Spring 2013 Minaret - Final

The Stony Brook Minaret 2 Spring 2013
BY: MSA SISTERS SECRETARY,

SOBIA RAFIUDDIN
When I think of the MSA, I
think back to my very first day as a
freshmen. It was a time when we could
still catch the last couple of days of
Ramadan and have iftaar at school. I
heard so much about the MSA and now I
was finally able to have my own experi-
ence. The President, Nabiha Zakir, gave
my lost soul a role in serving food, which
I was more than happy to take since I
didnt really know what to do. Little did I
know that that would be my role every
year to come! I took up serving Cole
Slaw, which many people were not fond
with so I gave everyone a little bit. Soon
after, Sister Sanaa came over and yelled
at me for serving people so little and
telling me that she doesnt want any left
overs. She probably doesnt even re-
member that I was that girl, and proba-
bly doesnt recollect the moment, but it
happened. Then this really nice senior,
Nazia Rahman, came over and urged me
to not worry about what Sister Sanaa
said and not to run away or get intimi-
dated. I can go through a bunch of first
experiences and first times with the MSA
but all of them lead me to this one:
whoever knew that I would become so
involved and call it MY MSA? That these
nice kids would become my close friends
who have shaped my life and helped me
grow as a person? That the Auntie who
yelled at me my very first day would
become a strong and inspiring woman
who I look up to and seek advice and
wisdom from, any chance I get! My MSA
has been my support these past three
years and that is the state of the MSA.

BY: MSA BROTHERS REPRESENTA-
TIVE, MOHAMMED NAGI
Asalamu alakum
After being a member of the
MSA for three years, it was an honor and
a privilege to serve on the e-board. This
year I was able to see the hard work and
dedication that is usually overlooked by
almost everyone in this community,
including myself. So my message here,
for those who are reading this, is to try
and convince you to be a part of the
planning, to be a part of all the good that
this board has to offer. There are so
many things that need to be done and
ways that you can contribute. The e-
board can use any helping hand around.
So I ask, that you ask, what you can do
for this community. Try to help in any
way in order to benefit this community
and build stronger relationships with
everyone. This MSA participates in every
field, whether it is in giving dawah,
providing a place to pray, organizing
sports, community service opportunities,
lectures, social gatherings, informational
talks, counseling, and much more. The
problem is that not many know about
this. For those who think that there is no
place for them, we need to show them
that there is, there is an amazing com-
munity that they can always be a part of.
Then we need to show Stony Brook that
it is our community, and show it how
much we love it and how much we do for
it.
I urge those who are not
graduating to support the e-board and
bring this community out to show the
love, peace and brotherhood and sister-
hood we have. And for those graduating,
I urge you to not forget what this com-
munity has done for you and try to help
out whenever you can. Yes, I know we
are eager to leave and continue with our
lives, but we cant forget the impact that
this community had on us, and I think it
would just be greedy of us to have that
and not give back. I pray that this com-
munity becomes stronger and that the
new e-board is able to raise it to heights
weve never reached. May Allah accept
all that we have done and may He make
it easy for you all.
State of the MSA 2
A Message from our
Chaplain
3
Bismillah, In the Name of
Allah Part 1
4
Meet the New MSA E- Board 6
Health and Fitness Column 8
Self- Improvement 8
Modest Eveningwear! 9
Sandy Hook: The Real
Lesson
10
Discrimination of
Muslim
12
How to Ace your Pre-Med
Classes
12
Meaning and Purpose 14
Lessons from Morocco 16
Lives of the Prophets: Adam 18
Jesus in Islam 19
Lead Change, As A Muslim 20
A Year in Review 21
Poetry Corner 25
Reaching the
Messenger of Allah (SWT)
28
A Part- time Traveler 30
The Middle Path 30
2012- 2013 MSA E- Board
Reflections
32
Senior Reflections 34
The Freshman Experience 39
Our Mothers 39
Qadr of Allah 40
Bismillah, In the Name of
Allah Part 2
42
Alumni Dinner
Reflections
43
The Stony Brook Minaret is dedicated to
expressing the views, concerns, and ideas of
Muslims living in America and especially in the
Stony Brook community.
The views expressed in letters, articles, cartoons,
and advertisements do not necessarily reflect
those of The Stony Brook Minaret staff, or the
Muslim Students Association at Stony Brook
University. All comments or suggestions can be
addressed to the Editor-in-Chief at mina-
ret@gmail.com. The Stony Brook Minaret can
also be viewed online, as well as downloaded
(.pdf file) at www.stonybrookmsa.org
Note: We have decided to include Arabic duaas
& the name of Allah in this issue of the Minaret,
so please treat this newsletter with due respect.
Table of Contents
The Stony Brook Minaret 3 December 2012

My Dear Students, As Salamu Alykum!
I wanted to share with you
a few words regarding several issues
that deal with the events that are
taking place around us at this time. Let
me share with you a letter dictated by
prophet Mohamed S.A.W for Muaz bin
Jabal RA. This is a letter of condolenc-
es (by prophet Mohamed S.A.W.):
May Allah taala bless
you with salvation! I offer my hand to
him. He alone can do good or harm to
anybody. Unless He wills, no one can
do good or harm to anyone. May
Allah taala give you plenty of reward.
May He bless you with patience! May
He grace you with gratitude for His
blessings! We must know for certain
that our own existence, our property
and wealth, our women and children
are samples of Allah's innumerous
blessings, sweet and useful gifts. He
has not given us these blessings for
eternal retention, but has entrusted
them to us so that we may use them
until he takes them back. We utilize
them for a certain duration of time.
When the time comes he will with-
draw all of them. Allah has command-
ed us to thank Him when He pleases
us by being generous and to be patient
when we feel sorrow when the time
comes for Him to take back His gifts.
That son of yours was one of the
sweet, useful blessings of Allah. He
had entrusted him to you on condition
that He would take him back. Through
your son He had blessed you. He had
pleased and delighted you so as to
make others envy you.
Now, taking him back He
will give you plenty of rewards and
goodness, and by His mercy, he will
bless you with making progress and
improvement on the right way. To
attain this mercy and blessings you
must be patient. You must tolerate
what He has done! If you become
angry, cry and yell, you will not
attain the reward and mercy and will
regret in the end. Know it very well
that crying and lamenting will not
ward off a catastrophe nor will it do
away with the sorrow! You will un-
dergo whatsoever is in your (qadr)
fate. You must be patient and not
become angry with what has already
happened. Allah will bestow salvation
on you all.
Sometimes Allah allows
the evil action committed by evil
people as a test of our faith and our
perseverance as believers and to
realize that we are powerless except
with Him. And that evil people will
pay in this life or the hereafter for the
harm they cause to others. This life is
a temporary one and the blessings
and the gifts that God has bestowed
upon us are also temporary. No one
knows when the moment of departure
will be, but one must always work
toward being the best human being,
the best servant and the best repre-
sentative of the message of mercy that
the Creator has sent us to this earth
with.
I give my utmost condo-
lences to those who have died in Bos-
ton, to those who have been maimed
and to the amputees; all those who
their lives have changed forever, at the
hands of criminals. I cannot fathom
the logic of those who think for a
moment that these ugly and inhuman
violent acts represent anything that
God the creator who created all would
be pleased with. How dare they com-
mit such acts in the name of religion.
Allah taala said "A Muslim
is one who people find safety with.
Those who commit such acts commit
them in the name of their own igno-
rance and lack of knowledge and in the
name of those who are alienated,
insecure and hateful. May God have

Bismillah, In
the Name of
Allah: Part 1
By: Fawzia Syed

Once when I was a Sun-
day School teacher, a very young
student of mine drew a picture in
class. At first glance, I had no idea
what she had drawn. But it's not
what she drew that I remember to
this day; it's what she said. Before
she began to explain at length what
the picture meant, she said to me,
"Sr. Fawzia, I said 'Bismillah hir
rahman nir raheem' before I began
to draw this and Allah made my
picture beautiful ... " I said,
SubhanAllah and hugged her. I
was humbled. She understood the
lesson I taught on Bismillah that
day, better than I had ever under-
stood it. Her innocence led her to
such a simple, yet profound conclu-
sion: that with the name of Allah
(SWT), anything she did would
become better, more beautiful and
more pleasing to Allah (SWT).
Hadith upon hadith
remind the believer to begin all his
actions with the name of Allah.
There are so many that I wont
enumerate them all. When eating,
the Prophet (saw) advises us to
mercy on this world and may God give
patience and perseverance to all those
who have been afflicted with pain
because of this violent act.
As for us who represent
this great faith of Islam, we must
persevere and share this message of
mercy to all people; we must never give
up on continuing the path of peace. We
must continue to contribute to our
communities and to our great nation
and show our appreciation to our Lord
Almighty for having given us the bless-
ing of living in peace with our neigh-
bors and enjoying our way of life,
liberty, freedom and home in these
great United States of America.
Evil has no faith, this we
must know and share with all those
who will always be in fear or doubt; it
is our duty to come out to people and
acknowledge all that is good and to
forbid evil. This is what Allah the
Creator has ordered believers to do.
I believe that truth and peace will
always prevail and falsehood will surly
perish. I wanted to share with you
words from Hadrat Sayedna Ali (RA)
"One who examines his
own flaws is distracted from the flaws
of others, and one who is satisfied
with sustenance God grants him
does not grieve over what he has
missed. One who draws the sword of
injustice is killed by it. One who mere-
ly suffers through things perishes,
but one plunges into the depths of the
sea flounders and drowns. One who
goes to places of ill repute shows
himself to be full of lust. One who talks
a lot increases in errors, and one who
increases in errors becomes shame-
less. One who is shameless becomes
imprudent, and who lacks prudence
dies at heart; one who heart dies goes
to hell. And one who views people's
flaws and disapproves of them but
then accepts them in hi self, is a real
fool. Contentment is wealth that does
not run out. One who remembers
death will be easily contented with the
simple things in life. And one who
knows that his speech is part of his
action will speak little except of that
which concerns him.
And remember, there are
three indications of an oppressor-
he oppresses those above him by
insubordination, he oppresses those
below him by being domineering, and
he supports other oppressors.
These are words of wis-
dom which can be remembered as we
go along our lives and our separate
journeys.
I wanted to take the time
to thank all of my MSA students of this
year; you were all incredible and I
thank Allah for having made our paths
cross. I must congratulate you all on
the most incredible programming and
contribution to our campus communi-
ty.
And here are my wishes
for all of you- May Allah bless you and
protect you and give you the best in
t hi s l i f e and t he hereaf t er .
May tomorrow be as shiny as your
incredibly bright smiles, and may you
find comfort always as your warm
hearts will lead. And may Allah the
creator keep you all in his tender care.
Sister Sanaa Nadim

begin with the name of Allah (SWT).
Before going to sleep, one begins
with the name of Allah (SWT).
When waking up, one begins with
the name of Allah (SWT). When
beginning a journey, one begins
with the name of Allah (SWT).
When returning home, one begins
with the name of Allah (SWT). All
these reminders to begin with the
name of Allah (SWT) why? It's
simple. The life of the believer re-
volves around Allah (SWT). And
beginning with His name brings
Him into the picture. It changes the
lens through which the believer sees
the world. The world is no longer
just a means for the pursuit and
fulfillment of ones ego and desires.
But for us, this world is an oppor-
tunity: to remember Allah (SWT), to
be grateful to Him and to obey Him.
Beginning all our actions
with Bismillah has many benefits.
The first of which is to put our ac-
tions and habits in check, and con-
nect them with Allah (SWT). When
we say Bismillah with a mind that is
present, it forces us to a heightened
level of consciousness. So much of
what we do in this world, we do
unconsciously, zombie-like. Think
about it. We drive to school, sit in
class, watch our shows, chill with
our friends, talk about this and that,
eat whatever we can find, etc., with
very little thought and awareness.
Yet this way of living is so antithet-
ical to the life of the Muslim: a life of
purpose and a clear goal Allah
(SWT). It should never be forgotten:
you have a goal every second of your
life and that is Allah (SWT). And the
Sunnah (the speech and actions) of
the Prophet (SAW) in its perfect
example reminds us of this goal
(Allah (SWT)) constantly. This is
why we see the utterance of Bismil-
lah from the lips of the noble Mes-
senger repeatedly, before every
action religious or mundane. It is
a reminder to the Muslim and to one
who follows the Sunnah of the Mes-
senger (SAW): Remember, Allah
(SWT) is the goal! Not x, y and z.
Hence, in one hand,
saying Bismillah forces us to reeval-
uate and correct our bad actions.
For how many things we actually do
but wouldn't if we had begun with
the name of Allah (SWT)? Lets say
something as simple as watching a
TV show. Pick any TV show. How
much of what we watch are we
proud of? I ask this because I, and I
think most of us, find ourselves
watching things we shouldn't be
watching and wasting time when we
don't have any time to waste. And
yes, it goes without saying, pretty
much a lot of what we watch wastes
our time, but leaving the wastage of
time discussion aside, how much of
what we are watching is filth? How
much of it is displeasing to Allah
(SWT)? or the least profound of
questions, how much of it is simply
okay to Allah (SWT)? If only we
implemented the simplest of Sun-
nahs and said, "In the name Allah, I
begin this action...." Then we would
be forced to ask ourselves questions
that put a check on our desires and
our bad habits. "Can I really watch
this show? Now that I've mentioned
Allah's name, now that I've brought
Him into the picture."
The amount of dirty
jokes and sexual references in pretty
much everything nowadays is over-
whelming and sickening in TV,
movies, music, comedy, everything.
Yet, are we disgusted? Are we sick-
ened? Probably not, because our
actions have desensitized us to it all.
We think its okay, but the thing is
it's not okay. Just because were all
watching and doing the same exact
things that displease Allah (SWT),
does not make them any less dis-
pleasing to Him. To believe so is
simply delusion and denial on our
part. Our standard is not the people
around us. Our standard of morality
and ethics is defined by our Lord.
And we know, if we believe in the
Day of Judgment, we will be ques-
tioned about these actions. Those
actions we actively chose to partici-
pate in. It's one thing to be stuck in
a difficult situation where question-
able things are going on around you,
which you cannot necessarily pre-
vent. For example, there are many
Muslims who are compelled to go to
business parties where alcohol is
served. They feel uncomfortable and
they would rather not be in such a
situation. But at least they havent
intentionally wholeheartedly chosen
to be a part of the environment they
find themselves in. This dilemma
they can present to Allah (SWT) on
the Day they will give full account to
Him of their deeds. But what about
all those other actions we choose to
commit?

Catch Part 2 on pg. 42 !

