Purpose · Intended participants · Commitments
Meaning
- The olive is named in revelation as a blessed tree. This retreat is structured as educational pilgrimage, combining study and practice in working groves.
- Participants come to read, walk, and reflect in a simple environment shaped by texts on zayt (olive oil) and Prophetic nourishment.
- The itinerary is disciplined and educational. Days open with recitation and close with structured quiet.
Intended participants
- Adults who have completed Foundations of Prophetic Medicine or can demonstrate equivalent study.
- Those able to walk uneven paths for up to two hours daily and observe appointed silence periods.
- Travellers prepared for simple living conditions: shared rooms, early starts, and no alcohol on retreat grounds.
Commitments
- Complete the pre-retreat reading list before departure; sessions assume text familiarity.
- Observe retreat adab, including meal silence until Day V and phone restrictions set at orientation.
- Participate in all scheduled sessions.
- Provide accurate health disclosure at registration; placement may be declined for safety reasons.
Preparation
Preparation
- Eight weeks before departure: confirm passport validity (minimum six months) and visa requirements for your nationality.
- Six weeks: complete Modules I-III of pre-retreat reading and prepare written reflection due two weeks before travel.
- Four weeks: complete medical check for walking fitness and disclose medications to the retreat physician.
- Two weeks: review packing list with the guide and submit travel insurance certificate.
- One week: confirm meeting point, emergency contacts, and dietary requirements by correspondence.
Reading list
Reading
Foundations of Prophetic Medicine — Modules I-III
Required before travel.
Apothecary monograph — Olive Oil
Read before Day III.
Ibn al-Qayyim — selected passages on zayt (provided)
Distributed eight weeks before departure.
Institution retreat reader — Olive & stone (provided)
Physical copy issued at orientation.
Packing guide
Packing
- Broken-in walking boots are required; sandals are for lodge use only.
- Modest layered clothing for warm days and cooler evenings.
- Sun protection (hat and long sleeves); SPF should be brought by the traveller.
- Personal medications in original containers with prescription copy.
- Notebook and pen; phone policy is applied at orientation.
- Reusable water bottle.
- Drones, portable speakers, and alcohol are not permitted.
Flight guidance
Flight planning and coordination
- International travel is to Ben Gurion (Tel Aviv) or Queen Alia (Amman), followed by overland transfer to the Nablus meeting point stated in correspondence.
- Flights are arranged by travellers; share itinerary with the coordinator by four weeks.
- Meeting point is a designated location in Nablus within the stated arrival window.
- Departure from Nablus is traveller-scheduled on the final day; institution transfer is provided to the meeting point only.
Accommodation philosophy
Accommodation
- Accommodation is in an institution-hosted lodge with simple rooms; shared bathrooms on some floors are declared in advance.
- Selection is based on proximity to groves and teaching rooms.
- Meals are communal, with silence at meals until Day V; declared dietary needs are accommodated within practical limits.
- Private upgrades are not offered.
Learning
Learning
- Daily seminar on the olive in revelation and Prophetic report, taught with references and question time.
- Field study in the groves with the estate forester on cultivation, harvest, and pressing, linked to the olive oil monograph.
- Practical session on etiquette of food in the Sunnah, focused on attentive preparation and gratitude.
- Evening readings from Ibn al-Qayyim on simples with assigned overnight reflection.
We travel to learn, not to see. The journey is inward before it is outward
Educational sessions
Sessions
Seminar on the olive in revelation
Scholar-led · sourced
Graded Prophetic reports on zayt with room for questions within session limits.
Field study in the groves
Forester-led · on site
Cultivation, harvest, and pressing linked to the Apothecary olive oil monograph.
Etiquette of food in the Sunnah
Practical instruction
Attentive preparation and gratitude as practice.
Evening reading circle
Moderated · silent blocks
Readings from Ibn al-Qayyim on simples with assigned overnight reflection.
Apothecary session
Seminar · Day V
Olive oil monograph review with careful distinction between means and claims.
Daily itinerary
Itinerary
Arrival & orientation
Focus: Travel adab · settling · phone protocol
- Meet at the agreed point in Nablus and transfer to the lodge.
- Orientation on safety, silence protocol, and schedule.
- Evening seminar on the blessed tree in revelation.
The grove I — cultivation
Focus: Field study · link to materia medica
- Dawn recitation and simple breakfast.
