BEYOND THE APPARENT
Salam Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh, Readers!🤩
Hope you were not planning to start your Monday without your bi-weekly dose of Al-Mustaqeem?😌
We know you wouldn’t. 😂
It has been seven weeks since resumption and, let’s be honest, this semester is not exactly semestering 🤧.
Between the late nights, the small wins, and the moments that make you want to hide your books, we want you to remember this: Allah never forsakes the servant who strives. You are doing better than you think.❤️
MONDAY MOTIVATIONS
What if the problem you are seeing now is actually the blessing you will thank Allah for later?
Often what meets the eye is only a fragment of the full story. Beyond the apparent asks us to look past immediate outcomes; grades, rejections, delays, and to search for the hidden wisdom Allah may be working through.
Allah’s knowledge surpasses ours, and many trials are quiet doors to growth, protection, and redirection. As students, this perspective shifts disappointment into patience and curiosity. Instead of asking “Why me?” ask “What is Allah teaching me here?”
Allah reminds us in Suratul Baqarah (2:216): “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows while you do not know.”
Living beyond the apparent means training our eyes and hearts to notice patterns, lessons, and mercy behind delays and setbacks, so that failure becomes feedback, waiting becomes preparation, and uncertainty becomes dependence on Divine wisdom.
As the writer, Joseph Brown beautifully said: “The only things worth seeing are beyond what you can actually see“.
Now that we understand why this mindset is admirable, here are some practical ways to live the “Beyond the Apparent” life:
How to live a “Beyond the Apparent” life as Muslim Students.
1. Begin with a Clear Niyyah (Intention)
Before you study, attend a class, set a goal, or make a decision, pause and renew your intention. Say it, write it, and remind yourself: “I am doing this for the sake of Allah, to seek knowledge, and to grow in excellence.”
2. Have Tawakkul: Do Your Best, Then Leave the Rest to Allah
Strive with excellence, but do not tie your worth to results. Tawakkul means trusting that Allah will bring the best outcome, even if it’s not the outcome you expected. This helps you stay calm during exams, delays, or unexpected changes.
3. Read Beyond the Scene: Ask What Allah Wants You to Learn
When something doesn’t go as planned, resist frustration. Ask reflective questions:
“Is this redirecting me?”
“Is Allah protecting me?”
“Is there a skill or lesson hidden here?”
This trains your mind to see wisdom where others see only disappointment.
4. Practice Gratitude in Hardship
Keep a small journal and note one blessing inside every challenge. It may be patience you developed, a friend who supported you, or a new perspective you gained. Gratitude opens your eyes to Allah’s subtle mercies.
5. Stay Close to the Qur’an - It Teaches You How to See Clearly
The Qur’an is filled with stories of people who faced impossible situations only to discover greater blessings. Reading even one page daily strengthens your spiritual eyesight and helps you interpret your challenges with clarity.
6. Control the Narrative You Tell Yourself
Instead of saying, “I failed,” say, “I am learning.” Instead of, “This rejection is the end,” say, “Allah is redirecting me toward something better.”
Your inner speech shapes your faith and emotional resilience.
FORGOTTEN SUNNAH
The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Allah does not look at your figures, nor at your attire but He looks at your hearts [and deeds].”
To make it interactive, we want you readers to come up with the lessons you learnt from the hadith and send the explanation to the phone numbers at the end of the newsletter. 👇
The best entry stands a chance of winning a cash prize. 💯
MSSN UPDATES
What is happening on Campus? You know we’ve got you!🥂
Tahfīz classes are back this semester! 🚀💯
Our opening session was held on Thursday and it was a delightful gathering of Quran minds. It is not too late to begin your Quran journey with MSSN UNILAG.✨
📝 Register: https://forms.gle/yuSpDhGSa9Z2LBNw8
📞 Enquiries: +2349090236036
It is 18 days to the 115th IVC and you still have not registered. 🤔
Before you know it, it will be the D-day and we will be off to camp without you. 👌
📍Register now through:
https://camp.mssnlagos.net
Remind your family, friend, neighbour and even your enemy 😂 that they should not miss the 115th IVC!
OPPORTUNITIES
We love it when the Ummah wins together so this is your share of our updates. 🎖️
Rise Academy Tech Internship Program 2025
Benefits:
🎓 Full Scholarship
💻 Tech Training
💰 Monthly Stipend
✅ Hands-on Projects
✅ Mentorship
APPLY NOW:↙️
https://scholarsworld.ng/rise-academy-tech-internship-program/
Bode Amao Foundation Scholarship (BAF) For Undergraduates
Benefits:
🎓 Full Scholarship
💰 ₦100,000 per year
Deadline:
📅 December 31, 2025
APPLY:↙️
https://scholarsworld.ng/bode-amao-foundation-scholarship/
MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT
Like usual, we are spotlighting a big fish!🔥
Meet Zaynab Oyedeji, a recent graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.
By profession, she is a media and communications specialist who uses creativity to shape meaningful narratives. She is an author, a poet, and a Muslimah driven by the belief that words can heal, teach, and transform.
Having served as the Female Coordinator of ASSMUS in 300 level, as well as Female Quality Assurance officer, a member of the Da’wah Board, and the Project Manager of Naseeha Diaries in her final year, she embodies competence, resilience and the beautiful art of multitasking.
She has a keen interest and endless love for poetry, all of which contributed to the publication of her poetry book on Selar: https://selar.com/v7hjk51614
When asked about what keeps her grounded and true to her dreams, she says, “I love quality, order and intentional work. When there’s no structure, value or clarity, I hesitate, even in relationships. I prefer things that are black or white, rather than grey.”
Her story is a reminder that as Muslims we should always chase diligence, consistency, and excellence at every point in our lives. We pray that the Almighty continue to ease the affairs of our dear sister in Islam.
GAME TIME 😎
HINT: This riddle aims to test your islamic knowledge.
They are way beyond the apparent. You get it? 😉
1. I am light on the tongue,
But heavy on the scale.
I remind you of Allah when you notice the world’s perfection,
What am I?
2. I travel with you everywhere,
Yet I make no sound and cast no shadow.
And speak only when you can no longer deny me.
Who am I?
3. You lose me every time you share me,
Yet I return multiplied in ways you cannot measure.
People think I decrease, but I only rise.
What am I?
4. I stand in front of you five times a day,
Not made of wood, stone, or metal.
You enter me with intention,
And leave cleaner than when you came.
What am I?
5. I follow you from the moment you breathe,
Yet you can never look me in the eyes.
I grow with your actions, shrink with your sins,
And meet you again on a Day you cannot delay.
Who am I?
ADVERTS
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As we close this edition, remember that life is always more than what meets the eye. Beyond the deadlines, the lectures, the noise and the rush, there is a quieter world within you that also deserves your attention. Your studies, your worship, your relationships, and your wellbeing are not competing forces, they are parts of a journey you’re allowed to grow into, slowly and sincerely.
May Allah grant you clarity that cuts through confusion, barakah that multiplies your efforts, and a calm focus that keeps you steady beyond the surface level of things. 🤲✨
Until we reach you again, ma’a salam. ❤️