The Muslim Student Association at Dartmouth College

The Muslim Prayer Room in North Fairbanks Hall is the location of many of Al-Nur’s activities. It is also the hub of the Upper Valley Muslim community. Community members as well as Dartmouth students attend Friday prayers, which are held every Friday at 1:15 pm in the Muslim Prayer Room. Eid prayers also take place on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, usually in a more spacious location on campus. During Ramadan, there are Taraweeh prayers every night, led by students and community members. Fajr and Ishaa’ prayers are offered in congregation daily, and the Prayer Room is open to everyone at all times.

Student-organized halaqas and classes are frequently available, depending on the interests and ambitions of the students involved. A few recent/continuing examples are night-long retreats in the prayer room during Ramadan, book clubs, student-led discussion groups, and cooperative khutbah-writing sessions over dinner. Student-initiated projects open to all of campus also take place on a regular basis. Among the most recent of these are: a lecture on Islamic Law, a discussion and dinner with a Hollywood filmmaker (an Al-Nur alum), student-led Quranic recitation classes, Islamo-Fashion Awareness Week, and Quranica—an event first held in 2008 and hopefully again in the Winter of 2010, intended to introduce the beauty of the Quran to the broader Dartmouth campus.

In addition to supporting the religious and spiritual growth of Muslims at Dartmouth, Al Nur also provides a social network and a setting for lots of halal fun and entertainment. From epic hikes up Gile Mountain to casual after-Jum’ah lunches at the Pavilion, Al-Nur social events help bring the community closer together and form friendships that will last (in shaa’ allah) for a lifetime. Recent Al-Nur social events include Iqamedy-a comedy/talent show geared towards cultivating the creative juices of Al-Nur members, sledding on the golf course, snacks and conversation at Umpleby’s, game nights, movie nights, and, of course, Eid celebrations.

Community dinners throughout the year give students and community members a chance to socialize (and enjoy amazing food), particularly during Ramadan, when iftars are held on at least a weekly basis. Al-Nur members also often gather informally for lunch or dinner on and off campus.

As affiliates of the Tucker Foundation and, of course, as brothers and sisters within the Muslim ummah, members of Al-Nur participate in and organize a variety of projects dedicated to serving the community here in the Upper Valley, as well as the global community. Al-Nur members are frequently called upon to help foster education about Islam in various venues, ranging from high schools to summer camps. Also, beginning in 2009, several students from Al-Nur have been making weekly visits to the Muslim inmates of nearby prisons. Al-Nur also supports activism and fundraising for humanitarian causes. In 2008-2009, Al-Nur and Hillel cosponsored a multi-part fundraiser, consisting of bake sales, bracelet sales, and a 5K run, to provide aid for people in Gaza.