An-Nur: Volume 7 - Issue 3 (May 6, 2005)

An-Nur The newsletter of the Muslim Students‟ Association & the Muslim Women of Maryland Volume 7, Issue 3

“The Light” MWM

Muslim Women of Maryland

Contact Us!

Please send your creative

submissions, comments, and

suggestions to [email protected].

On Sunday, April 3rd, the University of

Maryland at College Park‟s Muslim Students‟

Association and Muslim Women of Maryland

held a fundraiser banquet on campus.

When the UMCP MSA held this fundraiser,

it was embarking on a journey hitherto

unparalleled. The money raised was for more

than the usual Islamic Awareness Month, Fast-a-

Thon, and da‟wah material; for the MSA had its

sight set on raising money to also support one

relatively new endeavor, the Capital Area-

Islamic Library, and one future project, and

perhaps the overwhelming focus of the

fundraiser: the establishment of an Islamic

Studies Department at the University of

Maryland.

“The library is really a starting point for the

department,” MSA Public Relations Officer,

Abdullah-Justin Valanzola asserts. “This is the

beginning of institutionalizing Islamic scholarly

work. We hope that the library will draw in

people of knowledge and therefore, become a

place of Islamic academia.”

There are few in North America who can

boast of an Islamic Studies Department at their

university, and even less who can claim

legitimacy and approval from scholars. The

College Park MSA hopes to initiate a Muslim

led effort in establishing a legitimate Islamic

Studies Department that has a stamp approval of

Muslim scholars and portrays Islam and relays

Islamic information that hitherto other schools

have been incapable of doing.

“A Department of Islamic Studies promises

to provide many major benefits,” says MSA

president Mohamed Abutaleb, “including adding

courses in Islam to the University‟s offerings,

establishing true scholarship on Islam in

America, authoring texts, holding public

education events, and attracting motivated

students to the program.” The keynote speaker,

president of the American Center for Islamic

Research (ACIR), addressed the importance of

seeking knowledge, what the structure of an

Islamic Studies curriculum would look like, and

why there was such a need for it.

The numbers and figures for attaining an

Islamic Studies Department are daunting: 1.2 to

1.5 million in total; around $100,000 to endow a

Chair to get a representative voice in the

university, and thereby formally introduce a plan

for the department. However, it is not an

impossible goal, nor is the MSA planning to bear

the brunt of the effort alone. “How long it will

take for us to raise this kind of money lay on the

shoulder of the community,” says MSA vice

president and fundraiser coordinator, Ibrahim

Elmoghazy. “A project of this magnitude is not an

MSA project, it is a community project and

insha'Allah with the support of the community our

goal can be attained within the next 5 years.”

Although the event began a bit off schedule

(what‟s new for Muslim events?), the program

went straight from welcome and Qur‟an recitation

to a short talk by MSA National East Zone

Representative Ahmad Sidky, who described the

UMD MSA and its efforts as being extremely

“unique” (a good unique, of course!). Afterwards,

(Continued on page 9)

“Spreading the Light of Learning” - UMCP MSA &

MWM hold fundraiser banquet

by Fasiha Khan

“ A L L A H I S T H E P R O T E C T O R O F T H O S E W H O B E L I E V E . H E B R I N G S T H E M O U T F R O M D A R K N E S S I N T O L I G H T . ” [ H O L Y Q U R ’ A N ]

Rabi Al-Awwal 1426 May 6, 2005

MSA History

Founded in 1969, the Mus-

lim 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 activi-

ties, sponsor social, commu-

nity service, and charity

events, and strengthens

relations and understanding

between Muslims and non-

Muslims.

Road to Revolution 2

True Friends 4

My First Year 5

War Horses 6

The Road Soon Taken 7

The Most Beloved 8

Creative Writing 10

Puzzle 12

Inside this issue:

Dr. Salah Soltan, President of the American

Center for Islamic Research, discusses Islamic

curricula for the United States and the West.

actions of Western governments who

support the nation-state system is for

intellectuals and historians to work together

to create an extensive study of the history

and effects of colonialism on the Muslim

Ummah. Thus, it is inherently obvious that

the first step toward a unified Islamic

government is through an intellectual

revolution. Since intellectual revolution has

been discussed in previous articles, it will

suffice to review that there are four

components that are necessary to instigate

a massive paradigm shift within the hearts

and minds of the Ummah: 1.

Reconstruction of Islamic knowledge from

traditional sources, 2. the Deconstruction of

Western power systems, 3. The Refutation

of Deviant groups whose goals and

objectives are antithetical to the

establishment of a Universal Islamic

Government, and 4. The formation of

Islamic power systems.

Now the query may be posed: what is

the relationship between an intellectual

revolution and a political revolution? Any

true political revolution, if it is to be

successful, must be grounded on firm

political concepts, material objectives, and

within the boundaries of certain morals. A

revolution without clear objectives and a

precise methodology to carry out such a

program of change, will ultimately

flounder and dissolve into anarchy and

chaos. We as Muslims are prohibited by

our Shariah from rebelling against rulers if

they have not threatened the

implementation of the Divine Injunctions

and if we lack an alternative to the existing

order. No matter how tyrannical a

government may be, tyranny is still better

The Road to Revolution by Khuram Zaman

It is self-evident on both rational and

spiritual grounds that the establishment of a

universal form of Islamic government is a

necessity for the Muslim Ummah. It is also

self-evident that we are further away from the

implementation of this obligation than any

other generation, and future generations will

continue to degenerate unless we

awaken ourselves from the slumber that

has paralyzed us and take direct action

now. Unfortunately, the Ummah has

several major obstacles toward

achieving the necessary momentum that is

required to establish such a government. One

major obstacle preventing the unification of

our states is the imposition and sustained

support of the nation-state system. The nation-

state system, unlike other obstacles toward

unification which are largely intellectual in

nature, is also a physical boundary that

prevents the allocation of resources,

movement of troops, and other valuable

processes that could potentially be developed

by the consensual decision making that would

occur under a revolutionary Islamic

government. It is imperative then, for all of the

activist movements that are currently operating

in the Ummah to make it an open objective to

do everything in their power to eliminate this

system and replace it with Islamic

international order.

