Al-Nur: Volume 14 | Issue 2

al-Nur THE NEWSLETTER OF

THE MUSL IM STUDENTS ’ ASSOC IAT ION AND

THE MUSL IM WOMEN OF MARYLAND

Inside this Issue

HistoryHistoryHistory

Founded in 1969, the Muslim Students' Association

is an organization dedicated to serving the Muslim

students on campus and educating the campus com-

munity about Islam and Muslims. We carry out Is-

lamic activities, sponsor social, community service,

and charity events, and strengthens relations and

understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Political Action & Current Events Page 3

Quran & Spiritual Reflections Page 5

Personal Experiences Page 9

MSA Events Page 2

Creative Writing Page 13

How-to Column Page 11

the Light the Lightthe Lightthe Light

VOLUME 14 RABI AL-THANI 28, 1430 — APRIL 24, 2009

“...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]

Contact Us! Please send your creative submissions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected] or visit www.msaumd.org

ISSUE 2

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Allah often tests us with crazy, pressured, mind-blowing exams that make us buckle. I often think of our faith like a sine curve, where the x-axis is Islam (it is unchanging, our beliefs are fundamental), and the y-axis represents sin(islam), our faith, ebbing and sinking to the rhythm of iman-pulses in our hearts. We’ve all had these kinds of sinusoidal occur-rences, no? And we’ve all definitely heard of people who have had these situations as well. The problem is, we often forget to smile and say Alhamdulillah! What matters most is our perceptions and how we deal with them. From these experiences, there's been no other ayah that has resonated more harmoniously with my heart than: Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but

to the extent of its ability; for it is (the benefit of)

what it has earned and upon it (the evil of) what it

has wrought: Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget

or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a bur-

den as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord

do not impose upon us that which we have not the

strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protec-

tion and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so

help us against the unbelieving people.

(Continued on page 5)

Take One Step at a Time, No Need to Rush: Being Content with What Allah Gave You by Eman Haggag

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Dawah. As Muslims we have always heard about the impor-tance of dawah. The Friday khateebs are constantly urging us “Brothers, sisters, spread the word and message of Allah (swt) to everyone around you.” By this point, we all probably roll our eyes as the dawah schpeel is given. However, as cliché the command to give dawah may ap-pear to us, it is an extremely im-portant duty incumbent upon all Muslims. As Muslims in a non-Muslim nation, we should seek every opportunity we have to spread the message of La illaha illaAllah (There is no God but Al-lah). And the task is not easy. Giving dawah is not an easy task and motivating (most often lazy) Muslims to trek this road is not at all easy either. Alhamdulillah, the MSA would like to recognize one member who is truly dedicated to the task of giving dawah. As head of the Dawah committee, Sister Mariam Khan has worked tire-lessly and effortlessly to ensure that the MSA is doing its part to give dawah to the campus com-munity. It is for these efforts that we would like to recognize Sr. Mariam with the distinction of be-ing the March’s Member of the Month. After being appointed as Dawah Committee Head at the start of spring semester, Sister Mariam has revived the commit-tee. She brought in a new energy

that refreshed the committee members. Not only did she hold weekly meetings, but she also held the same meeting twice a week to ensure that anybody in-terested could take part of the committee. Along with the regu-lar tasks of dawah tabling, she planned and conducted an MSA meeting about giving dawah. In addition, she started new projects to include the entire MSA in dawah giving efforts instead of just committee members. Such projects include Images of Truth, a Qur’an based photography con-test that asked members to reflect the meaning of verses in photog-raphy. The photographs submit-ted into the contest will then be used in a calendar for sale to Mus-lims and non-Muslims alike. Addi-tionally, the photographs will be used as the centerpiece of various posters that may appear around campus sometime in the near fu-ture. In addition to her efforts as Dawah Committee head, Sr. Mariam is also an active member. She is a regular fixture in the Musallah and has worked ardu-ously in the past on various other events, such as Fast-a-Thon. Sr. Mariam is well known for her in-sight and analytical advice when it comes to MSA related endeavors. She is always willing to offer a helping hand and constantly seeks to help build the community which is so integral to the MSA.

Sr. Mariam is offering the entire MSA one more chance to take part in giving dawah to the campus community. Insha’Allah on April 28th, the Dawah Commit-tee will be holding a campus wide dawah event entitled “The Islamic Imperatives of Social Justice.” In keeping with the theme set from Palestinian Solidarity Week and Welcome to Gaza, this event, with guest speaker Altaf Hussain, will elaborate on Islam’s stance on various issues of social justice, including oppression, equality, freedom of speech and much more. This is an event that needs everyone’s full participation. Al-hamdulillah, Sr. Mariam and the Dawah Committee have already laid the foundation for this event. All that YOU need to do is get your friends and classmates to attend. Giving dawah is an obli-gation upon all of us. I will leave you with the words of the holy Qur’an. “And let there be such a group among you, that they may call towards goodness and com-mand what is just and forbid evil. And the very same attained to their goals.” {Surah Al-Imran, Verse 104}

