In the heart of the lush English countryside, where rolling green hills stretch under skies that often kissed the earth with mist and sunshine in equal measure, a gathering of over one hundred Muslim women from across Europe—mostly from the United Kingdom—came together for something rare and extraordinary: a spiritual retreat grounded in tradition, knowledge, and sisterhood.

Born in Iraq and raised in the United States, Intidar Aljabery has lived nearly three decades in her adopted homeland. Her journey brought her from Detroit, Michigan, where she first learned American Sign Language (ASL) in elementary school, to her current home in Minnesota. Deaf since childhood, ASL has been her primary language and a key to her flourishing life of service and learning.

Alhamdulilah, I had the privilege of attending an interfaith intensive through Ribaat this summer—an experience that was both humbling and transformative. The retreat brought together three different cohorts, representing all the Abrahamic faiths, for four days of learning, teaching, and genuine connection. We navigated challenging topics, but we also found joy in the small, everyday details of our lives, discovering common ground in unexpected places.

I attended Rabata’s retreat for the first time, and I returned home transformed into a different version of myself. The experience reminded me profoundly of my journey to Hajj, both in its challenges and its revelations.

Like Hajj, this retreat demanded sacrifice. Being away from my young children for five days, forgoing the comfort of familiar sleep and the solace of home, every aspect of my routine was tested. Yet in this testing, I found something sacred.

From the dawn of Islam until today, there have been magnanimous men who shaped Islamic history. These scholars lived and passed, but their legacy lives on. This essay will examine some of the common traits of the great Muslim scholars in the Islamic tradition.