So Long...

I remember wondering whether the news was always so ‘colourful’ just a few blogs ago. I remember innocently inoculating on the political situations of certain parts of the world. I remember being moved by the unity of of a peoples, whilst simultaneously being horrified by that of another. But a recurring theme here, rather a most prominent theme of life, is change.

There is much writing on the transience of our transitory existence, and I will not dare hold a candle to Yeates, or Twain, or rather any of the great Imams of our time. Rather, I just want you to think about your life as a whole, your entire life. Think about your funeral, and what you would like to be said at your eulogy. Think whether you have accomplished even a fraction of what the person that has just been buried in your mind, has accomplished.

An oppressor is dead. Should I be rejoicing with everyone else? Should I be watching people tear his battered body apart, and find comfort in that? I have previously talked about the people, nay, the heroes in Libya that they call the ‘Rebels’. People younger than me on the streets, fighting for their God given rights to freedom; it is absolutely magnificent. However, have we as a society really gone so low that the sight of monstrous brutality can truly grant a sense of comfort? Well, from the Roman Gladiators to the current day matadors and UFC fighters, has humanity really changed?

Before I start boring my one loyal reader with things far beyond my scope and grasp, I wish to fulfill the purpose of said blog. Insight into the ISoc.

We are in our fourth week. My absence from this blog is an indication in and of itself that quite simply, WE ARE BUSY! Alhamdulilah, we had a wonderfully successful Fresher’s Week. With events ranging from bowling night, to Pictionary, to masjid quizzes, to our fantastic FREE Fresher’s Dinner, we were truly blessed by God. We spent some time over the summer organizing said events, but when university actually started, the wheel started turning in full gear. From manning and organizing our stall in the first few days of Fresher’s Fair, we have come along way as an Executive. Now that we are functioning at our full capacity, and have quickly seeped into our roles, the year has truly started for the Islamic Society.

We recently hosted the Stranger’s Tour! With uber prestigious performers such as Baba Ali, Boona Mohammad and Shaikh Navaid Aziz, the event was a smashing success. We reached a small milestone as an ISoc by contacting book vendors and perfume sellers to come and sell their items to turn the event into a massive bazaar. Moreover, Charity Week is just around the corner, and our CW committee are hard at work. With just a 10 day head start, we are slowly watching Fresher’s turn into mature and developed committee members, much like the metamorphosis from fawn to deer.

I am the President of the Islamic Society. I look at that, and feel like I am bragging. That sentence seems like the epitome of showing off; however, it is true. I am the President of the Islamic Society, and the fact that it seems like I am bragging, is just a small indication of how grateful I should be. Why am I in my position, and not someone far more skilled, knowledgeable, and overall better (and there are MANY that satisfy said criteria)? I am privileged with the absolute honour of being part of a committee that organized weeks dedicated to Charity, or Da’awah, or knowledge, or fun. There are so many instances in our lives when we can look at the positions that we are in and just ponder about how blessed we truly are. All praise be to Allah.

Calamity strikes. Do we really know the definition of calamity though? To come full circle, I mentioned how news items were less ‘colourful’ before yesterday. ‘Economy’s down again….standard…Haven’t heard from BP in a while, oh wait, they’re still making billions? Wait, so Einstein was wrong??? That’s chilling’

Seeing myself fall into this trap was quite eye opening. But we are the future of today, and whether we like it or not, we are ambassadors. Ambassadors of culture, family, faith. I pray that we can spread peace through the love of God and I sincerely wish that such clichés can atleast garner notions, if not actions!

On another note, the SU gave me a card that says ‘President’ on it….how awesome is that?

Joy in a Time of Unrest

In the last year, the ratio of astounding occurrences to everyday matters is one of the highest we've seen in history, definitely the highest in any of our lifetimes. We have seen entire nations unite to stand up for their rights to freedom with success. We still watch the ongoing struggles of peoples who have been oppressed for generations, but they have truly been inspired. Whatever times we are in, one thing is undeniable...we are in a time of great change.


It is impossible to offer any form of social commentary without making mention of the London riots...except that, they no longer have the right to retain that title. Unrest has spread to Birmingham, and even Nottingham, the home of our ISoc. Of all the shocking events in the past year, this seemed to have the most shock value. Citizens of Britain might see a different picture, but to the outside world, it still remains one of the leading world powers. How could so much chaos erupt in one of the most developed and civilised nations on earth?


