On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil: A Study of Book 19 of the Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn

We are excited to announce our upcoming Weekend Retreat, which will be held on October 18-20 titled:
On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, a study of Book 19 of Imam al-Ghazali’s masterpiece Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences).

According to Imam Al-Ghazali, enjoining good and forbidding evil is an obligation and crucial to fulfilling the mission of the prophets sent by Allah Ta’ala. If knowledge of it were discarded and its practice neglected, prophethood would be unnecessary, religion would disappear, weakness would reign, and ignorance would prevail. Its centrality to the deen is evident in the Quran, Hadith, statements of the pious predecessors, and in the general consensus of the Umma. For example, Allah Ta’ala tells us:

Let there be a group among you who call ‘others’ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.
[3:104]

The believers, both men and women, are guardians of one another: They encourage good and forbid evil…[9:71]

You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in God…[3:110]

In Imam al-Ghazali’s On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, he discusses its four pillars, objectional matters in familiar daily activities (such as visiting mosques and marketplaces), the obligation to call to Allah, and how to advise a ruler.

We welcome you to join us in exploring this often neglected and misapplied obligation in what we pray will be a weekend filled with abundant blessings as we acquire knowledge and spend time in devotion together.

REGISTRATION:
The registration cost covers meals and full access to all retreat programming (please see below for information regarding accommodations). The registration fees are as follows:

General Registration: $140
Saturday Only: $70

Child Care (Ages 3-5) = $60/child *
Children's Program (Ages 6-8) = $75/child
Youth Program (Ages 9-12) = $75/child

Childcare, children and youth program will be available Saturday & Sunday based on registration. Fees below include the entire weekend.

* Please note for child care (Ages 3-5) each child should be accompanied with a spare change of clothes as well as a set of diapers if not potty trained. Nursing children and children under 3 should be accompanied by their parents at all times.

If you need any assistance covering the retreat fee please reach out to programs@almaqasid.org and our team will assist you InshAllah. 

MEALS:
Continental Breakfast: (Sat & Sun)
Lunch: (Sat & Sun)
Dinner: (Fri & Sat)
Note: If you have any dietary restrictions please indicate this on your registration form.

ARRIVAL:
Attendees should plan to arrive on the evening of Friday, October 18th at 5:45pm. Program ends Sunday afternoon, October 20th at 4:00pm. Please allow enough time to register and receive your name badge (15-20 mins).

Airports close by:
Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)  - Distance 18.5 Miles (25 mins)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) - Distance 88.1 Miles (1.25 hours)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) - Distance 64.5 Miles (1.5 hours)
John F. Kennedy International Airpot (JFK) - Distance 122 Miles (2.5 hours)

Directions & Parking: https://www.almaqasid.org/directions (See maps below)

Al-Maqasid Campus Map

Al-Maqasid Parking Map

ACCOMMODATIONS:
Unfortunately we are not able to offer on-site accommodations at this time. We recommend that you arrange lodging at one of the nearby hotels. Here is a short-list of local hotels in the area:

Homewood Suites Allentown-West/Fogelsville - Distance 4.6 miles 
Fairfield Inn & Suites Allentown West - Distance 4.6 miles
Hyatt Place Allentown - Distance 4.8 miles
Wingate by Wyndham Allentown - Distance 5.6 miles

Note: Al-Maqasid is not affiliated with any of the above hotels and listing them here does not indicate an endorsement. 

ONLINE ATTENDANCE:
For those who are unable to attend in person or who prefer online please register and select the online attendance option. It is free to attend online and a link will be sent out (for those who register) closer to the weekend of the retreat.

For any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at programs@almaqasid.org

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