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TMV Applications 2016-2017

The Muslim Voice Magazine is now looking for energetic and determined individuals to join our 2016-17 team!  

If you are tired of the endless quest for the right campus group to join, look no further! We are now recruiting volunteers to help create Volume 21 of The Muslim Voice.

Check out the details for the positions here: http://tmv.uoftmsa.com/?p=2466

If you feel you’re up to the challenge, fill out the form and join our team today! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at tmv@uoftmsa.com.

https://goo.gl/forms/Qoysv4hxPihblTOV2

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Interview with Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan Part 2

Q: My next question is, you were talking about scepticism and the challenge of the university, and the thing with the university especially is that, I can tell you from our university U of T, one of the challenges is a sort of ultra-secular environment. It is accommodating for students of faith but at the same time, there is a very severe separation between the intellectual sphere and the faith sphere. And this ultra-secular environment, what it creates sometimes is a feeling for religious students of being looked down upon by faculty and other students, that this is an area of rational thinking that religion is outside of. So what would you say to students who worry about being "taken seriously in this environment? Not just science students but even arts students as well?

You know what, I think this boils down to a much more fundamental problem. And that fundamental, problem is that we in the Muslim community, not just in the college environment  'cause we've been in the Muslim community before we ever made it into college, in the Muslim community we did not approach Islamic education in a reasonable way. And let me qualify that statement. You can learn Islam even as  a child in a way that it teaches you how to pray, or here's what you believe and here's what the Quran says and here's what the prophet's life is like, etc. etc. right, so you could have these concepts taught to you. But actually we're living in an age where you have to emphasize not what you believe but why you believe and what is the rational foundation for your faith. Why is your faith a source of guidance and strength for you, an advantage that you have, that you wish every human being enjoyed? Why is your faith and this truth supreme to all other interpretations of truth? There is this intellectual foundation of Islam that is not offered to us, like were just taught a ritualistic version of Islam. So when you  get to college and you feel a sense of, I mean let’s just come out and say it, you feel a sense of inferiority that people are easily able to make you feel because they come from an academic or "open minded" background and you’re limited in your thought process, and you’re close minded because you’re religious, so you believe in things that can’t be explained, etc., etc., it is actually a pretty good indication that somebody didn’t get a fundamental education in Islam, or Islamic thought at least.

You know, Islamic philosophy, the Quran’s philosophy, they didn’t get that education, and so I dont blame students for feeling that pressure but I would also challenge students to learn their faith in a way that makes them stand with confidence. And this is a tradition that transformed the world over, this is not something that’s small and insignificant in the course of world history, our faith. So it’s not something that we should feel inferior about at all. At all!

And so, you know actually I’ll tell you, I felt like that! I felt stupid the first time that I went to a philosophy class and they started questioning the existence of God or the role of religion and this and that, I felt really dumb. And I felt so angry at myself that actually one of the first motivations for studying Islam for me was, “how can all of my people be dumb?” They have to have answers. So I started looking into the religion for that reason, that was one of my first motivations.

So I think feeling inferior like that, let me tell you the other side of that position. You know, there’s high school bullying which is of a different nature, and then there’s university bullying which is a different nature all together and it lasts throughout university to the PhD level. Where you have this intellectual form of bullying you make someone feel inferior and it's the only way you can feel substantiated in your position. And this is the psychological game that’s played at the university level all the time. By faculty sometimes, you have some great teachers in school, but you have some not so nice people who feed off of that. That’s how they feed their ego, that’s how they bully, they can’t beat you physically, they beat you up mentally, you know? And you have to identify those kinds of tactics and not be taken in by them. Here’s where support groups, being around people that can help answer your questions, maybe even touching base with scholars and resources that can give you that boost and that confidence in your faith becomes so, so fundamental. Because once you’ve accepted that inferiority complex and you internalize it, it’s not just gonna plague you in your faith it will plague you in everything in life, you’re always gonna be thinking of yourself as someone who has to impress somebody else and live by somebody else’s measure of what is acceptable and you’re never gonna be able to be yourself.

Q: Talking about the way that we approach Islam, what you mean is that we should approach Islamic education in a more critical stance?

I think the premise for "critical Islam" I think that there's a premise that we have to understand. The religion has a spiritual and a rational foundation and we have to understand that foundation. Why do we believe the Quran is the word of God? Why do we believe in God Himself? Why do we believe that Muhammad ﷺ is the last messenger? These are fundamental questions and these are questions that the Quran invited. Because the Quran, it asked people to be critical about those questions itself. It didn’t shun that criticism, it embraced that criticism. And that’s the kind of critical thinking that is at the heart of learning the foundations of our faith. What is the rational basis, or what's the thought process that details much of the faith.

Beyond that, what is masked as critical Islam is, "oh let's mainly question whether or not we have to pray five times," or "lets really figure out the rationale behind zakat," or some rule of Islam. And to me the problem with that is the Quran says question the root, if you are convinced of the root then the tree that stems from it and the branches and the fruits that come out of it are all acceptable to you because you accepted the root. The problem is we don't have the discussion about the root, the foundation, we want to critically evaluate the fruit, you know? And this is the problem with that, because you’re going to go from one issue to another issue to another issue and the thing that’s making you criticise and say "well we have to re-evaluate it or we have to rethink it all together," the idea of submitting to Allah’s will, you actually removed from the equation, which is what Islam’s defined by. Because now you’re submitting to cultural or social forces.

Now let me qualify that on the other side. On the other side I do believe we are living in a time where people that represent the religion, talk about sharia and talk about Islamic law and how it applies a lot of those people don’t actually represent the richness of our intellectual tradition. Like a lot of those people, they talk about Islam or they talk about halal and haraam in absolute terms when our own tradition has a lot more breadth and a lot more room, you know? So they take something that's wide and they make it seem like something very narrow, and that’s a result of their own narrow-mindedness and not the narrow-mindedness of Islamic tradition. We have people coming out now saying that traditional Islam is too restrictive, it's too constrained we have to think about it critically and re-evaluate it. The problem with that statement is that you haven’t actually explored the breadth and the width of the tradition itself, you'll shockingly find it a lot more open and a lot more accepting than what you’re giving it credit for, you look at a few bad examples and you decide to brush away 1400 years of multiple ethnicities exhausting the best of their intellectual minds studying Islam. It’s an unfair approach, I think. It’s intellectually dishonest.

Q: What do you think is the relationship between a religious education and the secular education that a lot of students come to university to get? Do you believe that there is a relationship between the two or that they inform one another in some way?

Absolutely! Absolutely, they certainly did for me. First of all the distinction between religious and secular education is actually a mindset that already presupposes this distinction, secular education vs religious education. And even people that are proponents of religious education and say, "oh study deen, but don't study dunya," have already accepted the premise of secularism. The Quran in its philosophy uses the term "ayah" which is a profound term. The word ayah is used to describe every bit, the smallest unit of revelation. But the word ayah is also used to define physical realities; the sky is an ayah, the earth is an ayah, my hands are an ayah, the eye is an ayah etc. etc. Now, by doing that Allah is saying that creation, and just like we're supposed to ponder and reflect and explore the meanings of revelation, we’re supposed to ponder and reflect and explore the meanings of creation. And all of it is a spiritual experience, at the end of the day all of it will lead you to the same truth because all of them are ayat and the purpose of an ayah is to lead you back to the Creator. In other words Islamic philosophy actually encourages studying the outside world, studying what is otherwise called "secular".

