What is Awakening Ihsan 2026

Awakening Ihsan 2026: The Anchored Soul is SimplyIslam’s flagship two-day spiritual retreat, taking place on 7 and 8 November 2026 at SimplyIslam, 152 Still Road. It brings together an exceptional lineup of local and international scholars for a full immersive programme anchored in the Sirah of the Prophet ﷺ.

What is the Illumination Tour?

The Illumination Tour is a series of talks, lectures, and a workshop led by Dr. Tarek Elgawhary across various venues in Singapore from 6 to 9 November 2026. It runs alongside the Awakening Ihsan retreat and is open to the public.

Are these two separate events?

They are two distinct programmes running across the same week, but they are designed to complement each other. The Awakening Ihsan retreat is the main two-day event, while the Illumination Tour features additional sessions surrounding it. You can attend one or both.

Do I need to attend both?

No. You are welcome to register for either programme independently. However, we highly recommend attending both for the full experience which is why we’ve put together the Full Retreat Pass at a combined price.

Where are the events held?

Venues vary by session: Sultan Mosque, 3 Muscat Street (Pre-Khutbah Talk, Fri 6 Nov) De Villa Event Hall, 320 Serangoon Road (Anniversary Dinner, Fri 6 Nov) SimplyIslam, 152 Still Road (Retreat Sat 7 – Mon 9 Nov) Wardah Books, 58 Bussorah Street (Evening Talk, Mon 9 Nov)

What time does the retreat start and end each day?

The Awakening Ihsan retreat runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on both Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.

Who is Dr. Tarek Elgawhary?

Dr. Tarek Elgawhary is a scholar of Islam and comparative religions who has studied at both Princeton University and al-Azhar Seminary. He is the creator of the Making Sense of Islam platform and the author of several works including Rewriting Islamic Law and In Search of Mindfulness. He will be leading the Illumination Tour sessions throughout the week and also speaking at the Awakening Ihsan retreat.

Who are the other speakers at the retreat?

Awakening Ihsan 2026 features Dr. Tarek Elgawhary, Ustadh Syakir Pasuni, Ustadh Muhammad Fizar Zainal, Ustadh Syed Mohsen Alsagoff, Ustadha Syahidah Amiruddin, Ustadh Muhammad Salleh, Ustadha Bushra Habibullah, Sis Ameera Aslam and the Singapore Haqqani Ensemble, and more.

How will I receive my confirmation?

A confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided during registration. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive it within 24 hours.

What is the refund policy?

All ticket sales are final. We are unable to offer refunds once a purchase has been made.

Still have questions?

Reach us at enquiries@awakeningihsan.com or DM us on Instagram at @simplyislamsg

The Illumination Tour -- Dr. Tarek Elgawhary

Friday, 6 November

12:30 PM FREE

Knowing Before Loving

The Sirah and Shamail as the Believer's First Curriculum

Pre-Khutbah Talk

Sultan Mosque
3 Muscat Street, Singapore 198833

Before we can truly love the Prophet ﷺ, we must first come to know him. This pre-Khutbah talk invites us to return to the Sirah and Shamail, the record of his life and his noble character, as the essential foundation of every believer's journey. These are not dusty texts from a distant past; they are living witnesses to a life lived in full surrender to Allah.

To know the Prophet ﷺ is to be changed by him. Whether you are coming to the Sirah for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, this session is an invitation to begin again, more attentive, more devoted, and more in love with the one sent as a mercy to all the worlds.

Sold Out

8:00 PM Sold Out

Standing Firm

Faith, Purpose, and the Long Journey

20th Anniversary Dinner

De Villa Event Hall
320 Serangoon Road #02-14, Centrium Square, Singapore 218108

What does it mean to stay the course in faith, community, and purpose over the long haul? In this special talk marking SimplyIslam's 20th anniversary, Dr. Elgawhary reflects on the qualities that sustain a believer through the seasons of life: the doubts, the setbacks, the slow and unglamorous work of showing up again and again for what matters.

Twenty years is a long journey for any institution, and the same is true for any believer walking the path. This evening is both a celebration and a reminder that faithfulness is its own reward, and that those who remain steadfast are never walking alone.

Sold Out

This event is fully booked. Registration is now closed.

Saturday, 7 November

10:00 AM FREE

The Year of Sorrow

Prophetic Stillness in Grief and Rejection

In-House Lecture

SimplyIslam.sg
152 Still Road, Singapore 423991

The year the Prophet ﷺ lost Khadijah and Abu Talib was also the year he did not collapse. Faced with grief on the most intimate level and rejection on the most public, he moved through both with a quality of stillness that can only be described as Prophetic. This lecture looks closely at that season of his life not to romanticise suffering, but to understand how he carried it.

There is something in this story for everyone who has known loss, disappointment, or the particular ache of feeling unseen. Dr. Elgawhary draws on classical sources to bring this chapter of the Sirah to life, asking what it might mean for us to face our own years of sorrow with the same grounded, God-anchored dignity.

Sunday, 8 November

10:00 AM FREE

The Cave Before the Light

Retreat, Revelation, and Recalibration

In-House Lecture

SimplyIslam.sg
152 Still Road, Singapore 423991

Before the first revelation came, there was the cave. Years of withdrawal, of sitting with questions that had no answers yet, of turning away from the noise of the world to be alone with something deeper. This lecture explores the spiritual significance of that period in the Prophet's ﷺ life — and what it tells us about the inner conditions necessary for transformation to take root.

In an age that rewards constant output and punishes stillness, the cave offers a different kind of wisdom. Dr. Elgawhary invites us to consider what it might look like to reclaim solitude, to sit with uncertainty, and to trust that the light does eventually come — but only to those who have learned to wait for it.

Monday, 9 November

10:00 AM FREE

The Mindful Muslim

Cultivating the Good Life through Islamic Tradition

Lecture

SimplyIslam.sg
152 Still Road, Singapore 423991

The Hikam of Ibn Ata'illah al-Iskandari is one of the most beloved and enduring texts of the Islamic spiritual tradition, a collection of aphorisms that cut straight to the heart of what it means to know Allah, to know oneself, and to live with sincerity. In this workshop, Dr. Elgawhary guides participants through its wisdom with the care and depth it deserves, making accessible what has long been considered one of the masterworks of Islamic spirituality.

This is a rare opportunity to sit with a classical text in the company of a scholar who has spent years living with it. Participants can expect to leave not just with new knowledge, but with a renewed sense of orientation — a clearer understanding of who they are in relation to Allah, and what it means to walk the path with both humility and purpose.

8:00 PM FREE Limited to 40 pax!

Foundations of Islamic Spirituality

Ibn Ata'illah's Hikam

In-House Talk

Wardah Books
58 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199474

What does a good life look like through the lens of Islam? In a world that offers endless frameworks for wellbeing — productivity systems, wellness trends, philosophical traditions both ancient and new — the Islamic tradition has its own answer, and it is one that is both complete and deeply humane. This evening talk draws on that tradition to explore what it truly means to flourish as a Muslim in the modern world.

Dr. Elgawhary brings his background in mindfulness and classical Islamic scholarship together for an intimate conversation about the inner life, the everyday choices that shape it, and the practices that help us return to what matters. Held at the beloved Wardah Books on Bussorah Street, this is an evening of quiet reflection — open to all, free to attend, and not to be missed.

Limited to 40 pax only!

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