Pearls of the Qur’an

Testimonials

"..This conference is my favorite part of my entire year. I don't think I've missed one since it started, and each time I hate to leave. Pearls of the Quran is the place where my heart feels exactly at home. It's an environment of sincerity, of beauty, of study and smiles and healing. It helps me feel peaceful amid the storm around us, and difficult things seem more clear and bearable. I see love and light on faces all around me. I love to see the teachers laughing with each other, and to see the love coming from them for everyone around them. I can't wait for next year insha'Allah." - Lina H.

"I am so happy that I came to this event. It has been such a wonderful and enlightening weekend for me. Next year InshaAllah." - Zubair S.

"Two days later and I'm still in awe from such an amazing experience. Barakallah feekum Al Madina. Can't wait for #pearls 2019." - Awa T.

"I've been to several conferences, but have never seen the level of detail and professionalism such as in #Pearls2018 Can't wait for next year!" Yasmeen S.

"The sadness in my heart after the conference is like saying farewell to Ramadan." - Aisha S.

"Aoa I genuinely miss the conference. Back at work, but heart and mind is still in the conference. Only POQ can have that lasting effect on a hard rusted heart like mine" Roger R.

"Jak for a restorative weekend. The first prayer i did after pearls had a serenity to it that Ive never quite had before. The transformation continues..!!! Alhamdulilah" Sara K.

Session Time	Session Title	Speakers & Panelists
1:15pm - 2:00pm	Jummah	Mokhtar Maghraoui
2:30pm - 3:00pm	Recite With Insight: The Opening (Al-Fatiha) How does the Qur'an speak to you in the moment? In these sessions, renowned masters of Qur’anic recitation will recite selections from the Qur'an, followed by the impromptu insights of scholars upon hearing the Divine Word. These reflections will be grounded in helping us begin to foster a purposeful and meaningful relationship with the Qur'an.	Mokhtar Maghraoui Hassan Saleh
3:10pm - 3:50pm	He Came To Teach You Your Religion The path to God is the path described and lived by the Prophet, a path with three elements and stages: Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan. In this session, Shaykh Riad Saloojee discusses the well-known Hadith of Jibreel and how its understanding is vital to our spiritual development.	Riad Saloojee
4:00pm - 4:30pm	Cutting Through The Noise Getting started is often the hardest part. For the Messenger of God, the gift of Revelation started after a long period of reflection and retreat. Where and how can our own journey begin?	Yamina Bouguenaya
4:40pm - 5:15pm	Not Feeling It How we feel often dictates what we do. What then, when we don’t feel spiritual elation we would expect listening to the Qur’an, performing acts of worship or other acts of obedience to God? Should we leave it if we do not feel it? The danger of such thinking is evident in many crises of belief today, and one that requires honest introspection to effectively tackle.	Mohamed Ghilan
5:25pm - 6:00pm	Ego Is The Enemy We are keen to blame the devil for our transgressions, but often hesitate to look inward at the enemy harbored in our very soul. What is the nafs and how can we be mindful of its harmful impact on our lives?	Yasir Fahmy
7:30pm - 8:30pm	In Search of the Truth If “everything is all relative”, objective truth falls by the wayside to conveniently advance what our nafs desires — a self-tailored approach to life. When all we know is the self, then what is truth? How can we re-orient our heart and mind to recognize God-centered truths to live a truthful life?	Mohamed Ghilan Zaynab Mansour Ansari Riad Saloojee
9:15pm - 10:00pm	Knowing God Forging a meaningful relationship with God is the most precious undertaking we can aim for in this world. In this session, Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui will discuss the nature of God and how we can build a bond with Him that will shape the course of our lives.	Mokhtar Maghraoui
10:00pm - 10:15pm	Joining the Hearts Through the Qur’an The sound of the Qur'an is the predominant and most immediate mean of contact with the Word of God. It is the core of religious devotion, the sanctioning spirit of much cultural and social life, and a valued art form in its own right. Reciting the Qur'an aims at redirecting that focus toward a deeper understanding of the Qur'an as a fundamentally oral phenomenon. Breaking free from the passive performer-audience dynamic of interaction, join in this recitation to not only hear but take part in the sacred word, led by one of the most outstanding reciters in America, Shaykh Hassan Saleh.	Hassan Saleh