People say, "Well how religion can be compiled with, for example, evolution?" People don't even know! Allah says, "Didn’t they go around in the land, and didn't they take a look how creation began?" (29:20). Allah is actually critically asking us to explore the origins of creation, literally the origin of the species. It's in the Quran! How do you understand ayat that talk about mountains and winds and oceans, the Prophet ﷺ is in the dessert, he doesn't experience these things, these phenomena, these words and things of different kinds, why is the Quran talking about that? You're not going to understand those ayat sitting in a library, you're going to have to experience the world outside.

The Quran keeps calling us and compelling us to study history, me personally I was a student of psychology after I was doing computer information systems and my studies in psychology were entirely a spiritual experience, let me tell you. Every time I was sitting in my psych class, whether we were studying personality psychology or abnormal psychology or behavioural psychology, social psychology, man I felt like I was studying Quran! Honestly I did! Because every time we described a particular psychological phenomenon I could see how it correlates to revelation. So your secular education can become a spiritual experience, it really can, especially the humanities can. But that depends on whether or not you have a decent grounding, ‘cause if you did you're gonna find so much meaning in it. There’s so much of what I talk about in my lectures and so much of the explanation of the Quran that I offer is a composition of the background that I have and much of that is a non-religious education. Much of that is my corporate experience, much of that is my business experience and much of that is my psych study.

To be continued.

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Interview with Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan Part 1

Let’s start with an introduction

My name is Nouman Ali Khan, I am head of a program called Bayyinah. I started this thing about 10 years ago and I’m still at it. I teach Arabic and mostly quranic studies and I am, because of my line of work and because of the institute, I am now involved in a lot of media work and a lot of Quran based research, especially in the areas that haven’t received much attention classically.

 Q. What are some of these areas that you specialize in, that don't get attention?

What I mean by that is, you know, in Islamic discourse a lot of time, a lot of people's attention is paid on certain, what would be considered fundamental subject matter, so things like theology, jurisprudence, fiqh, sharia', these types of things. And there’s another part of religious studies which should be geared towards appreciating the text rather than understanding the text, and that definitely doesn’t get much attention because it doesn’t have legal ramifications or sharia’ ramifications, or theological ramifications.

The whole point of that is just to appreciate the Quran better or the hadith better. So I felt that that's actually a really important area of exploration because, especially now days, you know, because people are suffering from a loss of faith and a loss of confidence in their faith and they’re not really appreciating what makes Islam beautiful, what makes the Quran beautiful, it’s important to highlight this area of study, what makes a surah beautiful, what makes an ayah of the Quran beautiful. So really in a sense it’s like the search for beauty in Islam that I’m interested in, and to my surprise many things have been done in the past, but they never received the kind of attention that they should because we take Islam for granted. I feel like we’re living in times where we can’t do that anymore. Nobody can take Islam for granted, you know?

 Q. What was your own university like? Where did you go to university and what did you study?

I went to the University of New York, I did computer information systems and I did a little bit of studies in Queens College as well. Basically a New York City college experience. And that was actually a pretty defining experience for me because I, looking back, could argue that I found my faith at the university and through the MSA, through some friends, and it’s basically also where I started not only finding my faith but also beginning my journey towards learning, and figuring out what Islam means at least to me. That entire process began for me in a serious way, in a conscious way, at the university. And I mean, by the time high school was over I had practically lost my religion.

 Q. You talked about university being a defining place for you. Finding your faith in university is something a lot of students go through. Were there any major challenges that you went through as a Muslim student in particular?

I realize that the student experience in a place like New York City is already different because it is already such a diverse place, and of course I’m talking about a pre- 9/11 culture too so there isn’t any particular attention brought upon Muslims, so in a place that is that diverse, you don’t really feel out of place. But I certainly can’t say the same thing for students in, I don’t know, Georgia or somewhere in Texas or something like that, you know? It’s not the same experience.

But, on the one hand, just being a Muslim I didn’t feel discriminated against or didn’t feel left out from college life in any way, but I will say that once I did start considering a religious identity more seriously, there are so many things you can do in college and so many kinds of friends you can have and so many types of activities you can be a part of, that you no longer want to be a part of and no longer feel comfortable in because of your faith. You’re around people who speak a certain language and now that language makes you uncomfortable because of your faith. So, you know, that was a challenge and just navigating that. And in my experience another challenge was that I don’t come from a wealthy family, my parents didn’t pay my college tuition or anything, so I had to work to earn my tuition, I had to work full time, work 40 hours a week, as a freshman in college, and at the maximum I could take 12 credits, usually night school because I would work all day and then go to [school] at night, so my struggle was basically surviving the semester (laughs). Between doing homework on the subway and just making sure I get to work on time in the morning I didn’t really have time to do much else.

 Q: Yeah, it’s very common, still something a lot of students go through. You work with a lot of students now, do you see any changes in the university experience? Since you are very popular with the youth and you work with them a lot, when you see the challenges that they go through do they seem different?

Yeah, I see a lot of differences. I’ll start with what I see in common, I think the fact that the university is the marketplace of ideas and you’re exposed to people that you would never otherwise share a room with or have conversations with, you have an opportunity to really go beyond your comfort zone in college, and in that sense every person experiences exposure to things that can impact them for the rest of their life, and Muslims are no exception.

Having said that, and that part of it has always been true and it’s still true, having said that, the common idea is that the youth today in the university cannot be separated from the larger society, and in the media and in the social sphere and in world journalism and politics, Islam is a big part of the conversation and not necessarily in a good way. Extremism is a big part of the conversation, and a lot of extremism in the world is now being blamed on religious fanaticism, and as a result, it’s not just religious fanaticism but religion itself that is under scrutiny, and of course at the forefront of all of that is Islam being under scrutiny. And for some intellectuals, they don’t actually blame extremism they blame the origin itself because religion eventually will lead to extremism so we have to get rid of, we have to scrutinize religion itself. Islam has been under the microscope for well over a decade now, you know this, the post 9/11 era is well over a decade and it’s just been constant and consistent criticism of Islam in one way or the other or the other. I mean, the Charlie Hebdo thing is just the latest in a series of tragedies that hit the world and bring Islam to the spotlight again.

Now, college and university students that are just getting their education, regardless of what they’re getting their education in, they’re not immune from these questions, and as a matter of fact the university is the place for asking open questions anyway. I think that they are challenged in their faith more now than they ever were in the past. You know the philosophy club used to always be there, the atheists were always there, the agnostics were always there in college, and they would always ask you questions about your faith, but it’s never been like this, not in my recollection, so you have a much greater intellectual challenge.

The other thing I would argue is that the Muslim community, we Muslims have spread far and wide, and yes even though there are educational resources that are more accessible now because of social media, YouTube, Facebook, podcasts, you name it, there is access to more knowledge and more understanding of Islam, the problem is that you don’t necessarily have mentorship or people that can help say, “you know what, we need to begin from here, and if you want these particular questions answered here’s what you want to study first,” or whatever, so there’s no real mentorship available. It’s harder to come across, and a lot of people, they aren’t able to find answers to their questions and so they start assuming there are no answers to these questions or that Islam fails to answer these questions. So I think that these youth, the Muslim youth, are more prone to skepticism, or a distant attitude in the best case scenario, towards religion in their college years now than ever before.

