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Transcript of An-Nur: Volume 10 - Issue 3 (March 30, 2007)
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An-Nur The newsletter of the Muslim Students‘ Association & the Muslim Women of Maryland Volume 10, Issue 3
“The Light” MWM
Muslim Women of Maryland
Contact Us!
Please send your creative
submissions, comments, and
suggestions to
[email protected]. ―Verily Allah does not change the situation of a
nation until they change that which is in
themselves‖
Ibn Kathir states that when Allah created
Adam he left him in the clay form for forty
days. Satan went towards Adam and said ―you
have been created for a great purpose‖. This
purpose is so blessed that Satan became jealous
and eventually became a disbeliever due to his
jealousy. Yet what was this amazing purpose for
which Adam was created, Allah says in the
Quran ―and we have not created jinn and
mankind except that they become my slaves‖.
The word ―yabadun‖ is generally translated as
worship but worship is limited to rituals
whereas slavery is complete in its love and
obedience to Allah. It is through this great
purpose that Allah has honored us and extolled
us. So what is the perfection of this worship? It
comes in the form of the best of creation, the
prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is through him
we see the perfection in slavery. The prophet
was sent to guide people and change their
condition as Allah says ―to take them out of
darkness into light‖. The prophet is no longer
with us but he has left behind him the tools of
social change and that is the book of Allah and
his sunnah. It is through these tools of social
change that is the solution to the Ummah. It is
the solution to the disease of the military
occupation of Palestine, it is the solution to the
dictatorship throughout the Muslim world, it is
the solution to the weakness of faith within our
hearts, and it is the remedy for disbelief
wherever we may find it. It is through these
tools that‘s we change that which is in us and
then Allah will change the situation around us.
Allah will not give victory to us until we give
victory to him through our obedience and love.
The MSA is an organization of Muslims
who represent the ummah on this campus. We
are a sample of the ummah in our diversity of
thoughts, backgrounds and commitment to this
deen. If we are able to start this change within us
we will see the change around us. If we fast more
we will see our bodies healthier, if we read the
Quran we will se our grades better, if we respect
our parents we will see our lives fuller. There is
not an act of worship except that there is some
benefit in this life and a tremendous reward with
Allah in the hereafter. If we fail to perfect our
character which was the sole purpose of the
prophetic mission then we can‘t expect that
people will come to our events and benefit from
us when we have not benefited from the prophetic
character. The situation around us is ultimately a
manifestation of that which is in us. If we are
disgraced we have a disgraceful heart and if we
are the pride of campus then we have a humble
heart. So let our theme be ―Changing that which is
around us by changing that which is in us‖.
Solution for the Ummah
By Sami Said
“ . . . L I G H T U P O N L I G H T ! A L L A H G U I D E S T O H I S L I G H T W H O M S O E V E R H E P L E A S E S . A N D A L L A H S E T S F O R T H P A R A B L E S F O R M E N , A N D A L L A H K N O W S
A L L T H I N G S F U L L W E L L . ” [ H O L Y Q U R ’ A N ]
Rabi Al-Awal 1428 March 30, 2007
MSA History
Founded in 1969, the Muslim
Students' Association is an
organization dedicated to
serving the Muslim students
on campus and educating the
campus community about
Islam and Muslims. We carry
out Islamic activities, sponsor
social, community service,
and charity events, and
strengthens relations and
understanding between Mus-
lims and non-Muslims.
Influential Intentions 2
Life Lessons 3
Islam Today 4
Power of the Quran 6
Creative Writing 7
Inside this issue:
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An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 2
Influential Intentions Islamic Activism: Reflections from the Hadith on Intentions
by Sami Zaharna
ness that we have been in for so many
years to a state of brightness and success. It
is only through Islam that the success of
this life and the Hereafter will be attained.
This is how we must understand our Is-
lamic work: a revolutionary means to
bringing the justice of Islam to this earth.
Yes indeed, revolutionary is what we
ought to think of Islamic work as being.
