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Knowledge Retreat

Knowledge Retreat

Between the 28th March to 7th April 2018, students will attend a ten-day retreat in Alqueria de Rosales, situated by the scenic Sierra de Segura in Southern Spain.

The Knowledge Retreat is for both the mind and heart. This programme is designed to bring knowledge to life by providing participants with a chance to reflect upon, and internalise, Islamic teachings in a truly secluded environment. Attendees will get to spend time with Shaykh Akram Nadwi and Shaykh Thaqib Mahmood studying an intensive syllabus based on the Quran, hadith and spirituality. Teaching days will be split into structured morning sessions and shorter evening sessions.

Participants will have time to travel, socialise, reflect and consolidate their knowledge. There will be two guided day trips by specialist Islamic historians. Additionally, activities will include: a nature trail, archery, a visit to the astronomical observatory and workshops on Islamic calligraphy.

The ASI Knowledge Retreat is open to participants from all countries.

Please click here for more information on our Terms & Conditions.

Accommodation

The following three options for accommodation are available (limited capacity):

On-Campus: Dorms (Full board)

The dorms can accommodate up to 12-14 persons. This will include bunk beds with indoor bathrooms and standard wardrobes, blankets, bed sheets, and pillows. A lounge area with sofas are also provided. Men and women will have separate dorms.

On-Campus: Shared Apartments (Full board)

Shared apartments can accommodate up to 3-4 persons. This will include double or single beds with ensuite or shared bathrooms (ensuite rooms will be allocated on a first come first serve basis).

Off-Campus: External Accommodation

Students are welcome to stay off campus in a number of nearby hotels and apartments. Meals are not included and all students will be required to arrange their own transport between the accommodation and campus. Al-Salam students may be eligible for discounted rates with some of these hotels. For more information on this option please email retreat@alsalam.ac.uk.

Food: Meals

On-campus participants will be provided with three meals per day. These meals are prepared with organic and locally sourced ingredients to provide students with a healthy and balanced diet.

Participants staying off-campus will be required to purchase any meals they have on campus.

Programme

 

Dates

Arrival: Wednesday 28th March 2018
Departure: Saturday 7th April 2018

Teaching

Structured teaching based upon our tailor-made syllabus will consist of four hours each morning and approximately two hours per evening, except on days allocated for day trips. There will be regular Q&A sessions throughout the retreat and a dedicated session with Shaykh Akram for sisters only.

Day trips

Participants will be taken to two-day trips to notable historical landmarks within Spain. One day trip will take place in the famous city of Granada and another in Cordoba.

Activities

Activities include the following:

  • Nature Trail
  • Archery
  • Stargazing at the Astronomical Observatory
  • Calligraphy workshop with Master Calligrapher Khalid Casado

Travel

Destination

Fundaction Cultural Azzahra – Alqueria de Rosales Cortijo Rosales Chico, 18820, Granada Click here for detailed venue information.

ASI representatives will be present at two designated airports: Murcia and Madrid.

Arrival

Date:Wednesday 28th March 2018
ASI Outbound Flight
Date: Wed 28 March 2018
Depart: London Stansted (17:00 GMT)
Arrive: Murcia (20:45 Local)
Flight Number: FR 8028

Departure

Date: Saturday 7th April 2018
ASI Inbound Flight
Date: Sat 7 April 2018
Depart: Murcia (21:10 Local)
Arrive: London Stansted (22:55 GMT)
Flight Number: FR 8027

Packages Available

Basic (Dorms)
Essential (Shared Accommodation)


Off Campus Accommodation
On-campus participants
On-campus participants
Off-campus participants
  • 6 hours daily tuition
  • Course materials
  • 10 nights accommodation
  • All meals included
  • Airport transfers
  • Day trips and activities included

Dorms: £1,100

  • 6 hours daily tuition
  • Course materials
  • 10 nights accommodation
  • All meals included
  • Airport transfers
  • Day trips and activities included

Shared Apartments: £1,200

  • 6 hours daily tuition
  • Course materials
  • Day trips and activities included

Off Campus: £600 (Adults)

