Frequently Asked Questions:
Al-Fityān

The al-Fityan program is designed to develop the physical, emotional, and spiritual maturity needed for boys to become men.

We believe the return of single-gender bonding experiences between adults and children is an important step towards reunifying with our Divine-oriented purpose. For this purpose, while this program caters to the needs of boys and young men specifically, its success may in the future inspire a future program for young Muslimahs.

The monthly registration fee is $150, which helps offset the costs associated with programming for participants of all economic levels.

Financial aid is available for families who qualify.

The Program Manager of al-Fityan is Imam Umar Holdridge.

He is assisted by a team of talented instructors experienced in working with youth, including Shaykh Umair Ahmad, Ahmed Pirbhai, Hafidh Masood Hassan, and others.

All program leaders are thoroughly vetted by the organization.

Child abuse is a serious problem in our society. Mihraab and al-Fityan take inspiration from Scouting America in enforcing a strict youth protection policy, including:

• Two-deep leadership, requiring two adult leaders to be present at all activities

• Avoiding one-on-one contact with youth in and outside the program

• Background checks for all program leaders

• Youth protection training for leaders

For more information on youth protection, please see our policy documentation.

Al-Fityān is a youth mentorship program run, staffed, and funded by Mihraab Foundation, and 501c(3) nonprofit.

Funds raised directly for al-Fityān will be added to the program’s budget, while funds raised for Mihraab Foundation generally will be used to advance Mihraab Foundation’s mission, including youth programs such as al-Fityān.

Support our mission here.

Meetings (majlis,pl. majālis) are held once weekly, generally on a weekday evening, generally Monday.

Meeting times are variable, but often start with drop-off at 6:45pm and end with pickup at 8:30-9:00pm.

As we value flexibility, there is not a singular fixed location for the weekly majlis. Typically, the leadership will choose a locationin the Eastside (Bellevue/Redmond/Kirkland) or Northside (Lynnwood/Edmonds/Mountlake Terrace) to hold the majlis programming for the month. This location may be a park, botanical garden, garage, or indoor at Mihraab’s program center in Lynnwood.

All registered youth are expected within reason to attend the meetings.

The transportation needs of the youth is given due consideration when picking a location.

Generally, a weekly majlis begins with a short Qur’anic recitation, followed by a reflection from one of the leaders.

Following this, the week’s topic will be introduced, and skills will be demonstrated by the leadership. Youth will be given time to practice the skills they learned, often mixed with fun activities.

Programming will be supplemented with time for reflection, companionship, and prayer in congregation, knitting the useful learning modules together with spiritually rich fibers.

Wherever the setting accommodates, all al-Fityān activities can be openly observed by parents. We may also request parents’ involvement to facilitate the logistics of some activities and outings.

When a parent is not actively involved in an activity, it is requested they keep their distance and allow the program to continue uninterrupted.

Al-Fityān encourages carpooling, but for legal purposes does not organize carpools. Carpools may be organized by parents or trip leaders, and they are individually responsible for the safety of those riding with them.

Unless unavoidable, carpools should have two or more youth riding in each car.

Al-Fityān maintains a gear library from which youth members may borrow gear, including:

• Tents

• Backpacks

• Recreational equipment

Some activities may require purchase and approval of gear before participation is allowed (e.g., ten essentials, rain gear, hunting supplies).

Youth and their parents are encouraged to invest in quality gear to ensure the best experience for their son.

The program is designed such that a motivated youth could complete all forty learning modules in a span of around four years. However, the core learning modules necessary for advancement are achievable in a shorter amount of time.