Thanksgiving Food Drive

I only ever agreed to help out

with the Stamp Out Hunger food drive

as a favor to a friend. Imagine my

surprise when I was put in charge of

coordinating volunteers for the North

and South campus shop shifts. I cer-

tainly wouldn't want night shifts out

there in this weather - they sound

cold and dark and boring and too far.

How could I ever talk others into it?

On Night One of the drive, I was still

mostly volunteer-less and unmoti-

vated, sending out the sign up sheet

to anyone and everyone I thought

might help.

By Night Two, the guilt set in and I

was trudging out to the Commons

Shop at 6 pm with a box, a cold nose,

and a faithful friend. The next hour

was undoubtedly the best hour of my

Tuesday.

Starting out was hard. I ram-

bled, I stuttered, I blushed. But when

that first can hit the bottom of the box

and I heard, "You guys are doing a great

job!", I suddenly realized my job was SO

easy. There were a steady stream of

people heading into the shop, which

sold plenty of canned goods that could

be bought with points instead of cash. A

lot of people were willing to pick some-

thing up and bring it out to donate. All I

had to do was smile and ask!

"Hi! We're having a Thanksgiving food

drive, collecting cans and non-

perishable food items. If you could pick

up something inside to donate, we'd

appreciate it!"

I said it over and over and it

never got old, because of all the smiles

and cans I got in return. When I wasn't

asking for donations, I got to talk and

laugh with my shift buddy. It was guilt-

free social time on a school night!

Something about the clear, frosty air

and all the smiles and donations we

were collecting gave us an amazing,

giddy feeling. I had an energy I didn't

think I'd have after a day worrying

about essays and registration.

Many people stopped to ask

about our organization or where the

goods were being donated, which gave

us a great opportunity to talk about the

MSA and SOME. Other people simply

brought out cans upon cans without a

word. At the end of the hour, we had

collected over sixty canned and non-

perishable food items (and, weirdly,

some candy bars). The next blessed

volunteer showed up for their shift to

find an already-full box to add to.

Since then, I have volunteered for

many more hours with many other vol-

unteers. It's amazing to see the posi-

tive response from campus for the

food drive and a great opportunity to

spend time with friends or other MSA

members. I'm collecting food So Others

Might Eat but I'm collecting good

deeds and good memories for myself,

t o o . A n d s o s h o u l d y ou !

By Anam Siddiqui

News

5

STAMP out Hunger By Hanifah Dasti

Feeding the hungry is an inte-

gral part of the Islamic faith. For a

Muslim to help feed one hungry indi-

vidual, the reward is unimaginable.

There are millions of starving people

all over the world; even in America,

there are „food insecure‟ individuals.

You must be wondering how

you can help and reap some of this

reward yourself: The MSA and MWM

are hosting their third annual STAMP

Out Hunger food drive! Every year,

MSA/MWM members collect nonper-

ishable food and toiletries for two

weeks (Monday-Thursday) to donate

to a credible charity. This year the

donated items are going to SOME (So

Others Might Eat). This organization is

not the average charity organization

that offers food to people in poverty

then lets them leave. This organization

is more of a developmental program

which gives poor people leverage to get

back on their feet and resume their

roles as contributing members of soci-

ety.

It is imperative for MSA mem-

bers, and the whole campus, to get in-

volved in this event. This is an amazing

daw’ah opportunity and a great opportu-

nity to get necessities to individuals

who could not otherwise afford them.

Another important reason everyone

should get involved is to prove that our

actions speak louder than words. The

Muslim community does a lot, but

boasts even more. Instead of boasting

our accomplishments, we can do this

for the sake of Allah. If people observe

our sincerity, that is when (if Allah

wills) any misunderstandings and/or

stereotypes they may have held slowly

begin to change.

With that, I hope all of you

help out! There are many opportunities

for you to do so; there are sign-up

sheets in the musallah or many differ-

ent people you can contact who would

love to welcome your help; all you need

to do is ask.

A few sisters collecting goods for SOME.

Many Muslims were filled with

excitement for the debates, and politi-

cal activism during the 2008 presiden-

tial election, when Barack Obama ran

for President,. Fast-forward to the pre-

sent and the amount of discussion

about the upcoming November elec-

tions is negligible at best. This is unfor-

tunate because these are the elections

that affect us the most.