Ammar Morgan President
Asalamualaykum wa rahmah tullahi wa barakatuh
Born of the line of Morgan, I go by the name
Ammar. I am known as Ammar Morgan and I have been
elected as the President of the MSA. I have had the honor
of serving on the MSA E-Board for two years thus far, and
inshaallah the completion of this year will mark the third
year. The experience of working on the board can be com-
pared to sailing with a ship crew for an entire year. At the
end of the year, it is very difficult to part ways with board
members that you have come to depend on and call close
friends, but time must continue and we move forward. This
New Year brings a new crew, new relationships, new trails,
and new memories. This crew is going to be something
special inshaAllah because we have members such as
Mehtasim, Zohra, Takmela, Mudassir, Raheel, and myself.
We are the 2013 2014 team, but we are still recruiting.
You may not get a title, but, inshaallah, the rewards are
guaranteed (assuming your intentions are right of course).
Help us make this MSA a beautiful blend of Worship,
Academics, and Fun. Its a new thing called the MSA-WAF,
are you down? because if so, its Game time.
#MSASWAGGER
Mehtasim Mahfuz Vice President
Salaam! I just want to start off by saying that I
feel very humbled that you all chose me to be Vice Presi-
dent. It's a huge honor and there is a lot expected from me;
Insha'Allah I won't let you guys down!
For those of you who were unable to attend
the election GBM, I stated that our MSA means a lot to me
because it completely changed my life (for the better
Alhamdulillah!). I want everyone who comes in to feel as
welcomed and loved as I did when I was new to the MSA.
A few weeks ago, Takmela and I were input-
ting people's answers from the Battle of the Sexes surveys.
The last question on the survey asked, "Have you heard
about the MSA before?" To my great dismay, most people
answered "No". This is something I want to change. Our
MSA is so superb that I feel heartbroken when people don't
know about us or don't feel welcome. Insha'Allah we can
change that together! I want to hold more "general" events
to get our name out there. I want our community to be
known...Masha'Allah we have a group of pretty cool kids.
I look forward to working with such a great
board Alhamdulillah and, Insha'Allah, next year will be
great!!! :):):)!!!

Mudassir Syed Treasurer
Assalamualaikum,
My name is Mudassir Syed and I am the new
treasurer of the MSA E-Board. As a rising junior, I have
been fortunate enough to have benefited on a daily basis
from the many blessings provided through the MSA in-
cluding the kindhearted people that I have been able to
surround myself with, our dedicated chaplain Sister Sanaa,
the inspiring lectures and khutbas, Jumu'ah Salat and so
many other great experiences. As the treasurer, I want to
maximize the amount of quality events and services we can
provide with our given budget. I would also like to help
establish an independent Stony Brook MSA Alumni Net-
work that could be used in the future to help network
undergraduates with professionals from various fields and
also provides funds for the MSA. I plan on working closely
with our current fundraising committee to try and come up
with new fundraising ideas and inshaAllah help our MSA
grow with the help of outside community members, not
just students, and our chaplain Sister Sanaa.


Raheel Mohiuddin Brothers Secretary
First of all, I would like to thank you all for
voting me as your Brothers Secretary for next year. I am
truly humbled to receive this position and I will do every-
thing in my ability to make this MSA the best it can be. As
Brothers Secretary, my plan for next year is to build a
stronger brotherhood in the MSA where there is a more
welcoming environment for incoming freshmen. I am a
very approachable person and if anyone has any problems
with anyone or anything with the MSA, I will do my best to
address it with the board and resolve the issue. I also plan
on building a stronger relationship with the MSA and the
non-Muslim community through the Islamic Awareness
Committee and collaborating with other clubs on campus.
I have every intention of helping the board and will put the
MSA in front of my personal interests.
Takmela Rahman Sisters Secretary

Responsibilities are calling
But my heart, why's it stalling?
Ya Allah, this fear is haunting me
But I'm thinking, could this be the key?
Maybe this fear isn't really fear,
But really Your way of making it clear,
That the path that lays ahead of us,
Rays of light filter through the dust.
Collecting the light is our goal,
Ya Allah, let it shine through our heart and soul.

When I was called up at Alumni Dinner, my
heart started pounding, my hands started shaking and the
fear started rising. Later, I thought about what this fear
was all about. It wasnt about being unable to fulfill my
secretarial responsibilities because Alhamdulillah, I feel
capable in that regard. It was about becoming someone
responsible for upholding the MSA: image, community,
and all. If you look back at that sentence, you realize how
big of a responsibility that is for six people to hold. This is
where you come in. Each and every one of you has a place
in the MSA community. Holding a title means nothing if
you cant make a difference with it, but making a differ-
ence doesnt require holding a title.
As of now, its too early to say what
differences Id like to make. A few things Ive had in
mind are working on increasing GBM attendance, reach-
ing out to the wider campus community with more events
like Islam Awareness Week, and holding meetings that
bring dialogue within our community to a more intellectu-
al level. Again, these can only be possible with our MSA
community as the pillars. I would also like to try and
maintain the beautiful aspects of our community that are
already in existence like our weekly halaqas. Even these
require your support because whats a halaqa without
enthusiastic participants? My point is, be active. Join a
committee. Come to the halaqas. Spend an hour at the
Islam Awareness table. We can only collect the light from
that dust-filled path with you by our side.
May Allah (SWT) make this coming year
rewarding for all of us and make it the means to bring us
closer to Him. Ameen!
Zohra Khan Sisters Representative
Asalamu- Alaykum:
My name is Zohra Khan and I am a sopho-
more majoring in health sciences. I have been blessed with
the responsibility of Sisters Representative and I look
forward to serving the sisters concerns as well as the MSA
at large. I have gained valuable understanding of what
many of us are looking for from the MSA to help us with
our faith and the betterment of our lives whilst I worked
with the Public Relations Committee this past year. One of
the most important goals to establish lasting bonds is to
cultivate sisterhood amongst ourselves. What better way
to understand and address the thoughts and feelings of us
sisters but by being your representative. I implore all
sisters to freely talk to me about any issues, troubles,
matters, regards, as well as interests, likes and new ideas
for us to better our covenant as we go through the next
year - hand in hand, side by side. May Allah grant us
lasting friendships, ameen.

Health and Fitness
Column: The Squat Ruckus
By: Saad Khamisa

Anybody whos been inside a gym long
enough to hold a conversation has heard at least one
person swear by dumbbell curls or the bench press. It
makes sense because the chest and biceps seem to be the
most popular muscle groups to work out. Though lower
body exercisessquats to be specifichave dramatically
lower following. The reason is simple: theyre hard and
nobody likes to do them.
So, why should anybody squat? Squats com-
prise of several compound movements designed to build a
stronger, leaner, and more muscular body. Compound
movements target almost the entire body including stabi-
lizer muscles which are severely neglected when using
machines instead of a barbell. When doing a proper bar-
bell squat, this not only activates quads, glutes, and ham-
strings (the major lower body muscles) but also hip flex-
ors, abdominals, obliques, trapezii (the muscle made
famous by Tom Hardy in Warrior). Squats and other
compound exercises make-up great package deals: one
exercise with multiple benefits. If you want to put on
muscle and gain weight, squat. If you want to get stronger
and lose fat simultaneously, squat. However, proper form
must be heavily stressed due to high risks for injuries.
Applying proper form will show better results.
This isnt to say squats encompass the pana-
cea of all workout worries. Other compound movements
exist and should supplement squats for a cohesive
workout program. This reduces the risks of injury for
under-developed muscles. The overhead press, barbell
rows, deadlifts and the bench press comprise a routine
that beats any magazines 20-day to a beach bod pro-
gram. As with squats, proper form should be applied to
supplementary workouts as well for positive results. In
todays day and age, theres no need to worry about find-
ing someone to teach you how to do any of this. YouTube
remains an excellent source for instructional videos for
any of these exercises. With the application of proper
form, and of course maintaining a relatively healthy diet,
you will cache more weight every workout session.
Sure youll feel awkward in the beginning when youre
only squatting or pressing the bar but in time, youll be
the seemingly small guy or gal squatting more than the
guy benching 200lbs. Furthermore, dont worry about
ending up looking too bulky or like one of those body
builder freaks, theyre professionals. It's unlikely likely
youll ever become like a body builder. Instead, you might
just stumble into the best shape of your life. Now stop
wasting time here and get to a squat rack!
Self
Improvement
By: Filza Javed Mian

How can I become a better
person? I think this is a question many
of us wonder on a daily basis. There is
always room for improvement no
matter who we are. I know I'm not the
only one who lays in bed at night back-
tracking my day and thinking of all the
things I could have done differently.
We all do it. At the end of the day, we
may have some regrets and think to
ourselves "Wow, I really shouldn't have
said or done that." In Islam, it is of the
utmost importance that Muslims con-
tinuously work on improving them-
selves and their character. When we
work on improving ourselves, we may
create a domino effect with our good
character and can somehow impact
society as a whole.
* The first step in this is
purifying our intentions. In Islam, we
are taught that
All actions are judged by their intentions,
and each person will be rewarded accord-
ing to his or her intention.
Ideally, everything we do
should be for the sake of Allah (swt).
That includes the task of bringing
someone closer to Allah. This of course
means this should not be connected to
arrogance, thinking you're the teacher
and everyone else should be lucky
you've embarked on a crusade to save
them. Guidance is from Allah. Make
duaa and make sincere efforts and

Modest Eveningwear!
By: Asha Abraham

A few months ago I was involved in organizing
a masquerade ball and I found that there is a serious lack of
options for modest dresses. Almost all of the options came
with no sleeves, cut outs, or were too open in the back.
When I asked other sisters what they were wearing, I found
the same frustration. After doing some research, Im here
to present some ideas on modest eveningwear!
One option is to buy a sleeveless dress and
wear a long sleeve shirt underneath it. What I did was buy
a strapless dress and wear a lace top of the same color
underneath it. The idea is to make it look like the dress was
not altered. If your dress has patterns on it, opt for a solid-
colored long sleeve. If your dress is a solid color, you can
add lace sleeves or sleeves that have patterns on it. I would
definitely recommend Pearl Daisy. This store sells one-
piece sleeves and other forms of cover up for reasonable
pricing.
Another option is to have a dress custom-
made. Initially I thought it would be very expensive, but I
found a company called Acacia that custom-makes salwars
and long dresses for good pricing (range of $100-$150). All
of the reviews said that the Acacia staff members are very
helpful in taking your measurements and adjusting to your
specifications. This is a great option for girls who have a
hard time finding dresses that fit their needs at the usual
department stores.
The last option I discovered was from one of
the sisters. Abayas and caftans are now being made like
evening gowns. Many of them are bejeweled and come with
beautiful embroidery. These are great options for girls who
prefer looser clothing. Check out www.etsy.com for these
items at great prices.
Lastly, I would like to end this with one of my
favorite quotes. The psychology of our religion is modes-
ty. Your beauty is not your physical beauty, it is your soul.
The rest is clay.
remember Allah can also misguide you
if He wills." We must remember never
to judge another persons level of Imaan
and believe that we are better than
them because we too at one point were
just like them. Always keep in mind
that Islam teaches equality. No one
person is better than the next and we
should not carry ourselves with the
mindset that we are better than some-
one else. It's important that we respect
the next person without looking at
them as if they are inferior to us.
Help others. It sounds so
simple doesn't it? Although it does,
many people will not do something that
does not benefit them directly. As
Muslims, it is our job to be there for
others in their time of need. Many
people use the excuse " I don't have

time" to justify why they didn't take
time out of their day to help someone
in need, and if you ask me that's a
pretty lame excuse. When someone
reaches out to you in their time of need,
do not turn them, down. Allah swt may
be answering their du'aas through you.
When we take time out of our busy
schedules to be there for someone else,
we reap the reward from Allah swt.
Learn to be patient and
accepting of one another. Sometimes
we may come across someone who has
different views or beliefs as us and we
may ward away from them not realiz-
ing how much we can actually learn
from the other. No two people are
exactly the same. It's very easy to judge
one another on our differences, but to
be able to take our differences and set
them aside is a learned skill.
As Amira Esseghir has said, "The
importance of self development cannot
be overemphasized in Islam although it
may seem like a selfish endeavor on the
surface. However, such selfishness
may actually be considered a virtue
rather than a vice. When one is con-
stantly struggling for self improvement,
he or she becomes more willing to help
others and disperse the good that he or
she has gained to society at large. As a
result, one persons efforts contribute
towards collective development. Such
commitment is not possible in the
individual who is self-absorbed for the
sake of self-gratification. Therefore,
selfishness for the purpose of self
improvement and the greater good is
the first step to selflessness."


Sandy Hook:
The Real
Lesson (Op- Ed)
By: Shamil Norshidi

The events that followed
Sandy Hook were easy to predict. As
always, the media staged their Second
Amendment debates. Gun control
became the primary discussion of the
hour. Experts yelled at one another
on T.V. The NRA was satan-ized.
Politicians cried their fake tears, prom-
ising change for the better. As always,
there was no significant change. As
always, gun sales rose, gun corpora-
tions profited and the likelihood of
another shooting risesthere have
been over 900 killed since Sandy
Hook. (I drafted this article on January
25th 2013).
Some (all mainstream
news) would have the public believe
that the primary cause for what hap-
pened at Sandy Hook was the lack of
gun control. Piers Morgan went on a
rage as he criticized advocates for the
Second Amendment. In an interview
with Larry Pratt (the executive director
of Gun Owners of America), Morgan
labeled his guest an unbelievably
stupid man, the consequence of which
was a call of deportation for the British
anchor. CNN prided themselves on
backing Morgan. Liberals around the
country unified and called for stricter
gun control. As much as mainstream
wishes it to be, you need not be literate
to realize that this issue is not so black
and white.
As much as the media
wish to overload the blame on lacklus-
ter gun control, one must not forget to
recognize simple logic. The leading
cause for gun violence is not the Se-
cond Amendment, it is not evil kids
(as the NRA would have you believe).
The heaviest responsibility falls upon
our culture of fear, bred and fed by the
media. It is this same fearful culture, in
which we fear our neighbors and every
black-hooded man around us that
leads to over 11,000 killed by guns
every year.
Every time I turn on the
T.V, its the same story: hooded man
suspected of groping teenage girl on
bus, black man suspected of harassing
white woman on subway. The head-
shot of an intimidating black man then
appears on our screen. At night, we are
asked, Its 10 Oclock, do you know
where your children are? From the
minute we open our eyes in the morn-
ing to the minute we shut them at
night, our environment injects in us a
tendency to be fearful. This fear exists
for illegitimate reasons. As always,
mainstream is making tornado out
from a breeze. In 1990- 98, as crime
rates fell 20%, crime coverage in-
creased 600%. As a result, 2 of 3
Americans believed crime rates were
rising. In the school year of 1996-97,
violence related deaths in schools
dropped to a record low (19 deaths out
of 54 million children). And yet Time
and US News published front-page
stories on Teenage Time Bombs.
President Bill Clinton, in 1997, went a
step further, we know weve got about
six years to turn this juvenile crime
thing around or our country is going to
be living with chaos. Its odd Clinton
would make such a statement consid-
ering how youth crime had fallen 9.2%
that same year. Although crime rates
have been falling, Americans are
constantly and purposefully informed
the opposite. The consequence of this
is devastating:
A) As more Americans are deceived
into thinking their environment is
dangerous, the perspective towards
guns becomes that of comfort. The
more we fear our neighbor, the more
guns we buy.
B) As public need for security rises,
government spending on the police,
prisons, and the criminal justice sys-
tem escalates. With money deviated
towards the latter, less will be available
for education. As funding stifles for
schools, more will underperform. More
will be closed down and more children
will be left unsupervised. It would be
no great exaggeration to correlate
lower quality schools with an increase
in crime (a self-inflicted vicious cycle).
The most devastating and
counter productive step America can
take is to further limit the childrens

right for education. So much money
has already been wasted on school
security upgrades. Clark-Pleasant and
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson schools
added buzzers to their entrances.
Teachers in Utah are now provided self
-defense and shooting lessons. The
Williams County school district in Ohio
agreed to start arming janitors. In
1995, Dallas spent $41 million in build-
ing a new school. Tragically, a chunk of
the money was spent on a high tech
command center surveying every inch
of the building. The US taxpayer
spends $100 billion a year on main-
taining the criminal justice system.
California spends more on jails than on
education. Considering the fact that
these measures have had no significant
effect whatsoever on curbing the rate of
gun violence, its safe to say they are
bandages on a wound that needs stitch-
ing. Its sad to see how, in this gun-
lovin country, the children oppressed
by gun terror are the ones who have to
pay the consequences.
Stricter gun control advo-
cates usually point at rates from other
industrialized countries to make their
point. In countries with gun control,
they point out, homicides are signifi-
cantly lower. In Germany, guns kill
381. In France, 255. UK, 68. Australia,
65. Japan, 39. In the US, over 11,000
die from gun violence, 10,800 commit
suicide by guns, 1500 are shot dead by
accident. US children are 12 times
more likely to die from guns than
children in the UK. The US has more
guns stolen than other (developed)
countries have gun owners. No doubt
the gun control advocate has some
strong facts. But lets take it a step
further. Say more guns in America are
illegalized...would illegalization cease
the demand for guns?
One of the first things you
learn in economics is that there are two
key players: the producer and the
consumer. Just because something is
produced and made available does not
guarantee that consumers will buy the
product. Likewise, if guns are made
unavailable in the market, it does not
guarantee that consumers will stop
demanding. In Mexico, guns posses-
sion is strictly illegal, and yet 11,309 die
each year in shootings.3 As long as the
populations in America are led to
desire guns, as long as the culture of
fear exists, the gun issue will always be
relevant. To significantly solve the
issue of gun homicides, mainstream
media must accept its guilt. They have
the power and now the necessity to
diminish the culture of fear.
Sources:
Thenewcivilrightsmovement.com
Bowling For Columbine- Michael Moore
The Culture of Fear- Barry Glassner
dailyjournal.net
nydailynews.com
mintpress.net
The Culture of Fear- Barry Glassner