- Walk to the lower grove with the forester to study pruning, soil, and water.
- Seminar on Prophetic reports concerning zayt.
- Silent evening with journaling assignment.
The press
Focus: Witness pressing · ethics of food
- Visit estate pressing house and observe first cold press.
- Guided tasting protocol with careful language about means and claims.
- Reading session from Ibn al-Qayyim on olive oil.
- Group reflection without social media photography.
Stone & scripture
Focus: Landscape as ayāt · walking meditation
- Moderate two-hour walk to the ridge.
Companionship
Companionship
- Groups are capped at twelve to preserve teaching quality and path safety.
- Room assignments may mix backgrounds; nationality-based separation is applied only where local law requires.
- Travellers eat, walk, and observe scheduled silence together.
- Persistent disruption may lead to removal without refund under conduct policy.
Guidance
Scholars and guides on route
- Two scholars accompany the group for all teaching, and a local guide manages routes, language, and estate access.
- A retreat physician is on call, and the nearest hospital is identified at orientation.
- The programme is fully scheduled and does not include unaccompanied free days.
Preparation begins weeks before departure. The mind is prepared before the luggage
Reflection journals
Reflection
- Each traveller receives a plain notebook at orientation; entries remain private unless shared voluntarily on Day V.
- Assigned prompts cover the tree as sign, provision and trust, and practical change at home.
- One hour of seated reflection is scheduled daily in silence and without devices.
Journal practice
- Plain notebook issued at orientation, with entries private unless shared on Day V.
- Three assigned prompts: tree as sign, provision and trust, and practical change at home.
- One hour of seated reflection daily in silence without devices.
- Final integration reading is assigned on Day VI and required though not graded.
Health guidance
Health
- Walking may reach two hours daily on uneven paths; medical check is required at four weeks.
- Retreat physician is on call, with nearest hospital details provided at orientation.
- Medevac insurance is mandatory, with certificate submission at four weeks.
- Alternate shorter routes are available for poor weather or limited mobility; disclose needs before registering.
Safety
Safety
- Risk assessment is updated annually for estate and path conditions, with alternate routes for poor weather.
- Emergency evacuation planning to Nablus hospital is in place; medevac insurance is mandatory.
- Political and travel advisories are monitored; departure may be postponed with full refund when FCDO advises against travel.
- Food allergies and medical diets are declared in advance and accommodated within practical limits.
Organisation
Organisation
Includes lodging, meals, local transport, and reading materials. Excludes international travel and visa costs.
- Lodging is in the institution lodge, with room and bathroom arrangements stated in advance.
- Meals include two full services and a light third, with water and herbal tea; alcohol is not permitted.
- Local transport uses seatbelt-equipped minibuses, and walking days are clearly marked in the itinerary.
- A coordinator is reachable throughout the retreat; contact details are issued at orientation.
Scholars and guides
Scholars and guides
Ustādh Nāṣir ibn Aḥmad
Retreat Scholar · Text & isnād
Academy faculty · ijāza in ḥadīth sciences
Leads all sourced seminars and focuses on teaching responsibilities.
Assigned readings follow his syllabus; questions are addressed within session limits.
Dr. Layla Khoury
Retreat Guide · Place & practice
PhD Mediterranean agricultural history · estate liaison
Coordinates field study and local estate relationships.
Responsible for path safety and cultural orientation rather than religious instruction.
Gallery
Gallery
Policies
Policies
Registration & postponement
Register your interest through the form below. Placement is confirmed after reading review and interview.
Deposit £400 is due on confirmation, with balance due eight weeks before departure. One postponement to the next cohort is permitted.
Cancellation
More than twelve weeks before departure: deposit refunded minus £75 administration.
Within twelve weeks: deposit is retained; balance is refunded only if a replacement traveller is found.
Conduct
Alcohol, recreational drugs, and harassment result in immediate removal without refund.
The retreat follows local law and custom, and travellers are expected to represent the institution responsibly.
Insurance & liability
Comprehensive travel and medical insurance with medevac cover is mandatory.
Institution liability applies to organised activities only; personal property remains the traveller's responsibility.
Related learning
Registration
Register your interest
This is not a booking. Each registration is reviewed through reading, interview, and suitability checks where applicable before placement is confirmed.