Contents

The Winter Edition

Co

ve

r a

rt b

y S

ha

bn

om

Kh

an

; p

ag

e 2

art

by M

eh

ree

n R

ash

ee

d

4

Staff

Oh where has

the semester

g o n e ? I t

seems like

just yesterday

we were just

c e l e b r a t i n g

Eid-al-Fitr! Be-

cause this is

the final issue

of al-Nur until

the spring se-

mester, we

have decided to focus on

self-enrichment and self-

reflection, in preparation of

the final exams and winter

break.

In this issue, we are

able to spark a conversa-

tion between a senior and a

freshman of the MSA, look

back on a successful open-

house event for

the MSA mem-

bers to get to

know their cabi-

net, and ponder

on very thought-

provoking po-

etry.

We hope to con-

tinually receive

such great sub-

missions, and

look forward to

what you all have in mind

for our spring semester

issues, inshallah!

Best of luck on

your final exams, and

have a blessed and fruit-

ful winter break!

- Bushrah Rahman

msa.nur@gmail.com

First Ever MSA/MWM Open House

This past week, the

MSA/MWM Office had their first Open

House. Sure, it‟s late in the semester,

but it‟s never a bad time to attend an

event where you can meet the

MSA/MWM cabinet and get some

free food. If you haven‟t been involved

with the MSA/MWM much this se-

mester, our Open House was the

place to be! The MSA/MWM office is

located in Room 0208G in the Stu-

dent Involvement Suite in STAMP and

it is the official HQ for the MSA Cabi-

net and Committees.

Alhamdullilah, the Open House

that took place this past Tuesday, No-

vember 30th was a success. Cabinet

members were present from 11am to

4pm, and we had students who were

interested in helping out with MSA &

MWM activities stop by to ask questions

and learn about how they can get in-

volved. We marketed the event through

word of mouth, via email reminders,

sent out through both the MSA and

MWM Listservs, text messages and set-

ting up a Facebook event and wall post

reminders.

JazakAllahKhair to everyone

who attended! The cabinet and com-

mittee heads were very excited with

the turnout. The positive feedback has

prompted us to plan a similar event at

the beginning of next semester. Be on

the lookout for details!

If you have ideas or recom-

mendations for the MSA or MWM, defi-

nitely stop by the office before the end

of the semester. We‟re open 5 days a

week Mon-Fri for Cabinet Hours, Quran

Classes, Committee meetings and

more!

By Tubah Sultan

News

5

What do the underclassmen

think of UMD‟s MSA? I interviewed

freshman, Aisha Hussain, on her first

semester experience being a part of

UMD‟s MSA. Aisha is majoring in Psy-

chology.

1) Were you aware of UMD's MSA

before coming to the University of

Maryland?

“Yes, a few of my friends who are

older than me were members and so

I’d heard about it. Also, I participated

in MIST in high school and met peo-

ple who are now in the MSA, so the

UMD MSA isn't entirely new to me.”

2) If you were aware of UMD's MSA,

did that play an influential part in your

decision to come to UMD?

“In some ways yes and in some no. I

liked that the UMD MSA was really ac-

tive and that I knew that I wouldn't be

going to the University completely alone-

-I would know a few people at least

through the MSA. But at the same time,

this was also a bit of a setback since I

didn’t want to stay with people I’d grown

up with, I wanted to meet new people at

Maryland as well (but now that I’m here,

it’s a good balance since the campus is

so big, you’ll meet people everywhere

but still know where to find your close

friends).

3) How would you describe your first

semester experience being a part of

Maryland's MSA?

“Overall it's been a good one Alhumdulil-

lah, a few minor things here and there,

By Neelam Sultan

but I've learned a lot already through

the MSA and met a lot of great peo-

ple.”

4) What is your most memorable MSA

experience(s) so far?

“My most memorable experience

wouldn't really be an event, more like

moments that stand out to me in the

Musallah or Jummah. But, if I had to

choose an event it would be the MWM

Ball, which was a lot more fun than I

expected.”

5) What would you like to see more of

from the MSA in the future?

