Al-Risalah

Volume 11 Issue 3

Winter|2010 2

Risalah is sponsored by the Michigan Student

Assemblywww.umich.edu/~muslimsTo contact MSA E-board email

msa-eboard@umich.eduQuestions or comments about

the Risalah?Email oms786@gmail.com

Views expressed within theRisalah do not necessarily reflect

those held by theUniversity of Michigan Muslim

Students’ Association

Editors: Omar ShaikhShoaib Rasheed

Writers:Eman AbdelhadiShamole Ahmed

Farhana ArifGibrael BarlaskarOsama El-SayedOmar HadiedNader HakimAliza HiraniShoaib Rasheed

Afrah RazaBilal Zaidi

Photography:Noor HaydarWajiha IbrahimOmar Shaikh

MS

A P

oll

What are your plans for Winter Break?

Filmmaker extraor-dinaire, Noor

Haydar, joins the MSA community this year as a transfer student from UM-Flint. She is a Screen Arts and Cul-tures major and has been using those skills to chair the Fastathon Entertainment com-mittee. Her innumer-able other contribu-tions this year include: publicity for Sisters’ discussions, co-chairing and reviving Cough-2-MSA as well as being a photogra-pher and video recorder for Publications Commit-tee. Noor, we are so excited to have you among us; Jazakillah Khair for using your talent to benefit the community! May Allah (swt) bless and reward you.

Omar HadiedNoor Haydar

16.7%

20.8%

8.3%

35.4%

16.7%

14.6%

12.5%

Apparently there are quite a few people going along with Zain on his trip to the Alps...

MSAers

of

the

Month

Freshman ex-traordinaire,

Omar Hadied joins the MSA community as a transfer student from Hogwarts School of Witch-craft and Wiz-ardry. Though he suffered a torn ACL from ex-treme Quidditch he has still been able to contribue his knowl-edge of magic to helping plan and run STP, as well as single-handedly gathering an enormous amount of fundage for this year’s Fastathon. Reminding you once again, that we owned OSU! Jazkallah Khair for using your wonder-ous wand work to benefit our UMich commu-

nity. May Allah (swt) bless and reward you. B)

Winter|2010 3

Quran Corner By: Nader Hakim

By: Gibrael BarlaskarHelping of Hadith

Abdullah ibn Abbas (R) has narrated the saying of Rasulullah (S): "He in whose heart there is no part of the Quran is like a deserted house."Abu Hurairah (R) says: "In the house where the Quran is read, the household members increase, virtues and bless-ings multiply, angels descend upon them and Satan quits the house. Whereas the house in which Quran is not recited, life therein becomes straitened and devoid of blessings, angels leave the house and Satan ravages it."

Here we understand the importance of always reciting the Quran, and making our best efforts to memo-rize it because of the glad tidings and blessings it brings with it to those who recite it daily. Not only is it a

benefit for those who recite it, but for those who listen as well because of the effects the Quran has on a person’s heart. The allusion to the deserted is very similar to the thought of an idle mind. There is a famous proverb that says “an idle man’s brain is the devil’s worship.” Reading the Quran is very similar to falling in love with the perfect soul mate: the more a person recites the Quran, the more beauty a person will find within it similar to the more time a person spends with his/her soul mate, the more depth the person and soul mate find in each other’s character.Also, the Quran is like a treasure box: each time the treasure seeker opens up the Quran , the seeker find new jewels and pearls of wisdom to brighten up the lives of many. May Allah give us the tawfiq to recite the Quran in the manner in which it was revealed, and to imple-ment the words of Allah and the practice of His Messenger (S) into our lives. May Allah’s noor penetrate all of our hearts and save us from any darkness or misguidance.

Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). Quran 3:159

How often do we leave all of our affairs and remain content with what Allah has decreed? The verse is

mentioned in the context of the attitude a believer should have after making a decision, but Allah (swt) states here that He (swt) simply loves those who put their trust in Him. How do we treat the people in our lives that we love? We go through seemingly impossible struggles to make life easier for people who areclose to us. Just imagine the treatment we get from Allah (swt), whose favor upon us is limitless and whose love for us is limitless. All it takes is placing our trust in Him, and this time of year is a perfect opportunity to place out trust in Him. We know that all of our actions, with the right intentions can be forms of worship of Allah (swt), and the attainment of knowledge, something we are striving for here at the University of Michigan, can lead us closer to Him. This time of year is one that leads to stress for manystudents. As was mentioned earlier, it is also a great time to put our trust in the single constant in our lives, Allah (swt). Our daunting amount of material for BioChem can serve as a reminder of how vast Allah’s creation is, for He has also created the sciences we study. It can all get very overwhelm-ing, but the point is to walk into that exam or hand in that

paper and afterwards be content with whatever happens. To truly place trust in Allah is to be completely satisfied with any outcome once we have given our best, most sincere effort. The point is not to drop our books a week before the exam and say ‘Bismillah,’ as a way of telling ourselves our trust in Allah (swt) entails mere lip service. We put in the effort in the name of Allah (swt) and then thank Him for whatever outcome we are provided, for Allah (swt) is the best of planners. Three practical tips when studying: Schedule your study periods around the five prayers during the day. We take breaks anyways, and the five prayers are spaced per-fectly for us to rest our minds after some intense studying. Also, try to say the du’a Allâhumma infa‘nî bimâ ‘allamtanîwa ‘allimnî ma yanfa‘unî, ‘Oh Allah! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me.’ The dua emphasizes the fact that all knowl-edge is from Allah (swt), and it also stresses the importance of making our knowledge applicable in our lives. Last, make dua for yourself and your brothers and sisters to do well. We tend to cluster up in the same classes, so for each class you share with a brother or sister, mention them by name inyour duas to get the highest grade in the class (hopefully they’d be tied with you). Bitawfeeq inshAllah (May Allah grant you success)!

Winter|2010 4

Shaykh Rashid Ahmad al-Gangohi was born on the sixth of Dhul-Qa’da

in 1244 AH, in Gangoh, the village and home of his maternal grandfather. Later in 1276 AH, when he took up teaching in Gangoh, he was accused of taking part in the rebellion against the English. He was then arrested and jailed for six months. He was eventu-ally declared innocent and was released from imprisonment. In his life is an ex-ample for us in being patient through difficulties. No matter what problems we may be suffering, be they academic, personal, or anything else, patience will not only make us stronger individuals in this world, but it will pay the most dividends for us in the hereafter insha’Allah. He was very meticulous about how he used his time. He would follow a strict schedule in the sum-mer and winter. After praying fajr, he would spend time in dhikr and meditation until sunrise. He would then perform nafl prayers, and then turn to teaching his students fiqh, hadith, and tafsir. Near the end of his life, he limited his teaching to the six books of authentic hadiths. Once Shaykh Rashid was finished with his writing, he would eat lunch and rest after-wards. After offering the Dhuhr prayers, he would dedicate himself to the recitation of the Qur’an. Af-ter losing his vision, he would recite from memory. He would then teach until the ‘Asr prayers. After maghrib prayers, he would perform nafl prayers. He would then return home to his family and eat din-ner. Once he had performed the ‘Isha prayers would retire to bed.

The strict schedule he followed is a lesson for us in using our time effectively. The success that Shaykh Rashid achieved was due to the fact that no matter what he did with his time, his entire day wasspent, in one way or another, in the remembrance of Allah. We can learn that to make our efforts in this life lead us to success, we should aim to constantly remember Allah in our actions. He was a very intelligent man and always re-mained steadfast on the Shari’a. He would not con-cern himself with what other people would say about him. He would never tolerate anything wrong, and he was never lax in manners related to the religion. He was an extremely humble, gentle, and always joyful. He was very eloquent and had a beautiful voice. He was a person who committed himself to the middle path between two extremes. He died on Friday, the eighth of Jumada al-Ukhra, after the call to prayer (adhan)to Jumu’ah.

Spotlight on a Scholarby Bilal Zaidi

May Allah forgive Shaykh Rashid and give us the tawfiq to inculcate his good qualities.

