“What would I give if I could live outta these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day holding your hand?
I’d give my life
I’d sell my soul
‘Cause I can feel I’ll never be whole
But I can see
I’ll never be
Part of your world”

~The Little Mermaid

What great lyrics for a children’s movie; selling one’s soul, never being whole- all in the name of ‘love.’ Really? Geez, Ariel. Get a grip.

Unfortunately, many of us grew up listening to these Disney songs and the messages they teach. As a society, we have been led to believe that we cannot attain true happiness until we find ‘the one.’ The person who will supposedly complete us, fill our world with rainbows and butterflies, and make life worth living.

In reality, there is something missing in our lives. But many fail to realize that this void cannot be filled by a significant other. We have been on an elusive chase for that which does not exist in physical form.

While a romanticized notion of ‘the one’ may not exist, the truth of The Most Perfect One does.

You see, within His glorious 99 names, Allah swt refers to Himself as ‘Al Wahid’. Literal translation? The One. He is the Unique, forever One and never will there be a partner to Him. The One who is eternal and shall remain forever.

What causes people to feel a sense of emptiness, that something is missing? Within each of our hearts lies a void; a hole which we often attempt to fill through social media, the distractions of a material world, or through the game of love.

The social media culture thrives off of people’s excessive need for validation. The obsession with ‘how many likes did I get’ is indicative of deep self-esteem and insecurity issues within our communities. The fixation with materialism is never satiated and translates into an unfulfilling, never ending cycle.

Then there are those who attempt to use love to fill themselves. The object of their affection becomes the revered center of their universe. They forget that people come and go, while Allah is the only One that truly remains forever. The danger of placing another human on a pedestal of perfection is that a partner gets assigned to Allah within the heart which ultimately becomes manifested through ones thoughts and actions.

When our thoughts are consumed with a person, our every move is dictated by what pleases or displeases the person. Our life revolves around a fictitious god and we are unknowingly worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. The void becomes even emptier than it was before.

As Ibn ul Qayyim eloquently states,

“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that cannot be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.”

Our imperfections make us long for someone to be our ‘better half,’ someone who will provide us with all the characteristics we wish we had. Allah, however, is the only one who can truly complete us, for He is the only one who embodies all of the qualities that each human being intrinsically craves, such as love, appreciation, and mercy.

Do not think that He is indifferent to your struggle. Allah swt said about His servant, “When he comes towards Me walking, I go towards him running” (Sahih Bukhari). Allah wants to welcome you with open arms.

Making Allah the sun to your earth is extremely attainable:
1. Learn more about Him. How can you love what you don’t know?

2. Think about Him. Obsessively. Relate everything in your life back to Allah. Each thing you do, wonder what He would think of it. Each experience you undergo, reflect on what He intended by it and how He would want you to act.

3. Talk to Him. In your car, on your way to class. Silently or out loud. It’s okay if people think you’re crazy.

Stop looking for The One; you’ve already found Him. Now allow yourself to fall in love with Him.

This article was written in collaboration with Ha’Am, the Jewish student newsmagazine at UCLA, as an echo of the Jewish and Muslim students’ combined efforts. A special thanks to Devorah Friedman, Kashif Iqbal, Alexa Lucas, Lea Luterstein, Alan Naroditsky, Rachel Menitoff and Miriam Pinski for their help compiling interviews and conducting research for the article.

Part 1: The Importance of Halal and Kosher Options

By: Zainab Mithani

Editor-in-Chief, Al-Talib

Living the dorm life is an exciting part of the college experience. For many Muslim and Jewish students at UCLA, however, dorm living is problematic because UCLA Dining does not cater to the needs of students who follow halal and kosher dietary restrictions.

The Quran and Torah contain passages discussing what halal and kosher food entails. According to the Muslim scripture, in order for meat to be considered halal, the name of Allah must be taken.

The Quran states:

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other that Allah; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless you are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); forbidden also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows; that is impiety” (5:3).