“The MSA is doing a good job in keep-

ing up with educating us in Islam, but

as an underclassman I know that I

went to a lot of the older sisters for

advice with my classes and the Univer-

sity in general, so it would be nice to

see (other than the mentoring pro-

gram) more (I guess, events?) that are

not taking the focus away from Islam,

but just help the freshman/

underclassmen transition from high

school to the University of Maryland.”

6) Any last thoughts on the MSA at

Maryland?

“Overall the MSA is nice,

[although] judgmental sometimes, it's

definitely a good place to meet people

at UMD who share common interests

with you. "

As an MSA we should listen to

and reflect upon what underclassmen

have to say about our organization.

First impressions are significant, they

can influence ones decision to be a

part of our MSA and ultimately change

the course of one‟s University experi-

ence and experiences thereafter. In-

shAllah the MSA at Maryland will con-

tinually strive to listen to its member

body and act upon concerns and ideas

that will better the overall perception

and experience of the MSA.

Freshman Insight

6

News

Shown on right: Sophomore Me-hreen Masoud connects with freshman Sagah Ahmad

Shown below: Muslim sisters in a MWM event.

7

Spirituality

Struggle is the Key to Attaining Guidance

By Mohammed Shaikh and Omar Chatila

Hadith of the Month: Loving for the Sake of Allah

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him, said: "Allah will resurrect on the Day of Judgment

people whose faces are full of light (noor), on pulpits of

pearl, being envied by the people. They are not messengers

nor are they martyrs."

An Arab person knelt down on his knees and said: "Oh mes-

senger of Allah, tell us who they are!"

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "They

are those who love each other for Allah's sake. They are

from different tribes, and different countries, and they

come together and gather to mention Allah and remem-

ber Him." [Authenticated by Al-Albani]

Provided by Susan Shatila

Sins mean transgression of

Allah law‟s. Most of us wonder why we

commit sins most of the time, and Why

we have this difficulty overcoming the

desires.

Let‟s discuss the reasons

behind the struggles we have with the

sins we commit. Allah, the Most Wise,

created desires in us humans for a

reason. For example, we enjoy sleeping

and relaxing, we (men and women)

love beauty, and Allah more specifi-

cally bestowed upon women a beauty

that allures the eyes of men. We also

love to look beautiful. Women specifi-

cally have this desire (part of their

fitra) to dress elegantly and be ad-

mired by others.

All of these desires have wis-

dom behind them. The desire to relax

exists because our bodies need it to

function properly. Men and women are

attracted to each other so that they

can pursue marriage and populate this

Earth. Allah has bestowed women with

beauty to attract the attention of

men. However, as believers, the exis-

tence of desires holds an underlying

reason, one that overshadows the

rest. These desires exist in order that

Allah may test us on how we fulfill

these desires. Allah states in the

Qur‟an: “For anyone who has trans-

gressed and preferred the present

life, Hell will be home; for anyone

who feared the meeting with his Lord

and restrained himself from base

desires, Paradise will be home” (79:

37-38). As scholars said, one of the

reasons the prophets were sent is to

save individuals and society in this

life. If these desires are fulfilled ac-

cording to Allah‟s law, then the soci-

ety will live in peace.

So, when you sleep at

night, are you going to set your alarm

to wake up for Fajr? Do you pray the

five prayers on time? Why do you

wake up for your classes but not for

Fajr?

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

Sisters, are going to cover

your body up properly? Are you going

to cover this blessing that Allah has

bestowed upon you, cover it from the

eyes of men who are not lawful for

you? Or you are going to just ignore

the conditions of the Hijab, as men-

tioned by Allah Himself. Or have you

gone worse than that?

Brothers, are you going to

lower your gaze when you see a

beautiful woman passing by you? Are

you going to needlessly chat with a

lady who it is not permissible for you

to interact with? Or have you gone

worse than that?

Yes, you might forget that

Allah is watching over you. You may

become weak in front of your de-

sires. You are human after all.

But, are you going to prefer Allah or

your desires? are you going to give

up that easily? Or will you choose to

struggle?

8

Lifestyle

Final Fears or Just an Illusion?

It‟s like a reoccurring night-

mare. Always in your subconscious, but

as the days get closer, you can‟t get it

out of your mind.

Final Exams. Now, I wish I had

five easy steps to acing every final, but

I like to keep it real - they don‟t exist.

