an-nur: volume 5 - issue 2 (december 5, 2003)
DESCRIPTION
Shawwal 1424 | December 5, 2003 | The newsletter of the Muslim Students’ Association & the Muslim Women of MarylandTRANSCRIPT
―I think this was amazing! It was such a
great cultural experience, and I was truly
enlightened...This was wonderful.‖ Such was
one of the many enthusiastic comments made by
non-Muslims who participated in this year’s
Ramadan Fast-a-Thon. A truly innovative idea,
the Fast-a-Thon encourages non-Muslims to
―Get Hungry for Change‖ by fasting one day in
the month of Ramadan. MSA’s across the
United States and Europe participate in this
event with the promise that, for every individual
who fasts, a certain number of homeless people
will be fed by the MSA.
On November 12, 2003, the MSA at UMCP
hosted their second annual Fast-a-Thon, which
turned out to be more successful than many of
its organizers had imagined. The UMCP-MSA
garnered the most number of Fast-a-Thon
participants and most money donated in the
entire country. The truly awe-inspiring success
of this event would have never taken place were
it not for the grace of Allah (SWT) and the hard
work of many dedicated individuals.
The arduous task of planning the Fast-a-
Thon and bringing it to life was taken on by
MSA’s Da’wah and Outreach committees,
headed by Sisters Jannah Yirka and Fasiha
Khan. Each committee assumed different jobs
in order to make the event a reality. The
Da’wah committee took on advertising; Yirka
commented that it was a very essential part of
the Fast-a-Thon: ―Without all of the brothers
and sisters who dedicated so much of their time
to advertising, the event would have been
unsuccessful.‖ Brothers and sisters posted fliers
all over campus, e-mailed list serves, and stood
long hours at the Da’wah Table, encouraging
non-Muslims to sign-up to fast on the 12th.
Sister Sommer Abdel-Wahhab, head of the
Da’wah Table committee commented that the
da’wah table advertised Fast-a-Thon every day
for a week prior to the event. She said that
brothers and sisters did not just stand behind the
table and wait for people to come; instead, many
volunteers walked around asking people
individually to sign up. The committee also
“ 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 ]
Shawwal 1424 December 5, 2003
MSA Activities 2
MWM Updates 3
The Ummah is a Sign of Mercy
4
“Three Strikes” 5
Fast-a-thon cont’d 6
Winter Activities 7
Creative Writing 8
Fast-a-thon Pictures 9
Islamic Puzzles 10
Inside this issue:
utilized a unique advertising method that included
three stages of fliers. The first set of fliers was
meant to spark interest and only had the word
―Hungry?‖ on them. The next set of fliers was
distributed a week later and said, ―Get Hungry for
Change.‖ Those who advertised hoped that the
phrase ―Get Hungry for Change‖ would call to the
hearts of students and prepare them for the last flier,
which contained all of the information about the
Fast-a-Thon. All of the hard work truly paid off in
the end, resulting in 1,172 non-Muslims signing up
to participate in the Ramadan Fast-a-Thon, more
than triple the amount of people who signed up last
year. The University of Maryland, College Park got
more people to sign-up than any other campus in the
United States.
Sister Fasiha Khan and the Outreach committee
took on the task of calling businesses to sponsor this
event. It was decided that for every non-Muslim
who fasts, four homeless people would be fed at
S.O.M.E (So Others Might Eat), a food shelter in
Washington, D.C. In order to accomplish this, a
(Continued on page 6)
An-Nur The newsletter of the Muslim Students’ Association & the Muslim Women of Maryland Volume 5, Issue 2
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.
“The Light”
MWM
Muslim Women of Maryland
Fast-A-Thon — Getting Hungry for Change by Chancey Gannett
Contact Us!
Please send your creative submsis-
sions, comments, and suggsestions
A glimpse of the Grand Ballroom of the Stamp Student Union on the evening of November 12,
with a full house of hungry students, faculty, staff, and outside guests who participated in this year’s Fast-a-Thon. Nearly 1200 non-Muslims participated this year, the most in North America.
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 2
English-speaking world do the same. Every
accomplishment—from the informational
material distributed on campus, to the weekly
discussion and learning gatherings, to the
newsletter that you hold in your hands is a
testament to the bounty of Allah and the
tireless efforts of those volunteering their
time, energy, and money, may Allah reward
them all abundantly. Indeed, all praise is due
to Allah and there is no change except by His
leave.