Well the purpose of this blog is not to answer that question. Debates will ensue over the cause of said riots, and politicians will decide what needs to be done. I reserve judgement on the goverment because I pray with the rest of you that this whole situation is finally contained and confined to non-existence. The purpose of this blog is to shed light on the glimmering rays of hope shown by members of the English community. Throughout this whole fiasco, the heroes  that are praying their tarawih prayers and protecting the shops and banks on the streets, the heroes who are persisting to fight for democracy despite their lives being at risk and the heroes who amidst such situations, still find so much to be grateful and happy about.


This leads us to the heroes of the Islamic Society. In this sacred month, there are a number of people who are working together to ensure that we can provide Iftaars every single day for the large numbers that share in the festivities of this Holy month with us. As a University Society, being able to provide daily meals and host prayers until  late at night is truly an accomplishment, and this is a testament to the generosity of the community, and the truly organised and hard working members.


Meanwhile, the Exec is currently brainstorming in order to make Fresher's Week a truly spectacular event for new students looking to join our wonderful society. There are a number of things we wish to do differently, and our plans might be grander than previous years so inshAllah these efforts do pay off. To think that we are planning for the arrival of enthusiastic, young Fresher's almost  like parents, when we ourselves were in that position not too long ago... It is like a fruit salad of emotion (or perhaps I just can't wait till Iftaar)

We are blessed to be such an active, functional society and the facilities we offer rival many societies in England. InshAllah due to our increasing numbers, we are looking to expand our wudhu area to add to our main masjid. We are lucky enough to have a number of prayer rooms, with wudhu facilities and store rooms where we store food and equipment used throughout the year. The year has not yet started yet the feeling that our ISoc is going to grow, not only in numbers, but in physical size aswell is really quite exciting.


I would like to conclude not by commenting on what the rioters are doing, but rather by expressing my pride towards the way people are handling such a situation. As a British-Pakistani, I can honestly say that I am proud of my nationalities. Both countries suffering from many hardships, but it is about the spirit of the people, and not the minority shown on the news. Keeping up to date with what is going on is as important in these times as it ever was, for you never know when you will be caught up in the mess. My prayers go out to all those who were affected, and all those who are playing a part in quelling this unrest, even if it be by simple prayer!

A Fresh Start

What is democracy?

Is democracy synonymous with freedom? It is quite easy to look at countries trying to enforce democracy and ones in which democracy freely flows, but still look at the undertones and see some harsh similarities, so I suppose it is up to the readers to answer such questions…may God bring what is best for society and politics.

Politics is one beautiful gem of a subject that the real thinkers of this world, the truly knowledgeable people, us teenagers, seem to have many opinions about. After engaging in many informal debates and discussions, you slowly start to realize the circular nature of such practices. It is not essence of the practices in themselves, but more of the people practicing. There are many fruitful discussions to be had at the right time, place and atmosphere but controlling said factors amongst enthusiastic youth, eager to spew our opinions to the world, can be quite difficult. I may speak for others, but I certainly speak for myself when I regretfully think back in hindsight to regular instances when I did not use this logic.

It is much like religion. The fact that people abuse religion should not in any way speak negatively of it. Sheikh Hamza Yusuf describes religion as being like nuclear power. It is clean, efficient and so much good can come of it. However, if not used with great care, it can lead to dangerous toxic waste.

I also wish to point out how horrifying today’s media reports were. It must seem like I am completely anti-media, which is completely false. I do appreciate the hard work that goes into reporting and journalism, and I use the media regularly as a means of keeping up to date with the world. It is however, a means I can keep coming back to for recurring disappointment. I will ignore the main headlines and skip to what should be far more important. Chinese train wreck. Mass murder in Norway.  Al-Qaeda suspected…Al-Qaeda denounced, muslim extremists suspected…denounced, it is actually an anti-muslim conservative; We do apologise. We are ashamed of our disposition of jumping to conclusions. We should be more aware that millions of people rely on our news articles, and we should also be more sensitive when it comes to potentially misinforming the families of such a horrible tragedy. Once again I repeat, we are sorry.

