Our Mission

HERO’S JOURNEY UMRAH is a unique curriculum teaching Rites of Passage and Sacred Manhood to young Muslim men through reliving the Seerah (Prophetic Biography) in Mecca and Medina.  Led by renowned scholars, this program offers transformative experiences through immersive group retreats for young Muslim men to help them become valuable community members, husbands, fathers, sons, and Muslim servant leaders.

Hero’s Journey Program

Framework

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey provides a theoretical framework as a narrative archetype for personal transformation. This model bring forth ideals and values we seek to empower amongst participants.

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Rites of PAssage

Hand-in-hand with the framework is Fatuwwah and Rites of Passage. These teachings from the Seerah alongside rituals and ceremonies provide a guide for Muslims which test and celebrate milestones in one’s life. They require individual effort and community support; we will support our participants as they develop as heroes in their own journey.

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Spiritual GRowth

The culmination of our pre-trip curriculum and guidance is the Umrah. Our scholars and coaches will lead participants to Makkah and Medina, engaging in Umrah practices and connect the curriculum to the real-life pilgrimage

Ongoing development

Retreats are exciting and rejuvenating events, and we hope these experiences provide a stepping stone to continued development, which we will continue to provide.

Following the Umrah, our heroes will continue their journeys with curriculum focused on financial literacy, skills to develop their sense of self-sufficiency, service, and ongoing coaching and mentorship.

Our objective is to ensure these men understand and practice the Seerah and Islamic principles that will allow them to support themselves, their families, and their communities for the rest of their lives.

“…The way that people tell their life story shapes how meaningful their lives feel...And you don’t have to live a super heroic life or be a person of adventure—virtually anyone can rewrite their story as a Hero’s Journey...’”

-Benjamin A. Rogers
Assistant Professor of Management and Organization
Boston College

Meet our scholars

SHEIKH ADEYINKA MENDES

CHIEF ADVISOR

Adeyinka Muhammad Mendes is the Founder and Resident Scholar at Marhama, a family-centered community focused on building sustainable institutions through empowering service, prophetic spirituality, traditional knowledge, and the arts. He previously served as Imam and Resident Scholar at the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton. A native Ohioan of Yoruba, Brazilian, and African-American ancestry who also spent some of his formative years in Nigeria and Houston, Texas. He has a background of working with interfaith, Muslim, academic, permacultural, and peace-building institutions. Adeyinka’s studies and work have taken him to countries worldwide including Syria, Mauritania, Morocco, Singapore, Turkey, Senegal, Malaysia, and back to Nigeria. He is fluent in Arabic, received a degree in Arabic Language and Cultural Studies from the Ohio State University, and has been trained for over two decades in the spiritual, scholastic, and aesthetic traditions of Muslim civilization by teachers worldwide.

  • Imam Dawud Walid

    Dawud Walid is currently the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), member of the Imams Council of Michigan, and advisory board member of Muslim Endorsement Council (MEC). He has studied Fiqh, Hadith, and Tafsir under qualified Islamic scholars.

  • Imam Kamau Ayubbi


    Imam Kamau Ayubbi received his Bachelor's Degree from San Francisco State University in 1998 and received his religious and spiritual education under the Islamic Supreme Council of America before becoming appointed as Imam in 2002. He also gained chaplaincy training at Beaumont CPE Center and has experience working at University of Michigan Hospital.

  • Ustadh Atiba Jones

    Ustadh Atiba Jones grew up in West Philadelphia in a household where he watched both of his parents constantly reaching out and helping to uplift inner-city youth. After high school, he moved to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College. It was there that he decided to dedicate his life to uplifting under-served youth. He went on to earn a BA in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. He has worked as a teacher, counselor, school leader, program director and community organizer.

  • Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin

    Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin is an American physician and writer. The son of Indian immigrants, he was raised on the East Coast with a strong emphasis on sports and education. With a college background in neuro-science and medical degree from Northwestern University, he moved to Boston to complete his training in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. While teaching at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals, Dr. Mohiuddin developed an interest in international relief work and created a curriculum to encourage young American doctors to share their skills in the developing world.

  • Imam Mohammad El Farooqui

    Mohammed El Farooqui has been serving the Houston community as imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston for over 5 years. A significant chapter in his journey commenced in July of 2022, when he assumed the esteemed mantle of Imam at the Maryam Islamic Center. His duties are directed towards the orchestration of education, youth, young professionals and programming pursuits within the precincts of this center.

  • Dr. Adbullah Rothman


    Dr. Abdullah Rothman is the founder of Dar al-Shifaa and co-founder and Executive Director of the International Association of Islamic Psychology, working at the intersection of Islamic spirituality and mental health practice.

  • Barakah Blue


    Barakah Blue is a poet, musician, author, and teacher, with a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.