 "Photo: Eric R. Carter/Staff Photographer")
Members of the Islamic Society of Rutgers University are talking about the purpose of life, the existence of God and the misconceptions about Islam at Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus this week - Islam Awareness Week.
The group is also serving cold drinks and crunchy snacks inside its mosque-inspired tent, where ISRU has set up games and information tables for students to learn about Islam.
"People come in - atheists, agnostics - and we just tell them the Islamic perspective of God," said ISRU President Asher Hussain, a Rutgers College junior.
The organization's presence on campus is about contributing to society through the true teaching of Islam, Hussain said.
Hussain explained some of the other tenets of Islam - beliefs in such things as Allah alone, the existence of angels, the messengers, the prophets from Adam to Mohammed, Allah's knowledge of all actions that will be committed and a Day of Reckoning.
Muslims believe in heaven and hell, but only Allah, not man, can judge people, Hussain said.
ISRU Secretary Eman Younes, a fourth-year student in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, echoed this idea.
Younes condemned practices, such as throwing acid, which punish women for exposing their skin.
"Forcing people to do something, that is not Islam," she said.
Younes herself chooses to cover her hair with a scarf, and her body with a robe.
She said Islam teaches modesty for women both in behavior and dress, so women are valued beyond their physical beauty.
"As a Muslim woman I don't feel limited in any way," Younes said.
Younes said the University community is so diverse it's common to see people dressed in different ways, she said. As a result, she always feels comfortable on campus.
Similarly, Hussain said University students are able to distinguish television from reality - the Sept. 11 attacks from Islam.
"Even in times of war, Islam promotes peace," Hussain said. "War is not an option until it is the last option. Even in times of war, you cannot exceed the bounds of chivalry."
Over this past year, ISRU - which has a regular constituency of 300-350 students - has organized various events, such as Ramadan meals, interfaith dialogues and basketball tournaments.
These events, like the club, are meant to "help promote an understanding of Islam in the Rutgers community and to foster an atmosphere that is conducive for Muslims on campus to grow spiritually and to promote unity through action," Hussain said.
But ISRU is not a club exclusively for Muslims.
For the Muslims on campus, Hussain said, how you grow as a Muslim is like an onion - you peel back a layer, and there is another layer.
There is constant room for improvement and growth.
Be the first to comment on this article!