"
•
"O my Lord! truly am I in (desperate) need of any good that Thou dost send me!"
•
“Oh Allah, nothing is easy unless You make it easy, and You can make sadness easy.�
•
“Allahuma inni as’aluka bi’ani ashhadu annaka anta Allahu, La ilaha ila Anta, Al ahadu Al samadu, Alazee lam yalid wa lam yuwlad, wa lam yakun lahu kufwan ahad� **
•
“Allahuma inni as’aluka al mu’afaat fil dunya wal akhira� **
Even if you have already taken some of your finals, but did not do as well as you were hoping for, you can still make duaa. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: “Duaa benefits from that which has happened and that which has not happened yet. So stick, servants of Allah, to making duaa (supplication).� In a hadith by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “Nothing changes fate except for Duaa�. ** Use these duaas. They are very powerful and important** Note: All mentioned ahadith are classified as authentic by Sheikh Al-Albani. {When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calleth on Me; let them also with a will listen to My call and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way} ~ (2:186)
May you all pass with success‌ inshaAllah!!
!! ‍ا إا‏
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Volume 13, Issue 4
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creative writing The Ceramic Miswak: Satirical Articles Fake News Briefs by Mehreen Rasheed Sitar Hero
Bollywood music in that game!" However, proponents of the game see nothing wrong with the instrument because the actual game-piece, like Guitar Hero's, is not actually a string instrument. "This game is good clean fun; there are literally 'no strings attached'," says Sheikh Yabuti, "Of course, it's very cultural, but as long as it's not officially endorsed by any mosque, there is no problem with it."
The question of music in Islam has stimulated debate among scholars for years, but the rise of musical video games such as Dance Dance Revolution and In the Groove has caused particular concern among parents of gamers. However, it was not until Neversoft's most recent release of Guitar Hero last month that locals took action. Led by Imam Asowwfat, members of a DC area mosque launched the alternative: Sitar Hero. "This is a huge step for the immigrants," says Sheikh "Itlikeapolaroidpicture" Khan. "Finally, immigrant parents have something to give their children that is both cool and celebrates their cultural heritage." Though sponsored by prominent members in metroarea Muslim communities, the game has nevertheless caused controversy. Some schools of thought maintain that because the sitar is also a string instrument, it is no better an alternative to its Western counterpart. "Just because it's not American doesn't mean the sitar is any less haram!" said a prominent scholar, Sheikh In order to counter complaints Instaykh, "We seem to overlook that Sitar Hero hasn't catered to so many cultural wrongs just bediverse enough an audience, locause they're from 'back home'‌ I cals have begun production of two mean look at all the inappropriate
new games to be released next spring— Iranian Iranian Revolution and Iraq Band. (Special thanks to Habiba Wada)
On Campus The arrival of finals season has seen an increase in the age old Maryland tradition of leaving offerings to the brass Testudo mascot in exchange for desired test scores. However, not all at College Park seem to approve of this practice. University Police reports reveal that late last night, when majority of the student body was attending various social events on Route 1, an unknown perpetrator smashed the Testudo statues located in Stamp Student Union and outside of Comcast Center, before allegedly leaving a sledgehammer with the one outside McKeldin Library. Only one suspect (name withheld for security reasons) has been taken into custody. Witnesses confirm that she refused to go to the Thirsty Turtle that evening with her friends, claiming to be sick. However, she neither denies nor pleads guilty to the charges. "Ask Testudo in front of McKeldin. He's holding the sledgehammer," is her only cryptic reply to questioning. (Continued on page 15)
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creative writing The Ceramic Miswak continued (Continued from page 14)
Distraught students, meanwhile, await the Testudos' restoration. "It was pretty heartbreaking to see our mascot in shambles like that," says Junior Iva Braublimm, "It was especially creepy that the sledgehammer was with the McKeldin Testudo." Other students however, see it as something of a revelation. "You know, I never really looked at it this way, but Testudo doesn't really have any power," says Sophomore Kat Chinnonn, "I mean, if they can get broken like that, then how can they give us good grades on tests?" Currently, police have no other leads, but are calling upon the Prince George's County authorities to begin a full scale investigation.