MSA events

al-Nur Volume 14, Issue 2

Page 2

by Sanjana Quasem

March Member of the Month: Mariam Khan


Page 3

political action & current events

“Welcome to Gaza:”

by Sahar Khamis

An Excellent Communication Strategy

An event titled “Welcome to Gaza” took place at the University of Maryland, College Park on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 to raise awareness about the hu-manitarian crisis in Gaza in the aftermath of the last Israeli incur-sion and its many negative impli-cations on innocent civilians. This event, which was sponsored and organized by a num-ber of different bodies, including the Organi-zation of Arab Stu-dents, Muslim Stu-dents’ Association (MSA), Nyumburu Cul-tural Center, African Student Union, and Pakistani Student As-sociation, successfully achieved its intended goals, as reflected in the large number of visitors and their posi-tive comments and reactions. In fact, many members of the Uni-versity of Maryland’s community com-mented that the event was a big success and that it achieved all its desired goals and objectives, in terms of spreading facts and fig-ures about this conflict, its nega-tive implications, especially on innocent civilians, and its ongoing effects on the deteriorating hu-manitarian and economic condi-tion in Gaza. A number of students, staff, and faculty gave comments such

as: “This event was much needed”, “We learned a great deal about what’s going on in Gaza from this event”, “This is really a great job!”, and “We hope our media can show these images.” Beside the obvious effort and the outstanding organization that

was behind this success, there was also an "excellent communi-cation strategy" that could be at-tributed to a number of factors. First, for years Arabs and Muslims have been “talking to them-selves,” rather than “talking to the outside world.” This event proves that this pattern is changing at last, through reaching out to non-Arabs and non-Muslims and pro-viding them with the relevant in-

formation about the just Palestin-ian cause. Second, the approach at this event was very focused on presenting facts and figures in a very rational, logical and struc-tured way, rather than relying on empty slogans, emotional lan-guage, or hysterical actions, such

as shouting or screaming, which can cause more harm than bene-fit. Third, the event clearly fo-cused on its main goals and ob-jectives, which were raising the awareness of the University of Maryland’s community about both the recent Israeli attack on Gaza, as well as the historical roots and background of the Israeli-



Page 4

political action & current events

Palestinian conflict, through pro-viding the relevant facts and fig-ures. In doing so, the event aimed to fill some of the existing gaps in the mainstream media coverage of this ongoing conflict, through telling the other side of the story that mainstream West-ern media, especially American media, usually overlook, under-play, or distort. In doing so, the communication strategy adopted at this event avoided attacking, labeling, or condemning others, and, therefore, avoided any form of provocation, friction or hostil-ity. Finally, the event relied on a combination of different commu-nication tools and techniques,

which helped to deliver the in-tended messages in the best pos-sible, and most effective, ways. These included the display of forty posters covering four different as-pects, including: the war on Gaza in pictures, statistics and numbers about the Israeli-Palestinian con-flict, snapshots of the history of the conflict and its historical de-velopment, and the depiction of the difficult life situation and the humanitarian crisis currently tak-ing place in Gaza. Also, T-shirts were sold at the event showing the progression of the conflict over time, and how the Israeli territorial expansionism, mainly through illegal settlements, has swallowed up most of the Pales-tinian land. Additionally, there

were many information tables dis-playing lots of pamphlets and handouts from the organization “If Americans Knew” (www. IfAmericansKnew.org). Finally, I.D. cards of the civilian victims of this tragic conflict were distrib-uted, especially of Palestinian chil-dren, women, and elderly people, who were killed in the latest Is-raeli attack on Gaza. Each card had a photo of the victim, his/her birth date, and a short biography of this person. All of the previously men-tioned factors culminated in the success of this event, which could only be the beginning of a series of future awareness events in the University of Maryland and else-where.

(Continued from page 3)

“Welcome to Gaza” (cont’d)

by Tamer Elsayed

If “Muslims” Knew...

Imagine a white American Christian mother, who was (probably) in her fifties, leaving her own home country with all aspects of nice life and decides to travel independently to the most dangerous spot in the world, Gaza and West Bank ... She knew nothing about the conflict at that time, but behind her decision was a desire of searching for the truth … She spent a full month there, living with Palestinians, wit-nessing their suffering, and un-derstanding their horrible situa-

tion. She came close to losing her own life a couple of times. She admitted that many of her friends warned her, but she accepted to take the risk, only to know the truth … After returning back home, she decided to dedicate her life to educate Americans about the truth she saw by her own eyes and read in dozens of books. She founded an organization for this sake; called "If Americans Knew" … It has been now about ten years since her trip to Palestine.

She is now (probably) in her six-ties, but she didn't lose her focus; she didn't lose her goal; she didn't lose her story: teaching people the truth without fear … This woman is called Alison Weir, and that is briefly what she could do towards a problem that is (or accurately was) mostly ir-relevant to her life. The question is what every one of us did (and will do) for the same problem which really is our problem ... If Muslims knew!

