Al-Hujjah 2016
Mizan: A Balanced Life of Servitude
February 12-15 | $185
Location:
Mentone, California
Ages 18-35 (Some exceptions made based on application)
Retreat:
Life can be overwhelming. It’s hard enough to balance school, work, family, and friends – add in all the details of religion and worship and life can seem overwhelming.
Do I spend every waking second worshiping Allah (swt)? Does creating an Islamic lifestyle include abandoning everything in this dunya I enjoy? How can I balance the social, spiritual, and professional aspects of my life when living in such a challenging environment?
This years retreat focuses on the concept of a balanced life, one which takes into account the physical, spiritual and intellectual aspects of our lives. We’ve updated our programming to reflect our theme and have added an extra day of retreat in order to provide a more holistic and comprehensive experience to attendees as well as more opportunities to network and interact with other attendees and invited speakers.
Speaker Bios
Sheikh Ahmad Modarres
Sheikh Ahmad Modarres was born in the holy city of Mashhad. His initial interest in Islamic Studies began when he was eight years old, being motivated to become a hafiz of the Holy Quran and attend the Hawza of Mashhad. He received his bachelors in philosophy and theology from the Al-Mustafa International University in Mashhad. He moved to the United States in 2008 and traveled to different states to deliver English speeches at seminars and Islamic centers. He is currently the resident Al’im of Masjid Al-Rasool in Simi Valley, CA. His main focus is to spread the true message of Islam and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) and help youth develop a strong Muslim identity.
Sheikh Nurudeen Ali
Sheikh Nurudeen was born and raised in the US Virgin Islands and converted to Islam at the age of 16. He’s studied in the distinguished hawza seminary of Qom for 8 years and now resides in Tampa, Florida.
Hafiza Soheyla Aryan
Raised in Europe and Southern California, Sister Soheyla has a Masters of Science in Midwifery from USC Medical school. Mrs. Aryan worked as a volunteer in Iran assisting low-income mothers with their pregnancies. Inspired later in life to study Islam, she has received the honorary title of Hafiza of the Holy Quran while studying at Jamiatul Quran’s research institute in Tehran.
Hajj Kauther Khan
Kauther Khan is a humble servant leader and community organizer in Los Angeles, he has helped found Yaseen Educational Foundation, one of the most successful Islamic organizations in Southern California. He is a regular community lecturer on a variety of topics, religious, leadership and spiritual. Brother Kauther has offered AMYNA and IMAM strategic direction, especially in developing their mission and vision as an organization. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Sister Shabnam Dewji
Sister Shabnam Dewji is a community organizer and Sunday school principal of Shia Ithna-Asheri Islamic Jamaat of Los Angeles as well as the Vice President of Operations for Time Warner Cable. Her background is in finance, with a degree from the London School of Accounting. In 2010, she completed the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business.
Hassan Kashani
Hasan Kashani studied in Qum for eight years in both Arab and Iranian ḥawzahs. He covered the traditional sciences (Arabic grammar and Logic and beginning fiqh,usūl al-fiqh and Islamic Philosophy). Kashani would enroll in Jāmi’at al-Muṣṭafā where he attained a BA in Islamic Studies. He simultaneously took classes at Golpaygānī school. Kashani participated the dars-e khārij of Āyatullāh Shahīdīpūr and Āyatullāh Ganj’Alī as well as Āyatullāh Zanjānī. Currently, Kashani is in the PhD program in Islamic Studies at UCLA.