What I CAN help you with, is how best

to prepare yourself mentally, physi-

cally, and spiritually for that week of

dreadful finals.

DON‟T Psyche yourself out! Its fi-

nals week, not the Day of

Judgment. People have gone

through it before you, and

people will go through it after

you. To prepare yourself men-

tally, write out your week. List

all your exams and all other

activities, responsibilities, or

assignments you have. Having

things on paper will help you

visualize and organize your

tasks.

DON‟T skip prayers! Even if you

feel like you‟ve just finally got-

ten into your studying groove,

as much as you study, only

Allah can determine your out-

come; trust that. Also, what is

an act of worship can also

become a break from the

seemingly never-ending stud-

ies at hand. You return to your

books refreshed, renewed,

and in the right state of mind.

Take the time to honor your

prayers and value your time

with Allah just as you value

your time with your books.

DON‟T overload on caffeine! They

will only make you jittery

causing you to crash later. If

you drink caffeine regularly,

completely cutting it out of

your diet may give you a

headache, so just stick to

your regular one cup of Joe.

Otherwise, avoid the Venti

coffees and the destructive

energy drinks. If you‟re get-

ting your rest, just keep hy-

drated with water throughout

the day. If you need a little

kick, try green tea, warm or

chilled, as an alternative.

DON‟T forget to say bismillah! No

better way to start your exam

than with the remembrance

of Allah. There are also many

duaas, or supplications, you

can say before you start your

exam. A duaa that I particu-

larly like is the one that

Prophet Musa (peace be

upon him) used before he

went to confront Pharaoh, it

goes as follows:

“Rabbi ishrah lee sadree,

Wayassir lee amree, Wahlul

Uqdatan min lisanee, Yafqa-

hoo qawlee” Translates: “My

Lord, I ask you to expand my

breast, make my task easy,

undo the knot in my tongue

so that my speech will be-

come comprehensible”

DO make some sacrifices! Family

having a movie night? Some

friends celebrating their early

end of exams? Sit it out. In

the bigger scope of things,

the extra time will help you

eliminate the stressful nights

keeping you calm, cool, and

collected. You‟ll have all of

winter break to let loose!

DO stay up after Fajr! Following

the practice of our beloved

Prophet (may peace and

blessings be upon him), do

not return to your pillows

straight after your Fajr

prayer. Instead, use this time

to study. You will retain a lot

more information and feel

less drowsy throughout the

day.

DO eat before your exam! Make

an exception to your carb-

free diet for the week. Carbs

release most of the energy

our brains use. To utilize this,

eat a light meal with carbohy-

drates about two hours be-

fore your exam. Fruits, vege-

tables, whole grains, beans,

and nuts are all great things

to incorporate into your meal.

By Tara Mohammed

Thoughts on Winter Break from an Alumna

9

Alumni

Wondering how to spend this

Winter Break? Alumna, Mariam Khan

speaks on how she spent her Winter

Breaks as a student at UMD and ad-

vises current students on how to make

this Winter Break time well-spent and

more meaningful.

1) How did you spend your Winter

Breaks as a student at UMD?

“I interned at a biotech company for two

winters after working with them over the

summer. One winter I also started pre-

paring for the MSA Dawah Committee

for the next semester.”

2) Over Winter Break were you a part of

any non-profit or community service

efforts?

If so, what was the service effort and

how was it a meaningful experience?

“MIST outreach activities and Project

Downtown. Project Downtown is a DC

Council community service activity. DC

Area MSAs bag lunches and distribute

them to the homeless around DC. We

got the chance to offer a meal to those

that are less fortunate and also share

conversations with them.”

3) Looking back, are there things you

would have done differently or spent

you time differently over Winter Break?

“Looking back, I wish we would have

shared our break plans with each other

to encourage and support one another

in using our time wisely. Yes, some of

us might be working, taking classes,

spending more time with the family,

etc., etc. but afterwards when we

shared our 'break stories,' it always felt

like we had potential to do more, espe-

cially when it came to getting closer to

Allah swt.”

4) How is Winter Break different from

Summer Break? What opportunities

does Winter Break provide that are dif-

ferent from Summer Break?