To be continued.

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Holding onto the Rope of Allah Together

I have been thinking about the recent incidents that have been occurring and, if I am being honest, I did not initially check the news on the day of either attack to see what the media had to say. I was stunned at first, and had a saddened heart. I felt terrible for those who were victimized – those who had their sense of security taken away from them. But it was more like a punch in the gut. When I had heard reports about ‘Extremist Muslims’ behind the attacks, I knew that the Muslim community would take a hit. Then think about all the other atrocities that have been happening in just this year alone: The Syrian people are being persecuted from their homes; sixty-five Palestinians have been killed back in October; Burundi’s government is out killing people in the hundreds! Even on the day prior to the attacks in Paris, Beirut was also victim to terrorist attacks, which ISIS also claims to be responsible for. This year has not been kind to many people across the globe.

See, people around the world are constantly being attacked, are victimized, and have to, in some cases, flee for their lives from their homelands from where they lived out, for the most part, their entire lives. My parents were victims from the war in Somalia. Had it not been for (first and foremost) Allah (SWT) and the Canadian government for opening their doors, I, nor my five others siblings would have been born. Furthermore, we as Muslims know that these acts of violence are not a part of our Islam. So, how do we fix these issues of radicalization within our community as well as letting others know about the true nature of Islam? How do we end the media from portraying us as inhumane? The way I see it is that firstly, we need to educate ourselves on what Islam teaches us by revisiting the Qur’an and Sunnah, and secondly, acting according to that which we have learned.

From my perspective, when I see these phenomena happening around the globe, I cannot help but think of the verse that speaks to the People of Israel. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran in Surat Al Maeda:

مِنۡ أَجۡلِ ذَٲلِكَ ڪَتَبۡنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُ ۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفۡسَۢا بِغَيۡرِ نَفۡسٍ أَوۡ فَسَادٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَڪَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعً۬ا وَمَنۡ أَحۡيَاهَا فَڪَأَنَّمَآ أَحۡيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعً۬اۚ

Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. And our messengers had certainly come to them with clear proofs. Then indeed many of them, [even] after that, throughout the land, were transgressors (Quran 5:32).

So what is Allah referring to when He says, “Because of that”? In the verses before this, Allah tells us the story of Qabeel and Habeel, both of whom were sons of the Prophet Adam. In this story, Qabeel ends up killing his brother out of jealousy and envy. It is for this reason that God has condemned anyone who has unjustly killed another human being, especially in Islam as it was outlined so clearly in the Quran. Furthermore, Allah has equated one life to the whole of mankind, meaning, according to some scholars in the science of tafseer, that punishment of a murder is equal to him killing all of humanity. With this understanding, it is not possible for a righteous Muslim to understand the heaviness of the punishment and still think that they are just in the killing of innocent people.

We as Muslims do not condone the actions of ISIS. Despite that, even amongst the typical rhetoric on the news that criticizes Muslims for the attacks, there are some that have taken the opposing stance.

This brings me to the recent outbreaks of ‘Muslim Hate Crimes’ that have been in the spotlight. The second thing we as Muslims must do is give Dawah in the form of showing people what Islam really is all about. The reason that these crimes occur is because the people do not know what Islam is and the little people may know about Islam is from the media portraying us in a negative light, that is in the actions of ISIS and other Muslim extremist groups. Thus when confronted with individuals like these that we are to be acting as how the Ayah states:

وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمۡشُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ هَوۡنً۬ا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلَـٰمً۬ا

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace (Quran 25:63).

So we need to strive to be of those who are peaceful when confronted by others in ignorance. I know that this is hard to practice, especially when majority of us are still trying to maintain the basics of Islam, myself included. However, I strongly believe that if we are going to see any progress in mitigating the harm that comes our way from the extremists and the uninformed, then we need to practice this discipline within ourselves. That being said, this task cannot be done by ourselves. We need the help of our community and those outside of it as well.

Alhamdulillah, there is huge support within the Muslim community and beyond for everyone to feel welcomed, but is that enough to change those around us? Again, going back to my earlier point on Dawah, Allah and His Messenger (P.B.U.H) have already told us that there will be people who just wish to do harm to us just because of who we are. Heck, they would do the same to anyone that is not of them; this is just a part of the humanity that we have to accept. This is not in any way saying that what these people do is acceptable, but we need to start looking at things in a different light.

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) would take any opportunity he could get to give people Dawah, so why can’t we look at these problems and see them as such. Now, some of the actions of these people, like those who assaulted a Muslim mother while she was picking up her kids, are despicable and we don’t see instances like that as chances to give Dawah. What I am speaking on are those instances when a person can be spoken to and is open and maybe willing to listen to what you have to say. If you want to follow an excellent example, go online and read a piece by Amal Ahmed Albaz, After Paris attacks, we all need a little understanding. In this article, Amal references her personal experience of facing Islamophobia, and shows us the way a Muslim follows the ayah from Surat Furqaun. It’s a well written article that exemplifies what our character should be. However, this does not mean to put yourself in harm’s way, for your safety is to be of ought most priority.

Moreover, there are individuals that are not of the Muslim community that are supporting us during these difficult times. Bernie Sanders, the American Senator for Vermont, stands against some of the nonsense being said in the media, stating: “[we] will not allow ourselves to be divided and succumb to Islamophobia.” Others have also engaged in this topic as well, like Michael Coren, a columnist, whose daughter was also caught up in the attacks in Paris and writes for the Metro Toronto: “we must maintain our cultural superiority. And that culture consists of tolerance, religious pluralism, gay and women’s rights, the rule of law and the acceptance of the stranger.” This might be the first time that I have seen this much positive support for unity in the media in the face of conflict. The vast majority of people on this planet just want to live in peace and it is usually the few who do not that are causing all discourse between people of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. It turns out that the world is not as bad as it seems, it is just that some people do not want you to enjoy in the good. So if all you see is negativity around you, remove yourself from it and look for the things that will make you think positively of what surrounds you.

Dawah doesn’t only come in the form of telling people to believe in Allah, but it has many other forms as well, and to best act upon Dawah is to know about Islam. Alhamdulillah, looking through social media, I see many of my friends, family, and even people that I have never met before, all over the world, standing up for injustices that are happening in Lebanon, Paris, and other places around the world with hashtags like “#PrayfortheWorld”. These acts are wonderful, as it shows strength and support for the victims and their families, the Muslim community, and humanity at large in these difficult times. To you folks, I give you my deep gratitude! Thank you for not giving up when the going gets tough! Thank you for your positivity that has touched my heart! Most of all, Thank you Oh Allah for putting these individuals in my life, for I have learned something from their courage!

Mohamed Ibrahim

First year, Political Science Student at the University of Toronto.

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From Nigeria to Toronto as a Visually Impaired Student

Spirituality in a secular environment such as University of Toronto, a place of many faiths, can be engaging, encouraging, and even sometimes conducive to a Muslim. Yet in my case, the environment wasn't so encouraging, at least initially.

