contents

Reflections
3 The Link
3
3
AlMaghrib Who?
My Best Friend
Dear Qabeelat
Interview with Instructor
4 We Heard AlMaghrib Instructors Are
Funny. You Decide.
Ittihaad,
Feature Article Asalamualaikum.
5!!!The Real Elites! AlHamdulillah we have had another
successful class! Route 114 has been our
Articles
6!!Q/A!
fourth class and I think it is safe to
say that Ittihaad has grown up fast.
7!! They Intend to Put Out the Light of Allah! Being the first international qabeelah
Fiction we have had unique challenges from the
start. By the grace of Allah and a
8!!!Outside the Metal Doors
continuously committed volunteer and
Arts & Entertainment student group we have been able to
9 Quiz overcome our obstacles and create a
9 Recommended Resources very unique qabeelah.
10 Poems We have created a name for ourselves as having the best hospitality in
11 Comic AlMaghrib. From our welcome packets to our host houses we go out of our
12 Gems & Bloopers way to keep our student body united, happy, and well taken care of. What
makes us stand out the most is our diverse student body.

I don’t think any of us anticipated just how true our slogan, A Tribe
without Borders, would become when it was chosen; it describes the essence
credits
!
of who we are. Not only do we unite the Muslims of Windsor and Michigan
but we regularly have students from all over the Midwest all the way to the
E d i t o r - i n - C h i e f : Iman Kouvalis
!

Editors: East Coast attend our classes. And I am not talking about a few. For our
Ghazala Choudhary, Farzana Khan (Mina), last class alone we had a group of fifteen from Ohio and a couple of students
Umm 'Abdullah from Maryland.
Graphic/Layout Designer:
Iman Kouvalis As we watch Ittihaad grow we should never think we have aged enough for
Front and Back Cover: there is always room for improvement. With every student that joins our
Ala Fahmy
Illustrator: ranks we should always seek out the ones we have missed. May Allah help us
Sakina Al-Amin, Duha Fahmy to make this qabeelah a success and may He keep us all guided on His Path.
Photographers:
Sarrah Buageila, Marium Hussain We look forward to coming together with all of you, both in and out of class,
Writers: to enjoy working, learning, and living for the sake of Allah.
Kaltun Abdikarani, Noorulain Abdulla, Sarrah
Buageila, Sireen Chaker, Eman Fahmy, Eid Walaikumusalam,
Farha, Juli Herman, Hala Hersi, Inshaw
Hussain, Rahma Jama, Ahmad Mohammad,
Tuba Pervez, Mariam Raza, Adil Sattar,
Sahra Shirdon, Asma Youssouf Sarrah Buageila and Eid Farha
Web site Coordinator: Michigan Ameerah and Ameer
Said Ketchman
2

the link
AlMaghrib
who?
By: Hala Hersi
Four 3-hr car rides with nine sisters, a sleepless
double weekend, and one of the best educational
experiences of my life. I think that sums up my
first AlMaghrib seminar. I remember when a friend
of mine mentioned this seminar to me. My initial
reaction was “AlMaghrib who? Where, Michigan?
You’re driving to Michigan for a lecture? Go to the
masjid, there’s a lecture there tonight.”
But just as she told me, this is not like any other
lecture. She insisted I take down the website and
look into it. A few hours later, I was registered for
Route 114 in Dearborn.
Now that the class is over, I can reflect back and
ask myself, “Is it what I expected?” It was what I
expected and more. I knew the instructor would
teach a lot of information in a limited time frame. I,
however, did not expect to be as engaged in the
class as I was. I’ve taken several college courses
and I’ve been through hundreds of hours of
lectures, but this class was like no other. My
knowledge seemed to increase by the hour.
When all is said and done, I know this knowledge
wouldn’t have just soaked in my head itself. It is
with the help of Allah that this opportunity was
able to reach me. I am forever grateful and I pray
to Allah, that future opportunities such as Route
114 pass by my route.
reflections
By: Rahma Jama
In my quest to regain the hype for Qur'an memorization, I decided to take Uloom al-
Qur'an. It is in this class that I discovered what exactly is meant by having a personal
connection with the Qur'an. The companions I learned were those individuals who had
that relationship. Through initiation by the Prophet (saw) himself, many were able to
learn the Qur'an and so after the Prophet's death all were saddened for many
reasons.
One person who I will always keep in mind when it comes to Uloom al-Qur'an is Umm
Ayman, also known as Barakah. She was the prophet's "other mother" as the Prophet
(saw) termed her. Umm Ayman cried when the he died because she felt they would
not have the connection they had with heaven because of the revelations. The
connection Umm Ayman mentions shows just how close and connected the
companions were to the Qur'an and to the Prophet (saw).
This connection I feel is one that still exists today and will never perish for those who
recite the Qur'an. Not only are we as individuals connected to the companions and
the Prophet (saw) but we know that we will always have a connection with Allah. We
know that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah and that once we open the pages of the
Qur'an we know that He is speaking directly to us. I know in my heart that it’s the
same words recited by our beloved Prophet (saw) as well recited by the companions.
The chain and the link between us and the Prophet, to the companions, and finally to
us will exist as long as we open the mus-hafs.
my best friend By: Inshaw Hussain
“Was the Qur'an revealed upon incidents or did the incidents purposely take place for
revelation?” As soon as I heard Shaykh Mohammad Ibn Faqih, I woke up from
daydreaming, and my bagel almost fell out of my hands! If you reflect upon this
question, it's almost life-changing. Are all events purposely put there to teach us
something or does an incident need to happen in order
for the lesson to be learnt?
Throughout the journey on Route 114, I felt this divine
force that changed me and put a lot of my iman into per-
spective. To learn how the Qur'an came to exist, how
the Prophet (saw) received his revelations, the different
stages the revelations went through, how the Qur’an was
put together by the companions, when the Qur’an was
compiled, where the surahs were revealed, and the
different ways the Qur’an was recited, made me realize
that it's not just a book – it's something so strong, so
powerful.
After learning about all these things I never knew or
thought about the Qur’an, now when I recite these
beautiful words of Allah (swt), I think about all the
things I’ve learned at Route 114 and put them together
to help me make the Qur’an my best friend and the
way that I should live my life as a Muslim, insha' Allah.
3
 We heard AlMaghrib Compiled and Illustrated By:
Juli Herman with the help of her
daughters, Sakinah and Nura.

Instructors Are Funny.

You Decide.
Sweating
As he sits there waiting for his turn, nervous sweat trickles down his temples. Suddenly the door creaks open, and a fellow competitor
comes out. He nervously asks him, “What’d he ask you?”
“He asked my name, and when I told him my name’s Ibrahim, he told me to read Surat Ibrahim.” The next person, named Yusuf comes
out and he asks him the same question. Yusuf replied, "He asked me my name, and when I told him my name's Yusuf, he told me to
read Surat Yusuf." Same thing happens with Yunus. He begins to notice the pattern.
His back is damp with cold sweat. The door opens. He steps inside…

What’s your My name’s Imran, but my

name? siblings call me Kawthar.

How do they say wahy?

Wa’ee

WaHeee

Wahyu

Arab Directions
Bark When you see a big

Not Enough, Eh? here tree, turn right.

Run your
fingers Oh, then
through it. soak it
overnight. I hate the
dog.
But what if it’s Ignore
really thick him.
How can we and long?
wet our
beards when
making
4
feature article
Streams of blood, broken necks and mutilated bodies were enveloping the scene of
battleground. The clatter of swords, the scream of injured bodies and the whining
the real elites of horses were deafening the soldiers. One could feel the pressure mounting on the
Muslims – the army of Muslims was about to lose the battle against
Musaylamah Alkathaab.
In the middle of this apparent loss, Anas (ra) stands up high and calls out:
Ya Hammalatul Qur’an
O Bearers of Qur’an
Gather around me..
Anas was calling Muslim warriors to form a battalion—not just any battalion:
By: Umm ‘Abdullah

the battalion of huffadh (memorizers of Qur’an) only! His invitation resonated,

“If you aren’t among the bearers of Qur’an, no matter how talented soldier you are,
sorry, you cannot join this special battalion.” These bearers of Qur’an were the
elite of Muslim community: the cream of crop and the frontline warriors.
From this battalion, fifty-three huffadh achieved martyrdom in the way of Allah, leaving the next
best group, huffadh of surat Al-Baqarah, defend the honor of Muslims.
The Prophet (saw) said, “Among mankind, Allah has a preferred group of people.” The
companions enquired, “Who are they, O rasul Allah?” He replied, “They are the people of
Qur’an, the preferred group to Allah and the most special to him.” (Ahmed)
reality check
In this world and in the hereafter, the esteemed rank is reserved for those who know Qur’an the
most. They are going to be in the highest levels of jannah and they’re the special ones. Today, an
average story goes like this: five-year old Nadir starts reading Qur’an with Mualvi Sahib and, ma
sha’ Allah, he zooms through the entire Qur'an by the age of eight. His parents throw an “ameen”
party, marking his end of reading Qur’an regularly, leaving it only to be race-read in Ramadhan and
funerals.
And then when we read verses like, "Alif-lam-ra. [This is] a scripture which We have revealed unto
you (Muhammad) that thereby you bring mankind from darkness unto light, by the permission of
their Lord, unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise.” (Ibraheem: 1) – we question, “If this is
true, why are we, Muslims, failures now?”
The Qur’an doesn’t have the place in our hearts and lives that it should have. We are lacking in its
meticulous recitation, comprehension and adherence. We disregard the Prophet’s advice: Have
glad tidings! Verily, one end of this Qur’an is in the hand of Allah and the other is in your hands.
Adhere to it for then you will neither be destroyed no will go astray. (At-tabaranee)

Recitation:
Enroll in your local masjid’s tajweed and hifdh (memorization) program. Listen to
Qur’an audio while you’re driving or performing household chores. Don’t be satisfied
with average recitation: remember the story of “doc”. Practice recitation with
http://www.reciter.org or http://english.islamway.com.

Understanding:
Understanding
Join tafsir halaqat in your community and purchase tafsir books such as Ibn Kathir’s.
Don’t read Qur’an hastily – contemplate on its verses. It is worthwhile to read, “How to
approach and understand Qur’an” by Jamaal Zarabozo.

Application:
Learn how the companions and pious predecessors used to apply Qur’an. Fear Allah
and ask Him to help you put Qur’an into practice. Make friends with people who have
passion for Qur’an and Sunnah and who rush to apply them. Believe me, you will
learn plenty through this source.
5

