The Sabeel Experience - a Students Perspective.
I attended the first Sabeel retreat last year…
Like many practicing Muslims living in the UK, we all have a general aspiration or an intention to seek knowledge, yet find ourselves in the vicious circle of intention followed by inaction and an inability to move forward in this obligatory endeavour.
The Sabeel study retreats are a unique experience, which aim to provide a solution to our good intentions with a structured programme of study, crucially exploring the fundamental sources of knowledge that every Muslim needs to understand, and act upon – the Qur’aan and the Sunnah of our Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
One of the key aspects of Sabeel, is the practical approach adopted by the MRDF team in imparting knowledge. The need to be proactive was highlighted as an important general quality by Sheikh Haithem in the first retreat. Further, the need to be inquisitive and engaging, as opposed to passive and unresponsive are also qualities promoted by the MRDF team.
I have found these qualities to be the most profound with regards to developing a mindset for seeking knowledge. A clear benefit from these retreats was evident amongst brothers who met these qualities – listening attentively, questioning, analysing and repeating the process throughout. Indeed it was the MRDF team greatly appreciated this approach, as it helped shape and refine their delivery.
Tarbiyyah is a theme that has remained prominent throughout the Sabeel retreats, and the MRDF team have put a strong emphasis on this important area. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were taken through an intensive programme of Tarbiyyah throughout their lives by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It allowed them to implement their knowledge through action, which is the whole essence of knowledge itself.
This Tarbiyyah manifested itself, albeit on a small scale during the retreats, which was Masha’Allah good to see. It was important for the brothers at the retreat to experience this; there were brothers who got up for Qiyam-al-Layl, whilst others fasted. Praying in Jam’aat, Qur’aan circles and various other practical group activities helped instil a real sense of Brotherhood amongst the attendees.
Upon leaving the very first retreat, attendees were given the opportunity to share their experiences and give some closing thoughts. Having attended most of the retreats myself, a recurring theme in the minds of many attendees is the distance we have placed between ourselves and the sources of knowledge.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advised us to stick to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah with our molar teeth, yet we are not in the position to understand them both let alone implement them through our actions. The Sabeel experience tries to readdress this important balance in our lives, and helps the Muslims that attend, to set their aspirations in accordance with these fundamental Sources of Knowledge. May Allah Reward the MRDF Team for their efforts.