The method of bringing down the

international nation-state system has two

components since the system itself has two

components. The first component is the

intellectual justification for the creation and

maintenance of this system through the

ideology of nationalism. The second

component of this system is the overt and

covert support that these states and their

respective governments are provided by

Western governments. The only way of

removing the intellectual roots of the nation-

state system are by attacking the ideology of

nationalism and the only way to expose the

than anarchy. Furthermore, if our objective is

to establish a universal form of Islamic

government, then we must recognize that it is

not one or two governments that must be

overthrown, but many governments of

various social, economic, cultural, and

sectarian backgrounds. Does this render

revolution impossible? No, on the contrary,

Islamic revolution is not impossible, it is

inevitable. The way to address the

momentous task of bringing about change

throughout the entirety of the Muslim

Ummah is to focus on those states that, if

they underwent an Islamic revolution, would

have a powerful effect on states and

populations beyond their borders. In other

words, we ought to ask ourselves: which

states would be absolutely fundamental to the

formation of a Universal Islamic

Government? There are five such states:

Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Malaysia.

These five states have not been arbitrarily

chosen but by critical analysis can be shown

to be the five most dominant states within the

Ummah today. If any one of these states

underwent an Islamic revolution, they would

have an immediate impact on their neighbors.

The goal is not to create revolutions in these

five states and forget about the rest of the

Ummah, but rather, it is through the

instigation of Islamic revolutions in

these 5 states simultaneously that we

hope to bring about a domino effect in

other Muslim states and governments.

If Kuwait or Nigeria or Tajikistan

underwent Islamic revolutions, they

would have little or no effect on their

surrounding territories, let alone the Ummah

which means that foreign governments that

are opposed to a unified Ummah will be able

to step in rather easily and quell these

rebellions to their hegemony. However, if a

revolution occurs in a country that has close

intellectual, financial, and cultural ties with

many other countries, it will undoubtedly

have an effect on the surrounding territories


An-Nur Volume 7, Issue 3

Student Advice & Perspectives

“...whether we as Western Muslims choose to or not, the

responsibility of developing an intellectual revolution falls

squarely on our shoulders.”

“Islamic revolution is not impossible, it is inevitable.”


as well. In order to instigate such a revolution

and prevent it from rampaging out of control

into either tyranny or anarchy, it is absolutely

essential that a cadre of intellectuals that are

well-trained and equipped in the traditional

sciences as well as the Western ideologies

that provide the moral and rational basis for

their power systems, must be formed.

The only location where potential

revolutionaries from these five states can

meet is in the very place where the battle of

ideas is raging within the Ummah: in the

West. If articles by RAND corporation and

the Nixon Institute have not made it apparent,

the heart of intellectual warfare is occurring

right here in places like America where

certain governments are desperately

attempting to formulate a model of Islam that

is compatible with Western ideologies in

hopes of exporting it to the rest of the

Ummah. Recent events like women giving

Jummah khutbahs or openly espousing the

permissibility of homosexuality in Islam or

the recent phenomenon of think tanks like the

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy

hosting workshops and conferences in

Muslim countries are to be expected given

the expectation that the only way to subdue

Islam to Western hegemony is through the

formation of a „civil democratic Islam‟. Thus,

whether we as Western Muslims choose to or

not, the responsibility of developing an

intellectual revolution falls squarely on our

shoulders. Unlike other communities,

however, we do have the minds, the monies,

and the manpower to achieve this. For

example, the first component of intellectual

revolution, the reconstruction of Islamic

knowledge, can occur through developing

Islamic schools that are, in essence, a fusion

between the maddrasseh-style education that

one receives under the Ulema and the private

school model of the West. The end product

of a child who goes through such a system

will attain the spiritual benefit of acquiring

knowledge from unadulterated sources while

also attaining the necessary vocational skills

required to function in society resulting in

individuals who are not only intellectual

(Continued from page 2) liberated, but financially

as well so that they can

actually carry out a

program of change. In

other words, graduates

from such an educational

system will become

n a t u r a l a c t i v i s t s .

Furthermore, the MSAs

and other Islamic youth

organizations at the

Collegiate level can play

a pivotal role in

ins tigating Is lamic

revolutions by providing

the manpower for

propagating the ideas of

Islamic revolution as

well as by taking active

steps to instigate such a

r e v o l u t i o n b y

participating in the

intellectual debates that

are occurring in the

Ummah today. Instead

of sitting idly and

allowing the Modernist

school of thought to parade across the US

and the rest of the Ummah, MSA activists

can stop and take a direct role in

challenging the moral, intellectual,

political, and Islamically legal foundations

of the justifications of Modernists who

attempt to „hijack‟ the shariah.

