The Retreat

Posted under Video, dhikr, tasawwuf by rahma

Alhamdulilah, I had been wanting to watch this for quite some time, but just managed to stumble upon it today.   Well, at least episodes one and three anyways.

I watched episode one this evening, and my overall impression was favorable.  The best part was around the 45 minute mark where a recition of al Fatiha brought a non practicing muslim to tears, which got me all choked up.

I was happy to see that there was a lot of dhikr in the program, although I felt that the leaders could have explained the role of sufism in Islam better.   I don’t know if it was just the parts that were selected for the program, but it would have been nice to hear an explanation of Islam as both a set of rules (like the participant Aisha is focused on) and striving to know Allah (swt).  I wonder if the leaders talk with Aisha about bidah hasana.  It’s not simply enough to say, oh we know the Prophet (saws) didn’t do dhikr like this, and we don’t care, nah nah nah nah nah.  No, explain how the science of tasawwuf developed alongside oher islamic sciences, and how it fits into the framework of traditional islam.

I’m also interested in finding out more about the hosts of the Retreat.  What’s their tariqa?  Who are they  affiliated with?  Who were their teachers? 

And finally, I’ve added Alqueria de Rosales as a place I must visit.   Despite being the granddaughter of dairy farmers, I’ve never felt an attraction to farm life.  But after seeing this video, I can’t help but wonder how my relationship with Allah (swt) would be if I removed myself from the distractions of the modern world and could live in a community devoted to Allah (swt), even if it was on a farm.  I guess at the present, I should do my best to create that atmosphere in my very own home, right here in the frozen metropolitan northwoods of Minne-snow-da.  inshaAllah.