Sirah Caravan

This page is better viewed in landscape mode.

By the grace of Allah, our November Sīrah Caravan to Mecca and Medina was a transformative and life-altering experience for all attendees, and Nur al-Huda just asked Lanturna to design their upcoming ʿumrah trip. We invite you to join El-Hajj Hisham Mahmoud as he leads another:

SĪRAH CARAVAN (and ʿumrah)

Dec 21 – Jan 1

In coordination with Nur al-Huda
5 nights in Medina
4 nights in Mecca

Click Join the Caravan below to be directed to Nur al-Huda’s website to learn more details and complete the registration process.

JOIN THE CARAVAN

SPONSOR A STUDENT

Lanturna is currently restructuring its nonprofit classification designation and, until completed, your contribution is not tax deductible. May Allah bless you for your selfless support of our students, and may their prayers reach you from Medina and Mecca.

EL-HAJJ HISHAM MAHMOUD

El-Hajj Hisham Mahmoud studied theology, hadith, legal theory, jurisprudence, ethics, Qur’an recitation, and Arabic with scholars in Morocco, Mauritania, and Egypt. He taught for more than a decade at Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, then left the Academy to institute Lanturna, an educational initiative that intends to establish learning collectives to carry forward the legacies of our greatest luminaries. He continues to read with scholars and students in the United States and abroad.

El-Hajj Hisham Mahmoud’s personal invitation:

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Our spiritual itinerary includes the following milestones on our path of ascent—may Allah grant us rank above rank:

MEDINA (4 full days)

dār al-madīnah exhibit (with replicas of Medina at the time of the Prophet ﷺ)
masjid qubāʾ with the echoes of voices that aforetime welcomed the Beloved of their hearts and ours ﷺ as they sang طَلَعَ الْبَدْرُ عَلَيْنا “The full moon shone upon us”
the well of al-ʿidhq to drink from the water that quenched Abū Bakr’s thirst as the Beloved ﷺ sipped
the masjid of the Prophet ﷺ, wherein his companions took to ascend day and night
the homes of the companions, wherein angels beheld at dawn the recitation of verses just revealed that twilight
the marketplace of manākhah, where the ethics of trade were coined into proverbial maxims
masjid al-qiblatayn, where hearts turned toward God turned toward God
the battlegrounds of badr and uḥud, where companions gave their lives for us to come to know him ﷺ as they knew him
the site of al-khandaq, whereat Salmān the Persian رضي الله عنه was ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ as family
the orchard of Salmãn the Persian رضي الله عنه, whose freedom was bartered for 100 date palms that the Prophet ﷺ planted
the graveyard of al-baqīʿ, where we hope to be buried in unmarked graves, lost among the Prophet’s uncles, his aunts, his wives, his children, his descendants, ten thousand of his companions, the greatest sages and scholars of this ummah, and the pious dead of Medina, whose death-right it is to be buried in al-baqīʿ and granted his intercession on the Day of Reunion

MECCA (3 full days)

walking tour of the sanctuary (including the sites of the homes of Khadījah bt. Khuwaylid, al-Arqam, ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb and Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنهم)
the site of the birth of the Beloved ﷺ to glean the traces of light that his mother, Ãminah, beheld in a vision
the home of the Prophet’s noble wife ﷺ, our mother Khadījah رضي الله عنها whereupon Jibrīl عليه السلام descended to convey the greetings of God
jabal al-nūr, whereupon Jibrīl عليه السلام descended with the advent of truth
the valley of ṭāʾif, whereat the Beloved ﷺ turned to heaven with heartfelt hands pleading for those who banished him their progeny
masjid al-ʿaqabah (wherein the anṣār pledged their lives to the Prophet ﷺ)
jabal thawr, whereat the dove and the spider allied to protect their Prophet ﷺ before his migration
the tomb of our mother Maymūnah bt. al-Ḥārith رضي الله عنها
jabal al-raḥmah (whereat sins are forgiven for an entire lifetime past)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

We welcome you to our experiential sīrah caravan, wherein we seek to tread the path of our Prophet ﷺ throughout some of the pivotal milestones of his life. Allah has graced us with four full days in Medina and three full days in Mecca, to draw closer unto Him while journeying through the sacred lands that hosted the Message and the Messenger ﷺ. From all corners of Earth, our travels begin with our migration to Medina, home to the Prophet’s maternal ancestors. Though Mecca was home, his migration to Medina was homecoming.