Session Time	Session Title	Speakers & Panelists
9:00am - 9:50am	Recite With Insight: The Truth’s Narration (Al-Zumar 39:61-75) How does the Qur'an speak to you in the moment? In these sessions, renowned masters of Qur’anic recitation will recite selections from the Qur'an, followed by the impromptu insights of scholars upon hearing the Divine Word. These reflections will be grounded in helping us begin to foster a purposeful and meaningful relationship with the Qur'an.	Yahya Rhodus Moutasem Atiya
10:00am - 10:35am	Forging A Spiritual Identity Who does the Qur’an want us to be? Our current milieu values and promotes a wide array of different affiliations and identities, while castigating others, but where does “Muslim” or “believer” fit in? How can Muslims define themselves rather than being defined?	Dawud Walid
10:45am - 11:20am	The Enduring Miracle A miracle (mujizah) in an unprecedented occurrence that evokes awe and wonder by those who witness it. The Qur’anic text itself is believed to be a miracle because the Arabic text does not conform to the standard poetry and prose categories commonly expressed by all forms of written and spoken languages. Its supernatural composition is only then amplified by its chief recipient and Messenger, described as “unlettered". How can we truly appreciate miracles of the Qur’an and the impact they have on our life?	Zainab Alwani
11:30am - 12:10pm	Dua - The Greatest Conversation Amidst the noise echoing through our own souls and the chaos in the outside world, we have an unlimited opportunity to call on the Lord of the Worlds. This dialogue with the Creator brings peace to the restless, justice for the wronged, and power to the powerless, binding us further in devotion to the Divine. How can we make this gift the center of our spiritual lives?	Mokhtar Maghraoui
1:45pm - 2:20pm	And Muhammad Is His Messenger Immanence holds that the Divine manifests (Al-Dhahir) in the world, and forms a critical part of the Islamic metaphysical Truths of Divine presence (Hudur) and Prophecy (Nubuwwah). Noted scholar Habib Mohsen An-Najjar explores the testification of faith (Shahadah) to highlight how Prophecy and specifically the Call of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him and his family) serves to bring each of us into conformity with the Divine.	Riad Saloojee
2:35pm - 3:10pm	The Art of Contemplation This poignant verse of scripture offers a glimpse into the life of devoted souls conversing with their Creator. The people in Divine remembrance are always seeking the meaning of existence through their own self-discovery of God's love through contemplation of his creative wonders. The timeless wisdom and guidance offered in this and many other Qur’anic verses are as relevant today as they were 1400 years ago. Al-Qushayri reported Abu Bakr Al-Farisi, may Allah have mercy on him, saying the practice of silent contemplation was a means, “to abandon preoccupation with the past and the future”. Join Zaynab Ansari as she discusses the reorientation and transformation we can undergo through the paradigm of living and praying a contemplative life.	Zaynab Mansour Ansari
3:25pm - 4:00pm	Surah Al-Ma’un: Making The Connection We might physically pray, but are we just going through the motions? We might perform acts of worship, but do we neglect those around us in need? Surah Al-Ma’un challenges us to take stock of our conception of religion, connecting it with both deeper spiritual presence and communal service.	Hassan Lachheb
4:15pm - 5:15pm	The Middle Way Social, political and even religious discourse continue to devolve into divisive rhetoric and hardened positions on both the left and right. Is there still room in the middle? The Qur’an describes us as a community of balance, one that sets a divinely-ordained standard, not subject to the ever-changing whims of human ideologies. How can Muslims stay true to the path of moderation and uplift broader society?	Yasir Fahmy Riad Saloojee Dawud Walid
7:30pm - 8:30pm	Breaking Down Barriers: Stories of Faith Some of the major obstacles in our journey in faith are the ones we place ourselves. Excuses and difficulties abound, from the lack of time, life responsibilities, challenging personal relationships, limited access to learning, and hardships in finding good company. While these barriers are indeed challenging, do we make them seem more impregnable than they really are, and lose sight of how we can hurdle them? In this session, our panelists, drawing from their own personal experiences, will share their advice in getting us moving on the path of nearness to God.	Mohamed Ghilan Hassan Lachheb Yahya Rhodus
9:20pm - 10:00pm	The Moral of Our Story The Prophetic statement, “I was only sent to perfect moral character” clearly indicates that the path to God is about refining character and conduct. This core element of the spiritual culture the Prophet brought, emphasizing adab and akhlaq, safeguards morality and elevates the human being in a way that nothing else can	Mokhtar Maghraoui