The Torah mentions what type of meat and fish are allowed in Leviticus 11, stipulating which meat and fish are allowed for consumption.

“Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that only chew the cud, or of them that only part the hoof: the camel, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. And the rock-badger, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you. And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you. Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you. These may ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them may ye eat.”

Other aspects of kosher include meat and dairy not being eaten together, meat and dairy utensils not mixing, as well as laws about how the animals should be killed and prepared. Utensils that have touched non-kosher food also cannot be used.

While many students of the Muslim and Jewish faith choose not to follow halal and kosher, there are many students at UCLA who do. For the students who ascribe to a halal and kosher lifestyle, living in the dorms becomes a difficulty. UCLA dining provides no halal options at any of their eateries (while schools like UC Riverside and UC San Diego provide some sort of halal option on their respective campuses) and only minimal kosher options. The three kosher sandwiches at B-Café each cost three swipes, instead of the usual one for other food items, and they are frequently out of stock.

Kashif Iqbal, a member of the Muslim Student Association, describes his experience living on the hill and the alienation he felt because of keeping halal. “I definitely felt like I was not being treated like everyone else. Other students were being catered to, while I had to only eat vegetarian. I do not think it would be that difficult to provide at least one halal option per week.”

One of the problems created for students because of the the lack of halal and kosher options is a lack of meat in a student’s diet. This has had a negative impact on many students’ health.

Samee Siddiqui, another member of the MSA who lived on the hill, could feel the lack of meat take a toll on his health. “I felt a noticeable difference — the lack of protein in my diet led to some weight loss and occasional fatigue.”

The lack of food choices caused students’ health to deteriorate and, in some cases, led to a decline in student productivity. Raquel Saxe, co-president of the Jewish Student Union, felt the adverse affects of keeping kosher on both her health and her grades.

“I started getting really sick fall quarter and I did not know why or what was happening. I was sleeping all the time. I ended up doing some research on it and talking to my mom, and turns out I was anemic. My grades took a huge plunge that quarter — I was doing really well in the beginning and all of a sudden finals came and I was not.”

Declining health is not the only problem caused by the lack of halal and kosher food options. The students’ inability to adhere to their religious dietary practices affects UCLA in other ways as well. Many students choose not to attend UCLA because the administration fails to accommodate them.

Ronit Hakakha, president of Hillel at UCLA, comments on the estimated financial impact on the dorms due to the lack of food options. “We even spoke about how so many Jewish students might not even choose to come to UCLA because they know from other people that there are not as many kosher options available. Even students that did choose to come to UCLA probably would not live in the dorms because they just do not have the comfort and access they could have living in an apartment.”

To solve this problem, Muslim and Jewish students are working together to convince UCLA administration and UCLA Dining to respect a major religious tenet for these two groups, and provide halal and kosher food options on the hill.

Part Two: Student Efforts on Campus

By: Tessa Nath

Editor-in-Chief, Ha’Am

The initiative to introduce halal and kosher dining options to the Hill began with a simple dream during the spring quarter of 2012: Iqbal decided that he wanted to get halal food in the dining halls on campus.

After conferring with his friends and starting a Facebook group, Iqbal was approached by Noam Kohane Taylor from Hillel at UCLA, who was interested in collaborating with the Muslim students in order to strengthen Jewish students’ efforts to request kosher dining options.

As a sign of the Muslim and Jewish students’ unity, the planners further physically and symbolically cemented their collaboration by “going to Hillel just to hang out” and discuss future plans, Iqbal remembers.

Later, Hakakha recalls that after the meeting, “Karen Hedges [Assistant Director of On Campus Housing and Campus Welfare] from the Office of Residential Life reached out to both us and the Muslim Student Association to come make a presentation at the Policy Review Board. […] And they had us make presentations about any concerns

that our community has faced while living on the Hill. So, the two main things that the Jewish community] brought up were the issue of kashrut and the issue of Shabbat accessibility.”