As we look back, however, we should be
humbled rather than proud. As we look back,
we should turn a critical eye to see how we
can improve and do even better in the future.
A critical step in this direction will be our
MSA/MWM meeting on December 5, to be
held at 2:30 p.m. in the Musallah. We are
always open to your suggestions in person or
i n w r i t i n g , d i r e c t e d t o
[email protected]. Remember,
however, that with every problem we are
looking for a solution; we hope that when you
bring forth a suggestion, you do so with your
sleeves rolled up ready to help us improve
rather than admonishing from a distance.
MSA Activities Looking to the Past and Planning for the Future by Mohamed Abutaleb
The fall semester of 2003 draws to a
close here at the University of Maryland,
gone and never to return until the Day of
Judgment. The angels have written the good
deeds we have put forth and the evil that has
come from us, the pens have been lifted, and
the pages have dried. We ask Allah the
Almighty that He may accept our good
deeds and pardon us our sins, and enter us
among His righteous servants through His
mercy and compassion.
At junctures such as this one, it is very
important to pause to look back at what we
have done, bring ourselves to account, and
extract lessons to guide our future actions.
This practice is critical on both the
individual and collective levels. As Umar
(ra) said, ―Bring yourselves to account
before you are brought to account (on the
Day of Judgment).‖
Of course, this newsletter is not the
appropriate mechanism for individual
accountability, but I do remind myself and
all of the readers of the importance of
ensuring that this is done.
In addition, please be aware that our
MSA is actively reviewing its progress and
making plans for the future by looking back
at the past. It is truly humbling to see how
much Allah the
A l m i g h t y h a s
h o n o r e d t h i s
organization by
blessing it with so
many opportunities
to serve Him, our community, and
ourselves. Through His blessings and the
hard work of many individuals, this MSA
held the largest Fast-a-Thon in the United
States and fed over 4,600 hungry people.
Through the mercy of Allah, our MSA
opened one of the first fully-functional
Islamic libraries in North America, with
automated circulation and querying
capabilities, and is now launching an
outreach component to help other masajid,
MSAs, and Islamic institutions in the
As the semester draws to a close, we also
direct our attention to the future. We ponder
over what this organization stands for and the
values it seeks to promote, and come to the
inevitable realization that our work is totally
and entirely too valuable to stop just because
school has. Thus, we firmly set our
intentions from now that this MSA will be a
vibrant and active organization through the
duration of the winter break to carry us right
into the spring semester.
Inevitably, the winter brings challenges
that were not present during the fall, but none
of these challenges are beyond our capability
to overcome. Some of us will be working,
some of us will be far from school, some of
us will be on trips or vacations that take us to
the other side of the planet – but that does not
mean that each of us can not still contribute
actively to the well-being of our organization.
Remember first and foremost that
anything you do to help yourself over winter
break will be invaluable to the MSA come
spring semester. When you promise to read
through the entire Qur’an during the winter,
in Arabic or English, that means that you are
going to return a more complete and powerful
person next semester. When you wake up a
few minutes before Fajr and pray night
p r a y e r s
regularly for
the first time in
your life, you
will come next
semester as a
person with more blessing in their time and
increased capacity to work for the
organization. Whether you are learning
calligraphy, purifying your soul, reading a
book, or working directly on MSA winter
initiatives, you can and will have a positive
impact on this organization if you firmly set
your intention to do so.
In addition, there are a number of MSA
projects, both new and existing, that will be
vibrant and fully active for the duration of the
(Continued on page 3)
Find more pictures of the Fast-A-Thon event on Page 9
Whether you are learning calligraphy, purifying your soul, reading a book,
or working directly on MSA winter initiatives, you can and will have a
positive impact on this organization if you firmly set your intention to do so.
MWM Updates by Sarah Boyle
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 3
MSA Activities
Subhan’Allah, the MWM events for this
fall semester have been great events and
learning experiences. We want to put this
new knowledge directly into action and
what better way to do this than to have
events for the upcoming winter and spring
semesters!
Winter Trips
MWM in conjunction with the MSA is
planning some outings during the winter
break. These could include ice skating,
winter trails, skiing, and more!
