Welcome to our first newsletter!
Assalamu’alaykum! Welcome to the month of October, where the autumn feel is on its way (searching for the chilly air… not found. Keep praying). Midterm season is barreling at us at full speed. Inshallah everyone gets straight As!
We would also like to congratulate everyone on the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, which includes Eid-e-Zahra and the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Today’s newsletter will be featuring:
Important Announcements
Don’t forget to pay your ABSO dues if you haven’t yet! They are $35 for the year or $20 for just the fall semester.
The ABSO shirt is now on sale on the website. Check out the merch section at the bottom of this newsletter for more details.
Spring enrollment appointments are available to look at. Don’t miss your time! Go to AccessUH → myUH Self Service → Student Center → Enrollment Dates.
Newsletter Committee Intros
By: Zahra Gokal - ABSO Secretary & Newsletter Director
Salaam, and welcome to our very own Ahlulbayt Bulletin Committee! We are very excited to finally introduce everyone. I’ve asked everyone to answer a few fun questions to introduce themselves.
ABSO Birthday Shoutouts
Leave a birthday message for everyone in the comments:)
September ABSO Highlights
By: Syeda Khan — ABSO President
This past month has been a really strong start for ABSO. We launched into the year with our GBM/Majlis on the 13th, gaining attendance from UH students and many visitors. Shaykh Faheem Abdulghani recited the majlis beautifully and it was a monumental start to our year. Shortly after our GBM we started Hussain Week, an entire week dedicated to spreading the message of Imam Hussain. Monday, we conducted the Wall of Hope in Student Center South. Hundreds of Coogs wrote down their hopes, and stuck them to our wall to showcase all the aspirations that make up the University of Houston. Our Open Mic Night commenced on Tuesday. We heard heartfelt poetry and spoken word from many of our members and held thoughtful discussions on the power of art in religion. We ended the week with our majlis on Thursday recited by Sayyed Hussain Zaidi. This majlis was truly a bittersweet end to the week. We were given the opportunity to engage in a Q&A and discussion with him after the majlis that really inspired our members. We were honestly so grateful to be able to have him recite a majlis for us before he returned to Qom.
The next week started off strong with appearances from NYU chaplains Imam Khalid Latif and Dr. Faiyaz Jaffer. They spoke about leadership and our duty to serve Allah through serving others. One of the key takeaways I took from the event was when Imam Khalid Latif expressed how we should be unapologetic. A Sunni scholar, telling Shia students to be unapologetic about their faith. I know that it’s common knowledge to be strong in our beliefs and to never feel ashamed of where we come from, but the fact that a scholar that isn’t Shia is preaching to us to be unapologetically Shia shows there is absolutely no circumstance where one should doubt their own beliefs for the approval of others. It was such an amazing opportunity to have them both on campus and we were able to ask them questions that we’d been dying to know, like: Is NYU really a great school? (still unanswered btw). Two days later, we held our first all-ladies event! Unlike the events where we relied on men reciters (no shade except I’m giving all the shade), the ladies of ABSO were jumping to recite salaams and nohas together. The Hadees was read by Zakira Binte Zahra Rizvi, with a special story read by her son Mohammad Mahdi. Mohammad Mahdi truly gave his own (cute) touch to the majlis and made it such a wonderful event. All of our Muharram Events had gone really smoothly and with the trademark rose petals scattered over the floor, they were beautifully decorated as well! However, we’ve picked up the last of those petals and stored them very deep in Abeer’s house as we await their return next Muharram InshAllah.
Islamic Trivia
Theme: “The Scientist-Philosophers”
By: Dua Syed
Which student of Imam Jafar as Sadiq is often called the father of chemistry and alchemy?
a) Al-Khwarizmi
b) Jabir bin Hayyan
c) Ibn Khaldun
Who is credited for created the earliest known textbook on ophthalmology?
a) Hunayn ibn Ishaq
b) Aristotle
c) Hippocrates
Today, the West is indebted to Islam for many scientific terms. Guess the modern English counterpart to these five Arabic words:
Al-Kuhl
Al-Qili
Al-Inbiq
Al-Jabr
Sifr
The term algebra comes directly from al-jabr, whose literal translation is:
a) The equality of parts
b) The bringing together of separate parts
c) The separation of a whole
Who was a famous female astrolabe maker of the Islamic golden age who has an asteroid named after her?
a) Fatima bint Asad
b) Al-ʻIjliyyah al Astrulabi
c) Zaynab al Shahda
The answers to the trivia will be posted next month! In the meanwhile, drop a comment with your answers.
Pilgrimage pictures may be submitted to absosecr@gmail.com to be featured on the newsletter. Please put “Ziyarat/Hajj Picture + Your Name” in the subject line. Features aren’t guaranteed.
Upcoming Opportunities
VOLUNTEERING:
INTERNSHIP:
Important Dates This Month
October 6th:
October 13th:
Al-Ghadeer: Jashn e Viladat Rasool e Akram (saws) & Imam e Jafar e Sadiq (as)
IPF: Wiladah Celebration of Prophet Muhammad (S) and Imam Jafar AlSadiq (A)
October 14th:
October 15th:
IEC: Jashn Milad un-Nabi (s) & Family Night
Bibi Umme Kulthum (as)’s birthday!
October 18th:
ABSO: Milad un Nabi event with Indian Student Association (ISA)
October 19th:
October 20th:
ABSO: Shia Genocide Event with Rice MSA
October 22nd:
October 29th:
ABSO: Game Night with Imamia Medics International (IMI)
November 5th:
November 6th:
ABSO Merch
The ABSO shirt is now on sale for $10! Blue and green versions both available.
To purchase, visit the ABSO Shop
Links:
Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next month Inshallah! In the meanwhile, don’t forget to tell us your favorite part about this month’s newsletter :)