Most roads are funded by our

county or state, as are police depart-

ments, schools, universities (including

this one), parks, many hospitals, and

many other public services we use.

While it is important to focus on who

represents us in Congress or as presi-

dent, Muslims and the rest of our com-

munities need to be concerned about

what goes on in the politics of our cit-

ies, counties, and states as well.

Let‟s assume that, for some

reason, Muslims are only responsible

for participating in politics when it

affects Muslims, which is untrue.

Here is an example of how things can

turn out badly for Muslims when they

do not participate in the political proc-

ess as a whole.

The Texas State Board of

Education, a board comprised of 15

elected officials, recently decided to

adopt a resolution limiting the

amount of references to Islam in text-

books that are used in the state‟s

public schools. According to them, the

textbooks had a pro-Islam and anti-

Christianity bias. It is common knowl-

edge that people already aren‟t get-

ting a holistic view of Islam as it is;

their respective TV shows. Special ap-

pearances during the 3-hour program

were made by several big names, in-

cluding Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Ozzy Os-

bourne, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Cat

Stevens (Yusuf Islam).

The program included musical

performances, comedy routines, awards

distributions, and an entertaining, hon-

est face-off between Stewart‟s and Col-

bert‟s characters, during which they

made cases for sanity versus fear. To

many Muslims‟ delight, they explicitly

mentioned Islamophobia and how the

actions of a few individuals cannot

speak for the values of over 1.6 billion

believers.

Stewart wrapped up the event

with an eloquent 12-minute address. He

admitted his purpose behind this event,

stating, “Your presence is what I

wanted,” and relayed a series of re-

minders to the crowd including, “we live

On Saturday, October 30,

2010, I attended the Rally to Restore

Sanity with a group of friends. I had

planned on going simply because I

appreciate Jon Stewart and his show,

but as the 30th approached, I grew

more excited and in-tune with the

presumed purpose for the event: to

combat the intense political and so-

cial irrationalism that has swept

across our country and overpowered

the voices of reason.

The rally, like all things Jon

Stewart, was a satirically liberal re-

sponse to uber-conservative Glenn

Beck‟s Restoring Honor gathering,

and took place at the National Mall.

Stewart‟s good friend and conserva-

tive counterpart Steven Colbert was

also involved; his character a propo-

nent of Keeping Fear Alive. The two

had joined forces in September to

produce the Rally to Restore Sanity

and/or Fear, and announced it on

in hard times, not the end of times.”

He also prompted Americans of the

reality that we live in: even though the

press blows everything out of propor-

tion, and emphasizes our failures as

cooperative people, “The truth is… We

work together to get things done every

damned day!”

I loved being at the rally. It

exceeded my expectations, and being

among other sane, reasonable people

provided an uplifting few hours of relief

from the waves of media hate that

suffocate us every day. One of my fa-

vorite moments of the rally was when

Stewart, sparking roaring cheers and

applause, potently told the 215,000

rally goers not to let the press and in-

sanity take over, because “If we am-

plify everything, we hear nothing.”

Hearing this statement alone made the

crazy-long lines at the metro, standing

on tippy-toes, and craning my neck for

three hours well worth it.

Start a Love Train: Rally to Restore Sanity

and/or Fear By Manaar Zuhurudeen

By Anonymous

now all the students in the public edu-

cation system of a whole state will be

getting a view controlled by a board

with very little knowledge of Islam.

Remember, this is a prestig-

ious university (yes, I know it‟s hard to

believe) and we are all receiving a top

-notch education in our respective

fields. I know Muslims who are study-

ing civil engineering, education, gov-

ernment and politics, public health,

and many other related fields. Even if

you haven‟t graduated yet, you know

more about your field than most of

the other people registered to vote in

the upcoming elections. Having been

blessed with knowledge that could

greatly further society, it becomes all

our responsibilities to take part in the

upcoming elections.

Elections

6

News

7

Lifestyle & Spirituality

Krazi Kebob By Emaun Kashfipour

The Most Beloved People to Allah:

Hadith of the Month “The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit to people, and the most be-loved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the

Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to

me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever holds back his anger, Allah will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being

able to execute it, Allah will fill his heart with satis-faction on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes

that for him, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ru-ins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey.” [At-Tabarani,

Classed as Hasan by Shaykh Al-Albani]

Provided by Susan Shatila

Krazi Kebob, the new halaal

restaurant in College Park located next

to Potbelly and Marathon Deli, com-

bined Indian, Pakistani, and Mexican

cooking to create a cuisine unique to

itself.