Throughout the entire process, the two groups of students of different faiths vowed to maintain their consistent collaboration. Hakakha reiterates, “In our discussions, we made it pretty clear that it would not be fair for one of us to achieve our goals and not for the other.”

In fact, Iqbal believes that their teamwork strengthened their cause to the administration: “they seemed a lot more receptive because they saw that we came together for this one issue. They saw that two groups of students, who maybe historically do not get along, came together.”

Saxe echoes Iqbal’s sentiments, expressing her belief that “we have the opportunity to work with Muslim students and find something that we share in common, whereas we are put into these boxes the second we step onto campus and do not usually have the opportunity to work with one another.”

On a micro-level, the initiative also facilitates collaboration within the Jewish community. Saxe reflects, “As co-president of the Jewish Student Union — an umbrella organization of all Jewish groups on campus, including Hillel, Chabad, JAM, and all other groups — I see my role as trying to bring people together from the Jewish community so that we have one voice on this issue.”

The students proposed having at least one halal and kosher station in each dining hall, with paper plates and plastic cutlery so that the dining staff would not have to deal with ensuring that the utensils stayed kosher.

Hakakha adds, “we are more than willing to have something along the lines of a 14K meal plan — 14 kosher — priced somewhere around 19P since we very much understand that kosher food and kosher meat and having a mashgiach [ritual slaughterer] definitely costs more. And we remarked that we were very willing to personally subsidize the cost of those things.”

Although a specific vendor has not yet been decided upon, one possible option in the mix is “Cold Foods.” “Ideally,” Siddiqui explained, “we would get all of one type of meat from a halal vendor (for example chicken breast), which would allow students seeking halal food to have a daily option. However, practically, a variety of halal specials served three to five times a week (i.e. one different dish each day), or a daily seafood option, would suffice as well.”

With regard to long-term goals, Hakakha hopes that future halal and kosher options will be accessible, substantial and sustainable. “Accessible — meaning that the options are available regularly. With the B-Café meals that are three swipes, every time I have ever tried to get one, they never had them in stock — ever. […] And if you are depending on that for your protein intake, it is absurd. Substantial — we wanted to make sure that the options provide whole meat meals because the lack of protein is one of the biggest issues that we discussed in our meeting with the ORL. […] And lastly, we want to make sure that the options are sustainable.”

Despite the lack of tangible progress, Hakakha acknowledged that several of the administrators had been extremely helpful and understanding throughout the entire process. “An administrator who has been great about Jewish accessibility in general is Maria Blandizzi [Director of Student Services and Initiatives at UCLA]. She asked to be in the loop on all the advocacy work that we have been doing this year. I think she is hoping to tie all the pieces together and she has been helpful and great.”

Although, for the time being, UCLA Dining staff and administrators have been receptive to religious students’ complaints, all parties acknowledge that they are in the middle of a long process of change and restructuring.

In response to an e-mail addressed to Daryl Ansel, director of food services at UCLA, Alison Hewitt, senior media relations representative wrote back: “As part of a broader campuswide and UC-wide initiative to ensure a positive campus climate, UCLA Dining is actively researching the feasibility and logistics of offering more kosher and halal food options. As part of that UC-wide effort, UCLA’s On Campus Housing Policy Review Board on the Hill heard from Jewish and Muslim students about halal and kosher food in January. That input informs UCLA Dining’s continued research into kosher and halal options, including issues such as vendors, costs and feasibility. More research is needed before decisions can be made, so there is no timeline yet.”

After reading Hewitt’s statement, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan from the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus remarked, “It is encouraging to see that UCLA is considering the needs of kosher students and is working to accommodate them. We respect that the process of researching options is involved and takes time, and appreciate that there are “I know the reason that Tzvi [Hakakha’s friend] was able to eat in the dining hall was that he actually got a tour of everything and could look at all the labels and all the hechshers and everything,” Hakakha explains. “He always says that the best meal he can have is a tuna sandwich. But to have that day in and day out — when it is only available at lunch, you are probably going to get mercury poisoning. Not really something to live off of.”