Black History Month
We have the capacity to have an event in
the month of February for Black History
Month. If you have any suggestions
email them to MWM email insh’Allah.
winter insha’Allah. We literally have
projects that can consume 10 minutes a day
or 8 hours a day from volunteers, and
everything in between. If you’ve been
looking for work and haven’t been able to
find it, you will find an array of unusual and
quite challenging tasks and projects
available at the MSA. Even if you need a
paid job over the winter, don’t leave the
MSA off the list – get in contact and perhaps
an arrangement can be worked out.
We are currently anticipating four major
projects to be in full swing during the winter
break, as follows:
(1) LIBRARY OUTREACH. A joint
initiative of the Library and Outreach
Committees, the Capital-Area Islamic
Library will be looking to take its
accomplishments to a national level starting
this winter, insha’Allah. The Library will be
seeking the publication of a book to assist
Islamic organizations throughout the
English-speaking world insha’Allah so that
others can benefit from the work that was
done in establishing this local library. In
addition, the Library will assemble an
outreach team to serve as consultants for
local masajid and MSAs desirous of starting
their own libraries. These volunteers will
help with planning, collection development,
(Continued from page 2) material acquisitions, training, and other tasks
associated with starting a new library
insha’Allah. Contact:
(2) WINTER TRIPS SERIES. The MSA
in cooperation with area youth groups will
insha’Allah be pursuing a regular series of
trips throughout the winter for brothers and
sisters. These trips will seek to foster a
comprehensive understanding of Islam as a
way of life by bringing together youth from
throughout the area to learn, develop, grow,
and have fun in a halal environment. We
hope to have these trips include sports,
educational seminars and workshops, social
opportunities, and personal development
activities. Contact: [email protected]
(3) MUSALLAH IMPROVEMENTS.
The wonderful improvements made to the
Musallah in the summer and fall semester
will be intensified and continued in the
winter. Among existing plans are brothers’
and sisters’ reading/media rooms to couple
with the Capital-Area Islamic Library, new
shoe racks, a book return, and other structural
and organizat ional improvements.
Remember that the environment has a
massive impact on those using it. Contact:
(4) TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.
In preparation for the spring semester, the
MSA will be seeking to train and develop
Women’s History Month:
Women in Islam Teach-In
This event will insh’Allah be during the
month of March. It will entail a panel of
diverse sisters and small, prepared talks on
topics pertaining to women in Islam. The
majority of the event is question and answer
with the audience.
Islam Awareness Month
This is our annual event, or sequence of
events. We are planning this event with the
MSA and insh’Allah hope to reach out to
many of the non-Muslims on campus.
Classroom Presentations
Insh’Allah the WMST teachers will be
asking MWM to come and talk to their
classes about women in Islam. This
usually
happens at the end of the semester. Also,
if you are in a class that could incorporate
such a presentation, talk to the professor
and let us know! Contact MWM if you
would like to participate and we will keep
you updated.
Graduation Dinner
This year we will be holding the
Graduation Dinner during the spring. All
Fall and Spring graduates are the guests
of honor. Keep posted for the details!
If you have ideas you would like to share
or would like to participate in planning
volunteers in an array of critical areas needed
to make the organization capable of taking on
new and more difficult projects. Areas of
training range from desktop publishing to
furniture construction to web design to library
cataloging automation. Participants will learn
skills that can benefit them for their entire
lives. Contact: [email protected]
As you can see, our MSA is blessed to be
able to offer a wide array of opportunities for
individual development and community
service this winter for volunteers with any
imaginable skill or talent. The only
prerequisites you need in order to be able to
make a contribution are good intentions,
energy and motivation, and a willingness to
work hard while having fun. Remember that
one book you place on a library shelf could
be used by hundreds for years to come; one
nail that you drive into the wall might carry
the events calendar that the MSA will use for
the next three decades; and one call you make
might pave the way for a trip that over a
hundred people benefit from. With the right
intentions, you can get the rewards for all of
this and more. So set your intentions, roll up
your sleeves, lower your head, and get ready
to plunge into a winter full of service to the
Almighty with the Muslim Students’
Association. Please feel free to contact us at
[email protected] for more information.