Winter|2010 5

Movie Tafseerby Osama El-Sayed and Omar Hadied

Name that FreshieName: Zeinab Khalil Major: International Relations, Middle Eastern StudiesWhy did you decide to come to UofM out of all the other colleges out there: Because of its MSA of course! :p UofM offers a respected and academically challenging cur-

riculum, and it’s relatively close to home, so that was a plus. Why did you join MSA and what do you hope to get out of it: I wanted to find people I could connect with, learn from, and work with for something greater. Alhamdulilah, I'm getting all three.What is your favorite part of being in MSA [besides me of course :)]: The sisterhood is wonderful! What was your favorite event so far: Fast-a-thon! It was really fun planning it and seeing everyone come together to break their fasts for such an important cause. And beating OSU was quite the cherry on top. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you since you have been on campus: During an intense writing exercise in English class about the shortcomings of cultural mixing, my phone loudly started ringing “We no speak Americano.” I pretended to look around in question like everyone else, but that didn't work. What is your favorite part about UofM?The campus. I love its cosmopolitan character. I really like walking around campus just observing things on my way to class. There’s a lot of balance here; plenty of green space and refined architecture to marvel at, but there’s also a conveniently located Urban Outfit-ters just a block away that calls my name often.

What is your favorite movie or quote: Stepbrothers!So, Zeinab has been contributing to Risalah and MSA for a while, and I’ve actually seen her so many times, BUT I didn’t know that it was Zeinab Khalil. About a week ago at the weekly meet-ing I saw her name on the attendance list, so I asked someone to point her out to me. Finally, I know who Zeinab Khail is and hopefully after this interview, you do too! B)

Throughout the seventh film of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger are trying to

destroy the horcruxes. These horcruxes represent our Nefs/desires that we are all trying to control. However, just as in the movie, you need a special weapon. This is the SWORD OF GRYPHINDOR which represents our Iman/belief in thereligion of Islam. This is the strongest weapon against our nefs. We see this in the film when Harry opens the locket and a huge desire monster pops out and gives Ronald a convincing argument why he should submit. But, Ron was stronger and was able to overcome his obstacle using THE SWORD OF GRYPHINDOR (Iman). Voldemort is not seen much in the movie, but his pres-ence is always felt. He represents Shaytan as he is always trying to make wizards do wrong. He does not have a nose. The conflict between Harry and Voldemort can be compared to the daily chal-lenges that Muslims face with Shaytan. By the way, did you notice a specific facial feature below his eyes and above his mouth that were missing? It was his nose. The opposite of Voldemort was Albus Per-cival Wulfric BrianDumbledore who represents the Quran. The lessons taught by Dumbledore (Quran) help Harry to suppress Voldemort (Shay-tan). This is paralleled by Muslims striving to read and understand the messages within the Quran and using them for their advantage. In the beginning of the film, Harry is greeted by many of his closest friends who represent the good company in the dunya. These friends transform into him via polyjuice potion in order ease his struggle as they take the journey to safer lands. While on the way, however, the group of friends encounters many obstacles from the snatchers and death eaters who

represent the bad friends in the dunya. They attempt to hinder his progress to the safer area. The radio in the movie that Ronald constantly checks to make sure his fam-ily is alive and well is similar to the way that each Muslim should hold their family dear to their hearts and check on them. In one scene, Harry finds Hermione down in the dumps after Ronald Weasley leaves the group. Harry swiftly throws the horcrux aside and attempts to raise Hermione’s spirit by dancing with her. He is successful in that they both have a joyful time together, and they are able to forget their troubles for a short period. This odd scene in the movie has no parallel to any idea in Islam and in fact does not fit in the movie altogether. In conclusion, there are many parallels between the magi-cal Harry Potter film and our challenges as Muslims. It is impor-tant to note that watching this film does not make you an expert in FIqh, but it makes you an all around better person. Overall,we enjoyed watching this film and eagerly await the next part…for Islamic insight of course.

Authors’ Note: Do you enjoy the smell of a brisk summer’s eve? Imagine how Voldemort feels. Nowonder why he’s so evil...