UCLA is about diversity — celebrating diversity, accepting diversity, and collaborating on initiatives from diverse communities. JSU and MSA are upholding ideals of diversity, striving to strengthen their different communities by working together on finding solutions to their religious restrictions, thereby honoring their religion, their unique differences, and their similarities.

“And for the second-ranked dining program in the nation to only be able to provide a student with a cold tuna sandwich,” Hakakha added, “is not really living up to its promise.”

To generate awareness of the immediate need for female education, UCLA is hosting a film screening of the 10×10 Production, “Girl Rising,” which depicts the stories of nine girls from nine different countries who overcome numerous obstacles to get an education.

Due to low funding, 10×10 has not been able to exhibit their film in all theaters. To assist them, the Pakistani Student Association has collaborated with many organizations on campus to showcase the film to promote the movement for girls education. With this goal in mind, we have started a campaign called “UCLA Rising” to encourage everyone to join us and, not only find inspiration from the movie, but learn about what we can do to help advance girls’ education. All proceeds will go to Room to Read – an organization solely devoted to educating females around the globe.

The program is on May 29th at 7:00 pm in Haines 29.

Twitter: @UCLARising

Check out the event for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/380502428735463/

Film trailer:

*Update: Title previously read “Girl Rising”.

Let us examine France. For a nation that purports “liberty, equality, and fraternity”, how is it that France actively bans the hijab in public institutions? In 2011 it went a step further and officially outlawed the burqa. According to former president Nicolas Sarkozy, banning the burqa was necessary because, “We cannot accept to have in women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, [and] deprived of identity”.

The banning of religious clothing, as paradoxical as this is to France’s national motto, is not a recent idea. Dating back to the days of French colonialism, as part and parcel to France’s mission civilize, the French had an agenda that consisted of “saving” the veiled women of Algeria. “Saving” the population through the spread of civilization was nothing but a guise for establishing Western dominance. Fast-forward to 2004 and French politicians are repeating the same trope of trying to “save” Muslim women.

Dangerous assumptions like these perpetuate the mentality that the West must intervene as the “savior of oppressed women”. That it must free the subjugated and restore justice. This is the same rhetoric that is used by groups such as FEMEN. Headquartered in Kiev, FEMEN is an ultra-feminist organization that has gained international notoriety within the last few years. While FEMEN’s overwhelming dedication to women’s rights should be commended, their modus operandi is questionable. Participants in FEMEN protests go topless.

A day of protests recently organized in solidarity with Tunisian activist Amina Tyler, provoked outrage in the Muslim community. As a self-identified FEMEN “sextremist”, Tyler, 19, posted topless photographs to the group’s Tunisian Facebook page. With red lipstick and a cigarette in hand, Tyler is photographed with Arabic scrawled over her bare chest. The message, which translates to, “My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone’s honor” is just one of the messages she conveys. In a second photograph, “FUCK YOUR MORALS” is plastered on a once again, topless Tyler.

The backlash Tyler received for her indecent exposure led to death threats. A Tunisian cleric issued a fatwa (non-binding legal recommendation) that stated that Tyler be stoned to death for her indiscretion. Incensed by his remarks, FEMEN activists took to the streets to stand in solidarity with Tyler against the perceived patriarchal oppression of Islam. April 4, 2013 was proclaimed “International Topless Jihad Day.” In Ukraine, France, Italy, Belgium and Sweden, topless women congregated and chanted slogans such as “Muslim women, let’s get naked,” all the while condemning the hijab. Three FEMEN activists in France went as far as to burn a flag inscribed with the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. This insult was the last straw. The desecration of any religious symbol is indefensible and any Muslim offended by this action has every right to be. Muslim women opposed to FEMEN’s actions quickly united to form a counter-protest: Muslim Women Against FEMEN.

