I've been spending the last 3 months cracking my head and straining each and every one of my brain cells planning for a camp together with a group of 24 other people. This camp, unlike the many others that I have planned for, is very very special. We approached a concept that we have never dared to touch on. Our target audience was different, our objectives were brand new and so were the people involved. We all had one goal, just one common one that brought 25 people together to plan a camp for 120 people. We based our objectives on Rasulullah's Hadith -:
"He who truly believes, wants for his brother what he wants for himself"
We wanted to show our brothers and sisters around the campus that Islam is nothing but absolute beauty. We wanted to show them why we are so deeply passionate of this deen, why we want nothing but the best for this life and the next and why we are all Muslims - Muslims by choice.
Camp Eleven was based on the fundamentals of Islam - the 5 Pillars of Islam and the 6 Articles of Faith. We started from scratch. We were presented with a few ideas from different people that inspired us of the contents of the camp. Our focus was to show the beauty of Islam so we designed games that helped the campers understand the practical purpose of the 5 Pillars of Islam that led to the spiritual understanding of these practices. We called professionals to conduct workshops to show them the beauty of the Qur'an and to help them understand better the Articles of Faith. We helped them better understand that Islamic Values are Universal Values and most importantly, we spoke to them about the beauty of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wasalam) 's morals and how he should be the role model of every living Muslim.
At the end of the camp, we made them understand that the bond of a faith is stronger than that of blood. Together, we realised the power of Allah's will to build a strong ukhwah between us and for as long as we hold on to the rope of Allah, He shall guide us along.
I have never felt so genuinely happy after a camp and I have nothing to say except for Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah!
I may not have benefited as much as the participants because of all the running around to ensure that everything flows smoothly, but I sure as hell found my second family.
Dearest brothers and sisters,
I pray that our friendship ends not just in this dunya but be brought forward to the hereafter. I pray for nothing but the absolute best for each and everyone of you and I pray that Allah grants us the opportunity to meet each other in Jannah!
Ameen!
A'qilah Saiere