Children’s Pricing

Pricing
Newborn children(aged 0 – 12 weeks)
Not permitted to attend the Knowledge Retreat
N/A
Infants(aged 3 months – 3 years)
Infants are given free accommodation and access to evening teaching sessions only. They are provided with a cot (subject to availability). However, in cases where a bed is required for the infant they will be registered as a child. This will require the purchase of the Children’s package (please see below)Infants are not allowed to attend morning teaching sessions and therefore must be accompanied either by an non-attending adult or enrolled onto the onsite crèche service (priced separately)
Price: Free
Children(aged 4 years – 14 years)
Children aged 4 years – 6 years can only attend evening teaching sessions. Children aged 6 and over can attend both morning and evening teaching sessions.Children under 6 are not allowed to attend morning teaching sessions and therefore must be accompanied either by an non-attending adult or enrolled onto the onsite creche service (priced separately)
Price:On-campus (shared): £750Off-campus: TBC

There are no concessions available for participants aged 15 years or older.

Add-on Packages

Includes
Cost (per person)
Meals (Off Campus Participants)
All meals for all 10 days.
£300
Crèche
Crèche facilities during the morning teaching sessions.
TBC

Additional items available after enrolment onto the Knowledge Retreat 2018.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions outlining the procedures of the Knowledge Retreat are found here.

Creche facilities will be available from 10am – 1pm on all teaching days (to cover the morning sessions taught by Shaykh Akram). There will be no creche facility during on days during which day trips have been scheduled.

Pricing

  • Under 2yrs: £280 per child
  • 2yrs – 5yrs: £105 per child
  • 5yrs+: £65 per child

These prices are for the entire duration of the retreat.

At the heart of the Knowledge Retreat is its teachings.

The selection of texts and subjects taught have been designed to give students a grounding in Quran, hadith and spirituality. The aim, however, is to partake in more than just an academic pursuit. It is to seek the knowledge which benefits. This year the following will, God-willing, be taught at the retreat:

Purification of the Heart:

The state of our hearts has been a topic addressed in religious and secular discourse from the East to West. Moreover, the Quran is replete with references to the heart. The sound heart, something the described as so valuable that it can benefit us on the Day of Resurrection, is an oft-neglected aspiration. So, what is the sound heart? The sound heart is one that is free of character defects and spiritual diseases. Our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is our greatest example of perfect purity in both. Topics will include: Envy, Anger, Suspicion, Backbiting and more.

The Forty Hadith of Imam Nawawi:

This text has become one of the foremost hadith compilations across the Muslim world. Its collection of Prophetic sayings are deeply profound and beneficial for all Muslims. Selections from the text will be covered in-depth and the many wisdoms contained therein reflected upon.

Tafsir:

Our relationship with the Quran is a lifelong journey. Revealed in time and yet timeless, re-ordered but not chronological, these tensions are something that gives the Quran immeasurable depth. Shaykh Akram will be teaching a selection of ayat from the Quran, looking into the essential meanings they convey. Begin the approach to Quranic wisdom, draw closer to the Prophetic encounters and uncover your own relationship with its words.

Al-Muhaddithat:

The Female Scholars of Muslim Spain. For the first time ever, Shaykh Akram Nadwi will be teaching students about the lives and times of the Spanish female scholars of Islam from his monumental work, ‘Al-Muhaddithat’ – a 50+ volume biographical dictionary which charts the biographies of over 9,000 female scholars. This long-neglected area of study will be brought to its homeland, intending to reconnect students to our intellectual heritage in Muslim Spain.

Risala al-Mustarshidin:

The ‘Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance’ by Imam al-Muhasibi (d. 243/857) is one of the early classical texts on Islamic spirituality. Drawing on the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم it proffers guidance on both the theoretical and practical elements needed in order to further ones relationship with Allah. We recommend students to purchase a translation of this text ahead of time. We recommend the Arabic text edited by Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah or the English translation by Imam Zaid Shakir. These classes will be taught by Shaykh Thaqib Mahmood.

Enrol Now

Please email retreat@alsalam.ac.uk for more information, to enrol or to pay via bank transfer.

For information on our terms and conditions, please click here.

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