Even if it seems like we are just making a
small difference, it may be that Allah (swt)
creates leaders from amongst these organi-
zations, leaders who may one day be the
reasons for the victory of this ummah. As
Allah (swt) says, ―and nobody knows the
soldiers of Allah (swt) except He.‖ If call-
ing to the path of Allah (swt), the path that
Allah (swt) himself calls to, is not a revolu-
tionary concept, then what is? ― And Who
is better in speech than one who calls to
Allah, works righteousness, and says, ‘I am
of those who bow in Islam’?!”
With the correct intentions and sincere
activism in Allah‘s cause, anything is pos-
sible. So insha‘Allah with this mind, we
ask Allah (swt) to make us from among
those who approach Islamic work with
clear intentions and seeking His pleasure
alone, and to make us from those who are
of the first part of the hadith regarding in-
tentions, ―…he whose migration (hijrah)
was to Allah and His Messenger, his mi-
gration is to Allah and His Messenger.” Make marriage the second or third inten-
tion =) and insha‘Allah you will be re-
warded with both the reward and the right-
eous spouse.
A couple of years ago, when I had
just started getting involved in Islamic
work, I attended an activity in one of the
MSA meetings. Before this activity
started, the brother who was running it
made us all stand up in lines and he
asked us a question: ―Who of you had an
intention before coming to this MSA
meeting today?‖ He asked those who
had no intention to step to the side.
Rather embarrassed, I stepped to the side
- I couldn‘t remember having any inten-
tion for going to that meeting. I then
realized that for a whole year I had not
had an intention or focus behind any of
the Islamic work I had been doing.
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
says in the famous hadith (of which the
scholars say is half of Islam), ―All ac-
tions are based on intentions and for
each individual is that which he in-
tended…‖ This hadith is applicable to
every single action that we do, whether it
is praying Salah, giving Zakah or play-
ing basketball. It is from Allah's (swt)
mercy that if someone intends to do
something good, but something comes
up that prevents him from doing it, then
Allah (swt) will reward him for that
good anyway. Similarly, if someone
intends to do an evil action and is pre-
vented from doing it due to unforeseen
circumstances, then Allah (swt) will
punish him as if he had done that action.
Therefore, having an intention is impor-
tant in every action.
Perhaps the most important action
that we need to have an intention for is
our Islamic work. A person can come in
with many intentions when doing Is-
lamic work. For example, someone may
want to get involved with a Muslim or-
ganization in order to find a righteous
spouse. Ultimately, there is nothing
wrong with this intention; however, you
will only be rewarded with that which
you intended (and Allah knows best if
you find her/him!) On the same note,
someone may want to get involved with
the MSA because of the brotherhood and
social aspects of the organization.
Again, this person will be rewarded with
that which he intended. As the Prophet
(pbuh) says at the end of the famous
hadith about intentions, ―…but he
whose migration was for some worldly
thing he might gain, or for a wife he
might marry, his migration is to that
for which he migrated." All the above intentions are good
intentions (especially getting married
=)), and there is nothing wrong with
having them. However, it is important to
realize that the Islamic work that we are
doing is for a much greater purpose than
just worldly means or personal benefit.
When Rustum, the commander of the
Persian army, asked Rib‘ee ibn Amir,
the representative from the Muslim
army, what the motives were of the Mus-
lims in fighting the Persians, ibn Amir
responded, ―We have come to take peo-
ple from the worship of creation to the
worship of the Lord of creation, and
from the oppression of religions to the
justice of Islam, and from the restriction
of this life to the vastness of the Hereaf-
ter.‖ As Muslims, we should be striving
to revive the religion of Allah (swt).
That will bring us from the state of dark-
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SINCERE SUBMISSION
The word Islam comes from the Arabic
root word meaning ―to submit‖ – in context,
wholehearted, sincere submission to Allah,
the One God of Adam, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus, Muhammad, and all of the Prophets,
peace be upon them all. Through this
submission, the human being gains peace and
tranquility in the relationship between him
and his Creator, conducting his life according
to how Allah wanted. But through it, he also
takes a pact to conduct his life in accordance
with Allah‘s laws, rules, and guidance to the
best of his ability.
