Mumbai… popularly called the business Capital of India has its own beauty. The people of this city are a brave lot who have encountered many rainy days. Rains in Mumbai becomes headlines-pictures of flooded roads, jammed traffic and clogged drains is splashed on television and the papers. It was in one of those rainy days that A.W. Sadathullah Khan travelled to Mumbai for the 3-Day “Discover Yourself” Workshop. On May 5, 6 and 7 2006 and June 2, 3 and 4 2006, participants from different parts of Mumbai gathered at the H.M Ishaque School and the Auditorium at Chakla Street to participate in the Workshop. The participants felt as fresh as the raindrops after the Workshop as it was here that they discovered the purpose of life.

We believe the workshop will make a profound positive impact on your life. But you do not have to take our word for it - here’s what others are saying about the workshop.

Responses of Participants

TASNEEM: It was an excellent experience, which I had for the first time in my life. I was changed from the root of my soul. It made me alive, I felt as if some one woke me up and showed me the way to Allah, heaven and a righteous way of living an Islamic life. I got connected with Allah. I found the reality of life and the purpose of life is very clear to me to create my future.

SAMEENA: I have changed my perception. I was always negative, never confident about my looks and always worried about the future. I come from a conservative family with no freedom to go out, not allowed to work during vacations. I was suffocating in my house and getting depressed. I started disliking my father. This disliking and frustration created a cold war. Somewhere I also knew that he won’t let me pursue my studies and I will have to marry some one of his choice. With my arguments, frustrations and depressions, I wanted to commit suicide and used to threaten my mom and upset her. But after the workshop, I have left all my tensions, depressions and believe in saying ‘Alhamdulillah’ and I am happy to have a dad like him who is so respectful. Here I learnt to love, I made myself happy and made my mom and my brother happy and Inshahallah I will make my father also happy. I have started loving and liking people around me and I have trust, love and more faith in Allah now and more than ever. Thank you sir thanks a lot. Please do this workshop for men too.

ZAHIDA: Allah has given me the best gift on my 20th wedding anniversary. I shall remember this through out my life, Inshahallah. I am very much thankful to Allah and sir. I have learnt a new aspect of life and Allah has given me a new attitude of looking towards life. The door to love Allah has become much clear for me and now I can walk and strive to open that door with confidence.

JAMEELA: I have not attended this kind of interesting workshop. I entered this workshop as a blaming daughter, sister, full of complaints, doubts about others and myself. I always thought that I was wrong, and not able to make any decision on my own. Irritated, confused, unforgiving, sometimes ungrateful and blaming Allah for my fate. After attending the workshop, I am feeling light, confident and realised my mistakes, which I had done. I am feeling some changes in me and Inshallah practice what I learnt here. By attending this workshop I have controlled my anger, thinking positive and I am confident enough. You have done a wonderful job. May Allah give you the reward for helping me and all the sisters to over come their problems? Jazakallah Khair.

FATIMA: A mind -blowing connection between Psychology and Islam was made in the workshop. It is really a different workshop. Jazakallah for the lovely efforts you are making for the women, may Allah reward you for your time and efforts. I was completely ignoring my body. I was only focused on purification of mind and soul, now I shall balance all the three, body, mind and soul. It was a wonderful insight -oriented workshop. The style and coaching was impressive.

MANJU MADAN: It was good. We have learnt a lot and have realised a lot about ourselves. I have to implement this now in my day-to-day life. I am sure that I will be able to make a difference in other people’s lives.

MUBARAKA: I found what a meaningless life I was living and now I am focused to fulfill the work of Allah has sent me for. I found Islam is broader than we imagined it to be. Islam gives us all the freedom and we who give judgments and definitions and close ourselves in boxes and then blame Allah. I learnt that I am alone responsible for my life and I am the Khalifa (representative) of Allah and I have to adopt (imitate) Allah’s attributes.

ATIYA: This workshop is remarkable and priceless. I want to say so many things, but this space is very limited. I could go on praising, but the words are not enough. Now life will change Inshallah and will be changing. Thank you – is the word I can say!

NADIYA: I have never been to a workshop before. It’s a very great experience for me. Right from the first day i.e. attending here, I found myself changed. My views on life have been changed and Inshallah this will remain in me till my last breath. I feel myself more mature, understanding and valuing people’s feelings and views. This attitude of mine has made me feel proud of myself. Now I share a healthy relationship with my family members and relatives as well. My life before the workshop was very slow, dull and full of tensions, but now I feel very relaxed. Now I am enjoying each and every moment of my life. After all life is very precious, we should not waste it.

FARHA: I have understood that just being born in a Muslim family to Muslim parents does not make you a Muslim. Your deeds, your devotion to Allah makes you a true Muslim and to be a true Muslim we have to imbibe in us the attributes of Allah in us. I used to shout and scold my nephew every now and then but now I understand that if he commits a mistake, he needs to be shown the right path instead of shouting and nagging him.

SHAHIDA: The reason I came to attend this workshop was to see how you conduct them because I too want to help those sisters of mine who are very depressed with life and are poor and do not know where to go. I conduct Islamic classes. This workshop has refreshed my will power and shown me how to follow a moderate path in every aspect of our life. I have really enjoyed myself and learnt a lot from it. Inshallah, I will do my best to contribute and spread it as much as I can and bring them towards light and bring peace and joy in their lives.

AFIYA: Before attending the workshop I felt I was useless, blamed Allah, made other people’s life difficult. I felt why every one makes me wrong, I did lot of good things for my in-laws, then also why they behave badly towards me, my husband listened to them and misbehaved with me. I felt I did a big mistake by getting married to him. When he shouts at me, I feel like committing suicide and doing harm to him. But after attending the workshop I feel, I was wrong totally, now I feel very relaxed, peace and my life or my world is totally changed. Because I am changed, I feel my husband, my in laws changed. I forgave my in laws and I saw them with lots of love for Allah’s sake. I will try my best to keep them happy for Allah’s sake. I feel if they are happy, Allah will also be happy. I am a revert and Alhamdulillah a Muslim.

ANISA: I was never a happy person. My father left my mother with 4 kids after 27 years of marriage one night at 2.00 am. I tired to commit suicide three times- the first time I cut my nerve because I thought that inside me there is my father’s blood and I do not want it. This workshop is really worth it; it helped me deal with my problems by being in the present.

SANA: Before attending the workshop I was like pendulum moving from grief (past) to fear (future), I was like living a life in Tihar jail, just surviving. Now I am standing in the present. My husband passed away two years ago and I could not forgive the people who had made my life bitter, even on the qayamat (Day of Judgement) day, but now I have forgiven them all. For the first time after a long time, I could fully concentrate on my salah. Thank you for giving me freedom and to give our suggestions is like showing a lamp to the sun.

ROMANA: This workshop was practical for day-to-day life. I have benefited a lot from this workshop. I have understood life’s up/ down, pain/sorrow., Islam, responsibility, listening, etc. My husband changed without me doing anything not even uttering a word. I always wanted him to be kind, understanding, loving etc. It is all because I have attended the workshop and every thing has worked out automatically, I did not have do anything. This workshop was a miracle for most of us. Before the workshop it was tough to make others understand how you feel about them, what you want them to do for you but now things work out by following the basic rules, which I learnt, from the workshop.

Workshop Diary