Take One Step at a Time, No Need to Rush (cont’d)


Page 5

quran & spiritual reflections

Whoa. This ayah makes you think. Next time anyone com-plains about how more "difficult and horrible" their life may be, and it may not be such a big deal to you, it's always a good re-minder to understand that each person's tolerance level is varied and Allah is the one that truly knows that limit. Which got me to thinking... there's no sense in comparing your life or situation to others. It doesn't make sense to compare someone's bad grades to some-one else's expulsion from school. No, I'm not kidding! Even if you think that the expulsion situation is worse, don't forget that the person who got a bad grade is feeling bummed out, too. There's no use putting that person down by proclaiming your "situation" is worse. Be empathetic. Everyone has different standards. And by just saying that, I got to thinking of something else. For Allah's blessed sake, please don't mope around and feel sorry for yourself. What I'm trying to say is that it goes both ways. Yes, you should be receptive to your sister/brother's needs and not be-little their crisis, but as that other brother/sister, stop dwelling on that calamity! What do I mean? Lemme give you some examples. Note that these have nothing to do with me or with any people I know. I just kinda thought of them on the spot. Okay, so maybe sometime in your earlier life your parents may have neglected you more than

your siblings, and this has pro-vided such a psychological effect on you in terms of your academics that you were diagnosed with ADD. Or maybe you were a non- practicing Muslim in the past and you have done things you should-n't have done, and you see the fruits of your bad habits in later years when you became better. Or maybe you got a divorce and you have kids running around the

place with no dad. Or maybe you have a sibling who has cancer and you see them getting weaker every day. Or maybe you failed three of your exams and if you don't get a 101% on your final, you are doomed. Or maybe your friends bailed out on you. Or maybe your parents are so over- controlling that they won't let you

marry the person you want to. Or maybe you feel like the entire campus community is against you. Or maybe [INSERT TEST HERE]. Are you gonna use that ADD excuse by claiming that you are "stupid" to every mistake you make so you won't take the hit? Are you gonna blame your past and its fruits on your present and not get off your butt to fix it? Are you gonna sit at home for six months while the house is being demolished with kids, crying about the day he divorced you and forget about moving on? Are you gonna sit next to your sibling everyday and show them a face puffed up with tear streaks, skip-ping school and responsibilities to bawl every time he/she coughs? Are you gonna give up your hopes on that one class and not fight till the end, pretending to ignore that class for another week until you have piling assignments? Are you gonna keep on trying with those friends for months on ends, slowly becoming a pathetic bum who feels sorry for themselves? Are you gonna bite your tongue and marry some pimple-faced booger-butt without respectfully voicing your opinion and working to find some common ground with your parents on your marital decisions? Are you gonna boohoo and call the waaaaambulance and not stand up for showing the truth to your fellow classmates? Are you gonna [INSERT LAME ACTION TAKEN BY BUM PERSON WHO WANTS TO TALK THE TALK, NOT WALK THE WALK].





Page 6

Have amal. Have hope in Al-lah. But don't leave it at that. Move your butt. I don't mean to belittle any of these situations or make fun of anyone. They are tough and truly a test from Allah. Hey, a lot of times, I truly am a bum and mope around complaining. It's com-pletely okay to feel bummed out and helpless over the situations you are brought into. We are hu-man! But what I am saying is that there is a limit to your sadness. As soon as that line is crossed, you are expected from Allah to get up, do something, and move on. SubhanAllah, when the Rasul (sallalahu 'alaihi wa sallam) passed away, people were devas-tated. They kept on crying and bawling, and some people didn't even believe Rasulullah (s.a.w.) was dead. At this conduct, Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu anhu) was upset. He stood up and said: O People! If Muhammad is

the sole object of your adoration,

then know that he is dead. But if it

is Allah (The One God) you wor-

shiped, then know that He does

not die. And then he recited an ayah from Surat Al-Nisaa, which was revealed after the Battle of Uhud: Muhammad is no more than

an Apostle: many were the Apos-

tles that passed away before him.

If he died or were slain, will you

then turn back on your heels? If

any did turn back on his heels, not

the least harm will he do to Allah;

but Allah (on the other hand) will

swiftly reward those who (serve

Him) with gratitude. Whoa man. This is Rasulullah (s.a.w)! Allah is reminding us to move on and not forget the bigger pic-ture (in the above case, which is passing on the message of Islam, regardless of what happens in this life). Don't forget that Allah is merciful, too. Some of us are so wrapped up in the crap of our

lives, we don't remember a time when all was bliss and harmony, and we end up becoming nostalgic of our past and how "beautiful" it was. Man, your past wasn't that beautiful; you just missed it and thought it was cooler compared to your situation now. So when Allah bestows a blessing upon you, TAKE IT!! And don't take it for granted. Be happy and smile, son!! Shout it out!! Don't reach that point where you truly forget what it means to be happy. Yes, even the little things. Even those. And what do you do from there? You take "one step at a time" to be a better person. :) So there you have it... be happy and content. Alhamdulillah. I hope that whatever happens in your life, you say Alhamdulillah, too. Because that’s what it’s all about – our perception of us and others around us, and how we cope. I speak to myself before any-body else.


by Shabnom Khan

Reflections. . . Often times, we hear a lot of

us think about how many Muslims who reverted to Islam are more practicing than many Muslims who were born and raised in Islam. To learn about the true Islam, and to value it to such high degree, sub-hanAllah, it’s amazing. I’ve come to realize some-thing. There comes a point in all of our lives where we have to go above and beyond just accepting Islam, and really learn its value.