And so we migrate to Allah and to the Beloved of Allah ﷺ, pressing toward Medina at the behest of our Lord وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا “If only after they had sinned to their own hurt, they had come to thee asking pardon of Allah, and the Apostle had asked pardon for them, they would surely have found Allah relenting, compassionate” (al-nisāʾ 4:64). Behold, our Lord invites us into forgiveness in the presence of His Messenger ﷺ. Together in Medina, we shall visit:

masjid qubāʾ with the echoes of voices that aforetime welcomed the Beloved of their hearts and ours ﷺ as they sang طَلَعَ الْبَدْرُ عَلَيْنا “The full moon shone upon us”;
the well of al-ʿidhq to drink from the water that quenched Abū Bakr’s thirst as the Beloved ﷺ sipped;
masjid al-qiblatayn, where hearts turned toward God turned toward God;
the masjid of the Prophet ﷺ, wherein his companions took to ascend day and night;
the marketplace of manākhah, where the ethics of trade were coined into proverbial maxims;
the battlegrounds of badr and uḥud, where companions gave their lives for us to come to know him ﷺ as they knew him;
the homes of the companions, wherein angels beheld at dawn the recitation of verses just revealed that twilight;
the site of khandaq, whereat Salmān the Persian was ascribed to the Prophet ﷺ as family;
the graveyard of al-baqīʿ, where we hope to be buried in unmarked graves, lost among the Prophet’s uncles, his aunts, his wives, his children, his descendants, ten thousand of his companions, the greatest sages and scholars of this ummah, and the pious dead of Medina, whose death-right it is to be buried in al-baqīʿ and granted his intercession on the Day of Reunion.

We then advance toward Mecca with the promise of Allah in His majestic Book إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ “Verily, Ṣafā and Marwah are of the symbols of Allah, and he who makes the pilgrimage (ḥajj) unto the House or visits it (ʿumrah) shall not be to blame to lap betwixt the twain; and he who obeys his own impulse toward good: God requites and well knows” (al-baqarah 2:158). Behold, our Lord invites us into forgiveness as guests in His House. Together in Mecca, we shall visit:

the site of the birth of the Beloved ﷺ to glean the traces of light that his mother, Ãminah, beheld in a vision;
the home of his noble wife, our mother Khadījah رضي الله عنه whereupon Jibrīl عليه السلام descended to convey the greetings of God;
Jabal al-Nūr, whereupon Jibrīl عليه السلام descended with the advent of Truth;
the Valley of Ṭāʾif, whereat the Beloved ﷺ turned to Heaven with heartfelt hands pleading for those who banished him, pleading for their progeny;
the site of the pledge of ʿaqabah, whereat we will covenant with the Messenger ﷺ;
jabal thawr, whereat the dove and the spider conspired to protect their Prophet ﷺ before his blessed migration.

We gratefully respond to this bountiful invitation from our Lord to be forgiven in the sacred lands of revelation and to commit our lives and souls to bear the mantle of the Beloved of Allah ﷺ and his pure family and noble companions. لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِلَهَ الْحَقِّ لَبَّيْك labbayka l-lāhumma labbayk, labbayka ilāha l-ḥaqqi labbayk (At Your behest, Allah, at Your behest! At Your behest, God of Truth!).

TESTIMONIALS

El-Hajj Hisham presented the class with so much love as if he was talking about a very close personal friend mā shāʾ Allāh. I was able to feel the love and pain that our Prophet ﷺ went through. He made me realize how I can draw from our beloved Prophet’s ﷺ personality and attitude in times of trials and tribulations and in times of joy, providing insight into our own life issues and concerns. My three kids enjoyed this class too.

—Maimoona Rashid

The Lanturna Sīrah Retreat was such a beautiful gathering. The insights gained have changed my perceptive about how I relate to the sīrah. I feel a deep connection to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Weeks after the event I still continue some of the beautiful sunnahs we practiced.

—Khadeeja Abdullah

Lanturna’s “Years of the Beloved” Retreat was a wonderful experience for my family. El-Hajj Hisham brought the sīrah to life and helped us view the life of our dear Prophet ﷺ in an entirely different light. I’ve read multiple sīrah books before, but have never felt this close to the Prophet ﷺ. I deeply admire El-Hajj Hisham’s vision for the Muslim community in the United States. His warm, practical approach allows us to truly live the sīrah every moment of our lives. May Allah put barakah in Lanturna and allow El-Hajj Hisham’s wisdom to reach every home.

—Lena Khan

JOIN THE CARAVAN

SPONSOR A STUDENT

At the dawn of revelation, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ “And as for the blessing of thy Lord, proclaim it!” (al-Ḍuḥā 93:11). And toward the eve of his passing, he instructed those present to inform those absent. If you have found any benefit in our work, then know that it came solely from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and with the intention of proclaiming His bounty, feel free to share it with others.

Sirah Caravan

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST