A Rare Opportunity for Everyone
– Philip Snow
“The Blessings that flow from Shaykh Saleck are apparent to all who have kept his company. Merely having a cup of tea with him is a learning experience. My family has experienced the benefit’s of his school directly, through our son Daniels participation and we have witnessed the transformationial impact it has had upon his character and development as a human being. This is a rare opportunity for us all to contribute to, and support traditional, life changing scholarship. The small amount required to sustain a student for one year is minuscule in comparison to money we squander in other area’s of our lives. I enthusiastically encourage everyone to participate in supporting this noble cause with the intention of establishing Sadaqah Jariah (On going Charity). Which is one of the few things that will benefit us after our death. Imagine your generosity being rewarded by the One whose Generosity is limitless!
Please spend as much as you can and inspire others as well by sharing this post with everyone you know. May the Bounty and Blessings of Allah (God Almighty) continue to rain down upon us and may we all be counted among His grateful servants, Ameen."
“The Blessings that flow from Shaykh Saleck are apparent to all who have kept his company. Merely having a cup of tea with him is a learning experience. My family has experienced the benefit’s of his school directly, through our son Daniels participation and we have witnessed the transformationial impact it has had upon his character and development as a human being. This is a rare opportunity for us all to contribute to, and support traditional, life changing scholarship. The small amount required to sustain a student for one year is minuscule in comparison to money we squander in other area’s of our lives. I enthusiastically encourage everyone to participate in supporting this noble cause with the intention of establishing Sadaqah Jariah (On going Charity). Which is one of the few things that will benefit us after our death. Imagine your generosity being rewarded by the One whose Generosity is limitless!
Please spend as much as you can and inspire others as well by sharing this post with everyone you know. May the Bounty and Blessings of Allah (God Almighty) continue to rain down upon us and may we all be counted among His grateful servants, Ameen."
Traveling Through a Mauritanian Winter
– Fadhila I Bux
“ I’ve wanted to visit Mauritania ever since I was a teenager, when like so many others, I first heard Shaykh Hamza Yusuf talk about his time there. His account of Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj in particular was incredibly inspiring, and it made me hope for a day that I would be able to go.
That day came some fifteen years later whilst my husband, Siddiq, and I were studying in Jordan. We decided to visit Mauritania to learn more about the studying opportunities there, and also to visit the scholars. We left Jordan around 10th December 2015, intending to go via Morocco, and it was a trip that tested our determination right from the on-set. From delays with visas to flight cancellations, we finally made it to Nouackchott on the 15th of December.
We were picked up from the airport by Shaykh Salek's nephew and were taken to Ghayda Hotel where we stayed overnight before leaving for Dar Us Salaam the next morning. Everything was taken care of by Shaykh Salek’s family and we had nothing to worry about.
We left for Dar Us Salaam the next morning and it was an eight-hour journey. We pretty much dozed through the bus-ride as it was quite warm and arrived at Dar Us Salaam around sunset. First impressions were: lots of orangey-yellow sand, cows, students milling around and a nice room with pillows! We fell asleep that night to the sound of students reciting Quran.
We had a lot of opportunities to sit with Shaykh Faqih, Salek’s younger brother. He looks a lot like Shaykh Salek, and was very humble, saying that his brother was his guide and teacher. He has students following him around reading lessons to him if he needs to sort other things out! Everyone was very comfortable and at home there.
There is very little electricity there at night, and the students use little torches and their phones. One upside of that was the sky at night; it was a wonderfully glorious sight. The last time I saw a sky like that was probably in the western deserts of Egypt! You can see all the usual stars, and then so many more in between that we are usually deprived of in urban setups. The term 'jewel-studded' for the night sky is really given life in such places.
On the second day, I sat with Shaykh Salek's wife for a while, and his young daughters were always about too. His eldest sister also visited us, as well as his numerous nieces and it was a blessing to meet them all. One of his nieces dressed me in Mauritanian clothing; they are wonderful people, and it was really easy to feel at home there.
A couple of days later we left Dar Us Salaam for Geru which is just half an hour away. We were on our way to Tuamaret to visit Shaykh Murabit al Haaj. We got there after approximately three hours. It was a rough track which was sandy, and then dry with hay-like growth and then really rocky. The car had to climb bits of mountains. There was a gorgeous tree dotted around the otherwise barren landscape which was blooming with pink flowers.
We were honoured with visiting Shaykh Murabit al Haaj not long after we arrived in Tuamaret. He was resting and awoke briefly. He made dua and I gave him Salams from my father. I couldn't believe I was there. There was a lot of peace there, I feel very touched by the simple way of life. People are good and kind and they love to serve you and help you even though you feel you don't deserve it, and all the time are thinking about how to repay them. The fact is, you really can't, because the vastness with which they receive you is really a state of the heart.
Later, when I went to get water from a well, there were three cows trying to drink from it! It felt so nice to be so close to animals. A lot of the constriction I felt sometimes in Amman and generally in busy city life was gone, and I felt just happy to be. If one can feel like this in a few days then I can only imagine what kind of clarity of heart and mind you might achieve in years and even months. The desert to us is a harsh environment, with the rocky, sandy terrain, little vegetation, miles and miles of flat land, gusty winds and a sun that continuously beats down. And yet for many it is their day to day life, their norm and what is their home. And the human ability to make home anywhere, despite our doubts, is really quite fascinating.
We met a couple of young brothers from Canada in Tuamaret who had really taken to the life there. I also met a lot of the local women and girls who had an incredible sense of humour! At one point I couldn’t find my husband so they all decided to merrily come along and hunt him down! (Which we did!)