Yes, as Muslims that were raised Muslim, it’s easy to accept what our parents teach us, and to learn to do what Allah has taught us through Islam. But there comes a point in our lives where we come to think for ourselves. It is this point where we should go beyond just accepting, but understanding and appreciating. It is in us that we believe in Allah. We are born on the fitra, the innate human nature that we

have that ensures our belief in Allah. But when we are influenced by our environments, it becomes less easy for us to see things as clearly. The response of many of the disbelievers that are men-tioned in the Quran is that be-cause the message they were given was not what they were taught by their forefathers, they refused to follow it; they denied their Messengers out of ignorance.


Take One Step at a Time, No Need to Rush (cont’d)


Page 7


What makes us different if we don’t learn our deen? Alhumdulil-lah, we know Islam is the right path, the path chosen for us by our Creator, but it is with that confidence that we should not hold back in learning. Then there are the many who knew that the Prophet (sallalahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was a Messenger from Allah, but did not accept Islam. Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle and one of the biggest enemies of Islam, was among these people. Once, Abu Lahab’s son came to the Prophet (saw) and attacked him. The Prophet (saw) responded back with a du’a asking that Allah(swt)’s dogs be sent against him. Upon hearing this, Abu Lahab asked why he (saw) had to make that du’a. This was because he knew that the du’a of the Prophet (saw) would be answered, and he knew that Muhammad (saw) was the Messenger of Allah. But he didn’t accept Islam. The differ-ence between him and a Muslim is iman. The point in my life when I went beyond acceptance and fol-lowing was almost subconscious. I say this because I didn’t really reflect on it until later, but know-ing Allah(swt) is what helped to build my iman dramatically. Islam can be seen as peace through submission to the will of Allah. To be a Muslim is to be one who submits to the Will of Allah. So if, in order to be a Muslim, one has to submit to the will of Allah, then is that what we’re doing? Allah is our Creator. He did not just create us, He created

EVERYTHING. No matter the means, all praise and thanks are due to Allah. Why? Because eve-rything goes back to Him. The love our parents have for us is from Him. The amazing taste our favorite food has to us is from Him. The awesome friends we have are from Him. The latest in technology that we admire and love to use is only through the knowledge the He gave the peo-ple that designed them. The clothes we have, the air we breathe, the food we eat, are all from Him. Our life belongs to Him. So if Allah (swt) says to pray five times a day, are we obeying Him? At the times He ordained? If he says help the needy, are we obeying Him? If He says not to waste, are we obeying Him? If He says to lower our gaze, are we obeying Him? And if He says to be modest, and, for sisters, to ob-serve hijab, are we obeying Him? And if He says to obey our par-ents, are we obeying Him? And if He says to remember Him, are we obeying Him? And if He says to not associate anything with Him, are we worshipping Him alone? Not our desires, not our sleep, not television or movies, not people, but Allah? If not, why not? Will it help us in the Hereafter? Alhumdulillah, we know that everything we do in life can be a form of worship to Allah (swt), if we make the right intentions. For example, we can work out to be healthy, to be productive mem-bers of society, to contribute to our communities, to please Allah. But when we have our own ways of worship in replacement of what

Allah has ordained for us to do, there is a problem in this. If Allah said to pray to Him five times a day, and brought our Prophet (saw) to the heavens to tell him this, and sent Jibreel (aleyhis salam) to teach him how to pray, yet one says they pray to Allah in their hearts (only), what’s up with that? One may think they are worshipping Allah in a meaningful way, but here’s a thought I heard from Sheikh Abdul Bary at an Al Maghrib class: if I hire someone to build me a swimming pool, but he ends up building a tennis court instead because he thinks it’s bet-ter, am I going to be satisfied? He may like it, but will I? No. I wanted a swimming pool, I hired him to do it, and he did some-thing else. And should I pay him? Should Allah reward us for doing something instead of, not in addi-tion to, what He told us? Will He be pleased with us? The Quran and Sunnah are the Ultimate Guide for mankind. Allah (swt) gave them to us and preserved them, so why aren’t we following them? Whose way is more valid? We only know as much as Allah has allowed us, but Allah’s knowledge is infinite. We may think we know a lot, but in reality, that’s not the case. The story of Musa (aleyhis salam) and Khidr (aleyhis salam) in Surah Al-Kahf teaches us this lesson. Musa (as) questions Khidr’s actions, but there is wisdom behind each that Allah (swt) instilled in Khidr (as). There are so many lessons to take from the Quran and from the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). Any problems we have can be



Reflections. . . (cont’d)

Page 8


quran & spiritual reflections “Judge” Me! (CONTINUED from Issue 1)

We should try to give people excuses in some cases where ap-pearances could be misleading. Additionally, we should investigate the matter before making assump-tions. For example, when a man entered the masjid and sat down while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was giving a Khutbah, the Prophet (pbuh) only ordered him to get up and pray 2 rak’as after he had asked him whether he prayed or not. The man answered that he did not pray yet — so then the Prophet (pbuh) ordered him to pray. We should never jump to conclusions and investigate the matter further, unless things are very clear and obvious and cannot have any other explanation. Although the general rule with enjoining the good, forbidding the evil, and giving advice is to be soft and gentle, there are always ex-ceptions, however, where a little bit of harshness might be needed to have an effect on some people. That is why Ibn Taymiyah said, “The believer to a believer is like hands washing each other, and the dirt might not come off except with a little bit of harshness, but the result of this of cleanliness and softness which we like, only comes with this harshness.” [Majmu’ Alfa-tawa] Please note that he was de-scribing the believers, so not eve-ryone might accept advice that is given with a little bit of harshness, and some might be very sensitive about it. It takes a believer who is humble and does not have a big ego to accept this advice — and to also thank Allah that one of his fellow Muslims cares enough about him to go through the trouble of giving him advice to help him be-come a better Muslim. Here are some examples from

the Sunnah of how Prophet Mu-hammad (peace be upon him) ad-vised people, many times being gentle and soft, while some times being a bit harsh. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased) with him narrated that “A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, 'O Messen-

ger of Allah! I am destroyed.' He (peace be upon him) asked, 'What

has destroyed you?' He said, 'I had sexual intercourse with my wife in

Ramadan.' He (peace be upon him) asked, 'Are you able to free a

slave?' He replied, 'No.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, 'Are you able to fast two

months consecutively?' The man replied, 'No.' He (peace be upon him) asked, 'Are you able to feed

sixty poor people?” He replied, 'No.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Then sit.' So, he sat down. Then a large basket of palm leaves containing dates was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he (peace be upon him) said, 'Give this in charity.' He said, 'There is no one between its

two lava-plains poorer than us.' So the Prophet (peace be upon him) smiled until his molar teeth be-came visible and said, 'Take it and feed it to your family.’ [Saheeh Bukhari] So here is a man that came to the Prophet (pbuh) after commit-ting a sin, but the Prophet (pbuh) ended up smiling and giving him food for his family. Other instances when the Prophet (pbuh) was gen-tle was when the Bedouin Arab urinated in the masjid, or when one of the companions talked dur-ing prayer, and in both cases the Prophet (pbuh) addressed them gently and was not harsh with them. In another incident, how-ever, the Prophet (peace be upon

him) was harsh when he scolded Mu’az bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) for leading the people in prayer and making it lengthy. So this shows that al-though we should be gentle when giving other people advice, some-times it might be necessary to use a little bit of harshness to get the required outcome. Therefore, you must use your own good judgment to evaluate every situation and see what would be the best way to ap-proach that person to give him ad-vice. One important thing is to al-ways give people hope of Allah’s mercy and glad tidings that Allah will forgive them if they sincerely repent and do good. It is a very dangerous thing to say that some-one will not be forgiven or that they are going to Hell because they have committed many major sins. Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “A man said: ‘By Allah, Allah will not forgive So-and-so.’ At this Al-lah the Almighty said: ‘Who is he who swears by Me that I will not forgive so-and-so? Verily I have forgiven so-and-so and have nulli-fied your [own good deeds.’” [Saheeh Muslim] The take home message from this article is that we should enjoin the good, forbid the evil, gently give other people sincere advice when we see them do wrong, humbly accept advice when it is offered to us without taking things personally, and try to improve our-selves and work on our flaws so that we can become better Mus-lims, and therefore a better Um-mah as a whole.

by Abdullah bin Muslim


Page 9

personal experiences

by Adam Stephenson

The Blessings of Our MSA The Muslim Students’ Associa-

tion at the University of Maryland is the greatest Islamic organiza-tion that I have had the blessing to come to and be active in. Al-hamdulillah, Allah blessed me by bringing me to this MSA in the Fall of 2006, my freshman year. In the previous month, be-fore I came to the University of Maryland, I went to my cousin Ameer Abutaleb's house to watch the most recent FIFA World Cup Finals — France versus Italy (better known as that game where Zidane headbutted Materazzi). There I met many of the great brothers of the MSA, including Hosam Haggag, Ibrahim Elmoghazy, and Sami Elza-harna. Little did I know that that afternoon would be the start of a huge change in my life. In the month to come, I started to get involved in the MSA. I started off nervous, but then it became a part of me. Ramadan came and through the new friends I had met, I was be-coming more and more involved in the MSA. I had always loved my religion and found it amazing, but as I got more involved in the MSA, I found that I was getting closer to Allah and becoming a better Muslim. The brothers were awesome, and we had such a good time chilling in the Musallah and going to Pizza Roma's that becoming a better Muslim just be-came natural. Then came possibly the big-gest turning point in my life. Back in my freshman year, we had a normal speaker at the UMD for our Jumuah khutbahs, named Sheikh Essam Tawfik (listen to his lectures on the MSA web-