Muslim Women Against FEMEN have come out not only in defense of the hijab, but in defense of their religion. By and large, the ethos of non-Muslim feminists have been antithetical to Muslim women. Non-Muslim feminists, like the FEMEN activists that contributed to “Topless Jihad Day,” project an ethnocentric vision of feminism. These women, particularly white feminists, view the hijab as being a tool of oppression and therefore feel the need to “save” Muslim women. The false assumptions they have of Islam espouse a disturbing Orientalist attitude that has yet to disappear. If the FEMEN activists are so concerned about the welfare of Muslim women, why would they insult an entire religion? It seems as though they forgot that wearing the hijab is a personal choice.

Non-Muslim feminists essentially belittle the work of great Muslim feminists like Leila Ahmed that have made invaluable strides. FEMEN, and those that hold similar beliefs, genuinely think they are doing Muslim women a favor with their topless protesting. This is hardly the case. Muslim women do not view the hijab as being oppressive, rather, it can be liberating. Demonstrating disapproval of the hijab through nudity is counterproductive. Is stripping off one’s clothes an effective method of battling sexism? I think not. Degrading oneself in public seems to perpetuate the sexism that FEMEN aims to eradicate.

This dichotomy between liberation and oppression will most likely not be reconciled in the near future. Groups like FEMEN must learn to stop appropriating a religion that is not theirs. Just as there is variety in Christianity, there is variety in Islam. Muslims are not part of a monolithic group that thinks and acts the same way. Assuming that all Muslim women that wear the hijab are oppressed because of patriarchy is truly a gross simplification. Yes, patriarchy may exist in Islam but what major religion is not patriarchal in nature?

But rather than picturing this spectrum as a straight line with low confidence on the left and high on the right, it may make more sense to consider it as a circle or ellipse (I’m taking Rocket Science so ellipses are stuck in my head).

Back to my point: I don’t believe arrogance is the rightmost (or greatest) point on the spectrum. I do think, however, that you can cross a line from self-confidence to arrogance.

Imagine you are an ant on this ellipse (for some reason math teachers love to imagine they and their students are ants). You start at the leftmost point of the ellipse labeled low-confidence. As you travel along the upper curve to the right, you can reach the rightmost point: high self-confidence. This is a good spot to be and insh`Allah we can all end up there.

Now, arrogance comes into play along the bottom part of the curve, towards low self-confidence. See, arrogance has nothing to do with having high self-confidence. On the contrary, it is related more to low confidence.

Those who are not confident in themselves feel the need to have some superiority complex in order to compensate. This is when they start behaving in an arrogant and judgemental manner. They need to put others down to feel good about themselves. May God protect us from such feelings.

A line from Khurram Murad’s In the Early Hours relates self-confidence back to our relationship with God. He notes how “self-confidence is borne from the believer’s intimate knowledge and understanding that Allah is ever ready to assist those who strive and struggle in His way.”

A complete reliance on God will help us stay confident. We must trust that He has given us all we need to do well in this life. Sometimes we take this feeble approach to life because we are not confident in our abilities, but it is not befitting of the Most Merciful and Most Just to give you something you can’t handle. In the Quran it says: “…on no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear”(2:286).

Back to the ellipse. Another reason I like this new picture is because it represents the cyclical nature of life. We are constantly struggling. One never reaches the cliff and just stays there. Part of life are the ups and downs. We have to embrace them. We may slip up and start to feel a bit self-sufficient as we forget God has allowed us to be where we are. God-willing, we will reflect on our actions and strive to correct them.

I’ll conclude by just hammering home that self-confidence is a requirement of one who truly believes in God. A lack of it shows we don’t think He has equipped us with the necessary tools for success. This is an ongoing struggle, but that is life, isn’t it? May God help us be confident in ourselves and avoid feelings of self-sufficiency.

Outraged by the fear mongering tactics of local news stations aimed at suppressing the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in January 2011, Bassem Youssef created a parody webseries on YouTube called “The B+ Show.” The immediate popularity of the series led it to become the first program in the Middle East to switch to television from the web. The satirical news, newly named Al-Bernameg (The Program), has had groundbreaking success since its debut in September 2012.