Q.
Q/A Compiled By: Adil Sattar
What were some of the characteristics taken on by the Prophet (saw)
And the
when he received revelation of the Qur'an?
A.
He was known to become sweaty, cold, almost in a state
winner
of a comma where his eyes would close but he wasn't
asleep. He'd have to lie down from the weight of the
revelation. And my favorite one to hear about because it's so
is…
astonishing was when he got a revelation once while riding a
camel, due to the greatness of it, the camel's legs buckled and
it went to the ground.
Q.
How are the surahs that the Prophet (pbuh)
received categorized?
A.
One opinion is that it depends on the place of
revelation, i.e. a surah revealed in Madinah is a
Madanee surah. Another opinion is that it depends
on who the verses addressed so if they addressed
the people in Makkah it would be considered a
Makki surah. And the final opinion is that it depends
on the time period of the revelation and this is the
strongest and most accurate of the three opinions.
If a surah was revealed before the hijra to Madinah,
it is considered Makki.
#1
And the Class Qur'an Natural Product Scribe
Competition winner is:
Sr.Ishraq Thabet,, Dearborn
Here's her story:
One day there was a storm in Dearborn near my
work and it knocked down trees. There was a big
branch on the ground and I just broke a piece of
it to use as a natural item. Subhan Allah, the
branch was so huge and I was admiring God's
creation, design and power.
Q.
How many copies of the Qur'an were
made from the one Hafsa held onto after
Umar passed away?
A.
There is a difference in opinion. Some
reports show six or seven including the
master copy and some show five or six
including the master copy. Some places
where they were sent were Sham, Iraq,
Egypt, Makkah and Madinah.
6
They Intend
Intend to Put Out the
the Light
Light of Allah
Muslims are taught from a young age that the
Qur'an is perfect in its compilation and
preservation, without a single ayah or word
changed throughout the ages, just as Allah
promises in the Qur’an. To what extent do we
truly understand and believe this?
There is No Spiritual
Basis for Blind Faith
Unfortunately, as with many aspects of our
deen, some of us are hesitant to acquaint
ourselves with the foundation of this statement,
for fear and doubt that they would uncover
something that would undermine this
fundamental belief in Islam. Yet, in Islam, there
is no scriptural basis for blind faith. Indeed, the
truth has been made separate from falsehood.
Just so, the compilation and preservation of the
Qur’an is hardly as controversial and muddled
up as Orientalist make it out to be.
It is the responsibility of each Muslim to
investigate the history of the Qur'an’s
compilation and the manner in which it was
preserved in order to back up the bold claim
that the Qur’an of today is the same Qur’an
revealed to the Prophet (saw) and taught to his
companions.
Three Stages of
Compilation
There are three distinct stages in the
compilation of the Qur’an, the first stage
being during the Prophet’s (saw) life. That
the man chosen to be the recipient of the
Qur’an was unable to read and write is one
of the greatest proofs that the Qur’an was
truly from the Creator. The Prophet (saw)
ensured that each new Muslim had a
teacher to teach him the Qur’an, and the
sahabah shared the concern for the Qur’an’s
preservation. According to the tabaqat of Ibn
Sa’ad, twenty four people acted as scribes
for the Prophet (saw).
It is important to emphasize that although
the Qur’an was not compiled in one book
during the Prophet’s lifetime, the Prophet
(saw) ensured that it was written down in
totality. So why wasn’t the Qur’an compiled
while the Prophet was alive? There are a
multitude of reasons for this, among them,
the fact that the Qur’an was continually
revealed and could not be compiled until the
final revelation which was nine days before
the death of the Prophet (saw). Furthermore,
there was no immediate need for compilation
By: Sahra Shirdon & Kaltun Abdikarani
as there were numerous companions who
memorized it in its entirety, or portions of it.
The first compilation was initiated by Abu Bakr
after the Battle of Yamamah in which about
seventy companions who memorized the
Qur’an were martyred. This compilation was
not based on the memory of the sahabah, but
rather the written pieces of the Qur’an that they
held in their possession. Not just any written
parchment would do: the written copy had to
have been written under the supervision of the
Prophet (saw) and accompanied by two people
who’d learnt these verses from the Prophet
(saw) himself. The last and final compilation
was under Uthman who consolidated the
Muslims on one mus-haf to prevent the disunity
brewing.
Inferiority Complex
Let us remember that we have been granted
the perfect religion, and that the arguments of
the shaytan and the kuffar are futile. Let us
avoid the religious inferiority complex and arm
ourselves with knowledge of the Qur’an that
can only increase our iman and aid us in
defending it.
7