It took very little time for Krazi

Kebob to become a hotspot for Muslim

students. The MSA has already held

social events there and coordinated a

fundraiser for Muslimat Al-Nisaa, a

homeless shelter for Muslim women

and children.

Naumaan “Nomie” Hamid,

Krazi Kebob‟s owner, used to be an

operations manager at a Mexican res-

taurant. While working at one of these

restaurants, he created a “chicken

curry burrito” and made it a success.

When he thought it was

time to open his own restaurant, he

decided to make the Indo-Pakistani-

Mexican fusion the restaurant‟s

main attraction.

One of the most popular

options on the menu is the naan

wrap, which essentially a burrito is

made with fresh-baked naan instead

of tortilla bread. Hamid still main-

tained traditional Mexican foods on

Krazi Kebob‟s menu for Muslim cus-

tomers who haven‟t been able to try

those options before. Shown above: Mexican-Indian fusion chicken naan wrap

The Holy Qur’an—image taken by current MSA student

8

Spirituality/Lifestyle

Got Salams Anyone? By Susan Shatila

The MSA brothers giving Salam

Completing tasks together

Sisterhood amongst MSA members

The Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi

wa sallam) said: "the rights of a Muslim

upon another are five: returning greet-

ings, visiting the sick, following the fu-

neral procession, responding to invita-

tions and offering Tashmeet … [when

one] sneezes" (Bukhari and Muslim).

When it comes to doing good deeds, we

often belittle small acts. Whether it‟s

sharing a smile with someone or even

removing a harmful object from one's

path, we often overlook these minute

acts which cause us to miss opportune

moments that contain fruitful benefits

and rewards. We‟ll discuss the first right

mentioned above more in detail— re-

turning greetings.

Allah (Subhanhu Wa Ta„aalah)

says, “When you are greeted with a

greeting, greet in return with what is

better than it, or…return it equally.” [Al-

Nisa‟ 4:86] Often times I find myself

neglecting to do this—forgetting to re-

turn another‟s salaam or abbreviating

my response when talking online—

neglecting the greeting‟s full importance

and significance. There is more reward

in initiating/returning a salaam than we

realize. We surrender it because of our

carelessness or hastiness, two charac-

teristics that Shaytan is skilled in bring-

ing forth.; Our prophet peace be upon

him states, “haste is from Shay-

tan.” (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

Prophet Muhammad (Sallah

Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "He who

says, „Assalaamu Alaikum ‟ ten rewards

are written down for him; he who adds,

„…wa rahmatullah,‟ for him twenty re-

wards are written down; he who adds, „..

wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,‟ thirty

rewards are written down for

him" (Authenticated by Al-Albani). Think

for a moment—30 rewards, for a few

extra words? SubhanaAllah!

Our beloved Prophet (Sallah

Allahu alayhi wa sallam) also stated,

“The closest to Allah, the Most Glori-

ous…, from amongst all the people is

the one who initiates salaam" (Imam

Ahmad).

What are the etiquettes of sa-

laam? Regarding returning salaams,

Allah clearly states in the ayah above to

return a salaam equally or in a better

manner, with preference shown to the

latter—there is no option to ignore it.

Not only is one rewarded in

initiating and returning salaams, but he

may attain sin if he does not initiate or

return a salaam. The Prophet (Sallah

Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "[initiate]

the salaam before a question. So

whomever … asks you a question before

saying salaam, do not answer

him" (Authenticated by Al-Albani).

This shows the seriousness of the

salaam, especially before asking

another a question or a favor.

So next time you see a fel-

low Muslim on campus and you‟re

greeted with a salaam—regardless

through face to face contact or via

cyber space—reply in the proper

manner and give your Muslim broth-

ers and sisters their right.

As Prophet (Sallah Allahu

alayhi wa sallam) said, "By the one in

Whose Hand is my soul, you all will

not enter into the Paradise until you

believe, and you will not believe until

you love each other. Shall I not direct

you to something that if you do it,

you will love each other? Spread the

greeting of peace amongst your-

selves." (Sahih Muslim)

This I say first and foremost

as a reminder to myself, and then as

a reminder to my fellow brothers and

sisters in Islam, as Allah commands,

“Remind: Verily a reminder benefits

the believers” (51:55). Anything

good I have said is from Allah

(Subhanahu Wa Ta„aalah), and any-

thing bad is from Shaytaan and my-

self.