Furthermore, after the College level, the

formations of Think Tanks dedicated

solely to the deconstruction of Western

ideologies and construction of Islamic

power systems can utilize the experience

of these activists to create works that can

provide future fuel for the upcoming

Islamic revolution. Lastly, the American

Muslim community has many resources at

its disposal to communicate with the other

Student Advice & Perspectives

communities within the Ummah through the

internet, radio, television, and educational

programs.

Whether we like it or not, the American

Muslim community is going to be used as a

model for the rest of the Ummah. Either it

will be a „civil democratic Islam‟ or it can

be a „revolutionary Islam‟. The choice is up

to you, as an individual, what you want it to

be. You can choose, through your actions,

to help unite the Ummah or through your

inaction, help propagate its defeat.

I apologize if the series of articles on

this topic have come off as vague or unclear

since they are a summary of a much longer

series of articles. May Allah (swt) grant us

taufiq. Ameen.

Revolution (cont.)

“... the American Muslim community is going to be used as

a model for the rest of the Ummah. Either it will be a „civil

democratic Islam‟ or it can be a „revolutionary Islam‟. The

choice is up to you…”

True Friends: The Blessing We Overlook Anonymous

The MSA has a history of 36 years (1969-

2005) of service, life-long friendship making,

sisterhood and brotherhood bonding, positive

life enhancements, and much more. Being a

part of the MSA/MWM for the last few years

has been the most fulfilling experience of my

college career, alhamdulillah.

What does the MSA do for us? Why is it

so fulfilling for many of us? What makes

these brothers and sisters that we get to know

so special?

The truth is that none of us, including

myself first on that list, knew who we were

when we entered college. Sure, we knew we

were Muslim, but what did our actions say

about us as individuals and what did we each

REALLY stand for? The most important and

real test of your life above all academic exams

is the test of your character and your

principles. As my parents (may Allah bless

them and protect them always) always advised

me throughout college, our college years are

the most important years of our life in shaping

our futures and our permanent character. At

the beginning of college, the real test began.

Would we pass the test of faith successfully?

Would we know how to filter through friends

and foe? Would we have the courage to

maintain our character and faith among

pressure from non-Muslims? Would we love

and trust Allah or would we be fooled by

material things? Would our hearts be

blackened or enlightened?

We have all been pressured, tempted, and

tested. But, alhamdulillah, we can reflect

today and say that insha Allah we have laid or

are beginning to lay the foundation for

ourselves to follow the Straight Path for the

rest of our lives. Alhamdulillah, what better

blessing could one ask for?

On the way to building our foundation, we

share great memories, alhamdulillah.

Remember lunch outings to Panda (free third

entrée!) and Chipotle after jummah. Pick up

basketball games (for the brothers). Study

groups until way past our bedtimes and

curfews. Endless conversations about

marriage, careers, and future children

inshaAllah (including names for them!

Anyone like the name Nasma for a little

girl?). Hours and hours of chill time in

0204 (how we love thee!). “When in

doubt, order Roma‟s.” Ramadan iftaar in

the musallah (silence). Smiles from your

brothers and sisters that made your day.

Group contemplation of the Quran.

Jummah on campus! Calls at 4 AM to a

brother or sister who you knew would

listen when you really needed support.

Praying together. Sisters‟ fights over each

other; all of you ladies know that I win

even though I don‟t bite! J “If the curtain

could talk.” So much laughing that you cry

in the middle of MSA meetings and have to

leave. Finding Islam or loving Islam more

and more every day together to a point

where our friendships are those which last

because they are based on Islam, which is

or has become your essence, your passion,

and your world.

Over the years the MSA became the

place where you belonged, where everyone

accepted you, where others respected you,

where you felt safe, where you became

who you are and will be on the path to be

for the rest of your life. You found true

friendship in the MSA/MWM: the

friendship that keeps you on the Straight

Path and the friendship that will provide

shade for you on the Day of Judgment.

These friends keep our iman strong and

help us build strong character. Subhan

Allah, how we found such meaningful

friendship within the MSA, and Allah says

in the Quran, “Your (real) friends are (no

less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the

(fellowship of) believers,- those who

establish regular prayers and regular

charity, and they bow down humbly (in

worship).” (Al-Ma’idah: 5:55)

So what is it that makes our college

(and MSA/MWM) years a success in

A Senior‟s Reflection

passing the test of faith and character? It is

the meaningful friendship that encourages

our growth, the friendship that plays by the

guidelines of brotherhood and sisterhood

ordained by Allah and exemplified by our

Prophet (saw). Take a second to think about

it: without the friendships that we have

found among the Muslim brothers and

sisters in the MSA/MWM, would we be

who we are today? Subhan Allah. These

friendships based on the guidance and bond

of Islam are real, lasting, and irreplaceable.

Alhamdulillah for the blessing of Islam and

the friendship that comes with it in our

MSA/MWM.

When I reflect on my college years, I

realize how I have grown, what I have

learned, and what I have gained. One of the

things I am most thankful for, however, is

my true friendships that I have found among

real friends, my fellow Muslims in the

MSA/MWM of UMD. True friends are

blessings from Allah, and we should always

remember to never abuse them or take them

for granted, because when you approach

your graduation, insha Allah, you will miss

them and the memories you shared with

them more than anything about your college

years. Brothers and sisters, live up your

MSA/MWM years and enjoy them while

they last insha Allah, because you will miss

them dearly when you graduate. I know I

will.


