Sharing a post that has been long over due but still resonates deep in my heart.

Spring 2018, while planning our summer vacation my husband suggested that besides writing on an online platform, I should also travel to interesting places where people like myself were focusing on delving deeper in the Islamic Spiritual realm. He felt, rightly so, that I needed to step out more and interact with my religious community and others that share my love for Islamic Spirituality.

As we were travelling through Spain I did a quick search on Muslims residing there and came across a photographer who shared an article about Spanish Muslim reverts nestled in a quiet town called Orgiva, which was a one hour bus ride away from Granada. With a little more research, I decided to reach out and email this community. Soon after, an exchange of emails followed, which further led to a phone call, and eventually a meeting during the (Thursday/ Friday) weekend with this humble and devoted Orgiva Muslim community.

Sheikh Umar who is the spiritual representative of the Naqshabandi Order (a major Sunni spiritual order of Sufism) in Origiva, put me in touch with his son Shamsuddin. I was asked to liaise with this young brother, who was going to lead the Thursday circle of prayer and Friday ceremony as an Imam in replacement of his father. What a feeling it was to partake in communal worship. If only I could share what my heart felt and heard. (Video snippet at end of article)

While I was in Orgiva, I was more keen on feeding my eye than the camera, so I did not focus on taking too many photos. Instead, I immersed myself in this magical environment and let my heart absorb all the inspiration. To my surprise, I found that this Muslim community and place of worship not only welcomed Muslims but also Jews, Christians, hippies, philosophers and wanderers. All were welcome to attend, converse and break bread together. Being there was like a flash back to, nothing I have seen in my life time, but a feeling I knew off deep within, a space of how life was meant to be lived. My trip here showed me how Islam was to be lived and practiced. Chatting with Sheikh Umar’s wife, Hamida, I learned that he reverted to Islam while they were married, and soon after she followed his path. They both were Christians yet their hearts were searching for deeper meaning and connection when they came upon Islam: “its way of life, teachings of tolerance, wide understanding, unconditional love of mankind and total rejection of violence. We concentrate on the simplicity of life, valuing the spiritual over the material.”

They both left high societal jobs and took on to a quieter pace of life, which was focused on inward exploration. This feeling of tranquility came through in their choice of residence as Orgiva was an abode of peace and calm.

If you have been following me for sometime now, you know I am not one into labels and sects. When I hear the term Sufi/ Sufism thrown around as a current cool trend, cooler than its Islamic religious origin, I cringe. I cringe mainly because to some people, the notion of Sufi does not include Islam, where as one cannot be a Sufi without practicing the teachings of the Quran and the ways of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who is an embodiment of the Quran. True Sufi’s cannot lay any claim different than that of Islam, and they also cannot just renounce this world of Dunya (physical & sensory realm), because this is not the way of the Muslim. It is a balance between religion and world, where one cannot be immersed in religion and negate the laws of living, service unto others, to help one another and to give back to life. To me, Sufism is the core essence of Islam, it is Islam’s inward dimension and the ways of achieving spiritual ascension. Islam is not just a set of outward rituals, on the contrary, it is a rich set of methods on heart purifications and healing. The name Sufi came as a pet name unto Islamic seekers who came after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who wanted to journey through their life in renouncement of the world, they wore wool, even in the desert heat. They wanted to express that they were not seeking for the comforts of this world but the pleasure of the eternal life, the afterlife. Naturally then I expressed my interpretation of the word Sufism to the brothers, and their response was: “We are following a Tareeqa, a methodology, by an Islamic scholar to further reach spiritual excellence. Our Teacher is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and his learnings are from Islamic teachings. The one you love, you emulate, and for that you need a guide to navigate the waters with you.”

Thursday evening, at dusk we gathered to prayer, lead by Sheikh Shamsuddin. Following the dusk prayer there was a Quranic recitation and soon after a beautiful communal chanting ceremony using Allah’s Most Beautiful Names, which ended with the night prayer. After the night prayer was over, it meant that it was time for dinner and sleep.

Friday noon, my husband and I reached the dargah a couple of hours well before noon prayer, I wanted us to sit in meditation, remembrance and recite Surat Al Kahf. Slowly, before the noon call to prayer, the dargah was getting filled with many people. It was very moving for me to be amongst European Muslims, and other non Muslim friends of Bahia and her family who had also come, as they do every Friday.

During prayers I had noticed a young girl with long blonde dreadlocks and piercings, I approached her, curious to learn what brought her into a Muslim place of worship. She informed me that she has been looking for answers, exploring many countries and faiths. She finally came across the Naqshabandi Order, and just the night before accepted Islam and has called Orgiva home. My husband mentioned to me that he had met an Egyptian man who was on a quest to find a good muslim wife through attendance of spiritual retreats. Another Israeli drummer passing by, ended up joining Friday prayer and playing his drums.

We came to learn that Orgiva, a small Christian town, is surrounded by mountains that intrigue seekers of all faiths, even those of no faith, nature worshippers. Within this little town reside a number of Muslim families, community of reverts all living a simple life in harmony, and respect. Talk about mind expansion. A reminiscent of the past, when our fathers and forefathers lived in peace amidst their communities, cities, countries, neighbouring countries, and region. People back then, and as rightly done in Orgiva, respected and loved one another, regardless of religion, race and status.

After prayers we all sat for lunch. Lunch was prepared with a lot of wholesome love by one of the Orgiva Muslim men. He was in charge of Friday’s lunch meals. Men on one row and the women on another, we ate and chatted before we bid our see you again ensha Allah, if not in this life then hopefully in the next.

Many interesting stories were shared about each person’s journey that lead them to the path of Islam, naturally a life changer. Spanish, German, American, British, Scandinavian, and others were all part of this circle. It was heart warming to learn from reverts on what Islam meant to them, since many born into Islam have taken this faith as something of a shame. Rather than gathering their own learnings on the religion first, they supported those who would demean this spiritual path and its followers without having any understanding nor awareness. And I too, once, was the same, yet as God says:

But they plan, and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners.

Quran [The Spoils of war 8:30]