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
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