Outside
the Metal
Doors
Written and Illustrated by: Duha Fahmy
Outside the large descending room directly
behind its closed doors, Ahmed was closely
hovering, straining his ears to hear the
sheikh’s lecture. A slow hum was
progressively getting louder.
“BANG!” The doors of the room
slammed open knocking Ahmed off of his
squat into a sprawled position further away.
Yaqoub had opened the door looking
confused at the loud noise. He immediately
looked down, “Ahmed? Is that you, man?” he
asked as he helped him up off of the floor.
“Dude, you should have come early, you
missed a lot of deep stuff!”
Ahmed, who was still in a weird
trance kept silent until his double vision had
surpassed. “Dude what are you talking
about, I was late and I still could hear the
lecture outside, ha! And I ate!”
Yaqoub looked at him
unbelievingly, “You could hear, eh? Through
the metal doors? Really? Then what did you
hear?” he asked almost challenging him.
Ahmed grinning childishly, happy
that Yaqoub had asked, thought it was time
to put what he learned into action and ‘show
sum skeel’.
“Alhamdulilah, I actually took
notes.” He said quite matter of factly, as he
pulled out a small folded piece of paper that
contained a bunch of scribbles, of which to
Yaqoub’s
surprise were
Ahmed’s notes. Ahmed
started to read them with squinted eyes.
“Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Faqih had
said that the Qur'an was a creation of
Allah..” Ahmed was interrupted with
Yaquob’s heavy laugh.
“Ha ha ha, that’s a good one man,
if the sheikh said anything, it was the exact
opposite.” Ahmed nervously laughed with
Yaqoub as he slyly scribbled a correction on
his paper.
“Yah, I was making sure you were
listening, ha ha.” Ahmed looked nervous,
then looked back at the paper and was going
to continue, “Anyway, um, oh this is a cool
one, most surahs that begin with individual
letters or a single letter are Maddanee and
…” Yaqoub interrupted him again.
“Um, dude, did you make a typo,
cause it suppose to be Makki.” Ahmed
looked up confusingly, then looked down
again and chuckled nervously as he
scribbled another correction. Yaqoub looked
at him suspiciously, but did not say anything
as Ahmed went on. “Oh there’s this cool fact
I never knew, you know that ayah that says
Allah owns the East and West, well I was
thinking then it doesn’t matter what direction
you face when praying, right?”
fiction
Yaqoub looked at him with a
concerned face, “Are you serious, man?”
This time Ahmed started laughing, “No, but
that’s a good example for asbaab an-nuzool.”
Yaqoub didn’t know it but Ahmed
learned that in the session before the one he
missed, trying to make up badly, thinking
‘Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be late.’
Though, he couldn’t believe his misfortune, so
he skimmed his paper another time. His eyes
fell upon a huge star made next to something
he had written down, so he thought ‘oh, this
must be something really good.’ And with out
reading it through, he read it out loud right
away, thinking ‘If this doesn’t salvage my
losses then nothing will.’
“It is said that since no revelation
came down to a prophet (saw) at the time a
dead puppy was under his bed, so …”Ahmed
paused, then continued with a quizzical
expression, “It is haram to have a dead puppy
under your bed.” Ahmed looked up awkwardly,
knowing he said something ridiculous and
stopped sulking in his mistake.
Yaqoub came over understandingly,
put his arm around Ahmed’s shoulder and said
“Dude, you shouldn’t have gone to the
wedding.”
8
arts & entertainment
recommendedresources
By: Sireen Chaker

Ulum Al-Quran An Introduction to the Sciences of the Quran,

by Ahmad Von Denffer

Quiz By: Tuba Pervez

One of the first English books that deals with Ulum Al-Quran.
The author includes the revelation of specific verses (asbab ul
nuzul), use of allegory and oaths, method of compilation,
abrogation (mansukh), exegesis (tafsir), Quran as a miracle
(I’jaz) and different reading styles. He also exposes the
1. Uloom al-Qur'an deals with: orientalists’ attempts to re-write the Quran while responding to
a) recitation, history their arguments about Qur’anic nature. This book is a good start
b) understanding and implementation for the basics of Ulum Al-Qur'an topics.
c) all the above

2. One of the benefits of studying

uloom al-Qur'an i:s An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'aan
a) to realize how weird the Qur'an is Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi
b) to increase one's iman This book presents a detailed and thorough explanation of the
c) understand that the Qur'an and Bible sciences related to the history, understanding and
are the same implementation of the Qur'an, and provides the English reader
with a detailed analysis in wahy, classifying verses, history and
3. The Qur'an comes from the root compilation and many other topics. It includes detailed
word: discussions on modern Western scholarship of the Quran. It is
a) qa-ra-aa the most advanced work of its kind in the English language and a
b) qari necessary reference for all serious students of Islamic
c) none of the above knowledge.

4. Why can't we say that the Qur'an

was created?
a) no one created it Al-  ‫ل ان
 
م اان ل ا ا ا‬
b) the prophet (saw) said so Itqan fi Ulum Al-Quran,
c) it's the everlasting speech of Allah by Jalal Al-Deen Abd-Arrahman Al-Suyoti
In this book, over eighty types of Qur'anic sciences are
5. What's the most accurate distinction mentioned. These include the makki and madani verses,
for Makkee and Madanee verses? the types and etiquettes of recitations, nasikh and
a) time of revelation mansookh, muhkam and mutashabih, usool tafseer al-
b) place of revelation Qur'an, and many more. This book is definitely one of the
c) addresses of revelation most important in this field and is a must for researchers
and writers of this area. Some have even said that there
are over 300 different sciences mentioned in the book
6. Sources of the asbaab an-nuzool other than the ones explained in full detail.
are:
a) hadeeth
b) statements of the companions ‫اهن