 It is amazing how times keep changing. I wonder if we are in a special time, almost a landmark time. If I were to look at my parent’s generations, religion was something that was passed down to most people, even if it were just the title of being ‘Muslim’ or ‘Christian’ without any of the practices. Not taking any standpoint over here, it is quite different now, when an increasing number of children are going to be born without any sort of religion. Perhaps life will be different, perhaps not much will change whatsoever, but it is definitely a new scenario to that seen before.

These are issues that are far too complex for me to write about, and I will admit to biting off more than I can chew for simply blogging about them, but it is quite interesting. I have heard many anti-religion arguments simply because of the way people use it. Sectarianism and murder in the name of religion is completely a flaw of the people, and how that can be attributed to an ideal in anyway precedes me.  Either way, I do wish to remain impartial and move to lighter hearted topics

The Isoc Executive are officially at work. It is amazing to be a part of a team that is responsible for such large-scale events. We have a number of people working ever so hard behind the scenes to prepare for the holy month of Ramadaan. Alhamdulillah we have already gotten some innovative and unique ideas from our team and inshAllah this Ramadaan may be even more successful and helpful than the last. More facilities like crèches for children are being introduced to encourage brothers and sisters to dine together for Iftaar. It is really a testament of how hard our fellow brothers and sisters are working whilst juggling PhD and Master’s Degrees.

For now, the exec  is directly concentrating their efforts on Fresher’s Week. Fresher’s Week is a chance to really represent ourselves to a new group of students and for this reason; it may possibly be our most important event. Once more, our hopes are to organize some solid events, to create some really fun times where we can all socialize as well as convey what the Islamic Society could potentially do for them, and what they could do for us.

We officially have our first online meeting tomorrow, where we can hopefully finalise the fine details and start being as productive as possible. It is in these next few weeks where we will also discuss plans for the entire year, and how we wish to improve upon our very talented predecessors. It is truly incredible how people from different parts of the globe can come together for the same purpose, and sacrifice their free time for the sake of benefitting others. I pray that this mentality grows stronger and may these people all be blessed by Allah swt. I also pray that this serves as encouragement to people that whilst relaxing is a nice part of the summer vacation, the truly rewarding work is that done with the best and purest of intention.

The Campers Guide...

Much has changed

It has been over a month since my last post, close to two months, and much has changed. The news has become less colourful, perhaps the media has grown bored of the ongoing struggles. Our responsibilities as an Isoc Executive have changed, as the new academic year slowly approaches, and we are starting to fill the shoes of our predecessors and hopefully even exceed these expectations. I feel I have matured, or gotten a slightly better outlook on life and I will relate this directly to the increase in time I have allocated to reading more books. Ah, the joys of holidays! But I have talked about this once before, and it is certainly true; vacations can be a truly hard time!

As the caffeinated, sleepless nights of exam preparation have slowly come to an end, I have found myself getting busier and busier. This is the way I function best, and I do not envy those with more free time than they know what to do with. But much of my post-examination time was consumed with preparing for Camp. A major problem that we had been facing was the lack of enthusiasm by males to attend this camp. We had reserved 35 places for Brothers, but the 13 who had already signed up slowly dwindled to 11. Since males were camping outside, and females in dormitories, the high costs of the indoor accomadation were being matched  by the high number of males camping outside, but since we could not garner enough males, the costs were steadily increading. In circumstances like this, it really is a domino effect where one person influences another influences another until all the places are filled up...unfortunately, due to circumstances, we never quite reached that domino effect. So there was some behind-the-scenes drama, but we left our fates in the hands of Allah, and alhamdulillah, everything did work out as it always does.

We decided that with 11 brothers, and 17 sisters, even if the Isoc would have to largely subsidise the camp at its own expense, the experience and education that we would gain from such a trip would be priceless. So in the hopes that we would make up any money that we had lost, we went through with the camp with high expecations...and deliver it did! From the very first day when we were introduced to our luxury childrens playground with all sporting equipment at our disposal, we knew that this trip would certainly be action-packed.

Just as we were heading out for our preliminary hike with nothing but a compass, a map and a mini-GPS to start the trip, our ASDA truck came to deliver us 3 days worth of supplies. Yes, perhaps we were slightly spoilt as campers, but it is nice to enjoy the luxuries of life out in the wild aswell! Returning from our perilous journey comparable to that of Mordor, the brothers set up their two massive tents. This was no easy feat, but I do wish that everyone does share in this experience at one time or another, for it is truly remarkable. The teamwork, the discussions....the constant wondering whether what you are doing is even remotely correct!