“You found true friendship in the MSA/MWM: the friend-

ship that keeps you on the Straight Path and the friendship

that will provide shade for you on the Day of Judgment.”

My First Year By Faten Gharib

In the name of Allah, most Gracious,

most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, the

Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings

be upon the master of the messengers,

Prophet Muhammad. Blessings and peace be

upon his family, his companions and those

who follow him faithfully until the Day of

Judgment. As I embarked on the journey of

my college years at College Park, I can say

with all honesty that I didn‟t have many

expectations. I didn‟t know who I was going

to meet, how classes were going to be, or

how my life would change as a practicing

Muslim. The first few weeks of my first

semester went very slowly, as I only got

together with high school friends from the

past. However, as always, the growing

feeling deep inside of me to finally meet and

be close to the people I‟ve wanted to meet

for so long kept surfacing. One saying I try

to live by is that in the end, it‟s not the years

in your life that count, it‟s the life in your

years. In order to live the “life in my years,”

I strongly felt that it is very important to act

upon the things I value most in life. This

includes increasing my knowledge as a

Muslim, along with being close to the

people necessary to be close with in order to

have the foundation for a strong Muslim

community and be able to teach others about

Islam. As Ali ibn Abi Talib (radi Allahu

anhu) once said, “Meet people in such a

manner that once you die, they should weep

for you, and if you live, they should long for

you.”

It didn‟t take long to realize that

becoming so involved with the MSA and

MWM was one of the best decisions I‟ve

made. Being

around those

who share the

same thoughts

and desires as

you is such a

p h e n o m e n a l

feeling. And as

Muslims, increasing our knowledge in Islam

together makes the experience much more

enjoyable, for “seeking knowledge at a

young age is like engraving on a

stone” (Hasan al-Basri). From the MSA

halaqahs to the Islam Awareness Month

events, I strongly feel that within the last few

months, the MSA and MWM have had a

great impact and have greatly shaped me into

the person I am today. As Johann Wolfgang

von Goethe once wrote, “Treat people as if

they were what they ought to be and help

them to become what they are capable of

being.” So not only do I value learning along

with those I know, but I realize that at the

same time, these are the same people helping

me improve as a Muslim and a person as a

whole. Nothing is more rewarding,

walhamdullilah.

One of the many things I learned is that in

life, there are many challenges, and every

challenge is an opportunity. Looking back at

this past year and the work that was done by

the MSA and MWM as a whole, there were

several obstacles that needed to be faced.

When planning for events or finding new

ways to make da‟wah, not everything would

go according to what was planned. However,

this only teaches us how to improve and to

strive for better. As Muslims, we should

always aim for perfection, yet this does not

mean feeling discouraged by what we could

not accomplish. We learn from everything we

do, and we do everything to learn. Da‟wah is

an aspect of Islam that I have learned to take

even more seriously than I used to. As

Muhammed Asad once said, “It was not

Muslims that had made Islam great; it was

Islam that had made the Muslims great.” It is

safe to say that at some point or another, we

have all been guilty of not realizing our

greatest blessing, Islam. Islam is not just a

religion, but it is who we are. So as Muslims,

we must always remember this gift and

remember to always seek knowledge because

this is the most important aspect of da‟wah.

I‟ve also learned that there are many things in

life that catch the eye, yet very few things

will catch the heart. As Muslims, we need to

realize the importance of our own religion

and seek the knowledge that is needed in

order to guide others to the correct path.

Those who accept Islam accept it because

they feel it is right in their hearts; so we must

learn to guide their hearts rather than their

eyes, because that is what they will pursue.

Friendship is something I have always

valued, however I feel that this feeling was

reinforced when I entered college and got to

know the people I am close with today. I now

realize that the good friends you make are

those who can only benefit you and make you

become a better person. As Prophet

Muhammad once said, “A person is likely to

follow the faith of his friend, so look whom

you befriend.” From my personal

experiences, I feel blessed for getting the

chance to meet everyone I now know, and I

thank Allah (swt) everyday for those who

have entered my life because they are truly

the friends that will last a lifetime.

I ask Allah (swt) to forgive my mistakes

and shortcomings in this work and in general.

I ask that Allah accepts this work from us and

makes it beneficial for the Muslim

community. I ask Allah (swt) to keep us all

on the straight path and to help us learn more

about Islam. I ask Allah (swt) to guide my

parents, my family, and my friends. I thank

Allah (swt) for all my family and my friends.

I thank Allah (swt) for such a blessed and

rewarding year and for giving me guidance

every day. I thank Allah (swt) for all the trials

and obstacles this year. I thank Allah (swt)

for every blessing this year and every year

and for allowing me to live in this moment of

time.

J a z a k u m A l l a h u

Khairan to everyone,

my family, my friends,

and every member of

the MSA and MWM

cabinets. This year

was truly amazing

because of everything everyone has done, and

I ask Allah (swt) to reward you all, for every

action and for every intention. I look forward

to even more rewarding years, insha Allah.

Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah.


A Freshman‟s Reflection

As Ali ibn Abi Talib (radi Allahu anhu) once said, “Meet people

in such a manner that once you die, they should weep for you,

and if you live, they should long for you.”

Reflecting on the Qur’an

To the Desert Arabs, the horse used to

be one of the most honored of all creatures,

before the Toyota and Honda took its place.

These creatures were such a great blessing

to them from Allah and so important in their

lives, that they used over a hundred different

names to describe them. In fact, there is

even a surah in the Qur‟an about horses,

Surah Al-Adiyat (Those that Run).

Specifically, this surah refers to warhorses, a

different breed probably than the kinds we

have seen in our lives (also different from

the one that tried to eat me alive at the

campus barn). So why, we might wonder,

does Allah speak of horses in the Qur‟an?

Well let us start with the imagery of the

horses in this surah, which is in fact very

outstanding:

The surah gives a sense of the absolute

War Horses by Maria Khalid

devotion and love these creatures have for

Allah. So sincere are they, that during times of

war they charge headfirst into battle, into the

jungle of swords and weaponry ahead of them.

This description reminds me of old war

movies, in which I would wonder how it is that

the horses can charge with such obedience and

submission. Are they not afraid? Do they not

realize that they may be charging headfirst into

their death? Or maybe it is that they realize

that barreling into their doom is a minor

concern in comparison to the immense honor

of working for the sake of Allah. Maybe it is

that these horses recognize that their whole

existence centers on only one purpose. And

their determination to fulfill that purpose is so

strong that they rush with excitement even into

the throes of combat.

Then in the sixth verse, Allah says, “Truly

Man is, to his Lord, Ungrateful.” It is as if

Allah is comparing these horses to Man, the

foolish and ungrateful creature. And how is

Man ungrateful? It is with his deeds that he

displays his lack of gratitude. After all, love

for Allah, or for anyone else for that matter, is

not merely a feeling in one‟s heart. It is

expressed via actions and deeds. The horses in

this surah, for example, are not merely

standing around, chewing grass, and thinking

about Allah. Nor are they wasting time

complaining about the task that is assigned to

them. They recognize that they have a duty

and they do not hesitate for a second to fulfill

their duty, no matter how challenging the

means to achieving their goal.

Finally, the surah reminds us of the Day

of Judgment, that inevitable Hour that is

ever approaching, but that we are so

heedless of. It is so near, yet in our

understandings, we perceive it as far away.

But if any of us truly had a conception of the

urgency of this event, we probably wouldn‟t

be spending so much of our time each day

idling around. Nor would we be chasing

after what we may perceive as the glamour

and luxury of the life of this world. Instead,

we would be like these warhorses and

realize that (even at the age of 18) this life

may soon be coming to an end. And for us,

it is the only chance we have to prove to

Allah that we are worthy. So we too should

charge fearlessly into the face of adversity

and dedicate every second of our lives to

fulfilling that same goal that we were

created for and to prove to our Lord that we

are indeed grateful for every blessing that

He has bestowed upon us. And we should

also examine our deeds and get out of this

illusion that we have all the time in the

world to fix our mistakes. I fear that one day

I might be looking back at my life regretting

all that I did not do, thinking about that

hidden potential that I never reached. I

would rather be like that warhorse, seeing

the possibility of death in front of me, and

thinking, “Bring it on…”


By the (steeds) that run with panting (breath). And strike sparks of fire. And push home the charge in

the morning. And raise the dust in clouds the while. And penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en masse. Truly Man is, to his Lord, Ungrateful. And to that (fact) He bears witness (by his deeds). Does he not know, when that which is in the graves is scattered abroad. And that

which is (locked up) in (human) breasts is made manifest. That their Lord had been well acquainted with

them, even to) that Day? (100:1-11)

The Road Soon Taken by Sherihan Youssef

“Every soul shall have a taste of death:

And only on the Day of Judgment shall you

be paid your full recompense. Only he who

is saved far from the Fire and admitted to

the Garden will have attained the object (of

Life): For the life of this world is but goods

and chattels of deception.” 3:185

Indeed, Allah (swt) is the only one

worthy of praise and to him we will return.

He brought us into this life as helpless

creatures and helpless we will be when we

return to him.

Nothing in this world will protect the

children of Adam from death, from the

highest of kings to the poorest of beggars;

death is inevitable for every creature. Each

and every one of us will see the faces of

Munkir and Nakeer (the two angles who

question the dead in the grave) and will be

asked “Who is your Lord? Who is your

Prophet? What is your religion?” Will our

answers slip off our tongues with ease or

will our tongues be heavy, unable to

respond: “Allah (swt), Islam and Mohamed

(saaw)”? Will we speak with confidence,

declaring our faith or will we stumble in our

words, doubting the answer we might give?

Which of us will smell the breezes of

paradise in our grave, getting a piece of our

eternal home, and who will feel the heat of

hellfire, knowing that this is the punishment

that awaits us? The answer to the question is

that we don‟t know for sure and will never

know until the day in which our soul parts

with our bodies. This is the day in which our

souls will either leave our bodies with ease

or will beg for a second chance.

We are convinced that death is

inevitable but we are not convinced that as

Muslims, we should look forward to this day

because indeed, the soul does not find rest

until it is in the presence of its Lord. So why

are we afraid? Why do we tremble with fear

when the topic of death is brought to our

attention? It is because we are not living our

of eating lunch, to Allah (swt). Sincerity is

the first stepping stone to purification

because sincerity reflects love for Allah

(swt) and love for pleasing him. Without

sincerity, you cut off the rope that holds you

to Allah (swt). To accessorize your soul and

to keep it in its purified state, make thikr

(remembrance of Allah) constantly,

contemplate upon Allah‟s creation and

miracles, and most importantly, make tawba

on a regular basis. If you would like to look

deeper into the

subject of

purification of

the soul and

h e a r t , I

s t r o n g l y

r e c o m m e n d

purchasing Purification of the Heart, by

Hamza Yusuf.

