Muslim Interscholastic Tournament

“To see high schoolers (all types, not just the goofy ones) get excited over an ISLAMIC event is simply amazing. You’ve managed to bring something to the Houston community that others have only dreamed about for the past couple of decades. An opportunity for the Muslim youth in our area to come together and not only embrace their way of life, but also compete in their knowledge and appreciation of it- it’s truly remarkable!”

–Saif Waiz, MIST-TX

“Man, MIST is so cool. To a kid like me who’s always been like “where the muslims at?” and who never really had muslim friends either, seeing something as big as mist where all these muslim KIDSSSS get together and they each have some CRAZY TALENT…it’s like AMAZING for me. Sometimes it’s not so much a competition to me because I’m just happy that we have a very gifted and thriving muslim ummah”

–Clear Brook High School

“I was honored by the opportunity to teach a session at MIST last year, and found it to be a fantastic experience. I wish such opportunities had been available to me when I was younger, and I cannot stress enough the importance of this kind of Islamic education, activism and community at such a critical time in the next generation’s development.”

Haroon Moghul
Ph.D. Candidate, Columbia University
Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures

“MIST not only helped me understand Islam better, but has also helped keep my MSA strong by educating, giving each one of us an opportunity to compete, and meet with other MSAs while enjoying ourselves. As president of a high school MSA, I’m happy that there is finally something that has encouraged the members of our club to be excited to learn.”

–Sanaa Peer, Klein High School

“OMG mist was awesome allhumdulilah… I loved it! It was my first time there and at first I was really really scared cause I heard I was going to be separated from my school and I really didn’t know that many people there, but omg MIST was an adventure! Inshallah I’m going to come next year and drive through the journey again!!! I know a couple of people that are still talkin about it..i mean even after its over they are sooo sooo glad they went…and to tell you the truth, I really didn’t find any bad points in MIST. allhumdullilah IT WAS AWESOMEEE…I’m sooo serious and I’m not getting paid for saying all this either..it’s coming all from my heart!!”

–Anonymous Houston Participant

“MIST helped us come up with ways to fix and make our MSA better. The year after mist a whole lot more Muslims and people started coming. Mist was also good because it got us to learn things that we would never be able to and meet people we would have never been able to meet.”

–Maida Ali, Stephen F. Austin High School

“MIST was really a kewl experience. I regret not coming last year, and I’m regretting graduating early b/c I wont be able to come next yr and compete. The organizers worked really hard to pull this off and I really appreciate it. It’s really kewl to see everyone from Houston get together.”
–Annie, Clements High School

“MIST was absolutely wonderful alhamdulillah. It was a great first experience mashAllah…and now we all have the MIST blues =o(. My sister is devasted because this was her last year of MIST and she refuses to take her wrist band off.”

–Norma Islam, Dar ul Arqam, North Zone Houston

“MIST has certainly influenced our lives positively. Fellow brothers and sisters join together to gain wisdom about Islam and spread it among others with the formation of discussion groups/workshops. The knowledge we have attained from the MIST experience, mashallah, reinforces the beauty of this sacred religion and enhances the way of life for Muslim youths living in America. The Blessed Prophet (On Him Be Peace) once said, “Those people endowed with knowledge [of Islam] are the inheritors of the prophet.”
–Tarana Hafiz, Mayde Creek High School

“MIST, in many ways, was an opening of doors for me. I met so many sincere sisters there, many of whom are dear friends now. It allowed me to feel a part of something larger, a sensation of the grandeur of unity. It helped me feel like it was cool to be a Muslim, and that Muslim people, too, are capable of great triumphs, achievements, and feats of originality. In some deeper way, it was not only a gathering of people, but a coming together of minds, hearts, and spirits, the memory of which will stand vividly in my mind.”

– MIST-TX Participant (anonymous)

“I thought it was a really good experience to be in a competition like that, competing in Islamic stuff and working together in workshops and seeing things in other Muslims point of views. The workshops were pretty interesting too because it wasn’t just like a lecture, we were all into it, we all got involved and worked together.”
–Sarah Hanif, Klein High School

“I really enjoyed MIST last year because we got to join together with other MSAs and meet new people. It helped unite the younger generation of Muslims.”
–Huma Seth, Kempner High

“When I first heard about MIST, I wished that we had something like this when I was in high school. It seems such an exciting opportunity for Muslims AND non-Muslims to get to know Islam better.”

–Rasha El-Haggan, DC MIST 2003-2006 Regional Director

“From the first day of MIST 2002, I knew this was going to be big. There was a huge Muslim event that was organized, and there were a lot of youth there. (Two things that aren’t common in our Muslim Communities) There were youth from all over Houston gathered at this one event. To this day when I go to another masjid in Houston and I see some1 I recognize, I ask him if he was at MIST and sure enough, he was. I got to know many other Muslims from all over the city. I know MIST is going to get bigger, and I feel really proud and blessed to have attended MIST from the start! Thanks guys, ya’ll did good!”

