Why has Cordoba Academy decided to conduct this unique retreat?
Cordoba Academy has been conducting retreats worldwide with veteran scholars for the past few years now, but these have all been private affairs for our students in that particular country. Due to the huge demand from our students to conduct a retreat that is open to all, we have decided to launch our first global retreat bringing serious students of knowledge into direct unlabored contact with genuine scholars that have studied at the feet of and inherited knowledge through unbroken chains of narration (asaneed) from hundreds of scholars worldwide.
Other reputable academies charge thousands of dollars excluding airfares. How is it that your retreat costs less than a thousand?
Cordoba Academy is a non-profit organization that has been set up by students of knowledge, for students of knowledge; and we are well aware of the financial difficulties that students treading this sacred path encounter. Consequently, any extra monies that are made after covering costs are put back into covering the costs of the free courses and subsidizing retreats that we offer.
Perhaps, you are charging this extremely low fee because you expect to have 40-60 students attending like other academies and this will bring your costs down?
As advertised, we will not be having a commercial size group; rather we are limiting it to a maximum of 15-20 students with 4 resident scholars attending which would mean the ratio of students per teacher would be 4:1. This will allow for the private scholarly focus and confidential consultations based on individual needs. (mashwara)
What is $999 in my local currency?
To answer this visit
www.xe.com and choose your currency.
Does the fee include international airfares and which airport should we fly into?
The fee does not include international airfares as this varies from country to country so it is the responsibility of the student to check fares and book early. The fee covers all local transport including pick up from Casablanca airport on the 21st December and accommodation as well as one meal per day.
What is the level of difficulty for the timetable of study?
The sacred texts that will be taught will be at the level of the beginner/false beginner and the basic primers in each specialist field will be taught.
What is the daily timetable?
The daily timetable comprises minimum 4-hours of study in a variety of Sacred Sciences including Tajweed, Fiqh (Maliki & Hanafi), Hadith, Seerah and Aqeedah. In addition to this, there will be one daily visit to a person or place of Islamic importance, time for Prophetic sports and therapies, private scholarly consultations, and Qiyam al-Layl (nightly worship).
Is this retreat for men only or can females attend too?
No, we realize that for change to take effect in our households, we must cultivate an understanding of Islam in the current and future mothers of this Ummah. It is for this reason that sisters will be allowed to attend providing that they attend with their mahram/husband who will be in their company for the duration of the journey and that they observe strict hijab. Sisters that wear make-up and/or do not wear cover themselves as they should will not be allowed to attend.
Can children attend?
Due to the nature and intensity of the retreat, we strongly recommend that young children under the age of 7 should not attend so as not to stifle or distract other students attending. If you have a child that must accompany you, please email
cordobaacademy@gmail.com for further information.
Who are the scholars that are confirmed to attend?
The resident scholars who will be accessible by students throughout the sacred journey will be:
Shaykh Mohammed Daniel (Kuwait)
Shaykh Hasan al-Kattani (Morocco)
Shaykh Khabbaab Ahmed (UK)
Shaykh Dr Abu Ubeidah al-Qablawi (US)
Other scholars are interested in attending and students will be informed of their participation once they have confirmed.
Can you provide us with the names of the scholars/people of interest that we will be visiting?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide students with their names based on the wishes of these individuals who prefer to remain hidden away from the public eye, however everyone that attends the retreat will meet them and if deserving, will receive authorization to narrate through their chains of narration (asaneed(.