If you leave all that has been said in this

article, take away only one concept: Love

for Allah (swt) and love for the day in which

you will meet him inshaAllah. Purchase the

jewelry, car and home, study, graduate and

be successful in your field, get married, have

kids and raise them well, but whatever you

do, do it for the sake of Allah (swt). Instead

of running in place, run to the finish line.

Preparing for the Hereafter


life, our every hour and our every minute for

the sake of Allah (swt). We are not praying our

prayers on time, we do not renew our

intentions every morning for Allah (swt), we

are not working enough for His sake and most

of all, and we are not spending enough time

purifying our inner self: our soul.

The human being consists of two major

parts: the body and the soul. After death, the

body deteriorates and becomes one with the

Earth in its grave. The soul on the other hand

does not deteriorate. Rather, it is preserved in

the grave, where it is judged for its deeds and

awaits for the Day of Judgment. Nothing of

materialistic value from this world is taken

with the human being into its grave except for

the simple white cloth that he/she is wrapped

in prior to the burial of the body. Therefore,

why do we spend so much time nourishing our

bodies with worldly pleasures: fancy clothes,

expensive cuisines, jewelry, cars and homes

and neglect the purification of our souls? It is

wise to note that there is nothing wrong with

spending money and enjoying worldly things if

Allah has blessed you with it, as long as it is

islamically permissible. However, it is not

okay, nor does it make sense to neglect the

nourishment of that which will eternally exist,

the soul. Just as we take time to make sure we

are clean and presentable to society, we must

cleanse our soul of all that is harmful and

make it presentable to Allah (swt). After the

soul is cleansed, it is important to accessorize

it with beautiful ornaments of pure love for

Allah (swt) in order to make our souls the most

presentable and beautiful for Allah‟s pleasing.

So how do we cleanse and accessorize our

soul? The best antidote to an aching soul is the

words of Allah (swt): The Qur‟an. The Qur‟an

should have a special reserved slot in our day.

Nothing can ease a tired and aching soul like

the Qur‟an, Subhan Allah. To purify our souls,

we should renew our intentions regularly,

being sincere in our actions and devoting every

action of our day, even if it is the simple task

“We are convinced that death is inevitable but we are not convinced that as

Muslims, we should look forward to this day because indeed, the soul does

not find rest until it is in the presence of its Lord.”

ruined itself in the past as they only

punished the poor and ignored the offences

of the exalted. By Allah, if Muhammad's

(My) daughter Fatimah would have

committed theft, her hand would have been

severed."

He was the exemplar of equality, he ate

with slaves, servants and the poorest on the

same sheet, and he completely disbanded

all notions of racial or nationalistic

superiority. He had great love for the poor

and made the du‟a, "O Allah, keep me poor

in my life and at my death and raise me at

resurrection among those who are poor."

He used to say, "I am a Prophet of

Allah but I do not know what will be my

end."

O NabiAllah, you are the most beloved

of all humanity to Allah, in this life, and

will be the most beloved in the next, Al

Mustafa.

“A Sparkling Diamond”

He was the most charming of the

Makkans. The most youthful and

handsome. The talk of the ladies of

Makkah, and the flower of the Quraish. He

was wealthy and lived a luxurious life,

enjoying the company of the richest and

most powerful of the Quraish. A prince of

Rasulullah (saws) was the perfection of

humanity, and the best example for all human

kind. He was the most beautiful man who will

ever live on earth. His beauty resided in his

purity of imaan, his disposition and his

appearance. He was the epitome of Muslims.

He was our own portrait of piety. As Muslims,

we long to emulate him in every way that is

possible. It is an honor from Allah

„AzzawaJal to be of the Muslims, and to have

as our leader Rasulullah (saws). Let us take a

glimpse at the most beloved one: Muhammad

(saws) was of a height a little above average.

He was of sturdy build with long muscular

limbs and tapering fingers. He had long, thick

hair with some waves in it. His forehead was

large and prominent, his eyelashes were long

and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was

somewhat large and his teeth were well set.

His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant

smile. His eyes were large and black with a

touch of brown. His beard was thick. He was

fair of complexion and was so handsome that

Abu Bakr composed this couplet on him: "as

there is no darkness in the moonlit night so is

Mustafa, the well-wisher, bright."

His general dress was a shirt, trousers, a

sheet thrown around the shoulders and a

turban. His house was a hut with walls of

unbaked clay and a thatched roof of palm

leaves covered by camel skin. He said, "What

have I to do with worldly things. My

connection with the world is like that of a

traveler resting for a while underneath the

shade of a tree and then moving on."

His character was the Qur‟an, and Allah

says, "By the grace of Allah, you are gentle

towards the people; if you had been stern and

ill-tempered, they would have dispersed from

round about you.” He usually smiled. He was

straightforward and pleasant. He had firm

trust in Allah, and told a sahabah during the

time that Muslims were few and oppressed.

“By Allah, the day is near when faith will

reach its pinnacle and none will have to fear

anyone except Allah."

He loved children and always smiled, and

kissed them whenever they were around him.

He showed kindness to animals, and justice to

everyone, never favoring the rich over the

impoverished. He said, "Many a community

every festivity and loved by all.

