Bronx Science Muslim Students' Association: Home of the Brigadiers

"I'm thankful for having parents that support me no matter what I want, and no matter what their personal opinions are. They do they're best to listen to me and hear me out, and sacrifice so much to make sure I'm happy. Of course, our relationship isn't perfect, but I'm so happy to have them. It makes daily a little easier knowing that my parents are behind me, and if I need them, they're always there. It was my dad's life long dream and expectation that I'd become a doctor. A neurologist. My grandfather died from a stroke, so it was more of a reason for me to go into neurology. However, when I realized that my passion in life isn't actually related to medicine at all (it's business), I was a bit scared to tell him. But when I did, I was surprised because he wasn't upset at all, but actually very excited. He said, "He sees me as a businesswoman." I realized that in the end, my parents just want me to be happy and successful in life, and I'm so, so thankful for them, knowing that some people don't have supportive parents like mine. I want to make sure that my parents live a life of no agony, pain and suffering. I want to repay my parent’s love and care by making a change in this world. It’s because of my parents I’m able to reach my dreams. I don’t know where I’m going to go, but I do know that my parents will always be there to support me no matter what!"

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highly praised women and as followers of the Prophet and Allah SWT, we should too.

"Someone who is caring and compassionate is someone who goes to any lengths to help someone. Someone who actively tries to make someone else's day better, whether it is by making them laugh or helping them solve a problem, or just listening to them talk about their problems. I remember this one girl who went to my middle school was pretty much the definition of caring. She would help everybody in any way possible, whether it was a teacher or a student or some random person, she would always try her best to make at least one person's day better. She would talk to the quieter kids, even if they didn't keep up that much of a conversation she would just talk to them so they wouldn't be alone. I was really shy myself, so I was amazed at how she managed to be so open and talkative with people all the time. She was always genuine about it too, she never expected to get anything back from it, she just did it because you could tell it made her feel good. Some of the other kids in our class thought she was annoying and extra but she would rarely let it get to her, and it never stopped her. She was just doing what made her happy, and that was making other people happy. To me, she is the embodiment of caring and compassion. She showed that we all have the ability to make others feel better about themselves, to be a positive part of another person's day. I always try to be caring and to be there for other people, but sometimes I hold myself back because I don't want to look or sound dumb. But if you think about it, that's what really matters at the end of the day. The way you make someone feels and how you act, that's how people get remembered, that's how they rise and bring upon a change."

Check out the first video of our Dear Society series. In this open letter, the students of Bronx Science speak out against gun violence and explain how we can show mercy to victims by making a change in our gun laws.

Dear Gun Violence, Dear Gun Violence, “You cannot fight violence with more violence. That would kill more innocent people and that truly breaks my heart” The recent shootings i...

"There are multiple advantages of being a caring and compassionate person. Simple acts of kindness help to build trust between people. When you’re someone who can be trusted, you also become someone that people look up to, someone that people want to talk to about their problems or just through a rough day. When you care for someone at their lowest points they’ll never forget you. It’s this love that becomes contagious lit by the compassion of a single person. I only hope to be as compassionate as I can and I hope that this compassion resonates with the rest of the world."

"Compassion is not only about being considerate of others, or feeling kind or sympathetic towards them. It is about caring about another person’s happiness in your own eyes — as if it is about your own happiness. When I consider myself as acting compassionately, it’s because I’m not thinking in terms of what will satisfy a person, but what will benefit them in the long run and motivate them to improve as people. If we use our own judgment and wisdom to be compassionate, we are more likely to act even more considerately and kindly because we are thinking of others’ situations in our own shoes. Wouldn’t less fortunate people want and deserve the care and compassion that we would want for ourselves if we needed it? Compassion is not as simple as kindness and giving people what they want, but it is kindness, consideration, and giving people what they need."

"The question of how to become more compassionate might seem to have a simple answer at first: just be nicer towards others. But it is wildly more complicated than that. This is actually something I've been trying to be for some time now. A few years ago, I felt that I wasn't giving enough of my attention and genuine concern towards the well-being and livelihoods of my friends, and overall was just being a horrible human in general. However, I had no idea where to start. After a few weeks/months of trying, I found some key parts in trying to be a more compassionate person:
1. Be more compassionate towards yourself - It is hard to care for the well-being of others when you're own mental and emotional health is in disrepair. When I was at this point, I decided to try to do things that I like to do more often. Such as go outside and play basketball with friends, or even play competitive video games with them. It helps not only make you feel happier, it also helps, in this case, make stronger bonds with said friends.
2. Check in on others more often - This doesn't mean hit a random person up every 5 minutes or at 3 in the morning. It just means check-in with a close friend, let's say, once daily or two, just to see how life is for them. Or maybe with a new acquaintance you made, check in like once or twice in a week. It might not seem like much, but I've noticed from my own experience that the person on the receiving end almost always appreciates it. It helps make their day just a little bit better. I see many people post on social media that no one ever checks in with them, and these are usually the same people who could use the attention at that moment.
3. Try to be more supportive and be there for people - Life can be frustrating for all of us from time to time. We've all had times when we were going through something, and we had no one to talk to or be there for us. So it's time to break the cycle. If you ever notice a friend or someone you barely know going through a tough time, try to be there for them and support them in any you can. Sometimes just letting them rant to you or just giving them a warm gesture can go a long way. It makes their situation a little less terrible.
4. Have a positive "vibe" - While it does sound very cheesy, it is actually very helpful. If you have fun and happy personality, people will generally want to surround themselves with you. This is because people are more likely to feel happy themselves if they are around those who are happy and fun. Just being friendly to someone you just met can make their better.

There's still much more that can be said about how to become more compassionate, but this is what I've generally found to help almost anyone in their efforts."

We’re all so invested in school and extracurricular activities that the majority of us forget to sit down and think about the people and the environment around us. We forget about the passion we have to make a change, we forget of about the people we care about, and we forget who we are as individuals. The Bronx Science MSA serves as a way for students to reconnect with the world and their imam.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated, “Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith.”

Join us as we venture throughout Bronx Science and learn about the compassion, ambition, kindness, and faith that lies within each student here.

Jazak Allahu Khayran!

"Friendship transfers a stranger into a relative." - Hazrat Ali

"Before meeting my best friend, I used to be incredibly shy and it was hard for me to be open with people. I was so introverted to the point where I used to feel awkward smiling and I was close with only a few select people. When I first met her, she shocked me with how open and welcome she was with literally everyone she came across. It was easy to be drawn to her personality. She helped me break out of my shell and gave me the confidence to be more outgoing. If I hadn't met her, who knows who I would be today? I'm not afraid to smile anymore and I owe it to her. I’m fortunate to call her my best friend and I'm so grateful she's still a major part of my life. In fact, I’m so grateful that I’m proud to call her part of my family."

Check out this insightful piece written by Sister Nazma where she reflects on the way many of us take advantage of those who are most important to us- our family.

I Hate My Family | Bronx Science MSA “I hate my mom, she never lets me do anything!” The mother who birthed you and took care of you all your life. “I hate my dad he never spends any time with me!”...

Day 10: Reconnect with the Quran. Don’t simply read it. Read it with your heart and attempt to understand it.