“Winter break offers a shorter period of

time to experiment with things you

might be interested in. If you have

thoughts about a minor or changing a

major, this is a perfect time to explore

the idea to make help make your deci-

sion. Also, it's a perfect time to break

a bad habit. Having trouble with Fajr

salah, inconsistent reading or memori-

zation of the Qur'an, procrastination,

organization (including that untidy

room), or poor eating habits? Nip that

bad habit in the bud this break! Six

weeks is just enough time to make a

change, long term or permanent. And

remember the Prophet sws said:

„Whoever leaves something for the

sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with

something better.‟ ”

5) What is your advice to current stu-

dents who are not sure what to do with

their time over Winter Break and wish

to make the most of their Winter

Break?

“ My advice would be to first ask Allah

swt to grant you barakah in your time.

And remember: ".......my success (in my

task) can only come from Allah. In Him

I trust, and unto Him I look. " [Qur'an

11:88]

Mariam Khan graduated in Spring

2009 with a major in the Biological

Sciences (Physiology/ Neurobiology)

and minor in Spanish.

By Neelam Sultan

“...it always felt

like we had

potential to do

more, especially

when it came to

getting closer to

Allah swt.”

10

Lifestyle

Simplicity Simplified By Anonymous

Over the past few years, I‟ve

realized nothing in the Manual of Life

is confusing or even complicated. It‟s

how we read it that confuses us. Life

doesn‟t demand that we conform to

the latest fashions or that we throw the

best party. We don‟t even have to take

our vitamins and stay out of harms

way. Bring harm to me and I promise

you I will be just fine.

We fret over the little things;

the non-essentials. We fuss over what

brand of jeans we wear and over the

Ranch & Ziplocs we buy. Walk into any

grocery isle today and you‟ll find well

over 75 varieties of chips. The non-fat

and the low-fat and the extra extra oily

fat; they‟re all the same. The world of

choices is simply a con to confuse us

into buying more than we

need. I‟m not trying to en-

dorse communism, but hon-

estly the multitude all these

choices is getting ridiculous.

We end up standing there for

fifteen minutes just to get a

bag of chips, and then we

worry if the guests will like

them. Maybe the lime fla-

vored ones would be better,

or maybe the fiery hot cheesy

dippables…

Talking about food,

why did we stop eating it?

Future generations won‟t

even know what real food is

because of how much we‟re

butchering its existence! Our

foods might as well be made

in plastic? Along with every-

thing else because it‟s all

fake. Life doesn‟t call for ge-

netically altered and artifi-

cially pumped food. And even

after all these chemicals are

injected into our food, we

somehow worry about taking

daily vitamin tablets. We vex

about how much food we can pro-

duce and enhancing the size. In real-

ity we‟re simply fueling debates and

causing even larger headaches. Is

normal, naturally grown food insuffi-

cient for us? Are fruits and vegeta-

bles going extinct in favor to artificial

and chemical poisons?! My heart

goes out to those kids who will never

in their lives enjoy a pure, unaltered

strawberry.

Besides the fact that it does-

n‟t satisfy my taste buds, I‟m sure

the physical well-being of my body

doesn‟t appreciate fake food either.

The human body is a miracle of its

own and has been yelling at us for

the past 100 or so years. We insult it

by ingesting cough syrup and over-

doses on Advil. We have the best

health care in history and yet we

still worry about kids climbing trees

and running on the school sidewalk.

The worst that could happen is a

child gets a broken limb. The child

would actually be happy to be given

a little extra human attention, and a

couple scoops of their favorite ice

cream. As far as our body is con-

cerned, all we need is a little more

sun, wind, and water.

It‟s almost as if we enjoy

the complications. When there

aren‟t any, life is boring and unsat-

isfactory. What ever happened to

that simple old lady that lived in a

shoe?

Sisters enjoying each other’s company simply for the sake of Allah.

