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REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!

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REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
Nisa
08/30/03 at 07:31:33
[slm]

Pray you are all well, Ameen.

I was thinking it would be neat if the brothers and sisters who attended the ISNA Convention this year would share their experiences with us  :-*

InshaAllah, when everyones back home safely, start sharing the good, (maybe the bad), the pros and cons of going, and what it was like meeting up!

Look forward to hearing all about it  ;D

[wlm]
09/08/03 at 01:46:14
jannah
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
se7en
09/02/03 at 14:12:08
as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,

what I liked:

-- Dr. Jamal Badawi and Imam Siraj's session on Friday on Rasulullah [saw] was awesome masha'Allah.. dr. Badawi addressed a lot of the criticism put forward against Rasulullah [saw], like about his married life and how he dealt with enemies..  and imam siraj was very motivating as always :)

-- the brother taking shahada on friday night with imam zaid :-*  sweet to witness, alhamdulillah.

-- Dr. Jackson.  Masha'Allah, he is one of the most astute, insightful and intelligent scholars of our time.  All of his speeches were amazing, masha'Allah, especially the one on indiginization of the American Muslim community (saturday morning), and on the double consciousness of Muslims (the msa session sunday night)

-- the sisters entertainment  8)  and I liked that it was diverse in the types of performances and skills displayed, and not the same old usual stuff.  BTW - the sister who read a poem in the beginning.. that was me  ;D

-- some of the performances during entertainment were awesome.. the comedian dude Azhar was soo funny, Native Deen rocked the haussssssss, and the bro Sami Yusaf had everyone scrambling in the bazaar for his CD.. brother had an awesome voice masha'Allah..

--  Suhaib Webb.. first time I heard him was his short talks after the salah.. they were very cool masha'Allah, especially the one after fajr on a few verses from Surah Ali' Imran.. jannah bought his "Mothers of the Believers" tape set from al basheer.. should be good insha'Allah :)

-- the alter-lobby.. alhamdulillah, definitely a good thing that the ISNA and MYNA heads tried to have some kind of alternative for the youth.. the battle of the bands with different nasheed/islamic rap groups going up against each other, and the comedians, etc with serious seperation between the bros and the sisters was very cool.  still an insane lobby scene, but don't think it was as bad as DC's last year.

-- cheaper meals were good too :P

-- Sh. Hamza's speech Saturday night was awesome.

also I got to meet up with sis Ayesha, Ruqayyah and was roommates with sis Trustworthy  :-*  all awesome sisters masha'Allah :)



what I didn't like:

-- It seemed to me that, in general... there was a real lack of substance and spirituality to the program.  It's odd though, because all the proper ingredients were there - amazing speakers, interesting topics, etc - but it just didn't come together well for some reason.  Like usually on Saturday and Sunday nights there are the amazing sessions that rock the house, with like Imam Zaid, Shaykh Hamza, Yusuf Islam, and all the big name speakers, speaking one after another.. and those leave you so pumped and spiritually motivated.  Masha'Allah sidi Hamza was amazing on Saturday night, but he spoke alone, and it wasn't the same as it's been in the past with an array of speakers with different styles and skills.  I love Dr. Jackson but his academic and intellectually stimulating speeches need to be balanced with spiritually stimulating talks as well, those heart-moving sessions that make you want to change yourself for the better.. and unfortunately I didn't really experience that too much this year :(  At the end of the conference I really felt like I was missing something and left extremely spiritually unfulfilled.

-- I didn't like how entertainment was in the middle of the day on Sunday.  I just felt that it was a missed opportunity to connect peoples hearts with the people of knowledge, considering that there were like twenty thousand people there, and the scholars were available.. yet all sessions were put on hold for the entertainment (there were no parallel sessions at that time).  Of course I like entertainment and I was probably one of the loudest during Native Deen's performance :P  but I left it feeling like that it was just at the wrong time, and that that time could have been better used for a session, with entertainment later on in the evening.


don't mean to speak ill of the conference.. may Allah reward all the people who put in their effort and time to make it happen.. maybe it was just the sessions I chose to attend didn't strike the right combination inside, to charge me up the way they usually do.. or maybe I've been to one too many of these things so I'm just old and cynical now  ::)  Allahu a'lam.

would love to hear opher peoples comments/reflections...

wasalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah
09/02/03 at 15:28:10
se7en
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Nisa
09/02/03 at 15:58:21
[slm]

MashaAllah sis se7en...jazakiAllah khair for sharing your thoughts with us.  :-* As I live across the pond (UK), I had to suffice myself with watching the few lectures that the brothers and sisters at ISNA had available on their website.  Brother Jackson was truly inspiring....I loved his speech together with the sisters on the panel entitled, Muslims at the crossroads.  He brought up many important issues and the way he addressed them...superb mashaAllah :)

The entertainment night was cool...brother Azhar was ever so funny  ;D Islamic Shaadis of North Amercia! hehe  Funny thing but we actually met him last year when we made hajj.  He was on his own, and he got to talking with my older brother.  MashaAllah by profession hes a qualified lawyer.   8)

InshaAllah I hope to see more of the lectures online.