We may not be able to ―just get along‖,
as the saying goes, even among our own
Muslim brethren- in fact, it is impossible for
humans to remain in a state of perpetual
peace and contentment with anything in this
world. Allah says in the Qur’an, ―Verily,
We have created man
into toil and struggle.‖
(90:4). It is part of our
nature to disagree. But
as far as we can stretch
the sentiment of
c o m p a s s i o n a n d
forgiveness in our
hearts for each other,
the more worthy we
may be of Allah’s
Mercy, as the Prophet
(SAWS) said, ―Allah is
Kind and loves kindness, and grants to
kindness that which He does not grant to
harshness, nor to anything else other than
kindness and tenderness.‖ Kindness consists
of pure intent, pure intent lives as merciful
action, and merciful action results in ease of
difficulty. All of this was behind the rich
man’s forgiveness of his loans, and it saved
him from the Fire, by Allah’s Mercy.
How shall we save ourselves? When a
healthy human body comes under attack, the
affected part literally sends out a call for
help to the rest of the body, however remote
the rest of the body might seem in terms of
locale or function. And help always comes,
Self-Development and Purification The Ummah is a Sign of Mercy
By Taqiyyah Bint Dawud
There is a man who will be judged on the
Day of Accounting, who will have done
nothing to his credit in his life except that he
would always forgive his debtors, and say ―let
him off.‖ Because of this Allah will say, ―I am
more worthy of this (mercy) than he. Let him
off.‖ Another man to
be judged will have
been very righteous,
having done good
works all his life. He
will come to be
judged, and Allah will
say, ―Let him enter
Jannah (Paradise) by
My Mercy.‖ The man
w i l l b e c o m e
disappointed and ask,
―Lord, judge me by
my works.‖ Allah will dismiss his request,
saying, ―Let him go by My Mercy.‖
Still, the man will continue to ask, and
Allah will agree to his request and put the sum
of the man’s good works in his lifetime on a
scale and put the single blessing of sight that
He had given to that man on the other side of
the scale. The gift of sight will far outweigh all
that the man had ever done in his entire life,
well-meaning as it may have been, and Allah
will say, ―Let him enter the Fire.‖ The man will
plead and beg, ―by Your Mercy, my Lord, by
Your Mercy!‖ and Allah will forgive him and
allow him into the Jannah.
Such mercy is quite humbling, and to us
seems extreme. But we are limited and inept,
and Allah is unlimited and adept. Those men
will surely consider themselves of the Blessed,
and of the Forgiven. Brothers and sisters of this
Deen of Truth, Allah could forgive a man for
an entire life’s worth of wrongdoing, even if
He had given him the gift of sight- which
completely outbalanced the life's work of the
righteous man- because of his attribute of
mercy toward those at a disadvantage. The fact
that Allah's boundless Mercy is required in
order to grant a very righteous man entrance to
Jannah- that all the worship and sacrifice
performed for our Rabb was not even worth the
gift of sight- shows how extraordinarily,
infinitesimally minute we truly are relative to
anything. And yet, Allah can forgive us.
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 4
in such a swift and overwhelming force that
by the time our consciousness registers the
signs of illness we have already begun the
healing process.
Unfortunately we Muslims perceive
ourselves only as individuals, each affecting
only ourselves and our own aakhirah by our
actions. This nearsightedness is why our
brotherhood is now a wounded, distorted and
bleeding mass that cannot heal itself no
matter how loud the cries for help or how
near is aid to the various affected areas.
Muslim hearts have not heard those cries.
The reason is that a heart does not have ears.
It houses emotion and intent. If there is no
forgiveness, mercy, or sincerity at the heart
of the Ummah, aid will never come for the
Ummah, even for its own well-being.
Events are showing time and again that there
seems to be no such sincere love for the sake
of Allah. There are very few among us who
―…believe and put their trust in their Lord…
and those who, when an oppressive wrong is
inflicted on them, help and defend
themselves‖ (42:36-39).
Most of us will have no answer for
Allah's interrogation as we continue to add to
our illness, because the ―waHn‖ the love of
this world and fear of death of which the
Prophet (SAWS) spoke drives away
sincerity, compassion, and forgiveness. All
become conditional to the access we have to
worldly things, and we are hesitant to walk a
(Continued on page 5)
Available in both English and Arabic, Islamway.com has a wealth of articles and audio
files. You can listen to Quranic recitation by a variety of recitors or hear a lecture by
speakers like Siraj Wahaj or Muhammad AlShareef. Islamway.com is an excellent source
for new-Muslims; it features a flash presentation on ―The Right Way to Pray‖ and has a
comprehensive section for non-Muslims.
porcelain faces and slender figures. They
were beautiful, they were wanted -- they
weren’t me. I envied their ability to
sprinkle laughter,
to command the
attention of those
a r o u n d t h e m
without effort, to
view the world
with an aura of
i n d i f f e r e n c e .