11

Spirituality/Lifestyle

The Essence of Peace By Nurideen Bashir

About two weeks ago I found

something on television that intrigued

me; a debate on whether Islam was a

“peaceful” religion. The forum was

headed by a white man and featured

two prominent Muslim scholars on the

proposition and two atheists on the op-

position. The objective of the show was

to sway the audience in favor of the

side that laid the best argument. For a

while I became enthralled in the debate

and tactics of both sides as they argued

and counter-argued, jostling back and

forth to prove their superior knowledge

of the subject matter and then at some

point it hit me. After quarrelling within

myself for a few profoundly futile mo-

ments I came to a precipice that led to

one question in particular; who was I to

question whether Islam is peaceful or

not? When did we as human beings

become so righteous that we‟d have the

gall to question higher power? If any-

thing, it would seem that what should

have been debated was whether

“people are peaceful” not Islam.

The interesting thing about this

is when Allah created the human, He

infamously proclaimed the word “BE”

and there we were. It‟s never said that

Allah mentions the word peaceful or

harmonious after that word “BE,” so

what makes us think we are so peace-

ful? If we are arbiters of peace, what

does it say that as many wars have

been started in the name of peace, just

as much have in the name of conflict?

After all, Martin Luther King and Mal-

colm X died in the name of this great

concept that we‟ve claimed as our own.

Wasn‟t the war in Iraq, prisons, and the

creation of the Taliban all built around

this concept? Say what you will but in

order for there to be a peace, one must

thwart some other form of opposition,

much like this debate. Prisons, police,

and yes, even the Taliban were concep-

tualized in the name of peace. So do we

really need Islam to be peaceful? And

did Allah intend for it to be peaceful?

The fact is, Islam is the way

of life but it‟s not the life and the hu-

man; the life itself, is a mere vessel of

both good and bad. There is NO life

that is above this rule. This is why we

say „As salaam wa alaikum’(may

peace be upon you). This is not be-

cause we are inherently peaceful peo-

ple; rather we are suggesting that the

peace of Allah and the peace within

us be brought to light instead of the

evils within. But the truth is, peace is

not the only thing we are asking for,

as the greeting is supposed to be ex-

tended to „As salaam wa alaikum wa

rahmatu Allahi wa barakatu’ (may the

peace and mercy and blessings of Al-

lah be upon you). This is the essence

of what Islam is. It is not just peaceful;

it is merciful and breeds blessings.

More than peace, this is the essence

of balance and this is what we must

understand about Islam and about us

as human beings. It is not a matter of

whether Islam is peaceful, it is bal-

ance. And we are in need of balance;

neither peace nor conflict can compare

to contentment. This is what Islam is.

A young Mus-lim brother

representing the essence of peace through du’a

and connection to Allah (swt); Image taken by

Ridwanur Rahman

December 2003 was my first

time traveling out of the country. My

mom and I would be gone for 3 weeks.

For months beforehand, we drove be-

tween Philadelphia and Baltimore for

Sunday classes and packing lessons.

We were ready, or at least we thought

we were. Nothing actually prepares you

for standing in front of the very first

place of worship with millions of other

people from all over the world. It is an

amazing experience, one beyond

words, something that can only be felt.

I was 12, in the 7th grade, and

my mom had spoken to our group

leader, who confirmed that I was old

enough for my pilgrimage to be

counted. After that, there was no turn-

ing back. We prepared to embark upon

a journey from which many do not re-

turn. Fear was not one of our major

emotions; instead there was great ex-

citement and nervousness. We wanted

to make sure every step was made

with exact precision so that our duas

and overall pilgrimage would be ac-

cepted. They say that „only those who

are invited by Allah (swt) get the oppor-

tunity to make Hajj,‟ and we honored

that invitation by learning, memorizing,

and carrying out every ritual just the

way Rasulullah (s) had performed it.

Being the youngest and most

energetic member of our group, the

thought of danger was far from my

mind. Every outing in Makkah and Me-

dina was an adventure in my eyes,

even if it was as simple as walking to

get food. Upon arriving in Makkah, the

first thing we did was put on our ihram

and walk down the street from our ho-

tel to Masjid Al-Haram. It was about 2

in the morning and the Masjid was just

as full as if it was dhuhr time. Thou-

sands of Muslims were swarming

around the Ka‟bah and praying Sun-

nah. There was so much order

amongst the chaos. SubhanAllah and

Allahu akbar were the only things we

could say. My mother and I were in a

group of several women and two or

three men. I remember we were down

on the first level making our tawaf, and

at some point we all made the decision

to go up and touch the Ka‟bah. The

moment my hand touched the brick,

an indescribable feeling ran through

me - almost like a glowing light entered

my body, filled every part of me, and

left through my feet. It was unlike any-

thing I had ever felt before. I knew at

that moment this trip would forever

change me.

