asSalamu Alaykum waRahmatullah MSA FAM!!! It is with great honor and pride that I write to you today in our final newsletter of this academic year! Allah has blessed me immensely with this position and I am grateful to Him for this blessing. It has been a year of reflection, growth, connection, and so much more. I would like to express my gratitude towards the MSA board for their unwavering dedication and hard work behind the scenes. Without their strong concern for the MSA, I am confident we would not have seen the amazing year that we did, Alhamdulillah. I am also so grateful for the MSA body. This year, I have seen a dedication to spiritual growth and servitude to others from our members that I cannot say I have seen elsewhere. Our Prophet is narrated to have spoken frequently on the importance of a brotherhood or sisterhood that fosters an environment where the Love of Allah and His Messenger are made attractive and encouraged. It was the body of the MSA that established this for us and I am immeasurably grateful for you all!

Over the course of this academic year, I have learned a great deal about what it takes to lead an MSA. I don’t believe I am very close to understanding it entirely at all and am humbled by this position. With that being said, I am imperfect and my own shortcomings have capped the MSA’s potential. I ask that you forgive me for my mistakes and shortcomings as they are from me, and give praise and thanks to Allah for anything I may have done well, as it was through Him I was empowered to do anything at all. I ask that you keep the MSA in your prayers and thoughts as I have been able to see the incredible impact it has for its members.

Lastly, my excitement and enthusiasm for next year’s board cannot be expressed in words! I have no doubt in my mind that this next year will look amazing for the MSA inshaAllah. Led by Iman Hassan, our MSA president, and Elaf Ghoneim, our MSA vice president, the MSA is certainly in good hands! 

May Allah make your final exams and reports easy and allow the MSA FAM to reconvene once again in His Gardens of Paradise!

Without further adieu, I will pass this torch onto next year’s President for opening thoughts and sentiments:

AsSalaamu alaykum friends! You may already be familiar with me as the community service chair for this year’s board, but in case you aren’t, allow me to introduce myself! My name is  Iman Hassan and I am an incoming senior majoring in human health sciences on the pre-PA/pre-PT track (not sure which I will be pursuing yet 😃). I am so incredibly honored and blessed to be granted the position of president for the coming year, alhamdulillah. It is with Allah (swt)’s will that this has been made possible and I am eternally grateful. I pray that I can make the MSA proud and fill the big shoes Ahmad left behind. You will meet the rest of the board as you read through the newsletter, but know that you’ve got yourselves a solid MSA board for the next year 😎 I could not have asked for a better team to take this role on with. We’ve got great plans for the next year and I can’t wait to see them through with my phenomenal team and with you all, inshaAllah. I am so excited to expand our MSA community and to continue building on this space we’ve fostered. May Allah (swt) protect our community and bless this coming year for us! Ameen! See you all in the fall! (or maybe below in the community service section 😄)

AsSalaamu alaykum! Iman here, signing in for the last time as community service chair :,) It has been such a privilege and blessing to serve in this position. I am forever grateful, to Allah (swt) first, for granting me this opportunity, and to the MSA body second, for bringing such empowered and service-oriented spirits to every community service event/opportunity put on. It is in this role that I was inspired to run for MSA president. During Charity Week back in October, my eyes were opened to the incredible power this MSA community has and all the potential we have yet to reach. I absolutely cannot wait to chase that potential with you all next year, inshaAllah. 

For our service opportunities in April:

SHARE Lunch:

MSA volunteers joined us in packaging and distributing free lunches at SHARE Center Lexington on April 1st and 15th. Alhamdulillah, we served a total of around 140 lunches to the community surrounding the Georgetown St. area this month.

Eid Transportation:

As many of you already know, Eid-al-Fitr was on April 21st this past month. A big part of Eid is the Eid Salah that typically takes place at Rupp Arena for the Lexington community. Transportation to get there can prove difficult and inaccessible to some members of our community, so, in an effort to alleviate some of this stress, MSA coordinated a transportation system for the community. Alhamdulillah, thanks to our volunteers, we were able to coordinate the transportation of 11 people to Eid Salah. May Allah reward our volunteers for their efforts and always grant MSA the ability to provide resources for our community, ameen!

Well, that’s all from me! I will always be thankful for the experiences I have had as community service chair. Alhamdulillah, always. 

Now, I present to you, Amel Kredan! MSA’s 2023-24 Community Service Chair 🎉🎉 

Salaam! My name is Amel and I am an incoming junior majoring in human nutrition and minoring in biology. There is nothing else interesting about me to add so there’s that! I am excited and looking forward to being the 2023-2024 community service chair and I am so excited to continue MSA tutoring at LUA, Charity Week, and getting MSA more involved with the SHARE Center’s community garden 👀🤭

AsSalamu Alaykum y’all!

