On 28th February we had our General Members Meeting (GMM)! All registered members were able to attend this interactive meeting. They got to meet the new board members, were informed of all the changes that we have gone through internally as an association, and were told about the exciting plans for the future. In breakout rooms, we got to know each other and our needs as a Muslim student in Enschede, and the meeting was ended beautifully with a Quran recitation from Momen. If you don't want to miss out on our next GMM then sign up as a registered member for free on our homepage! :)  Inshaa Allah we'll be able to have our next GMM offline next time. 

Testimonials: 
“This is a great event for sharing experience as a hijabi and also to broaden the knowledge for people who doesn’t understand hijab. It was interesting for me to hear unique experiences that every hijabi has, that there are stories behind each person's decision to wear the hijab. And it was also really nice to hear how proud each one of us was wearing it. 
The event in general was great, but I wish there would be more people. I think we should consider a better time to do this, so there would be more people who come, and also a better way to attract more people because I think this is great for both hijabis and non hijabis. As a hijabi even though I know how to wear hijab, I think it was fun to do this together with friends, especially people who have different styles from their culture.”
-- Ovi Novianita Isnaynizahra, from Indonesia

“This is the first time that anyone had done henna professionally [for me]! I've done it myself before but nothing that good lol”
 -- Claudia Libbi, from Germany

Author: Siba Siddique
LinkedIn: ​https://www.linkedin.com/in/siba-siddique/

The beginners Arabic course has never failed to attract participants in the Twente community. Alhamdulilah, we could still offer this programme in 2018. There were some setbacks at first due to the lack of teachers, but we finally managed to get it right.

Alhamdululah! UT Muslims is now finally recognized by the Student Union! 

The blessed month of Ramadan has fallen on the 17th of May in 2018 and like last year, we are fasting during the summer which is popular for its long days. As usual, the first week is always challenging but it gets easier with time. This year, we have made some activities during Ramadan as well. 

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Twente holds a cultural festival at the University of Twente and the international student associations are invited to participate. UT Muslims is also invited and we presented the Hijab Fashion Workshop.

You are witnessing a blessed month and great season in which Allah guides us to the good deeds. Ramadan is the month in which Qur'an was sent down, as clear guidance and judgment to all people. It was narrated that the Prophet (SA) said: “The month of Ramadan has come to you as a blessings, in which Allah covers you with His Mercy, remits sins and answers Dua’s. Allah sees your competition in good deeds and takes pride in you over His angels. Thus, you should show Allah goodness in yourselves, since a miserable one is he who is deprived from Allah’s Mercy during this month”.

​For Muslims living in a non-Muslim country like the Netherlands, Ramadan also means being asked the same silly questions about fasting by well-intentioned but clueless friends and colleagues. And the most common question I faced was – Why do we fast? This is a common but interesting question which a child may also ask his/her parents. And today’s khutbah is intended to answer this question.

In a joint effort, UT Muslims and the Indonesian Students Association of Enschede (PPIE) hold a trip to Giethoorn. We gather at the University of Twente Spiegel at 8.30 and ITC hotel at 8.45 where the big bus picked us up. About 80 participants took part in this event and they were from different nationalities including Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Iran, Pakistan, India and Tunisia. 

My beloved brothers in Islam,
We have been bestowed by Allah () in these days with a great month. One of the four sacred months­­ in which Allah () has ordered us to glorify and follow his religion and path with more effort than we are used to in the rest of the days. Allah () says in Suraat At-Tawbah:
 
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ
Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them.
 
And it was narrated in Sahih AlBukhari and Sahih Muslim that prophet Muhammad () has said:
 
 إِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ، السَّنَةُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا مِنْهَا، أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ، ثَلاَثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ، ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمُ وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَانَ
Time has come back to its original state which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth; the year is twelve months, four of which are sacred. Three of them are in succession; Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijja and Al-Muharram, and (the fourth being) Rajab Mudar which stands between Jumad (ath-thani) and Sha'ban."
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