I learned many lessons on

Hajj, the major one being the impor-

tance of patience. Sabr was the one

word that everyone continuously said

to each other throughout our time in

Saudi. Hajj was not a stagnant event

in my life. It remains a constant re-

minder of the beauty and awesome-

ness of this deen. After Hajj there was

absolutely no doubt in my mind that I

was on the right team.

Hajj: the Journey of a Lifetime By Anisah Imani

12

Spirituality

They say that ‘only those who are invited by Allah (swt)

get the opportunity to make Hajj,’ and we honored that

invitation by learning, memorizing, and carrying out

every ritual just the way Rasulullah (s) had performed it.”

Image of Ka’bah taken from Nadia El-Hillal

My purpose is clear as crystal stars

I can see through to your heart

and there's so few Mars or Venus be-

tween it

the type of seed that can raise the

seas in the seasons

you're so cool, you sing from your core

and that chorus is soulful

I adore it in fact I applaud as if I were

your audience

and you're my performance, gorgeous

but then what are portraits for

the calm in the middle of this war

arrows flying, fear, violence

but Eros, the son of Aphrodite's inside

us so

in the midst of this roar you're a si-

lence

you're the truth so I don't hear the lion

when you shine, I shine right beside

it's an honor, we're defying modern

science

I get why they say lower your gaze

since most of us cannot take the rays

you're a ten set ablaze

even when there is rain there's never

a hint of gray with you

so I am not afraid of you

in fact, I'm amazed at you

as we circumambulate

even when there is rain there's never

a better day than you

So there you have it

I'm dedicating this to my favorite

golden shining flower

a yellow rose and a firecracker frozen,

such explosive firepower

I know, I know sometimes I overstep

my bounds

but you see, every king should over-

step his crown for a queen

and you are a queen,

so when you rise I fall for it

never tripping I just hover

and in that instant I discovered you

glow at a distance

I realized we could be lovers

like sweet dreams and summer

and winter and all its wonder

did you ever notice I follow you

around the globe miss

watching over your slumber?

that's your level, that's your caliber

and I would never want to steal your

shine only reflect it

with your hands in mine I'll protect

your intentions

wouldn't mind you being the first to

my second

because seconds lead to minutes and

minutes lead to hours

and I would love to have ours

so run, and run, and stun and stun

you sparkling sun

in all your everlasting beauty

and know that I'm in tune with every

movement

since you and I are one in two miss

since you're my Laila, and I'm your

Majnun miss

sincerely yours, a really flawed, nearly

floored

humble Moon...

What Adam told Eve: Part 2 By Nurideen Bashir

13

Creative Writing

Our Worlds By Tara Mohammed

Now we're getting personal

The All Just knows justice

So you're lucky it‟s not just us in this

room

Because an eye for an eye

Does not mean you should follow a lie

with more lies

So excuse me while I look past you for

some truths.

Unable to dissect the realities of be-

ing selfless

You're stuck in a realm of self absorb-

ance

Where you equals I and

We doesn't include me

So how can you expect me to achieve

anything

When you don't know you from me

And I can't be I without you

And you can't be you without we?

So where does it go from here?

I'm dotting I's and crossing T's

In the hopes that you may compre-

hend my anthology

But understanding is only half the

work

I'm giving you the key

But you'll have to do the clockwork

Because time doesn't endure all

So you're winding backwards

But tricks only fool the foolish

And the foolish tend to fall

Into timeless ignorance

Because history does repeat

And unconsciousness doesn't come

discrete

So unleash your fears and prepare for

your defeat

But you‟re already beat down and

abused

I know you're tired of the past

But you continue passing down evils

that need to be passed...

I'm just trying to change your world

While I make imprints in mine

Like we're entwined but

I still can't seem to align

our planets

So I'll settle for it to be

Sunshines

to shorelines for us to meet.

14

Advertisements

15

Advertisements

www.issuu.com/alnur