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CalMSA September Newsletter

CalMSA September Newsletter

September Newsletter

Cal MSA
September 02, 2025

SEPTMEBER 2025

﷽

Asalaamu’ alaikum and welcome back to the Cal Muslim Student Association’s September newsletter! Keep scrolling to discover our events, reminders, resources, and reflections to keep your imaan strong and your calendar busy.

REMINDERS

COMMITTEES

Apply to our Fall 2025 Committees to make a direct impact on our community! Find all applications in our linktree!

INTRODUCING OUR COMMITTEE HEADS

DAWAH COMMITTEE

COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

YOUTH & ADMIT COMMITTEE

GRADUATE COMMITTEE

EVENT LOGISTICS COMMITTEE

UPCOMING EVENTS

SISTER'S SURAH KAHF CIRCLE

COMMUNITY NIGHT!

SISTER'S SCAVENGER HUNT

MARRIAGE SERIES

BROTHER'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

GRAD SOCIAL

BROTHER'S CLIMBING SOCIAL

FAJR ON THE GLADE

SELF REFLECTION

DUA OF THE MONTH

This beautiful dua was often recited by the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam. It’s a reminder that true clarity, guidance, and success don’t just come from hard work, they come from Allah filling every part of our lives with His light. As classes officially start, carry this dua with you as a source of strength, focus, and spiritual guidance.

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا ، وَفِي لِسَانِي نُورًا ، وَاجْعَلْ فِي سَمْعِي نُورًا ، وَاجْعَلْ فِي بَصَرِي نُورًا ، وَاجْعَلْ مِنْ خَلْفِي نُورًا ، وَمِنْ أَمَامِي نُورًا ، وَاجْعَلْ مِنْ فَوْقِي نُورًا ، وَمِنْ تَحْتِي نُورًا ، اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِنِي نُورًا

Allāhumma aj‘al fī qalbī nūran, wa fī lisānī nūran, waj’al fī sam‘ī nūran, waj’al fī baṣarī nūran, waj’al min khalfī nūran, wa min amāmī nūran, waj’al min fawqī nūran, wa min taḥtī nūran. Allāhumma a‘ṭinī nūran.

“O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light behind me, light in front of me, light above me, light beneath me. O Allah, grant me light.” (Sahih Muslim 763)

THE BLESSINGS OF RIGHTEOUS COMPANIONS

As students, we often juggle academics, responsibilities, and the challenges of campus life. In this journey, the people we surround ourselves with shape our direction more than we realize. Having companions who remind us of Allah, encourage us toward good, and gently correct us when we falter is one of the greatest blessings we can have.

Allah SWT tells us in Surah Al-Kahf (18:28):

“Keep yourself patiently with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and evening, desiring His presence. And do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the adornments of this worldly life…”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 2446)

In a world that constantly competes for our attention, companionship grounded in faith is a mercy from Allah. Good friends remind us of prayer, of dhikr, and of striving for higher purpose. True friendship is not limited to this world, it is walking together toward Jannah. May we be blessed with companions who inspire faith and may we strive to be such companions for others.

PODCAST REFLECTION

Qur'anic Healing P4 - Guiding Our Hearts Through Adversity

Yaqeen Podcast · Episode

open.spotify.com/episode/0VIJlVRm8Mujt9IPDkNxme?si=ecc7d2bcaa474445

This podcast discusses how the Qur’an provides healing and guidance during times of hardship, with Dr. Rania Awad sharing reflections on verses that calm the heart and ease anxiety. She reminds us that trials are a natural part of life, through verses in Surah Al-Ankabut and Al-Baqarah that say believers will inevitably be tested with fear, loss, and hardship. The Qur’an offers mechanisms for healing: reassurance that Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity, trust that nothing befalls us except what Allah has written, and reliance on the heart’s sense of right when seeking guidance.

The podcast reminds we should reframe adversity as an opportunity to draw closer to Allah, turning to the Qur’an for grounding when faced with anything from academic stress to loneliness or other struggles, while also normalizing reaching out for mentors, peers, or counselors. Difficulties are not signs of Allah’s displeasure, but rather they are opportunities for growth, resilience, and deeper faith.

GLOBAL MUSLIM NEWS

Welcome back to the Global Muslim News section of the MSA newsletter. If you’re new here, we aim to remain dedicated to bringing light to stories, struggles, and triumphs from across the Muslim world. Whether it be humanitarian crises or political developments, we hope to keep our community at Cal informed and connected, with the underlying remembrance that what affects one part of the ummah affects us all.

EYES ON PALESTINE

Israel has escalated attacks on Gaza City, reportedly killing dozens of people and forcing more residents to flee. Al Jazeera liveblog has described the city as being reduced to “fields of rubble.” Israeli shelling in Gaza City killed at least 78 in just one day. Recently, the Sumud Flotilla for Gaza set sail from Barcelona again after a delay due to a storm, carrying aid for the besieged Gaza Strip. Reports also highlight widespread malnutrition among pregnant women and newborns due to the Israeli-imposed blockade. Unfortunately, several past attempts to deliver aid to the Strip have been blocked by Israel. As Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies states, [this aid] “is not going to solve the famine. What’s going to solve the famine, ultimately, is governments doing their job to stop genocide and deliberate starvation programmes.” Advocacy and using our voices as young people, even if it seems like a small effort, truly can influence government action. If you can’t speak up, donate, and if you can’t donate, continue making dua for our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

TURMOIL IN INDONESIA

The world's most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, is experiencing significant turmoil marked by anti-government protests. Student-led demonstrations have occurred in multiple cities, with protesters voicing deep dissatisfaction over alleged government corruption, spending priorities, and police conduct.

SUDAN’S DARFUR REGION

In Sudan’s western region of Darfur, an estimated over 1,000 people have passed away in a major natural disaster, one of the most deadly for the country in recent history. An entire village, with one survivor, was leveled by a landslide, a devastating tragedy with the UN and other international aid organizations attempting to assist, but access to the region has been restricted by ongoing conflict.

In El Fasher, North Darfur, for the past 500 days, women and girls have been victim to a severe siege, with “daily risk of starvation as a weapon of war, and indiscriminate bombardment leading to deaths and sexual violence.” Over 600,000 have been displaced from El Fasher and regions nearby over the past two years, with thousands undergoing famine-level conditions and limited aid due to the attacks in the region. Violations against women and girls in the region and deliberate starvation face residents, and the courage of El Fasher’s people must be met with immediate action, support, and urgency.

Despite these hardships, our Ummah in Palestine, Sudan, Indonesia, and beyond has continued to demonstrate inspiring resilience and strength. We owe it to them to take action. We will continue to provide updates in the coming months, but we highly encourage you to continue educating yourself on the genocide and humanitarian devastation in Palestine and throughout the Muslim ummah through our provided resources, and to contribute. Even $1 makes a difference.

CAMPUS RESOURCES

PRAYER SPOTS

Click on the image above for the location of all the prayer spots on/close to campus 🤲

NEED A FOOD RECOMMENDATION?

Click above to check out this food recommendation guide!