Nest+m Mist Team
Shadman Kazi
When I first came into NEST, I realized that unlike schools like Bronx Science and Stuyvesant High School, there weren't that many Muslims in the school population. When I would go to my local madrasa, MIST was a trend and at one point, I felt that it was a unfortunate to go to a school that doesn't even have a Muslim Student Association. By Sophomore year, I met a guy who can best lead a Muslim Student Association which was Tanzid. We decided to first have him adjust to the school, since he has transferred from another school. Finally, we decided that in junior year, we needed to start an MSA in order to clarify misconceptions about Islam in the NEST community. I hope that this club will continue on, as this is my last year at NEST. Inshallah our future members will be able to expand our MSA and MIST team.
Clubs in general are created and formed by a person who truly wishes to justify or promote a cause/hobby. The Muslim Student Association otherwise known as the MSA is a club that primarily serves to justify the Islamic religion and inform the general student body of its basic principles. However, many may believe in order to participate in such a club one must be an actively participating Muslim, or in general a Muslim, this is indeed false on many levels. The intent for MSA is to inform and shine light on the religion that has attained over 1 billion followers. In NEST+m our MSA is young and still growing, however, we have been able to attract students to our club who are interested in learning about Islam. For the future, I wish that our MSA will be able to be a casual club in which students do not feel as if there are certain requirements to be able to attend. All in all, I hope to be able to contribute to MSA for the rest of my time here at NEST+m and help us achieve our goal to make our club environment more open.
Syed Islam
Miftah Rahman
MSA is a club people in NYC and beyond look foward to everyday after school. Its a club where people can form inevitable bonds and learn about Islam and its teachings. I myself have changed very much due to the strong loving community and the respect we each have for one another. Today, many people are too afraid that Islam is a threatening religion and MSA is only for Muslims which isn't true. Witout MSA i wouldnt be who I am today
Growing up, I never gave much importance to the deen. Like many others, I had that mentality of practicing Islam when I got older, like really old, almost dying old. I wanted to live my life because I was young and if I got old all these temptations would fade away. At the time, I had no motive no purpose. However, I began to question Islam because I had all these restrictions and nobody would tell me why I couldn't eat pork or drink alcohol or date girls. Not only Islam but, I soon began to question religions in their own realm. It got to a point where I seriously became agnostic. I was immensely confused as to what I should I believe or rather who I should believe. Alhamdulillah this is when I seriously began my research into Islam. I looked for answers in the right sources and soon enough, everything fell into place. I came out of this cloud of confusion to Islam a logical, divine, coherent belief system. The restrictions are there for a reason. Praying five times a day was there for a reason. Giving zakat had a reason. I finally had a purpose in life. I got into this deen more and more. I am still a student and I am still learning. Allah has given me an amazing group of brothers inside and outside of school, who I can take a lot of benefit out of. The Nest+m MSA is there to provide for people, whether they be Muslim or non Muslim, an environment of comfort towards Islam. Our religion is widely misrepresented and we are viewed through the eyes of hostility. Islam has given me peace and it is extremely important that everyone practice this religion in its entirety. If we call ourselves Muslim and truly believe in it as the truth, then let us submit ourselves to the Most Merciful, the King of All the Worlds.
Tanzid Hossain
Ahmed Nahiyan
I’d be wordless to describe NEST+m MSA and how it has positively affected my life. NEST+m has a very small Muslim population. Though, being with its MSA have connected me to some amazing Muslims like our President Tanzid Hossain and motivate me towards good deeds and Islam.
Mehdad Zaman
Arriving to a new school was nerve racking. I expected to meet a couple of new friends and a lot of work. As the first two months of school passed by, that was basically the only thing I saw. The club fair had arrived and I was searching for a club that would benefit my college application. When I came upon MSA. I saw only a few members waiting at the signup sheet. After a couple of weeks, I went to the first MSA meeting. Since, I was new and the MSA was pretty small, everyone had approached me. The seniors and the other sophmores welcomed me and invited me to pray everyday after school with them. Every MSA meeting, I learned something new. Everyday, I waited to meetup with the MSA to pray and talk. This was basically the highlight of my day. MIST has been an exilherating experience so far. I hope to meet new people this year connect with MSA's of other schools. I hope that with guidance we will make the Nest+m MSA bigger and stronger, and make this school and this world a much better place for muslims to practice and for Islam to flourish,
Zahin Akif
Freshman year was like trying to fight an alligator for the first time, you don’t know what’s going on because you're so occupied from adjusting to the new experience. During sophomore year however, I am happy to say it was much different, I grew a sudden interest in my school and my surroundings, I started to take part in athletic events, I visited practically every club I had heard of at least once, and I started make many more friends than the previous year. I am proud to say that sophomore year is more like fighting a penguin than fighting an alligator because one of such clubs I came across was MSA. I used to be so blind to islam, and I can’t say that I have 20/20 vision yet, but I am getting there. MSA taught me about the importance of prayer, the meaning of brotherhood, and the teaching and legacy of our prophets. A goal that i hope to achieve by the end of this year would be to achieve a better community which accepts muslims and one that does not judge them based on their physical appearance. I hope to achieve this with my muslim brothers and sisters by giving back to the NEST community, by being the best people and the kindest people we can possibly be.
In Nest+m, we have plenty of opportunity to express our ideas, hobbies, passions etc through creation of clubs. And one of the club out many many is the Muslim Student Association, otherwise known as the MSA. This is a club where everyone is welcomed to share their opinion, knowledge, concerns about the Islamic world past and present. Even though some may think that it is only for the active muslims, everyone is welcomed because the main goal of this club is to inform people about the basics of Islam and also have along the way. Every week, we try different activities related to daily life of Islam so we can make sure that everyone is doing it in the correct rulings according Quran and Hadith. Even though our club is relatively young, we have some amazing students each with their individual field of expertise where we can establish a place where everyone can address their concerns or questions about Islam. I hope that while I am here, I will use my time wisely and expand our MSA.
Ahmad N. Sakib
Tusif Rahman
There are various clubs out there that seem to entice and intrigue people’s interest in it. Likewise, the Muslim Student Associates collaborates with people and discuss the teachings of Islam. Others suggest that Muslims could only come; however, there are non-muslims who come here and analyze the basics of it. MSA is more than just about eating and conversing with your friends, it is about coming together to understand the prominence of Islam. So on so forth, NEST+M MSA is composed of diverse and different people with numerous backgrounds. NEST+M is also recognized for having gifted and talented students in a lot of different areas. It is also about making the right decisions at the right time, which defines you as a person. It is not only about overcoming adversity, but also to ensure people what they can provide for their community. As a result, I want people to come and be invited to NESt+M MSA.
Ever since I was young, basketball has been my passion. I have been on many teams and had many experiences with great people. When I first got into Nest I had one ambition: get onto the basketball team. After many tryouts and many basketball practices, I had finally made it onto the team. But, my peers said that, it wasn't enough. I had to join a club to make sure colleges could see me extracurriculars. I went to the club fair to see what was there. Tanzid had approached me. He told me that there was a competiton called MIST and it was part of MSA. He mentioned to me how basketball was one of the competitions. I quickly signed up and after a couple of weeks, I went to the first meeting. Even though the first meeting was not about basketball, I was intrigued by the topic. Meeting after meeting, I learned mre and more abot Islam and myself. I discovered that MSA and MIST is not about basketball but, it is about me as a muslim. As I approach my final year at NEST, I hope that the MSA will expand and I will do my best to make it flourish while I continue to be here.
Mohammed Ahmed