I n t e r v i e w e r : Shamole Ahmed

Winter|2010 6

Ever drop a soda can into the recycling bin and wonder what eventually happens to it? Well I did. November 15 is “America Recycles Day”, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the pro-motion of recycling programs. As many of you may know, I proudly wear my tree hugging, “Save

the Environment”, “Buy Local”, “Green Police”, “I-grow-a-veggie-garden” hippie sticker on my sleeve. So naturally, in order to celebrate “America Recycles Day”, I decided to visit the Ann Arbor recycling facility along with twenty other recycling enthusiasts. Here, I share some of the things I learned with the not-so-secret goal of converting you to my hippie ways. What does the facility look like?The facility recently switched over to single stream recycling. What does that mean you ask? Well, you may have noticed the spiffy new recycling bins in which you can dispose of a can/bottle AND paper in the same bin. Basically the facility now sorts out all the recyclables using pretty neat technologies. The facility has around twenty workers and there are usually two eight hour shifts a day and an extra shift on Michigan football game days because of all the extra recyclables that are accumulated!Where do our recyclables go and what becomes of them?Our recyclables go anywhere from New York to Missouri to Georgia or even Canada! Our glass is used to make road based gravel, plastic PET #1 bottles make clothing, our milk cartons and juice boxes make frozen food boxes just to name a few.What kinds of problems does the recycling facility face?Contamination can be a problem. The worst are plastic bags and the plastic tops on yogurt can and plastic bottles – they are not recyclable! Also make sure your bottles are empty. What are some criticisms of recycling?Sometimes recycling can be more energy intensive than creating products from raw/previously unused materials. Recycling programs are also somewhat costly to run, therefore dependent on moderate levels of government intervention/support in order to sustain themselves. However, local municipalities in gen-eral economically benefit from recycling because it is less expensive than buying landfill space which are slowly getting more and more expensive as they get more and more rare/filled up. At the end of the day, the best answer is to consume less. Yes, that means buy a refillable water bottle and use it even though it might be a little more inconvenient, among other things.Fun Facts• Aluminumisthemostprofitablerecyclingmaterial.Makesureyouscrunchupthefoilyouuse, and drop it off in either the container or • Paperplates/cupsandtoiletpaper/napkinsarenotrecyclable.Didyouknowmanyofthesecon- tain plastic fibers? Especially the super soft toilet papers...hmm…• YoucangetacompostbinfromtheA2governmentandsendyourkitchenwastetobecompos- ited!• Therearecomplexalgorithmsdesignedtocalculatehowmuchmoneytheuniversitygetsand how much the city gets from selling the recycling materials. Where can I learn more about recycling?-www.a2gov.org/recycle and click around.Keep an eye out for “Waste Watcher” the City of Ann Arbor’s biannual recycling education campaign journal in the mail to learn more.

Deen is

Winter|2010 7

More Questions/Comments? Email afrahr@umich.edu

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon

the earth gently(Surah Al-Furqan, Verse 63)

Green By: Afrah Raza

Winter|2010 8

Dear HalalHelperGuy,I’m sick of getting caught with my foot in the sink. Yesterday, for instance, I was doing wudu in Angell Hall. I took off my shoes, balanced myself on one leg, and began bathing my foot under the faucet. At exactly that moment, a random non-Muslim walked in. We both just stared at each other for a few seconds, he out of disbelief and me out of embarrassment, until I forgot that I had the hot water running and burned my foot. In pain, I yanked it out of the sink, but I lost my balance and fell back-ward, bottom first into the toilet! It felt awkward, humiliating, and not to men-tion painful. What should I do, HalalHel-perGuy?!Sincerely,~FrowningFreshman

1. Grad Library – on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th floors of the south section of the Grad library, you’ll find handicap-acces-sible bathrooms that are labeled “Unisex.” You’ll find them right in front of the main south elevators on each of the above-listed floors. 2. League – take the elevator outside Ugo’s to the third floor. Exit the elevator and make a right. Walk through the doors, and the private bathroom will be on your left, opposite the large mirror. 3. Mason Hall – Sorry, sisters, this one is for guys only. Exit the Fishbowl, turn right, and walk straight ahead. Pass the main doors, and you will find a public men’s bathroom on your right located just next to the elevators. This bathroom has a handicapped stall with a sink inside. You can do wudu in peace there behind the protection of the stall door. 4. Pierpont – Yes, North Campus Folk, we didn’t forget you. Enter Pierpont Commons through the main entrance. The Sushi stall will be on your right. Go up the steps next to the Sushi stall, turn right, and go straight. Right before you hit the dining area, you will find a private bathroom on your right, just next to the water fountain. 5.Med Campus – Unfortunately, there is no private bathroom on the Med Campus to the best of my knowledge. Usually, however, I like to do wudu in the public bathrooms on the upper floors of Med Sci I or II. There is little hustle and bustle on the upper floors, since most of the rooms are laboratories rather than classrooms. Therefore, there is less of a chance that someone will walk in on you in the middle of wudu. >>

Dear Halal Helper Guy,

...I lost my balance and fell back-ward, bottom first into the toilet!