And...to hear more from the brothers and sisters who actually attended!

[wlm] :-)

Re: All about ISNA 2003!
sofia
09/02/03 at 17:04:20
[slm]

Some of my favorite parts:

-Br. Haji Noor Deen's calligraphy session. He speaks Chinese and Arabic, and expressed his love for Islaam and art quite clearly (there was a translator, but he really didn't need one).
-The chance to hear brother Abdus-Samad (not sure of his exact name) on the Islaamic revival/movement in Spain at the Latino Muslim session. Umar Faruq Abdullah translated for him; was amazing to hear them speak to each other in Spanish and Arabic. SubhanAllah, both of their love for Spain and Islaam was a huge motivator; made you think/wish you were in a different time and place, and want to head for Espana/Al Andalus to his Islaamic institute.
-Br. Hamza Yusuf's passion, which brought more than tears to the eyes of the audience (even a standing ovation, which was weird).
-Br. Jamal Badawi's clarity and insight on common misconceptions on Islaam. Any lectures by this scholar are useful knowledge and you'll get a lot out of them.
-Br. Rami Nashashibi's insight on social justice in the US and the role of Muslims, and how much we're lacking. His "radical" but needed-to-be-said suggestion that ISNA get it together with MAS (Warith Deen Muhammad's org) for once & for all or we cancel ISNA next year and go to the MAS conf as an act of solidarity was an excellent suggestion. This youth needs to be cloned for this ummah.
-Most of the MSA lectures. They seemed to have the spiritual aspect the main ISNA sessions lacked. Br. Muhammad Al-Shareef's 4-part lecture on the 4 Imams was a good intro. I missed out on A.H Jackson and S. Webb sessions, unfortunately, but heard they were all excellent, masha'Allah.
-The MSA sisters & ISNA entertainment sessions. Some parts were absolutely hysterical.
-Maybe it was the venue or that I'm oblivious, but I really didn't notice as much of the "lobby scene"/Club ISNA as in past years.
-Yusuf Islam chillin in the hotel lobby (NOT part of the lobby scene, hehe). I had the sudden urge to tell all the non-ISNA hotel folks walking around: HEY, DO YOU KNOW CAT STEVENS IS HERE? HE'S WITH US.  
-Meeting some more madina board sisters. :)


Not so favorite parts:

-Se7en's right, all of the ingredients were there, but the spiritual aspect of the ISNA sessions seemed lacking. Alhamdulillah, it seemed more organized than past years and a lot of practical sessions were held (political involvement, finances, grant-writing, counseling, ING presentations, fiqh Q/A). But something was definitely missing. Seems like since 9/11, the mood has changed a bit. Or maybe it's just coincidental/temporary/my experience.
-The short time given to Br. Abdus-Samad's session on Islaam in Spain. He needed a main session time slot for his work. Most speakers didn't get enough time, period. I heard Hamza Yusuf and some others were given like 10 minutes in some ISNA sessions. And 10-14 sessions during one time slot is getting out of hand, I felt like I missed out on a lot.
-The fact that we still have a separate ISNA and MAS conference on the same weekend in the same city boggles the mind. Yes, there were free shuttles and registration for anyone who registered for one and there were some parallel sessions, but we really don't need 2 separate conferences. The NY Times pointed out this division, which was not helpful but we brought it upon ourselves. May Allah increase us in unity, good work and may He reward the organizers/speakers, aameen.
09/02/03 at 17:10:34
sofia
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
momineqbal
09/03/03 at 02:11:49
[slm],

I decided to go to ISNA right at the last moment. Alhamdulillah I liked it very much even though I was kind of lost there among so many people. It was good for my brother who is relatively new to this country and had not seen anything like this before. InshaAllah he would benefit a lot from it.

We stayed at a different hotel than where most people were staying, so we had to catch the local chicago bus to get to the convention center. It was a good experience to travel by public transport after a long time.

The convention center itself was huge. I also thought things were well organized. I liked the Islamic relief booth right by the registration area. They had put up an actual tent to simulate a refugee camp. May Allah reward those brothers and sisters who are working to help so many muslims in such difficult situations.

I loved almost all the lectures I attended. I tried to attend a lot of MSA ones, since my younger brother was with me, for whom it was the first time he was seeing anything like this. The session with wife of Imam Jamil and daughter of Dr. Sami Al-arian was very good. May Allah help secure their release. I like the presentation by Sh. Hamza on 'Ethnic Jihad', very informative.
There was another session on human rights with Br. Ghulam Nabi Fai and Br. Kamran, it was very informative, especially the presentation by Br. Kamran on how we muslims have ignored the human rights abuses by muslims infliced upton other muslims. It really is a shame that we make so much noise about non-muslims taking away our rights and yet remain silent about abuses by muslims.

