Liberal Arts Forum

Salam Alaikum:

I have been involved with different MSAs in the tri-state area and I have talked about many topics that I thought were crucial topics. But today I wanted to hear it from others about the Challenges You Daily Face as a Muslim Student! What is your biggest concern? your biggest fear? your biggest, ugliest, meanest, dirtiest challenge on campus?

I will give you a few items to start with the list:
(random stuff)

-gender relations
-tawhid/shirk
-partying

-making salah
-zikr
-non-Muslim environment

-how to protect one’s iman
-good friends

-halal food
-Lota (or absence of one)
-Wudu basins (random thought!)

By Faraz Khan, former Muslim chaplain at Rutgers University.

Character Education Program (CEP)

Bismillah,
Lets become people of character – people of sunnah. As we study the Sirah, we should try our best to emulate the Prophet(s). He is our role model. For this reason, one must pay attention to the practice of this deen.
CEP is an educational program with a goal to learn the sunnah of the Prophet (s). If you haven’t listened to the audio sessions (see below) yet, I would highly recommend that you take a break from your busy schedule and find out for yourself what it’s all about.

“In the Messenger of God is a Beautiful Model for the one who hopes to meet with God, the Last Day, and remembers God much”. The Prophet (s) is a role model. A walking Qur’an – a guide. Success in this world and in the hereafter is marked by his footsteps. Character Education Program is a modest endeavor to imitate this Beautiful Model. I highly encourage all students and alumni to make it their goal to become People of God.

DAILY PRACTICE: *Daily dhikr:
SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi * SubhanAllahi al-Azeem 100x
istagh-firullah 100x
Bismillah before you do anything
salutation on the Prophet (s) 10x in the morning and evening.

**Weekly PRACTICE:
Guard your tongue.
Beware of foul language: Do not practice, listen, or promote it.
Beware of wasting time on the internet – no excuses.
Beware of Bad companions

***Feb. Monthly Theme:
Honoring our Parents: This weekend bring a gift home for your parents. saying salam and showing our affection for them.
March Monthly theme is Community: Be the first one in giving salams, meet people with a smile, and welcome them.
April Monthly theme is friendship: You are on the religion (way) of your friends. So be careful as to who you take as your friends.
Listen to audio file …

First Session: Our Way Forward
Second Session: Benefits of becoming a Good Person

Third Session: Remembering God
Fourth Session: Emulating the Prophet (s)

The emptiness inside didn’t vanish with my plight
’till I gave it all away

to You my Lord,
I gave this heart away

from the Khutba at Princeton University on 10/19/07
Studying for Midterm Exams (((audio))) 16 min.

A List of “What not to do before your Exam”

1. Invite friends over.
2. Go bowling.
3. Frequently check your emails, text messages, facebook, cell phone.
4. Cook a new exquisite dish that you have never tried before – try baking for a change.
5. Watch Google Videos/YouTube just for few minutes.

6. Recite the Quran and forget about your calculus test.
7. Cram everything, wait until the last day to study. C’mon, you still got 24 more hours to go!
8. Do not plan for meals. Take your time with food.
9. Study in your kitchen, public square or any other place where you could easily be distracted.
10. Moan and groan about your test to others and make sure not to touch your notes/books.

written on May 10, 2007 as a chaplain at RU.

A New Beginning…

It is good to be done with exams. A group of students will now exit and another group will enter. Those that are graduating probably have plenty of advice for the new students. “Focus on your studies”. “Education is your full-time job”. “Don’t party too much”. “Watch out for lunatics on campus”. Very sound and reasonable advice. How about the incoming students? What are they thinking about? “Let’s have the best time of our lives”. “Socialize and party!” “Let’s get away from home!” “Study… what?”.

The ones graduating understand the worth of time and hard work. It is because they have gone through the process, this crucible called higher education, that they know the things one must do and sacrifice to finally pass.

Similar to the above mentioned two groups, there are people who are entering and exiting this world. They also are either taking their test or are done with it. Those who have left this world know the worth of time and hard work. They surely understand the worth of having iman, salah, avoiding sins, doing good action, and following Allah & His messenger. They are done with their test and are waiting for their results to be given to them. They know the consequence of pass or fail.

This generation of ours, however, seems to be focusing on partying, enjoying life, and having the freedom to do whatever we want. We’re just looking for the good times to continue, and are focused on everything except the exam: We are literally sitting in the test room partying. We have seen and heard about the generations before us but we do nothing to heed their honest advice.

The Prophet (s) said: A wise person is someone who takes himself to an account and works for that which will come after death and a foolish person is someone who follows his desires and then hopes for a good end.

My advice to you: be wise and focus on your test. May Allah be with you.

1. Rab-bish rah li sadri
wa yus-sir li amri
wahlul ‘uqdatam milisani
yafqahu qoli

My Lord expand for me my breast
and make my work easy for me
and loosen the knot from my tongue
so they may understand my speech

2. Rab-bi zidni ‘ilma

My Lord, increase me in knowledge

3. Allahuma faqihni fiddin
O Allah, grant me the understanding of this religion.

4. Allahum inni asaluka ‘ilman nafia’
wa ‘amalan mutaqabila
wa rizkan tayyiba

O Allah, I ask you for beneficial knowledge, acceptable deeds,
and pure and acceptable provision

5. Allahuman fa’ana bima ‘alamtana wa ‘alimna ma yanfa’una wa zidna ‘ilma

O Allah, benefit us by that which you have taught us, and teach us that which will benefit us, and increase us in knowledge.

6. Allahuma inni a’ozobika min ‘ilmin la yanfa’
wa min qalbin la yakhsha’
wa min nafsin la tashba’
wa min da’watin la yustajabo laha
(Muslim)

O Allah, I seek your protection from knowledge that does not benefit
and from the heart that doesn’t humble itself
and from a soul that is not satiated
and from an invocation (dua’) that is not answered by you.

In conclusion, say bismillah, make dua, study hard, and take the test with a smile
faraz

written on April 7, 2007 working as a chaplain at RU.

Bismillah,

Recent conversation with students about studying for finals brought tears to my eyes …lol. I guess somethings never change. I love the students at RU – mashAllah, they do everything in style. I will share with you what it’s like to be a chaplain when the finals are moving in.

(((scene: upon seeing a brother holding the book upside down)))

Faraz: Wait, are you really serious?
Brother X: (looking up in space) ummm! not really but I have come to a conclusion… there is no way out (sob!).

Faraz: mashAllah! better late than sorry… I’m glad you decided to open your books.
Brother X: (shaking his head) yes, I have been very negligent about my studies. I should have given more time for serious matter. friends, parties, facebook (voice is cracking)…they can’t help. From here on, it’s just me and my books. I have to change.

Faraz: So…what are you waiting for? how can i help?
Brother X: aaah… studying is really not my deal so…I came to ask for …ahh… that miraculous dua’ that makes you memorize everything in your sleep…

Well! I wanted to say ‘good luck’ buddy but I thought about that ‘miraculous dua’ that helps you remember everything I thought about it and decided to put it all together (just for people I care i.e. the Muslim students at Rutgers. Here are the miraculous dua’ from Qur’an & Sunnah:

‘THE MIRACULOUS DUA’ for studying finals

“A brother in need is a brother indeed” please forward it to your friends.