I want to fill you in on the happiest event of the entire year. This year, we have been blessed to be able to host the first Eid Festival at UK!! Alhamdulillah, with the help of SAB, we put on an amazing event on April 24, 2023 with over 250 people attending! We had food from many different local Muslim-owned restaurants, crafts for the kids, a 360 Photo Booth, a henna table, nasheeds playing on the speakers, and flyers explaining what Ramadan and Eid are to people who may not know. We also had an Arabic Quran recitation by Mahmoud Shalash followed by the English translation read by Anaya Ali, and a reflection on Ramadan and Eid by Ahmad Shalash. We look forward to hopefully making this an annual event in sha Allah!! If you have any suggestions on improvements, halal catering options, etc… please let us know. MSA is always looking for ways to get better! 

What an incredible journey it has been being your MSA Campus Outreach Chair. I was blessed to be able to take over this position for the second half of the ‘22-’23 school year. While it doesn’t sound like a long time, a lot was accomplished Alhamdulillah! From Islamic Awareness Week to having our very first Eid Festival on campus mentioned above (YAY🤩🥳), I am humbled to have been able to contribute to making them come to life so beautifully. I could not have asked to be surrounded by a better community who supports all that we do. I say “we” because you can bet (astaghfirullah😂)  it took a village to put on all the events under my title. I won’t say all their names, but you know who you are and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My only hope is that everyone benefited from the events. In sha Allah they continue and get even better as the years go on.

Alhamdulillah, I’m so excited to pass on the torch to Junaid Ahmed. I find it fitting that he is taking over this position as we were co-captains for the FIRST MSA DanceBlue team. He is very reliable and passionate about the roles he takes on, so I have no doubt that the Campus Outreach chair will be left in great hands! 

A message from the future board member himself: 

Salam, my name is Junaid Ahmed. I am a senior neuroscience student. I am incredibly excited to be the campus outreach chair. As someone holding arguably the most important position, I am blessed and ready to lead the MSA to a successful school year. InshaAllah, with your help we will make this coming year the best one yet.

Can’t wait to see all the successes waiting to come for UKYMSA in sha Allah! 

Ala Hassan, out:) 🤍

Fajr & Folgers Comes to a Close!

Alhamdulillah this month we completed our Surah Kahf series! We had a discussion on the final two stories including the story of Musa and Khidr and Dhul Qarnayn. We analyzed the lessons from these stories and how we can apply this knowledge to our own lives. May Allah reward everyone for their efforts and put barakat in our meetings!

The Intersection of Mental Health and Iman feat. Hoda Shalash

For our April halaqa, community member Hoda Shalash spoke to us about the history of mental health developments in the Islamic world and how we can promote these practices in modern times. In western society, a lot of psychological principles have been attributed to Europeans when in fact, Muslims have discovered them centuries ago! Faith has a large impact on our mental health, and by following the examples described in the Quran and the Sunnah we are given the tools to improve ourselves spiritually and mentally.

Sexual Assault in Muslim Circles: An Important Discussion

For our Tea and Tawfiq series in April, halaqa committee member Khadijah Ahmad gave an insightful lecture on sexual assault and how we can be better prepared to address this issue, whether it be in the general public or within our own Muslim communities. This is a topic not often discussed in Muslim circles but one that is still an issue and must be addressed. We have a responsibility to take care of our brothers and sisters to protect them from this persisting evil. May Allah protect us all and guide us to find a solution most pleasing to Him.

Assalamualaikum you lovely people!!

Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah the Lord of all worlds. It is with a solemn heart that I write my final newsletter article as a member of the MSA board. Words fall short of describing the joy and pleasure of serving as your Halaqa chair this year. You are all my family and have been there for me without question and for that I am eternally grateful. Allah subhanu wa ta’ala has blessed me with the best friends in the entire world. You all have taught me more than I could ever hope to teach you, may you each be rewarded and receive blessings beyond measure for your kindness. I am always here if you need anything and I am excited to see the position grow and progress under my protege, Areeda Aftab. If I were to leave you with anything, know that every one of you is special and valuable to me and to Allah subhanu wa ta’ala. You were created for a purpose and I’m so grateful to be a part of your story. Find time to praise our Creator and send blessings upon His messenger ﷺ as much as you can. This is Taha, signing off!

From Areeda Aftab, incoming Halaqa chair:

AsSalaamu Alaykum! 

My name is Areeda Aftab and by Allah’s mercy, I am your 2023-2024 Halaqa Chair. I am an incoming Junior and only Allah knows what I’m studying LOL. This will be my first year on the MSA board and I am excited to continue the legacy left behind by Taha Sullivan as your new Halaqa Chair. 

I look forward to helping our members progress in their Islamic journey wherever they may stand insha’Allah!