Being an international student from Nigeria, I came to UofT with an immense feeling of hope and determination to study computer science peacefully and with ease. But my journey in the beginning wasn't very pleasant, which I felt was mainly due to my visual impairment, as well as my faith. It wasn't until I started to interact with the other students in my class that I felt as though I was ignored and isolated because of my disability. I also felt misguided, since as a disabled student, I was not given the facilities which were given to others at UofT, such as guidance from accessibility services, and tutors. This led to many unnecessary complications which I had to go through, that made the environment very challenging and pressing for me.

Before I had made any friends at UofT, it was troublesome for me to figure out things that are important to me, such as the exact times and places for prayer, and which types of halal foods we have on campus. It was also especially difficult in the first winter I witnessed in Canada, where we had quite a few ice storms. In general, I felt lost and spiritually weak since I wasn't familiar with some things, I didn’t know very many people or places, and I had a lack of spiritual knowledge. At times, I would ponder to myself: “Why am I here? Where have I come from? Who am I really?” I would always think these types of thoughts whenever I had feelings of sorrow and hopelessness, especially in my studies at the time. Things can get really tough when you're in a foreign country on your own, where you have to stay together in order to study and survive.

It was even more challenging when it came to my studies, as I had difficulty adapting (given my disability) to the new pattern of study for computer science, such as having to practice on multiple new software, which weren't agreeable with my screen reader. Both my sister, Wajiha (whom is also disabled), and I had to resort to sitting and explaining the information presented in the programming course to each other since we didn't have anyone at all from our class or CS department to help explain it to us. Even during our professors’ office hours, it was difficult as the professors would have to attend to every student in the limited time that they had, and so we didn't end up getting much support from our professors in our courses. This was one of the main reasons that I ended up switching out of computer science to International Relations.

During my attempts to find solutions to my struggles, I met a few Muslim friends along the way. They'd ask me what I thought about my UofT experience so far, and I would reply to what I had attributed to be the truth at the time: that UofT was discriminatory against race, colour, and faith. Seeing that I was in an uncomfortable situation, I was eventually introduced to the Muslim Students' Association. Over time, they provided me with so much help and guidance so that I was able to choose the best path for myself. I had also met many good people at the MSA, many of whom I've established good friendships with. If it were not for them, I would have never have started regaining my feelings of happiness and hope, or forgetting that I ever had problems with UofT in the first place! University life started to look like how I had imagined it in the beginning of my journey; a place of encouragement. My friends also helped me regain my spirituality by learning how to be successful and hardworking from them.

Nothing about me has changed since I started my life here; I am the same international, disabled Muslim student that I was in the beginning. The only difference now is the positive reinforcement that I had received from the good friends that I have met along the way. They have even become somewhat like family members in that I can share my feelings with them, and trust that they will support me, and guide me towards a prosperous path.

I am extremely grateful to Allah for creating me in the best image, and allowing me to go through formidable tests in order to help strengthen my iman, and I hope to continue to do so in the future by persistently doing good. I am thankful and grateful to my parents for sending me to Canada to be more independent, and overall a better person that can overcome the difficulties of life. And thankfully, I was not alone, as I had the great moral support from my Muslim friends and the prayers from my parents, whom were with me every step of the way and made me more familiar and comfortable with my surroundings. In addition, my spiritual journey has not only brought me great happiness, but also great experiences and friends that allow me to be more successful and diligent, through the mercy of Allah.

Saniezehra Naqvi

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Chasing the Light: From Waterloo to Toronto

My First Big Risk: The Start-up

It was April 2014 when I had just graduated from University of Waterloo, one of Canada’s most prestigious engineering schools. I had accumulated over 2 years of professional work experience from its co-op program, earned my engineering ring, and received my bachelor’s degree (which my mother decided to hide from me, anyways).

Four months before graduating, an old “friend” approached me and offered me a position at his start-up; a position that I’d take on after graduating. After having anxiously convincing my Arab parents, that their son, a UW engineering graduate, would like to take on a start-up position that pays less than a fast-food worker’s salary, I finally gave my friend an answer: “YES!”

I’ve always dreamt of designing and launching the next BIG THING, and to be a part of something that was BIGGER than me, especially when that something has the potential to change the World.

And just when I thought I made the best decision in my life…

Mind you, I hadn’t touched a single job application in the past 4 months, because I knew I was already SET for the job of my dreams. Why did I feel this confident? Because my friend gave me his word!!  

…Right?

I arrived at the facility on my first day, May 1st 2014. I was so PUMPED… although, something wasn’t right. My friend’s face looked uneasy.

“Is everything alright man?” I asked.

“Ahmed, let’s go talk in the meeting room.”

Long story short, he decided I wasn’t “fit” for the position, and that they can’t afford to have me.

Just when I thought I was about to begin a successful career in entrepreneurship, all the fire and passion in my heart had extinguished into smoke and ashes… I had never felt so betrayed in my life.

So I took my bags and walked out of that place as fast as I could. I still remember being outside on those streets, with only ONE thing on my mind:

“I have absolutely no idea where I’m going.”

Hopeless Situation

I felt like my whole world was falling apart that day. I had not applied to any other engineering jobs those past 4 months because I thought I’d be going somewhere much better. I placed all my hopes and dreams on this one opportunity, only to find that my beautiful tower of dreams had been reduced to ruins within seconds.

At this point, most of my classmates had already been hired by some top notch engineering companies. And here I was, sitting in my bedroom pondering on what to do next, and praying to God for His guidance.

Saying “NO” to Normalcy

Side note: As I mentioned before, I had accumulated over 2 years of work experience through UW’s co-op term. I completed 6 co-op terms (4 months each) at 6 different companies. I was blessed to have gained this experience across many fields in engineering, such as software, automation, mechanical design, automotive, and manufacturing. While I enjoyed many of these invaluable experiences and skill-sets that I’ve learnt, getting a corporate job wasn’t something I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to. I didn’t want to take on the 9-5 lifestyle, and work on standard machines or commercial products that have little to no direct impact on society. And so I declined these types of offers upon my graduation. Of course it wasn’t easy to do so due to the temptation of having financial security. But, I realized that big dreams require big risks, and lots of patience.

Saying “YES” to your Passion

Amidst the foggy and hopeless situation I was in, there was a kindling fire that brought me hope. A sparkling light that always brought warmth to my heart and a BIG smile to my face. During my 4th year of engineering, 3 of my classmates and I had designed and built a paraplegic exercise machine for individuals with spinal cord injuries, aka. The Movement Therapy System (MTS). Our MTS was so successful that it was awarded the 2014 Canadian Posture and Seating Award. We also had the opportunity to test our device on a paraplegic patient, and the results were incredible!

After completing this project, I realized there were two things I was most passionate about in Life:

Designing and building stuff

Helping people in need

After the vision of my start-up career dissolved, and realizing that I wasn’t interested in the corporate world, I knew that I was left with only ONE other avenue that I hadn’t yet explored. One last door that can potentially breed an innovative and aspiring career for me: …Graduate school.

My Second Big Risk: Grad School

I had never pondered about grad school previously, mostly because I felt I was never “cut out for it”. My grades weren’t the best, they were okay. But, right before I decided to leave my depressing situation in Waterloo and move back to St.Catharines (my hometown), I decided that I should try ONE last thing before I leave, just so I can say to myself “I gave it a shot, and it didn’t work”. What was that one thing? I needed to email my professor: John B. Medley.

Professor Medley was my awesome project supervisor. He was a great asset to our project because of his research in biomechanics and dynamics. He also brought many great points to our key meetings (although we usually caught him sleeping during most of them…). Still love that guy though! I love you John!

So I decided to give grad school a shot with John, starting with a simple “ONE-LINER” email.  Although I didn’t end up doing grad school with him, what started as just a simple email has opened doors for me that I never knew existed! It can basically be condensed into these 4 miraculous stages:

Light upon Light

1. Prof. Medley: “Sorry Ahmed, your marks are not as high as I’d like them to be for a grad student…”

[Yeah, John can be a bit blunt too]

“…however, there’s this new prof that just joined the department. You should meet him!”

2. [1 week later]

Prof. Tung: “Wow Ahmed! Your exercise device (MTS) looks amazing! I’d love to have you as a grad student, but unfortunately I don’t have enough funding for students as I just started my position here at UW... “

“…however, I know this doctor at the Toronto Rehab Institute in Toronto. He is Canada’s Research Chair in Spinal Cord Injury research, let me acquaint you with him”

3. [2 weeks later] - Toronto

Dr. Popovic: “Ahmed your work is very interesting and I definitely see it applicable in our facility. But I, myself, don’t have any direct opportunities for you…”

“…however, I know a doctor on the 13th floor who could use someone like you! Come with me!”

4. [Literally 3 minutes later]

Dr. Dutta:

“Ahmed. Welcome to the team.”

Alhamdulillah.

Wait what? How did all of this happen? I could’ve NEVER have visualized this opportunity in my head! One thing’s for sure though: Allah won’t let his servant’s determination go in vain!

Humble Beginnings

I am currently pursuing a MASc degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto, while conducting research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI). Located on 550 University Ave., TRI is one of the leading rehabilitation institutes in the world, and is a part of the University Health Network (UHN). UHN is a clinical healthcare and medical research organization in Toronto that owns and operates four major hospitals and scientific research centres, which include: Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and finally, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

Two Dreams, One Email

My research at TRI is aimed at improving mobility and preventing fall-related injuries for the elderly. My thesis is focused on improving sit-to-stand activities through the design of an adjustable armrest (which I am currently building).

I am designing and building stuff, and I am helping people in need, both of which I love doing the most in life! And it was all because of that one email I had sent to John as a last resort a couple of months earlier.

Alhamdulillah.

“Man shall have nothing but what he strives for.” (53:39)

When things don’t work out the way you want them to, know that Allah is testing you, and that Allah has something better for you, but only if you are patient (and persistent). Not only has Allah granted me my two dreams, but he has given me an abundance of opportunities for growth and self-development. I am pursuing a great degree at Canada’s #1 university, I’m teaching first year engineering students, I’m a social support volunteer at TRI, and I am a camp leader at UofT’s DaVinci Engineering Enrichment Program.  And I have had many other doors of opportunity that, to this day, overwhelm me with gratitude to Allah!

Take the risk, and you will find your rizq, Trust me. Be determined. Never stick to normalcy. Never give up on your dreams. Chase your light, and your light will find you.

When you’ve cornered yourself at the edge of a cliff, and you feel like there’s no way out. Jump! Allah will do one of two things: He will either catch you in your fall, or teach you how to fly.

Need academic or professional advice? Email me at <ahmed.mezil@mail.utoronto .ca> Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Ahmed Mezil

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Secular Inclusivity and Communal Exclusivity

I used to wear a hijab, and now I don’t. This change, prior to the beginning of first semester this year, had initially filled me with palpable anxiety on how I would face my classmates and colleagues at the university. How would I deal with what I anticipated would be both curious and scathing judgmental glances? How would I explain to them, at a time where I was still solidifying my explanation to myself, the decision I had made? To my absolute pleasant surprise, and my subsequent utter horror, the secular university community that I have been a part of for little over two years accepted me with open arms, while it was the community that raised me since I was a little girl that ended up being my most virulent critic.

An individual’s decision to choose to wear, or not to wear the hijab, is that individual’s personal decision in terms of their relationship with Allah, and in an ideal world, said decis ion would not be subject to widespread scrutiny. This world however, was never intended to be ideal, and thus, such a conspicuous change becomes fodder for discussion.

When seeing something, or someone, suddenly presenting themselves in a manner we are not accustomed to, it is natural to be inquisitive; however, how we go about satiating our appetite for inquisition as a community, has the potential for grossly detrimental consequences on the spiritual growth of the individual in question. Our prerogative for inquisition, does not give us the right to spew criticisms, make baseless judgments, or deride an individual because they do not conform to some preconceived notion of what we expected them to be.

More importantly, not only is it extremely narrow minded, but it is also extremely antagonistic to impress upon an individual some preconceived notion of what an “ideal” Muslim ought to look like. By attempting to reduce the myriad experiences we have had, the backgrounds we come from, and the paths of faith that we are all attempting to carve out into one unilateral conception of what a Muslim ought to be, we divert our energies from focusing on the infinitely more important task of conceiving of the kinds of Muslims we want to strive to be. As a community, it is our duty to seek to understand and bolster, rather than criticize and diminish.

The University of Toronto has made me feel comfortable, and has made me want to better myself in ways that I never imagined that it could. Since the beginning of my  undergrad, I have had the privilege of having relatively small classes where I have always had the opportunity to have my voice be heard. From my first year seminar classes, it has been instilled within me to work to foster safe and inclusive spaces where people feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts, as it is guaranteed that even if there are disagreements over what is being said, mutual respect is a given. Being at a secular institution, while we are thought to think critically about what we believe in and why we believe in that, there is a deeply held understanding that while we are taught how to think, the onus is on us to determine what we think. One of the quintessential purposes that a holistic university experience should serve, is one that involves the exchange of ideas, opinions, and world views in order that as students, we have the opportunity to determine, and even re-evaluate the positions that we take. The university serves as a space where you can figure out who you are, create your own path, and begin to figure out, or even cement what your identity really is. In order to fulfill this purpose, one of the key functions the university serves is to ensure, or to seek to ensure to the best of its institutional ability, that you feel entirely comfortable in this endeavor to find yourself.

This means that when I stopped wearing a hijab, any fear that I had about being jud ged, or criticized, or questioned, immediately dissipated. People were unequivocally polite. They were visibly curious, but polite nonetheless. The institution, or at least the facets of it that I have had the pleasure of being involved with, have really fostered a deeply entrenched spirit of respecting diversity and facilitating inclusivity. Further yet, through our own experiences as students, many of us understand first hand that we are constant evolutions; that change happens for any number of reasons, and that we have no right to pass judgment on the changes someone else is going through.

In addition, being on the executive team, I was extremely apprehensive of how the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) would react to me. There was absolutely no reason for any apprehension. At no point did anyone treat me any differently. At no point did anyone question my faith and my relationship with Allah. Perhaps it was my own paranoia and fear of judgment that even caused me to feel that people would call into question such an intensely personal facet of my identity.  