The next two days were filled with wonderful outdoor activities such as wall-climbing, and archery, and in our free time,  we managed to organise full two team cricket matches. It is a truly beautiful site, watching Pakistanis, Indians, Egyptians, Saudis and more Arab-African ethnicities, locked in a fierce albeit friendly battle of sportsmanship. The nights were treacherously cold, especially out in the tents, but we did manage to have some fantastic camp fires and it was at these times that we would have productive discussions. Some of the more knowledgeable people would give short talks and the rest would chime in and it really was a wonderful, education experience. On our final day, despite the constant on/off  teases of English rain, we managed to host a successful barbeque to end our camp, and though we had to rush, it was on an absolutely tasteful note. I would also like to mention that I find 'no pun intended' a very distasteful phrase, so I shall refrain.

I did try very briefly summarising the time we had, but this is near impossible to do, particularly by writing. The best moments of camp were certainly  the 'you had to be there' moments, where certain people earn nicknames, or others will say one-liners that you will remember for years to come and laugh about. My single, favourite moment at camp, was after the cricket match. I played a game of Giant-Connect 4 with one of my friends, and then sat down as his next opponent went to play him. I then looked around me and what I saw was magnificent. A day ago, I was in a bus with some brothers who were close, others who had never said a word to each other all year. Now, I was sitting down, watching two people absolutely immersed in a game of one-on-one basketball; I was observing two brothers who did not initially know each other enthralled by a game of Swingball and having the time of their lives; I saw bowlers, practicing like clockwork to a batsmen; and I realised that we had truly strengthened the ties of brotherhood and sisterhood already for years to come. This is what ISOC Camp 2011 is all about!

I also realised something. Whilst at camp, I did not feel like I had empty time. This is the time I refer to when you have just finished your work, and you do not know what to do, and there are a thousand productive things that you can do, but you choose to possibly go on Youtube and check if a new video is out, or to waste some time on Facebook, even though it is something that you would almost never check regularly. Keeping good company is important. It is so important. Your friends can change the person you are, whether conciously or subconciously, and when in good company, you can really feel it. It is quite a new experience for me to be in company that I can pray with, rather than have to take a leave from to go and pray and this is something I can never take for granted.

There are many issues I wish to speak about, but I do need to keep reminding myself that this is not a personal blog, and I do need to keep reminding myself that I am not a fan of blogs (even though these get longer and longer). I will just stick to one point for now, and this is the issue of discussion. I bring this up because it is something that was prevalent in camp, and it can be fruitful and beautiful, but it can be detrimental if you do not know when the right time is to conclude.

I was having a discussion with one of my close friends, and the topic of Big Bang and Evolution came into play. I do not have enough knowledge about either subject to give any sort of opinion on either topics, but there came a time when the talk was turning into a debate. The wise thing for me to do would have been to end the discussion, claiming that God knows best, and possibly refer him to an Islamic Scholar. Even though I did eventually do this, I feel that in my lack of knowledge and in his inability to understand my points, the friendly debate was taken too far, and it reached the point where it kept going in circles. People have different views. People have different opinions. It is healthy to share your views and opinions with different people, but when such discussions obviously become fruitless, it is advised, nay it is instructed, to acknowledge your forthcomings and to halt.

As teenagers, we feel that we own the world of politics, religion and any serious world issues and that we are the only ones who truly understand all these properly. The truth is, teenagers are arrogant. It is important to see that sometimes the best answer to a question is 'I don't know' and that it is more beneficial to point someone in the right direction, than to make an opinionated guess that could possibly misguide them or misrepresent what you stand for. This ofcourse brings me to the most recurring theme of this blog, which is SEEK KNOWLEDGE!

Lots of us are lucky enough to be blessed with free time. This is a blessing that we do not get everyday, certainly not during the year, and to waste such a thing is of the biggest shame. Read books, get informed and do something productive! You can look at a really busy week in your life and think of how much you accomplished each day, and then you can look at days where you will wake up and literally do nothing. Imagine reaching our full potential. I do pray to God that we may all strive to reach this potential, and that we come back from summer as more cultured, mature, and intelligent versions of ourselves.