site: www.msaumd.org). May Al-lah bless this brother to be among that first group of people to enter the highest level of Jannah. Ameen. Sheikh Essam came and gave a talk about loving Allah and Prophet Muhammad (saw) more than anything else in this life be-cause our actions do not always reflect our claims. When I heard it, everything in my life started to make sense, and then Islam started to become the most im-portant thing to me in my life. With my new way of looking at life, I needed a direction and people to hold me steady as I continued on the new path that my life had taken. Every Muslim, whether convert or not, has to have that moment in their life where they have chosen to be Muslim. While I was born Muslim, I think that during that time was when I really had that moment where I had chosen to be Muslim, and for it to be more than some-thing I put down on forms and papers. And all of this had hap-pened because of the MSA. So what is the MSA? Is it just another student organization listed on the STARS University of Maryland website? Is it a group for bearded men and hijabis? Is it a group plotting to take over the world? Here is what I've come to find the MSA as: -The MSA is a social group of brothers and sisters in Islam. I have found my greatest group of friends I have ever had in the MSA, and probably the greatest group of friends I will ever have. -The MSA is a group of Mus-

lims working to become the best Muslims that they can be-come living in the Shariah of Is-lam, in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw), and inshaAllah with the pleasure of Allah (swt). -The MSA is a group of brothers and sisters reaching out to the University of Maryland, at-tempting to teach the campus about the greatest jewel Allah has ever given mankind. -The MSA is a group of Muslims enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. -The MSA is a group of Mus-lim professional men and women preparing to go forth and change the world for the better. -The MSA is the tool that Al-lah used to guide me in becoming a better Muslim and a better hu-man being. May Allah bless our MSA, may Allah bless the brothers and sisters of our MSA; may Allah help the MSA to stay strong; may Allah make the MSA a tool for change in the UMD campus; may Allah help the MSA in the righteous work it partakes in; may Allah bless the MSA with good leadership; may Allah guide people to Islam through the MSA; may Allah allow the MSA to remain a group that enjoins good and forbids evil; may Allah allow the MSA to remain a safe-haven for Muslims; may Allah allow the MSA to remain a place where the Sunnah of Prophet Mu-hammad (saw) will be upheld and taught. Ameen.

Page 10


personal experiences

by Anonymous

Gheba Girl Hey there Sisters' Siders, Gheba Girl here — your one and only source into scandalous lives of the Musallah's elite. It's spring time in the Musal-lah, and every Sisters' Sider knows what that means: the air is thick with wedding invitations, and all the lovebirds are ready to take flight. Looks like things are firing up on the Brothers' side too—Spotted: Lonely Brother at Cole Field House and the word is he's looking. Too bad his perfect match

keeps lowering her gaze. Sister ب — everything he’s ever wanted and more: gorgeous hijabi from Houston; junior Bioengineering and Philosophy major; modest but not shy; and judging by what he’s overheard through the curtain, has a southern accent and excel-lent tajweed. Better hurry up, Lonely Brother, because if you don't find yourself a turtle dove fast, you may have to fly solo this summer. Marriage talks are always

worth a try, but I’m not sure Lonely Bro made the best move

going straight to س to ask about

his prospect. She may beب ’s best

friend in the fall and winter, but when you’re searching for a fiancé on a graduation deadline, spring friendships are flexible and prone

to sabotage. س may have played

it sweet this time, but there’s no doubt there’s something makruh in the air between these besties. Don’t think Lonely Bro’s going to be so lucky again. …But wait, the plot gets thicker. Spotted on Route 1 Friday

night:ب , the “perfect match”

herself, hitting up the bars, fake ID in hand; Jumuah evidently isn’t the only highlight of her week. So

it looks like ب has her own after-Witr plans—not that a double life is uncommon on the Sisters’ Side—but how will Lonely Bro re-act when he finds out that his po-tential future wife drops her hijab

after three rakaat? In the Musallah the good girls rule, but when it comes to marriage, rules can change, and it’s looking like modest isn't al-ways hottest. What's that murmuring through the blue curtain? Does

Lonely Bro think he can reformب or will the wife-hunt continue? Don't worry Sisters' Siders, you'll know as soon as I do inshaAllah. And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell. You know you love me (for the sake of Allah). XOXO, Gheba Girl Disclaimer: The people, places and events de-

picted are purely fictitious, and any

resemblance to existing persons,

places or events is purely coinciden-

tal. This column is for entertainment

and satirical purposes only. The use of

this material for the distribution of

fitna is strictly prohibited and is pun-

ishable by God.

