By the mid-1970s, Muslim students at the University of Maryland, College Park, had grown in number. They came from Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Nigeria, Palestine, and a handful of American converts. Until then, their gatherings were informal prayers in dorm rooms, Qur’an study sessions in apartments, and occasional Ramadan dinners. But as the group grew, so did the realization: they needed structure.
It was Imran, the Pakistani political science scholar, who first drafted a constitution (as mentioned in Story #12). However, the real milestone of registering with the university happened in 1975, when a small group of determined students entered the Student Affairs office. They filed papers to form the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at UMCP.
The application was straighforward, and almost barebones. It included a statement of purpose: to provide a space for Muslim students to practice their faith and educate others about Islam, a list of officers, and a faculty advisor. Still, it had significance that extended well beyond the paperwork. For the first time, Maryland Muslims had a recognized student body on record.
Their first official event was a Friday prayer held in a borrowed classroom. They pushed aside chairs, and laid coatson the floor as rugs. The khutbah was delivered in English. Dozens of people attended, which was far more than expected. For some, it was the first time they had prayed in congregation since arriving in America.
The MSA quickly became more than a prayer space. It hosted lectures on Islam, invited professors to speak about the Middle East, and organized charity drives for families overseas. Perhaps most importantly, it created friendships that endured for decades. Students who once felt like isolated strangers now found brothers and sisters.
The ripple effects were profound. MSAs soon appeared at Johns Hopkins, Towson, and Morgan State, inspired by what happened at College Park. What began as a student form filed in an office grew into a statewide network that gave voice and belonging to Maryland’s young Muslims.
Looking back, alumni remember the MSA not for its bureaucracy, but for its heart: a circle of students, away from home, leaning on one another to keep faith alive. Their legacy is seen today in the vibrant MSAs across Maryland, but its seed was planted in a simple classroom on the College Park campus, where prayer, friendship, and vision united.