Assalamualaikum everyone, 

Our first April social event was a paint night where members gathered to paint one of the names of Allah (SWT) of their choosing on mini canvases. Alhumdulillah it was a beautiful event with a great turn out as well. We also hosted a successful qiyam + suhoor potluck at Masjid Bilal during the last week of Ramadan as well Alhumdulillah. Finally, we concluded the year with our End-Of-Year banquet. We had a potluck style banquet with lots of delicious food made by our members. For the first time ever, our banquet featured humorous PowerPoint presentations that were very entertaining to say the least. We presented MSA superlatives and provided our graduating members with MSA cords to wear as they walk across the stage very soon InshaAllah.

Outroduction from former social chair

When I sat down to write this outroduction, my mind was flooded with memories. Memories of my first MSA picnic as a freshman, the first halaqa I attended, the first time I found myself surrounded by a community of diverse people tied together by Islam. The MSA is something that has orchestrated the day-to-day of my college experience each year I have attended UK and I am very grateful for that. If you’re reading this and can resonate with anything, be that person that pulls someone into the MSA by saying “let’s go to this event together” — a small gesture like that can be a pivotal moment in someone’s entire college experience at UK, I know it was for me. 

I am leaving the social chair position in the hands of someone who has proven themself to be extremely qualified: Jenna Gorman. Here are a few words from her:

Introduction from new social chair

AsSalaamu Alaykum everyone! 

Y’all probably know me by now, but if not, I’m Jenna! Alhamdulillah I will be serving as your social chair for the upcoming school year! I served as PR for the second semester of this year and I had such a great time and learned SO MUCH. I’m so incredibly excited to host social events for you guys. This will be a new experience for me, but I absolutely love social events. They create a great environment to meet new people and relieve some of the stress that our classes may put on us. If anyone has an event they want to see come to life, please feel free to reach out and let me know and I will try to make it happen iA! Thank you for electing me, I promise not to let you down :)

Outroduction from former PR chair:

Alhamdulilah, this year has been such an amazing experience. I’m so incredibly grateful to the board for welcoming me with open arms and being so patient with me this semester. I’m also thankful to Najma for entrusting me with this job, and I’m so excited for her to take on this role next year inshaAllah. I learned a lot from this position that I hope to carry with me. I’m incredibly thankful to the MSA for being such a welcoming and fun community to be a part of. Y’all aren’t getting rid of me yet though :) This year was full of excellent memories and I’m looking forward to making even more next year, as I will be serving as your social chair iA! This board was very special to me, and I’m sure the upcoming board will come to mean just as much to me. I’m very thankful to Allah for the opportunity to serve you all next year to the best of my abilities in this capacity. 

Introduction from new PR chair:

AsSalaamu Alaykum! 

My name is Najma Amarkhail and I am your re-elected Public Relations Chair for the 2023-2024 school year! I am an incoming senior majoring in Psychology with the pursuit to become an Islamic family/relationship therapist insha’Allah. I learned so much from the 2022 fall semester on the MSA board so I’m excited to take those lessons with me as we enter the new school year insha’Allah.

I look forward to serving the UKY MSA to the best of my ability insha’Allah!

APRIL PHOTOS:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Jd2_FerZ3_DNiZ_jrpRCDyiGaGa7qZlY?usp=sharing 

EID FESTIVAL PICTURES (Thank you Najma!): https://www.najmaamarphotos.com/-msaxsabeidalfitr/gallery 

Notes from the Secretary, and the New Secretary:

*if you are a senior who still wants a grad cord please contact me, it might not be too late by the time you read this. If it is too late, that’s on you. It was like my only newsletter entry for months* 

Assalamualaikum Everyone! It’s been fun (mostly, I think) serving as your Secretary, working with a motivated board and a committed student body. I never have anything of sustenance for these newsletters besides boring admin messages the presidents don’t feel like writing so this will be a first, and last. Coming from an almost non-existent Muslim community, never would I have thought to be in such a position from only knowing our community (that’s you, reading this… probably) for only a year. May Allah continue to bless our grandiose organization with its efforts in curating an environment where it can reach out to those (me) who may not have such communities, so that they (me) always have something, or some people, to look forward to at the end of their school breaks (ameen). I know that without a doubt as I exit this position, my entire subcommittee (The Secret Service of the MSA, aka the actual best subcommittee) will do nothing but a great job serving on next year’s board leading our MSA to better and brighter things inshaAllah. Thank you MSA for allowing me to serve under this capacity and I bid you a warm farewell as the Secretary.

