Reflection

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said:

"Whoever of you wakes up in the safety of his house, healthy in body, and has enough food for the day--then it is as if the world has been gathered for him in its entirety."

Reflection!

"Believers, respond to God and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. Know that God comes between a person and their heart, and that you will be gathered to Him." (Qur'an 8:24).

Fairfield University's 1st Friday Prayer Service (Jumu'ah) of the Year!

Just want to remind everyone that today, Friday Oct 7th at 1:15pm in the Interfaith Room in 42 Bellarmine, Fairfield University will have its 1st Friday Prayer Service (known in Arabic as Salat al-Jumu'ah) of the year! The sermon is titled, "The Muslim's Constitution: Mindfulness, Repentance, and Beautiful Character." Whether you are Muslim or from another faith tradition, all are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, check out the link on the 411 Page: Fairfield University's 1st Friday Prayer Service of the Year!

Interesting Quote

Hey everyone, as the school work increases we tend to become overwhelmed and procrastinate, so this quote came to mind:

"Everyone who is taken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes excuses for procrastination". –Ali Ibn Abi Talib RA

Therefore, let us keep up with our work and always remember Allah (SW) and inshallah we will succeed.

Reflection

The Messenger of God (peace and mercy be upon him) said:

"God the Exalted is good and accepts only that which is good. Indeed God has commanded the believers to do that which he commanded the messengers. The Exalted has said: 'Messengers, eat good things and do good deeds.' And God the Exalted has said : 'You who believe, eat the good things We have provided for you.'"

Then he mentioned [the case of] a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty, and who spreads out his hands to the sky [saying] : "O Lord! O Lord!" --meanwhile his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully--so how could he be answered?!"
[Narrated by Muslim]

Welcome Letter from New Muslim Chaplain

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

and may God's peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions

Assalamu 'alaykum everyone!

My name is Amjad Tarsin and I am your new Muslim Chaplain for this year. I hope that everyone had a great Ramadan and Summer, and that the school year is off to an amazing start! I would also like to especially welcome new freshman to Fairfield. I am sure you will have a very formative time over the next four years, God willing. For most people, college brings about some of the most memorable experiences in one's life.

Allah says in the Qur'an: "The believers, both men and women, support each other; they order what is right and forbid what is wrong; they keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms; they obey God and His Messenger. God will give His mercy to such people: God is Almighty and Wise." (9:71).

And the Prophet Muhammad (peace and mercy be upon him) said,"The likeness of the believers in their love, mercy, and compassion is like that of a body. When one part of the body complains, the rest of the body reacts with sleeplessness and fever." [Bukhari & Muslim].

College is a wonderful journey (most of the time!) of growth, discovery, and challenges - and one of the things that successfully gets you through it all is good company. One of the goals of the Muslim Students' Association and the Muslim Chaplain is to be able to provide the support, mutual love, mercy, and compassion to Muslim students on campus. Whether you are interested in taking an active role in the MSA or not, I nevertheless encourage you to take advantage of the friendship and good company it has to offer.

I would also like to let any students know that as the Muslim Chaplain here, I am available for you, if needed, so please don't hesitate to contact me. If ever you feel the need to share something with me - whether you are having educational, personal, or spiritual struggles - I am here for you.

I wish you all a wonderful year ahead, and pray that Allah blesses you all with learning, growth, and wisdom.



Wassalamu 'alaykum (Peace be upon you all),
Amjad Tarsin
Muslim Chaplain

Mawlid!

    

Please join us this Friday, February 18th to celebrate the life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad. The Mawlid is a traditional celebration that happens every year in the month of Rabi'al Awwal--the third month of the Islamic calendar. FairfieldU students will be offering reflections, poems and/or prophetic traditions that have in some way inspired them.

The Mawlid will take place this Friday at 3:30pm in the chapel house (mcgrath commons), and it will be an opportunity like none other to remember the life of the Prophet Muhammad; to learn from him, and to learn about him. We encourage individuals of all faiths, cultures and traditions to attend and take part in this celebration. Middle Eastern food will be served!

In the Stag Spotlight!

