Family Retreat

An annual gathering designed to help families step away from routine, reconnect with one another, and grow together in a natural setting.

About the Family Retreat

The Refined Heart Family Retreat is an annual gathering designed to help families step away from routine and spend intentional time together.

Set in a natural environment in northern Michigan, the retreat creates space for reflection, connection, and shared experience. Through guided sessions, age-appropriate activities, and unstructured time, families are supported in slowing down, reconnecting, and growing together.

The Retreat Experience

Guided sessions for adults led by Shaykh Ashhar, centered on a classical text
A separate children’s program led by mentors
Five daily prayers in congregation
Guided dhikr and group Qur’an recitation
Outdoor camp activities led by camp staff and volunteers, including team-building, recreational time, and friendly competitions

Texts covered in Past Retreats

Recordings of talks from past Family Retreats drawing from the following classical texts are available in our App.
Listen in app
2021
Ayyuhal Walad: ‘Oh My Son’ by Imam Ghazali
2022
Wisdoms Behind Trials & Tribulations By Hakim Al-Ummah 
2023
On the Paths to Happiness by Ibn Al Qayyim 

Interest Form

Join the next family retreat.
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Our team is led by Shaykh Ashhar. Shaykh Ashhar grew up in Troy, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, where, in 1994, he completed the memorization of the Qur’an at eight years of age. He graduated high school in 2004 with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, and subsequently enrolled in the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to complete a Bachelor’s of Science with a dual concentration in (1) Arabic & Islamic Studies and (2) Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Sciences. He graduated from medical school at Michigan State University in 2012 and completed his medical residency in neurology, with a sub-specialization in migraine and facial pain, at the renowned Cleveland Clinic. He is currently a practicing neurologist in Detroit, Michigan, and, as a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology, is heavily involved in medical student education and resident training. He has won numerous teaching awards in his career.

During his college years, Shaykh Ashhar began studying Classical Arabic, Fiqh and other Islamic sciences under local scholars, and sought spiritual guidance from Shaykh Husain Sattar. In 2008, he began formally studying the traditional sciences in the Sacred Learning Program, and in 2014, was granted formal authorization (ijāzah) in the spiritual sciences (tasawwuf). He currently resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan with his wife and four children. He spends his free time guiding others on the path of purifying the heart and attaining nearness to Allah ﷻ.