For those who actually did ask me why I chose to make my decision, they made it a point to make sure that they were merely curious, and made me feel completely comfortable in being forthcoming about my experiences. The MSA as an institution makes it a point to foster inclusivity. Hijabs are hung outside of the prayer room for girls who do not wear hijab, in order that there are no external barriers to impede them from participating in Jumma prayer. Living in Toronto, and going to an institution that takes pride in its diversity and the value it places in ensuring that all students feel welcome and safe in asserting themselves, has facilitated my spiritual growth. The spaces both religious and non-religious available to me within this secular institution, and the welcoming approaches of those within these spaces in seeking to understand my experiences, have made me feel c omfortable in my endeavor to become a better Muslim.

On the other hand, my community outside of school reacted in almost the exactly opposite way. Communities are great insofar as they serve as a support system and grounding backdrop for individuals. Now when this group of people that has seen you mature, and morph into the person that you are today, begins to question your faith itself, solely because your outward appearance does not fall in line with the standard they adhere to, it’s quite jarring.

Being well-intentioned and seeking the best for those we care about is one thing, but how we go about conveying our intentions is just as significant, if not more significant, than the intention itself. I imagine that no one within my community would ever wish a shred of harm or hurt to be channeled in my direction. It was as though, however, that my choosing not to wear the hijab had drastically upset the status quo. The utter shock experienced on the end of my co mmunity was in part a reaction to my appearing differently than I had for the past one third of my life, in part utter confusion in an attempt to conceptualize what this meant in terms of my faith, and in part fear that I was “headed down the wrong path” and lacked an understanding of what hijab, and more widely, what Islam was. There were questions about whether I had become an atheist. There were suggestions that perhaps I would benefit from perusing a few pamphlets on what hijab meant. Heavy speculation was occurring on what this meant for the other girls in our community and what kind of example I would be setting for the younger ones. It seemed to me like they had arrived at the conclusion that I had become a deviant, a wayward child. The disheartening fact of the matter is that while all of this speculation came from a place of genuine concern, no one took the time to engage with or seek to understand the person about whom they were speculating.

Beyond the judgments and assumptions themselves, the greater harm here was that the focus was on how I looked on the outside, and not how I was feeling on the inside. It is astounding to me that a university space intended to separate our educational experience from our religious one, could do a far better job of appreciating that Muslims are not monolithic. As a community, it is incumbent upon us to make individuals feel comfortable in sharing their spiritual journeys, and to foster the understanding that we are all different. Beyond the mere recognition of our diversity, if we are not serving to encourage and support each others’ spiritual growth, we have failed to effectively satisfy a significant aspect of our role as a community. While a Muslim should aspire to carry his or herself with dignity, modesty, and humility, our external composure is inextricably linked to our internal state of being. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “God does not judge you according to your bodies an d appearances, but He looks into your hearts and observes your deeds.”

Naveeda Hussain

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6 Dos and Don’ts of Countering Islamophobia

When the news was broken to me that Paris had just been target of a series of terror attacks, with numerous lives lost, I felt a large pit in my stomach. Before I could fully mourn the loss of human life, I found myself vehemently praying that the monstrous individuals who carried out these attacks would not claim to have anything to do with Islam. But here we were again, with ISIS taking responsibility for the attacks.

Shortly after, I was constantly bombarded with news of visibly Muslim women being harassed on the street, on the subway, and even a woman being taken to hospital after being attacked while picking up her children from school. A Muslim male colleague of mine being harassed and spat on while waiting for the streetcar at the University of Toronto campus, and numerous other events go unreported.  

In light of these events, the Muslim community at large feels the need to dispel misconceptions and counter Islamophobia. I’d like to list a few Do’s and Don’ts of going about this pursuit.

Number One: Don’t apologize.

Don’t apologize for the events. Don’t apologize for being a Muslim. Yes, the events are horrific and, just like everyone else, our condolences, thoughts, and prayers should be with the innocent individuals who are subject to tragedy, violence, and terror attacks across the globe. This includes Paris, Palestine, Beirut, Syria, Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the others that don’t make the news. This, in no way, means that because of your faith you are responsible for anything you have not done. Don’t apologize or publicly condemn such events simply because it’s expected of you. It’s not your responsibility, you don’t need to. Don’t do it.

Number Two: Do make yourself available for conversation and questions through community involvement.

Individuals who know someone who is Muslim are far less likely to be Islamophobic. Make yourself available, strike up conversations, get involved in campus groups outside of just Muslim clubs. This is the best way to dispel misconceptions.

Number Three: Do educate. Don’t forcefully “impart knowledge”.

There is a difference between educating someone and simply being annoying, self righteous, and condescending. If you know someone or meet someone, and a conversation comes up where the person is genuinely curious, have a fruitful discussion through which you can dispel misconceptions. Do not grab a random individual and start getting fired up about Muslims not being terrorists and telling them you wish to “enlighten” them. They don’t care, they have their guard up, and nothing you say at this point is going to change their mind.

Number Four: Do make our mosques more transparent and welcoming.

As a visible, identifiable Muslim woman I have walked into churches to admire the architecture. I’ve also made Salah in a chapel numerous times because there was no space to pray near by. Aside from a few curious glances I have not felt unwelcome. I think that’s a wonderful model for the way many of our mosques should be running. Not that some of our mosques aren’t doing this already, but it’s a very small minority. Get involved with mosque boards and strive to make our mosques more transparent. Hold regular open houses every month, where individuals from the community are invited to come in and observe and interact with the Muslim community. Have multi faith events that seek to tighten our bonds with our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity. This is far more effective in countering Islamophobia than handing out pamphlets on the street, which to be honest, usually end up unread and in the garbage shortly after.

Number Five: Do take back your narrative.

A couple of years back I attended a seminar by Dr. Ingrid Mattson on the coverage of Islam in the media. There were a few key points that I took away from her. In the world of news, if it bleeds it leads, regardless of what story it is. One of the major issues we face within the Muslim community is our lack of journalistic involvement and communication with media outlets. We should stay in constant communication with major media platforms. Write letters to the editor to express your opinions on the coverage of certain issues. Write to inform the media about events and ideas that you would like to see and read about. There is a significant absence of Muslim feedback and involvement which greatly influences what and how news regarding Muslims is covered. Most importantly these relationships should not be limited to difficult times but should be a constant in order to ensure that when things do get difficult, there is an established relationship already.

Number Six: Don��t let the actions of a few shape your view of society.

Just as others shouldn’t be stereotyping a faith group based on the actions of a few, as Muslims we should hold good views of people around us, regardless of faith. The recent Islamophobic hate crimes do not represent the views and sentiments of society as a whole. You would be surprised by the number of people who are very understanding and welcoming towards the Muslim community. Make conversation with those around you instead of assuming others are hostile towards you and alienating yourself. Many individuals would love to talk, make conversation and ask questions, they just don’t know how.

Hirra Sheikh

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Wanderlust

A photo series by Adel Keshavarz.