He was our sahabah Mus‟ab ibn Umair

(ra). When the message of Islam came, he

was among the earliest of the sahabah who

became Muslim. When he entered Dar al

Arqam and heard the beauty of the words of

Allah, his soul surrendered to Allah. What

better story is there for the love of Makkah

but to become the love of Rasullullah (saws).

He left the luxurious life of darkness and

depravity, to become immersed in the light of

Islam.

Islam was still new when the Ansar

pledged their allegiance at „Aqabah.

Rasulullah (saws) needed someone to serve

as a da‟ee to the people of Madina and he

entrusted Mus‟ab as the first envoy of Islam.

But why? Mus‟ab was a beautiful man. He

was still charming, but he was also

intelligent. He had a strong character and

sincerity shone through his practice of Islaam.

He was friendly and delightful to be around.

He was a star guiding people to Islam from

the light within him. Great sahabah like

Usaid ibn Hudair, Sa‟ad ibn Mu‟adh, and

Sa‟ad ibn Ubaadah (ra) became Muslim due

to his da‟wah.

The years passed and soon the Battle of

Uhud came. Mus‟ab was among the

mujaahideen who fought in this battle. Let us

look at the powerful scene now: Ibn Sa‟ad

said Ibrahim ibn Muhammad related from his

father, who said: “Mus‟ab ibn Umair carried

the standard…When the Muslims were

scattered, he (Mus‟ab) stood fast until he met

ibn Quma‟ah who was a knight. He struck

him on his right hand and cut it off, but

Mus‟ab said, “and Muhammad is but a

Messenger. Messengers have passed way

before him.” (later 3:3). He carried the

standard with his left hand and leaned on it.

He struck his left hand and cut it off, and so

he leaned on the standard and held it with his

upper arms to his chest, while saying, “and

Muhammad is but a Messenger. Messengers

have passed way before him.” Then a third

one struck him with his spear and the spear

went through him. Mus‟ab fell and then the

standard.”

The flower of the Quraish-the most

charming of Makkans, our courageous


Portraits of Piety “The Most Beloved of All Humanity” by Maryam bint Dawud


martyr, died. Face down, dusty and bloody

with his limbs chopped off. Mus‟ab the

Good. Standing over his body, Rasulullah

(saws) said, with tears streaming down his

face, “Among the believers are men who

have been true to their covenant with

Allah.” (S. 33:23).

He gathered his living sahabah and said,

“O people, visit them, come to them, and

salute them. By Allah, no Muslim will salute

them but that they will salute him in return.”

We salute you Mus‟ab, a sparkling

diamond guiding us with your shine to the

Deen of Allah.

“A Sweet Ocean”

“Our shaikh and master and imam…the

possessor of many radiant proofs…the pole

of light…beneficial treasure… unique in this

age and others…” -Silah ad Deen Al-

Balaa’ee

He was neither a prophet nor a sahabah.

So who was this man? What made him glow?

He was Taqi ud Deen Abu al „Abbas ibn

Taymiyyah. His character was sincerity. He

was straightforward and loved the truth. He

was quick to anger, but generous and

(Continued from page 8) forgiving. From childhood he mastered all

of the religious and secular sciences.

Among his great students were Ibn Adh

Dhahabee, Ibn Katheer, and Ibn Al

Qayyim.

During his lifetime the Islamic world

was under oppression from the Tartars,

and threatened by destruction from the

Crusaders. Internally there was confusion

among the Muslims as innovation became

injected into Islam. He took it upon

himself to defend Islam, against all

deviation. Ibn Taymiyyah used to say,

“Only he fears who has a sickness of

heart.” Thus, he was a leader in upholding

the Words of Allah, both through scientific

proofs, and through physical fighting.

He became popular among the people

and soon jealousy emerged from scholars

in opposition to him and so they conspired

to have him imprisoned. When he was

threatened with jail he said his famous

quote, “What can my enemies do to me?

My Paradise is in my heart, it is with me

wherever I go. To imprison me is to

provide me with seclusion. To send me

into exile is to send me away in the Path of

Allah. And to kill me is to make me a

Portraits of Piety

martyr.”

Every time he was imprisoned he

always pardoned and forgave those who had

him imprisoned.

While imprisoned, he completed 80

recitals of the Qur‟an. He completed a 40

volume tafseer called al-Bahr al-Muheet.

He wrote over 500 books according to

Imaam Adh-Dhahabi, most of them in

prison.

He died in prison after reciting the ayah,

“Lo! The righteous will dwell among

gardens and rivers firmly established in the

favor of a Mighty King.” When he died,

60,000 to 100,000 people joined the funeral

procession.

He was a sweet ocean of knowledge

during his life and even after, we have

continued to benefit from his knowledge.

May Allah make him of those who dwell

among gardens and rivers, amin.

All of these precious jewels originate

from one source. That source is as clear as

the sunlight and the waterfalls gushing from

the mountains and roses blooming from the

earth. We have that source. We have Islam

wrapped in glowing purity. Who will open

it? Who will live it? Who will die for it?

Most Beloved (cont’d)


there was a speech by the Muslim Women of

Maryland (MWM) president Sherihan

Youssef, who introduced the MWM. During

the dinner an original MSA movie was

played, entitled “What Dreams May

Become,” by DatVon Productions

(www.datvonproductions.com), which was

about the MSA‟s efforts to attain an Islamic

Studies Department. The movie was widely

lauded and warmly welcomed. “They all

seemed to love it,” says lead actor, Sami

Elzaharna, Sport Committee head. “This is an

original idea, and people always appreciate

originality. The quality of the editing was

also extremely good. People at the fundraiser

did not expect this from a student

organization.”