Because I didn’t
sprinkle laughter, I muffled it.
The attention I commanded
was altogether different from
that which the objects of my
envy commanded -- where
they got whistles and murmurs
of appreciation, I got growls of mockery
and disgust. Attacks on my culture and
religion made me wither inside. That’s
what made me shrink in a corner, what had
me hunching my shoulders. I probably had
the stiffest shoulder, you can’t imagine,
just walking to my next class. I felt overly
aware of eyes narrowed on my back,
whispers murmuring my name, bodies too
close behind me. My self-consciousness
fed my insecurities, and my insecurities
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 5
Student Advice and Perspectives “Three Strikes”
By Fasiha Khan
My teacher in high school was compiling
various and sundry written pieces on students’
experiences with stereotypes when he suggested
that I contribute. Taking on this task gave me a
rare opportunity to wrestle with, chew up and
spit out my mangled self-image and identity, to
reevaluate myself. Here is what I came out
with. I performed it at the Maryland State High
School Theatre competition. And won.
Three strikes and you’re out- that’s how the
game’s played.
I have often joked with my friends that in
the game of life I have three strikes against me.
One, I’m a Muslim-you know, one of those
―camel-riding, always fighting, crazy-type of
immigrant‖ as one Muslim so aptly put it. Two,
I’m a South Asian Muslim-the kind that comes
from dirt villages with half clad children and
works at 7 Eleven. Three, I’m a South Asian
Muslim woman-the one that cowers in her own
shadow, is subservient to any man and exists so
the whole world knows how oppressed she is.
Indeed, with three strikes against me, I was out
before I even tried to get in.
Not that I didn’t try -- I made myself out to
be the best ―average teenager‖ within my
limits. I made sure I had all the right labels with
all the right styles. I squeezed myself into
outfits one size too small. I spent too much time
agonizing over my figure, too much money on
accessories to adorn it, and too much energy
thinking on either. I made the premadonnas of
our age my idols, the celebrities my models,
and the glamorous my inspirations.
All those confidences I had built up for
myself, no one needed to cut down -- I did that
on my own. Why aren’t you thin enough?
Pretty enough? Cool enough? Why aren’t you
enough? I was ten feet above heaven the
moment someone ―cool‖ spoke to me. I shot
right back down the minute that same person
ignored me. What did you do wrong? What did
you say wrong? Why are you always wrong?
And like a tidal wave…an avalanche of
insecurities come hurtling down upon
me…faster and faster, more stinging than the
ones before -- the questions. I would then race
to tally in my mind all the friends I had, all the
acquaintances I’d made that would keep me in
the game. I viciously envied, you can’t
imagine, all those girls with the smooth,
shoved and then kept me on my knees.
Somehow trudging through the game on my
knees no longer seemed so rewarding.
The world is your oyster -- but I was
trapped in one. Speak your mind -- if it’s
what everyone else is thinking. Rebel -- by
dressing and being like every other ―rebel‖.
I felt this new sort of disgust of myself -- as
if I had stepped out and watched a replay of
my pathetic and embarrassing
endeavors to fit in. The hypocrisy
of my deeds seemed unnerving --
self-analysis was harsh and cruel. I
figured, better do it myself before
someone else decided to do charity
work.
I guess the build up of
my raw tension by me
against myself finally
let loose the day I was
flipping through my
scrapbook. Now, I
had originally made
this scrapbook to remember what I was like
as a teen when I got older. As I was turning,
only a few pages left to be filled up, I began
asking myself what amongst these pages
represents me? What I saw was clipping
(Continued on page 7)
Ummah (cont.)
path that is difficult, that will bring us out
of reach of this world. We are shy to give
anything of our lives to bring relief to a
single dying man. We refuse to forgive
each other’s faults. We disdain even to
wish one another peace on the street.
Some of us have animals whom we would
feed before we’d think to buy food for a
hungry child near or far away.