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A Final Purchase

A short story by Hirra Sheikh

Her glittering eyes meet mine as I ask, hesitating, “can I get something for you ma’am? Water, maybe?” She can reap the concern in my eyes, and she smiles as her weak, fragile hands, hold mine. “I’m fine sweetie,” she says. “I’m almost 80 years old and I’ve just seen so much of this life. There’s so much I’ve been, so many places I’ve seen, so much I’ve been through, both beautiful and ugly.” She’s probably my grandmother’s age, I think to myself. Her gentle touch reminds me of my grandmother, but her eyes are a little deeper under the folds of her skin. We’ve all got our own story, my grandmother had her own. I always admired the strength of older women, especially my grandmother’s. She would tell me stories of her experiences during the Pakistan-India divide, how she was uprooted from a place she called home and began her life somewhere unknown. She told stories of growing up and going to school, how she got married, then, when she lost her first son at the age of 3. She explained that life never stopped. She went through hurdles and challenges I couldn’t possibly imagine living through. There is just so much to uncover and respect in a woman who has gone through so many long years of this life. All the good and bad that come with it. All the wisdom that she’s gained through all of it.

I wonder what her story is, the woman sitting right in front of me with tears in her eyes. I continue to examine her, unaware my curiosity is as evident as the nose on my face.

“I’ve booked the lot for my grave today, the full amount paid and taken care of”, she says. “Oh”, I reply, “That must be… difficult” I have no idea how to respond to this. It is painful to hear. I feel goosebumps all over. “I still remember my time as a newlywed.” She began. “Then before we knew it, three children, and I was living with the best husband one could ask for. He was a good man, always put my desires at the top of his list. Then, one day we decided to buy a house for our family. My husband and I went to book a lot for a brand new home. We decided the colours, frames, all the little interior and exterior details. I was so happy. I had so much. And today, while signing the papers for the lot of my grave, all of that came back to me. Where life has brought me, I barely ever thought about. Realities we love to put on hold.” “What about your husband, is he here with you I mean?” “My husband died 8 years ago… It’s the cycle of life; we’ve all got to go. That’s probably when I realized the most that I should probably prepare for that day when it came upon me. From then I began saving up to buy the lot for my grave, didn’t want to burden my children after I left. So I saved, just like my husband and I had saved up to buy our house at one point. But they’re both just so different. It’s all different.” “Well, it isn’t the most exciting of purchases, I can understand” I try to console her; I squeeze her hand slightly in assurance. “Except, this is probably the only purchase that I’ve made by myself in my entire life, that is going to stay with me for the rest of my days…”

The finality of her purchase washes over us and I reflect on the nature of her endeavour. Everything must come to an end; even us.

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Wanderlust

A photo series by Adel Keshavarz.

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Wanderlust

A photo series by Adel Keshavarz.

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The Islamic Way to a 4.0 GPA

How many times have we been told and taught that the solution to all of our problems—whether they be related to work, family life, spiritual or physical well-being—can be found in the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him? When faced with a difficult or seemingly unsolvable problem, however, how many of us actually depend, first and foremost, on the Quran and the sunnah? As students, in particular, how can we use the teachings of the Quran and the sunnah to perform better and thrive academically?  

A quick Google search will show you that 'lack of focus' is the greatest problem that students of our generation face. Unlike generations of the past, we are a generation that is constantly distracted. Science shows that the best way to improve focus is through practicing meditation. Extensive research has shown that meditation can improve concentration manifold and students who incorporate some form of meditation in their everyday routines have consistently performed better in their academics in comparison to those who do not meditate. The brain is a muscle that, when exercised properly, can be trained to remain focused, attentive, and effective. How lucky are we that meditation has been prescribed to us five times a day through salah? The more we focus in our salah, the better we will be able to concentrate on our school work. Perhaps, that is the reason why the words “Come towards Salah, Come towards Success” are included in our call to  prayer.

In addition to meditation, fasting can also be used as a technique to improve grades. When completing our prescribed fasts, most of us spend our days sleeping and, if we are awake, we become lazy and lethargic as we wait for the maghrib adhan. How, you may wonder, can fasting possibly improve our performance? Mark Mattson, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute of Aging, is one of the foremost researchers in the area of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. Talking about the revolutionary benefits of fasting, he says that fasting is a physical and psychological challenge for the brain; it elicits many of the same changes that happen during vigorous exercise. It stimulates the production of neurotrophic factors such as BDNF and FGF which promote the growth of axioms and dendrites, the formation and strengthening of synapsis and the production of new neurons from stem cells (neurogenesis). Our brains, thus, become more efficient and promote faster learning. SubhanAllah!  

Islam teaches us to persist, persevere and never give up. The Quran says: “Surely Allah is with those who persevere’ and that "Man can have nothing but what he strives for. His efforts shall be seen and rewarded to the fullest extent” (Surah An Najm 53:39-41). So, wake up for fajr. Concentrate in your salah. Be sincere in your fasts. Be persistent in your acts of worship. Repeatedly ask Allah for help in attaining success and inshAllah we will all be on our way to getting 4.0 GPAs very soon.                                                                                                                                                                                                               Aatina Abid Munir

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Wanderlust

I’m picking up the pieces;

I’m trying out adhesives;

I’m trying to fix a place that feels broken.

All my words, they fail me;

My voices don’t avail me;

I’m trying to say the hope that’s unspoken.

  - Switchfoot

Dear reader,

I’m writing you a letter. That’s right, a good old-fashioned letter – it’s a lost art, really. You don’t know me very well but if you get me started, I have a tendency to go on and on about how tough writing is for me, particularly due to the fact that it forces me to convert my everything into words, which brings out the most fragile version of my heart outside my chest beating, exposed to the elements. But it’s mostly because writing is simply not my forte, I have other means of expression, and emotions can at times become ineffable. Anyways.

I’m here to reiterate, that almost all of us have an artist within. The ones who choose to let it out and follow that path are usually the ones who love to create and to see the creation before their eyes, to ponder on the least significant matters and pull out the most significant out of it all – the creative class.

An artist is a child in a man’s body; he cares for nothing and everything at the same time. With his fearless mind, he critiques everything that surrounds him, and would not concede defeat until he expresses his critical mind, in some or any form, that will eventually become his art. Making art – letting out sorrow, happiness, fear, anger and so on - is a healing process for an artist that keeps him fragile and sensitive at his heart, observant and heedful in the eye, staunch in attitude and faithful in spirit. What can I say; artists tend not to withhold things within apparently. Or if they do, their art becomes the reaction to the chaos of their mind.

The artist is merriest when he finds his work of art in people’s hands, memories or lifestyle. The true pleasure is in showing people what they cannot see without a creative eye, to change one’s resolution or to spark a life-changing idea for another. As if the artist is born to give, to sacrifice, to teach and to care, and therefore he will have nothing upon deprivation of those qualities.

It works like a cycle: the artist cares too much not to show a creative side of things. He pours his heart out to create art, repeatedly. It doesn’t stop him until he is drained of all ideas or hopes - exhausted. It is only after this point where every artist needs a break, a respite from everything that usually surrounds him. After all, it is essential to get back to a reference point, to restore his faith, creativity and inspiration. Some opt for external substances to keep ‘producing’ inspiration like a machine. Some, however, choose the organic path, let time do its magic and await inspiration. Should the artist choose the latter, he can hit the road in the meantime.

