Humans of MSA West

"I went with an extinguished heart. Quran is the essence that lights the oil in our soul. Alhumdulilah something's been sparked."

~Isra Uz-Zaman, UC Davis Alumni

"Guys, guys act like you're taking a picture of me!" I said to them.

"My favorite part was when Sheika Muslimah ended Tajdeed retreat and so eloquently carried on the metaphor of our souls being synonymous with a lamp. She beautifully articulated each aspect of the lamp and the mechanics of how it worked while connecting it directly to our souls and going even further into our role in society.

There was something about that moment. It may have been the trees or the sun or just her calming presence. It may have been a mix of all of these things. Whatever it was, it was beautiful."

~Marium Navid, UC Berkeley

"My favorite part was building a stronger sisterhood. Getting to know these girls on a more intimate level not only helped me understand them, but myself better as well."

-Aria Mohseny, UC Berkeley "CAL Bears !"

“As sisters, it was being able to be away from home with home a little bit near you. It allowed us to rely on one another and also work together while enjoying it with all our long distance friends that we haven’t seen in so long “

-Nisreen & Hanadi Morrar, CRC

"Favorite part was how everyone became a family so fast."

-Hemza Salem, CRC

"This was my first Tajdeed Retreat I got to experience as an attendee instead of an organizer! I am so thankful for enjoying the peaceful setting and the empowering program instead of hustling around the campsite coordinating the event. I had a pleasant time spending the weekend away from social media, the internet, and my phone! It allowed me to genuinely connect or reunite with brothers and sisters from across California and uphold real conversations. Oh and of course, spending time with Yazan Barham is always a pleasure!"

-Haidar Ali Anwar, UCLA

Me: "Let me take a picture for Humans of MSA West ."

Oussama: "I'm not human bruh... -_-"

-Oussama Mokeedem, ARC

"I like how the organizers deprived us of sleep and made us run a mile in the freezing air to teach us stuff. I don't know, i think it worked."

-Usama Simjee, UC Davis Alumni 

"The most memorable piece of knowledge that i took away from Tajdeed Retreat was rekindling the idea that our lives have "manufactured" for Allah and by Allah. I also loved the two little kids at the retreat and hanging out with all the brothers was pretty awesome to me."

-Ahmed Saleh, UC Davis 

Me: "Whats the best part of TR in your opinion"

Zawar: "The stars"

Me: "Do you wanna elaborate on that?"

Zawar: "You don't really need to."

-Zawar Jafri, UCLA