In the main sessions I could attend some lectures by Sh. Abdullah Idris, Sh. Hamza, Sh. Muzammil Siddiqui, Sr. Ingrid, Br. Yusuf Islam and many more. I liked pretty much all of them.

Loved the comedy by br. Azhar and some of the songs as well, although some of them were too loud, or maybe it was just because I was sitting right below a big speaker. They should have tried to mix stuff up. I didn't like how so many rappers came right one after another. Also there should be a skit included as well. But alhamdulillah it was a good idea to have the show, inshaAllah things will get a lot better as more and more such things are done.

Bazar was typical ISNA I guess, but I heard that some vendors were complaining that there weren't 40000 people as the ISNA organizers had predicted. Some of the booths I liked were Islamic foundation UK, Awakening and Astrolabe. Astrolabe carried the ISNA interfaith kit. I think it was very expensive. They should make it cheaper so more people can buy it and distribute it to non-muslims.

I flew back early morning on monday, which was also a bit of an experience. The train I took to the airport stopped in the middle of a tunnel, although alhamdulillah it just stopped two minutes' walking distance from the airport station. They said they had some situation in the train ahead of us, they kept us waiting for about 15-20 mins before doing emergency evacuation, we had to walk to the station, which wasn't all that bad, as I had plenty of time left to checkin and stuff. And then after getting off the airplane in LA, they said that their door of the luggage cabin was stuck, so I had to come home without my checked-in luggage and then wait for them to deliver it to my home. But alhamdulillah they brought it to my apt. at night and everything was ok with my bag.
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
jannah
09/03/03 at 03:43:06
thought this was interesting  :o

P.S. Do not read this if you've never been to an ISNA because u cannot possibly judge or understand what goes on except for the trash talk that usually goes on by people who have never attended an ISNA


ISNA 2003: When is big too big?
A Review
by Huma Ahmad

This year's Labor Day weekend ISNA convention in Chicago had some great new additions along with the standard impressive ISNA attributes. Some great new additions included a film festival showcasing various works, some interactive workshops like learning martial arts after Fajr, Islamic calligraphy, Tajweed, Islamic art slideshows and displays, using powerpoints in informational lectures, late night hip-hop sessions, a poetry slam, new talent at the entertainment session like comics and new singers, matrimonial family dinners for singles, Halal KFC and cheaper meals and food, and session series liked Muhammad al Shareef's 4 part imam lectures and the amazing Women in Islam series. All reflect the Muslim community in North America and their growing talents and diversifying interests. Great standards included the Bazaar full of every Islamic product you could imagine, the sisters-only fashion show & entertainment, the brothers basketball tournament, after-Fajr spiritual short talks, audiences of ten thousand plus and beautiful prayer recitations.

And as usual this year's ISNA had a lot of amazing sessions. Excellent powerhouse speakers such as Imam Siraj, Imam Zaid and Sh. Hamza Yusuf as usual brought the house down. Even Abdul Hakeem Jackson dropkicked the audience with his critical academic talks on the future of the Ummah in the US. One of the important reasons many others and I come to ISNA every year is to hear the advice and vision of these scholars and most active workers. Instead of feeling hopeless and lost as we sometimes do with all the issues going on with Muslims, ISNA usually gives us hope, motivation and insight on the problems we face in our local communities. The lessons and information we learn is then usually passed on formally and informally to Muslims all over.

It can be said of course that each person who comes to ISNA has a different experience. Some come to meet up with family & friends, a sort of family reunion a la discounted convention hotel prices.  Some come to attend all the sessions they can, hoping to learn as much as they can. Some come to check out the film festival. Some come to shop at the bazaar. Some come to hang out in the lobbies and in the streets of Chicago all night and sleep all day. Some come to attend only the specific sessions related to their interests like political participation, finance & economy, Islamic art, Islamic education, etc. This year ISNA had it all... sessions for anyone and everyone...but somehow in the scheme of it all, something precious was really lost -- the grand narrative. That is -- the common experience, the bonding, the feeling of attending something grander than ourselves experienced by participants who share a single event at a particular point in time.

When there are 15 parallel sessions per main session plus other continuous attractions, the probability of you attending the same sessions as another person at the convention drops considerably. It's hard to share that bonding, that heightened spirituality when everyone's experience is a different one. There were some people who I knew went to the convention but I didn't see a single time throughout the four days. There were people who said they attended such-and-such lecture that was great that I didn't even know existed. And there were people I told about such-and-such thing that went on that had no clue about it. We could have both been attending different conventions in reality.

For some reason, this year's speech content was less uplifting and less spiritual than recent years. The overall feeling seemed more political and critical, almost more urgent. Speakers talked about how we were just one of many faith communities who have had to struggle in the West, how things have changed so greatly after 9/11, responses to missionary attacks, the need for education and practice of Islam and the greatness of glories past. Almost as if we were struggling to revive the dead, survive or that they feel the worst is yet to come. Not necessarily gloom and doom but definitely less positive and lacking the motivational, spiritual type of talks that ISNA has come to be known for.