Discrimination of
Muslims
By: Almira Mohammed

The
discrimination
of Muslims was
on a rise after
the 9/11 at-
tacks. After the
recent unfortu-
nate bombing
in Boston, not
only were Mus-
lims racially
profiled and
convicted as
suspects; but they are also being targeted as a result of
racially motivated attacks. Despite efforts by investiga-
tors and police departments, the perpetrators of these
discriminatory attacks just seem to evade prosecution.
Attacking women with head-coverings or men with
turbans seem to be the norm. Some of those criminals
dont tend to realize that the turban wearers are of the
Sikh religion. According to a writer from the Chronicle
staff, there was a 1600% increase in reported crimes
against Muslims, with a jump from 28 in the year 2000
to 481 in 2001. Besides the obvious profiling of the
Muslim community, it seems to be an unknown concept
that Muslims can be different races, speak different
languages, etc. The practitioners of the Islamic religion
arent all of the same demographic, and most important-
ly not all are terrorists. Those who politicize and commit
crimes in the name of the religion shouldnt be even
considered Muslims. Another misconception some tend
to have is that committing suicide is a practice of Islam
and is allowed. The majority of finger pointers do not
know that suicide in Islam is one of the biggest unfor-
giveable sins. Not only do media portraying separate the
Muslim community, they also refuse to recognize us as
Americans. We follow the government and state laws,
just like all the others. As a result of that, shouldnt we be
allowed the protection of that law? So why is it that we
are treated differently? Does the phrase separate but
equal ring a bell? They look at your name and if its
Arabic they assume youre a Muslim and tend to ignore
the fact that youre an American.
How to Ace
your Pre-Med
Classes
By: Two Pre Med Seniors

*Authors note:
Please take these hints and advise
with a grain of salt. Curriculums and
the way courses are being taught
might have changed drastically from
when we took these courses. If all else
fails contact the MSA's education
c o m m i t t e e : M S E d
sbu.msed@gmail.com. May Allah
accept this from us and make it easier
for all of us to ace the pre-med classes
and get into Medical School if that is
best for us.
CHEMISTRY 1 (CHE 131 or 129 or
141)
Do not take Honors
Chemistry (141). You want the A most
importantly not the slight recognition
that you have taken an honors course.
Honors Chemistry is very time de-
manding, not something you want as a
pre-med student, when you have
hundreds of other things to take care
of. Like alot of the other Pre-Med
classes, you do not need the textbook
for this class. Solomon notes are every-
thing! They are basically your lifeline
in this course and will teach you al-
most everything that you need to know
for each exam. And the best thing is
that they are free! Study his notes
thoroughly before every midterm and
make sure to do and practice ALL the
practice problems packets he put up
for each chapter. When reading
his notes make sure to understand
what you are reading and make sure
you get it. If not go back and read it
again. Do not move on to the next page
of notes until you are comfortable with
the material in the previous pages.
Most of the teachers don't
teach well, yes, but they have clickers
and why automatically give up 10% of
your final grade because of laziness.
That just makes it ten times harder to
get that A. If going to class really does
help you understand the material, then
by all means pay attention. However, if
it doesn't, then do something else
during class time. Maybe hw for anoth-
er class or maybe even work on writing

a Minaret article;)
As for HW, I would rec-
ommend doing the HWs by yourself
because it is basically how the exam
questions are going to be. If you can't
get an answer, Yahoo Answers or
Cramster is the best. They have most of
the solutions to the HW so study that
and apply the solution to your specific
HW. You can even post your question
there and get it answered in time if you
do it well in advance (2-3 days). Also
r e c o m m e n d e d i s
" h t t p : / / w w w . f r e e l a n c e -
teacher.com/videos.htm". His topic-
specific videos will clear up anything
you are having trouble wi th.
CHEMISTRY 2 (CHE 132 or 142)
Soloman notes are the
best for this class as well! Very similar
class to CHE 131 in terms of formatting
and how to study, so read above!
BIOLOGY 1 (BIO 202)
Take this class with Cyto-
ski and Brown. They have slightly
easier exams. Going to class is not
worth it. No clickers, so you might as
well watch the Echos/ lectures on the
Internet at your own convenience. Plus
you can pause Echos and take notes;
you can't do that in the actual class.
But make sure you watch the Echos!
Everything on the exams
is based on the lecture slides. Study
them thoroughly before the exams. Do
not wait until the last minute to study
the slides. Keep up with the class and it
will be easy. If you plan to not watch
and study the lectures until a week
before the exam, this course will be a
very hard one for you to get an A. Print
the slides (front and back- four on each
side) and take good notes from the
Echos directly on the printed slides.
Once you finished watching 3-4 lec-
tures, go to a quiet place (Library-
Main Stacks!) and learn the slides.
Don't just memorize, know the con-
cepts. Know what is happening and
why. Make sure you get it and if not go
back and read it again. Do not move on
to the next page of slides until you are
comfortable with the material in the
previous pages. Final is cumulative,
but if you have kept up, it should be a
piece of cake.
BIOLOGY 2 (BIO 203)
No doubt about it, this is a
hard class. Although there is no need
to get the textbooks there is still a
textbook amount of information you
will have to study from the lecture
slides. Definitely take better notes than
202, and know every last detail for the
exam.
Watch the Echos and take
excruciatingly detailed notes. Pause so
you don't miss any finer details and so
you have time to write. KNOW THE
CONCEPTS 100%. Take loads of notes
especially on anything he emphasizes
or on something you do not under-
stand. Take notes directly on the print-
ed lecture slides. After watching and
taking notes on 2-3 Echos, read and
study the lecture notes. Dont just read
to read to get it over with, read to
understand. Start to memories the
material/ new words and take your
time! You must take your time to
understand the slides for Cabot.
You have to know all the
minute details and you cant move on
to the next set of slides without under-
standing. Once you understand what is
on the slides it will be much, much
easier to memories the notes and
slides. It will come naturally. For
Cabot, it is easy to forget a lot of the
material, especially if you start study-
ing long before the exam. However,
that doesn't mean not to start early.
Start early and keep reading the lecture
slides again and again. This should be
your primary way to prepare for the
exam. A week or so before the mid-
terms, watch all the Echos again. You
should have a strong grasp on all the
material before you watch the Echos
this time. Watching them again will fill
in any last minute gaps you may have
in your knowledge. Doing old exams
helps too because it is good practice.
PHYSICS 1 (PHY 121 or PHY 131)
Take PHY 121 as opposed
to 131. PHY 121 is more plug and chug
and less calculus based. Study Soloman
notes (see above) and watch Physics
videos on the Internet to explain con-
c e p t s . I r e c o m m e n d
teacher.com/videos.htm". His videos
are free and he explains concepts very
well and does practice problems. Find
the topic you are studying in class and
watch the whole video set. Going to
class doesn't help. Do the HW and
make sure to know how to do the
problems. If you need help Yahoo
Answers or Cramster will probably
have the solution. When searching
online for a solution copy and paste
part of the question into Google and
make sure to take out all the numbers.
It should generate solutions to the
same problem with just different
numbers. Doing the practice exams
before the exam will help.
PHYSICS 2 (PHY 122 or PHY
132)
Same advice as above for
Physics 1. Try to take this course with
Engelman because he is a slightly
better teacher. Physics is a hard class,
so dont underestimate it! InshaAllah if
you watch the freelance videos, it
should help loads.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1 (CHE
321)
Start studying early for all
your pre-med classes, especially Orgo.
I would definitely try to read the
"Organic Chemistry as a Second Lan-
guage." textbook for each chapter. If

y o u n e e d a c o p y e - ma i l
sbu.msed@gmail.com. Ask around the
MSA if any previous people have the
files saved on their computer or actually
have a hard copy of the book. If not, it is
definitely worth the 15 bucks to pur-
chase one online. Study the second
language book and make sure you know
all the material and understand all the
material before the exams. Although
you will not understand everything
from your textbook, it will help to
understand the mechanisms and reac-
tions. Start studying by reading the
second language book and doo all the
practice problems even if you think they
are repetitive and annoying. Once you
are done with that make sure you have
understood everything. After, read the
textbook. Before the exams make sure
you know how to do all the problems on
the online HW as well as the recitation
HW. Watch Orgo videos on the Internet
to explain concepts. I recommend
teacher.com/videos.htm". His videos
are free and he explains concepts very
well and does practice problems. Find
the topic you are studying in class and
watch the whole video set. Really helps!
Going to class is not helpful. Only go to
get your clicker points and make sure to
raise your hand often so you can get
more points. Doing practice exams is a
must before taking exams. You will not
regret it because it will introduce you to
Fowlers style of testing. The exams are
not easy! There is a reason why many
people drop pre-med because of Orgo.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1 (CHE
321 or CHE 326)
Same advise as Organic
Chemistry 1, just different material. Get
the second semester version of the
second language book and make sure
to watch the freelance videos.
Last but not least, don't underestimate the
power of DUA! I don't mean this in a
preachy way I actually feel like making
dua and putting your best effort forward
relaxes your mind before exams and
allows you to fully focus knowing that
you've tried your best. It really helps to
remind yourself that one bad test grade or
one B on your transcript isn't going to
hold you back from your future goals.
Give yourself a pep talk and remember
that your going to pursue a career in
medicine no matter what, and one exam
or class is not going to change that in-
sha'Allah! I really hope this advice is
helpful and you are able to succeed in
your career goals in general.
Meaning and Purpose:
Part 1
By: Rustum Sohrab

Today's society is at a point in
time where we think we are almost at the
moral peak of all civilization. Further-
more, the undiscovered can be figured
out through economics and scientific
philosophical interpretation. This posi-
tion is due to a shortsightedness of natu-
ral phenomena. Our thinking is the dif-
ferentiating factor between our human
species and the rest of material entities.
This ability is what allows us to read and
comprehend this article. This ability is
what allows me to write about a particular
position and defend it. This ability is what
makes us ponder about the universe's
existence and this ability is what makes
us wonder about our purpose or whether
or not we have one at all.
In the philosophy of science,
we understand that the only meaningful statements are
those that can be tested through the natural world. But
this leaves a plethora of questions unanswered. Firstly,
is scientific inquiry and its resulting data the only meth-
od and evidence to establish facts? If not, are there other
methods? Secondly, the questions about our meaning
and purpose are left unanswered since religious truth
claims cannot be answered in regards to ideas that are
outside the natural world. I.e. the supernatural. And
thirdly, where do we derive morals that can be justified
to be universally truthful or can we even do that at all?
As Muslim readers, we must ask ourselves
the relevance of these questions. Where do we fit in?
Should we even be Muslim if science can answer the
truths we use to live? Why then are we Muslim? What
allows us to traverse these questions and have ground-
ed faith? What rationale do we use to allow our intellect
to guide our hearts into worship?
The scope of this article will not allow us to
get into all the details. However, I want Muslims to
understand one aspect before this article is done: It is
the very nature of human beings to use logic and
rationale to understand something as being
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truthful. What makes sense logically is what keeps our
faith from leaking out. But more importantly, its what
motivates us to an ultimate end. Where do we get this
power?
The answer comes within the understanding
of the basis of faith. Muslims believe in God. This belief
is fundamental to our living. We come to understand
such an idea through many plausible routes. Either our
parents have told us to believe or we have just grown up
this way or we just believe because its not something
we question. Besides the socio-geographical birthrights,
can we come to God through intellectual persuasion?
I will not define God but say that God can be
taken as all-powerful infinite being with intelligence
and will. An uncaused causer. An immovable object. An
unstoppable force. God is beyond any human intellectu-
al comprehension in terms of God's existential being.
Our understanding is through the humane limited lens
which is enough for us to traverse life's waters. A truer
understanding of God requires much studying and
contemplation which can be learned from a scholar of
Islam.
Fundamental to our belief is the Qur'an; the
words of God for human beings conveyed through a
Prophet named Muhammad (May the peace and bless-
ings of God be upon him) revealed onto him by the
Archangel Gabriel. As astonishing this fact may be, the
Qur'an never tries to justify God's actual existence.
Rather, God asks us throughout the Qur'an whether or
not we believe that it is indeed God who is talking to us.
God's existence is quite irrelevant if God does not com-
municate with us. We would not even need to ponder
upon the idea of God if there were no claims of revela-
tion.
So why is our belief upon Islam? Why not
any of the other assertions from the sea of religious
claims? This brings us to the point I want to hit home.
The very proof of the existence is within a miracle given
to us in the form of the Qur'an. By miracle I mean
something that is outside the natural capacity of the
universe to produce. This is not some sort of light- at-
the- end- of- the- tunnel kind of miracle, but one that is
logically and rationally testable.
We believe the Qur'an to be irreplaceable in
its linguistic structure. There is no other text compara-
ble to it, not only through its eloquence of speech, but
through the very constructs of the content itself. How
do we understand the miracle in this?
Something that is important for us to under-
stand is that there are 16 patterns that all Arabic litera-
ture follows. This includes poetry, prose, everyday
speech, expository papers, fiction and all written or
spoken work. Yet Gods words, in the form of the
Quran, introduces a 17th pattern that no other type of
Arabic literature possesses. This unparalleled immuta-
bility is the very force which allows us to intellectually
accept the Qur'an as word of God. Although there re-
mains more depth to be covered, we must reflect upon
and try to understand the extraordinary nature of
Qur'an and through that, allow our faith to flourish in
our heart. This was an introduction to a much larger
discourse, but I, as the author, want you to ponder
knowledge with this understanding. The 17th pattern,
which none other than the Qur'an possesses, not only
contains all the finite grammatical rules and the 28
letters of the Arabic language, but contains them in a
flawless, unparalleled manner. Light upon light.
Loved this article? Catch the next part
in the next issue of The Minaret!

