IArrival & Welcome
The day opens slowly, with warm hospitality and unhurried welcome. There is time to settle into the room and meet the company before we begin together.
A Suḥbah Retreat
Mindfulness in Islam:
Journey of the Self
A Day for the Heart to Return
Saturday, June 20, 2026Acampo, California11:30 AM to Maghrib
The Retreat
A day to return.
For one day in late June, we gather at a private property in the vineyard country of Northern California to do what the tradition has done for centuries: come together in remembrance of Allah, in the company of others walking the same path.
Suḥbah is the Arabic word for that companionship. Ḥuḍūr al-qalb, the presence of the heart, is what the day is for.
Knowing the self is the door to knowing Allah. Whoever knows himself knows his Lord. This day is given fully to allow the self to journey toward seeing His mercy and nearness with more vigilance and more heart.
The retreat moves through five parts, from morning arrival to Maghrib at sunset. We pray in congregation, sit together in silence, speak with intention and listen fully, and learn from scholars grounded in the tradition. At the close of the day we share a meal, embrace our companionship, and leave with hearts more grounded in Allah's remembrance.
This is not a workshop or a wellness retreat. It is a day shaped by the classical Islamic spiritual tradition, the Sunnah of our beloved Prophetﷺ, and the teachings of those who have walked this path before us.
We hope you will join us in this journey.
For Whom
Who this retreat is for.
You're looking for depth beyond the weekly khutbah.
You believe the tradition has more to offer than you've been able to access on your own. You want a guided way in.
You've never been on a retreat and you're curious.
This is a single day, not a week. You can sit with what surfaces, and go home in your own bed by night. The first hour is built for arrival, with coffee and tea and unhurried welcome.
You've done retreats and want an Islamic one.
The practices you've encountered elsewhere — mindfulness, silence, paired listening, journaled reflection — are real. They are also already in this tradition, named differently, framed within tawhid. This retreat is for participants who want depth held in their own faith.
Your Journey
Five parts, from arrival to Maghrib.
IIMeeting the Self
We begin with prayer in congregation and a foundational teaching on the self in Islam. From the very first moment, we are pointed toward the question that will travel with us through the rest of the day.
IIIThe Heart's Compass
The longest stretch of the day moves through practice in silence, solitude, and reflection. Together we seek the truth of what controls the heart, what distances us from Allah, and what brings us closer.
IVThe Return
A teaching on tawbah opens this movement, followed by the practice of writing what we are turning from. We carry ourselves through tazkiyah with care, and end with dhikr on divine revelation, with a present heart.
VSuhbah & Closing
The day comes back together over a communal dinner and a closing teaching on what we are carrying home. Each person leaves with a more present heart, carrying the journey forward with Allah's guidance. We pray Maghrib together at the day's end.
The Lessons
The lessons we'll move through.
The day moves through six lessons the tradition has refined over centuries. Each is a way of pointing the heart back toward Allah. Each is something we'll experience directly, not just study. The Arabic terms here are doorways into the lessons themselves.
النَّفْس
an-Nafs
The Self. The door we begin at.
نِيَّة
Niyyah
Intention. The orienting of the heart before any action.
مُرَاقَبَة
Murāqabah
Watchful presence. To know that Allah sees you.
تَفَكُّر
Tafakkur
Reflection. The Qur'an's invitation to slow, honest thought.
تَوْبَة
Tawbah
Return. The word itself means to turn back.
حُضُور القَلْب
Ḥuḍūr al-Qalb
Presence of the heart. What the day is named for.
The Teachers
Who you'll learn with.
Dr. Sherif Ahmed
Host Scholar
Imam and Islamic scholar, currently Visiting Scholar at Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Dr. Ahmed holds a Doctorate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of Colorado and a Master's from HEC Paris, and is pursuing a second Master's in Islamic Studies at Chicago Theological Seminary. His studies have spanned English Literature, Business Administration, and Islamic Studies. He serves Muslim communities across Northern California through teaching, leadership, and spiritual counsel.
Sister Hosai Mojaddidi
Guest Teacher
For over twenty years, Hosai Mojaddidi has served Muslim communities in the Bay Area and Southern California as a teacher, spiritual counselor, and mental health advocate. Her work brings together traditional Islamic learning with practical spiritual care, drawing on the chain of scholarship she first encountered in the classes of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. She co-founded Mental Health for Muslims (MH4M) with Dr. Nafisa Sekandari and currently teaches at Ta'leef Collective in the Bay Area.
Zubair Ali
Guide
Developmental coach focused on human growth, contemplative practice, and spiritual development. He holds a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Transformational Leadership and Coaching, and is credentialed as a Graduate School Educated Coach (GSEC) and scholar-practitioner. He has trained professionally through the International Coaching Federation and the Human Emergence Group.
Navishtha Shah
Guide
Developmental coach working with women and leaders, with over a decade of leadership experience in healthcare administration. Her practice draws on embodied contemplative work, breathwork, and the integration of emotional intelligence into spiritual development. Her work joins somatic and contemplative traditions with careful attention to how the body holds and releases what the heart carries. She has trained professionally through the International Coaching Federation and the Human Emergence Group.
Schedule
Retreat schedule.
Five phases, approximate times. The detailed schedule is shared with registrants closer to the day.
IArrival & Welcome
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Settling in. Coffee, tea, light snacks. Welcome and orientation.
IIMeeting the Self
1:00 – 2:30 PM
Dhuhr together. Opening sit. The day's intention spoken aloud. The foundational teaching.
IIIThe Heart's Compass
2:30 – 5:30 PM
Silence. Solitude. Honest speech with another. The central teaching. Asr.
IVThe Return
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Outdoor reflection. A teaching on tawbah. The Goodbye Letter. Dhikr on al-Fātiḥah.
VSuhbah & Closing
7:00 PM – Maghrib
A communal meal. A closing teaching. The closing circle. Maghrib together at sunset.
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ
“We will soon show them Our signs in the universe and in their own souls, until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth.”
Sūrat Fuṣṣilat · 41:53
Before You Come
Practical details.
- Date
- Saturday, June 20, 2026
- Arrival window
- 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM
- Program
- 1:00 PM through Maghrib (approximately 8:30 PM)
- Location
- Acampo, California. Full address shared after registration.
- Capacity
- Thirty seats, firm.
- Food
- Coffee, tea, and light snacks on arrival. A mindful snack in the afternoon. A communal dinner at the close of the day. Vegetarian option available. Note severe allergies on registration.
- What to bring
- A prayer mat, a small notebook, a water bottle, modest clothing you can sit comfortably in for long stretches, a light layer for the evening.
- Prayer times
- Dhuhr 1:00 PM, Asr 5:15 PM, Maghrib 8:20 PM (approximate, to be confirmed).
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Registration
Reserve your seat.
Adult ticket · $45
Full day, mindful snack and dinner, all teachings, circles, and prayer in congregation.
Child ticket · $15
Full day with parent, supervised childcare, snack and dinner included. Ages twelve and under.
Limited to 30 participants.
Registration closes June 13, 2026. Full refund available through June 15.
With Thanks
In gratitude.
Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co.Haraz Coffee HouseRumi's Oasis
Coffee and tea provided by Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. and Haraz Coffee House. Meals catered by Rumi's Oasis.