The Pearls of Islam

14th March 2011 9 Rabee AThanee 1432 Volume 3 Issue 11 by Aamir Shamsi

Reminder Series

Alumni Dinner: Reflections

Alhumdullilah what an amazing evening beautiful venue, lovely food, incredible speeches, fantastic company yes I can only be talking about the Muslim Medics Alumni Dinner 2011! Set in the glorious Hilton Olympia Hotel, sixty one MM family members to be precise, came together under one roof to celebrate the achievements of Muslim Medics over the past year. Among us were students from every year group from freshers to final years and even F1 and F2 doctors. We were blessed to experience an evening that could only be described by one second year with a heart symbol subhanAllah! One of the many highlights of the evening were the incredible speeches delivered by people that can only be described as MM legends. Their words had so much wisdom and emotion and are the basis for this reminder. Two aspects of MM were discussed in those speeches that form the very roots of this society and although they have been somewhat discussed in previous reminders and may iA be dwelled into greater depth by future committees, I felt they are something we can all be reminded about. Firstly, the importance of educating oneself about Islamic teachings; Islam attached great significance on gaining knowledge about the desired way of life because without this knowledge we wont be able to fully understand and appreciate either the acts of worship that we do, the reason we are placed on this earth or the great wisdom behind the laws set down by Allah. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allh [Faatir 35:28] . The Messenger (pbuh) made seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim and said: Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge, Allaah will make a path to Paradise easy for him. MM aims to achieve this by holding talks and providing material from which we can all improve our deen. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (this Quraan) is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility [al-Hajj 22:54]. This knowledge should not only be about Islam but about any knowledge that Allah has blessed us with for it not only allows us to fulfil our duty by advancing the society we live in and provide for our family but also to appreciate the greatness of Allah. Secondly, the importance of helping others through not only charity but by teaching others too; Allahs Messenger (pbuh) said: Whoever makes things easy for others in this world, Allah will make

things easier for him both in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah helps His servant as long as His servant is engaged in helping his brother. In a

world where competition is rife and people do anything to overtake others, Islam teaches to help mankind in all aspects of life especially education which is given much value. And so this is an attitude that we must adopt as Muslims as the Prophet (pbuh) said The best men are those who are most beneficial towards others. MM over the years has developed from giving tutorials around a computer screen to fully packed lecture theatres purely through the help of Allah. We believe in helping those around us to achieve their goals and to provide all the support needed to get through medical school and become excellent practitioners inshAllah. Thirdly, the importance of companionship; Islam stresses the need for social relations and friendship as it is in complete harmony with mans nature. The fellowship of men who arent blood relatives can become so great that one can place complete trust and confidence in their friend. Imam Ali said, "Try to have as many as possible true friends, for they are the supplies in joy and the shelters in misfortunes." But not only is it important to have friends, but to have good friends for choosing the right companions is essential in maintaining our deen and staying on the right path. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said: "Man is influenced by the faith of his friends. Therefore, be careful of whom you associate with." Friendship with worthy individuals is a great factor of happiness; and friendship and companionship with those that will take you away from Islam are a cause of decline and distress. The prophet also said "A true believer is a mirror to his brother. He prevents him from any harm." Although this wasnt covered in the speeches, it was something that I witnessed with my own eyes; the love and brotherhood between the final years was something that truly filled my heart with joy and made me desire to have a similar relationship with my incredible friends as long as I am blessed with life inshAllah. Myself and the committee are truly blessed to be in such a society where we can focus on the above three aspects: strengthening our and others deen, providing education support and establishing a community based on love and friendship. MM was already very close to my heart but the dinner reminded me once again of the wonderful things we do and the potential we have in doing even greater things inshAllah. I would like to end with something that a brother said in his speech that iA will serve as another reminder and something to think about in greater depth: the reason we are here in this world is solely to worship and obey Allah in all that we do and for all of our actions and intentions to be for the sake of Allah otherwise they are indeed worthless and for sure we will be one of the losers on the Day of Judgement.