Al-Bernameg is one of a small number of television programs in Egypt which host a live studio audience. Youssef, a heart surgeon turned comedian/television host shares great admiration for comedian/media critic/television host, Jon Stewart, and has stated that Al-Bernameg is modeled after The Daily Show. Youssef also employs many of the techniques utilized by Stephen Colbert in The Colbert Report, using a variety of props, graphics and montages to hold Egypt’s leaders accountable for their actions and exposing the “deceit and hypocrisy” that Youssef says is so common in Egyptian television news reporting. The show gets more than 30 million viewers across the Middle East who yearn for a fresh perspective from media figures.

While the show’s lampooning of the government, media and religious figures has gained it international popularity, it has also earned it a hostile following. Youssef has been subject to several lawsuits, many from Islamist lawyers, calling for the suspension of the show for inappropriate content.

In March 2013 a warrant was issued for his arrest for allegedly insulting Islam and diminishing the stature of President Morsi, a former member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. His arrest is said to be part of an increase in legal action against activists, protesters and critics, as the government crackdowns against dissent.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Youssef explained that he is not critical of Islam itself, but individuals who have hijacked Islam for their own agenda. “I’m a proud, practicing Muslim,” he said. “I break down holy taboos that should not be holy and should not be taboos because…I’m someone who believes that religion should be used as spiritual guidance, not a source of or a tool of tyranny. Once you start using religion to control peoples lives through politics, now you have missed the point.”

Despite arrest, lawsuits and political pressure, Youssef’s satirical sketches continue to confront the Egyptian government. In an episode aired in April, Youssef targeted Qatar, a known financial-supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. He criticized what Al Monitor stated can be seen as “Qatar’s aggressive political ambitions” in Egypt. Youssef orchestrated a parody of the popular Nasser-era Pan-Arab song, “My Beloved Homeland,” changing the title to “My Beloved Qatar.”

The lyrics included: “Qatari my darling little brother, day after day your money grows… your finances are full in my country… The Suez Canal is yours. Sell to Qatar and reap the benefits. Sell the Egyptian pyramids and build two more… All the Egyptian people thank you.”

Al Monitor explains that some attribute Qatar’s eagerness to provide financial aide to Egypt as a means to gain influence over the state. Others believe it is to help keep the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists in power.

When the sketch ended, Youssef clarified that he had nothing against the Qatari people, explaining that what he was being critical of was how the Egyptian government was encouraging foreign investors to sell or rent crucial sites.

Al-Bernameg is said to be the most popular television show in the Arab world and is quickly gaining recognition from international audiences. Youssef appeared on The Daily Show for the second time on April 24, 2013 after appearing on the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people.

At the height of his popularity, Youssef continues to push the boundaries of freedom of expression in Egypt. Humor has provided comedians like Youssef an alternative sphere of engagement that allows them to voice frustrations with Egyptian authority figures and institutions. This new generation of post-revolution comedians is creating a space for meaningful discourse that provokes reflection and action through the use of comedy.

I hope you have all seen the aforementioned movie; it is full of life lessons that are applicable to our lives. I will touch upon some here. The story revolves around a very naturally gifted orphan, played by Matt Damon, who is afraid (and has been unable) to tap into his potential. I will leave it at that in hopes that you take me up on the offer and see it.

In one of my favorite scenes (besides the refusal to work for the NSA and apple surveys) Matt Damon and his best friend Ben Affleck (yes he was in a successful movie) are taking a lunch break from their construction job. NOTE: I will leave some–nay all– of the colorful language out.

Matt comments about how great it will be when their kids play together on Sunday afternoons while they watch football. That is when Ben rips into him: he tells him that if he is still in this town doing this job when they have kids, then Ben will not be too pleased.

This is not about Matt doing it for his own good. Rather, Ben tells him that Matt has a great opportunity to do something special with his talents, but is too afraid to take a shot at greatness.

Zeyad, what the heck does this scene have to do with us? Well I was reflecting on the fact that many students have been accepted to a lot of great schools at this time of year.