And with a not-so-maybe-slightly heavy heart…

It is my pleasure to introduce your next Secretary! Please give a warm welcome (and make dua, he will need it) to Zohaib Iqbal as he takes one of the most adaptive positions on the board (if not THE most adapted position), the actual glue of the MSA holding it together, the Commander-in-Chief of the Secret Service of the MSA:

Salam, my name is Zohaib Iqbal and I am a junior neuroscience student. I am incredibly excited to be the secretary. As someone holding arguably the most important position in comparison to the campus outreach chair, I am blessed and ready to lead the MSA to a successful school year. InshaAllah, with your help we will make this coming year the best one yet.

Ex-Sec Abrar out

Updates from the Current and Future Treasurer:

Wow, I never thought this day would come this fast. Alhamdulillah, this year has served as a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how significant Muslim leadership positions can be. My role this year has mainly been to construct and launch a website that the MSA and its community could benefit from for years to come inA. While this may have been incredibly time consuming, it has been equally rewarding. Hopefully everyone reading this finds the products of my efforts just as beneficial.

I don’t have much to say for my final message as Treasurer for the organization, but I will say this: thank you all. My thanks extend to not only my fellow board members, but the MSA general body and the larger community as well. Without every one of you, I don’t think I would’ve been able to do what I did. This year, everyone has connected together to cultivate a safe community for Muslims and Non-Muslims alike, and InA this continues for generations ahead. I am confident that my position will be in good hands next year - the hands of Ahmed Khan! And with that, this is your Treasurer of 2021-2023, Haroon Ali, signing off. 

A Word from the Incoming Treasurer:

Asalaam Alaikum, my name is Ahmed Khan and I will be your treasurer for the 2023-2024 UKY MSA InShaAllah. I’m looking forward to working with the board and helping to propel the MSA to new heights next year.

Alhamdulillah !!! Looks like this year has come to a close! Thank you all for a wonderful year filled with memories I will cherish forever.  I wanted to give a few reflections from my experiences in the MSA :)

Coming into college, I was not very involved with the MSA at first as I felt very distant from this organization and was just very lost in my personal life. But, during the pandemic, I was able to connect with myself and various MSA members who brought me closer to my deen, who I am so grateful for to this day.  When I was asked to run for Vice Presidency my junior year, I was not prepared at ALL and felt that I was undeserving of the position as I thought I wasn’t a “good enough Muslim”. But as I grew into my role, I grew into my deen. So many of you guys (yes you!) have shown me the beauty of Islam and have helped guide me to become a better Muslim alhamdulillah. Truly, I don’t know where I would be without the MSA. I found some of the most important people in my life who push me to be better and have remembrance of Allah in everything I do. 

I believe that one of the main purposes of this MSA is to be a bridge for those who feel disconnected or distant from Islam to finding a community that embraces you no matter what “level” of religiosity you are at.  I was that person who was disconnected and now, alhamdulillah, I feel more connected to my deen more than I ever have.

I want to firstly thank Allah swt for everything and for placing people into my life who brought me closer to Him. Alhamdulillah <3  It is only through Allah swt that I had the privilege of being put in this position. May He accept all of my efforts, ameen. 

To the board, last years and this years:

I am beyond proud of you all for all the effort and work you have put into the MSA so that our members can experience what I did. The impact a simple social or halaqa event can have is something we may not see but can be something so profound that it could be that connection for someone to gain closeness to their deen. I know firsthand how stressful being on the board can be, but know that what you all have done does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Allah sees your efforts and inshaAllah you are rewarded for everything you have done (through all the blood, sweat, and tears!) Thank you all for bearing through my never ending task lists and nagging 😀! Thank you for keeping me in check and stepping up when I couldn’t. May Allah reward you all in this life and the afterlife. May He accept from us and elevate our ranks in Jannah, ameen. 

To the body:

I didn’t have a lot of Muslim friends or even a strong Muslim community growing up, but I finally found that here at UK. You all have created a community where I have always felt so welcomed. Each one of you has left an impact on me, whether indirect or direct. Thank you for being patient with me and the board and thank you for showing your unconditional support for the MSA. I hope that you all were able to gain something from this organization and that you continue to benefit from it for the years to come. I am always making du'aa for you all and will miss you all dearly :(.

With all that being said, this is your 2021-2023 Vice President signing out! 🫡 في أمان الله 

And now, passing the torch onto your 2023-2024 Vice President, Elaf Ghoneim (who I have no doubt will do a fantastic job in this role inshaAllah)!!!

Assalamu wa alaikum! My name is Elaf Ghoneim and I am an incoming senior studying neuroscience and pharmacology. I am honored to serve as the vice president of the MSA this coming year. This past board has done an amazing job this year and I am incredibly grateful for their hard work. May Allah (SWT) bless our efforts in trying to meet the great standards they have set. I am very excited for the spiritually strengthening and community building events we have planned, so stay tuned and make dua for our success!! Thank you all for your support, may Allah (SWT) bless you and the year to come!  

And with that, is the end of the UKY MSA 2022-2023 newsletter. I commend you for reading this far!

‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