Allah the Exalted says in the Holy
Qur‘an: ―Allah is the protector of the
believers: from the depths of darkness He will
lead them forth into light. As for those who
reject faith, their patrons are the Evil Ones
and Wrongdoers: from light they lead them
into the depths of darkness. These are the
Companions of the Fire, dwelling therein
(forever).‖ (2:257).
So we see that by choosing a way of life,
one is also choosing a road to walk – either
from light into darkness, or from darkness
into light. For those who might think this to
be simply a metaphor, carefully review your
past. Do you remember all of the sins which
Allah hid from the eyes of humanity? Do you
remember how your prayers used to wait until
the last 10 minutes of the time window, and
He caused you to look forward to meeting
Him? Do you remember your friends who
sunk into the maelstrom of alcohol, drugs,
deceit, lying, cheating, theft, illicit relations,
and Allah chose you among many to protect
from these harms? Truly, faith is a savior
from a darkness where one can not see his
own outstretched hand. And the current
status of our ummah (community) and world
should be an indication that we are
collectively quite far from true faith.
Dear reader, notice the prerequisite of the
entrance into light: taking Islam as a way of
life, not a religion alone. Anyone can
proclaim faith on the tongue, but who is it
that can display the sweetness of that faith in
action? So many of the religious people
confine their faith in both time and space. In
time, they choose Friday, Saturday, or
Sunday as their holy day; in space, they are
confined to a mosque, synagogue, church, or
temple. On these days and in these places,
mindful of the watch of their Lord you will
find them the best people; yet upon exit, you
find them a changed people. This is not the
way of the believing Muslim.
So many of the atrocities of humanity‘s
recent years are attributed to our collective
distance from the guidance of Allah. Think
– in this past century, we have seen more
people die in war and armed conflict than in
the combined history of human conflict to
that point, a fact truly unimaginable. It is
estimated that 85% of the world‘s wealth is
shared by under 20% of its population. And
the list goes on. Allah asks rhetorically in
the Qur‘an: ―Is it not His to create and to
govern?‖ (7:54). Yet we have reversed the
command of this noble verse – so we wish
that to Allah is creation, and to our own
selves is the command and governing
decisions. And we see where this attitude
has taken us.
Allah further teaches us: ―And they say,
‗We believe in Allah and in the Messenger,
and we obey‘: but even after that, some of
them turn away: these are not (truly)
believers‖ (24:47). What clearer account
can we request to show that faith of the
tongue is no faith at all?
Allah the Exalted also says: ―But no, by
your Lord, they can have no (real) faith,
until they make you (Muhammad) judge in
all disputes between them, and find in their
souls no resistance against your decisions,
and submit themselves in full
conviction‖ (4:65). So we see here that
Islam takes its part in all affairs of our life –
yet most of us do not adopt this attitude. A
true believer must understand that in all
worldly matters – finances, banks, marriage,
Life Lessons Duties of the Conscientious Towards a Better Tomorrow
by Mohamed Abutaleb
An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 3
divorce, work, education, food, drink,
cleanliness, worship – in every stage of life
from birth to nursing to weaning to
childhood to school to profession to
retirement to death – there is hukm Allah –
the ruling of Allah. Its presence and
existence is indisputable – what must be
reviewed is our conviction and willingness
to submit to it.
Dear reader, do not become confused
between conscious submission and blind
faith. Repeatedly, the Qur‘an forbids the
Muslims from blind faith as it accounts and
reviews prior nations that used to say ―we
have seen our forefathers do such before
us.‖ The faith of a Muslim stems from a
deep conviction and understanding, and it is
for this reason I have termed it a sincere,
conscious submission. Muslims say every
day multiple times in their prayers, ―I bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship
but Allah‖ – literally indicating that while
they have not seen it with their own eyes,
their conviction and belief is so firm that it
transcends even that of one who
has visually confirmed the fact.
As we conclude, let me briefly
comment on how we are to find
the ruling of Allah in the affairs of our lives.
Dear friends, in academic and professional
settings we are all very respectful of
scholarship and expertise – yet when we
enter the doors of the mosque, we all tend to
want to be religious scholars. It is the
nature of the disciplines of knowledge that
scholarship in them requires years upon
years of dedicated and focused study with
frequent examinations, homework, and
“Allah is the protector of the believers: from the depths of darkness
He will lead them forth into light…” -The Holy Quran
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Islam Today
An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 4
So What’s wrong with a postmodern Interpretation of the Qur’an?
by Maria Khalid
―His only supposed crime was that he
took a postmodern interpretation of the
Qur‘an.‖ Those were the words of my Eng-
lish professor in reference to Salman Rush-
die‘s writing The Satanic Verses. She con-
demned the people who were responsible
for persecuting Rushdie, for in her opinion,
Rushdie had done absolutely nothing
wrong. And while I will not condone how
he was treated, what he did in his book
merits some consideration. The fact is that,
unfortunately, many American Muslims
also take a postmodern interpretation of the
Qur‘an. In their case, the intention is pure
and the outcome isn‘t nearly as absurd, but
nevertheless, they are engaging in a big sin
and they do not realize it.
What does a postmodern interpretation
mean?
This method of interpretation is what we
are taught in schools and it is what we
have formed the habit of using. Postmod-
ern theory states that any reader can inter-
pret any text based on his/her own intelli-
gence alone, without recognition of the
author‘s intent. This means outside sources
of any kind are not needed for explanation.
The idea behind this theory is that lan-
guage is infinite in the meanings that it can
contain. You cannot restrict any piece of
literature to one single meaning. Therefore,
each reader should be free to derive every
possible meaning that the language of a
text may convey, whether intentionally or
unintentionally. What this means in prac-
tice is that I can pick up any book- for exam-
ple, Moby Dick- and I can argue that in fact
the entire book is about capitalism; that the
whale in the novel represents the capitalist‘s
undying desire to consume even that which is
beyond his reach. This interpretation may be
far off from what the author intended, but in
this case it does not matter. Postmodern inter-
pretation is all about the reader and what he
chooses to understand from a piece literature.
However, individual interpretation is al-
ways based off one‘s own experience. Think
about this, when you are interpreting a text,
what are you really doing other than project-
ing your own ideas and experiences onto it?
So if you were a communist, it may be that
you would interpret Moby Dick in the way
that I described, because you would be pro-
jecting your own way of thinking onto what
you are reading. However, if you are reading
something to try to ―attain truth‖ (which,
some postmodernists claim, is the general
purpose of literature) then that truth is really
from within yourself and limited by your
understanding. Nothing about that supposed
―truth‖ is finite or universal.
Now in the instance of reading any ordi-
nary book or novel, there is nothing wrong
with using the postmodern approach. The
purose of the approach is for readers to stay
away from the tendency to idealize or wor-
ship the author. However, in the case of the
Qur‘an this same method does not hold up
because, who is the author of the Qur‘an? It
is Allah (swt), the All-Knowing, and the
Wise. We do worship Him, so therefore we
want to determine the true meaning and what
He has intended, not our own convoluted
ideas.
So it should not come as a surprise that
the Qur‘an was not traditionally interpreted
according to the postmodern method, nor was
it interpreted haphazardly by random people.
There is a clear methodology behind the con-
struction of Qur'anic exegesis that the legiti-
mate scholars of Islam followed throughout
the centuries; if it were not for this clear-cut
methodology, people would have (and have)
deduced meanings from the Qur‘an, whether
intentionally or unintentionally, that justify
their own desires.
The traditional methodology of interpret-
ing Qur’an is as follows:
1. Qur‘an is interpreted by Qur‘an: some of
the verses of the Qur‘an, Allah explains
though other Qur‘anic verses. (And who is
there better to explain than Allah (swt)).