–Mohamed Hussein, MIST-TX Participant

As-Salaamu Alaykum,
Alhamdulilah we had an awesome experience last weekend at MIST. In terms of boosting Islamic knowledge and motivating the youth to do more in their communities, it was a huge success. The environment we created last weekend was reminiscent of a Muslim country in terms of seeing Muslims everywhere, working to do things that are pleasing to ALLAH, and making daily prayers with a large congregation of Muslims. One Imam, while being given directions to Emory, was told, “Once you get on the campus just follow the Hijabs, and you will find the building.” The Imam told me he did just that, and he had no problem finding the location. Some people who were at MIST have probably never seen so many Muslims together except on Eid, and maybe the excitement and happiness that everyone at MIST radiated was comparable to Eid because many of us were just happy because we were with other Muslims and competing in gaining blessings from Allah. The brotherhood and sisterhood at MIST felt was so strong that many felt as if they were being torn apart from their brother or sister after it was over.
I believe that the culmination of MIST has left us longing to be with Muslims in Islamic environments more often, and some even struggle with the possibility that they will not be able to find the feeling of being happy to be a Muslim till the next MIST…
Masalaama

Ahmad Sabree

MIST Atlanta 2005 Competitor

Asalaamalkium!
[We] would like to thank all of the volunteers, coordinators, parents, and other participants for doing such a wonderful job! We really appreciate all of you guys’ hard work and dedication towards MIST. This event not only helped us learn knowledge but allowed us to meet some wonderful people and most of all helped unify our group. We all had a wonderful time and it was one amazing fun-filled, Islamic, competitive weekend!!!! We met some extraordinary people with amazing talents and inshAllah I hope that we continue to aspire to reach our goals! And now this is gettin pretty cheesy but once again THANK YOU! and, just because we’re hyper with too much team spirit here’s our cheer JUST in case you missed it ) “don’t mess don’t mess don’t mess with the best cause the best don’t fool…don’t fool…don’t fool with the cool cause the cool don’t fool…from the east to the west…WE ARE THE BEST…beat’em bust’em that’s our custom…come on y’all lets RE-ADJUST THEM…GO BAMA”
Jazakulakhair!

Amera Ahmad

MIST Atlanta 2005 Alabama Team

Asalaamu Alaikum!
I think Amera summed it all up in her message but just wanted to add that every single one of the FAITH team members had an AMAZING TIME mashAllah!!! None of us wanted to leave on Sunday because we enjoyed MIST so much! We were really glad that we stayed for while for the awards ceremony!!(Well not only cause we won stuff Alhumdulilah but it was a good ending to an awesome weekend!) Mad props to everyone that helped out! We definitely know it wasn’t easy!!! Jazakullah Khair to everyone!! InshAllah see you all at Nationals or the next Atl MIST!!
Take care, Salaam!!

Sumrah Haider

MIST Atlanta 2005 Alabama Competitor

Assalamualaikum…
I hope everyone is doing good…I would like to thank all the coordinators and volunteers for giving us (what some would say) the best event we have attended. This weekend has certainly impacted me in a positive way and I’m sure it showed everyone the importance of working together as a Muslim community. It was great meeting girls from other places that are going thru the same things we are and all working towards the same goal of unifying and winning an identity here…

NC GIRLS: it was great meeting you all and we appreciate all the support we got from u

AL girls: your team spirit was amazing. it was nice meeting all of u and hope we see you again…

Even though it was only the first year I would say it was almost perfect… The award ceremony was great…

THAKBEER : allahhuakbar!!!!!!!!!!

So again on behalf of masjid al hedaya (M-TOWN) we all appreciate your hard work and hope we will enjoy this experience next year (inshallah)
THANK YOU!!!

Anonymous

2005 Team Al Hedaya Competitor

Assalamu Alaikum
From the sound of all these emails, I think we should have another MIST next weekend. On behalf of the Hedaya team, I would like to say that NOTHING, no event so far, has beat the knowledge, understanding, experience and Islamic spirit we have gained from being around other Muslims during MIST. The workshops were refreshing, the competition kept us all on our feet, and the feeling of Muslims being together for a whole three-day weekend was an amazing experience. Jazakum Allahu Khairan, brother Ahmed Salim, for going through all the stress, frustrations, and pressure to introduce all of us to MIST.
Without your effort, and all the other efforts of the chaperons and volunteers, the girls in the various teams wouldn’t have met each other, gotten each other’s contact information, and now on their way of becoming the best of friends. I am sure that although MIST is over, there is the promise InshAllah, of various events and bondship with the new acquaintances made at MIST. Once more, Jazakum Allahu Khairan.
Assalamu Alaikum

Sarah Mostafa

MIST Atlanta 2005 Team Al Hedaya Competitor

Assalamu Alaikum,
Do I dare to try to put into words the amazingness that is MIST? The simple yet intricate beauty of seeing so many young muslims coming together for the purpose of learning about their deen, and wanting to be in an environment in which the remembrance of Allah (SWT) and His power is emphasized on a regular basis, permeated through our skins and reached our hearts in an overwhelming way. The ebullience of the volunteers, the competitors, and the coordinators, created an aura of pride in being Muslim. MIST is an excellent tool to bring youth who are exposed, and sometimes are sucked into, every unislamic lifestyle to come back to the straight path willingly. May Allah (SWT) reward everyone involved with the organization of MIST a thousand times for creating an environment in which an Emaan rush becomes easy to obtain and the revival of Islamic knowledge is accepted and encouraged. Let them also be reminded that InshaAllah, they are receiving rewards through Sadaqah Jariyah for the work that they have done this weekend. Every time someone recites a surah that they learned because of a competition that they prepared for, or they pass on a fact learned from studying their rich islamic history, every organizer of MIST is getting rewarded InshaAllah.
*sigh*

wishing I could stay mistified forever.
Ma’asalaama,

Khadija Taufique

MIST 2006 Team Al Hedaya Competitor

Alsalaam Alaikom MIST 2006 organizers,
First let me commend you on the awesome task of running an event of this magnitude. Just bringing this many Muslim teens together for a weekend of sharing, learning, friendly competition and encouragement for the sake of Allah is a reward in itself…May Allah(SWT) give us all many more blessings like this! You have all been great role models for our children and I hope that one day they will follow on your footsteps and be positive Muslim leaders like you!
Jazakom Allah Khairan
Sincerely,

Suheir Ibrahim

2006 Team Hamza Lions Parent

Add your own testimonial in the comments section!