MSA & MWM Office Hours!


Page 11

I love Outback Steakhouse Aussie Fries, and af-ter many attempts to make making my own, I real-ized that I could not figure out how to make it. Here is the recipe for all you ladies who would like to learn to make your own Aussie fries for those nights of cramming before finals. Ingredients:

� 1—2 lb. bag of frozen French fries

� 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

� 6 pieces of halal bacon, cooked (optional)

� 24 fl. oz. Peanut Oil (can be reused later; store in refrigerator)

Directions

1. Divide the fries into half, and save the other half later.

2. Heat oil to 350 degrees. If you do not have a thermostat, make sure the oil is hot enough, so that when you set a French fry in there it will cook immediately. If the French fry sinks to the bottom and barely bubbles, it is not hot enough.

3. Fry the potatoes in small batches. They are done when they are golden brown, and float to the top of the skillet. ( I like to use a Dutch Oven.)

4. Be sure to drain the potatoes on paper towels. You can keep them warm in the oven while the

other fries are done. 5. When all French fries are done cooking and

drained, place them onto a platter. 6. Salt the French fries if you like, and sprinkle on

cheese and cooked bacon. 7. Pop these back into a warm oven until the cheese

begins to melt. Dipping Sauce � 1/2 cup Sour Cream � 1 tbsp. Prepared Horseradish � dash Cayenne Pepper � dash Salt � dash black pepper Combine all ingredients and mix well.

how-to column

Submitted by Aysha Ansari

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Fries!

Submitted by Aysha Ansari

Big Mac Sauce Have you ever wonder how they make that yummy sauce for Big Macs? You no longer have to wonder — here is the recipe. � 1 cup Miracle Whip � 1/3 cup pickle relish � 1/3 cup Kraft French dressing — (orange, not

red kind) � 1 tablespoon sugar � 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Mix together. Keep Refrigerated.

These recipes are a courtesy of Cajun Cooking Recipes.

hadith / duaa of the week


Page 12

Hadith submitted by Susan J. Shatila

Love for the Sake of Allah

Narrated by Ash-Shawkani, that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said: "Those who love each other for Allah will be on pulpits of light on the Day of Resurrection." [Authenticated by Ash-Shawkani]

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: "Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who love each other for My Glory's sake? To-day I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but My shadow." [Authenticated by Al-Albani]

answered by these sources. So many values can be learned. And through this, you can build your trust in Allah as well. I have trust in Allah that what He says is what is best for me. That is why I pray, why I wear hijab, why I try to be pa-tient, why I don’t like to complain to others, why I don’t curse, why I try to do everything that my parents tell me to, why I cut back on watching TV, why I think twice about things I do, why I make du’a so much, why I want to memorize His message, the Quran; the list goes on. I fear His Anger, I hope for His Mercy, and I

want to please Him. I’m nowhere near perfect. I’ve got a whole lot to work on, but when I’m slack-ing, when I’m falling off track, I just keep trying my best to re-mind myself what I should do, just like right now. And by writing this article, I hope that it might benefit someone else in the proc-ess too, inshaAllah. So, what can we do? We can take a step. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said in a hadith Qudsi that Allah says, “If my servant draws near to Me by an inch, I draw nearer to him by a cubit. If he draws near to Me by a cubit, I draw nearer to him by the length

of a full arm. If he comes to Me walking, I go to him run-ning” (narrated in Muslim). If this doesn’t show the Love of Allah, I don’t know what does. Try it out. Figure out a step you can take towards Allah. "When My servants ask you

concerning Me, I am indeed close.

I listen to the prayer of every sup-

pliant when he calls 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]


Reflections. . . (cont’d)

by Mehreen “Sunnahbeard” Rasheed

Staff Reporter/Islamic Pirate

The dramatic rescue of Cap-tain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates last Sunday has given way to a great international discussion regarding President Obama's zero tolerance policy on international piracy that left three pirates shot dead. While many are satisfied with Obama's firm hand and show of global leadership, many questions still remain unanswered. The full story behind Obama's role in the pirate attacks has yet to be dis-closed… until now. According to a CIA insider alias ‘Tortuga,’ the Navy's heroic acts Sunday were not so much a rescue operation as they were a transfer of custody. Captain Phil-lips, it transpires, is not all he ap-pears to be. "Captain Phillips was in league with pirates," says Tortuga, "When a fierce pirate group known as the Pearly Blacks—named for their fa-mously plaque-ridden teeth— com-mandeered the USS Swann in the Gulf of Aden last month, the gov-ernment's slow reaction time deeply upset Phillips, and he de-cided to take matters into his own hands." Phillips allied himself with a renegade Somali pirate known only by his alias, John Mockingbird, and assembled a ragtag team of bucca-neers which staged the MV Maersk