All in all I think that this year's ISNA was not necessarily bigger and better, but it was definitely bigger in a lot of ways and better in some other ways.

SUGGESTIONS:

** Keep the main powerhouse sessions free of parallel sessions, the main night sessions from 8 to 11 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights are the key to the convention. They should have the best speakers with the best topics and message for everyone.

** Entertainment should be at night, not the day. The feeling is completely different. Each group should only get one song time unless they are exceptional. It is very difficult to listen to a genre of music u are not into for so long, especially for the older crowd who has no idea how to identify with some types. Family entertainment should be in the beginning, followed by the more alternative type of acts. The variety should be kept up with comedy, poetry, skits, songs, bands and rap all spaced out.

** On the one hand webcasts and archiving of sessions is great in case you miss anything inadvertently. You can always come back and listen to it, or if you're not able to attend the convention you can watch from home. But the issue becomes a little murky when you depend on the ISNA people taping a session so decide to skip it and 'watch it at home' but of course never do. None of the other hundred odd sessions are taped, the bulk of which are the best and most useful of the convention. Also there is much to be said about actually "experiencing" ISNA as opposed to just getting a limited view of a few of the main room lectures. The actual experience of going down to Fajr prayers, hanging out with long lost friends in your rooms, meeting new people, being in an audience of 10,000 Muslims during an emotional speech or comedic routine -- these you can never experience unless you're actually there.

** The Bazaar seemed oddly planned. Jewelry booths next to bookstores next to clothes sellers next to investment firms made it difficult to shop and to find what you were looking for. Plus shopkeepers seemed to be into ripping people off. I saw the same book at three different places ranging from $10 to $20! I was so horrified in seeing a young brother about to pay $20 for the same book I bought at $10, I told him to go to the other place. The owner said he would price-match and so he did, but I noticed that the $20 price tag on the books on the table still remained. I also tried this experiment of asking the price of a dress in one store. The booth owner told me $500, my sister returned with $750 and some non-Desi friends $1250! If that's not ripping people off what is? My advice for those who go is to do some research before hand, make a list of the products that you want to buy and what prices they usually sell at online before you go shopping at the bazaar. At the beginning of the conference just scope out the whole bazaar for anything very unique or amazing -- that's when the best selection of colors and quality are available. Then buy what's on your list during the middle breaks between sessions and lastly during the end go ahead and look for any bargains. Balancing shopping time with so many sessions and things going on all the time becomes extremely difficult indeed.

** The lobby scenes known as 'Club ISNA' should be shut down. Hotel security or special ISNA security should be hired to close the lobbies at 1 am. I think for years we've been hoping that those people who come to ISNA for the wrong reasons will benefit from something that they hear or do at ISNA. Planning late night alternatives was an excellent step, but I think at this point everyone realizes the negative effects outweighs any of the good here. Giving a limited amount of people who most probably aren't even registered and don't attend any of the sessions the freedom to do whatever they want causes more harm than good. Their freedom becomes the reputation of ISNA and gives a lot of people the perfect excuse to keep from coming. Granted we shouldn't have muwatta police, but at least make it less open and a little more difficult and keep the late-night macking and parties away from the convention center and hotels.

** Year after year we know Hamza Yusuf and other big speakers attract huge crowds, and year after year people keep putting them in the smaller rooms to speak. And these are usually the best and most powerful of the sessions. All sessions of big speakers should be in the main hall, even if they are a 'msa' or 'myna' session.

** Get input from speakers on what they want to do at ISNA, what message they want to send instead of assigning them to something randomly. Inform moderators of all this as well. There's no need for a moderator to call Legacy of the Prophet a 'book'!!

** Instead of 15 parallel sessions on so many different topics, maybe put together all similar topic type sessions as parallel sessions so participants can choose what aspect of the topic they'd like to attend. Don't have lots of 'cheap small sessions' on various aspects of a topic instead of one quality bigger session. For example, instead of having small one-speaker sessions on pre-marital contracts, what to look for in a partner, marriage, marriage Q&A, etc, have one longer session where all the speakers come together to discuss the topic.

** I understand the idea behind series sessions is to make the convention more Deen intensive, but to attend 4 parts of a series you are cutting out a large chunk of time from the convention who's purpose is not really intensive detailed education, but should be more motivational and spiritual.

** Do one jamat of Fajr instead of having 8 different ones in all the various hotels. Yes it's difficult, but  the effort should be made.

All these issues cannot be blamed on the organizers or volunteers who work extremely hard to make each year better than the year before. They do an excellent job and we cannot possibly understand the hardships and struggles to balance everything behind the scenes.
09/03/03 at 03:50:21
jannah
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Ruh
09/03/03 at 05:03:32
[slm]

Alhamdullilah I had the opportunity to attend ISNA this year (my 4th one actually), and after reading the posts here by fellow participants, all I can say is I TOTALLY agree with each point.  The review by Jannah is right on the money!!   :-X   All my sentiments and  family/friends' sentiments are echoed pretty much point by point.