Diaries of an Isoc President: Third time's the charm...

Diaries of an Isoc President: Third time's the charm...: "I had forgotten how hard it can be, going home. The reciprocation of your parents' love, the bitter sweet but mostly sweet feeling of being..."

Third time's the charm...

I had forgotten how hard it can be, going home. The reciprocation of your parents' love, the bitter sweet but mostly sweet feeling of being pampered and not lifting a finger to help, the ties of brotherhood formed in university strengthened by the sight of your blood brothers and sisters, the old friends who you could never imagine replacing...people change.

It is inevitable. Your friends will range from having minor differences to flipping 180 degrees in your eyes, as will you to them. Your parents will be ecstatically proud of changes you have made, and perhaps blatantly hesitant about others, hopefully with your best interests at heart. I am sure my ever decreasing devoted audience is aware of what I am trying to say, but I will indulge you with what some might call an anecdote.
I came to university and found it hard. I loved it, but it was hard. I was not used to washing my dishes, I was absolutely astonished as to how a washing machine is actually operated, I was proud of myself each time I cleaned, only to be annoyed at the exponentially increasing dust particles that gather in every square micrometer of space, I was amazed that food does not actually cook itself, as I was previously misconceived to think, and I was pleasantly surprised and eventually horrified at my new found independance.

I quickly learned that religion was the answer to all problems. I quickly learned that these problems were beyond miniscule. I quickly learned how easy life is at university ; if you let it be. When you join the Islamic Society, it is the easiest thing in the world to be a muslim. Surrounded by muslims, it is more of a chore not to pray than to pray. It is harder to be a bad example for people than a good one. It is genuinely harder not to practice your religion, or atleast the wonderful morals we all have embedded in our souls, than to do so. You just need the right guidance. Here I will bring back a recurring theme from all of these blogs : Seek knowledge. Find answers.

- But I don't believe in God
. Really, which part of the bible didn't you like?
- ...Haven't read it. But it can't make sense
. Right, so is your logic from the Psalms, the Torah or the Quran then?
- ....nope....but religion constricts.
. I feel more liberated than I've ever felt in my life
- You're wrong
. That's a great argument, brother!

Our true tests lie in times when it is harder to follow our Deen. Being amongst a society of friends who are not used to seeing you a certain way, who think you have suddenly become 'boring' or feel that you should 'live your life and just have fun'. These 'open-minded' arguments that aren't even open enough to accept you. It is your job to explain this to people. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and if someone does not understand it, take your time and explain it. Da'awah is an obligation on muslims. I blame the media all the time. But when someone calls me a terrorist, I should blame myself, and my community. Because we are not strong enough to tell people what our religion really stands for. Seek knowledge and educate people. It is not a shameful thing not to drink, it is a moral  belief to be proud of.

Now, since I am not officially president yet, and as mentioned before, our task to focus on is mainly the camping trip, I can elaborate on one more relevant and important point. First off, the camping trip is going smoothly Alhamdulillah. Communication is slightly slow since everyone is preoccupied, but we are currently choosing activities to have, and a recent update shows that we might just have secured an Imam who will be able to give us some educational talks and interactive, inspirational halaqas during the trip.  Everything is currently in the process of being done, or finalised...to be completely honest, there is absolutely no reason for me to be writing a blog...but I feel like testing the tolerance of my rapidly growing loyal fan base. So this next part is for the both of you

Jihaad...
- Did he say what I think he did? Someone call the CIA....NOW!

Sister Sarah Joseph wonderfully says that converts are no better than born muslims. We all make a choice everyday. We choose to follow our religion, we choose to be morally correct, we choose good rather than bad. In spite of struggles that we face, we make this choice everyday. And this is Jihaad. It literally means 'striving in the way of Allah'. This could be absolutely anything. Praying everyday in a society where it is considered bizarre, refraining from stealing where temptation is high, giving a fraction of our hard earned money to charity...this is all Jihaad. In a battle against muslims, where muslims are FIRST provoked, AND given that no innocents die, AND given that the second the enemy asks for peace, we grant that for them, along with asylum, then that is Jihaad in the context of war. I know that anyone reading this, be them Christian, Jew or Hindu, has committed Jihaad at some point, and quite possibly does so on a daily basis. Seeking knowledge is Jihaad of the soul. Seek knowledge!

