UKY MSA APRIL 2024 Newsletter

In this edition: Ramadan Iftars, Qiyam Al- Layl, Fast-a-Thon, and more!

Introduction

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

AsSalaamu alaykum MSA Family! We are back with the April edition of our newsletter.

SubhanAllah, the end of this year is rapidly approaching and it has truly been a blessing to have been able to be a part of it! This time also marks the end of our terms on the board and the beginning of a new era of passionate leaders ready to better the MSA for the sake of Allah SWT!

We held our elections for the 2024- 25 MSA board this past week and are very excited to announce the results! Without further ado, we present to you THE FUTURE BOARD🥁🎉

President: Nedall Suleiman
Vice President: Amel Kredan
Secretary: Adam Agoub
Treasurer: Sudeys Saman
Public Relations: Lara Hasouneh
Halaqah Chair: Amr Kutkut
Social Chair: Sara Abdellatif
Campus Outreach Chair: Zaina Durrani
Community Service Chair: Arsh Ansari

(Arsh not pictured 😓)

We are delighted to welcome the newly elected board members who will help steer our organization towards a bright future. Stay tuned for the next edition of our newsletter to meet the new board!

Congratulations again to all who ran, your commitment to our community is truly commendable. May Allah SWT bless the events, initiatives, and great memories to come :)

You’re not getting rid of us yet though😆

Thank you for reading the April 2024 Newsletter! Read along for important announcements, a recap of March, and a lookahead for April.✨✨

Community Service

As-Salamu Alaykum! Here are some events you can get involved in this month:

Service in Ramadan

As Ramadan draws to a close, we've entered the sacred last ten days – a time of intense spirituality and reflection. It is important to make every moment count.
In these final days, our actions carry even more weight. Engaging in acts of service and charity becomes paramount as we seek to maximize our good deeds and blessings.
Whether it's volunteering at a local charity, donating to a food drive, or simply offering a smile and kind words to those around us, every act of service counts so be sure to make the most of it :).

SHARE Lunch

March
- In the month of March, we were able to distribute over 120 lunches distributed, Alhamdulillah! Thank you to all those who contributed and volunteered.
April
- Mark your calendars! SHARE Lunch for April will be held on Saturday, April 6th, and April 20th. We look forward to your continued support and participation.

Ramadan Art Showcase

I'm thrilled to share the success of our Ramadan Art Showcase! We had so many talented artists contribute their art, Alhamdulilah.
Be sure to head over to the William T. Young Library to see the display! It will be up until Eid, InshAllah

Campus Outreach

Reaching out to the campus!

Aslamu Alaikum!!

This week we will be hosting a fast-a-thon on April 5th!! We will be inviting the greater campus community to partake in a day of fasting alongside us for Ramadan. InshAllah, this event serves as a great form of dawah to our non-Muslim peers. We will be tabling outside Whitehall throughout the week to educate people about Ramadan and the significance of fasting, while also encouraging them to fast with us.

InshaAllah, we will all break our fasts together at the MSA X SAB Iftar held that same day. The iftar will take place in the Gatton Student Center Ballroom BC (doors open 7:30pm). Please come out and invite all your friends!

Other upcoming events

Check out BBNvolved to see all the other events being hosted on campus!

https://uky.campuslabs.com/engage/events

Halaqa

Ramadan Mubarak! Here is a recap of some events

Marriage Halaqah

On March 6th Hoda Shalash and Mahmoud Arab gave a beautiful halaqa on Marriage! We started off the event with having our general body meeting for the month and then we started the halaqa collectively. In the last section of the event, we gender-separated to continue the halaqa and have further discussions. May Allah SWT reward Hoda and Mahmoud for taking time out of their day to come speak with us, Ameen!

Qiyam Al Layl

Alhamdillah, we had our MSA Qiyam Al-Layl this past weekend and it was truly a beneficial night! We all were able to do our own ibadah, listen to Br. Javid Siddiqi as he gave a halaqa on what to do these last 10 blessed nights of Ramadan, pray tahajjud together, enjoy suhoor, and conclude with Fajr! If you missed out on the halaqa, Meryum Siddiqi sent an outline of it in the MSA Chat! JazakAllah Khair to everyone who showed up and helped out with making suhoor! May Allah SWT accept all our efforts, Ameen!

Here’s what to look forward to!

Dr. Palmer Hadith Class

Hadith Classes will continue in Whitehall THIS THURSDAY, April 4th InshAllah
The LAST class will be held on April 18th!!
May Allah reward Dr. Palmer for his efforts Ameen!
- If there are any changes, we will inform you in the MSA Reminders groupchat!

Jummah Salah/ Friday Prayer

Jummah Salah happens every Friday at the MLK Center at 2 PM! If you are interested in giving a Khutbah, please reach out! If you would like to write a khutbah for a Khatib to deliver, reach out and that can be arranged as well, using this form!
We are looking for khatibs for the rest of this semester so please reach out!

Social

AsSalaamu Alaykum everyone!

MSA Iftar

Our big social event for March was our annual MSA IFTAR!!! We gathered at Wethington and enjoyed some delicious food that may or may not have been made by the board’s mothers. Alhamdulilah we were able to break our fasts together and may Allah bless the people who prepared the food. More than anything, it was so nice to gather as a community during this blessed month. ALSO we announced our board for next year! May Allah grant them great success in their endeavors next year, ameen.