The Experience of a Lifetime – As

told by Alumni

9

Alumni

Not everyone has had the good

fortune to perform sacred rite so we at

An-Nur figured, “why not ask those that

have?” So we set out and found two

special Alum that Allah had blessed with

the chance to perform Hajj. We caught

up Diaur Rahman (DR, c/o 2005) and

Sami Zaharna (SZ, c/o 2009) and

where their stories aren‟t inspiring, they

show that even at Hajj one must con-

tinue to fight the good fight. Hajj may be

a break from routine, but it‟s not a

break from facing the challenges.

When did you first go to Hajj?

DR: My parents went to Hajj and I was

on my mama's lap crying the whole time

and such. [More recently it was in]

2006.

SZ: Winter of 2005/2006.

If you have also been on Umrah, how

much different was it for you from go-

ing to Hajj?

DR: Comparing Umrah to Hajj is like

comparing your community pee-wee

football team to the Oregon Ducks. In all

seriousness, Umrah is more like a ritual

whereas Hajj is more of a multi-layered

journey.

SZ: [Growing up in Saudi Arabia] I

have completed Umrah several times

alhamdulillah. Umrah is a couple hour

ordeal that is spiritually uplifting. How-

ever, Hajj is an experience that is like

no other. Days of exhaustion and true

servitude to God.

What were your thoughts on your way

over? How’d you feel on the flight

back?

SZ: …I was very worried I would do

something that isn't in accordance

with the Sunnah. I bought the books,

attended the workshops and was

really prepared. But certain things

just pop up and it‟s really important to

have someone knowledgeable ac-

company you.

[On the way back] I felt like I just left

Jannah leaving the gates of Makkah.

Everything was dark and gloomy.

Tweet! Can you describe Hajj in 140

characters or less?

DR: Often times, people get caught up

in the physical rituals and don't stop

to reflect on their deeper mean-

ing. Do you have to be physically pre-

pared? Yes. But the mental aspect is

even more important.

SZ: A beautiful experience.

Advice for those who have yet to go?

DR: Make sure you pick a good and

reputable travel agent, take a blanket

because it‟s freezing cold at night;

there are times when your patience will

be tested by bus delays, obnoxious

people who step on your toes, push,

etc. [Just] keep in mind what you're

there for.

SZ: Do not react to ignorant people;

you will lose your Hajj! Trust me! Allah

tested me as soon as I put on ihram. [I]

was waiting in line to pick up my board-

ing pass in the Riyadh airport with an

ignorant fella. I was next in line and the

dude just looks at the line and straight

up walks to the counter, cutting every-

one off. I told him "Ya akhee itaqee

illah" (Bro, Fear Allah!") and he sort of

looked at me unhappily and continued

to cut everyone else in the line. Then I

remembered that there is no argument

in Hajj and tried to laugh it off.

Alhamdulilah, if I‟ve learned

anything it‟s that Hajj is beautiful but

people will still be people. Expect to be

tested in more ways than the pilgrim-

age. May Allah swt reward our wonder-

ful interviewees and Eid Mubarak!

By Adam Kareem

The Hajji Experience as captured by Diaur Rahman

Time

10

Lifestyle

Recently something great has

come to my attention. I was awake at 3

am working on an assignment one

night, and thought to myself, Sub-

hana‟Allah, where has all the time

gone? It seemed like just yesterday

that I was a freshman with priorities

that spanned in every direction. I

wanted to join the club teams, all the

students groups I could think of, work,

and have time to spare. Alhamdulillah,

in my final years here, I can say many

of the things I desired were fulfilled by

Allah (swt), but only after realizing one

fundamental principal; time is only

given once and we need to make the

most of it. this time is for me to re-

flect and share my experiences with

all the students, especially upcoming

seniors, on the subject of time.

There have been numerous

lectures where all I‟ve heard again and

again is “brothers and sisters, take

advantage of your youth while you

have it”. However, it never occurred to

me how precious our youth really is.