I will next post when there are more updates about the Isoc. This is not just a platform for my personal thoughts, because the last thing I would ever call myself is the atrocious term 'blogger'. This is strictly business. So even though I am possibly the only person reading these, these blogs will soon become very much oriented with the society. Also, I pray that what I wrote is in accordance with Islam. Whatever is true comes from Allah, and all errors come from me, and I sincerely hope that none of us spreads misinformation and misguides rather than guides. To end on a slightly less bitter note, I have been indulging in Lebanese food and for those who have never tried hummus with some steaming hot mishaawi (mixed grill), get on it!

Part Deux

The world is strange. Has it always been strange? From the beginnings of 'modern' society until now, if we had newspapers for every single day, would they read the same types of things they read nowadays? Perhaps this is simply the first time in my life that I am keeping up with current affairs.

The horrendous situation in Libya, the unannounced repercussions of the Jasmine revolution,  the atrocities that inflicted Japan and that remain  inflicting her, the literally unbelievable events that have been unfolding for the last few months in Cote D'Ivoire....it is very strange. I came home some days ago to find that my father likes occassionally listening to 'Eminem'....strange

Before I get to the point of this blog, I have one 'riveting' personal anecdote to share, and for my ever loyal fanbase of three people, bear with me. For patience is key. No, I am not one to quote cliche expressions all the time, since 'You only live once' is one of the most hideous monstrosities of a sentence i have ever heard, mainly due to its justifications. But looking at the Seerah and the Sunnah, the morals you can obtain can absolutely change your life. "Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.'' - Quran (39:10) . Now, to the anecdote :-

There was a time some years ago, possibly around 2009, when Pakistan was in the worst position that it had been in, in quite some time. There was news of bombings every other day, death tolls in double and sometimes even triple digits became quite common and the Economist officially proclaimed Pakistan as the 'World's most dangerous place'. A friend of mine actually told me that she feels Pakistan is the worst place in the world to be at that moment. I visited Pakistan during that time, and I was quite shocked as to what I saw... It.... looked good. The infrastructure of Rawalpindi was far more developed, with roads that were under construction having been completed and slightly less congestion. There were some additional security barricades put in place around the city, but to be completely honest, what I saw impressed me. And when I talked to the people over there, there seemed to be a stronger sense of unity. People were upset about the bombings. People were upset about the deaths. But I feel that the portayal of the country I got in the media would have upset them far more, had they been exposed to Pakistan through the sweet seductive glare of the media's window.

Now that is not to say that nothing was wrong, or that things were great. I can't just go into the middle of a nice city and claim that things are perfect. We went through hard times. Very hard times. But my point is that, people are not interested in neautrality, prosperity or happiness. 'Pakistanis are living their normal lives' or 'Atrocities have inflicted Japan, but most of the country remains hopeful' are not exactly headlines that sell thousands of papers. Perhaps the trend of revolution should spread to certain industries...

Now, to the point of this already too long blog. Our first task as the new Isoc exec : PLAN THE ISOC CAMPING TRIP. Thus far, it seems far less challenging than it sounds, but that might be because, thus far, I have not done any work....in a sense. We are blessed enough to have an old exec that has booked the accomadation for two nights, and for anyone wondering how much it costs to take 55 people camping...it costs ALOT.

So my job,with the ever significant aid of my trusty team, is to get us accomadation to and from, choose activities to do, sort out food and equipment for roughly 9 meals, get speakers to make sure the trip is educational aswell and advertise this all....making sure that this all lies within budget all the while. We have created a Facebook group and a Google document in the hopes of making communication smooth and efficient, but we have had to resort to using emails thus far for one reason or another. I have big opinions on emails, but due to the length of this blog, I will refrain myself.

So the ball is definitely rolling. The main thing I have done is send out a super long, super boring email delegating each task to certain members. My main task from now is working with the treasurer on the budget, working with the Ambassador on the speakers, and the rest of the trip will be due to the sweat and tears of our wonderful exec team . I simply need to offer a lazy stamp of approval...ah, the life of an Isoc President seems quite chilling.

Now this is our main concern for the next two months, however, in a month long break where people have been waiting to see their families and need to balance studying for mega tonnes of exams, the amount of work everyone is doing is quite strenuous, and I feel my worthy team deserves a nice big BRAVA! So BRAVA!