2. Qur‘an is explained through the Sunnah.
3. Qur‘an is explained through the state-
ments/actions of the Sahabah or Tabi‘un (the
generation that immediately succeeded the
Sahabah and were
taught by them)
4. Tafsir of the
Qur‘an by language:
(With the passage of time, and as the Mus-
lims conquered new non-Arabic-speaking
territories, new words entered the Arabic
language. Some of the words already in the
language took on multiple meanings. Thus
some of the meanings that were understood
by the companions and the early generations
needed more explanation for the later genera-
tions. This period witnessed many dictionar-
ies that were specifically made for Qura‘anic
Arabic.)
5. Qur‘an interpreted based on opinion**
**Opinion based on a careful study of the
first four steps is allowed as long as it does
not contradict those first four steps. It is
evident from all of this that a very deep un-
derstanding and knowledge of Islamic
knowledge is required for those who are
qualified to write tafsir. This does not mean
that the Qur‘an is inaccessible for us, for
there are also many verses that are straight-
forward in their meaning. Since the Qur‘an is
a book for all times, we are also allowed to
apply obvious meanings to current times.
However, free interpretation based on phi-
losophical, scientific or individual ideas that
contradict with Islam is strongly forbidden.
“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and we will assuredly pre-
serve it..”- The Holy Quran
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The prophet (pbuh) said, ―Opinion based
argument about the Qur‘an is kufr.‖ He re-
peated this three times, and then said ―What
you know of it. Act upon; and what you are
ignorant of, refer it to one who knows.‖ This
indicates the importance of reading and ex-
ploring the numerous tafsirs of the Qur‘an
that have been written. Or at least we can
consult those who are more knowledgeable
on these topics than we are, for if we were
allowed to interpret the Qur‘an as we
wished, its value would have been dimin-
ished.
The important thing to keep in mind
here is the intent behind the different inter-
pretation methods. Postmodern interpreta-
tion takes for granted that the author is un-
important. The intent is to use literature in
an attempt to reach a superficial, subjective
understanding of truth. Whereas, the truth
we find in the Qur‘an is neither superficial,
nor subjective, and the author is the most
important element. So we have to be careful
that we don‘t apply the same approach to the
Qur‘an that we use to interpret literature in
general. Habit has made is easy for us to
commit this huge mistake.
Below are examples that correspond
with the first four methods in interpreting
the Qur‘an:
Quran is interpreted by Qur’an
Surat al-Tariq:
1. by the sky and the Night-Visitant
(therein);-
2. and what will explain to Thee what the
Night-Visitant is?-
3. (it is) the Star of piercing brightness;-
Here Allah (swt) asks a question to catch the
mind of the readers and then answers it.
Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Ana‘am: ―La
tudrikhu al-absar…‖ (103) (Sight Cannot
Encompass Him…) which implies that Al-
lah cannot be seen in this life or the Hereaf-
ter. However, we understand this verse
through other verses such as in Suratul Qiy-
yamah, verse 23: ―Gazing at their Lord...‖
This verse informs us of the believers who
will see Allah (swt), which is the greatest of
pleasures. Therefore, the tafsir of verse 103
in Suratul Ana‘am is that Allah will not be
seen in this world, but will be seen in the Here-
after by the believers whom Allah (swt) wishes
for.
Qura’an By Sunnah
Allah (swt) says in the Qur‘an: ―...We
have revealed the Reminder [the Qur‘an] to
you [Oh Mohammed] so that you may explain
to the people what has been revealed to
them…‖ An-Nahl, verse 44. Thus the prophet
(pbuh) was entrusted with the job of explain-
ing the Qur’an to us.
Allah (swt) says in Surat Al Ana‘am verse
82: "It is those who believe and confuse not
their beliefs with transgression (dhulm) - that
are (truly) in security, for they are on (right)
Guidance."
When some of the companions heard this
they felt distressed, because the word dhulm
transgression) covers any kind of wrong by its
linguistic meaning, and none of the sahabah
were free from error. So the prophet (pbuh)
cleared this up by showing them the true
meaning of dhulm in this context:
―It is not as you all think. It is no more
than what Luqman said to his son, ‗Verily,
shirk is the greatest form of dhulm‘ 31:13‖
– Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 72, hadith no.226.