Allah does not need even one of us to
worship Him. But we will be brought to
account. We must give a statement of our
potential as well as our fruits. Each of us
currently has over a billion and a half
Muslim kin. Even as individualistic as we
all are, every one of us does exist as part
(Continued from page 4) of an enormous body. And we will be
asked, the masses and masses of us, what
we did to heal ourselves. To heal
someone or something physically or
otherwise is a great form of mercy because
of the lengths and effort a person or
persons may need to go in order to ease a
difficulty as minor as a stick in the road or
as major as a war.
The Prophet (SAWS) has said, ―Be
merciful to others and Allah will be
merciful to you. Forgive when others
wrong you and Allah will forgive you
your sins.‖
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
how shall we save ourselves through this
Ummah? How shall we earn Allah’s
mercy?
Park’s Grand Ball Room in the Stamp
Student Union. The event was an immense
success; there was not an empty table in the
room, which seats 500 people. The majority
of people arrived right on time, even the
Muslims, who may have been motivated to be
punctual because they were fasting. All of
the attendees received a free CD of Qur’an
with translation as well as some information
about Islam, and the Da’wah table was set up
throughout the evening for anyone who was
interested. The dinner went extremely well,
and organizers only dealt with the usual
problems of food arriving late and last minute
program changes. Other minor problems
included oil-spills on clothing, unexpected
loss of voice, and rectangular tablecloths for
round tables. Next year organizers plan to
invest in aprons for food servers, back up
Qur’an readers, and round tablecloths.
Fortunately, none of these problems greatly
affected the flow of the evening. The
program began with the adhan by brother
Raef Haggag and the long-awaited breaking
of the fast. Any tense faces relaxed the
moment they got some sugar in their blood
system, and the entire room quieted as
Brother Raef recited Qur’an and Sister Sarah
Boyle read the translation. A short speech by
Jim Osteen, director of Stamp Student Union,
followed, in which he related to the audience
that he himself had participated in Fast-a-
Thon and that fasting was a real learning
experience for him. After Maghrib Prayer,
MSA Out and About
team of seven people from the Outreach
committee phoned Muslim businesses and
asked them to donate a dollar for every
individual who fasts. ―They called lengthy
lists of businesses for two weeks,‖ Khan said,
making sure to add that these dedicated
individuals called during school hours from
their cell phones, sacrificing daytime minutes
for the cause. A total of twelve businesses
agreed to sponsor the event, and all of them
gave generous donations. The Outreach
committee callers received small gifts for
their efforts, which were made possible by
individuals who donated funds for this
purpose.
A problem arose during the week prior to
the Fast-a-Thon, when more people signed up
than either committee anticipated. With the
final count being 1,172, that meant that 4,688
homeless people would need to be fed to
fulfill the promise of the four to one ratio.
The committees realized that feeding so many
people would cost more than the amount of
money collected from businesses. MSA
President, Brother Mohamed Abutaleb
commented, ―...the greatest problem by far
was raising enough money to feed the
staggering 4,688 people. With generous
donations of businesses and individuals, we
are overcoming this obstacle.‖ Although no
one planned on seeing such a great number of
participants and having to feed over four
thousand homeless people, there are certainly
no regrets. Abutaleb continued,
―Alhamdulillah, it was very encouraging to
see so many people from the university
community coming together to share in a
common sacrifice for the good.‖ Khan
acknowledges that they were not prepared for
such a turn out, but says that, ―The whole
purpose of the event was to raise awareness
and help those less fortunate. There is no
shame in reaching your goals above and
beyond your highest expectations.‖
Both the Da’wah and Outreach
committees helped in planning an Iftar dinner
for the Fast-a-Thon participants for
November 12th. It took place in College
(Continued from page 1)
dinner was served. It was catered by Al-
Huda International Taste and included a
menu of chicken, rice, vegetables, and salad.
The obstacle of serving food to such a large
number of people was made a great deal
easier by many volunteer hosts who were
assigned to each table and were responsible
for getting food for their group. They also
were able to answer questions and make
guests feel comfortable throughout the
evening. After dinner, Dr. Ali Darwish
spoke of the relevance of fasting in religions
throughout the world. The evening ended
with a few words from Michelle Maslov, a
representative from S.O.M.E who spoke
about the various programs her organization
has to offer, including help for battered
women, drug rehabilitation, clothing drives,
and more. Maslov was then presented with
a check for $6,150.