One last thing I feel the need to note. I explained the purpose of this blog in my previous entry, and though this is a public blog, it is made through the eyes of the Islamic Society. However, it is open to all, and all are welcome. I cannot dare to represent Islam, but inshallah I pray that my opinions and writings are as consistent with our religion as possible, and hopefully, we can also share an insight into our lives for the people outside the religion or society. It would be nice if visitors outside our wonderful house viewed us from the shiny, glimmering window of the Islamic Society, rather than the afore-mentioned window of the wonderful media

Pilot

I have just been elected as President of the Islamic Society, elected over a vast group of vicious competitors, yet I have prevailed over this competition of zero quite swiftly.

 It is ofcourse an honour, a much bigger honour than I can convey through text - another of the many reasons why I detest blogs. I would like to have it said on record that I hate blogs...detest them....loathe them. I feel about blogs the same way I feel about Facebook, or Twitter, or the horrid scum that calls itself 'Maths Society'. So let it be known, this is not a blog. This is the antithesis of a blog. This is the antiblog

To be completely fair, I am not a fan of Facebook and Twitter due to the way 99 percent of its users misuse the network. This is arguably to no fault of theirs, but just another prejudice that I have developed and that I feel quite ridiculous about having in the first place. But I guess that is what really thinking about something does for you. It makes you see that any judgements or pre conceived notions you tend to have about topics or even people, are usually products of your own ideologies, which is not necessarily the ideology you should be following, or even the ideology you WANT to be following

I could rant for hours about what I think is wrong about the way humanity thinks and come up with lists on how we can improve ourselves (and in future blogs, I probably will) but I would only be doing what I do best....procrastinating

So why are we here? No, not in the philosophical sense. I mean why am I writing this at all? If you are looking for a comprehensive answer to that question, you're in the wrong place. This was an idea that our 'beloved' future Ex-Officio mentioned to me, and that I quite agree with. The idea is to write about this role, and how it is going to affect the Isoc. The different challenges that the fresh new exec might face, the obstacles that we will inshallah overcome to improve this glorious society,  possibly the sacrifices that we will make in the name of Allah (swt) and how every single member of this society is going to ultimately contribute to form the community, nay, the brotherhood that we have . This is all likely to be sprinkled with dashes of my personality and opinions, perhaps way too many for people's liking, and I will apologise for that...but if you don't want my opinions, don't read my blog...so I'm taking my apology back

I have much to learn. We all do. This applies to everything in life. In the early 1700's, scientists reached a place where they thought they had literally unlocked all of the secrets of the universe...that is until some dude called Newton came and blew everyone out of the water with this weird principle he called 'Gravity'. In the same way, if we think that any of us has sufficient knowledge, then we are simply too arrogant, and that is a part of human nature. I wish to learn as much as I can about Islam, about the way I should be living my life, about how I should be treating others. It brings us back to arrogance when we say things like 'Sheikh Yaqoubi is too strict, obviously the Quran doesn't mean that!' or 'Why is going clubbing wrong if I'm never going to drink?'. Rather than thinking that our vast ocean of knowledge (comprising of having read a book called 'Islam for Dummies') can compare to people who have spent their entire life times analysing every detail of the Quran, Hadith and how its history applies, we should find out why. Find out the reason why so-and-so scholar has taken this opinion and what his backing is. Until we understand why we are doing something, or living a certain way, we won't be able to truly live and breathe our Deen, the way we should be doing. Because Islam is not a chore. All religions are there to liberate rather than constrict

I will genuinely apologise if I sound preachy or like I think I know everything. Our future Ex-Officio will be more than happy to tell you that I really do not know anything at all. But I want to learn. And I want to be a good president. Not because I think I can 'rule' the Islamic Society. But because I feel that being even the smallest part of something that can bring us closer to Allah, is the best thing I could possibly do at university. I love the Islamic Society, and I hope that we can give back even a fraction of what it has given to us.

This is Inshallah the first blog of many. I am getting ahead of myself, for I am not officially President until next year, but I wish to share my experience, and inshallah it can give a bit of insight into what we will be doing next year, and maybe even encourage the next group of enthusiastic individuals to run for president, and not leave just one person in the nominations so that there is no choice but to vote for him.