Therefore the meaning of dhulm in the former
verse is shirk.
Qur’an is explained through the state-
ments/actions of the Sahabah or Tabi’un
Ibn Kathir said, ―If we are unable to find a
suitable tafsir in the Qur‘an or in the Sunnah,
we go to the opinions of the Sahabah. For ver-
ily, they knew the Qur‘an better than anyone
else due to: their knowledge of the circum-
stances of its revelation, their complete and
accurate understanding of it, and their right-
eous deeds.‖
In Surat al-Maida, verse 44 ―…if any do
fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath
revealed, They are (no better than) Unbeliev-
ers.‖
Abdullah ibn ‗Abbas said about this verse,
―it is a form of kufr less than real kufr.‖ In
authentic narrations, the Prophet (pbuh) made
dua‘a for Ibn ‗Abbas by saying ―oh Allah, give
him a deep understanding of the religion and
make him skilled in interpretation,‖ and
indeed he became amongst the most promi-
nent scholars of tafsir.
Tafsir of the Qur’an by language
There is a classical example of this from
Surat An-Nisa, verse 43: ―…or ye have been
In contact with women, and ye find no wa-
ter, then take for yourselves clean sand or
earth, and rub therewith your faces and
hands…‖
The word lams in Arabic literally
means to touch but in this verse we under-
stand it to mean sexual intercourse due to
other proofs that show literal touching does
not make a person impure.
It is important to note that the Qur‘an
has been protected by none other than Allah
(Swt). It is His job to protect the Qur‘an as
he says: ―we have, without doubt, sent down
the Message; and we will assuredly preserve
it (from corruption).‖ This preservation of
the Qur‘an is not only the preservation of the
words but rather also the preservation of the
meaning of the Qur‘an. For this reason the
Qur‘an is a book for all ages and its meaning
applies for all the generations from the time
of the Prophet (pbuh) until now. Many of
the deviant sects that have ‗post-modern‘
approaches to the Qur‘an fail to understand
this point of preservation and claim that the
Qur‘an and sunnah are only for the time of
the Prophet (pbuh) and have different mean-
ings now.
Anything good that I have said is from
Allah (swt) and anything wrong I have said
is from my own self. Please forgive me if I
have made any mistakes. May Allah (swt)
allow us to benefit from what we have
learned and teach us that which is beneficial.
Ameen.
An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 5
Islam Today
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Power of the Quran
An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 6
Imam Shafi‘i said ―If mankind
were to ponder on Sura Al-Asr alone it
would be sufficient for their guidance‖.
What makes this sura so great? There
are 114 chapters in the Quran and to say
that this one chapter is sufficient for
guidance when it only contains 3 verses
is a very bold statement. However, we
know of the unanimous agreement on
the scholarship of Imam Shafi‘I who had
memorized the Quran by the age of
seven and read the Quran twice daily
during Ramadan. Yet what drove him to
make such a statement? If we look at
the theme of this chapter we see that the
emphasis is on salvation. Allah first
swears by time that verily all of mankind
is in definite loss. Loss here means loss
in the hereafter which is hellfire. So all
of mankind is going to hell— but that is
only half of the truth. Allah then goes on
to state that ―except those who believe,
do righteous deeds, call towards truth,
and call towards patience‖. So Allah
gives us a way out. He doesn‘t condemn us
to hell as some preachers do nor does he say
all is good as others do. There is a balance
set from the very beginning. If you don‘t
want to go to hell then follow the way to
salvation outlined in this chapter.
The halaqaas on Monday will go fur-
ther into detail about the meaning of this
chapter based on the first principle of expla-
nation, which is that the Quran explains the
Quran. If we want to further understand
something our professor said we could go to
the TA but the best person to explain him-
self or herself would be the professor for he
or she knows the words they chose to use
and what they meant by it. Similarly, we
want to understand what Allah intended by
belief, doing good deeds, calling towards
truth and calling towards patience. Come
and journey with us through the Quran in
search of salvation every Monday in Pyon
Su from 12-1pm. For any comments e-mail
me at [email protected].