This summer, I realized that as I near

graduation, a whole new frontier of

my life is about to open . Although this

can possibly mean no more 3 am

mornings working on assignments, it

also means a whole new life style. In

many cases, it means no more hang-

ing with MSA brothers on a daily ba-

sis. it means fewer opportunities to

join the club sports teams, or more

importantly, to join that community

service group. I have seen others fall

far into the routine of a 9 to 5 job,

until they have reached a point where

they don‟t have time to do side com-

munity projects, or to be with their

brothers and sisters.

Why is this important? Because right

now we have the opportunity to set

definitions to our lives that insha‟Al-

lah we can continue to perpetuate

throughout our lifetime. this is now

time where we can all ask ourselves

what we are doing and who we are

doing it for, and constantly remind

ourselves this:

Abdullah bin Abbas (Radi-alla-u-Anhu)

reports that Rasulullah said ( صلى هللا

( عليه وسلم ): “There are two bounties of

Allah wherein most people are de-

ceived: health and free time.”

After much thought I realized that

even the seemingly insignificant tasks

we do can have the most meaning to

them. Take, for example, time you

spend with brothers or sisters, includ-

ing non-Muslim friends. How can you

make the most out of this time? This

is can be critical time to reflect and

renew your intentions, even if you‟re

watching a movie, eating, or playing a

game. Our lives truly are dawah in

action, and being an example, learn-

ing from one another, and getting

closer to one another for the sake of

Allah (swt) is what being Muslim all is

about.

After considering this, I thought about

how much time I waste watching TV,

sitting around, or on the Internet. It

made me think again that this is time

I am truly never going to get back. I

thought about how many times a

week most of us call our parents, and

even grandparents. It‟s true that

sometimes we all get caught up in an

assignment, followed by a test, and

then by school. As time progresses,

you find yourself caught up in your

work, and one day, insha‟Allah, it may

be your kids. before we know it, time

has flown by and it may be too late to

make that call.

So in closing, what I have picked up in

these four years is that life is about

taking time to stop and smell the

roses. Stop, look around you, and

take heed of what Allah (swt) has

placed around you, and where Allah

(swt) has placed you. Then take the

time to pause and renew your inten-

tions before you do anything. You

may come to find out that you have a

bit more time to help your community,

finish your paper, call your family,

admire Allah‟s (swt) bounty, and real-

ize that our time here is precious.

By Jamal Jeter

“Abdullah bin Abbas (Radi-

alla-u-Anhu) reports that

Rasulullah said: “There are

two bounties of Allah

wherein most people are

deceived: health and free

time.”

11

Spirituality/Lifestyle

This Thing Called Religious By: Omnia Joehar

“Religious” What does it really

mean? The dictionary defines it as,

“imbued with or exhibiting religion.” In

that case, aren't we all "religious"? How-

ever, we often attempt to attribute tan-

gible evidence to assess someone’s

"religiousness,” and look towards his or

her appearance. We attempt to create

an archetype of someone “religious,”

leading us to hunt for tangible evidence

of his or her “religiousness”. For in-

stance, for a girl we look for her Hijab;

for a male we look for his beard.

These are examples of outwardly

righteous acts that we should strive

towards; however, by having such a

myopic view of the term, we restrict

the definition of "religious" spe-

cifically to those whom we deter-

mine fall into the archetype. Un-

fortunately, at the same time we

ignore the inwardly, private ac-

tions we engage in on a day-to-

day basis—the ones none but

Allah and ourselves know. We

limit the term religious to only

refer to one’s appearance and

instead disregard acts of sincer-

ity, kindness, respect, or compas-

s i o n a s r e l a t i n g t o

"religiousness."

Furthermore, this judgmental

attitude that we have towards

one another when using

“religious” deteriorates the broth-

erhood and sisterhood we should

have as Muslims. We are one

Ummah—one family—striving to-

wards one common goal. We re-

fer to each other as brother and

sister Subhan Allah! This word

religious alone segregates us on

the basis of our personal judg-

m e n t s

Instead, when we see some-

one struggling, we turn the other

way rather than help him/her.

Take the story of Hasan and

Husain. When they saw an old

man performing Wudu incor-

rectly, they simply showed him

the correct way through their own

actions, rather than criticize him.