Part 3-
Real
Orange
Juice
By: Arslan Rahman

During break-
fast my first morning in
Morocco, they gave us
orange juice that actually
tasted like it came from
oranges. It made such
obvious sense that I ques-
tioned what that yellow
stuff that we drink over
here actually is. It sounds a
little silly to even be men-
tioning this, but it was a
pretty profound first taste
of the country. As I would
learn over the course of the
next few days and weeks,
everything here was much
more authentic and vibrant
than what weve become so
accustomed to in our own
lives here in the U.S. All
aspects of life there had a
quality that seems to have
been long since lost for us, and it was
surprisingly refreshing and humbling
to see how people lead their lives there
and what kind of issues they face,
compared to our own. In our time
there, we were to work in health clinics
across different cities and villages,
start up a farming project in the coun-
tryside, and spend time with orphans
in an orphanage. Each of these, in its
own way, was a window looking out-
side our pampered bubbles into the
real issues faced by our brothers and
sisters in the real world.
On our first day as volun-
teers, we worked at our very first
health clinic in Rabat. As we made our
way towards the site of the health
clinic, we were all a bit taken by sur-
prise by the sheer size of the crowd of
people waiting outside. At first I didn't
really understand why there was such a
big crowd outside the gates of the
clinic and why they were being pre-
vented from entering by uniformed
guards, until later when it was ex-
plained to us that all these people were
residents of Rabat who were waiting
their turn to enter and receive health
care which they otherwise did not have
access to. Once we were told this, the
sight was even more startling since
now we understood what we were
seeing. Looking out towards the gate
from the inside, was the sight of scores
of people (mostly women, many of
which could easily be our mothers)
waiting for hours and hours in the sun
for basic medical treatment. What was
even more surprising was that this
wasn't some small isolated village in
the middle of nowhere; this was Rabat,
the capital of Morocco! Normally when
people think of major cities, they
imagine modern establishments and
people who are generally better off
financially than those in smaller villag-
es. Despite being in one of the most
developed cities in the country, here
were entire crowds of people who
didn't even have access to basic health
care. When we held the same type of
health clinic in the countryside, the
scene was very similar; crowds of
people would line up for treatments we
would think are so basic, and were
always extremely appreciative of what-
ever small help we could offer. Our
primary role was to help the doctors
present in any way needed, but from
the conversations the people were
having about us, we essentially were
doctors in their eyes. For them, a
person coming to help them was im-
mensely appreciated, regardless of
what their official degree or title was.
Waiting to be let into the health clinic in Rabat
On our second day, our
group was to go live in the Moroccan
countryside for a week, which would be
an interesting adjustment since we
wouldnt have things that are consid-
ered basic by Western standards, such
as electricity and running water. While
we were here, aside from being com-
pletely humbled by an entirely simpler
quality of living, most of our time was
to be spent helping set up a farm here.
We were told that the people of this
village we were staying in have been
fishermen by trade for generations.
Recently they haven't been able to
make as much of a living from fishing,
since the Japanese government bought
their fishing rights in exchange for a
school that isn't even properly
equipped. There's been an effort to get
these fishermen to turn to farming
instead, but since all they know is
fishing they need help in getting start-
ed.
Throughout the week our
job was to help rid the plot of land of
the hundreds of large rocks that spread
across it like a stony blanket, so that
the land could be made suitable for
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planting crops. We also helped erect a
fence around the border of the plot. The
work we were doing was to assist one
villager whose time was already limited
with trying to make whatever he could
get for his family by fishing. If it wasn't
for our program allowing us to dedicate
our week to helping him get started, the
work that the ten of us were able to get
done over the week would have been
left to this one man to do by himself.
Many of us reading this might be too
young to imagine how difficult a task
providing for your family may be, but I
think its fairly safe to say that for this
villager, securing a living was a chal-
lenge on a whole other level than what
we may have to face.
The fisherman turned farmer whose farm we're
trying to help set up.
In our last few days, we got
to spend some time in an orphanage in
the city of Agadir, on the Moroccan
coast. This orphanage had a hand full of
dedicated staff, but there were so many
kids here that it often proved difficult
for them to handle so many of them at
once and to give each one the attention
they craved. Now in my experience with
my own baby family members, usually
they dont really care whether or not
you pay them any attention as there are
always more than enough aunts, uncles,
friends, cousins, neighbors, and others
showering them with love and attention
at any given time. Now what was re-
markably different with the babies here
that our group dealt with is that you
could see just how much these kids
craved your attention. Almost every
single one of them was reaching for me
to touch them, or would break out into
the most precious smile if you so much
as looked at them. Our guide, Aziz,
explained to us that attention is a form
of nourishment for all small children,
perhaps just as necessary as food. You
could easily see that this group of 1-2
year olds were starving for that kind of
care and affection. At one point I was
asked by the women who worked there
to join a few of the kids in their play-
pen, to distract them while they took
one of them at a time to give a bath and
a change of clothes. I am not at all
exaggerating when I say that at least
three of them were all fighting for my
attention at the same exact time, each
pulling at me from a different direction.
I realized what an incredible blessing it
is to say you grew up with parents and a
family that loved you from the day you
were born and were there for you as
you grew up; a blessing that we may not
even be cognizant of. How many of us
reading this right now have had to grow
up with that kind of a test? How tragic
is it that these little children have to
grow up learning to soothe themselves
and be their own emotional support?
Its not until youre able to spend time
with orphans that you truly understand
why our religion places so much im-
portance and reward in looking after
and providing for them. Being able to
be in the presence of these children,
and even being blessed to have been
able to cause them to smile for the brief
time we were there, was such a pro-
found gift from Allah. I have never
encountered a group of children as
genuinely precious as the orphans in
Agadir.
Its true what they say;
travelling to a different country is a
great way to wake up and experience
the world. In Morocco we were blessed
to be able to see a much richer and
more genuine side of life, and were
surrounded by some of the most hospi-
table, sincere, and incredible people I
have ever met. I was able to walk away
with so many incredible memories:
from riding up and down a mountain
on the roof of a van, to my friend and I
almost getting attacked by a dog on our
way back from the village masjid, to
being invited in for meals in the homes
of people we just met, to yes, tasting the
most authentic orange juice Ive ever
had; all little gems of a world so close
but so different from our own. I would
encourage all of you to not only try to
travel to other places, but even locally
make it your business to help people
out with whatever their issues may be.
The feeling that comes with being able
to help people out with their struggles
is unlike anything else. May Allah
reward all of you who made this trip
possible with your donations, support,
and prayers.

Adam
(AS)
By: Naib Mobassir

Bef ore the
dawn of man, it is believed
that Allah had created
many races of which the
two mentioned in the
Qur'an are the angels or
mala'ikah and the jinn.
Both, were sentient beings
but the jinn were given
free will, while the angels
could not deviate from
God's command. The
angels were created of the
light, while the jinn were
created from a 'smokeless
fire'. Allah then created the first man,
Adam. Adam was molded of clay and
remained in a lifeless form for forty
years.
Amongst the jinn was
Iblis; a high ranking member whose
status allowed him to be as close to
God as the angels. As Allah's angels
passed by the figure of Adam, they
trembled at his sight; Iblis feared the
most. After forty years, Allah decided
to give Adam life. He commanded his
servants to prostrate to Adam once he
became animate. Allah breathed his
spirit into the clay Adam and all the
angels prostrated before him. All
bowed to Adam except one - Iblis.
Allah asked Iblis why he did not pros-
trate and Iblis replied with the utmost
hubris Never would I prostrate to a
human whom You created out of clay
from an altered black mud." Iblis
believed himself superior, being creat-
ed of a smokeless fire. Allah cursed
him and banished Iblis until the Day of
Recompense. Iblis then appealed to
Allah, being once one of his most
trusted creations. He asked for respite
and Allah obliged. Iblis then avowed to
lead Allah's servants astray and Allah
answered his threat; Allah challenged
Iblis to lead who he could for Allah
would fill Hell with him and all those
who choose to follow him.
Allah then asked Adam to
go to the angels and see what they had
to say. Adam greeted them and the
angels replied As salaamu alaikum
w a r a h m a t u l l a h i w a
barakatuh (Peace be upon you and
the mercy and blessings of Allah.)
Allah said: "O Adam! This is your
greeting and that of your offspring."
Allah gave Adam the gift of knowledge;
He taught him the names of all of His
creation. Adam came to be a being of
intelligence surpassing even the angels
for Allah had not taught them all that
he had taught Adam. But over time,
Adam grew lonely for he was the only
one of his kind. Allah, the Beneficent
the most Merciful saw his servant's
woe and created for him, a companion.
Ibn Abbas and a group of
companions of the Prophet (PBUH)
narrated that when Iblis was sent out
of Paradise and Adam was accommo-
dated therein, Adam was alone in
Paradise and did not have a partner
from whom he could get tranquility.
He slept for some time and when he
woke up, he saw a woman whom Allah
had created from his ribs. So he asked
her, "Who are you? She replied, "A
woman" He asked: "Why have you
been created?" She said :"So that you
could find tranquility in me." The
angels, trying to find out the extent of
his knowledge, asked him: "What is
her name, O Adam?" He replied,
"Hawwa" (Eve). They asked: "Why was
she so named?" He replied, "Because
she was created from something liv-
ing."
Adam rejoiced at his
newfound companion and Allah was
pleased to see his servant in such an
elated state. He commanded Adam
and Eve to dwell in paradise and
therein enjoy all of its fruits, but he
warned them never to approach one
tree. Allah warned that approaching
the forbidden tree would make them of
the dhalimeen (the wrongdoers).
Adam heeded Allah's warning and had
no intention of approaching the forbid-
den tree. Time went by, however, and
Iblis, now known as Shaytan or Satan,
whispered to Adam: "Your Lord did
not forbid you this tree save you
should become angels or become of the
immortals." Satan swore by Allah to
them both saying "Verily I am one of
the sincere well-wishers for you both."
Over time, Adam began to forget
Allahs instructions and the whispers
of Satan manifested in his mind. One
day, Adam approached the forbidden
tree and picked a fruit which he shared
with Eve. Immediately, their private
parts became apparent to them and
Allah banished Adam, Eve and Satan
from paradise to dwell within the
earth. (It is important to note that the
Islamic account of Adam and Eves
expulsion of paradise holds Adam
accountable for it was he alone who
transgressed and fell to the whispers of
Shaytan. As opposed to the Christian
account of the event, which portrays
woman as the root of all evil, Muslims
believe Eve was not the one who trans-
gressed against Allahs command.
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Jesus in Islam
By: Ali Aftab

Most of the non-Muslims, especially Christians,
do not know that the true spirit of compassion which Mus-
lims display to Jesus Christ and his mother Mary, all the
time, fount from the garden of his faith and the Holy Quran.
They do not know that the Muslim does not take these holy
names without saying Alaihi assalam (peace be upon them
both). The main reason being that the non-Muslims think
the Holy Quran was uttered and written by Muhammad
(SAW), which is the biggest misconception out there.
Actually, the Holy Quran is the veritable word of
God revealed in a time period of 23 years and some months
to the last and final messenger Muhammad (SAW), which is
also know as the Last Testament. It was not revealed in a
form of a book all of a sudden, but in several revelations in
different times and circumstances. The reason why this is
important to mention is to inform that Jesus (SAW) is men-
tioned 25 times by name in the Quran. There is also a com-
plete chapter (Surah Maryam, ch19) after Mary in the
Quran. He is given a very high status in Islam. No Muslim is
a Muslim if he doesnt believe in Jesus Christ that he is one
of the mightiest messengers of God, that he was born mirac-
ulously to Mary without any male intervention, that he was
Kalimatullah (the word of God), that he was Ruh-ullah (the
spirit of God), that he gave life to the dead by Gods permis-
sion, and that he healed those who were born blind and the
lepers by Gods permission. Muhammad (SAW) made it an
article of faith to believe in Jesus and Mary (peace be upon
them both).
Moreover, if for instance Muhammad (peace be
upon him) had written this book then why would he keep on
praising Jesus and his mother (peace be upon them both)
while keeping himself totally out of the book? For example
the Quran says:
O Mary, God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him:
His name will be Christ Jesus, the Son of Mary (3:45)
And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the
ranks of the righteous (6:85).
In other words, Muhammads (SAW) name is
only mentioned five times while Jesuss name being men-
tioned more than Muhammad's (SAW) by 500%. There is
nothing in the book about Muhammad (SAW) regarding his
birth, who was his father/mother, who was Fatima (his
daughter), who was Abu-Bakar (his best friend and compan-
ion), and that how old he was. If I claim to have authored a
book then there is no way I would keep myself out of it. It is
human nature to boast about ourselves.
As a final point, Christ in Islam is really Christ
in the Quran. The Holy Quran absolves Jesus (SAW) from all
the false charges and the misplaced infatuations by his
followers. Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, the
Holy Quran says:
O People of the Book, commit no excesses in
your religion: nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ
Jesus son of Mary (was no more than) a messenger of God,
and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit
proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His messen-
gers (4:171).
Thus, no such concept of original sin
exists in Islam.)
On earth, Adam asked for
Allahs forgiveness and Allah saw that
he truly felt sorrow. Allah forgave him
and told him to dwell on the earth for a
time. Allah told Adam and Eve to
populate the earth and to teach their
progeny to remember Allah for to him
they would all one day return. Thus,
Adam became Allahs first prophet to
all of mankind and he lived for many
years with his wife. They had many
children and soon the earth became
populated with their descendants. To
this day, all three of the major mono-
theistic religions believe in the story of
our father Adam and through him,
humanity shares the everlasting link of
brotherhood.
Dua of Adam:

Rabbana dhalamna anfusana wa-illam
taghfirlana watarhamna lanakoonanna
min al-khasireen
"Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves,
and if You do not forgive us and have
mercy upon us, we will surely be among
the losers."
Based on The Stories of the Prophets by Ibn-Kathir

Lead Change,
As A Muslim
By: Dureya Syed

The prophet (s) was the
best of mankind. A man that held the
morals that today's society greatly
lacks. On his walk to the mosque he
would stop and remove harmful things
from the road. When a funeral proces-
sion would pass he would stand, when
the companions asked why he stood
for a non-Muslim, he said "is it not a
soul". When he saw someone doing
wrong, he would speak to them kindly
and teach them the correct way. As a
leader he treated everybody as equals,
he himself was not above anyone. If
today we could take these qualities
and apply them to today's society, how
much could we change? How much of
a difference could we make? We are all
in positions capable of applying these
qualities. Whether we realize it or not,
we're either an older sibling or an
older cousin, a parent, an aunt, an
uncle, a teacher. We all have the abil-
ity to make a difference because peo-
ple are always watching.
He (s) was a leader, a role
model for us all. Today, a leader is a
politician, who constantly lies, to get
his job done. Leaders may be the
celebrities that society looks towards
and follows. Today, leaders are people
with money and no morals or ethics. A
leader may be a military officer in
charge of machines and people, killing
thousands of innocent men, women
and children are caught in crossfire
every day. Today, anyone can be a
leader.
However, a true leader is
someone who helps people, under-
stands others, listens to others, tries
their best, has integrity and respects
others in every facet. In fact, as Mus-
lims, we already have these qualities
instilled within the teachings of our
religion. If we look to the prophet (s),
he was the best of leaders and was the
best among us. Today, a lot of deroga-
tory comments float around about us.
Things that you and I know are not
true. As Muslims this should bother us
or at the least upset us because no one
likes to be judged. For us to be judged
so unjustly, isn't right. We should fix
it. We hear stories of people going
across the country to help during
natural disasters, about people send-
ing money over, about people that
volunteer in every place imaginable.
They're all helping people.
You say to yourself they're
making a difference. But as Muslims,
even a smile is an act of charity, with
simply that we can change a lot of
views about Islam. We've all heard the
saying go big or go home. Well,
that's not always the case. If we all
start standing up and screaming that
our religion isn't what people make it
out to be, how many people will we
affect? None. They'll think we're
crazy, more fanatic Muslims. Howev-
er, we can focus on who we are and try
to improve ourselves. So that when
people see who we really are, we will
defy their initial judgments.
We can better our actions,
listen more, respect more, judge less.
Try it, people will love you for it. I'm
not saying everyone will be accepting
if we're good Muslims and overall
good person thats just not going to
happen. But at least we can all start
somewhere. If enough people try this,
then maybe one day we can change the
misconceptions about our religion.
Anybody reading this article probably
knows that Muslims arent all bad
because being good to others is basic
in Islam. Having respect, integrity, not
judging others for looks, ethnicity or
religion are tenets of Islam.
Knowing that we ourselves
are judged should make us less judg-
mental towards others, even our
fellow Muslims. So let's all take a step
back to look at ourselves, see what we
need to change about ourselves, so we
can go out to make a difference
through our character, through our
actions. With that, I'm going to leave
you with a quote.
"When I was a young man I
wanted to change the world. I found it was
difficult to change the world so I tried to
change my nation. When I found I couldn't
change my nation, I began to focus on my
town. I couldn't change the town, and now
as an older man, I tried to change my
family. Now as an old man I realize the
only thing I can change is myself. And
suddenly I realized that if long ago I had
changed myself, I could have made an
impact on my family. My family and I
could have made an impact on our town.
Their impact would have changed the
nation, and I indeed could have changed
the world." ----unknown





Food and refreshments for events as well as General Body Meetings
Supplies for on and off-campus events and activities (Food for Soup kitchens, Orphanage visits
etc.)
Supplies for the maintenance of the Prayer Room, Wudu Stations and 2 offices of the Islamic
Society (Sister Sanaas Chaplaincy)
Flights, meals, and hotel stays for speakers and invited guests.
Copies of Islamic informational material, including Translations of the Quran, and pamphlets, to
be made available to the campus community for pickup.
Water Bottles, Tissues and other commodities to be handed out with MSA labels as a form of PR.
Prayer Room Insurance Bill
Office of the Chaplaincy Expenses
Mass printing of our monthly newsletter publication: The Stony Brook Minaret
And much more!!!
This is an opportunity to reap
immense reward and benefit in
this life and even after our times
are up. Imagine the reward of
helping to foster this brother-
hood and sisterhood. Imagine
the reward of being a part of this
dream.
www.stonybrookmsa.org
Below is a brief list of
some of the things
we put our funds
towards:

A Drop of Time
By: Danyal Syed

How quickly does time fly?
About the time for a drop of water to turn dry?
Where does all this time go?
Second after second does anyone know?
Each and every millisecond gone,
It is your choice whether you are an individual or just another
pawn
Who are you? Who am I?
Are you as valuable as the ocean or just another water drop turn-
ing dry?
Stand Firm
By: Danyal Syed

The only fear is fear from within
overcoming such is when you win
Lurking in the dark what you can't see
Your option is to encounter or to flee
Stand firm and never lose your grip
Cuz you sure as hell don't wanna slip
Take the shot, go for the win!
Overcome that fear from within!
Amend
By: Danyal Syed

Chasing your dreams both high and low,
But ignorantly only round and around you go
Stop for a moment and think
have a sip of life in a drink!
Are your dreams worth the merry-go-round into
infinity of complete nothing,
Or are you willing to turn around and rectify your
shortcoming?

Beautifully Preserved
By Fatema Elias

So, Id like to take a min. just standing right here
To voice some misconceptions that we, as Muslims, just fear
We arent oppressed, let down or even weak
Knowing full well that the knowledge we seek
Is untouched perfected transcendent and divine
Our only duty would be to embrace empower and align
With the brothers and sisters around us so eager to learn
Alongside us with the same goal, same purpose, same concern

With all the mis-readings from the media via propaganda
The misconceptions, misinformation, all of the misunderstandings
We dont need anyone to tell us who we are
For we know who we are, what we believe in and how we should act
From the day we embraced religion and took the shahada
Ashadu an la ilaha illAllah washadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah

Its sad to say that in times like these our own people
Our own people that once lived peacefully now live in fear of what could be
The fear of not knowing the consequence behind the things we should be
The fear of discovering the talent, the creativity, the status that we can be
The fear of defining ourselves as charismatic and powerful of someone that one day we will be
The fear of not fitting in and feeling like we have to be followers.
Grasping the characteristics of those who we would be,
if there was no Islam.

What we eat, sleep, speak, act, love, breathe and live
some say its okay to be devout secretly
others make it seem like its okay to transgress bounds openly
with arrogance, pride, & haughtiness. Those theorists!
How about those in isolation, solitude, the individualists
Let us turn back to our guide, what does the Quran say?

We should take the middle path.
Not be falsely accused of being too authoritative when we have no power
Not be written down in the book of deeds as a disbeliever
But to carry on with the idea that we as the Muslim youth can be what we so desire
Unfaltering unchanging and undefeated.

In Chapter 3 Surah Al-Imran Verse 103
and hold fast all of you together, to the rope of Allah
Allah (SWT) never just says to follow Him blindly.
There is proof enough by the creations around us that there is a God

And that we are all His servants undeniably.
What is the rope of Allah (SWT) you ask? It is the Quran, the very words of Allah (SWT).
Allah (SWT) then goes on to say and be not divided amongst yourselves
Why do we not then have the strength to complete an order so plainly written?
His words alone, His order, His revelation should engage us to hasten

We have lost ourselves somewhere along the way
Striving for perfection, faltering at the conception-or lack thereof
Kneeling with devotion, deviating with different perceptions
Its our duty to come together as a solid brick wall
Never letting others break through the barriers
Just as we stand in Salah, shoulder to shoulder, feet-to-feet
Not letting the accursed Shaitan break through the lines of the slaves of Allah (SWT)
That he once was. But now so carefully piercing through the mind and bodies
Of Allah's (SWT) followers who are trying so hard to stay on the straight path

The devil himself accepted that he would end in Hell
But promised to God that he would take down
Every man woman and mature child along with Him
A challenge that he took upon himself because he could not handle
Having to bow to someone deemed less than him, a person made of mere dust
While he was made from a blazing fire he could not take it.
The jealousy, the envy and the anger that erupted from him
Now alienates us from ourselves and allows us to disobey Allah (SWT)
When we should be humbly falling to our feet, hands on the ground, forehead to the floor
askingpraisingpleading to Allah (SWT) for His Mercy

Let us be exactly who Allah (SWT) tells us we should be
Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good
enjoining Al-Maruf and forbidding Al-Munkar
enjoining what is good and forbidding what is falsehood

So let us take the time to show the world
With patience and moderation of what we all can be
People who can teach and follow Islam correctly like the way it should be
Like the companions of the Prophet (SAWW) without hesitation following him.
InshAllah, one day like devout Muslims that we will be, who we shall be.
Like Allah (SWT) finished the ayah by saying it is they who are successful

Why then do we not heed the very words that we claim to be following?
Others look at us and deem us as hypocrites sometimes listening
Other times disobeying the command given by the Almighty so blatantly
We must remain in consistency with the prophecy that was sent down 1400 years ago
That still remains utterlygraciouslybeautifully preserved.

Reaching the
Messenger of
Allah (SWT)
By: Fawzia Syed

I walked faster and fast-
er, hundreds of women pushing me
forward. Women all around me cried
in love and in pain. They pushed
forth with a fervor that emanated
from their hearts and took hold of
their bodies. I continued to move
forward. My heart raced; I dont
know why. I might have been nerv-
ous. I might have been anxious. All I
knew was that my heart felt as if it
would beat right out of my body. My
tongue fervently repeated,
Allahumma salli alaa sayiddina
Muhammad This was my first
visit: I was going to be in the pres-
ence of Muhammad (SAWW) (peace
and blessings be upon him).
My eyes swelled with
tears and I was no longer able to
hold it in. I reached my destination,
only a few feet from the grave of the
Messenger of Allah (SWT). My tears
rushed from my eyes as if a waterfall,
endlessly. My eyes, unable to see,
and my body heavy with a burden I
didnt understand, stood in awe. I
prayed earnestly that a future meet-
ing with the Messenger would
have me drinking from his hands
next to his fountain. I continued to
send peace and blessings upon the
Beloved of Allah. I thanked Allah
(SWT) (glorified is He) for bringing
me here, for allowing me, in my
pathetic state, to stand before the
greatest man to ever walk upon this
earth.
Every story and every
description of the Messenger
(SAWW) raced through my mind
and heart. I imagined his feet, soak-
ing with blood, as he ran from the
insults jeered at him by the people of
Taif. I remembered the resolve and
strength of my Messenger (SAWW)
in those moments when he prayed to
Allah (SWT), O Allah (SWT)! I
complain only to You of my weak-
ness, my scarcity of resources and
my humiliation before the people. O
Most Merciful of those who are
mercifulSo long as You are not
angry with me, I do not care. Your
favor is of more abundance to me
I thought of him praying in the
middle of the night whilst crying. His
wife, Aisha (may Allah be pleased
with her) asking him, Why do you
stay up all night and pray when all
your sins have been forgivenpast
and future? His simple reply,
Should I not be a thankful serv-
ant?
I thought of the first
generation and their love for the
Messenger of Allah (saw). I won-
dered how his heart must have felt
when the companions (may Allah be
pleased with them) came to him
tortured day after day, after having
given up everything because of the
Jannah (Paradise) he promised
them. And I could hear Jaabir (may
Allah be pleased with him) describ-
ing my beloved Prophet (SAWW): I
once saw Rasulullah on the night of
a full moon. I looked first at the full
moon, and then at the face of
Rasulullah. And I swear by God
that he was more handsome,
beautiful and more radiant
than the full moon.
Allah (SWT) had allowed
my undeserving being to walk upon
the same roads the Prophet (SWT)
had walked. Can you imagine? He
had walked these streets, with rocks
around his stomach, attempting to
suppress the pangs of hunger. The
best of creation went days and nights
without food. A smile always etched
upon his noble face and his tongue
immersed in the remembrance of
His Lord. His companions attentive-
ly gathered around him, capturing
every word and action of his. This
city, Madinah, reminded me of the
Prophet (SAWW) at every turn.
I was now so close to him
inside Masjid al-Nabawi; but what if
I was actually in the presence of
Muhammad (SAWW)? I asked
myself this question as I slowly
distanced myself from his grave and
found a place to sit and gather my-
self. All I imagined was the Day of
Judgment. Often when I think of
Rasulallah (SAWW), I think of the
Last Day. This is because when I was
younger, a teacher of mine was the
first to tell me that as the Day of
Judgment played out, everyone
would leave me stranded and alone.
My friends, my family, and even my
parents would abandon me. I would
be left before Allah (SWT) with
nothing-except my deeds, which
would be lacking for a surety. She
said that mankind would go to each
Prophet that Day asking for help,
and each Prophet would reply,
Nafsi, nafsi. Myself, Myself.

They too would be filled with fear
on that Day. Each prophet: Adam,
Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses)
and so on would reply, Nafsi,
Nafsi. And then she finally men-
tioned the Prophet (SAWW). Our
Messenger, Muhammad (SAWW)
would instead reply, Ummati,
Ummati. My Ummah, My
Ummah. As she said this, my
teacher began to cry, as did I. How
could I not love someone who loved
me so dearly?
Our faith is not com-
plete until we love the Prophet
(SAW) more than we love ourselves.
I shamefully admit I thought little
over the depth of this statement
until I visited the grave of the
Prophet (SAWW). In the days that
followedin the moments of self-
reflectionI found myself repeated-
ly asking: Do I love Muhammad
(SAWW) more than I love myself?
Several months have passed and I
still ask myself this question. In an
attempt to ease my distress and
cultivate a love for the Prophet
(SAWW), I have gathered some
ways to increase my love for him. I
pray that one day my love and your
love for him will surpass any and
every worldly love we have allowed
to take hold of our hearts. May our
love for him be a proof for us on the
Day of Judgment, when we are need
of salvation and forgiveness for our
misdeeds.
Love the Quran: The
Prophets (SAWW) miracle was the
Quran. His life changed when the
first word of the Quran was re-
vealed. As it transformed his life, it
should transform ours as well. We
do this by realizing that the Quran
is more than a book and we should
treat it as such. Let us read it every
day (seriously every day), and ask
Allah (SWT) at every moment we
can to put a sincere love for the
Quran in our hearts.
Read the seerah (life of
the Prophet (SAWW)): If we
know him, then we will love him. It
is that simple. We cannot love
someone we do not know.
Send salawaat (salutations)
upon him every day: Let us send
peace and blessings upon the
Prophet (SAWW) every day. Do not
go a day without mentioning his
name or remembering him. The
Prophet (SAWW) has said,
Whoever supplicated Allah (SWT)
to exalt my mention, Allah (SWT)
will exalt his mention ten times and
remove from him ten sins and raise
him ten degrees.
Follow the sunnah: The
way the Prophet (SAWW) went
about his day was inspired by Allah
(SWT) and is full of blessing for us.
We should take the time to learn
what he did regularly throughout
his day. Take one sunnah
(tradition)just oneand work to
implement it in our daily routine.
For example, if we do not sit when
we eat or drink, begin to sit. If we
do not pray 2 rakah sunnah (units
of prayer) after Dhuhr salah
(afternoon prayer), begin to do so.
If we begin slowly, we will not over-
whelm ourselves. For the Prophet
(SAW) has said that Allah (SWT)
loves consistency in deeds, not
grandeur.
Humble yourself: Always
remember that Allah (SWT) is
Greater than you. He is greater than
me and everyone I know. And the
Prophet (SAWW) was the best of
creation. We are merely servants of
God; let us think of ourselves as
such. The Prophets (SAWW) char-
acter was beautiful in that he was
the most humble of people. If we
learn humility first, then the rest of
the Prophets (SAWW) noble char-
acter traits will follow close behind
InshAllah.

May Allah (SWT) make us among
those who follow in the footsteps of
His noble messenger and make us
among those who love him more
than we love all else in this world.
Ameen!

A Part- time Traveler
By: Qurat-ul-ain Gulamhussein

I am a Muslim. I follow Prophet Muham-
mad (SAW). I claim to love his loved ones. I claim to
hate his enemies. I dont just claim, but I actually im-
plement those beliefs in my day to day life, but just
when I want to. You see, I am a part-time Muslim.
Each Muharram and Safar, I travel with
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on his journey with his
grandson, Imam Hussain (AS), and their whole house-
hold to Kerbala. I regularly attend lectures at the
mosque during these months adorned in black with just
the right amount of sadness on my face and just the
right shade of dark black nail polish on my nails. I cry
my heart out when I hear the Prophet (SAW) losing his
whole family, the six-month-old baby being shot with a
three-headed spear, the veil of the women being torn
away from them, the tents set on fire. I beat my chest in
remembrance of their suffering, the loss of the Prophet
(SAW). I promise to not let their cause go in vain.
And then, I have nyaaz, the food served at
the end of lectures. I forget the thirst of my fellow trav-
elers; you know the ones I began my journey with. I
drink and eat to my full. And then I socialize with my
friends, say goodbye, and return home to sleep on my
warm bed while the trampled bodies of the men of P.
Muhammads (SAW) family lay on the land of Kerbala.
What should I do anyway? Crying is what
society expects. Its not like I can start sleeping on the
floor, or abstain from water and food forever, right? I
went with all of them and returned with just the Proph-
et (SAW), but its not like I could have helped someone
who sacrificed his life for Islam over 13 centuries ago on
the day of Ashura. So, the best thing to do is to bid
farewell and return to them the next holy month of
Muharram.
My intention in writing this sarcastic article
was nothing but an attempt to criticize myself. Life is
like a layover because the real journey starts after death
with the final destination being Heaven (hopefully!). If
I want Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his family to
intercede on my behalf on the Day of Judgment, a day
when neither my wealth nor my family can help me,
then I must love Prophet Muhammad (SAW) full-time.
After all, in Surah Taha, Allah (SWT) tells
us, That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that
of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permis-
sion and has accepted his word (20:109). Who more
esteemed than Prophet Muhammad (SAW) can put in a
better word for me on that journey?
For this to happen, I need to follow Islam
completely in addition to remembering what happened
at Kerbala, all year round. If I accompany the Proph-
et (SAW) every day of my current fleeting life, Inshal-
lah, he and his family will accompany me when no one
else will.
To spread the message of Imam Hussain
(AS) and to earn the love of Prophet Muhammad
(SAW), please visit www.whoishussain.org and share
with Muslims and non-Muslims. Bring yourself and
others to live the saying: Every day is Ashura and
every land is Kerbala.
The Middle
Path
By: The Islam Awareness
Committee

Remember your impres-
sion of the MSA before you arrived
to Stony Brook? It is likely that you
thought that it was full of hijabis
and bearded individuals who did
nothing but judge (a definite state of
anomy). Some of you mightve felt
that you would be lambasted if you
didnt fold up your pants or didnt
spend enough time in the prayer
roomwhich would be a definite

state of calamity. The MSA
mightve felt like a place you would
have to have a certain level of religi-
osity to be in. Now, there is noth-
ing wrong with thatwe should all
set goals for ourselves in regards to
our Islam. On the flipside, spending
the majority of your day in the
balcony, watching YouTube videos,
and socializing all day arent the
most beneficial ways to spend your
day. However, there is nothing
wrong in doing those things either.
What do we need? We
need moderation. Moderation, in
all that we do, is the key to success.
In Surah Baqarah, Ayah 143, Allah
(SWT) says, and thus we have
made you a just community The
word used to describe the Muslims
here is Wasat. In Arabic, Wasat
means center or middle ground.
Allah (SWT) created us to be an
Ummah of moderationan Um-
mah absent of extremism. The
Messenger (SAWW) of Allah (SWT)
said, Do good deeds properly,
sincerely and moderatelyAlways
adopt a middle, moderate, regular
course, whereby you will reach
your target (paradise) (Sahih Al-
Bukhari). We dont need to set
difficult goals for ourselves in order
to become more religious or attain
Jannahquality over quantity.
Remember, Islam is easy. It is we
who make it difficult upon our-
selves.
In our context as college
students, we need to find a balance
between our religiosity and our
social lives. Forget the uncles that
tell you that you cant have fun in
Islam. Extreme religiosity isnt
healthy, especially when there are
countless responsibilities facing us:
The Prophet Muham-
mad (peace be upon him) once
asked a companion: "(Is it true)
that you fast all day and stand in
prayer all night?" The companion
replied that the report was indeed
true. The Prophet then said: "Do
not do that! Observe the fast some-
times and also leave (it) at other
times. Stand up for prayer at night
and also sleep at night. Your body
has a right over you, your eyes
have a right over you and your
wife has a right over you." - Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 127
There are certain re-
sponsibilities that we all have to
fulfill and we cant use religion as
an excuse. Remember that Umar
ibn al-Khattab (second Khalifah)
actually reprimanded people who
spent too much time in the
masaajid since they were neglect-
ing their duties to their households.
On the other hand, the road of
debauchery is also unhealthy. There
are certain religious obligations
that we must fulfill. Allah (SWT)
does not ask much from us, yet He
(SWT) promises us endless boun-
ties.
What is one step we can
take? We need to structure our
everyday activities AROUND our
daily Salahs. We should not try to
fit in our Salahs around our daily
activities. Our Deen needs to be our
primary focus, but we also need to
perform our everyday activities.
Structuring your day like this can
ensure that you perform your reli-
gious obligations and also get your
other work done.
At the end of the day,
we need to keep in mind that it isnt
our good deeds (no matter how
many) that will save us from Hell-
fireit is Allahs (SWT) Mercy:
The Prophet Muham-
mad (peace be upon him) said:
"The good deeds of any person will
not make him enter Paradise (i.e.,
no one enters paradise only
through his good deeds)." The
Prophet's companions asked: "Not
even you?" The Prophet replied:
"Not even myself, unless God be-
stows His favor and mercy on me.
So be moderate in your religious
deeds and do what is within your
ability. None of you should wish
for death, for if he is a doer of
good, he may increase his good
deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he
may repent to God." - Sahih al-
Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 577

Reem Zohny Former Vice President
Finding adequate words to express how it feels
to be closing this chapter of my life has proven impossible,
but Ill do my best. Like so many others I came to Stony
Brook anxious about what to expect of college life, but eager
to experience the MSA I had heard so much about. And like
so many others, I found things here that I didnt even realize
I was looking for. It was here that I learned the meaning of
friendship. It was here that I met people who would change
my life for the better. It was here that I learned some of the
hardest but most important lessons of my life. And it was
here that I found a community that I could call my own.
Working on the board these past few years,
proved to bring with it more challenges, frustrations, and
tests of patience than I could have anticipated, but more
than anything it brought a sense of satisfaction I had not
known before. One that came through knowing that I was
taking part in something that had the ability to change lives
for the better, the way it had changed mine. Its a satisfac-
tion I honestly dont know how Ill get by without, and hope
to find again after Stony Brook, but one I will remain eter-
nally grateful for experiencing here first. I have been blessed
to work with amazing people, who have helped me realize
my own shortcomings through their character, optimism,
and fortitude. In each and every person I came across here I
recognized some quality that was lacking in myself, and for
that I am forever indebted to you.
It was narrated by Aisha (rA) that once they had
slaughtered a goat, distributing much of the meat to the
poor, after which the Prophet (saw) asked, How much of its
meat remains? She replied, Nothing remains except the
shoulder. In response the Prophet (saw) said, Everything
Zain Ali Former President
Working on the MSA E-Board is an experience
unlike any other. It has its ups and downs, its sunrises and
its sunsets but all in all, inshaAllah the struggle at the end is
all worth it. I thank Allah for allowing me to be able to work
with such an amazing group of individuals this year and pray
that next years board is able to bring this MSA to new
heights. Here are a few things Id tell myself if I were able to
go back to the beginning of last year.
1) Take it easy. I cannot tell you how profound Sister
Sanaas statement is: Dont worry- just be happy. More
often than not, the things you worry yourself sick about will
get taken care of- a reminder we hear often that sometimes
we forget to take in. The work that you do is yours- strive,
put in the work, turn tawwakul on and Allah will provide.
Keep your chin up and dont ever lose hope.
2) Assume the best of people. Someone says something
funny to you, steps on your toes the wrong way, pushes your
buttons a bit too hard- no ones saying to let them walk all
over you but (and its so much easier said than done) just
assume the best of them. Make as many excuses in their
favor as you can. Everyones fighting an internal battle that
you know nothing about. No matter what the situation, just
dont act upon your anger- you will almost always regret
what you say when you respond to someone right after
getting angry.
3) Dont generalize- See the good in people before search-
ing for their bad. First impressions are hard to erase and
even harder are second impressions. Remember that we are
all slaves of Allah striving to make it to Jannah- the playing
field is much more level than you think.
4) Use your time wisely - You will never get it back. Life
will only start getting more and more real from now. Gradu-
ate school, full time job, married life (whatever order you
find yourself following)- most of us will never have what we
have now again- cherish it.
5) Have a vision- dont just strive to copy a past board-
OH MAN THEY WENT TO SIX FLAGS- I HAVE TO SUR-
PASS OMAR! What will they think of me if I dont? It isnt a
competition in that sense of the word. Let the responsibility
of maintaining this MSA prevent you from slacking and let
the reward of succeeding, motivate you. Its an amaanah
from Allah to serve, not to beat the next guy. Let ihsan/
excellence be part of your daily routine and when evaluating
yourself, dont settle for anything less.
May Allah bless you all in your endeavors and
grant you success in seeking to serve Him. May he accept
the efforts of this board and make things easy for next
years. May He guide them to be His obedient servants and
allow for them to serve the campus community and incul-
cate the mercy of Rasulullah (S) in doing so.

Mishal Riaz Former Treasurer
There are many struggles that come with being
on the boardevery decision seems to come with a criti-
cism, people let you down when youre depending on them,
complain that what youre doing is not enough, and you
encounter frustrations from people and places youd never
expect. Even through all that, I can easily say that being this
MSAs Treasurer and Sisters Representative were some of
the best experiences of my life. Having the privilege of
serving this community is something Im going to miss
dearly, and will always treasure.
It wouldnt be possible for me to list every
aspect that made my experience the best it could be. So, for
now, Ill highlight one thing in particular: the group of
people I was blessed to work with. I never appreciated them
quite enough a mistake I hope next years board does not
make. Each one of them brings a certain light to this MSA
that cant be replaced.What would our events and GBMs be
without Ammars creativity and charisma, or the power-
house that is Sobia Rafiuddin? - or Nagi, the fixture that has
been here since my freshmen year and has always been
there to help when asked. Also, Reem and Zain what
would this year have been without the extreme patience,
steadfastness, and drive that they had? By no means does
this MSA rest on the shoulders of two people, but without
the President and Vice President, who we were honored
with this year. I personally cant see how we would have
seen any of the success that we did. If there is anyone you
want to appreciate and make dua for, for all the memories
youve garnered in the past 8 months, it should be them.For
all their dedication, and for all the patience that this board
has shown me, Im forever grateful. May Allah (SWT) ac-
cept the efforts of this years board, grant the new board
success and ease, and allow our efforts to weigh heavily on
our scales. Ameen.
remains except the shoulder [Tirmidhi]. All we have in this
life is that which we are able to give. So I thank you, for
allowing me the opportunity to give something to this
community that has given me so much. I know it wasnt
much, especially compared to what I received in return, but
its all I have.
I ask for your forgiveness for the ways in which
I fell short, for I know better than anyone that there were
many. I also humbly request that you keep me in your dua,
as you will all be in mine inshaAllah. May Allah bless next
years board with patience and grant them success in all
that they do. May He allow this MSA to reach greater
heights and benefit more people than ever before. And May
He allow for us to meet again under His shade on the Day
when there is no shade but His throne as those who loved
each other for His sake.
Ammar Morgan Former Brothers Secretary
Asalamualaykum wa rahmah tullahi wa baraktuh
Once upon a time I wrote
Inshaallah in the upcoming year, great things will
happen for the Stony Brook University MSA. With a legacy
that leaves a resonating feeling with the mention of the
previous boards, this years board has no other choice than
to answer the call of duty. Inshaallah we will see increased
participation from fellow MSA members and the entire aura
of the MSA personality will shimmer with the green hue of
acceptance and encouragement. I have, again, been given
the chance to help the Muslim Community on campus. Not
only, but I have been given a team that rivals the effective-
ness of the Justice league when it came to the protection of
pedestrian citizens. The villainous obstacles that have yet to
present themselves will be handled in the manner that an
obstacle that is to be conquered deserves. With a president,
vice-president, and treasurer in the fore-front and two-
secretaries, and brothers-representative to cover the rear,
we have all points covered, Inshaallah. All that is left to do
is to try and operate at our full potential, Make duaa, and
keep faith, and the rest shall fall into place where need be.
This is your brothers secretaryNow lets do this.
These were the feelings that I had going into last year, and
how I wish I could go back and tell my old self how on point
my feelings were. This years team has been amazing, and
this years MSA has been amazing. It would be hard to say
that these two things werent linked.
Sobia Rafiuddin Former Sisters Secretary
This year, I was the Sisters Secretary in the
MSA and there are some key things I have learned while
serving my community. For one, nobody reads the emails.
All year, Ive been seriously tempted to just saying some-
thing random in a blurb to see if people would actually
catch it. Do you guys even read this? Am I just blabbing to
myself? Anyway, that was my official rant to the general
body. On a more serious note, Ive learned how important
it is to be a community. My dad always used to tell us how
my parents, siblings and I make up the five fingers on a
hand, and when you close it into a fist, it can stand strong.
Sound familiar? Congratulations fella, he got that from an
old Amitabh Bachan film! Anyway, I learned how important
it is for the MSA to stand together.
Continued on next page...

Mohammed Nagi Former Brothers Repre-
sentative
Being a member of the general body for three
years, I was always afraid to serve on the e-board. Especial-
ly after hearing all these talks about how much work there
was or how theyre always chasing members around to do
something. Now that Ive finally served on the e-board and
became a part of every single thread possible, I am very
confused. I sort of understand where the being chased
around idea comes from since I was part of community
service committee. I always thought that I had so much
work to do and that I was trying my best to plan and run
community service events. Thats where this idea of being
chased around by the e-board comes from. Then I started
receiving those emails from the e-board, not the extended
board. Now if people were only able to read those emails, or
even see the number of emails that are sent, then there is
no way they would say such things. The amount of work the
e-board has to do is so much more than all the committees
combined. The fact that they did that and much more was
amazing. So for those who think they have a lot to do, think
of the e-board, and make their lives and jobs easier by
doing what you have to do or trying to assist them.
Being a part of this e-board really showed me
how communication is key, and they have been an amazing
group. I have never seen such a group of people work to-
gether and get things done the way they did. I am grateful
that I was able to serve on this board and hope that I was of
assistance and did not make it harder for them. May Allah
accept it from us and may the new e-board be just as dedi-
cated and have as strong a bond and as much unity as this
board did.
What I didnt realize before being on the board was all the
hard work and dedication that goes into running every
single event, whether it is a social, a lecture, or weekly
classes. I truly understood and began to appreciate all that
the MSA and Chaplain Sanaa Nadim have done after seeing
the intricate details that they deal with everyday to make
the day run smoothly. I recommend that anyone who is
capable tries to be a more active member or possibly tries
for the extended board next year. It would be a wonderful
eye opening experience and a great opportunity to gain
leadership skills!
Jazakallah Khair everyone for giving me the
opportunity to serve this MSA! I pray that I have made an
impact somewhere and benefitted my community here at
Stony Brook and if I have done or said anything you have
disagreed with, I sincerely apologize. With all that being
said, enjoy the rest of the year and good luck on your finals!
Peace out, its been real.
AbdurRahman Majid
At last, here is the end to another chapter in the story of life; an end of an era. I remember my first days as a
freshman and in a blink of an eye, here I am, preparing to say my last goodbyes to this place that has grown to be my
second home. The time spent at Stony Brook and in particular, with the MSA, has truly changed my life. Not only because
it made my undergrad an unforgettable experience, but because of all the amazing people I have met. The great friends I
have made, lived with, and learned from have helped me grow into a better and more driven person. It all started with
suhoors at Roth and iftaars at the Union, during the blessed month of Ramadan freshman year. It grew to include so
many unforgettable moments like walking from Roth with Nagi for Fajr jamaat at H-Quad, Thursday Night Movie at
Benedict, summer at Halaibehs, and lastly life at the Grove. Life goes on and we have to move on to the next stage of our
lives, but I will always miss my days spent with the MSA. It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey
that matters, in the end. May Allah bless this MSA and all its members with success and happiness in all that lies ahead
and may He reunite us all one day, in His Jannah.
Adam Ranginwala
It's me, Adam, the annoying guy who basically harassed 3/4 of the writers in this issue to submit something
lol. But I'm glad I did because I've never seen such beautiful and moving pieces before, mashaAllah. For me, this issue of
the Minaret will serve as sort of a yearbook for the four years Ive spent here. I'm going to keep this issue forever inshaAl-
lah. Thank you my fellow writers!

Before I make my bitter-sweet departure from Stony Brook within the month, I want to share some sincere tidbits of
advice:
Make a schedule and stick to it. Plan out your day so you know exactly where you will be and what you will be
doing at every given moment of the day. Write things down so you don't forget. Honor your commitments and
promises. Your academics come first. Despite what anyone else tells you, you are here to learn and get an educa-
tion. Your grades come first before extracurriculars. Before volunteering, internships, work, research, MSA, clubs,
friends, concerts, parties, and etc. good grades should be your focus. If you are honestly not archiving above a 3.7
each semester, then cut back on something. Your transcript is the only material thing that will remain with you
after University, so invest in it.
Trust. I have seen the very best days and worst days of my life at Stony Brook. Trust in Allah. He is always there for
you to rely on, to cry to, to turn to, to hear you and to listen to your prayers. Who else can help you in your time of
need more than your Creator, The Lord of the Universe, the all Powerful? You will see bad days here at Stony
Brook, whether it is the passing of a loved one, failing a class, heartbreak, harassment, and the list goes on but
never lose hope. I guarantee that you will never despair if you have trust in Allah.
Reflect. Reflect on the friendships you make here and value them. Reflect on the classes you take, the people you
meet, the diversity of personalities you meet here in the MSA. Most importantly reflect on the ayahs of the Qurans.
Take the time to just reflect and ponder at its beauty, eloquence and meaning. Take the time to think about each
verse recited and how you can apply it practically and efficiently. Make the Quran a part of your daily routine. I
cant stress how important that is.
When I reflect on my past four years here, three letters come to my mind right away. These three letters that
became more to me than I could have ever imagined. These three letters influenced how I am in my character today as
a Muslim, as a human being. These three letters are "M-S-A." I can go on for pages talking about how the MSA has
shaped me. Every single person I have met here in the MSA has a place in my heart and in my duaas. The brothers, the
seniors of 2013- wallah I love you guys more than anything here at Stony. Make us proud and do great things in life!
Dont lose faith. Congrats to each and every one of you. We made it, together alhamduliAllah!
Give back. Help the MSA in whatever capacity you can. Don't wait for someone to approach you. Take the initia-
tive to make a change in your community. Hoover the prayer room without being asked, go to an event an hour
early to help for set up, put up an MSA event flyer outside your class. These seemingly small things really make a
huge difference. Be the change you wish to see and May Allah reward you for that.
Be welcoming and open. There were multiple times throughout the last four years where some people upset me to
such a point that I promised myself I would never come to the MSA ever again. Those promises failed usually
within a day or two, and alhamduliAllah that they failed. But it opened my eyes to how we really need to be broth-
ers and sisters to one another. Love everyone, not just your friends. Don't judge people, for all you know they will
live the next day to be better than you in the eyes of Allah. End the cliques and be a community. Be one. Be united.
And finally everything you do should be for Allah alone. This is honestly the best and most important piece of
advice I can offer. Your friendships, academics, everything you do in Stony and in life need to be for Allahs sake
alone. Forget doing stuff for other people. Youre never going to impress everyone so forget trying. Chase after the
thing that really matters and lasts, the pleasure of Allah.
May Allah bless this community and the wider Muslim ummah. May Allah have Rahmah upon its mem-
bers and make us all dwell together in the everlasting abode, paradise. May He forgive us for our shortcomings and
guide us to His path. Yaa Allah, give us intellect and change our heart so they are attached to you, so they love you and
rely on you always. Let us be a community united in bringing the message of Islam to our peers. Ameen!
Please stay in contact. If you really considered me as a brother during my time here then e- mail me
(aranginwala@gmail.com) and stay in touch ^_^! Please forgive me if I hurt you in any way, shape or form these past
years. I truly am sorry .
Bilal Raja
Well, the ambivalence Ive been feeling in these past few weeks has been offthe charts. During freshman
year, I thought itd take forever to get outta college. But here we are. On the one hand, I really want to get out into the

real world and be even more independent. On the other hand, its excruciatingly difficult to think of life without college
and this MSA. I kind of began liking the routine of collegeknowing what youre going to do each and every day. The
uncertainty of the real world is frightening. Something Ive realized however, even though its hard to stomach, is that
youre going to HAVE to let go at one point. Heck, I even considered going Super Senior at one point, but you cant spend
the rest of your life in college (thatd just be awkward). A piece of advice for those that will still be here: enjoy your ti me at
Stony Brook and take advantage of everything this great MSA has to offerthe community and most importantly, Sister
Sanaa...But dont lose sight of one thing: the future. Life goes on, InshaAllah. You dont want to hit senior year not know-
ing what youre going to do for the rest of your life. Lastly, I just want to thank Sister Sanaa and the MSA community for
four AMAZING years! You cant put a price on a community that has been there with you every step of the wayBearlal
signing out!!!
Mohammed Naeem
Apple. Martin Luther Link Jr. The Wright Brothers.
They all communicated and acted the exact same way. Each of them became leaders, not due to profit margins
or significance of their respective time periods. Rather, they lead because of the sincerely exploring the depths of their self-
understanding. You see, there are leaders and then there are those who lead. Leaders per se have power and manipu-
late influence. However, those who lead represent a selective few who through innovation, integrity, and loyalty amass
devoted followings. By looking back at their humble beginnings, we understand how it was possible. One notices that the
foundations of each organization initiated with just one simple question: why is it that they do what they do? It poses a
very difficult question. Regardless, they supplanted old ideas with new ones only because they understood WHY they
were building computers, marching on streets, or flying aircrafts. Hence, you see Apple, Dr. King and the Wright brothers
succeeded because they designed their actions around foundational principles not over short-term lofty expectancies.
During these past four years, I was on a journey to discover the WHY. Happily, I found mine. I urge you to
find yours I can assure you that it will unlock a destiny embellished with both intellectual and personal fortunes.
Congratulation, Class of 2013. Lets Change the World!
Mohammed Nagi
Asalamu alakum
Alhamdullilah I am now a senior and ready to graduate and continue on with my life. I really dont want to
leave because of the amazing people I have met here and the great times weve had. But we all have to face reality and we
need to move on. I am so happy and grateful that I was in this school and that I was a part of this organization, a part of
this community. I feel like Allah has blessed me from day one; I walked into that prayer room with one brother and now I
walk out with fifty. When I was surrounded by those who would always pull me away from misguidance, when I built
relationships that have never been broken, when I became a part of a community that serves its member and does every-
thing that it can for them, from day one I knew I was blessed.
I remember being a freshman and being so confused but having those seniors and upperclassmen there to
clear things up for me. I remember the great times we had and the many lessons I learned from them. Here I am, a senior
now, and I wonder: was I able to have the same impact, was I able to help my fellow classmates the way I had been helped
as a freshman? Then there were the other freshmen who were always hand in hand. The number of changes we all went
through were many and despite that, there we were, side by side, loving and protecting each other. Oh boy, was that love
strong; I can never forget it.
There was so much good but there was plenty of bad. We cant complain about that because thats just how life
is. And without the bad who knows if the good would have actually been that good. So alhamdullilah I do not regret any-
thing and I am thankful for all the good that has happened. As for all the bad experiences, I hope I have learned an im-
portant lesson from them, and I will use them to become a better person. There are so many great stories and memories I
have here at this brook, but I will leave those for another time. I will never forget this place or community and I hope that
people can find what I found and be a part of something great. Take advantage of what you have here, because you will be
happy you did when this day comes and you are also ready to graduate.
Roman Patwary
In August 2009, I found myself alone and away from home for the first time in my life. I left my dorm at
Roosevelt Quad and started to walk in a general direction figuring that I would come across the Union soon enough. Being
the hard-headed freshman I was, I asked no one for directions, and kept walking until I came across a map and a sign that
read South P Lot. Infuriated, I got on the bus at South P, went to the LIRR, and took the train straight back to Queens,

sure that I was transferring to Queens College. That weekend while I was skipping orientation, my mom convinced me to
give it one more shot. Four years and twenty pounds later, I cant imagine having gone anywhere else.
I cant overstate how much Allah (SWT) has blessed me over the past four years to meet the people that Ive
met and learn the things that Ive learned. I definitely cant put everything into writing, and Im sure the other seniors will
have far more eloquently written pieces, but I just wanted to share three things that may be of benefit.
The first thing is to always keep an open mind when interacting with the people you come across. We all
come from different homes, backgrounds, and experiences. Everyone is going through his or her own trials that you
probably couldnt deal with. People acting differently, dressing differently, or praying differently, should never stop us
from greeting them with a smile and a hug. Everyone you come across here has something he or she can teach you. The
second we assume were better than people, or certain people are a certain way, we do nothing but deprive ourselves of the
valuable things we couldve learned from them.
Secondly, I would like us to consider this: Whenever the Prophet (SAWW) met a person, the person left much
happier than what he or she was before the encounter. If we all take this to heart and try to implement it, we will have a
flourishing community. There will be no more petty arguments, backbiting, people looking down on one another, and so
forth. All we have to do is go out of our way to make sure that every person we talk to leaves that conversation with a smile
on their face. Its something so simple, but the implications are endless.
The third and perhaps most important thing is to always be mindful of your relationship with Allah (SWT).
We often get so caught up with classes, hanging out with our friends, and helping out at the MSA, that our personal rela-
tionship with Allah (SWT) often takes a hit. Set some time aside every day where its just you and Allah (SWT). During
that time, pray some nafl, read Quran, or even simply sit and reflect, but make sure that that time is there every day. A lot
of us are busy but life will only get busier. If we dont build these habits now, it will be very difficult to establish them once
you have a family and a career. When you can establish a strong connection with Allah (SWT), everything else falls into
place. Your decisions are better calculated, your interactions with people improve, and you see everything in the right
perspective to ensure success in this life and the next.
The experiences Ive had here are ones that Ill probably never again come close to. The friends Ive met here
are the ones that will be there for life. I can never thank my mom enough for convincing me to give Stony Brook one more
shot; it was a decision that changed the course of my life for the better. During my time here, Ive definitely done and said
more than my share of stupid things. If I ever hurt or offended anyone in any way, I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. If I
can do anything to make it up, let me know. JazakAllah Khair for a great 4 years, Stony Brook MSA!
Saad Khamisa
Attend class. Do your homework. Study well. Ace your exams. Meet your professors. Dive into other subjects.
Read for leisure. Get involved. Try new things. Make friends. Spend time with them. Go to the beach with them. Sit at the
Staller steps. Drive to Montauk with them. Have a snowball fight. Go to the movies and then the diner at 3am. Go to the
REC center. Play intramural sports. Run Circle Road. Take care of your body. Stand in line for concert tickets. Go to the
concert. Dress up for events. Stay for the food. Go do something else. Take pictures. Lots of pictures. Put them on Face-
book. Tag everyone and Instagram everything. Become a Starbucks fiend. But never fit the stereotype. Find your potential.
Become it. Go to sleep. Wake up. Do it all over again.
Shahanaz Khalique
I would like to just take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made these past four years of my life
unforgettable. Sister Sanaa has made the MSA our second home, a place we could all spend time with our brothers and
sisters and follow our religion without having to compromise anything. One of the biggest things I am grateful for is
having a prayer room where I could comfortably pray on campus without having to run back to my room. I cant forget to
mention all the halal food options we have on campus. Especially being a dormer, Ive had my fair share of cheese and it
was nice to be able to eat meat once in awhile. Lastly, I would like to thank all the people who were a part of the board for
the past couple of years. You guys did an amazing job organizing events and holding this MSA together, and letting the
MSA be the best thing to happen to any student coming here for their undergrad. Your dedication and efforts are truly
appreciated and may the upcoming board members follow in your footsteps. Granted there were ups and downs during
my four years here, but I could confidently say that I wouldnt have it any other way.
Congratulations Class of 2013! May Allah (swt) make the journey ahead a good one and may He help us be
successful in our future endeavors, InshaAllah!
Sayed Bhuiyan
Relief the one word I would use to describe my stay at Stony Brook. However, it isnt relief in the sense that
Im glad its all over. Its relief because of the unexpected growth that occurred during my tour here. Im grateful for how
much I progressed as a person over the past two years. The journey that brought me to Stony Brook was much different
than others, but it allowed me to meet some of the most impactful people in my life. I attribute the MSA community for
allowing me to develop as a person. The MSA is also the source of those Ive grown to love and be thankful for.
Here are a few tips for those who are still here:
Work hard/study hard the fruits of your labor will taste sweeter when you know you did your best.
Enjoy your time here I work now and only come on campus twice a week. Just being there part time already
makes me miss not being around more often. Once you leave, it will be tough to find a similar community.
Appreciate those around you I cant stress this enough, there may be instances in which two people may not see
eye to eye and go their separate paths. However, dont allow petty grievances to come in between a healthy friend-
ship. Tension in a relationship doesnt need to be added along with the rigors of schoolwork.
If you ever need someone to talk to, Sister Sanaa is a great person to go to. She is patient and listens to her
students whenever they have any concerns. Shes approachable and does so much to ensure that we have the tools neces-
sary to succeed. I hope and pray for nothing but the best for those of you who will still be at Stony Brook in the coming
years. May Allah allow you all to succeed and grant whats good in this life as well as the next. Ameen.
Zain Ali
So its just about that time of year when the next batch of OGs are getting ready to fly the coop. After 4 of
arguably the happiest, craziest, most trying times of many of our lives to date, many have emerged older, stronger and
hopefully a little wiser. Summing up all the advice Id want to give to myself 4 years ago into a few paragraphs isnt easy
but Ill give it a shot.
1) Get your head out of the clouds. MashaAllah a lot of kids coming to Stony, whether or not theyre in the Honors
College, WISE or University Scholars, are pretty bright. Some have gotten into much better schools which would proba-
bly have their parents in debt up to their eyeballs, and possibly suffer from a mild to severe case of poison ivy. Under-
stand that college is the next step in a long line of learning- which is a lot more nuanced than any of us would like to think.
Dwelling on past achievements, no matter how great they may have been, will not benefit you, and can very possibly run
the risk of corrupting your heart very easily. The playing field is a lot more level now-dont expect your past successes or
failures to dictate your future. If you put in the work and trust in Allah (SWT), you will see results- its really as simple as
that. Dont ever get caught up in the internal debate of oh, well that person studied/did this much, so I only have to
study/do this much. Study to learn. Study to do exceptionally well on any exam despite the curve. Every single class
has the ability to shape the way you think- dont pass up the opportunity of self-refinement by being preoccupied with
numbers and letters.
2) Be proactive about your education. Plan your 4 years out if you havent already. Dont graduate without having
taken a linguistics, sociology, psychology and philosophy class- youd be surprised how much you can learn in the most
basic of circles. Meet with your professors and advisors often and seek out the plethora of opportunities this school offers
all of its students (from internships, to projects, to scholarships to study abroad trips- the sky isnt even the limit)- youd
be surprised with what you can accomplish. Use your summers and winters wisely gaining valuable experience in the
fields you think youre interested in. Dont think about how much youre doing and never pat yourself on the back- always
think about how to improve, move forward and do more. Learn about the lives of the Sahabah and the Prophets (may
Allah (SWT) be pleased with all of them) and remind yourself of how each of them, as different as they were, used their
strengths to serve Allah (SWT) - use your strengths to help you pursue what you love and be the best at it. Allah (SWT)
deemed us the best nation raised for mankind for a reason- lets rise to the occasion.
3) Welcome Change. If you were to have a conversation with your freshman self, you very well may not even recognize
him or her. Be careful of ever thinking that you have all the answers. The world changes, our bodies change, perspectives
change, life changes. Welcome diversity of thought, practice and understanding- you will learn more about yourself than
you ever thought you could.
4) Cherish your time. Allah Taaala will question you about your time. Keep your intentions pure and make memories
that will benefit you on that Day. Keep company of those that will bring you up and dont ever reject someone when their
hand is extended, asking for help. Cherish the good company you find and never let these companions go- they may very
well be your friends for eternity.

The Freshman
Experience
By: Muhammad Khalid

The MSA is more than just a club or a group.
It transcends just one meeting every Wednesday while its
vicinity far surpasses the Union balconies and even Stony
Brook. The MSA is a state of mind, an environment. It is a
badge of pride and humility, affluence and charity, mis-
takes and corrections, of the past and of the future. It lies
not in a prayer room, but in the hearts and minds of all
those who stand by it. MSA is a fist bump between two
brothers, a hug exchanged between sisters. It lies in the
grip of a handshake and the sincerity behind an orgo
review. MSA is a timeless tradition in the heart of moder-
nity. It is every race, yet no race. It is every faith, yet no
faith. It is all colors and ethnicities, points of view and
genders, melted together to express the sheer face of
humanity. MSA is indeed a test, a standard if you will. A
community where membership never expires as time goes
by. Where affiliation only strengthens and does not dete-
riorate or diminish in any way, shape or form. MSA is a
place for reflection, a challenge to enjoin in what is good,
and to forbid what is evil. It is a brotherhood and sister-
hood not reliant on a beard or hijab, but solely upon
tolerance and acceptance. A brother and sisterhood that
is spread far and vast, yet unites at the call of justice. MSA
is not just a Chaplaincy and presidency teaching a body of
people, it is the collective effort of everybody teaching
everybody, so that all may learn and grow. Its found in
commuters at the tracks of a train, and in residents in the
halls of their dorms. It exists surreptitiously in our ac-
tions, yet is viral in the publicity of our Facebook statuses.
MSA is an experience with no start time and no end time.
So, from the bottom of my heart I thank each and every
person for letting me be part of this experience.
Our Mothers
By: Lena Abdallah

As the semester comes to an end, many of us
make our ways back to our families for the summer. We
should ponder the importance of family in Islam, but we
should consider one person above the rest. Our mothers.
The Rasuallah (SAW) said himself, Paradise lies at the
feet of your mother." The simplicity of the statement, in
regards to such a complex idea as heaven, is one that still
boggles me. Not until I grew up and left home did I
realize and learn to appreciate the virtues of my mother.
Five years ago my mother had surgery. While
she was in the hospital I stayed with my grandmother
and aunt. I had developed a virus and was very sick that
week. My grandmother took me to the hospital to visit
my mother. When we got there she was still unconscious.
I lied next to her and in her comfort I fell asleep.
All of a sudden, I woke up to a cold hand
touching my forehead. My mother had just woken up.
The very first thing she did after her intrusive surgery
was feel my head to check for a fever and ask my grand-
mother how I was. She did so while barely being able to
speak. Subhanallah, it was such a small gesture, but it is
something that will remain with me forever. Would I
have done that if the roles were switched? I probably
would have been selfish and forgetful. Mothers have
extraordinary extinct, yet often times they go unappreci-
ated. We as Muslims have a responsibility to appreciate
them and give our parents their rights.
"Worship God and join not any partners with Him; and
be kind to your parents..." [Noble Quran 4:36]
Service to our parents is mentioned immedi-
ately after the worship of God in the Quran. The place-
ment of the two is very important and stresses the re-
spect due to our parents. Allah repeats this multiple
times throughout the Quran. Allah (SWT) emphasizes
the struggle mothers go through for their children. Alt-
hough, both parents are very important in Islam our
mothers have more rights than our fathers because of
their selflessness.
If I were to list all of the things my mother
did for me, there will be no end to writing. Let this be a
reminder to myself first and foremost and to everyone
reading that we must show our mothers how much we
love and care for them. To my mother: even if I carry you
on my back for nine straight months, I cannot repay you
for all youve done.

Qadr of Allah
By: Mauree Akhi

The following ayah defines the past sever-
al years of my life on this campus, as Im sure it would
define someone elses as well: Be sure we shall test
you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in
goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad
tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say,
when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong,
and to Him is our return" (Surah Baqarah, 155-156).
Its not a joke when I say this ayah, the first half,
basically evaluates the challenges Allah gave me these
past years. Thereve been several family deaths.
Thereve been losses in time and energy into a career
that no longer will be my future. Thereve been losses
in toil in extracurricular activities I hoped and ex-
pected to be successful in, but failed. Finally, there
has certainly been fear and hunger (figuratively and
literally) on many occasions among those challenges.
Actually, I want to highlight the second
half of the ayah. Its the part that keeps us hopeful;
those of us who hope and pray that Allah will eventu-
ally deliver us from the seemingly insurmountable
difficulties that fly our way. I also hoped that the One
Who created me would not let go of my hand, lest I
become forever lost in the trials. He promises that
whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped
the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks.
And Allah hears and knows all things (Baqarah,
256). Where else would I find a promise like that?
such a reliable Friend. Such a trustworthy Confidant
and Adviser, such a Gracious and Merciful Lord Who
pardons when asked, Who never fails to fulfill promis-
es. The reason promises, difficulties and tests are
brought together is because theyre parallels to the
Qadr (divine decree/ fate) and blessings of Allah.
Subhanallah, its difficult to appreciate the challenges
without appreciating the manifolds of blessings which
have already been promised to us by Him, who never
breaks them. Allah (azza wa jal) promises that Hed
answer our duas, He promises ease, and He promises
reward for our efforts and intentions.
Challenges come in many forms. Mine
seem to manifest in the type of people I meet and the
situations I think I get myself into its actually Allah
that really orchestrates everything. As an akhi (haha, I
know cracked me up too) reminded me today, It is
the Qadr of Allah (azza wa jal). My parents rarely, if
ever, consent to any of my planned adventures be-
cause they think Ill somehow get in trouble or lost.
Mashallah theyre always there whenever I do get in
trouble or do something dumb, thank Allah for par-
ents. Alhamdulillah cant really complain but I guess
history warns them to be cautious with anything I
plan or suggest. Due to this, I have a hard time mak-
ing major life decisions, planning trips (even over to
Connecticut), visiting friends overnight, you name it.
Whenever Allah plans, somehow the craziest things
work out. I want to share a couple of things that left
me awestruck and still amazed at Allahs Generosity
and Wisdom.
Two years ago when I changed majors, I
experienced a huge dip in my iman and for some
reason, I thought meeting a scholar and taking his/
her counsel would solve things. Mustve been listen-
ing to a lot of Suhaib Webb lectures or reading his
articles because I made dua to go see him in Boston
and experience the ISBCC. Even before that, when I
was having a war in my head of whether to stick with
software development or do something else, I made
dua when all the uncertainties of whether to become a
career software developer or to do something else

started a war in my heart, I made dua. I made dua for
a career that wouldnt make me feel claustrophobic,
enslaved, or purposeless. We always believe we make
things work out, we want to believe we make changes
but theres little we do other than putting effort in
how things are done the sincerity of our efforts
reflect what we receive from Allah. Likewise, while I
imagined ten different things to write about, Im
inking to the last second about the Blessings He
granted me.
It was in the middle of a lecture by Br.
Wissam Sharieff at the winter 2013 ISBCC retreat
(yup! I made it), did I remember the duas I made
more than a year ago to be in Boston. I even had the
chance to speak to Br. Wissam! By some miracle my
parents relented (I actually spent a couple of weeks
sulking before they let me go). This was an amazing
experience and being in the presence of scholars and
talented, intellectual speakers meant so much. It was
nothing short of a blessing. Actually my dua for a
better career field was answered more swiftly and
with a tremendously liberating experience than I
couldve imagined. The irony is that I didnt realize
what was happening until another year later, this
semester!
Ultimately, I just want to convey the ad-
vice of trusting in Allah especially when all doors
seem to be closed, all friends seem to be gone, and all
paths seem to be purposeless. Trust in Allah because
as Mawlana Rumi eloquently puts it, He has afflicted
you from every direction in order to pull you back to
the Directionless. Even though I forget on many
occasions of His Blessings and of His Mercy, He has
blessed me with the beautiful people who surround
me this little Ummah- who remind me without fail
of all the good in Islam and every creation. Know that
if Allah has created you, then there must be at least an
atoms worth of good in you so strive for it! Strive so
that the goodness takes over your soul and takes over
your character and spills into the hearts of your loved
ones. Let the goodness in you brush off on non-
believers, the passerby, the trees, the animals, and the
air around you. Striving for this goodness, to want
good for others, and doing good for others is the Qadr
of Allah, for those struggling to reach Him just try
and reach for the good, because definitely Allah will
do the rest Inshallah.
Jazakumallahu Khairan Kathiran to the
brother who reminded me about the Qadr of Allah.
Please forgive me for a deficient article. Thank you to
the amazing brothers and sisters I am fortunate
enough to meet from this MSA, you inspire me and
support my spiritual growth. If weve spent a discus-
sion or an email exchange on something mutually
important, know you hold a special place in my heart.
Please forgive me if Ive said or done anything to
upset anyone. I love you all for the sake of Allah and
pray for your success in this life and the next Inshal-
lah.

Bismillah, In
the Name of
Allah: Part 2
By: Fawzia Syed

When we acti vel y
choose to sit in front of a computer
screen and watch shows portraying
the immorality and shamelessness
we so deeply oppose in the open.
When we sit with our friends for
hours discussing people and events
we have no business discussing.
When we find ourselves with people
we shouldn't be with. When we go
to places we shouldn't be found in.
We do so much, because we can and
because it's easy. But how much of it
would we do if we just remembered
Allah (SWT) in the beginning, with
the words Bismillah. I think we
would find much of our sinning and
our bad habits slowly, but surely,
beginning to disappear from our
lives.
For even if you say
Bismillah, and you still engage in an
action that is not good for you, at
least you've taken a great step in
acknowledging Allah (SWT)'s pres-
ence in your life. And Allah (SWT) is
surely aware of this change. Nothing
His servants do for His sake escapes
His Vision or Knowledge. In a Had-
ith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says, When
he [my servant] comes towards Me
walking, I go towards him run-
ning." When you say Bismillah, you
are walking towards Allah (SWT).
Sometimes you might even find
yourself avoiding saying Bismillah
before an action, because you know
what follows is something Bismillah
shouldn't be said before. Even in
such a situation Alhamdulilah at
least your level of consciousness has
been raised. You have slowly begun
to see what is good for you and what
is not. This is what Bismillah does,
it transforms the mind, and thereby
the actions of the believer.
Lastly, what I find to be
the most profound and powerful
aspect of Bismillah is what my
young students story always re-
minds me of. Bismillah has the
ability to attract the presence, beau-
ty and multifold power of Allah
(SWT). Bismillah calls the attention
of Allah (SWT) to every action when
it is uttered. It makes normal ac-
tions extraordinary. Getting grocer-
ies, sitting on the bus, waiting on a
line- all the non-extraordinary
aspects of our life can be made
beautiful just by uttering the name
of Allah (SWT). Bismillah equals
the barakah of Allah (SWT).
What i s bar akah?
Barakah is the establishment of
Allah (SWT)s overwhelming pres-
ence in a matter. Barakah is my
small effort, multiplied by Allah
(SWT)s unsurpassed ability and
will. It is my one hour of studying
being equivalent to another stu-
dents five hours of studying. It is
the few spoons of food I eat being
equivalent to another persons full
plate of food. It is the few hours of
sleep I get being equivalent to an-
other persons 12 hours of sleep.
The examples go and on. So it isnt
that I study longer, eat more, and
sleep more. But it is that I derive
more benefit and greater results
from the small amounts that are
present, and this becomes sufficient
for me. This is what Allah (SWT)
blesses the believer with. Thus
barakah is something I wish I had,
and am in dire need of from Allah
(SWT). It is something we are all in
dire need of from Him. And it truly
starts with something as simple as
Bismillah to attract this barakah.
We see the power of
barakah when we hear awe inspir-
ing stories from the lives of our
pious predecessors. The stories of
the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah
(may Allah (swt) be pleased with
them) going hungry for days, yet
having more energy to work and
worship than we do well-fed with
the best of foods and the greatest of
luxuries. The stories of scholars who
slept only for a few hours, yet were
able to easily pray Tahajjud (the
night prayer), as if they had slept
the equivalent of a full day. They
awoke without the aid of alarm
clocks and the modern technology,
which we have at our disposal. The
stories of scholars who at the young-
est of ages had already written
books upon books equaling thou-
sands of pages. They didnt have
computers and editors to type and
edit their works. They put in all the
work themselves- thousands of

Alumni Dinner
Reflections
By: Shahanaz Khalique

The Alumni Dinner is one of the biggest
events that the Muslim Students Association holds
every year. It is a night filled with memories, laugh-
ter, and of course appreciation. Not to mention amaz-
ing food! Ive been able to attend this event every year
of my undergrad and I enjoyed every single one. This
years Alumni Dinner was great, but it was a complete-
ly different experience for me. Being a senior this year,
I realized this would be my last Alumni Dinner I
would ever attend as a Stony Brook student. The
feeling is really indescribable. A night that I thought
would be like any other ordinary MSA event became
an emotional experience for me. Its hard to believe
how fast these four years of college have passed, and
now many of us are moving on to a new chapter in our
lives. Graduating sounds amazing, but Im scared as
much as I am excited. For the first time I wont be
going to class in Javits, for the first time I wont be
printing out my schedule in the Sinc Site, and for the
first time I wont be going to the Commons to grab
some lame tasting food. Next year, it will be my first
time attending the Alumni dinner as an alumni.
pages handwritten, hours of teach-
ing classes, and then sleepless nights
of worship, along with worldly obli-
gations. So many were successful in
matters of this world as well in
business, in teaching, in medicine, in
philosophy the list goes on and on.
How did they manage to be the best
in both their worldly and religious
affairs? It is easy to see that their
successes were not due to their
efforts alone, but were clearly the
result of Allah (SWT)s presence in
their affairs. A presence we too can
bring if we start our actions with
Bismillah.
Still, worldly success
isnt the real goal, right? Allah is.
What happens after 70, 60, 50, 40,
30, maybe even 20 years of life in
this world? When eternal life
begins. Success in this world can be
easy, but what about the hereafter?
We will live an eternal life beyond
this world, and this is why we begin
everything with Bismillah. That is
when we will be thankful for the
Bismillah that saved us from the
displeasure of Allah (SWT). We will
be thankful for the Bismillah that
saved us from backbiting against our
fellow brother/sister. We will be
thankful for the Bismillah that
transformed mundane actions like
studying or walking through campus
into worship. We will be thankful for
the Barakah Allah (SWT) placed in
our time, which allowed us to wake
up for Tahajjud, read more Quran,
and ask for more forgiveness. We
will be thankful for the Bismillah
that reminded us that our Lord is
always present, that He is always
watching, and that every action we
take good or bad we will find it
with Allah (SWT) in the hereafter. In
the next life, the phrase Bismillah
might make all the difference.

May Allah (SWT) allow us to live
our lives in constant remembrance
of Him and in complete submission
to what is pleasing to Him. May He
make it easy for us to practice the
Sunnah in our lives and make its
implementation a means of attain-
ing the Barakah of Allah (SWT).
May He grant us, and all our loved
ones success and acceptance in this
world and the next. Ameen!

Spring 2013 Minaret - Final

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The Stony Brook Minaret 2 Spring 2013

BY: MSA SISTERS SECRETARY,

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