I too felt like something was missing from this years conference; I missed that uplifting motivational feeling I usually have when leaving many sessions--a feeling where I want to go out and change myself and the world.  But I thought it was just me until I read the posts here.  I can't put my finger on WHY the spiritual component was missing... ???

 I'd have to say that last years convention in DC was great; even though it was the first convention after 9/11 and ironically, in DC at that, many speakers weren't trying to be "PC" and really were dynamic.  I recall Tariq Ramadan's speech being soo awesome; and it was unfortunate he wasn't at this years convention.  

I think the biggest thing I didn't enjoy about this years convention was the fact that it was in downtown Chicago, even though I love and appreciate the downtown area (even the more so because our downtown out here in LA is not a "traditional" downtown).  I think it's really hard when the hotels are far from the convention center and one has to depend on the shuttle; you really have to think twice about whether you need to go back to your room or not.  And it's even more annoying when the buses don't run between hotels, so I felt like I was missing out on late night sisters/brothers only sessions at other hotels.  Of course taxis are an option, but when sometimes you're by yourself, its not a great idea.  I like it a lot when the hotels are all walking distance to convention center and to each other ie Rosemont or DC.   :)

But all in all I had a great time.  It's always truly a pleasure to have so many Muslims gather together in one place, regardless of their intent.  It makes one feel a part of something big--truly a part of our Ummah.  

To all those who posted here, again, awesome job describing ISNA!!   :-*  :-*

Wassalam
:-)
09/03/03 at 05:05:02
Ruh
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Maliha
09/03/03 at 07:37:57
[slm]
i missed it :'( :'(

hey wasn't Sh. Mukhtar around???

Just wondering.

Jannah that's a good review Mashaallah, you should send it to some of the organizers. I went last year and those same issues you brought (at least some, lobby scene etc) were very evident last year, and may be could be beneficial when they are trying to plan for next year Inshaallah.

May Allah reward you all for giving us a tinnny glimpse...any notes would really, really call for a lot more duahs  ;) and a  [] just for Se7en :P

[wlm]
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Adi28
09/03/03 at 14:28:35
[slm]


Hey i have a question did they announce where their having ISNA next year??

Adi28
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
jannah
09/03/03 at 15:36:19
[wlm]

I was told Rosemont Chicago by someone who works for ISNA.
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
AyeshaZ
09/03/03 at 16:05:13



[wlm]

Alhamdullilah, a grrreeaaaaat experience!!

***Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar***
May Allah(swt) have His infinite Mercy on him. ameen was amazing!!!

Sh HY and Dr.Umar, Saturday morning were awesome.. I have heard them both talk about these topics but never together, so it was great. Dr.Umar is a walking encyclopedia, masha'Allah!

*Imam M and Imam Zaid were really good friday night and the entertainment was  too funny*
The best part was the brother saying his shahadah and imam zaid asking br.altaf to "write down some numbers".. i thought that was too funny!

Fast-a-thon lecture by MSAers was truly enlightening and insha'Allah our MSA is totally thinking about doing it.

Srs. entertainment night, shazia rocked the house with her amazing poem, ahem that totally is going to be framed in my room!! And "My big fat Arab-Indian Wedding" was hilllllllllaaaaaaarious..


**But i echo everyone's thoughts, i felt less barakah in my time, even though i went to many lectures, i felt not rejuvenated as i've have in the past conferences..
One of the workers told me that how there were even less people present than
D.C ‘s conference last year..

*Alhamdullilah, the organizers did an excellent job but i was truly not feelin it!


Yeah the Bazaar was soooo confusing this year, and i didn't  make my pre-Isna list sooo was overwhelmed!

**Also, my friends and I totally thought that during lunch and dinner time there should be *no* lectures scheduled cuz than u feel like you are missing out... :'( :'( :'(

it was amazing to meet  jannah n se7en!!!


wassalamu 'alaykum

Re: All about ISNA 2003!
dhikr83
09/03/03 at 16:24:51
assalaamu alaikum wrt

alhumdulilah i thought ISNA went pretty smoothly actually.

this year we came a day early to do the whole sightseeing bit. we went to devon street to do some shoppin/eating. we ended up walkin thru the reallly jewish part of the street. i was maad surpised to see streets like rabbi moses st or sumthing. we had sabri nehari for lunch and hit up the navy pier at night. very beautiful place mashallah.

the sessions were nice, more abt actvism than last year, not alotta motivational/spiritual stuff tho. but i *reallly* loved muhammed alshareefs breakout sessions abt the 4 madhabs. that was hot  

the bazaar was nice. got some pretty cool deals, went crazy with the tshirts. and that one booth with car decals was noiiiiiice. www.islamicdecals.com  

this year the food was great. so many varieties, and for the first time i didnt become poor because of the food! halal KFC was an excellent touch, always put a smile on my face;) hehe. we hit up the cheesecake factory on monday. that was one of the coolest lookin restaurants ive been too. the cheesecake was *so* good.  