Alabama hijacking and set sail to pursue and rescue the Swann. According to Navy records, the USS Swann pulled Phillips from

a shipwrecked cruise as a young child. Ever since then he has felt indebted to it and returned to serve on its decks years later in the Navy, making the ship upon which he “fell in love with the sea,” ac-cording to his superior officer’s re-port, which may explain his particu-lar sense of urgency in recovering it from pirates. “The plot thickens,” Tortuga divulged eagerly, “Prior to its hi-jacking, the USS Swann had been assigned to transport Secretary of State Hilary Clinton across the Red Sea during her Middle-East tour. Feeling a particular connection to its case, Clinton took the lead on the investigation.” The CIA recovered an email correspondence between Clinton and Phillips, in which he criticized her more calculated, albeit slower methods, and she is reported as warning him, “Do not make the mistake in thinking you are the only one who cares for the Swann.” There may be a connection be-tween Clinton’s warning and Obama’s sudden interest in Phillips’ “rescue” and perhaps his desire to keep his pirate connections under wraps. However, new evidence sug-gests that Mockingbird’s alliance with Phillips only extended as far as his hatred for the Pearly Blacks, with whom he apparently had their own falling out shortly before the capture of the Swann. “John Mockingbird… that ol’ son of a gun. ‘E used to lead us ‘e did, ‘e was our our cap’n until we mutinied ‘n left ‘im fer dead off the coast o’

Somalia,” says Pearly Black crew member known by his alias ‘Sandalstrap Gil’ in an exclusive ra-dio interview. The full CIA investigation is underway, though developing intel-ligence suggests that Mockingbird had his own agenda. He planned on betraying Phillips to the Pearly Blacks’ leader at the last minute in exchange for the captaincy. Accord-ing to Sandalstrap Gil, there is a pirate legend that prophesizes the coming of an American captain who will carry Crest Whitening Strips and free the Pearly Blacks of their dental curse. It is possible Mocking-bird believed his own ally was the captain of the story, though there has been no report on his where-abouts since Phillips’ rescue; one can only assume he has abandoned this particular scheme for now. While Phillips’ detainment is currently being masked from the public eye, it is possible Phillips’ sentence may be waived altogether in exchange for silence on the Swann situation, though its condi-tion still remains unknown. Its sup-porters can only hope it is afloat and well, and Phillips’ admirers and his fellow romantics may dream that he will still be reunited with the ship of his heart in the end.

The Ceramic Miswak Somali Pirates: The True Story

creative writing


Page 13

US Navy operations disrupt epic romance


Page 14 T H E M U S L I M S T U D E N T S ’

A S S O C I A T I O N

University of Maryland, College Park

Box 44, Stamp Student Union

College Park, MD 20742

[ [email protected] ]

[ www.msaumd.org ]

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

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

Nour Al-Muhtasib Kadiatu Bah Eman Haggag Mehreen Rasheed Manaar Zuhurudeen Staff Writers: Aysha Ansari Tamer Elsayed Eman Haggag Sahar Khamis Mariam Khan Shabnom Khan Abdullah bin Muslim Sanjana Quasem Mehreen Rasheed Susan J. Shatila Adam Stephenson

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.

creative writing

Images of Truth

Letters to the Editor: by Anonymous

Life and Islamic Activism: The Post-MSA Experience

Although the competition was close, based on our point system, the winner of the Images of Truth contest is...

In the March 13, 2009 issue of Al-Nur, Br. Sami Zaharna wrote a great article about ‘The Post MSA Experi-ence.’ There is no doubt that the MSA experience at UMD will probably be very different from outside experi-ences, with our local Masjids or Is-lamic organizations, when we gradu-ate. But that reality should not hinder our passion for activism and learning about Islam. We all still need to stick with a group and surround ourselves with a support structure that can carry us forward through our twenties and even the rest of our lives. Whether or not you like the people at your local masjid or community group, you should still make the most of the context and find ways to make a positive difference. I would also like to add that even after we graduate, we shouldn’t shy away from providing support to the MSA Community at UMD when necessary — helping out with Iftars

during Ramadan, or providing mentor-ship to the students, etc. It is also crucial to start now and continue once we graduate, to be a role model in our communities and for the next genera-tion of youth. This is the next genera-tion that will enter college in the next 2-3 years or even a decade down the road. If you have younger siblings, family relatives, and/or community friends, please reach out to them and share your positive MSA experience to help guide them to making the right choices when it comes down to choos-ing friends and strengthening their Islamic base. Give them something to look forward to when they are decid-ing what colleges to choose to go to. Not only will this help strengthen our connection with the next genera-tion, but it will also, inshaAllah, build a community of individuals that have mutual respect and understanding for one another.

Sr. Kadiatu Bah &

Sr. Habiba Wada!!!

These sisters will re-ceive a $50 gift cer-tificate to RJ's Cafe. Jazak Allah Khair for all submissions re-ceived. Please be on the look-out for your images to be used in the musallah, dawah table, stamp, and/or in the calendar to be sold, inshaAllah! -Mariam Khan

Documents

Al-Nur: Volume 14 | Issue 2