Check out this interview with the Muslim chaplain regarding the first Jumu'ah and religious pluralism at FairfieldU: (Stag Spotlight)

1. When did you join the Fairfield community as the new Muslim Chaplain at the University?

I started as the Muslim Chaplain intern at Fairfield this past September. I am nearly done with my Master’s degree in Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Chaplaincy at Hartford Seminary, and this position has been a wonderful stepping stone in my ministry.

2. How would you describe the Fairfield community, and its tolerance of religious pluralism?

The Fairfield community has been very welcoming and accepting. Father Gerry Blaszczak has been both a mentor and friend in my time here at Fairfield. He was the one who opened the position for a Muslim Chaplain and also made an interfaith prayer space available to the students. He has this wonderful vision for the University that will allow different faith communities to continue to flourish and work with one another, and I am so deeply honored to be a part of that.

3. Why was this moment in time chosen for Fairfield’s first Muslim prayer service on campus?

This year for the first time, the Muslim students were accommodated with an interfaith prayer space in the 42 Bellarmine Residence Hall. We share that space with other faith groups on campus and it is truly a testament to the University’s effort in moving forward with religious pluralism on campus. With the opening of a prayer space and the hiring of a Muslim chaplain, we felt it was the perfect time to hold a prayer service. It marks history at Fairfield University, and it was a way of inviting the community to be involved in that.

4. What does this event signify to you?

This event for me signifies the beginning of great things to come at Fairfield. I hope our events allow the broader community to understand Islam in a positive light. Our prayer service prompted the Center for Judaic Studies to host their first ever Shabbat service on campus in the same interfaith prayer space (which will take place in February). We are entering a time where interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding is pivotal in our everyday lives — and with events like these we can continue to prepare our students for that type of meaningful dialogue.

5. Please describe the primary differences between Catholic and Muslim prayer.

I think one of the common misconceptions that people have is that Muslims pray to a different God, because you often hear the term “Allah” being used interchangeably with “God.” However the term “Allah” is the Arabic word for God, and because our ritual prayers are recited in Arabic we often use the term “Allah.” Interestingly enough, however, Arab Christians also use the word Allah when referring to God and reading the Arabic Bible. Though ritualistically, prayers obviously differ across faith traditions; the underlying ethic is to establish a relationship with God – seeking His forgiveness, His Mercy, His Guidance, and everything in between. Throughout the week Muslims pray 5 times daily — Friday is considered our holy day or Sabbath if you like — where Muslims gather in a mosque or prayer space, listen to the Friday sermon, and follow that with prayer. This is what we did at Fairfield University this past November.

6. Please describe the rituals and intentions of Muslim prayer.

Before a Muslim prays, they perform a ritual washing that takes only a couple of minutes. Because of the sacredness of prayer, we want to face God in a state of physical and spiritual purity. The washing reminds us that we have an important meeting with God, and those few minutes give us time to mentally prepare for prayer as well. Muslims pray 5 obligatory prayers throughout the day (and there are optional prayers you can add as well); the first prayer at sunrise, the second at noon, the third at midday, the fourth at sunset, and the fifth at night. The Islamic prayer involves recitation from the Qur’an (the Islamic Holy Scripture), and prostrations. With one’s forehead to the ground, Muslims believe this is when God’s Servant is at the peak of humility and the closest to God.

7. Were non-Muslim students, faculty, and staff welcomed to join, and if they did, did you receive any feedback from them?

The title of our event was “Ever Wonder How Muslims Pray? Come Join us and See!” I wanted this prayer service to be as inclusive as possible and I was astounded to see the student and faculty support we received that day. We set up half the room with chairs as a sort of observatory area, and Muslims traditionally sit on the floor and listen to the sermon as a sign of humility. The setup worked great. Afterward we had a very rich Q&A session over food; following the event I was overwhelmed with the positive and reassuring feedback we received.

9. Any other upcoming events you’d like the University community to be aware of?

We definitely hope to have at least two more prayer services before the end of the year. There are a couple events to keep an eye for. On Wednesday February 23^rd I will be a part of an interfaith panel on same sex marriage, “Does God Approve of Same Sex Marriage,” to be held in the BCC. One of our larger events will take place April 11^th-15^th, and that will be Islam Awareness Week. The Muslim students will put on a week of informative and interactive programming about Islam. It will be the first of its kind at Fairfield University, so we’re really excited about that.