Salvation Through Sura Al-Asr
By Sami Said
Duties of the Conscientious Towards a Better Tomorrow (cont’d)
(continued from page 3)
research – and this is so much more so with
Islamic jurisprudence, which is immensely
broader than any of the sciences or humani-
ties. Each Muslim is required to learn a
certain minimum basis of knowledge – how
to purify oneself, how to pray, basic obliga-
tions, etc. – and to increase on this. Further,
it is praiseworthy for each able Muslim to
be a da’iyah – a caller to Allah‘s way who
invites others to true Islam, be they Muslim
or not. It is also praiseworthy for one to be
a ‘alim (scholar), but it is few among us
who will become religious scholars. Many
of you have dedicated your lives to becom-
ing scholars of science, government, art,
journalism, engineering, medicine, and so
many other disciplines – and this is a path
which, if pursued with sincerity, will lead
you to mountains of good deeds and re-
wards. Yet just as you are not instructed on
how to build the next bridge or conduct the
next surgery by religious scholars, so must
they also be respected in their religious dis-
course, debate, and fatawa (rulings).
Each intellectually able human being is
asked to make conscious choices in their
lives, for which they will be brought to ac-
count on the Day of Judgment. However,
these judgments are not to be made in a vac-
uum – they are to be made among the pool of
opinions of reputable scholars. When there is
a consensus of scholars – such as on the exis-
tence of five daily prayers – it is incumbent
upon the Muslim to follow that opinion. And
when there is a difference among reputable
scholars, one should choose that opinion
which in their heart is closest to the truth,
without ridiculing or attacking those who
take the other opinion(s). The interested
reader might consult a book on usul al-fiqh –
the sources of jurisprudent methodology – for
more information on this subject. And here,
let us pause our discourse until next time,
when we will take up our discussion on
these points, Allah willing.
The author welcomes correspondence
by electronic mail at [email protected]
with questions, comments, and suggestions.
High and exalted be Allah, the True King!
Do not hasten to recite the Qur’an before its
revelation is completely conveyed to you, and
say: “O my Rabb! Increase my knowledge.”
- Surah Taha,
114 Directions: Enter Musullah, turn right, take 7
steps, first door on your left
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War Poem By Faten Gharib
Creative Writing
An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 7
My mission is to expose you foes that bulldoze our homes
Put us in zones and then just call them your own
You kill hundreds and thousands in the name of peace and justice
And it‘s quickly covered up if the truth were ever published
State to state, we‘re slowly dropping one by one
You can‘t even hear me from the monstrous anger of your guns
You destroy a whole country for the soul of a single man
Mission not accomplished, leave Afghanistan
Then on to Iraq, which was really about the oil
You lied to begin with, no need for more turmoil
What about the country you‘ve stolen for more than enough time
You don‘t call these crimes…then where is our Palestine
Now considered ‗history‘- Bosnia, Kosovo, Shishan
What about Kashmir, Lebanon, Sumalia and Sudan
The list goes on, killing us from country to country
Making parents lower their children into the ground sadly
As the sun sets, refugee camps fill with men in tents
Ready for defense, yet looking over a barbed wire fence
What do you say to the one with no more family
That for trying to defend himself he‘s lost all his sanity
So easy to say ―suicide bomber‖ or ―insurgent‖
While you kill women and children as if they‘re house rodents
In our own homes and you make us feel trapped
And then wonder why people are walking around strapped
Your aim is to make us bow down in shame
While you quickly put our homes to flames
Fighter jets are killing our children in beds
One shot, the sky is red, from the blast, 50 dead
Tyranny to you is like the Holocaust or 9/11
Yet your heart doesn‘t ache when you blast child 5, 6, then 7
Any place or time, once you open your mouth wide
All we‘re going to hear are lies
Although it may be too late, one day you‘ll come to understand
That the only real peace was through Allah‘s path of Islam
Looking at all this, we‘re in need to educate ourselves
Because as this persists, we slowly lose our places to dwell
Once the drums of time have finally rolled and ceased
We‘ll be judged for the ways we tried to help our deceased
Tanks are rolling, blood‘s flowing, yet we must hold to our dream
One day we'll see the sun gleam, over the Med Sea
No body or soul is going to change our plan
We‘ll keep fighting with our right hand, til all tyranny is banned
A long time ago, half a century away,
TV was created, there were shows on all day,
It was a playful little thing, a miracle to see,
These talking moving heads just looking at me,
It was a daring start, and we wanted much more,
Then huge HUGE computers were there at the store,
It was too much, we loved it, this stuff pulled us in,
It was an age of technology, piling up to our chins,
Radio, microwave, refrigerators that freeze!
