“Sacred spiritual poetry is intended to soften our hearts and remind us of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. We have the opportunity through this blessed collection to resemble the Companions who recited poetry directly before our Prophet ﷺ...” Shaykh Yahyha Rhodus
Breezes of the Elect is a new collection of classical Arabic qaṣā’id. The book was launched in Ramadan 2023, with the main purpose being to make spiritual poems accessible using clear English translations, helping us to increase in our love of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. We are now honoured to present our second Sacred Sounds retreat at the Azahara well-being sanctuary.
The purpose of this unique retreat is to deepen our connection with our Prophet ﷺ by studying and learning the sacred poems that can be found in Breezes of the Elect, delving into their meanings, working on their correct Arabic pronunciation, teaching of the traditional daff frame drum and tapping into our hearts by studying and writing our own poetry.
This special retreat will enable individuals to grow in love and connection to our Prophet ﷺ through the beauty of Arabic poetry in the stunning, picturesque, Andalusian countryside.
This year's retreat is for women (minimum age 18); we plan to organise for more audiences in future.
The programme includes:
7 nights at Azahara Well-Being Centre (45 minutes from Granada).
Delicious and locally sourced daily meals cooked by renown chef Nabil (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner).
Daily lessons on learning the daff, qaṣā’id (with an emphasis on correct pronunciation) and poetry writing.
Evening gatherings of remembrance including; The Burdah by Imam Busiri, Shimmering Light Mawlid by Ḥabīb ʿUmar bin Hafiẓ and The Prophet's Presence (A New English Mawlid)
Optional opportunities to visit Al-Hambra and Granada Mosque, swimming, nature walks, contemplation and more.
Teachers:
Umm al-Khair
Umm al-Khair is the compiler of the Breezes of the Elect book and is a teacher of tajwīd, qaṣā’id and daff. She has worked internationally over the years, assisting communities in setting up regular gatherings of remembrance. She has ijaza in Qur’an recitation, recitation of the Burdah, Shimmering Light and all qaṣā’id in the book and has been singing and teaching for the last 12 years. The purpose of reciting qaṣā’id is to increase in love and connection with the Prophet ﷺ, which is the intention behind the Breezes of the Elect book and any subsequent teaching.
Robina Din (Mystic Beats)
Robina first developed her passion for singing when she was only 8 years old performing a variety of naats at her local Urdu School. Since then, her journey continued and at the age of 18 years, she started to explore the path of Islamic Sufi Mysticism which led her to develop an interest into playing the daff frame drum. Through Mystic Beats, Robina has been providing vocal skills and daff workshops to children and ladies for more than 20 years in person locally and internationally and online across the globe. Robina seeks to spread connection to, and love for Allah (swt), His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and to create a space for connection and wellbeing through Inshaad, coupled with the inherent healing aspects of daff drumming.
Ayman Muhammed
Ayman is best described as a creative across multiple disciplines, ranging from photography, graphic design and poetry. He was part of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo ‘The Planets’, who broke barriers by working with a number of high profile American artists.
Today, Ayman is part of a group in Nottingham which reads Habib Umar’s Shimmering Light mawlid on a weekly basis, having now done so for over 15 years. His time in 2019 in Morocco and Tarim studying Arabic opened his eyes to a new variety of traditional devotional poetry and the centrality of these poems to the spiritual life of a Muslim. It was during this time that the seeds for the contents of Breezes of the Elect were planted, which Ayman played an integral part in. With a professional background in design and communications, Ayman contributed to the selection of qaṣā’id, the overall design of the book and helped in editing the translations. He then led on the online promotion, which saw Breezes of the Elect become an Amazon best seller.
FEES - WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Accommodation, all meals, classes and workshops, gatherings of remembrance and swimming.
What's Not Included:
Flights and airport transfer.
Optional extras include visit to Alhambra and other activities TBC.
Pricing internationals (outside of Spain)
Early Bird until 31 March £900 (2-3 sharing), £850 (Room of 4), £800 (Bell Tent)
Normal Price £950 (2-3 sharing), £900 (Room of 4), £850 (Bell Tent)
Pricing locals: Please select local in registration form.