Noise in the Musallah: Special Report While the Muslim Students' Association musallah is regarded by its members as a prayer hall, it is also informally recognized as a social area and a 'home away
from home' of sorts. However, recent complaints have been made that noise levels in the musallah are disturbing others from prayer and reflection‌ and this has led to a little disagreement. Brothers think sisters are loud but sisters blame the brothers. Who is it? And why are these
complaints made? If no one claims to be loud, where does all the noise come from? As Ceramic Miswak set out for answers, this reporter uncovered a shocking realization. Early this semester, under the very noses of the cabinet, five daring members set out to do the unthinkable: form an MSA metal band. After securing the necessary guitar, bass, keyboard, drum set, and amplification equipment,
the band began secret practices; to avoid detection, they alternated between the rear and front storage closets. They named themselves Auntie Python and the Holy CAIL, though band members still wish to remain anonymous, as they worry about a negative reaction from the cabinet. "We're not sure the MSA is hardcore enough to handle us," says the lead vocalist, "I know no one here would judge us, but they might disapprove of our music." Lyrically, Auntie Python and the Holy CAIL seek to represent the MSA by shedding light on the challenges faced by College Park Muslims. However, the musical inspiration comes from apparently controversial artists, such as Marilyn Manson and Metallica. Ever the proud nonconformists, the band hopes to go public after completing their first album, Roaches and Romas, for which they plan to go on sale by late Spring 2009.
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creative writing I Need to Study
THE MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION University of Maryland, College Park Box 44, Stamp Student Union College Park, MD 20742 [ umcp_msa@yahoo.com ] [ www.msaumd.org ]
by Zeynep Özer as the sun rises over its zenith and as the birds awaken and the beasts search for their rizq as the clouds wither past with a fleeting motion and the ships sail over the great oceans as night approaches and darkness fills the once bright sky as days come as easily as they go
President: Ridwanur Rahman VP: Abdul Saboor Khan VP Sis’ Aff.: Nadia El-Hillal Masjid Aff.: Mouhamad Diabate PR: Sana Javed Secretary: Tubah Sultan Treasurer: Adam Stephenson
my pen stands still like a statue that is frozen in time
Those Close to Our RasulAllah 1
2
3
Submitted by Hena Shami
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5 6 7 8
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10 11 12
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14 15
DOWN 1 Married 2 daughters of the Prophet, known as the “Man of Two Lights” 3 Uncle of the Prophet 4 Narrated many hadith, was very fond of cats 5 Daughter of the Prophet 7 Persian Muslim, companion to the Prophet 11 Wife of the Prophet, daughter of Umar 13 Cousin of the Prophet
ACROSS 2 1st wife to RasulAllah, mother of his children 6 Best friend to the Prophet 8 Daughter of the Prophet, wife to Ali 9 Daughter of Abu Bakr, aided Prophet at time of Hijrah 10 Tough man, even Shaytan was scared of him 12 The youngest of the Prophet’s wives 14 Adopted son of the Prophet 15 One of the sons of Ali, grandchild of the Prophet
President: Eman Haggag VP: Sanjana Quasem Secretary: Manaar Zuhurudeen Treasurer: Kadiatu Bah PR: Reem Dughly SGA Liaison: Shabnom Khan .
Newsletter Staff Editor-in-Chief Zeynep Özer Co-Editors Shayma M. Al-Hanooti Eman Haggag Staff Writers: Nour Al-Muhtasib Omar Chatila Omar Elnabawi Eman Haggag Shabnom Khan Zeynep Özer Ridwanur Rahman Mehreen Rasheed Hena Shami Susan J. Shatila Sami Zaharna The views and opinions expressed in al-Nur are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editing staff or of the MSA.