Every year we offer an opportunity for a few fortunate people to combine their blessed trip to Quds in Palestine with our extended Umrah Tarbiyyah Program as well. This becomes a unique educational and spiritual experience led by Sheikh Abu Eesa from London and then returning back to London, and is the closest experience possible to the Hajj retreat programs that are so popular.

This is an upscaled program that will be led by Shaykh Abu Eesa and administered by Dar El Salam Travel and thus will benefit from a higher quality experience having been extended in length to six nights to allow for increased activities as well as Friday prayers in al-Aqsa.

The 3 Sacred Cities program focuses on (a) maximising the educational benefits of the specific location you are visiting, and (b) the development of all attendees and enters them into a mentorship program under the personal and direct control of Sheikh Abu Eesa before the group leaves and continues indefinitely afterwards to consolidate what you have learnt and continue your further development afterwards) and then a unique trip restricted in principle to Jerusalem specifically aimed at allowing for maximum time to be spent benefiting spiritually and educationally from Jerusalem which is the only religiously encouraged area of Palestine for visitation. It is not a trip aimed at wider tourism of Palestine however there will be time in the program to allow for the group to explore this as well and we will assist in that where necessary.

The program will be led by a number of scholars and specialised guides, primarily Shaykh Abu Eesa Niamatullah, and then supported by others during the trip.

There will be daily visits to every location of Islamic importance in Jerusalem along with detailed and authentic explanations of the relevance of such places and the benefits and mistakes concerning such places and the value that must be derived. The focus will be on the Aqsa complex and will ensure a comprehensive study of everything that the Muslim needs to know about the Blessed Sanctuary.

In addition to this, the group will be visiting the main areas that are considered to be religious and/or significant to the Christian and Jewish faiths, to better understand the narratives that lead into the development of the Islamic narrative. This will include full tours and study of the Palm Sunday Walk, the pre-Jewish Graves, the Garden of Gesthemane and other places that will shed light on our own beliefs about the Prophets. We will be separately touring the Old City and specifically we will be doing a study of the Via Dolorosa and the significance of such for the Muslims. We will also visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There will also be an opportunity to visit wider areas of significance including Bethlehem and Nazareth for those who wish to go.

This program will also incorporate wider aspects of the AE Tarbiyyah Program including a study of the lives of the relevant Sahabah that came to Aqsa, as well the Fiqh of Janazah at the al-Rahmah Graveyard for both men and women. It will also include studies of the Prophetic visitations to al-Aqsa and their significance today, as well as personal study and Qur’an classes along with specific Tafsir sessions relevant to al-Aqsa. Every day, Qur’an sessions, recitation, tadabbur and specific sessions allocated to inculcating the morning and evening adhkar, make this experience our most busy and fulfilling program possible.

Most important of all, the trip is aimed at ensuring everyone spends the highest amount of time possible in the single most Islamically emphasised act in Palestine, which is the various acts of mandated worship in al-Masjid al-Qibli in the al-Aqsa complex.

This is then followed by a deeply spiritual journey to the City of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the famed Madinah aspect of the full AE Tarbiyyah Program. This includes not just mentoring and Q&A sessions at every juncture, but specific tours of the Masjid, surrounding city and walking tours to sites of significance such as Masjid al-Jumu’ah, Masjid al-Quba’ and museum visits as well. An opportunity to do a night walk to Masjid al-Quba as well is available for those fit enough. Coach tours to Uhud and Masjid al-Quba are also included, as well as a visit to the privately owned Dar al-Madinah Museum.

The detailed Umrah seminar focuses on more than just the Umrah to come but acts to reset how you understand du’a and your own limits. Your preparation for your Umrah will be second to none with Sheikh Abu Eesa at your side, and the Makkah aspect of the program revolves around group sessions inside and outside the Haram, group Tawafs and a tour of the Ka’bah, as well as a visit to the sacred ritual sites. Sisters also get dedicated Q&A sessions to cater for their needs, as well as group sessions and lessons.

Including all the travel points in-between, the entire program proves to be an incredible and highly valued experience, please see our reviews section for what our previous attendees thought of it all!

 

This year’s offering will be a land only program allowing all attendees to join from any city but we at Dar El Salam will be helping you to purchase your ticket after you have registered, in order to ensure complete parity with the movements of the group, as the Sheikh insists you all travel together and every possible juncture. The entire program will be based on a Turkish Airlines itinerary, leaving your home city on 28th September 2023 to enter Jerusalem on that same day or early the next morning to join up with those members of this September’s Aqsa Tarbiyyah Program. After that finishes on 4th October and the Aqsa Program members return home, you will leave for Madinah and arrive on the 5th of October for an extra extended stay in Madinah as the next day the members of the current Umrah Tarbiyyah Program arrive on the 5th of October. Everyone will eventually leave together from Madinah on the 10th of October to Makkah and then leave together from Jeddah on 15th October. This way you get to benefit from both separate Aqsa and Umrah programs as well as the extra time together in the journeys along the way.

Fulfilling Israeli or Saudi conditions for travel can seem daunting at first, but we would highly encourage everyone who is serious about travelling to register immediately and then join the Shaykh’s personal comms group where you will find plenty of help from him and his team directly to make the entire process easier.