Session Time	Session Title	Speakers & Panelists
9:00am - 9:45am	Recite with Insight: Servants of the Merciful (Al-Furqan 25:63-76) How does the Qur'an speak to you in the moment? In these sessions, renowned masters of Qur’anic recitation will recite selections from the Qur'an, followed by the impromptu insights of scholars upon hearing the Divine Word. These reflections will be grounded in helping us begin to foster a purposeful and meaningful relationship with the Qur'an.	Recep Senturk Yamina Bouguenaya
9:55am - 10:30am	Sticks & Stones When toxic speech can now spread worldwide by simply pressing a button, understanding the lasting impact of our words has never been more important. While different forms of communication and interaction continue to evolve, guarding the tongue remains an essential characteristic of a healthy spiritual life.	Yahya Rhodus
10:40am - 11:10am	Bittersweet: The Cost of Consumption What are you drawn to like, to watch, or even to binge? What are you free to consume, and what do you become through consumption? In a world where consumption is nearly religion on its own, and wastefulness is the norm, where and how does the spiritually-minded individual engage?	Moutasem Atiya Naeem Saloojee
11:20am - 12:15pm	Reference Point: Carrying the Banner The Prophet stressed that sticking with ummah was a key to our salvation. Though never monolithic, the ummah and its community of scholars have always been grounded with an ethos that keeps us safely within the parameters of our Deen. In confusing times however, how can we know who to trust and who to follow? And if we are solidly established in this Muslim mainstream, how do we deal with differing viewpoints or the imposition of views on others?	Yasir Fahmy Hassan Lachheb Dawud Walid
12:15pm - 12:25pm	Islamic Relief A special presentation by Islamic Relief USA highlighting work that aides and improves millions of lives around the world.
1:55pm - 2:25pm	Why Learn? Why learn? Dr. Recep Senturk, President of Ibn Khaldun University in Istanbul, discusses what the goals of knowledge should be, and how different approaches and motivations in education affect how we think and process information, including how we respond to the Qur’an.	Recep Senturk
2:35pm - 3:25pm	Unlocking Your Heart: The Qur’an & Personal Development How do we bridge the gap between Believers and the Qur’an? What is a Muslim's responsibility towards it? This panel will consider how Muslims currently approach the Qur’an, and what methods of contemplation are needed to fully actualize the main teachings of the Qur’an on personal development. Join us as we highlight practical advices that can build a powerful crescendo of spiritual and personal guidance for each of us.	Mohamed Magid Zainab Alwani Zaynab Mansour Ansari
3:35pm - 4:10pm	Sinners Turned Saints When looking at the lives of some of the most renowned saints and sages of the early Prophetic Community, it has been remarked, 'That from sinners (luhus), arose the most elect (Khusus). Apart from hagiographies, Spiritual Masters have remarked that the path of repentance is, "the condition for being accepted into the Divine presence, and the secret of all happiness". Shaykh Mohsen Al-Najjar delves into the reiterative and rejuvenating process of repentance through the lives and lessons of Prophetic heirs and spiritual exemplars.	Hassan Lachheb
4:20pm - 5:00pm	Principled Engagement Where do we go from here? We are faced with complex issues in our life, from our own personal circumstances to the wide-ranging social, economic, and political problems affecting the world. How do we engage these pressing matters in life in a way consistent with a Qur’anic and Prophetic methodology?	Mokhtar Maghraoui

Testimonials