Perhaps those who spent weeks
organizing the Fast-a-Thon would be able to
judge its success best of all. Sister Fasiha
Khan remarked that, ―It was very
compelling to witness and be a part of an
event that was a product of the contribution
of so many individuals, masha Allah.‖
When sister Jannah Yirka was asked about
the event, she smiled, as if remembering
how well it went, and said, ―Alhamdulillah,
it was everything I expected it to be and
more. I only hope next year’s will be even
better.‖
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 6
Fast_a-Thon (cont.)
A special thanks to the countless individuals who each contributed in their own way to make this year’s Fast-a-Thon a reality - may Allah reward you.
Universal Heritage Conference ―Islam for Humanity‖
Campus of the Universal
Heritage Foundation:
Orlando, FL
Dec. 19th-21st, 2003
More Info: http://www.uheritage.org/conf_1203.html
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 7
Winter Activities
designer labels on my clothes now. They
aren’t even in the height of fashion.
They’re serviceable, both to cover and
leave my figure undefined. I don’t need
to worry about some dirty stranger
looking me up and down, because if he is,
he can’t see anything.
And I’m free. No longer a slave of
fashion, to the wants of a society that
demands that I wear clothing like a second
skin, spend hours biting my nails over my
figure, stand in front of a mirror every
morning making sure I was perfect. Not
knowing for who or what, always
knowing never for myself.
It was enough to be unobtrusive
because I wasn’t chained. And without
the shackles, it was enough to be Muslim,
to be South Asian, to be woman. It was
more than enough to be me.
Three Strikes (cont.)
after clipping of the rich, gluttonous, and
famous. Individuals with Prozac days and
whiskey nights. These were the people I
admired? There were clothing labels --
this defined me?
And as if overcome with madness, I
began snatching out glued pictures, tearing
out the flashing smiles of models with
empty eyes, ripping out the snapshots of
actors with sunken cheeks -- muttering
over and over again, ―What are you? What
are you to me? You don’t belong here,
you are nothing to me, nothing!‖
I had kept nothing that was me and
everything that wasn’t. I was a full-
fledged liar -- and the best part was,
everyone knew it but me.
Well, as you can see, there are no
(Continued from page 5)
MAS-ICNA Annual Convention
―Muslims Citizens of the West:
Rights, Duties, and Prospects‖
Wed. Dec. 24th to Sun. Dec. 28
Hyatt Regency: Chicago, IL
More Info: www.masnet.org or www.icna.org
ISNA's First Annual
West Zone Regional Conference ―Islam: Guidance and Compassion‖
Long Beach Convention Center:
Long Beach, CA
December 25-27, 2003
More Info: www.isna.net
Texas Dawah Annual Conference III ―Where Then, Are You Going?‖
Crowne Plaza Hotel: Houston, TX
Dec. 24th-27th, 2003
More Info: www.themasjid.org/conference
Reviving The Islamic
Spirit Conference ―We are coming back, bigger, better,
and stronger than before‖
Metro Toronto Convention Centre:
Toronto, Canada
Jan. 2nd – 4th, 2004
More Info: www.revivingtheislamicspirit.com/conference/
6th Annual National
Young Adult Conference ―Developing The Model Community
Envisioned By Our Forefathers‖
Atlanta, GA
Dec. 18th-21st, 2003
More Info:www.calltohumanity.org/
Al-Maghrib Institute Seminar
“Conquest: History of the Khulafaa”
Taught by:
Muhammad Al-Shareef
College Park, MD Dec. 5-
7/12-14; New Brunswick, NJ
Jan 9-11/16-18; Houston, TX
Feb 13-15/20-22; Fairfax, VA
Mar. 12-14/19-21
More Info: www.almaghrib.org
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 8
Creative Writing
An Ode to a Friend by Chancey Gannett
This fall semester, 2003
A friend was introduced to me
With open doors, I was greeted
A gesture that I truly needed
To this friend I always run
Uphill climbs from Math are fun
No matter how my day has been
She always seems to make me grin
Of Allah, she always reminds me
Praying or studying with her you’ll find me
I always meet her before my class
Go to lecture . . . I think I’ll pass
But toward good she always does lead
A good education is something you need!
