Do you remember the excitement of the freshman year which ushered in a new phase in your life? With all the new possibilities, there are always certain apprehensions at the back of the mind. Typically, an ideal Muslim student wants to develop themselves for this world and the next. Their to do list includes learning subjects like Algebra as well as Arabic. Apart from studies, they want to develop their Islamic personality. How can they graduate from university after achieving all round development?
Among the first thing a Muslim university student is critically aware of is self-perception. The need to feel socially accepted by peers in engrained in university culture, yet the Muslim student is different. There is a lot of pressure on Muslim students to hide their identity. With the global rise in Islamophobia, practicing Muslims are being stereotyped for simply being who they are. They think and behave differently despite so much pressure to fit in. A Muslim is not supposed to lie, cheat, have boyfriend/girlfriend, use bad language, backbite, spy, etc. while eating halal, fasting and praying regularly.
For good company, practicing Muslim students gravitate towards the university’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), where they refresh their emaan and form lifelong social bonds. The MSA is also a source of Islamic education tailored for the university campus. Working for the MSA, gives the Muslim students the chance to develop their skills and Islamic personalities.
Academically, many university courses teach a secular curriculum and teach religion as a myth that human societies adopted in their evolution to the modern times. In many instances, professors might make the Muslim student stand in from on the class and openly humiliate them for their beliefs. This is a very challenging situation, especially for the social sciences students who are not exposed to the humanities from an Islamic perspective. Thus, fighting adoption of a secular perspective while completing one’s studies is difficult. Nevertheless, a dedicated and knowledgeable student may research the Islamic perspective on these topics, increasing in their faith as well an enlightening his peers in the process.
The university is an important place for non-Muslim students to experiment with opposite gender relationships. Thus, Muslim students constantly come across enamored boyfriend-girlfriend pairs almost anywhere the look on campus. To tame such feeling in themselves, Muslim students are encouraged to fast and focus on productive goals. To save one’s eeman, Muslim students might even have to get married while they are in university.
Despite the challenges, the university can be an excellent opportunity for development for the Muslim students. The university provides the environment where many are able to discover who they are while becoming comfortable with their unique Islamic identity. They are able to develop their character and skills through personal implementation of Islamic values. They learn to see things from the secular as well as Islamic perspective. By sticking to their Islamic beliefs, practices and perspectives in the face of opposition, the Muslim student develops personal resolution and conviction which is essential for survival in the world after the university.