"I seek Allah's refuge from the knowledge which is of no benefit."

Imam Al Ghazali was known to represent many things to many people within the framework of Islamic Studies and Spirituality from his time, up until today. And with this said we also understand that Imam Ghazali was deeply concerned about the current trend that he saw in his time; which was the fast moving trend of Religious Intolerance amongst Muslims within the Ummah. This lead him to complete the famous Text; ‘Faysal at Tafriqa Bayna al Islam wa al Zandaqa’-or “The Decisive Criterion for Distinguishing Islam from Heresy’.

The timeliness of this Text was as relevant then as it is today. This Year’s Rawdah Deen Intensive takes on the much needed challenge of addressing the issue of Theological Tolerance amongst Muslims here and abroad today. From internet chat rooms to social media outlets even down to online email groups, the issue of Muslims calling other Muslims “Takfir” (deviants or apostates) has in many cases divided cities, and in some cases divided entire nations. Imam Ghazali emphasizes in this classic text that this need not be at all and that it is incumbent upon the seeker of knowledge to understand what is Usul ( unchangeable foundations of the deen) and what is Furu (branches of the foundations of the deen). According to Imam Ghazali once the seeker has understood these concepts the ability to be tolerant kind and loving towards their fellow Muslim Brother or Sister flows with ease and establishes the lines of respect for each other: a line that is becoming further and more blurred as some find it so easy to label others as astray without having a grounded experience in the concept of Usul and the different wavelengths that some of the Scholars gave explanations on issues related to the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The attendees of this year’s Rawdah Deen intensive will embark on journey the different methodologies of Schools of Thought, getting a clarification of when and how to disagree on issues in a manner of respect and even get a perspective on how Imam Ghazali analyzed and puts in perspective the issue of non-Muslims in the hereafter. This journey is needed as the world becomes ‘smaller’ by the second with handheld access to opinions on Islamic thought; the Rawdah Deen intensive offers an opportunity to get a fresh Traditional perspective on the issues in a manner that will satisfy the seeker who constantly pursues clarification and Yaqin (certainty) on the path to understand the Foundations and the Branches of the Islam: The Deen that we have all be blessed to follow today.