So for a few moments I’m afraid we must part
But only until I can get out of art
I turn to my friend for a shoulder to cry on
And when I’m sleepy, a floor I can lie on
Pray your sunnah, and with her, your fard
Did my friend give you a library card?
If reading’s your thing, she can lend you a book
Her microwave’s yours, if you wanted to cook
In Ramadan if you’re on campus late
This friend of mine will make you a plate
And with all of her brothers and sisters you’ll find
Such a great feeling that’s one of a kind
Even if just for prayer in congregation
Come see my friend, it’s an open invitation
So when you meet her, leave your shoes at the door
She’s Cole Field house, 0204
All praise, all thanks are Yours
Open the mystery of Divine doors
Creator and Sustainer of everything
No greater sovereign, no greater King
Possessor of all mercy, Mercy-Giving
Master of the Day when believers rejoice
Granter of Wisdom, Giver of Choice
You alone we seek, a slavery of Love
Make easy for us total obedience
Like the innocent dove
We beg your assistance night and day
For those with Your displeasure
Will have all hell to pay
Protect us from going astray
O Beloved, envelop us in Your Mercy
Honor us with Your forgiveness
Let us be with those most beloved to You
Ya Wadood, Ya Wadood, Ya Wadood
In this life and the Life to Come
Shine though us Light and Wisdom
And protect us from becoming
Blind, deaf and dumb
Ameen, ya Allah, ya Rabb al Alameen
Allah, the Most High, the Most Near
by Omar Khan
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 9
Community Corner F-a-T was Phat
All photos by Muslim Students’ Association, http://www.msa-umd.org
A Birds-Eye View
Above left, members of University Administration, Muslim Chaplain Ali Darwish, seated with campus officials. Above right, So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) representative Michelle Maslov discusses programs of the food shelter.
Left, Dr. James Osteen, Director of the Stamp Student Union and Campus Activities, speaks at the Fast-a-Thon. Dr. Osteen partici-
pated in the day-long fast and described his experience to atten-dees and media. Above, a number of University students who participated in the fast from a variety of religious backgrounds.
University of Maryland at College Park
P.O. 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
Islamic Puzzles
An-Nur Volume 5, Issue 2
Page 10
Islamic Vocabulary
by Sherihan Youssef
Across Down
3. Nation-Islam 1. Forenoon
5. House of Allah 2. Purification -$
10. Invitation- Islam 4. Migration - begins
11. Peace 6. 7th Month
12. Mountain located south-east of
Makkah
7. Proclamation of the
oneness of God - Arabic
15. Name of Allah - The Mighty 8. Leader
16. Holiday- the concluding act of
pilgrimage (3)
9. The religious law of Islam
17. The way of Prophet Muhammed 13. Prophet Muhammed (_ _ _ _)
19. Pillar 14. Akhlaq
21. Qadar 18. Covering- protection
22. One thousand months -
Ramadan (3)
20. Struggle in achieving
the ways of Allah
1
2 3 4
5
6 7 8 9
10 11
12
13
14 15
16
17
18 19 20
21
22
Created with EclipseCrossword — www.eclipsecrossword.com
MSA Officers
President: Mohamed Abutaleb
Vice-President: Raef Haggag
VP Sister’s Affairs: Sali Mahmoud
VP Masjid Aff.: Abdullah Valanzola
Public Relations: Haris Khan
Secretary: Sommer Abdel-Wahab
Treasurer: Farhat Noor
MSA Chaplain: Ali Darwish
MWM Officers
President: Sarah Boyle
Vice-President: Sali Mahmoud
Secretary: Saman Ahmed
Treasurer: Asfa Lohani
Public Relations: Uzma Faridi
SGA Liaison: Aisha Hyder
Newsletter Staff
Co-Editors-in-Chief:
Mohamed Abutaleb (Reporters)
Saman Ahmed (Copy Editors)
Asfa Lohani (Layout)
Staff Writers:
Mohamed Abutaleb
Sarah Boyle
Taqiyyah bint Dawud
Chancy Gannett
Fasiha Khan
Omar Nawaz Khan
Sherihan Youssef
Copy Editors:
Saman Ahmed (Lead)
Chancey Gannett
Fasiha Khan
Page Editors:
Asfa Lohani (Lead)
Uzma Faridi
Kausar Sajjad