They have an opportunity to do something great. We, too, were in their shoes. Did we do everything within our power to be the best we can be? God knows best. I just wanted to share a reminder with us that UCLA is an amazing institution.

We have been given such a great opportunity that some kids only dream of. Our parents dreamt of these opportunities. If we feel they are pushing us for no reason, realize they want what is best for us. They know of people back home who would love to have this chance, but never will.

My main point is that there are a bunch of things we take for granted that are really profound. We are taking classes with people that are world renown experts in their field. They are legally obligated to give us one on one meetings where we can ask them whatever we please; these are referred to as Office Hours.

You would be surprised how many professors around the nation know the professor whose class you are taking. These guys are available to us at no extra cost. It is a really crazy thought.

We are humans and even if something is amazing, it ends up being all relative. UCLA (or whatever school) is just another school after a while. But I think we need to reflect and think about the opportunity God has blessed us with. Not only academic interests, but others abound at such campuses. Whatever we are doing let us be great at it and not take what we have for granted.

I saw a middle-aged man in a wheelchair approaching me. I was a little confused. My face must have reflected this state of stressed confusion because he wheeled right up to me, beamed, and said “Put a smile on that face!” That was all I needed to turn my day around.

This man likely has difficulty doing things we don’t think twice about, but he doesn’t let it faze him. He may have lost ease in mobility, but he has not lost faith. This stranger’s smile reminded me to have complete faith in Allah and put my absolute trust in His knowledge and His plan for me. As Allah states in the Quran,

“Put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those that trust [in Him].” (3:159)

Allah blessed me with Islam, with a family that loves me, with a community that brings me closer to Allah, and with friends that I pray to be reunited with on the Day of Resurrection. What else matters?

This stranger had no idea that his smile and reminder kept me going that entire day. My spirits were high, my Iman higher. His sweet words deeply penetrated my heart. Months have passed, but I still haven’t forgotten his kindness.

Of the many lessons I learned that day, I found two especially relevant to college students. One, always have a smile ready for those around you, and two, always give people seventy excuses.

Always have a smile

Being a student at UCLA is stressful. The quarter has just started as you already feel like you’re losing control. Imagine riding a beautiful Arabian horse on the beach. Initially you have total control over speed and direction. This is week one and two for most of us. After a short while, the horse begins to feel restless and pulls at the reins. You feel like you are losing control and you may not be able to get off alive. This is weeks three through nine. Then, the horse becomes extremely agitated and bolts at full speed while simultaneously trying to throw you off. This is week nine and ten. You feel like you’re going to fail every single one of your finals and the dream of graduating from UCLA fades into obscurity.

If you see someone in any of the various stages – from docile to crazy horse – smile, and remind the person that this horse cannot do anything without Allah’s will. If Allah wills for you to survive the journey on the horse (or the quarter), then you WILL survive.

The Prophet (pbuh) said to Ibn Abbas, “…If the whole nation were to gather together to benefit you they would only benefit you with that which Allah had already written for you, and if the whole nation were to gather to harm you they could only harm you with that which Allah had already written to harm you. The pen has been lifted and the ink has dried.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Give seventy excuses

Hamdun al-Qassar said, “If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your heart is unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own self.”

For example, how many of us complain when someone doesn’t say salam or smile at us? Maybe the person just failed an exam. Maybe he/she was in a confrontation with a roommate. Maybe he/she found out a parent is sick.

We assume that if our lives are going well, then everyone else is also having an amazing time. But in reality, we are all facing our own problems and issues. Allah (swt) reminds us of the frequency of our hardships,

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, ‘When is the help of Allah?’ Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” [Qur’an, 2:214]

We expect understanding when we are struggling and cannot be the Muhammad or Mariam we usually are. But when another individual is going through difficulty and doesn’t interact the way they usually might, the first thing we do is make it about ourselves. We get hurt and accuse the person of changing.