Dear FrowningFreshman, I feel your pain. I’ve had my fair share of awkward wudu mo-ments, too. I thought a lot about it and thought of two possible solu-tions to this problem.One good idea is to invest in a pair of good old-fashioned leather socks. In a nutshell, when wearing leather socks, you perform wudu exactly the same as before. The only difference is that when the time comes to wash your feet, you simply pass a wet hand over the top of the leather sock, instead of putting your foot in the sink. Leath-

er socks are inexpensive and widely-available on the inter-net. Another similar option is to use waterproof athletic socks such as the “SealSkinz” brand, which are sold at many sports stores. They offer the same ben-efits of leather socks, except that

they are said to be more breathable and comfortable to wear. If using leather socks appeals to you, I suggest you read “Procedure For Wip-ing Over Socks,” a short article on www.qa.sunnipath.com that will teach you the simple rules for how to use leather socks. Another suggestion, if leather socks don’t work for you, is to perform wudu in one of the several private bathrooms on campus. Look for bathrooms with signs like “Unisex” or “Handicapped.” Usu-ally that means that the bathroom is meant for only one person, and when you go inside to use it, you can lock the door behind you. I have compiled a short list of private bathrooms at the more frequently-visited campus buildings.

Winter|2010 9When using these bathrooms, remember to keep them clean. Use paper towels to wipe away the water around the sink. If anything is lying on the floor, use a paper towel to pick it up and throw it away, even if it was there before you entered the bathroom. Remember, as Muslims, we need to be model citizens, and leave the facilities we use even better than how we found them. Also, take only as much time as necessary in these bathrooms, and then get out, because other people might be waiting to use them.On a final note, I understand how getting caught doing wudu can make you feel awkward, but for no reason should you feel humiliated. Wudu is a part of our religion, and that is nothing to be embarrassed over. If you feel embarrassed, it will show, and the people who walk in on you in the bathroom will laugh at you. But if you are proud of your way of life and hold yourself with dignity, others will also treat you with dignity and gain a new respect for Islam.I take payment for advice in Duas,Enjoy,HalalHelperGuy

Student Voices

Faizan Khan: My Birthday?Going to Chuck E. Cheese again?

What are you excited about for next semester?

Wajiha Ibrahim: Spring Break because I’m going to Cancun with my friends!You have friends?!

Huma Alam: I’m still hun-gover from my bestie’s (Far-hana’s) engage-ment so Allah knows!Aww, how cute

:)

Farhana Arif: Being a bum b/c it’s my last semester here Inshallah Haven’t you always been a bum?

Musaab Salloum: Win-ter STP!You would B)

Winter|2010 10

FASTATHON -2010-

We mAy HAve LOST ON THe FieLd, BuT NOBOdy BeATS uS

AT FASTATHON...’__’

GO

BLue

BeAT

OSu

Winter|2010 11

SACREDTIME

PROJECT

<<PIZZA In YPSI

EID MUbARAk>>

WInTER>> <<TRADITIOnS

Oh how I feel there is only Him I could loveMy thoughts are filled there is no one else I could think of

His words so pure his commands so strongMy faith in Him is so, that I know He could do no wrong

When I felt alone he was always thereSupporting and consoling me, He would always careGiving me everything I wanted, fulfilling all my desires

This is true love, it is something that never expiresI would go against the whole world for him; everything is fair

in love and warPeople taunt, judge, and hate but those individuals I just

ignoreOh how I cannot await for the day I can live with Him for-

everAll the trials and tribulations will be worth it; all for this one

endeavorGracious and humbled by the happiness that He gives me

I am nothing more but his devoteeThrough the deepest of waters would I swim for him

There is no doubt in my mind for I am a MuslimAllah subhana watalla: He is my creator and He is the one

The one I worship and the only one to whom I succumb

-Aliza

He is the One