Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Ta’Alah Wa Barakatuhu.

So there’s this thing. It’s something completely phenomenal and amazing. Once you get it

there’s no turning back. Most people try to use this thing for good, but others don’t quite see it that

way. Then there are the people in the middle. The people like me. See, I love doing anything that’s

good. I want to perform actions that only benefit this world. I want to be someone with a pure heart,

someone who always knows right from wrong. This is why I am Muslim. Because there is no other way

for me to live my life when I want these things. There is no other way for me to live my life that is right.

Islam is so pure and honest. It is the only thing that keeps me sane. It is the only thing that keeps me

complete. It makes me feel like I am someone.

Sometimes it’s very hard to feel that way. When you’re out and about it’s easier to act like

someone that you’re not. At home you’re one person. With your friends you’re another. In classes

you’re another. Do you call this a multi-personality disorder? I call it being human. We let ourselves

get stretched in tons of directions because...why? We all have bits and pieces in us that come from

different places but what is the outcome? In my case it is someone who is cut in half, someone who

wants to be one person but is another. I want to be so good, but I’m stuck on average. I don’t do as

much as I should, yet I do too much of what I shouldn’t.

I’ll let you in on something. This isn’t just how I feel. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself

agreeing with what you’re reading. I hope no one agrees, but let’s be serious. This is what’s wrong with

today’s youth. Heck, this is what’s wrong with today’s human population. We have the bodies and the

minds to do incredible things ad we just don’t. What some people would give to have what we have. It

brings tears to my eyes. And it has to stop.

My friends, it shouldn’t be this difficult. My brothers and sisters, we shouldn’t be so confused.

There’s good and bad in us all. It’s the one we act on that sets us apart from everyone and everything

bad and evil. If you can recognize those words from Sirius Black then you are a marvelous person.

Yes, I am a nerd. But it is completely true. It’s perfectly said here. “There is nothing heavier in the

scales than good character.” I won’t tell you who said that one. You need to figure it out for yourself

and then maybe you will find yourself going in the right direction. Now Ramadhan has passed but that

shouldn’t stop us from continuing the good patterns that we started. How many of you have begun

listening to music again, hmm?

Well…that thing that I was talking about before…that thing that is what makes us do all these

things. It’s something that can be so hard and frustrating to understand, and it is the very thing that we

are all so grateful for. We hate it sometimes, but we love it always. Will you use it for bad or for good?

Well it begins with which you want. You say you want to be good but lack motivation? Well what are

the good things you want to do? Now how do we actually make ourselves physically do these things,

especially if they’re on a daily basis? Here’s how. The secret formula. Tear your eyes away from those

hilarious but useless memes and take off your earphones for a second. Yeah we get it. The lazy

college senior is lazy and the college freshman is naïve about college life. Okay already.

Well look at that. You’ve just realized that without doing useless stuff, you’ve opened up the

next three hours of your day! Didn’t you notice it’s time to pray Asr? Whether you’re at school, at work,

or at home, remember the world is your masjid. You look on the calendar and what do you know.

Project downtown is tomorrow! Whaaat?! Yeah. It’s that easy. We just make it hard. You don’t have to

be one of those in-between people. We can all be 100% good because we actually try and don’t sit

around and let life pass us by. Then we’ve all graduated from UIC and keep saying how quickly the

time has passed and regret not doing more. Don’t let this happen to you! It doesn’t have to be this way

at all. By the way that “thing”? It’s called life.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to submit this piece to AlBayyan and if you’re reading this in

the newsletter then that means that they agree with me too. Now I will make wudu and I will pray.

Before I go though, I want to welcome all new students to the UIC MSA. This won’t be the last that you

hear from me, inshAllah. I’ll be here, in the AlBayyan newsletter, during MSA Assassins (aww yeahh),

during midterms, during Fast-A-Thon, during finals, and next semester. I’ll be watching over all of you

like a hawk. Okay, that’s creepy. But seriously, I will challenge myself to be a better Muslim, and KEEP

it that way. I hope you join me. Let’s call this “The Great Quest”. We’re in for a wonderful year.

Ma’assalama.

-Anonymous

“Be content with what Allah has given you, and

you will be among the richest of people.”