Looking Ahead

Eid Al- Fitr!

EID!! As we all know, Eid Al-Fitr is quickly approaching and we are working on doing something fun for you all, so stay tuned inshaAllah!

End of Year Banquet

As the school year comes to an end, it’s time to wrap it all up with our annual End of Year Banquet. We will let you all know the date and location very soon inshaAllah. For now, start thinking about what you want to bring because this event is a POTLUCK!! Of course, it’s not required to bring a dish, but highly encouraged so that we can be assured that there is plenty of food for everyone.

Public Relations

اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎

Another month down, subhanAllah. Almost to the finish line! May Allah swt give you all strength to power through the last month of school, Allahuma ameen. And for my fellow graduates, we’re almost there subhanAllah. Here are a few photos from March events and a full gallery of our Annual MSA Iftar :)

As Jenna announced, we are also prepared for our annual End of Year Banquet!! Which means if you have any pictures of you and your MSA friends that you would like included in this year’s slideshow, please send them my way :)

Treasurer

AsSalaamu alaykum everyone!

Ramadan

!!! As of today, April 1st, we are currently in the last ten nights of Ramadan. I want to send a reminder to donate what you can to wherever you can. A little that is donated sincerely for the sake of Allah SWT can be the goodness that changes your life in this world and the hereafter for the best, especially since we have the potential of reaping the reward of Laylatul-Qadr, or the Night of Power. We have many brothers and sisters around the world who this Ramadan will be struggling to find ample food and resources, so please keep them in your prayers and try supporting them by donating.

Fundraisers

Below are some donation links for Palestine. Please consider donating as it is a responsibility on each of us to use what Allah SWT has given us to help others.

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/palestineemergency/account/1627458

This is a link to our Islamic Relief USA fundraiser

https://shorturl.at/gKQ09

This is a link to Baitulmaal, which is a credible place to send donations.

We also have a linktree in our Instagram bio (@ukymsa) that has some resources to donate to.

New ways to donate!

We also have added a new way to send payments electronically through CashApp, our tag is $ukymsa.
Alhamdulillah, we have just created a Launchgood page. This campaign is where payments to UKYMSA can be made, as well as, donations sent in support of relief efforts for the ummah. The Launchgood can be used as an alternative payment route to Venmo or paying cash. To access our page, use the following link, or check it out on our website! LaunchGood.com/ukymuslims

Dues: You must pay dues to be an official member of our MSA. If you would like to pay your dues, it is $20. You can pay your dues to our Venmo (@ukymsa) or through CashApp, tag is $ukymsa,, or you can hand cash to a board member.

JazakAllah Khayr

Secretary

Notes from the Secretary:

EID AL FITR SALAH

According to calculations, Eid will most likely be on Wednesday, April 10th. In the past, Eid salah has been held at RUPP arena at 8:00 A.M. HOWEVER, we are still awaiting an official announcement from the ISCK
To be the first to know subscribe using the links below!

Ramadan on Campus

With Ramadan approaching, please reach out for any accommodations you may need- whether it be access to suhoor/ sehri or iftar meals, directions to the masjids you can pray at, or letters to your professors explaining what Ramadan is. We want to help you do your best while strengthening your relationship with Allah SWT during this blessed month!

Attention Seniors!!

If you are graduating at the end of this semester or next semester and would like a graduation cord, fill out the link below ASAP!!!!!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0DmaYYytNGnOwly1COPi4nJYbXDyqrCPlbQ4-GQIwIhG2WA/viewform?usp=sf_link

To stay involved and updated join the MSA reminders groupchat on groupme, follow us on Instagram, and check out our bbnvolved page and website!!

Outroduction

O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning, and Generous, You love pardon, so pardon me.

This Dua was recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) to Aisha (RA) to supplicate on Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Decree. It is one of the best duas for forgiveness and should be especially recited during the last 10 days of Ramadan. May Allah SWT accept all your duas this month :)

As we find ourselves approaching the end of Ramadan, we are reminded of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of maximizing our efforts during this blessed month. Alhamdulillah, we have been given the opportunity to witness and partake in another Ramadan, a month that encourages us to deepen our connection with Allah (swt), seek His forgiveness, and reflect on our lives. As we near its conclusion, let’s renew our commitment to worship and supplication. Let us take this time to reflect on our deeds and intentions, seeking to purify our hearts and souls. And let us pray earnestly for forgiveness, guidance, and blessings in this world and the Hereafter.

Let us also remember those less fortunate and strive to alleviate their suffering through acts of generosity and compassion.

May Allah accept our fasting, prayers, and good deeds during this blessed month, and may He grant us the strength and sincerity to finish Ramadan strong. May He also allow us to carry the lessons and blessings of Ramadan with us throughout the year, guiding our actions and illuminating our path.

Praying for a peaceful and spiritually fulfilling end to Ramadan, insha’Allah.

That wraps up the April newsletter. As always, follow our Instagram (@UKYMSA) and join our GroupMe for more updates and announcements. Be sure to reach out to us if you need anything, and if there is anything you would like to see from the MSA, don’t hesitate to let us know! 👋

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته