Muslim Lifestyle

Alqueria de Rosales, Spain

Issue 59 August 2009

A Calm Haven 

Words Remona Aly

Located high up in the Andalusian part of Southern Spain, clasped by a gentle embrace from the mountains of Sierra Nevada, nestles the Alqueria de Rosales. It was built over ten years ago by a group of Spanish Muslims to provide the foundation of a fledgling
community and to offer the perfect location to reconnect with the Creator.

Far from the hassles and stresses of city life, the Alqueria offers a calm haven of reflection and respite amongst unspoilt natural surroundings. A prophetic hadith states that an hour’s contemplation is better than a year of worship. Here, dhikr will dissolve away the mayhem of modern day living and help you gauge a clearer perspective on life and beyond.

The area holds deep significance to the Islamic history of Spain. It changed hands frequently between Muslim and Christian forces during the Conquista period. This was a frontier land, where ordinary people from both cultures interacted, while the political and religious climate of hostility raged throughout the rest of Spain.

Today, the centre promotes the study of classical Islam and places great emphasis on spirituality. Amongst the living quarters, dining area, courtyard, classroom facilities, and a farm, the focal point of the Alqueria is undoubtedly the Andalucian style mosque. oloured
woven rugs are spread out on the cool tiled floor, and the walls rise up to meet the ceiling in pure white simplicity. In the spirit of the Prophet’s first mosque, there are no makeshift screens or barriers inside to curtain off the men from the women, but the room is one large uninterrupted space for worship and reflection.

While the top of the minaret affords a bird’s eye view of the Alqueria, and a glorious panoramic of the rolling hills and mountains, it is also the only place to get the best mobile phone coverage, but in remote countryside such as this, the natural instinct would be to switch off from any technology during your stay.

The surrounding landscape provides ideal routes for meanders, and has even attracted the likes of Muslim footballer, Frederic Kanoute, who used to train on one of the steep hills not far from the steps of the Alqueria. The centre hosts a number of courses over the year, including the month of Ramadan when it offers an Arabic course, and lessons in Islamic sciences, ceramics and calligraphy. If you simply want to get away, it is possible to visit the Alqueria at any time in the year for your own retreat. Get a flight to Murcia or Granada airport and hire a car or a taxi to drive to the area, which is approximately two hours away. It will feel like you are coming home.

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