one thing i was thankful was- we were stayin in the hyatt mccormick hotel. we really didnt see the whole lobby scene at the hilton cept for sunday nite- when we went to that lobby alternative thing they had on the 3rd floor- that whole thing was a really cool idea. im glad it at least saved a few souls from the garbage that was goin on downstairs. im was really soo relieved i didnt have to see the garbage like last years alhumdulilah!

the "rhythmic reflections thing- was awesome- i loved everything abt it- imam zaid was awesome. that one hafidh brother's poem was very touching. br afnan and br aatif's stuff is always awesome mashallah. but the one mic thing kinda sucked. but that whole thing was reallly nice mashallah

oh oh- the ISNA entertainment was... had its ups and its downs- i was crackin up sooo hard with that comedian brother- he was hilarious. the whole rap bidness kinda went overboard- even tho im like this lil rap baby, it was kinda too much. br sami yusuf i think his name was, was soo good mashalllah! but the fact that it was like in the middle of the afternoon was really weird -  i didnt like that.

we stayed with some really cool cambodian sissters- which was pretty cool. all in all it was a nice trip alhumdulilah. i learned alot and i cant wait till next year

take care ya
salaamio
~razia
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Ruqayyah
09/03/03 at 17:13:17
[slm]

Alhamdulilah I'm glad I was able to make it to ISNA this year. All in all it was a lot of fun, awesome lectures, got to see some old friends (and new ;)) and got to see a little of chicago too! The Grand Lux Cafe is def one to hit up if you get the chance! ;D

I had never heard Sheikh Hamza Yusuf speak in public before, usually b/c his lectures are full by the time i get there, but alhamdulilah, i got to see his "ethnic jihad" lecture which was great! The powerpoint was a wonderful supplement.

I only got to go to one of Muhammad as Shareef's lectures, but wished i could have gone to all 4 of them. alhamdulilah, he did a good job of talking about the imam and his life which really allowed you to respect the imams and not get caught up into "which madhab is really right".  Does anyone know if he has lectures online i can buy?

I also went to one w/ Mohammad Magid (i'm pretty sure that's his name) and he was excellent! It was an ISNA session (as opposed to MSA) about improving your prayer. He's such an adorable man, mashallah.

The after fajr tae kwan do was really fun! There were 4 sisters, 2 had brown belts, 2 had black belts, and they definitely could kick some butt! Subhanallah, it was truly inspiring to see them. I would love for non muslims who think that hijabi's are meek submissive people who don't know how to stand up fo themselves, to see these women. Definitely give them something to think about!

The rhythmic reflections and the sisters night of entertainment were also a lot of fun- seeing that bro take shahada sent a shiver down my spine, it was truly a beautiful moment  :-*  and br. altaf is so funny!

I do think it was a little crazy though at ISNA this year- I really felt very rushed and like there were SO many lectures that looked so good but I could only go to a few of them, and then i still didn't really have the time to soak it all in and reflect. but khair, alhamdulilah i'm glad i was able to go and have such good company too mashallah :) I think that really brought a lot of baraqa into it, travelling w/ a good group of sisters  :-)

[wlm]
ruqayyah
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
jannah
09/04/03 at 19:31:34
[slm]

Check out some of the main lectures online.  Must watch'es are the Giving Saturday night main session and the ISNA extravaganza... so are Jamal Badawi's friday presentation and 'Action' Jackson's ISNA one.

http://www.isna.net/vision/default.asp
09/04/03 at 20:35:53
jannah
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Trustworthy
09/04/03 at 20:16:38
[slm] warahmutallahi wa barakatuh...

Al-hamdulillah I made it there in one piece, stayed there in one piece, and made it back in one piece.

Huma’s review of ISNA was, Subhanallah, straight to the core.  Spiritually however, I think, depends on the individual him/herself.  

As for myself, masha-Allah, this year was better then the last just because the sessions were more to my taste.  I attended at least 3-4 sessions per day.  The speakers in my opinion were more compassionate in there lectures this year.  They even brought tears to my eyes and worth in my heart.

Last year was more political just because it was after 9/11.  I enjoyed it and it fired me up, but this year I focused on my inner-self wanting to find that peace wiph Allah (SWT).  I went to one session with Imam Mukhtar about “Inner Peace” which helped me personally realize something about myself.  This years topic was almost similar that I had to explain to a friend of mine that he wasn’t Sufi.  She was absolutely mesmerized about his modest and quiet stature.  When I went to introduce us and my Imam Mohammed Joban spoke to him in Arabic telling him that I was once his student 10 yrs ago, he didn’t even look up to see if he would recognize me.  Just said, “Allahu Akbar.  10 yrs.  I would have not recognized you.”  He surely left his gaze lowered.

This year, I went to a variety of sessions that ranged from political stance in the West with Salam ? to purification of the soul with Imam Mukhtar.  Methods of teaching to raising children.  All of the speakers left me thinking about my goals in this dunya verses the goals for the Hereafter.

The one that got to me most of all is "God and You" with Yusuf Islam, Siddiqi, and Sheikh Abdullah.  Even the moderator got to me as well.  Sheikh Abdullah spoke about the sincerety (Ikhlas) of our Ibaadah, Siddiqi spoke of our purification and said that if we don't bring anything with us home from ISNA at least bring this....the remembrance of Allah with pureness that when we say La illaha illallah, it vibrates in your heart with every beat.  Imagine yourself saying La illaha illallah with pure sincerety that it vibrates with every beat of your heart.  When I tried it, I felt it, and I cried.  I just wish it was like that all the time, 24/7.  Then Yusuf Islam touched me with his story of how he found Allah not knowing Surah Al-Luqman yet reciting it in his time of distress.  I understood it.  Even the moderator touched me with the stories he told us with every introduction.

I love learning new found knowledge and being reminded of old ones cause sometimes you need just that.  Now the extra touch to this year was the long lost friend I meet.  We stayed up the first night til almost Fajr time catching up.  Meeting with online friends was also a blast.  I didn’t expect se7en to be so grown up, masha-Allah, you did good Jannah.  Though I missed her stage appearance at the Sister’s Night event, which was way better then last year’s, I was able to get an encore recitation up front in our room which was special.  Beautiful poem, masha-Allah.  Sr. Sofia was also cool.  How I wished I’d’ve meet all of them.  There was just not enough time.  Jannah and I spent little time with each other as well which was a downside.  But we got caught up.  10 yrs is a long time and I’ll be going to se7en’s wedding insha-Allah.  If we only had more time.  

The bazaar was worst then last year with the same old rip offs here and there.  I even confronted one of them because they sold me a book for $12 which was the correct price and another guy sold my cousin the same book for $18, astagh-firullah.  I lectured him good.  I liked that we had 2 hours for lunch and dinner so that we also had time for the bazaar during that time even though I couldn’t find anything worth getting ripped off for except for one dress.  Halaal KFC was superb since I couldn’t handle the spicy restaurant next door (I did get tired of it later).  The ice cream stand, oh yeah.

The entertainment this year was a little too much.  I understand they’re starving artists and all but it was a little too much.  The Backstreet Boys wannabe’s “786boyz.com” – cool and I enjoyed them.  The first song they sang got my attention and lead me straight back to my seat.  Sami Yusuf, masha-Allah, his CD’s were gone by the time I got there.  Imagine him calling the Adhan, Ya Rub.  Though I wished I’d see more female artists, the poetry gal, was a little too Queen Latifa in motion and in voice.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked her poem.  I just wished she had a little less attitude in her stance representing Muslimahs and all.  If she had sat on a chair and been a little more modest, she would’ve gotten a standing avation from me.  Her dress was beautiful and proper which is why it didn’t match her stance.

I could’ve done without the candidates for presidency and the surprised visit from the other one.  I could’ve done without the mixed up rooms, I felt bad having to make my friends sleep on the floor.  There was no room for all of us on the floor or all on the bed so we had to take turns.  I could’ve done without the rip offs in the bazaar.  I could’ve done without seeing Muslims eating turkey bacon in the diner.  I could’ve done without the girls flirting with the boys and vice versa.

But even with all that said, I had a great experience and will be going again next year, insha-Allah.  I had personal experiences that will affect my future and a better understanding of this life verses the next.  All totaling me about $530 including hotel stay, spending money (food and stuff), ISNA registration, and airline ticket.

ISNA registration and hotel: $100
ISNA food and bazaar: $200
Airline ticket: $230

Ticket to Jannah, insha-Allah: Priceless

Insha-Allah I hope to see more of you there next year.

Ma-asalaama....
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
Shuja
09/05/03 at 02:38:49
Assalamu alaikum!

The Ugly:

My experience includes a few complaints.  I complain not because I wish to ridicule but to Inshallah make the ISNA experience in the future better.  I rolled up to ISNA with my uncle and at the parking lot we met the parking attendant who was more than willing to offer answers to questions (in fact she went out of her way to help us) and this parking attendant was not a muslim.  However, of all the muslims I came across that worked as volunteers at ISNA...they pale in comparison when compared to her in hospitality (ad'ab).  Upon entering the building we reached the security point where literally my uncle who was carrying a bad was yelled at ...."open your bag," "open your bag," at the top of this person's lungs.  No Salam.  No "please" at the end of the statement.  Upon taking a few steps my uncle remarked that he received "better treatment at the airports."  Thereafter I began tabulating how the volunteers were interacting with muslims throughout the conference and I came to the conclusion that most paled in comparison to the hospitality that myself and my uncle received from the parking attendant.  In tabulating my data so to speak I noticed that most of the volunteers were in their "teens." and I think for next year's ISNA it would be nice to have one adult present amongst the teens.  In my opinion the security team consisting mostly of teens was an utter failure.  Inshallah it will be better next year.