No more salted meat and rotted old cheese.
Gadgets and gizmos, electronic stuff that talked,
It was a pathway to heaven, never before walked,
The inventors were awed, look what they had tried,
But their minds nagged them on: Go on, wer‘e not satisfied!
The computers grew smaller, yet compact and fast,
TV just got color, and cable, at last,
Palm pilots, VCR‘s, DVD‘s, much more,
Warcraft and Starcraft, 3-D games at the store,
Suddenly came the now most famous used Internet,
With communication in a flash, very fast, I bet
Movies came out, how these machines would be smart,
Artificial intelligence, it was called, I believe is the start,
If you look outside now, you‘ll find the streets are pure kidless,
Staring at TV about law, order, and business,
The plague has just started, a long time from now,
We‘ll be ruled by machines, I keep thinking, oh wow!
But, I‘ll start to think later, I have stuff to do,
I‘ll go watch TV, then chat online too,
Then listen to music, ―sweet ipod,‖ I sigh,
Yep, machines‘ll control later…oop! My show‘s on, so bye!
Artificial Intelligence By Eman Haggag
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An-Nur Volume 10, Issue 3
Page 8
MSA Officers
President: Sami Said
Vice-President: Sami Zaharna
VP Sisters’ Affairs: Faten Gharib
Masjid Affairs:Hamzah Abu-Ragheb
Pub. Relations: Rashad Ahmed
Secretary: Jameel Khan
Treasurer: Salman Shah
MWM Officers
President: Hera Hashmi
Vice-President: Maria Khalid
Secretary: Anum Shami
Treasurer: Jesmin Saikh
Pub. Relations: Sana Din
SGA Liaison: Qundeel Rafiq
Newsletter Staff
Editor in Chief
Nadia El-Hillal
Staff Writers:
Mohamed Abutaleb
Rafia Ali
Faten Gharib
Eman Haggag
Maria Khalid
Sami Said
Sami Zaharna
The views and opinions expressed in An-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 University of Maryland at College Park
Box 44, Stamp Student Union
College Park, MD 20742
Email: [email protected]
WWW.MSA-UMD.ORG
WWW.MWM-UMD.ORG
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
MSA Chaplain: Tarif Shraim
Seven Wonders Who picked the “Seven Wonders of the World”?
Hanging gardens, pyramids and such
Beautiful craftsmanship but to me they’re not worth that much
Some of my wonders are of this world, some are of the next
One of them is the Quran the most noble of text
I wonder about Paradise I wonder about Hell
Peoples’ doubts about these places I hope to dispel
I wonder why people reject belief
Cause all they’ll get is eternity in the hellfire no relief
I wonder about Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
Read about his life and learn how he abstained from sin
I wonder about Allah
Cause He is Most High
To Allah we will go after we die
Of all the best attributes Allah has the most and the best
Allah gave us one-hundredth of a part of mercy and kept the rest
So Allah is most merciful the greatest wonder of all
Those “Seven Wonders of the World” combined can’t come close to a place in Jannah at all
Be weary not to confuse the hypocrites with
the righteous
"And of mankind are some who say, "We believe in God and the Last Day," when they believe not. They think to beguile God and those who believe, and they beguile none save themselves; but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, and God increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie. And when it is said to them, "Make not mischief on the earth," they say, "We are only peacemakers." Behold they are indeed the mischief-makers but they perceive not." Qur'an 2:8-12