(Continued from page 1) very smoothly, from on the floor food

distribution to entertaining MCing by the

MSA Treasurer, Mustafa Zaghal. When the

MSA called the fundraiser, “Spreading the

Light of Learning,” it was more than a catch

phrase, it was a promise. “With the MSA‟s

growing activism and breadth, we are now

attracting more involvement from

professors, parents, alumni, and community

members than ever before – and we know

that these valuable contributions will need

to continue and grow for this project to be

successful,” Abutaleb asserts. “Our

members have shown a lot of commitment

to making the MSA more than just another

college club, and insha‟Allah, it is that MSA

that can see this project to its conclusion.”

By the grace of Allah, around thirty

thousand dollars was raised.

After dinner, MSA president

Mohamed Abutaleb presented a

PowerPoint to explain what the MSA‟s

recent accomplishments and projects have

been, as well as an introduction to the

Islamic Studies‟ Department. The keynote

speech by Dr. Soltan led up to Maghrib

salah, and the fundraising began with

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik. The program

was interrupted with a surprise appearance

by Ahmed Abu-Ali‟s father, who spoke of

his son‟s plight and encouraged everyone

to attend an upcoming fundraiser for

Ahmed Abu-Ali. The program ended with

Imam Johari reminding the audience of the

significance of such an endeavor (the

Islamic Studies Department), and how

important it was for Muslims to be taking

the initiative. Altogether, the event ran

Fundraiser (cont.)

http://www.datvonproductions.com/

has taken away from him

Only seeing what lies in his eyes view, not worrying to

where it may lead

He walks on, this little soldier, to a far away world

unknown

Thanking Allah

For every breathe of clean air he takes in

For every sip of clean water he gets to drink

For ever bite of bread he gets to eat

Thankful, and only Thankful…

We spend so much time counting our misfortunes

And stressing about the problems we have in life

That we don’t see the blessings that have been bestowed

upon us

We don’t take the time to appreciate our family or friends

Don’t take the time to utilize the resources given to us

We complain and stress and worry…

Be Thankful to Allah for everything you have

For every sip of water, every bite of bread.

Be grateful for your family and your friends

For your car, computer, and shoes

Be thankful that you’re not that little solider standing on

that desert road

With nothing behind you to fall back on and nothing in

your future to look forward to

Stop for a moment and just breathe, just relax, just take in

what is around you.

Most of all be thankful…just be thankful

Imagine that that you were robbed of your last breath

Everything you owned was suddenly someone else’s

property

The people you turned to for hope were no longer there

A part of your heart had been torn away

Every truth you ever knew, turned out to be a lie

What do you hold on to, when your falling into thin air

Who do you turn to, when everyone is gone

How do you forgive, when you’re consumed by your

vengeance…….

Well Imagine…

A young boy in a country on the other side of world

Stands Alone in silence on a hot broken road

He looks out into the horizon, his hands worn to the

bone

The sweat drips down his cheeks, as the subtle breeze

cools him down

He stands, savoring every breathe of cool air that

enters his lungs

Thanking his lord that he is alive and that he is out of

any harm

Behind him he leaves a cloud of chaos and animosity

War-torn and orphaned by the tragedies of war

He sees the life that is ahead of him on this deserted

road

Counting only his blessings, he leaves behind what life

Creative Writing Be Thankful by Rafia Ali



Year in Review


MSA Officers

President: Mohamed Abutaleb

Vice-President: Ibrahim Elmoghazy

VP Sisters’ Affairs: Mona Ibrahim

Masjid Affairs: Hosam Haggag

Pub. Relations: Abdullah Valanzola

Secretary: Yusuf Yates

Treasurer: Mustafa Zaghal

MSA Chaplain: Ali Darwish

MWM Officers

President: Sherihan Youssef

Vice-President: Ruba Elbasha

Secretary: Dina Raafat

Treasurer: Asfa Lohani

Pub. Relations: Fasiha Khan

SGA Liaison: Samya Mohammad

Newsletter Staff

Editor-in-Chief:

Asfa Lohani

Staff Writers:

Rafia Ali

Maryam bint Dawud

Faten Gharib

Maria Khalid

Fasiha Khan

Sherihan Youssef

Khuram Zaman

Copy Editor:

Chancey Gannett

Page Editors:

Asfa Lohani (Lead)

Kausar Sajjad

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

Famous Muslims of Our Day by Sherihan Youssef

Crossword Puzzle

Across

2. Author of Return of the Pharaoh

6. Famous Muslim Boxer

9. Islamic Singer. Formally Cat Stevens

Down

1. Famous cricket player. Made it in the Guinness World Records.

3. President of the International Union of Muslim Women. Initials are A.A.

4. Founder of Al-Zaytuna Institute

5. Author of "Leadership: An Islamic Perspective". Born in Egypt and his initials are J.B.

7. Prominent Muslim Scholar. Was a former Christian preacher.\par

8. Former member of the Nation of Islam. After leaving NOI, he founded Muslim Mosque, Inc.

Special Instructions: Answers include the first an last name of the

individual and there is a blank space between the first and last name.

An-Nur: Volume 7 - Issue 3 (May 6, 2005)

Documents

Transcript of An-Nur: Volume 7 - Issue 3 (May 6, 2005)