It is our philosophy that sometimes, the best classrooms can be found in the natural beauty of Allah’s creation, and that some things are better learned through experience. Imam Al-Ghazali writes in his letter Ayyuhal Walad,

You should be aware that some of your questions addressed to me cannot be answered in writing or in speech. If you attain that state (of iman) then you know what it is, otherwise it is impossible to know, since it is a matter only known by experience, and whatever is known by experience cannot be described in words. It is known that the sweetness of sweet and the bitterness of bitter cannot be known except by tasting.

It is one thing to intellectually understand concepts like patience, gratitude, resilience, prioritization of the collective over oneself, and reliance on Allah ﷻ, but it’s another thing entirely to experience those qualities, to force yourself to embody them, to go through difficulty as a group, and to rise above it all. 

The difficult moments we experience in the mountains expose us to our own selves – our strengths and our weaknesses – and give us the opportunity to embody qualities that we want to possess. You won’t know gratitude until you make wudu from a cold mountain stream before dawn and appreciate your warm bed at home. You won’t know sacrifice until you have to set aside what you want, simply because the group as a whole takes priority over you.

You learn that no matter how quickly you want to walk, how far you want to go, what you want to eat, when you want to stop, it’s a collective effort and decision: it’s not about YOU.

In the wilderness, you know with absolute certainty that you are truly at the mercy of Allah ﷻ. And nothing can describe the sweetness through it all. The beautiful moments that happen throughout. Watching the mist on top of the lake as the sun rises, finding views that inspire awe and wonder at the creation of Allah ﷻ, spending evenings around the campfire telling stories and sharing wisdom before bed, or cooking culinary surprises that you can never fully replicate when you get back home.

Companionship through it all! Beginning your day with Fajr and the remembrance of Allah ﷻ and ending it with Isha and Quran, all alongside other believers. No words here can encompass the experience of this expedition, the relationships you build with your team, the things you learn about yourself, the trials – physical and emotional – you go through as part of the journey. And so it is our hope that through this experience, students will be able to learn about themselves deeply, develop knowledge and skills that will serve them well throughout their lives, and ultimately connect to the One who created it all.