This in itself is a lesson exempli-

fying how to approach others

needing guidance. So often do we

rush to condemn others and tell them

to "put on a Hijab!" or "don't talk to

girls!" We exclude the benefit of the

doubt, and eliminate compassion in

our approach. One of our Muslim an-

cestor said:

“How sweet Iman is

when it’s beautified with Knowl-

edge. And how sweet knowledge

is when it’s beautified with Im-

plementation. And how sweet

Implementation is when it’s

beautified with Kindness.” “The

greatest pair of things is imple-

mentation coupled with Kind-

ness.”

We need to remember that

people commit their actions in Allah's

presence alone. Who are we to even

utter this term when it is Allah alone

who determines the true believers?

Only He can judge, for only He knows

all, and we know nothing. To everyone

else your true intentions, actions, and

struggles are left undisclosed. Only

after truly coming to this realization

and accepting it will we broaden our

minds and open our hearts enough to

the entirety of Islam and what Allah

teaches us to appreciate. “All humans

are dead except those who have

knowledge; and all those who have

knowledge are asleep, except those

who do good deeds; and those who do

good deeds are deceived, except those

who are sincere.” (Imam Shafi’).

As an Ummah, we should use terms

that harness unity rather than place

strain on these bonds. They say, “if

you don't know where you‟re going, any

road will get you there.” I disagree.

Islam is our map guiding us

"there". May we strive to walk the path

of Islam, filled with compassion, kind-

ness, gentleness, and mercy, as broth-

ers and sisters together.

Outline of a few MSA sisters;

It was just the day before that

I was walking on Maryland‟s campus,

trying to make it to class on time, and I

couldn‟t believe after a short plane taxi

and bus ride, I was now walking in

Mexico City. I felt grateful and appre-

ciative to Allah (SWT) and Muslims

Without Borders (MWB) for allowing

me to participate in such an amazing

opportunity. Upon my arrival in Mexico

I witnessed a majestic and vibrant city,

with tranquil and awe-inspiring country

land engulfing the city and main loca-

tion of the Orphanage. This peaceful

image strongly contrasted with the

tainted image commonly portrayed of

Mexico City.

I was hired by Muslims With-

out Borders as their Volunteer Abroad

Coordinator and given the assignment

of traveling to Mexico to create a study

abroad program starting summer

2011 for Muslim college students at

the Tashirat Orphanage. The orphan-

age is located in Tepotzlan, Mexico,

about an hour and a half away from

Mexico City. Beautiful scenery, moun-

tains, trees, and blue skies surround

the town. I arrived at the front en-

trance of the Orphanage around

1:00pm on Thursday Oct. 28. Little did

I know the next two days at Tashirat

would be heartening, inspirational,

enriching, and humbling. The whole

experience was overall surreal to me.

Being in México allowed me to

immerse myself in the culture and to

practice my Spanish, which I found to

be no less fluent after 7 years of study.

Regardless of the language barrier, I

immediately became close friends with

the kids I met. The boys consisted of

Josh, Julito, Attair, and Doven, and my

special girls were Sherise, Cara, Liana,

Ruby, Tania, and Aria. In just two days,

they all found a special place in my

heart. We all played football (soccer),

ate Ciruella (an addicting indigenous

Mexican plum), talked, went to the

market, and just lay under the sun,

admiring the sky blanketed with

stars at night. The most generous

feeling was the incredible weather

and the cool breeze that would occa-

sionally pass by and remind me of

Allah‟s (swt) all-encompassing mercy

and how thankful I was to be there.

Praying outside among the bountiful

wildlife was the most peaceful experi-

ence for me. I woke up and slept

every day — just awestruck from the

beauty of Allah‟s creations. Sub-

hana‟allah, only the All-Mighty could

be capable of such beauty.

From an Islamic perspective,

this experience has truly taught me

gratitude, appreciation, peace, and

joy. Subhana‟allah, these children are

orphans with learning disabilities, but

not even once were their faces with-

out a smile. In addition these children

never complained of their circum-

stances, but instead were apprecia-

tive of all that was in front of them. It

seemed the Tashirat community har-

bored a God-conscience, tranquil,

cooperative community spirit that

Muslims strive for, but unfortunately

lack. I returned home with a heavy

heart and a mind full of reflections

and thoughts. I‟ve learned to put

things in perspective, strengthen my

Iman, and take part in my community

(not just the Muslim community). I

couldn‟t get off my mind that when I

landed in Mexico, I saw a group of

Jewish missionaries and Christian

church groups arriving in Mexico to

help - subhan‟allah where are we, the

Muslims? The question of our pres-

ence and participation is the very

question MWB intends to answer.

