We are excited to announce our upcoming Weekend Retreat, which will be held on April 19-21 titled On Conduct in Travel, a study of Book 17 of Imam al-Ghazali’s masterpiece Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences).

According to Imam al- Ghazali, a traveler is either seeking something or fleeing from something, and it could be for an outward or inward reason. Indeed, in the Quran, Allah encourages travel for a variety of reasons: for example,

“Say [Muhammad], ‘Roam the earth, and observe how He originated the creation.’” [Quran 29:20], and “Have they not journeyed through the land, and seen the outcome for those before them?” [Quran 40:82]

While traveling has both worldly and spiritual benefits, it has hardships as well. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Traveling is a torment because it deprives a traveler of his food, drink, and sleep.” Accordingly, Allah in His All-Encompassing Mercy affords a traveler certain concessions to make the journey easier.

In Imam al-Ghazali’s On Conduct in Travel, he discusses the different types of traveling, the etiquettes of traveling, and six legal mitigations granted the traveler.

We welcome you to join us in exploring this often overlooked, but important, issue in what we pray will be a weekend filled with abundant blessings as we acquire knowledge and spend time in devotion together.