Introduction

Present Time

There is a hidden paradox about the age we live in. The more demands we make for factual certainties about the world we live in, the more uncertain we become within our inner selves. With increasing outward material certainty comes decreasing inner, spiritual certainty. We live in a world which is fast losing meaning. While it is true that many species from the animal and plant kingdom are under threat of disappearing from the face of the earth - the ‘being’ of humans is also under great danger of extinction.

The Journey

Yet if we could only embark on an inner journey where we can re-discover the self, the real being within; stripped of self pretence and presumption, there is the possibility of a life changing discovery. In order to take such a journey it may be necessary to move out of our everyday framework and to isolate ourselves from the world.

Spiritual Path

Countless spiritual traditions have advocated an inner path. While Islam is no exception to this there are aspects of the muslim spiritual path which are particularly unique. One trademark of the muslim spiritual path is the method of 'being in the world but not of it'. One outcome of this approach is the ability to find enormous significance in the most everyday activity. From this perspective a shopping trip may take on a whole new spiritual dimension of intense and profound meaning. In order to reach a state wherein one is fluent in reading the significance of a chance or everyday encounter requires being Present in the moment.

Being in the Moment

One way of acquiring some sense of the Present; to be fully awake and open to the Divine in every moment is through extracting oneself from the world that one inhabits - not just physically but mentally. Many famous muslim spiritual masters and adepts have advocated removing oneself temporarily from the world - be it for an hour or a longer period. This reflects the spiritual practice of the Prophet of Islam, who would retire to the countryside and reside long periods of time in a cave. In fact it was during one such retreat that he received the first revelation - a mystical experience with far reaching consequences. Nevertheless, another aspect of the muslim tradition is to seek the spiritual in the company of other seekers. This is contrary to a more romantic view of the lone hermit in the wilderness. While removing oneself from one's world, attempting to focus on the Divine in every moment is an essential part of such an exercise, the interaction with others is also important. The encounter with others can be like a mirror held up to us - patterns of behaviour and thought can arise which we are not always able to see on our own. Usually such baggage is detrimental to spiritual progress and it is in the encounter with others that we may be able to come to our essential selves. By being with others we are able to learn something about human existence and thereby come to some understanding of the reality underlying all things. But the purpose is not just to come to a greater understanding of ourselves, the world and the Divine but to go from there out into the world and serve.

The Retreat on BBC2

There is an increased interest in the more meditative and spiritual practices of Islam following the recent showing of the Retreat on BBC2. It is not a moment too soon - for the modernist version of Islam which has lead to the eclipsing of the classical spiritual methodology has tended to dominate media coverage. Some of the differences between these two perspectives of Islam come to the fore in the documentary.

This webpage - setup and written by the very same people that led the Retreat seen on the programme in Andalusia is for those who are interested in further exploring some of the themes that arose in the documentary.

We would like to stress that these pages and the methods of retreat are open to anybody regardless of faith or none at all, indeed, sometimes this can be an advantage.