The Bad:

Scheduling Sheik Humza Yusuf (sat. evening 4:30, if i recall correctly) in room S100 and people being turned away from listening to his lecture.  

The Good:

I was turned away from Sheik Humza Yusuf's lecture and I was disappointed that I wasn't going to get to listen to him at this lecture so I opened up my program to find an alternate lecture and came across the larger room across from the bazaar where my visit to ISNA was fulfilled.  Br. Rami was the speaker and I truly enjoyed his lecture and the speck of disappointment that I had faded away.  Furthermore, the best part of ISNA as always is being amongst muslims and getting refueled and rejuvenated until next year.    
Re: All about ISNA 2003!
momineqbal
09/05/03 at 20:39:22
[slm],

Its unfortunate that your experience with ISNA volunteers was  not very pleasant. I had quite a different experience, quite a few of them said Salam to me and were in general very courteous mashaAllah.
Re: REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
dodi
09/09/03 at 01:11:01
[slm]
I was reading the messages and I think we need to directly tell ISNA.  There was a lot of good and bad; as usual.  ;-)

ISNA has an online survey that you can fill out and express what you feel.  You can post your comments at http://www.isna.net/survey/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=100

We gotta tell it the way it is; because if we don't, its gonna stay the same.

peace

dodi
Re: REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
theOriginal
09/09/03 at 01:19:23
[slm]

It was okay.  Wasn't hugely impressed.  The sessions were generally pretty good, but after standing in line at the washroom trying to wash my hands for fifteen minutes, while a line up of sisters adjusted their make-up, it dawned on me that the washroom scene is a pretty good analogy of what the entire weekend was like.

I know there were some serious learners there...I just wish I had run into even one, so that I could have been more inspired to be serious.  But around mid afternoon on Saturday I was just plain tired, and decided I needed a serious cleansing by going home and spending the night in Sujood.

Maybe next year I'll take people who are serious with me.  Insha Allah.

Wasalaam.
Re: REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
Cybermuslim
09/10/03 at 00:30:32
Assalmu Alikum Everyone;

I was still recovering from the conference  and just started school so i havent had much time to roam the board i just discovered this thread .. the comments that people put here are AMAZING   :-X and i think it is somewhat of an obligation for people to tell the organizers this .. for ISNA i really dont know how much effect your comments will have .. allahu alam ..

BUT for MSA i know for a fact that we are looking for input so pls go to the MSA National Message board: http://www.msa-natl.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl
or email programs@msa-national.org with any suggestions/ comments...

and also if people are still a little motivated .. maybe u guys can put some of the things u wanted to see .. in the way of speakers and topics .. and maybe even if people have theme suggestions..
u can post that here as well as on the National board :)

just a point about the ISNA club .. i think that what the program committee did was a good effort in comparisson to other years .. but something else happened which was unplanned but i think would be extremely effective .. Imam Ziad walked into the hotel lobby and saw the amount of mixing and he stood up in the middle and started to give a talk .. Subhannallah .. i think that the MSA and ISNA program committees should actually setup a rotation of teh big speakers to go into the lobbies and give talks .. i mean i think that will be more effective than using security ..

Also about the small room for the big sessions ... i would like to apolagize on behlaf of MSA National for that .. what happened was there was some miscommunication with ISNA and the hall .. and it wasnt cleared from the Lunch that they had which resulted in the room having the tables in and therefore cutting the Capacity in Half  ::)  Oh yah and we were not allowed to touch a single table or chair b/c in the GREAT U S OF A .. the place was unionized so therefore we were not permitted to touch anyhting

... so pls inshallah make dua that it will work out better next year .. not to undermine that point about arrangeing bigger rooms for the big sessions :)

Jazakum Allahu khair for eveyones input/ points  .. PLS make sure u pass this on to the MSA program team/ organizers through the message board or the email given above

[slm]

Mohamed Sheibani
Re: REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
jannah
09/10/03 at 00:58:44
[wlm]

I spoke to a bro on the steering committee of isna this year and he read the thread and he said he'd take the comments here and from msanational and from some other boards and use them for whatever they do with comments and stuff.  

Maybe you can get ahmer to add a "What did you think of the Continental Conference?" on the front page of msa national and people can send feedback to MSA as well?

I know we used to use the feedback from the previous years for our northeast conferences but dunno who compiles and preserves that stuff at msa natl/isna..

jazakallah khair for the info cybermuslim
wsalaam wrt


P.S. If anyone wants to put pictures to this ISNA thing we all keep talking about check it out http://www.rutgersmsa.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=thumbnails&album=2
147 pics from ISNA... even some famous ppl that post on this board ;)
09/10/03 at 03:14:49
jannah
Re: REVIEW: All about ISNA 2003!
Anonymous
10/08/03 at 13:53:56
Salam

I was just wondering, did anyone pick up the 'emel' magazine at this years ISNA? I think
it was at the Islamic Foundation stall.

If anyone did, what did u think?


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