VOTING PERIOD: April 3-5 from 12-4pm at ISC
Come out and vote for the 2007-08 MSA Executives! Voting is taking place April 3-5 at ISC from 12-4pm. Please make sure you bring valid student ID with you and that you’re subscribed to our mailing list. If you aren’t, it’s easy to get on…just send an email to msa.exec@utoronto.ca by midnight Monday. These are your future execs, so come out and make your vote count!

MISSING PHONE: A phone was lost on Friday, February 2, at the MSA banquet in the William Doo Hall. It’s a black LG slide phone. If anyone knows its whereabout please email msa.exec@utoronto.ca.

MAKE SANDWICHES FOR THE HOMELESS: The number of homeless people is on the rise, and here is your chance to make a difference. Join us on Friday, February 16 from 2-5 pm at the Bahen Prayer Space (near Megabites cafe) and help us make sandwiches for Toronto’s homeless. For more information, email msa_comm@yahoo.ca.

MSA GOES DOWNHILL…SKIING!: On Monday, February 19, seven MSAs from five different universities across Ontario will be going downhill together at the Horseshoe Valley ski resort (about 1.5 hours driving from Toronto). Join us on the slopes for the cheapest price in town – tickets are $40 for skiing and $50 for snow boarding, and can be purchased after Jumuah prayers at Hart House, after Duhr and Maghrib prayers at the Bahen prayer space, and at the UTSU (formerly SAC) office. The last day to buy tickets is Friday, February 16. For more information about the trip, please visit http://muslim.sa.utoronto.ca or email msa.bro.events@gmail.com.

THE VARSITY AGM: The Varsity student newspaper is having its Annual Meeting this Thursday, January 25, at 6pm in The Varsity offices located inside the UofT Sussex Clubhouse (21 Sussex Ave., 2nd floor). The Varsity’s members will be voting whether to adopt changes in its by-laws; proposed changes can be viewed at www.thevarsity.ca. All full-time undergraduate students are considered members of The Varsity Corporation and are welcome to attend the meeting.

TAJWEED HALAQA: The Tajweed halaqa will resume this Thursday, January 25, 2007 in BA2195 after Maghrib prayers. The halaqa is open to all and special accommodations are available for sisters.

Please note that the location of the Sisters’ Eid Dessert night has changed. It will now be held at Sidney Smith (100 St. George Street), room 2108, on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 5:30 pm.

Hope to see you all (i.e. sisters) there!

Need a break from class? Meet fellow MSA and exec members over FREE refreshements served after Duhr (afternoon) prayers this Tuesday, January 16 at the Bahen prayer space.

by Farhan Asrar 

UNICEF estimates that by the end of 2003, there were 143 million orphans aged 0-17 in 93 developing countries. More than 16 million were orphaned in 2003 alone. Due to recent events such as wars, tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters, these numbers have increased exponentially.

Islam emphasizes the obligation and responsibility upon us to take care of orphans. There are many sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and verses in the Qur’an that mention the importance of taking care of orphans and of Allah’s (Glory be to Him) dislike for those who do not treat orphans and the needy fairly.

Narrated Sahl bin Saa’d (may Allah be pleased with him):

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,” putting his index and middle fingers together (Bukhari).

Another Ramadan is about to pass us by and then we’ll be left with bittersweet memories of all the good deeds we did and what we neglected to do that could have earned us the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah (Glory be to Him). But don’t let this Ramadan pass you by without making a difference!

The MSA’s Orphan Sponsorship Program is currently sponsoring 100 orphans from 17 countries, Alhamdulillah! It only costs $360, $396 or $720 to sponsor an orphan for a year depending on the country the orphan is living in (the disparity is due to the differences in the cost of living in different countries). That’s only one or two dollars a day! But from donations that have been collected thus far, barely half the amount required to re-sponsor these orphans has come in and we’re in dire need of your help to continue providing basic necessities to these orphaned children.

Donate any amount that you can. Get together with your friends and family and sponsor an orphan or two collectively. Donations can be in the form of cash, checks or credit card (online). Donations will be collected at the Jumu’ah prayers at Hart House. Every dollar makes a difference. And remember that Allah, Glory be to Him, never forgets an atom’s weight of good that a person does. And when it comes down to weighing our good deeds against our bad deeds on the Last Day, an atom’s weight of good might be just what we needed to tip our scales…

Please make your checks payable & addressed to:

Orphan Sponsorship Program
c/o MSA, University of Toronto, St. George campus
21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 405
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1J6

NB: Tax receipts will be issued upon request

For further information please visit the MSA website, or contact: osp.uoft@yahoo.ca

Some orphans currently being sponsored

Iftars for the rest of this week (Wed, Sept 27 & Thrs, Sept 28) will be held at the Koffler Center located at 214 College St. on the 3rd floor, Student Affairs.

N.B. The Welcome Dinner will replace the Iftar on Friday, Sept 29.

Other locations will be announced as the information is made available.

Dear MSA Member,

The MSA would like to wish you and your loved ones a blessed Ramadan, and pray that this month brings us closer to our Lord and that He, Glory be to Him, accepts from us, our fasting, our prayers, and our efforts to renew our intentions as we strive to better ourselves.

As always, the MSA will be providing FREE daily iftars on campus; please check the MSA Website or the MSA Blog for the latest updates on timings and locations.  Additionally, taraweeh prayers will also be held on campus and we are currently looking for someone to lead the taraweeh prayers. Interested volunteers please email msa.religious@gmail.com

Once again, we pray that God guides us towards making this Ramadan a source for gathering numerous blessings and getting our major and minor sins forgiven.

Sincerely,

The MSA Executive
msa.exec@utoronto.ca