Nature things, wanderlust, or the desire to travel, for my inspiration, have been that replenishment factor. I mean, what could be more inspiring than lying supinely, enjoying petrichor while watching the most organic form of creation work like a charm within a system that never gets out of the control of its Creator? The earth turns around, seasons pass by, colors change, nature dies with snow and resurrect greater than before with the sunshine in Spring. For an observant artist this system depicts and therefore exquisitely teaches inspiration, purpose, delicacy, coexistence, peace and many more qualities, which are the best nutriments of our souls. After all, “It is God who subjected the sea so the ships may sail upon it by His command and that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful. And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth – all from Him. Indeed, in that are signs for people who give thought.”[45:12-13).

Nature photography, in my case, has been a proof to mend a broken heart due to the loss of a best friend. Nobody knew about this, nor anybody speaks of it, but this has been an outlet, and has helped me much more than I thought. Since the summer of 2014, nature was the only place I could forget about what I’m going through and instead feel the breeze and to ponder upon life, purpose and reasons.

Pictures do indeed speak a thousand words, if you let them. But to get to that point, I might add, one needs to truly see the image and feel the surroundings – every sound, every movement, every memory. You need to stare at a picture as if you are experiencing that moment tangibly, captured by an artist, and I’m sure you will have much more than a thousand words to speak about it, as I did, just staring at the first picture at the top.

stay on the rise. 

Adel K.

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For Those Who Reflect

I say this a lot, but one of my absolute favourite things about Islam as a way of life, the Qur'an as a guiding text and the Prophet SAW as an exemplary leader, is the fact that all three encourage us as human beings to be reflective and to challenge our common modes of thinking, our assumptions, our norms and the status quo, particularly when these things utilize faulty logic, or are inherently unjust. The emphasis placed on this kind of reflexive and critical thinking in the Islamic faith is pivotal and of the utmost value, displayed tangibly and clearly by the high regard associated with knowledge, reflection, and persisting on justice.

A guiding principle that has been a recurring theme in my psychology classes over the past three years is the fact that as human beings, our behaviour and attitudes are influenced and guided by forces and mechanisms that we are not aware of. Although we may believe that we make decisions in a completely "rational" manner, or that our attitudes are the result of systematic thinking, a large part of our thinking and behaviour occurs instantaneously and without conscious effort. Which means that for the most part, we are not actually aware of why we have made an assumption, or hold a certain belief. The issue then, and what we should hope to avoid, is when our cognition, in trying to be efficient and quick, makes errors, and without checking ourselves or the assumptions and attitudes that we hold, we take these incorrect or problematic beliefs to be true, or the norm.

Stereotypes are the perfect example of easy but potentially faulty thinking. Stereotypes are a type of heuristic, simple "rules of thumb" that allow us to solve problems or make decisions quickly and efficiently when we are faced with insufficient information to be able to tackle a problem systematically (i.e. go through all of the options and make an informed decision). Stereotypes are efficient, but are also prone to errors. For instance, assuming that a small, barking furry creature in front of you is a dog and not a meerkat is far more efficient than systematically going through all of the small furry creatures you have ever encountered in the past and ruling them out one by one. However, assuming that the female in your physics class is less competent because she is a woman, could be based on your own past experiences that have reinforced this stereotype, but does not necessarily mean that the stereotype is applicable in this new context, or is correct.

It is pivotal to try and gain insights into our modes of thinking, our stereotypes and assumptions. It is pivotal to reflect on how we think and why we think, because when we do not, we become prone to error, and the consequences are dire. When we are content to sit back and abide by the status quo, we allow injustices to occur, and we run the risk of failing to become better Muslims and human beings. Even worse, we fail to seize opportunities to positively benefit the societies and communities we live in, simply because we fail to challenge the established norms.

Our Muslim communities are rife with assumptions and stereotypes that we hold to be true and attitudes and behaviours that have become the status quo; a status quo that we often fail to challenge. Think about the beliefs we uncritically hold to be true in our communities: certain genders cannot or should not do certain things, mental health issues are the result of a lack of faith, racial hierarchies are built and reinforced according to shade of skin, rape or sexual violence is tied up with honour systems and often leads to blaming the victim, practices or beliefs that are wholly cultural with little basis in Islam are perpetuated, the list goes on and on.

On one hand, there are many things that we take as a given in our Muslim communities and do not question. On the other, everything in our religion tells us to think critically, to evaluate our actions and to question our norms and the status quo if they are not just. Being passive about justice and being passive about seeking to better ourselves is not a part of our tradition.

The status quo and the norms of the Arabian peninsula when Muhammad ibn Abdullah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) became the final Prophet were abysmal. Female infanticide was the norm. The state of women as completely disempowered and having no rights was the norm. Slavery and racism was the norm. Severe tribal warfare was the norm. Norms need not be virtuous or just; they simply require enough time to become a tradition and enough people engaging in the act.

The truth and the religion of Islam were revealed to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and he was told to spread and to act on that truth to reform society. As a historical figure, as a leader, the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) was absolutely revolutionary, both in his challenge of societal norms, his reforms, and his impact on the peninsula. Take the idea of the ummah. One of the most revolutionary things our Prophet accomplished was to establish the idea of the Muslim community, of tying people together in oneness based on an ideology rather than familial or tribal ties. This one concept completely destroyed the entire economic and social structure of the Arabian Peninsula. Just the idea of establishing a community grounded in faith.

Think about the revolutionary reforms our Prophet brought to society, concepts such as women's rights, racial equality, standing for justice even against one's self. Now think about whether these reforms and the restructuring of Arabian society would have occurred had the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and the early Muslims refrained from challenging the norms of the community they lived in. Look back to the stories of the prophets, of Ibrahim and Nuh and Lut and Yusuf; look back to our tradition of challenging the status quo.

The legacy of social justice in the Islamic tradition is a strong one. The beautiful thing about Islam, however, is that this activism is grounded in knowledge and faith. The emphasis placed on critical thinking, reflecting on our actions, seeking beneficial knowledge to deepen our faith and constantly checking our intentions, attitudes and beliefs are pivotal prerequisites to engaging with and positively impacting the communities and the world around us.

Enlightenment then, is awareness of your mechanisms of thinking and behaving, and working to rectify your inherent weaknesses. It is knowing yourself, bettering yourself, and being better able to engage with the world around you on account of that knowledge.  Any change begins at the individual level, and I love that the Islamic focus on reflection and ihsan, bettering the self and seeking excellence in all that we do, seems to corroborate this idea.

Halla Ahmed

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Assalamu Alaikum, fellow TMVers!

The latest issue of The Muslim Voice Magazine is now available! In this issue, we challenge negative stereotypes and shine some light on the voices which foster positive change in our perceptions and practices of being a Muslim.

You can download the magazine by clicking on the link below or you can pick up a hard-copy at the Uoft MSA office or at any one of our prayer spaces and student lounges throughout the campus!

Insha’Allah, please feel free to share the magazine and let us know what you think!

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Tomorrow is 9th Dhul Hijjah, the Day of Arafat!

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that "Fasting on the Day of Arafat expiates for the sins of the previous year and the coming year." (Muslim)

So remember to fast tomorrow! Make Dua, read the Quran, perform Takbeer, thank Allah for this brilliant opportunity, and do as many good deeds as you possibly can!

Insha'Allah, may Allah accept all our efforts!