Although the Shaykh will be travelling from the UK, these packages are open to applicants from all countries. This is a LAND ONLY package so anyone can apply from all countries as long as you ensure that you will be able to enter from Tel Aviv airport with your specific country’s passport. Please see your country’s authorities for confirmation on that. We will unfortunately not be able to help non-European/US citizens obtain visas for Israel (UK/Europe/US/Canada/Australian travellers do not need a visa). Likewise, you will need to be able to enter Saudi Arabia either with the popular and preferred Tourist Visa, or be able to obtain an Umrah visa specific to your country. We will aid you in this process, but please note that no visas costs are included in this program.

As this is a LAND ONLY package, you will need to arrange your own flights. However to help you with this, we are recommending a very specific Turkish Airlines flight which we will contact you after you have registered and help you purchase, namely arriving into Istanbul on the 28th of September and then taking Flight TK788 to Tel Aviv. Our colleagues will help you book the exact flight needed.

In general, Sheikh AE’s programs are heavy on ibadah and tarbiyyah of adults, spending a lot of time walking, meeting and studying. This does not make it prohibitive for children but younger children will definitely feel the strain. For that reason we advise all parents to try and leave their very young children with family members if they want to enjoy the experience to the maximum. However if you have no choice then please see the costs below. In Jerusalem specifically, children over the age of 4-5 years will enjoy the environment, whereas over ten years old will benefit from the program.

Also please note that the hotel industry in Jerusalem is unlike other cities. Space is at an incredible premium and rooms are significantly smaller than one would expect in other countries. For this reason we would highly encourage you to go for the double rooms if possible, and if not then the triple. It should also be stated that Sheikh Abu Eesa does not like attendees booking single rooms unless absolutely necessary. If this can be avoided, please do so.

Please note that that the purchase of a Saudi Tourist visa is NOT included. We will help you apply for it when the time is right. There are no visa entry charges for entry into Tel Aviv for UK/US/Canadian passport holders. Please check with your own immigration authorities in case of charges.

 

PRICING:

Land Only Price (USA): $4995 Single; $3450 Double; $3225 Triple per person

Land Only Price: (UK): £4150 Single; £2850 Double; £2695 Triple per person

Children 2 and under: $125 or £100
Children 2 – 11 without a bed: $1350
Child of any age with bed: Adult price

There are no current requirements required by Israeli authorities, neither Covid or PCR test based, or any extra entry forms as previously stipulated.

However, as the Sheikh will explain in the email comms group, he will advise on what type of Travel Insurance cover to take out and the rulings associated with such insurance, so please do not purchase it yourself until after confirming your place.

You have a number of options open to you:

• filling in a form will allow us to contact YOU if you wish and answer any questions
• for quick small queries, our Facebook Messenger team can help, especially outside of office hours and in emergencies. This usually has the fastest response time but the most limited scope in terms of helping with actual applications. Message us at https://www.facebook.com/HajjwithAE/
• email us at Maheen@darelsalam.com
• call us on 001 212 725 2022 Ext. 129

Usually, we do not prefer this approach because the Sheikh likes to keep the group dynamic unified, and the tarbiyyah program builds on itself. However, it might be possible in a unique circumstance so please let us know and we will try our best to accommodate.

RE the costings, if you wish to confirm an extra night before or after the group’s dates, or if you wish to check in early because your flight arrives significantly earlier, then please fill in the form and make it clear how long you wish to stay in the comments/note section and we will confirm with you directly the extra costs.

 

Please also note that you will have to pay for separately for your airport transfers if you arrive earlier or later than the specified dates, as these are outside the group airport transfer arrangements. The cost of this will be confirmed with you directly when you confirm your travel dates.

 

Finally, when booking your flights try and allow for the possibility of delays at immigration in Tel Aviv Airport upon arrival, from anything from 2 hrs – 6hrs depending on how much the Israeli authorities decide to investigate you. Our booking at the hotel starts at 3pm on 28th September and you must leave the hotel before 12pm on 4th October, with our advice that you should leave the hotel approximately five hours before departure to cover all security possibilities.

The layout of the Old City makes the Aqsa complex quite difficult to navigate, due to its gradient and slopes as well as cobbled pathways which make it difficult for wheelchair pushing as well. Although it is possible to push a wheelchair, it will take approximately 15-20 minutes to do that from the hotel to the main Masjid al-Aqsa due to the slopes and uneven ground. The distance is not far, but the elderly and infirm will struggle on the route into and out of the Masjid. There are no hotels in Jerusalem whatsoever which can avoid this reality.

The nature of this package is very intense on the time of the leader and guide in order to give the best possible experience to the majority pilgrims. This means we sadly cannot take anyone who is disabled or is too weak or elderly to completely look after themselves. However if they are being accompanied by someone who will be able to look after that person’s each and every need without recourse to extra resources, then please email us for further discussion.

Please FILL IN THIS FORM and one of our team will contact you to confirm all the necessary details and requirements.

Please expect “triple” rooms to feel a bit less spacious than international standards. If you want to avoid any issues like this, we advise you to book a double room.

The AE 3 Sacred Cities 2023 Program is administered by Dar El Salam Travel.