م ان ﻡم ﺏر ا ا!رآ‬
c) all the above
7. Which is not one of the 10 authentic
qira'aat?
a) Abu Jufur Al-Madanee
b) Uthman
c) Ibn ' Amr Ash-Shaamee
8) The Qur'an is unique. This is a
___________ statement.
a) haqeeqee
b) majaazee
c) haqeeqee & majaazee
Al-Burhan fi Ulum Al-Quran,
by Al-Imam Bdr Al-Deen Al-Zarkashy
The author of this book collects and combines the different
sciences of the Holy book from their scattered origins. Some
of the ones it explains are reasons for revelation, the links
between Quraanic verses, nasikh and mansook, miracles of
the Qur'an, ilm al-mutashabih, makki and madani verses,
and the secrets of beginnings and endings of surahs. The
author tries to mention all of the books that were previously
published for each one. He mentions many different and
goes into detail. Many others were able to extract from this
book and depend on it in producing their own.
9
Code of Conduct
ÉNc„J
By: Asma Youssouf

Al-Huda, Al-Haqq, Tanzeel, Al Furqaan

These are just a few names and descriptions of the Qur'an

Sent as a guidance to all of mankind

A reminder to keep the akhira in mind

Paving the road for how we should live our lives

Making repentance before the Last Day arrives

Written are undiscovered concepts,1400 years ago

Discovered today are those very concepts we did not know

It liberates humanity from enslavement to their desires and material gains

Serenity, peace of mind and mercy from Allah is a fraction of what remains

The Qur'an has all the keys to success

Even it’s perfection you will come to address

In the Qur'an are laws which liberated women from oppressive lives
Giving women their rights as daughters, mothers, and wives

Praising our Creator is the least you could do

For all of the gifts that He has bestowed upon you

Praying, fasting and giving charity

This is a part of living a life of piety

Showing mercy to your elders and those younger than you

And fulfilling the rights of those to whom they are due

A code of conduct and laws of jurisdiction

How to live your life without any contradiction

From running families to entire empires

And what a good society requires wonder By: Ahmad Mohammad
All the keys to success lie within the Qur'an How can a person could go from music and hate to Qur'an and faith
All the solutions to problems have already been drawn Wondering why these changes happen overnight
Wonder how reading the Qur'an can change a person dramatically
Allah, The Almighty, The Protector, The Guide Wonder why something so little can mean something so big
Has shown us the path by which humanity is to abide Wonder why people try to change the Qur’an
Wonder what if
Wonder how this religion has all the answers to your questions
Wonder how much time there is left
Wonder how long is this race to jannah
Wonder why there is only one path to jannah
Wonder is this dunya worthless
Wonder how is Allah watching us
Wondering what is going to happen to this ummah in the future
Wondering why
What if
How

10
 Written & Ilustrated by: Sakina Al-Amin

comic the drive to school

 in the land of nod
“ The verses of

…but we can!
Qur'an were 12
around before
the events that
prompted their
revelation to
happen!
”
“ Qur'an cannot be
destroyed. It's eternal.

sheikh can't see you

”
Gems: Ruqiyo Musa, Bloopers: Juli Herman, Photos: Marium Hussain

“ The more you fear

GEMS &
“ Fresh wahy
(revelation) –
Allah the less you
fear everything else!
the real eman
rush ”
” “ ” Kiss my
wings.

“ Bumblebees
aren’t
scientifically
supposed to fly.
If Allah says
"Be" then it is!
”
BLOOPERS “
“ ” What’s your
"I" beam?

No one is capable of producing

something like the Qur'an!
”
“ There are no doubts in the
Qur'an and there is no doubt
in the authenticity of the
The relationship
Qur'an. Don’t believe me?
Bring something like it!
” “ between Surah Tur
(52:49) and Najm

“ Don’t let people believe you can’t do

(53:1).
”
something difficult, have sincere stashed snacks
intentions and do it – memorize the Qur'an.
”“ It is amazing how Allah has Caught in the act!
preserved the Qur'an, from the
double vision ayat of the Qur'an, the mutawaatir
narrations and many other ways.
AllahuAkbar!
”
“ The more you give the
Qur'an, the more it will
“ Coming down from where it
give you.
”
was to where it belongs.
” 12