Malik Musleh, 16, Glenbard East High School
“From the minute I walked into the Mecca Center and the minute I started going to MVMT programs my life changed for the better, alhamdulillah. One of the things that changed was the amount of real friendships I had. What I mean by real is a friendship that goes beyond school and beyond just hanging out. The friendships that I have formed at Mecca have been from the best I have ever had. From my team for Meet Ups, to the guys I meet at FNL, they are all more than friends. They are family. That’s what I call a real friendship. Where we all look out for each other, care for each other, help each other, and support each other day in and day out. Alhamdulillah for all of the friendships that I have formed at Mecca. I would not be the same today without them.”
Noha Bouqartacha, 21, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Hmmm, where do I even begin? The friendships that I’ve formed at Mecca are too many to count but alhamdulilah, I am most grateful for them. They are friendships that have formed because of the amazing weekly programs that go on like Recharge. Most of the girls that I have befriended I have known of, but have gotten to know on another level. These friendships have all been successful because we have all come to Mecca with the same intentions: to get closer to Allah SWT; and what better way than to build a sisterhood in the house of Allah.
Yusuf Atassi, 16, Hinsdale South High School
Friday Night Live has impacted me in many ways; its made me view the Mecca Center as not only a mosque, but a second home. If I’m feeling stressed, I know I can go there to communicate with Allah (swt). I truly feel comfortable with the people that are surrounded by me that I can confidently say that I consider them my older brothers. I appreciate that the leaders of FNL are able to connect and listen to me by sharing the obstacles and things that they’ve also gone through. This definitely helped me learn how to correlate Islam to my personal life.
Noor Jibrin, 20, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
The biggest thing I’ve taken away from Recharge is that your connection with Allah (SWT) and your spirituality are not always going to consistently increase. While we may think that everyone has their deen under lock, it’s refreshing to know that we all need a boost sometimes. Some days will feel like you’re taking 10 steps forward while others make you feel like you went 20 steps back. Whether it’s working on my salah or how I interact with others, Recharge has shown me that it’s okay to not always feel fully charged. If that were the case, we would never need to recharge. These weekly lectures and reminders allow me to see that if at any point I’ve fallen back, I can always takes steps to move forward.
Diya Alshahrour, 18, Benedictine University
I would say that the biggest change that I’ve made since I’ve been coming to Mecca has been the people that I surround myself with. Alhamdulilah, my friends have influenced me to do many great things in my life. They always have my back and inspire me to be better. And of course, not enough can be said about Sheikh Tariq. Sheikh Tariq treats me like his younger brother and while he may be harsh at times, he always has my best interest at heart. Since I became a member of the MVMT back in August of 2018, I have become a student of the Quran under Sheikh Tariq, become part of the MVMT service team, and have made a family at Mecca. Alhamdulilah for the blessing of Mecca.
