College is a time when students explore their possibilities: discovering themselves, creating their futures, making decisions that will affect their lives forever, and building life-long relationships. A vital part of one’s identity in this search is the social instinct – that of belonging to a community or a group. In Islamic society, this basic unit is the family; on campus, the Muslim Student Union strives to provide this atmosphere to students. The MSU attempts to build an environment that enhances good, discourages bad, and provides networks of resources, knowledge, people, and companionship to its members.

History

The Muslim Student Union at the University of California Irvine was started in 1992 by a group of young Muslims that desired to establish an Islamic presence on campus. It began small, with a few committed members and activities that included a weekly meeting and some social events for Muslims to get to know one another. The Union grew over time, offering Jumu’ah prayer, da`wah programs for the non-Muslims on campus, all with the intent to increase the love and appreciation Muslims had for the Islamic way of life.

The MSU has evolved quickly over the last several years–it now offers daily congregational prayers, daily free iftars during Ramadan that serve over a hundred Muslims, over eight weekly classes, a quarterly magazine Alkalima, coalition building with other clubs on campus, and a gateway to the larger Muslim community in Orange County through such institutions as the Islamic Center of Irvine with which it collaborates. It also provides career advice and a study/tutoring program to help Muslims at UCI excel in their courses and attain a better future.