Instead of giving up on the person, give to the other person. Give them a smile. Give them seventy excuses. They will eventually overcome their difficulty. Our duty is to be there for them throughout this time, not to make it harder by abandoning or speaking ill of them.

We are all here at UCLA with common goals: to receive an education to better our lives and others’ lives, to use this education to bring ourselves closer to Allah, and to reach our ultimate destination, Jannah. There will be different obstacles throughout this journey for different people, but, as Muslims, we should be helping each other out each step of the way.

Allah reassures, “And give good news to those who persevere, those who say, when a misfortune strikes them, surely to Allah we belong, and surely to Him we will return, these are the ones on whom blessings from their Lord descend, and mercy, and these are the ones who are rightly guided’ (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155-157).

Lana Habib El-Farra, an active member of the Muslim Students Association, is running for Internal Vice President for the upcoming year within the Let’s Act! slate. Last year, as an independent, she successfully served in the position of External Vice President.

El-Farra decided to join a slate this year in order to create more effective change. She said that it is important for many voices to come together, not just one. She is running as Internal Vice President because she wants to focus on engaging with students on campus and addressing issues such as campus safety, affordability, and diversity.

The ten candidates of Let’s Act! posses “similar and cohesive views that will allow for USAC to thrive as a whole,” said El-Farra.

These goals include establishing a Bruin Transfer Day, extending night hours in Young Research Library, and creating a financial aid mobile application. The Let’s Act! slate aims to address student wants and needs and streamline access to UCLA services.

One of the most important issues this year is the Bruin Diversity Initiative which supports community service, student retention, on-campus programs, and numerous student groups that strengthen diversity on campus.

The Let’s Act! slate endorses this initiative and encourages students to vote yes on the ballot because it will benefit all the diverse student-run organizations on campus.

Voting ends this Thursday, May 9, so make sure to sign in to MyUCLA and vote YES for El Farra, YES for Lets Act!, and YES on the Bruin Diversity Initiative.

Photo Credit: Nabilah Abdelaal

At breakfast, we discussed why Jeet got started with entrepreneurship, how he came to where he is now, and what it was that he exactly did. I was surprised to discover that the idea Jeet had developed into a successful business was an idea I had once thought of as well. Most people have probably had a similar, if not the same, idea.

I just could not believe that sort of idea could come to fruition – especially because I was still in high school when I thought of it. But Jeet formed a company out of his idea in his senior year of high school. I often used to say, “I’m 19 years old and have yet to do something substantial with my life. Zuckerberg was 21 when he began Facebook. That means I only have a couple of years to catch up!”

Well, now I’m 20, and the drive to do something has only increased as the days have passed. How was Jeet able to take an idea at 17 and develop it into something tangible? He is the same age as I am, he grew up in the same society as I did, he had about the same opportunities I did – our circumstances are very similar.

Stories of successful, talented young entrepreneurs are all over the web. Many of us have looked at these entrepreneurs and thought to ourselves, “I could have done the same thing.” But we haven’t allowed our ideas to transform into something real.

This made me think: How did they do it? Sure they had ideas, but many people have ideas – I certainly have ideas. I shared these musings with Jeet. I had thought of an idea similar to his, yet I’m still stuck saying, “I’m 20 years old and have yet to do something substantial with my life.”

“What kind of advice do you have for me?” I said.

I expected the typical entrepreneur spiel: you have to work hard, you have to realize not everyone can do it, etc. But instead of the classic response, Jeet taught me an immensely valuable lesson. An idea is utterly pointless unless it’s executed. Whether it’s executed successfully or not is another question, but investing in work to actualize an idea is a powerful concept.

I might have a brilliant idea, but it will rot in my mind unless it’s executed. We know ideas impact society in significant ways, but without execution, they can never possess that power. Those of us who are aspiring entrepreneurs, we need to take the next step: we need to execute our ideas.

All of us have ideas, but how many of us actually make them more than words? Let’s talk about this. What are some tangible, practical methods you use to develop ideas? How do you stay motivated to successfully execute those ideas?