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CalMSA February Newsletter
February Newsletter
Cal MSA
February 01, 2026
FEBRUARY 2026
﷽
Asalaamu’ alaikum and welcome back to the Cal Muslim Student Association’s monthly newsletter! If you are new here, this is your one-stop scroll for events, reminders, resources, and reflections to keep your imaan strong and your calendar busy.
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Rabbī zidnī ʿilmā — My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NO ON CAMPUS JUMMAH THIS WEEK DUE TO RETREAT
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
SELF REFLECTION
Welcome back to our monthly self-reflection! This section is a chance to pause, renew our intentions, and remember that every step can be a path to spiritual growth.
DUA OF THE MONTH
Hadhrat Ubaadah bin Saamit narrates that the Prophet (SAW) used to teach the Sahaabah this Dua at the approach of the Month of Ramadan:
اَللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِيْ لِرَمَضَانَ وَ سَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِيْ وَ سَلِّمْهُ لِيْ مُتَقَبَّلًا
“O Allah! Safeguard me for the Month of Ramadan (by making me see the Month of Ramadan healthy and fit so that I can take maximum benefit from it), and safeguard the Month of Ramadan for me (by making the conditions in it such that I can take maximum benefit from it) and accept it from me.”
With Ramadan approaching, it’s a reminder to align our daily efforts with sincerity, discipline, and purpose. May Allah grant us clarity, consistency, and barakah in everything we do and allow us to be the best versions of ourself during this sacred month.
GLOBAL MUSLIM NEWS
Welcome back to the Global Muslim News section of the MSA newsletter. As part of the worldwide ummah, we are bound by shared faith, history, and responsibility. If you are new here, this section will highlight stories, struggles, and triumphs from across the Muslim world. 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.
As stated by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ),
“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
PALESTINE & LEBANON: Israeli Ceasefire Violations Persist
From South Lebanon to Gaza and the West Bank, Israeli ceasefire violations continue to demonstrate that the Zionist regime’s ceasefire has been in name only. One person was killed in Lebanon just days ago due to an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, as Israel claimed it had targeted a Hezbollah operative despite the ongoing ‘ceasefire.’ According to Al Jazeera, “at least six Lebanese journalists had been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2023, according to a tally by the Committee to Protect Journalists,” with other outlets having placed the death toll of Lebanese journalists at 10. In the occupied West Bank, violence persists as settlers damaged Palestinian farmland, pouring chemicals on crops totalling nearly two acres of land belonging to Ali Mohammed Shenaran. Israeli fire and shelling in Gaza has also had severe impact, with five Palestinians killed and more injured due to fire and shelling in only a 24-hour timespan. With the death toll now at over 71,000, we must continue organizing, donating to relief efforts, and enjoining as an Ummah to support our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Stay informed as media suppression of the violence continues to persist. Consider donating to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund to support some of our most vulnerable.
SUDAN: Displacement & Humanitarian Crisis
Sudan continues to face the world's largest internal displacement crisis, with figures now standing at around 14 million people forced from their homes according to the UN refugee agency. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, has destroyed infrastructure across all Sudanese states and shows no signs of meaningful resolution.
Khartoum has been through what officials describe as the "largest looting operation" of electrical infrastructure in history, with approximately 15,000 electrical transformers stripped and copper stolen from underground cables. Those who return return to find homes emptied, no running water or electricity, and neighborhoods transformed into shells of what they once were.
The decision to return is often emotional. Those who do return are being motivated primarily by longing for home and a "sentimental" attachment to their neighborhoods. Communities are slowly rebuilding through grassroots initiatives, developing what one returnee described as a "psychological immunity" to harsh conditions. However, the truth remains that sustainable reintegration requires more than resilience, it absolutely demands that security, shelter, food security, clean water access, and electricity are readily available to enable economic stability.
Meanwhile, Sudan remains part of a broader regional crisis affecting millions across the Middle East and Africa. The humanitarian response from 2025, estimated at $4.2 billion, is only 13% funded. Aid groups have called the crisis a "global failure" and the humanitarian response "too slow, too timid, and dangerously inadequate." It is not too late for us to give and contribute to the efforts; it is perhaps the pinnacle of our duty as an Ummah and essential to donate to imperative causes such as the Sudan Relief Fund and Doctors Without Borders. Every cent matters; please take action and do not allow yourself to turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters currently suffering.
CAMPUS RESOURCES
PRAYER SPOTS
Click on the image above for the location of all the prayer spots on/close to campus 🤲
LINKS
MSA
Mental Health Support
Muslim Mental Health Initiative (MMHI) - Sign up for free online and on-campus consultations
Bay Area Muslim Therapists - list of Muslim-identifying therapists in the Bay Area
Palestine
