Light of Ilm Retreat 2026: The Peaceful Heart - Finding Peace through Ridaa with Divine Decree

Light of Ilm Retreat 2026 presents "The Peaceful Heart"—a transformative 4-day, 3-night spiritual journey designed to address one of the most profound yet often unspoken spiritual challenges: displeasure with the Divine Decree.

The immersive retreat guides participants toward cultivating Qalbun Saleem (a sound, surrendered heart) that is completely at peace with Allah's will.

It will also touch on applications of qalbun saleem within family relations, with a particular focus on marital couples and how husbands/men can embody the spirit of true qawwamah in the age of misconstrued concepts of female independence and empowerment, and how women can embody the spirit of the feminine as a true companion.

Through integrated sessions combining Islamic psychology, Quranic contemplation, and studies of prophetic traditions, participants will explore practical pathways to inner transformation, spiritual healing, and meaningful connection with the Divine.

More than an educational experience, it is an invitation to embark on a deeply personal journey of heart purification and soul alignment with Divine Will, guided by renowned scholar Dr. Rania Awaad (and a male teacher to be confirmed), set within the serene sanctuary of Tanjong Jara Resort, Terengganu, Malaysia. This retreat is open for both male and female attendees.

Core Themes

• Understanding Qalbun Saleem

This foundational theme introduces the Quranic concept of qalbun saleem and establishes the spiritual framework for the entire retreat. Participants will explore what it means to possess a heart that is sound, whole, and fully surrendered to Allah.

This theme unpacks the anatomy of the spiritual heart and how its health determines one’s relationship with the Divine Decree.

Key areas of exploration: the nature and station of the heart in Islamic spirituality; signs of a sound heart versus a diseased heart; the relationship between the heart’s soundness and one’s acceptance of qadr; classical scholarly perspectives on what constitutes true surrender.

• Diagnosing the Disease: Displeasure with Divine Decree

This theme addresses the core spiritual ailment that the retreat seeks to heal. Displeasure with the Divine Decree can manifest in subtle and overt ways — from chronic anxiety and bitterness to a quiet erosion of faith during trials.

Dr. Rania Awaad will use her expertise in Islamic psychology to help participants identify the roots of this displeasure within themselves, bridging classical spiritual diagnosis with modern psychological insight.

Key areas of exploration: how displeasure with qadr manifests in everyday life (anger, envy, despair, complaint); the psychological underpinnings of resistance to Allah’s will; case studies from prophetic stories and the lives of the righteous; the distinction between natural human grief and spiritual displeasure.

• Cultivating Divine Contentment

Having diagnosed the disease, this theme turns to the cure. Ridaa (contentment with Allah’s decree) is the antidote to displeasure with divine decree, and this theme explores practical, spiritual, and psychological pathways to cultivating it. Participants will learn actionable steps drawn from the prophetic tradition, classical scholarship and wisdom, to actively nurture contentment in their daily lives.

Key areas of exploration: the station of ridaa among the stations of the heart (maqaamaat); practical exercises for cultivating gratitude and trust in Allah; the role of dhikr, du‘aa, and worship in healing the heart; how to navigate trials with grace — moving from sabr (patience) to ridaa (contentment).

• Reaching the Station of Gratitude (Shukr)

Having cultivated ridaa (contentment with Allah's decree), the heart is now prepared to ascend to an even loftier station: that of Shukr, where gratitude becomes not merely an obligation of the tongue, but a lived reality of the soul.

This theme explores how the healing of displeasure leads to the awakening of profound thankfulness, a gratitude rooted not in the absence of hardship, but in the deep comprehension that every decree carries divine wisdom and an expression of Allah's perfect love for His servant.

Through witnessing the subtle and manifest ways in which Allah guides, protects, and provides, the believer moves from patient acceptance to active, joyful recognition of divine favor.

This station transforms the heart's relationship with trials, blessings, and the ordinary moments of life into opportunities for genuine appreciation and deeper connection with the Divine.

Key areas of exploration: the station of Shukr among the stations of the heart and its relationship to ridaa; developing a gratitude practice grounded in Islamic tradition; recognizing divine wisdom hidden within trials and blessings; the transformative power of witnessing Allah's attributes (sifat) through His decrees; strengthening the heart's capacity for wonder and awe; practical expressions of gratitude through action, speech, and intention; moving from gratitude as duty to gratitude as a natural overflow of the awakened heart.

• The Peaceful Heart in Family Landscape

This theme translates the spirit of surrender into the most intimate sphere of human life: the family. What does ridaa with the Divine Decree look like when lived out between husband and wife? This theme explores the Quranic metaphor of libaas (garment) — the idea that spouses are meant to cover, protect, comfort, and beautify one another — and examines qawaamah (loving stewardship) as a form of spiritual responsibility, not authority.

• Heart Purification Together: Tazkiyah for Marital Couples

This culminating theme brings together the individual and relational dimensions of heart purification. Marriage is not only a social contract but a spiritual partnership in which both spouses can help one another draw closer to Allah. Participants will be guided through the concept of mutual tazkiyah — how couples can serve as mirrors for each other’s spiritual growth, hold one another accountable with gentleness, and create a home environment that nurtures qalbun saleem.

Key areas of exploration: the spiritual diseases that commonly arise in marriage (hasad, kibr, ghafla) and their remedies; how spouses can support each other’s spiritual journey without overstepping; building a family culture rooted in dhikr, shukr, and tawbah; raising children with hearts inclined toward ridaa.

Retreat Elements

• Intensive lectures based on classical books deep dive

• Quran study & tafsir

• Guided Tazkiyah sessions (spiritual purification)

• Silent reflection & dhikr

• Tahajjud gatherings

Primary Retreat Facilitators

Dr. Rania Awaad

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. She brings expertise in bridging classical spiritual healing with contemporary psychological understanding. Dr. Awaad is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning teacher, researcher and author in both the Islamic and medical sciences.

Dr. Awaad is a pioneer of Islamic psychology in the Western world and Executive Director of Maristan, a holistic mental health nonprofit serving Muslim communities.

She is particularly passionate about uncovering the historical roots of mental health care in the Islamic intellectual heritage. She is also the Clinical Director of the San Francisco Bay Area branches of the Khalil Center, a spiritual wellness center pioneering the application of traditional Islamic spiritual healing methods to modern clinical psychology.

She is also the Director of Rahmah Foundation, an independent educational organization committed to designing educational programs that address topics unique to Muslim women and girls. At The Rahmah Foundation, she oversees the Murbiyah spiritual mentoring program for girls.

Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Quran, Islamic Law, and other branches of the Islamic Sciences.

She has also served as the first female Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College, in Berkeley, CA, where she taught courses on Shafi’i Fiqh, Women’s Fiqh and Quranic sciences for nearly a decade.

Retreat Location

Tanjong Jara Resort: A Sanctuary for the Soul

4 Days, 3 Nights of Stillness, Spirit & Surrender

Tanjong Jara Resort is modelled after the graceful Istanas (palaces) of Malay royalty. Every timber beam, every carved gable, every breath of sea air that passes through its open corridors carries a quiet message: slow down, reconnect, remember.

Chosen as the location for our retreat, Tanjong Jara is shaped by centuries of wisdom about how human beings are meant to live in harmony with the natural world.

Over the retreat’s duration, this Aga Khan Award for Architecture-winner will not just be an accommodation, but also a partner in our retreat participants’ journey to their own inner worlds.