Islam On Campus: UB's Worshippers of Allah

Muslim students at UB do not have as many on-campus fellowship options as their Christian or Jewish counterparts. The one major option they do have, however, the Muslim Student Association, is ready to meet the needs of the Islamic community.

One difficulty the Muslim student population faces on campus is the lack of a permanent area for them to worship and pray. Many universities, both private and state-funded, offer such facilities. UB does not. Nonetheless, UB's Muslim SA maintains a steady vigil of daily prayer, and meets weekly in the Student Union.

Obligatory prayers (called Salah) are performed five times a day by followers of Islam. Each of these prayers has a name and a specified time at which they are to take place. Fajr takes place in the morning, Dhuhr in the early afternoon, 'Asr in the late afternoon, Maghrib at sunset or just after sunset and Isha in the late evening.

The time set aside for each prayer changes throughout the year, in accordance with the seasons. On Feb. 22, Fajr is at 5:46 a.m., Dhuhr is at 12:30 p.m., 'Asr is at 3:27 p.m., Maghrib is at 5:55 p.m. and Isha is at 7:14 p.m. As the days grow longer, and the sun rises earlier, the prayers follow suit. The prayer schedule is posted in the MSA office in 311 Student Union.

Because Muslims are obligated to pray at specific times during a day, it is beneficial to have a common room to gather and pray in. Typically, the association will use their private office for prayer. This year, however, the Muslim SA office is shared with the Indian and Pakistani student associations. Muslim students can use this area to pray so long as their neighboring organizations do not need the office space for other purposes.

There are no special requirements dictating the arrangement or placement of the room. "We can make the arrangements for how to set the prayers up; we just need a room," said Muslim SA President Khurram Khan.

Vice President for Student Affairs Dennis Black explained why UB does not provide areas of worship for any religious organization, not just those of the Muslim faith.

"It is not the responsibility [of the university] to provide worship space to meet the needs of all of the different religions - we would need dozens of facilities," said Black. "Instead, we offer a general space on a reservation basis for students and groups to use as they choose."

Black said designating a space for the practice of one particular religion "is not something the state university is in the position to provide." In the absence of university-supplied facilities, each religious group on campus obtains its own space for worship on campus. Many religious organizations under the umbrella of Campus Ministries rent offices in the Commons while student groups can apply for space in the Student Union.

On Friday afternoons, the Muslim SA reserves a room in the Student Union for Jummah prayer, preceded by a Khutba (inspirational lecture). Prayers are usually led by a Muslim graduate student with considerable theological training. Panel discussions and other events are led by MSA executive board members or invited guests and scholars.

"Students are encouraged to provide input and participate. We contact our members via e-mail or word of mouth regarding upcoming events," said Khan.

Students can also participate in specialized committees such as Muslim SA Awareness, Muslim SA Women's Committee, and Muslim SA Rahma (relief work).

The Muslim SA Awareness Committee focuses on public relations work including attracting new members and advertising upcoming events.

The rahma committee educates students about non-governmental organizations that focus on national and international human rights, and performs community service.

The women's committee is comprised of both women and men with a focus on women's interests in the world. The committee "looks at not only the domestic, but also the global plight of women and their rights," said Khan.

The MSA works closely with other on-campus associations to forge alliances and organize events. The club meets regularly with the Organization of Arab Students (OAS) to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

The Muslim SA also works with the Environmental Network as part of the UB Peace Coalition. This umbrella organization addresses the interests of all groups and peoples within UB's student population regarding global issues and concerns.

"It's not like a pacifist club or where people of a certain viewpoint convene," explained Khan. "It's more informal where people share ideas." The coalition organizes educational events to address diverse topics.

One such event, "America Strikes Back - an International Perspective," took place Wednesday on South Campus. The UB Peace Coalition's Web site advertised "a unique format that will encourage audience participation." It focused primarily on how the world perceives the United States' "War on Terror." Khan said he expected the event to address, among other things, misconceptions of the Muslim culture.

Other activities and events are planned for the future. March 15 is Islamic History Day and in April, Ali Ansani of Harvard University will speak at UB about the culture and religion of South Asia.