By Ayyub Ahmed

The transition to university life was something I really did fear. Having never been away from home for more than 2 weeks, the thought of not having the luxuries of home cooked biryani or freshly washed clothes was terrifying. Once you move away from home, you really do appreciate the things your parents do for you, and I don’t just mean laundry and food but rather the support parents give mentally, physically and most importantly spiritually. However, my first week in Sheffield was not as daunting as I had first anticipated. Having said that, driving up to Sheffield in a jam-packed car, which was initially a 5 seater that had now become a 1½ seater car was not the smoothest of rides. The picturesque views I encountered on my way up did help make the journey a little more fruitful but little did I know that all these beautiful hill tops I was in awe of, were going to be my downfall (pardon the pun). One thing I was definitely looking forward to was the USIC Fresher’s events. There was a wide array of events for both brothers and sisters but to be honest it was the trip to Peak District that had really caught my eye. Cycling through the peaks was a true a bashing of my Nafs (ego) having believed that cycling up the hills would be a piece of cake, I couldn’t have been more wrong. But the trip really did show me how strong the brotherhood was in USIC. All the brothers on the committee have been very welcoming and have really helped me settle into Sheffield. When I come to think of it, even though I have left my family, I feel as if I have been welcomed to a new family with USIC, a sense of belonging. The events taking place during the week kept me occupied whilst most of my course friends were going out on a late night binge! This was not really a problem, the hardest aspect since moving to Sheffield would undoubtedly be having to climb Mount Snowden (Glossop Road) every day just to go from my lecture hall back to my flat (Just a note USIC have organised a challenge to climb this mountain for charity). The next hurdle I foresee would be my meal planning once I ran out of my mum’s frozen curries (I am so dreading this moment). Nonetheless, in the little time that I have spent as a fresher in Sheffield, I have learnt that Imran’s on Wicker is the place to be and that joining USIC has been really helpful. In shaa Allah this year is another year that Allah the Almighty bestows blessings and love upon us all and that we can encompass our lives with the love for our master, the Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

I would like to leave you with a quote by a great Islamic mystic:

You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop” – Hazrat Rumi (RA)

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