Payment plans available. All prices are based off the Euro and so will be subject to the exchange rate at the time of paying.
Breezes of the Elect is a new collection of classical qaṣā’id, finely translated and beautifully designed. All poems consist of Arabic script, English translation and transliteration. Our intentions for compiling this book are to inspire an increase in love, knowledge, connection and obedience towards the Prophet ﷺ, by the comprehension of the poems through their English translations.
Containing:
The Burdah
The Muḍariyyah
The Muḥammadiyyah
The Shimmering Light
Collection of 63 Qaṣā’id (all can be listened to on soundcloud https://bit.ly/breezesoftheelect)
Introduction and full title of the book by Ḥabīb Kāẓim as-Saqqāf
Intentions of the Munshid (singer of praise) by Ḥabīb ʿUmar b. Ḥafīẓ
Intentions of the Drummer
Intentions of the Gathering
Closing Dua
Blurb by Shaikh Yaḥyā Rhodus and Shaikh Aḥmad Bābikar
Available now in two sizes:
Small (7”by10”) size
https://mybook.to/SmallBreezesOfTheElect
Large (A4) size
https://mybook.to/LargeBreezesOfTheElect
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. What is the cost of the retreat in Sterling/Euro /Dollars?
Early Bird until 31 March is as follows:
£900/€1070/$1120 for a shared room of 2-3
£850/€1010/$1060 for a room of 4
£800/€960/$995 for a bell tent
The above does not include flights or airport transfers
2. Which is the closest airport?
Granada is forty-five minutes away from Azahara and Malaga is one and a half hours away.
3. What is the cost of being picked up from the airport?
Once you have registered and paid for the retreat, shortly before the retreat commences, you will be sent a pre-retreat form to fill out, where we will ask you for your flight information. Once the majority of guests have made their flight bookings and filled out the form, we will arrange a taxi or minibus pick up with the costs to be shared by the passengers. The cost can be anything from €100-€150. Alternatively local buses are available from the airport, details can be sent on request.
4. Will we be met by someone at the airport?
You will be sent the phone number of the driver who is to meet you at the airport. Female taxi drivers are also available and will do our best to accommodate you with this.
5. What time should I book my flights for?
Please aim to arrive on Friday 20th June in the morning/early afternoon. This gives you time to be picked up and settle into your accommodation. The program will start after Asr prayer on Friday 20th at 6.30pm.
Departure is on the 27th June and can be anytime after 9.30am.
6. Can I arrive a day or two before the retreat and also stay on for longer? What is the cost of extra nights?
Yes, you can arrive a day or two earlier at an additional cost. Please indicate so in the registration form.
7. What is the program for the retreat?
Below is a brief outline of our daily schedule. All of the below will be centred around the five daily prayers, three delicious locally sourced meals and tea breaks:
Class 1 - Daff drumming with Mystic Beats
Class 2 - Qasaid singing and with Umm al-Khair
Break/siesta
Swimming (optional)
Class 3 - Poetry workshop with Ayman Muhammed
Reflections/Daff Qasaid Practice
Gatherings of Remembrance (including Shimmering Light, The Burdah, and much more)
There will also be one day of rest, where optional local trips will be organised.
8. Will there be any men at the retreat?
There is a Imam as well as a few male volunteers, one of the teachers (Ayman Muhammed) and the chef. However, there are female specific areas where no men will be allowed, with the majority of the retreat being a women only held space.
9. I have food allergies, what should I do?
Once you have registered and paid for the retreat, shortly before the retreat commences, you will be sent a pre-retreat form to fill out, where we will ask you about any allergies.
10. How much does a Breezes of the Elect book cost?
The small size of Breezes of the Elect is €23/£20/$25 (7inches by 10 inches)
The large size is €30/£25/$33 (A4) Please order your own Breezes of the Elect book and bring to the retreat - breezesoftheelect.org and please also purchase your own daff and bring to the retreat. We recommend this drum for beginners https://amzn.to/413UUsa.
11. I have a question that is not on this list. Who can I email?
info@breezesoftheelect.org for questions regarding the content of the retreat. Please contact Azahara in the registration form for any other questions.
N.B. All prices are based off sterling and so will be subject to the exchange rate at the time of paying.