Truthfully, words cannot ac-

curately describe my experience in

Mexico. There are no words that can

encompass the beauty I witnessed,

the friendships I made, and the les-

sons I learned. So this is why I urge all

of you to apply for the Muslims With-

out Borders Study Abroad Programs

being launched in Summer 2011 in-

sha‟allah, where Muslims can share a

remarkable experience like the one

I‟ve had!

Mexico Makes Marks on One Muslim’s

Heart

By Omnia Joehar

12

Creative Writing

Images of Omnia with the children from the Orphanage, Tepotzlan, Mexico

“Subhana’allah, these children

are orphans with learning dis-

abilities ,but not even once

were their faces without a

smile. “

We both know you are being unfaithful to a faith

That fulfills the fragments of the faithless

Your bases have no stapes

By which to turn vibrations into paces

So…

Enough with the fake faces

Let us show face to the faces of the untamed races

But-

If you only wish to build lies

To lie upon the backs of your cries…

Then cry.

Because I can‟t bare delight in the dim lights of your

forthright

You stutter utterances muttered to deafened ears

Prowling and howling for your next victim

I‟m here.

I remember the day I was in-

troduced to the Musallah by Abdullah

during my first year at the university. I

observed my surroundings carefully

and was quick to realize that it was the

old girl‟s locker room at Cole Field

House. There was a rack full of shoes

of those who had come to pray. We

then walked further into the Musallah,

passing CAIL and then a room that

appeared to be a closet. We then got

to the main room of the Musallah, di-

vided by curtains striped in green, blue

and gray. Yet there was an opening at

the end of the hall. “What is beyond?”,

I asked Abdullah. He smiled, and as if

mockingly, replied “the point of no re-

turn”.

Does he mean that there ex-

ists a place on earth that is independ-

ent of time and space? I really wanted

to find out what was beyond the cur-

tain. However, I faced a dilemma; it

was against Musallah etiquette to

move the curtains. All I could do was

study the phenomenon from my lim-

ited frame of reference. I took it upon

myself to find out.

I later found out that there

were beings that inhabited this land of

no return, and they were named

“sisters”. I almost caught a glimpse of

one of these fascinating species, yet,

as I was observing, a brother ran to

me and quickly told me to lower my

gaze, and I quickly did as he said.

From his suggestion, I assumed that

these “sisters” had a defense mecha-

nism that blinded any man who set

his eyes upon them. Happy to have

kept my eyesight but upset to have

lost a key resource to study these in-

teresting beings, I trekked on.

One early morning, as I was

cleaning the Musallah, my curiosity of

what was beyond the curtain became

too strong to bear. I made sure there

were no sisters on the other side and

armed myself with a bottle of Febreze

and a vacuum cleaner. I threw on my

kufi and got myself in an Indiana

Jones mood and pressed forward. As I

walked towards the entrance, my

blood rushed through my veins, every

step I took felt like a step closer into a

precarious unknown.

I reached the entrance and

carefully looked inside. It was a room

that was designed almost like the

other side of the Musallah, which

gave me the conclusion that I was

trudging into a parallel universe. I saw

markings and posters on the wall,

and discovered that the sisters, like

us, communicate in English with the

o c c a s i o n a l A r a b i c .

With adrenaline still flowing

through my veins as a result of my

expedition, I ran to Abdullah and

showed him what I found. To my dis-

may, he looked disappointed. “What‟s

wrong?” I asked with great concern.

“You‟re an idiot.”

Point of No Return: A Work of Fiction By Moustafa Mohamed

13

Creative Writing

The Blindness of Bigotry By Tara Mohammed

Tear drops

Atop your hazed doorstop

That holds open the gateways to your delusions.

How can you perceive so visibly

When the clarity you know is diluted with

Unfiltered partialities that render your eyes blind?

And how can you heed sound so clearly

When you accuse falsely

The falsehoods of faulty fights?

And tell me…

How you can live a true reality

If you claim to have no obscure fallacies

That complete and compete the phases of your truths.

Now, now…

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