Our Mission

The Muslim Students Association (MSA) of CSU Stan consists of a group of students dedicated to preserving and educating the general public about their Islamic heritage. The group has two main focuses: to provide necessary services to the Muslim students of CSU and to promote awareness of issues related to Islam, Muslims, and the Muslim world. Services for Muslim students include prayer and sports reservations, advocacy, and advice. Awareness of Muslim issues, which comprises a major part of the work of the MSA, includes everything from lectures to benefit dinners to movies. The issues addressed include a wide variety of topics, from mundane to sublime, secular to religious, local to international. An emphasis on providing an unique perspective on contemporary American problems is a goal of the MSA.

2009 MSA Executive Board

President
Quratulain Qazi
qqazi@sbcglobal.net

Secretary
Raafia Mansoor

Treasurer
Shaista Maqsud
smaqsud@csustan.edu

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF MSA

The Muslim Students Association members are guided by the following principles, which emanate from the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad:

Sincerity is the foundation of our existence.
Knowledge precedes our actions.
Humility guides our conduct.
Truthfulness is the mark of our speech.
Moderation is the compass of our journey.
Tolerance is the banner of our outreach.
Forgiveness precedes our reconciliatory efforts.
Patience is the hallmark of our planning.
Gratitude binds our hearts together.

Origins of MSA

Established in January 1963 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada, or MSA (also known as MSA National) currently has chapters on nearly 600 college campuses (including more than 150 chapters affiliated with the national organization) across North America. (The relationship between MSA National and the individual university chapters is not a fixed hierarchy, but rather a loose connection. Thus the policies and views of the national organization may differ from those of some of the local chapters.) Stating that its mission is "to serve the best interest of Islam and Muslims in the United States and Canada so as to enable them to practice Islam as a complete way of life," MSA is the most visible and influential Islamic student organization in North America.

Cooperation; An Islamic Prospective

The individual is, without doubt, a part of society and an essential aspect of the Islamic way of life.

Allah says: “You began to say: Whence is this? Say: It is from yourselves.” [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 165]

Allah also tells us: “Truly, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” [Sûrah al-Anfâl: 53]
The meaning of individual responsibility is embodied in the teachings of the Qur’ân and Islamic thought. It is the essential building block of society. A building is made of many individual bricks.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The believers with respect to one another are like a building, each one lending support to the whole.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

The Muslims need one another with regard to both worldly and religious affairs, hence cooperation among Muslims is something important that Allah has enjoined and He has made cooperation the basis for religious and worldly well being. The Muslims – if they achieve this cooperation – are described as a strong, integrated structure, and as a single body. All of that confirms that cooperation and mutual support among them is something essential. That includes many aspects in the lives of Muslims, which are summed up in the words birr (righteousness) and taqwa (piety) , as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment” [al-Maa’idah 5:2]. These are two words that sum up all the attributes of goodness, such as belief, conduct, rulings and so on.