We stayed overnight and left Tuamaret for Dar Us Salaam the next morning. Shaykh Salek’s family were so wonderful and hospitable the whole time. We were incredibly well-fed and looked after. We also met some of the young students who spoke to us about their studies and how much they benefitted from the mahdara. We left Dar Us Salaam that evening on a night bus to head back to the capital. The night desert air was surprisingly cold, and it finally felt like it we were in the middle of winter!
I feel like our visit to Mauritania made us better people and far richer in our knowledge of the world and its people. Though we were there mere days, there were moments of utter stillness and peace that I have not felt in a long time. We were deeply inspired by the commitment of the students, and their desire to learn despite the gruelling environment. In a world were tradition is fast dying, supporting the students of Dar Us Salaam is a must for the Muslims of the world. Our brothers and sisters should not be forgotten in a world where the media fails to put Africa on the map, over and over again. It is from the deep parts of the earth and the hidden parts of the oceans that diamonds and pearls are found, and we must invest in this lost potential, and support the students and people of Mauritania."
“ I’ve wanted to visit Mauritania ever since I was a teenager, when like so many others, I first heard Shaykh Hamza Yusuf talk about his time there. His account of Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj in particular was incredibly inspiring, and it made me hope for a day that I would be able to go.
That day came some fifteen years later whilst my husband, Siddiq, and I were studying in Jordan. We decided to visit Mauritania to learn more about the studying opportunities there, and also to visit the scholars. We left Jordan around 10th December 2015, intending to go via Morocco, and it was a trip that tested our determination right from the on-set. From delays with visas to flight cancellations, we finally made it to Nouackchott on the 15th of December.
We were picked up from the airport by Shaykh Salek's nephew and were taken to Ghayda Hotel where we stayed overnight before leaving for Dar Us Salaam the next morning. Everything was taken care of by Shaykh Salek’s family and we had nothing to worry about.
We left for Dar Us Salaam the next morning and it was an eight-hour journey. We pretty much dozed through the bus-ride as it was quite warm and arrived at Dar Us Salaam around sunset. First impressions were: lots of orangey-yellow sand, cows, students milling around and a nice room with pillows! We fell asleep that night to the sound of students reciting Quran.
We had a lot of opportunities to sit with Shaykh Faqih, Salek’s younger brother. He looks a lot like Shaykh Salek, and was very humble, saying that his brother was his guide and teacher. He has students following him around reading lessons to him if he needs to sort other things out! Everyone was very comfortable and at home there.
There is very little electricity there at night, and the students use little torches and their phones. One upside of that was the sky at night; it was a wonderfully glorious sight. The last time I saw a sky like that was probably in the western deserts of Egypt! You can see all the usual stars, and then so many more in between that we are usually deprived of in urban setups. The term 'jewel-studded' for the night sky is really given life in such places.
On the second day, I sat with Shaykh Salek's wife for a while, and his young daughters were always about too. His eldest sister also visited us, as well as his numerous nieces and it was a blessing to meet them all. One of his nieces dressed me in Mauritanian clothing; they are wonderful people, and it was really easy to feel at home there.
A couple of days later we left Dar Us Salaam for Geru which is just half an hour away. We were on our way to Tuamaret to visit Shaykh Murabit al Haaj. We got there after approximately three hours. It was a rough track which was sandy, and then dry with hay-like growth and then really rocky. The car had to climb bits of mountains. There was a gorgeous tree dotted around the otherwise barren landscape which was blooming with pink flowers.
We were honoured with visiting Shaykh Murabit al Haaj not long after we arrived in Tuamaret. He was resting and awoke briefly. He made dua and I gave him Salams from my father. I couldn't believe I was there. There was a lot of peace there, I feel very touched by the simple way of life. People are good and kind and they love to serve you and help you even though you feel you don't deserve it, and all the time are thinking about how to repay them. The fact is, you really can't, because the vastness with which they receive you is really a state of the heart.
Later, when I went to get water from a well, there were three cows trying to drink from it! It felt so nice to be so close to animals. A lot of the constriction I felt sometimes in Amman and generally in busy city life was gone, and I felt just happy to be. If one can feel like this in a few days then I can only imagine what kind of clarity of heart and mind you might achieve in years and even months. The desert to us is a harsh environment, with the rocky, sandy terrain, little vegetation, miles and miles of flat land, gusty winds and a sun that continuously beats down. And yet for many it is their day to day life, their norm and what is their home. And the human ability to make home anywhere, despite our doubts, is really quite fascinating.
We met a couple of young brothers from Canada in Tuamaret who had really taken to the life there. I also met a lot of the local women and girls who had an incredible sense of humour! At one point I couldn’t find my husband so they all decided to merrily come along and hunt him down! (Which we did!)
We stayed overnight and left Tuamaret for Dar Us Salaam the next morning. Shaykh Salek’s family were so wonderful and hospitable the whole time. We were incredibly well-fed and looked after. We also met some of the young students who spoke to us about their studies and how much they benefitted from the mahdara. We left Dar Us Salaam that evening on a night bus to head back to the capital. The night desert air was surprisingly cold, and it finally felt like it we were in the middle of winter!
I feel like our visit to Mauritania made us better people and far richer in our knowledge of the world and its people. Though we were there mere days, there were moments of utter stillness and peace that I have not felt in a long time. We were deeply inspired by the commitment of the students, and their desire to learn despite the gruelling environment. In a world were tradition is fast dying, supporting the students of Dar Us Salaam is a must for the Muslims of the world. Our brothers and sisters should not be forgotten in a world where the media fails to put Africa on the map, over and over again. It is from the deep parts of the earth and the hidden parts of the oceans that diamonds and pearls are found, and we must invest in this lost potential, and support the students and people of Mauritania."
