By Batrisyia Nerva

Two months ago, something amazing happened. We went on a spiritual retreat to Penang with Ustaz Sameer and my brothers and sisters from his class. It became one of the best experiences of my life. It wasn’t just a regular school trip; it was a journey of the heart that helped me discover more about myself, my faith, and my connection with Allah ﷻ.

We flew to Penang, and I was so excited because I had never travelled with Ustaz or my brothers and sisters from class before. Before we flew, Ustaz Sameer reminded us to make a niyyah (intention) that we
were going on this trip to become closer to Allah ﷻ and to improve ourselves. As I looked out the window during the flight, I was amazed by how beautiful the sky was. It made me reflect on the vastness
of Allah’s creation — and how blessed we are to be even a small part of it.

When we arrived in Penang, we stayed at a big apartment that was newly built. It was very clean and modern, and from the balcony, we could see a kampong (village) view that amazed me. There were small
houses with zinc roofs, palm trees, and narrow paths winding through the greenery. It felt so calm and peaceful, like a whole different world from the busy streets I’m used to. Even though we were in an apartment, the view made it feel like we were close to nature.

Every day, we followed a special schedule. We prayed together five times a day, made dhikr (remembrance of Allah), listened to talks by our Ustaz, and wrote in our journals. One of the hardest parts for me was waking up for qiyam, which is the night prayer before dawn, because I usually struggle to get up early.

However, on the first day, I managed to wake up, and the world was dark and still. As I stood in prayer, I felt incredibly close to Allah ﷻ. It was so peaceful and real that I think I even cried a little. We also had time to relax and reflect. Sometimes we sat on the balcony and just looked at the kampong view below. It reminded me to be thankful for the simple things in life. Ustaz Sameer told us to take moments like those to think about our lives and how we can become better Muslims. I really loved those quiet moments.

The lessons shared by Ustaz Sameer were really helpful. He told us stories of the Prophets and how they showed patience and trust in Allah ﷻ. He also explained how we could apply those lessons in our own lives. I liked how he made the stories easy to understand and encouraged us to reflect on our own behavior too.

Even our meals were part of the learning. We ate together in silence and tried to eat slowly, while thinking about how blessed we were to have food. Before and after eating, we said our du’a. It felt
special, like everything we did was for a good reason.

On the final night, we had a sharing session where some of us shared what we had learned. A few people even cried because the trip really touched their hearts. I felt peaceful and happy inside too.

When we flew back home, I sat by the window and looked at the sky again. This time, I felt different. I was still me, but my heart felt bigger. I promised myself to pray on time, do more good deeds, and be thankful for everything I have.

I’m so blessed to have shared this special trip with my grandmother and the people I care about. I’m also really thankful for the people who sponsored the trip, may Allah ﷻ bless them a lot. This retreat to Penang wasn’t just a trip. It was a chance to stop, think, and remember what really matters. I’m super grateful to Ustaz Sameer and the sisters who helped me wake up and stay focused. They made
it really special. I hope I get to go on another retreat someday, but for now, I’ll try my best to keep everything I learned in my heart and practice it every day.