This program is no longer available for booking.

Please check our Instagram page @fitrahoutdoors in the winter of 2025 for another opportunity to reserve your spot at a future edition of Adab of the Outdoors with Hussein El-Genk in the spring of 2026, in’shaAllah.

Activity Level: Beginner and Above

Program Description: Join NOLS WFA-certified Outdoorsman Hussein El-Genk for an incredible weekend of learning Backpacking Basics, Outdoor Survival Techniques, and Leave No Trace Principles through the adab of an Islamic lens. Each day we will venture out from our beautiful private accommodation nestled minutes from Harper’s Ferry, and onto nearby stunning state park trails. 

Our weekend together is HANDS-ON, and we expect men to actively participate for more optimal learning; this is not a boring lecture series or formal certification course. There are only a total of 10 spots available to ensure one-on-one instruction and a comfortable setting.

Program Highlights

Skills planned to be taught by Outdoorsman Hussein El-Genk include:

• Adab of the Outdoors—preparing inwardly and outwardly for outdoor journeys

• Outdoor Survival—how to build a fire, a basic shelter, collect and purify drinking water

• Cooking—prepping and preparing for nutrition, practicality, & taste

• Gear overview—assessing gear lists, packing and carrying gear efficiently

• First Aid—how to assess and treat common challenges while out in the backcountry

• Leave No Trace Principles & Islamic Jurisprudence related to traveling in the outdoors

• Navigation—basic trip planning and map interpretation 

This program is for those who:

• Have No hiking experience

• Lots of hiking experience

• Car camping experience

• ALREADY HAVE camping experience and want to deepen their knowledge of camping skills and learn how to backpack (in the backcountry)

NOTE: This program is NOT for those who are very experienced camping alone in the wilderness

Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy: The first and final afternoon of the program, participants are free to utilize electronic devices to arrive at and depart from the program location. For the remainder of the program, Fitrah Outdoors staff will store all electronic devices in a secure and weather-proof location.  Fitrah Outdoors program staff will have access to mobile phones at all times and at least one staff member will be reachable in the event of an emergency.  *please note that accommodations can be made for extenuating circumstance such as medical emergencies and other requirements (e.g. blood sugar monitoring etc). 

Trip FAQs

Where will we be staying? Our accommodations are a beautiful, large private home near central Harper’s Ferry. 

Where will the daily programming take place? We will host the majority of the program at three of the following (5) parks–Sweet Run State Park, Weverton Cliffs, Murphy-Chambers Farm Trail, Woodthrush & Farmstead Trail Loop, Farmstead Loop + Piny Run Spur.

Do I need to be in really good shape to do this? No. The purpose of this program is not primarily focused upon any significant physical challenge. However, you do need to have the ability to walk up to 5 miles on a hiking trail that includes moderate elevation gain (600 feet over 2 miles). 

What will we be eating? We’re committed to providing as immersive a camping / backpacking program as we can (but within the comforts of sleeping inside a nice house etc.), so we will be co-preparing meals together that are reflective of what we would normally bring on a backpacking trip in the backcountry. This will provide participants with an easy opportunity to experience a key component of a backpacking trip–cooking–with the ease of having all of the comforts that a large house provides (nice beds, multiple bathrooms, living room, kitchen, and even a hot tub!)

I don’t have a way to get to the program. Can I carpool with someone? While we cannot 100% guarantee transportation, yes, we do anticipate a number of brothers coming from the Washington, D.C. Metro Area who will be able to carpool to the program on Friday early in the afternoon, in’shaAllah. Upon signing up, we will create a WhatsApp group and brothers will share their locations and timings of departure for the program so that anyone in need of a ride can link up, in’shaAllah. We encourage carpooling.

Is this program open to children? No. However, if you would like to accompany your son / family member who is mature and high school-aged, we are open to including him in the program. Please reach out to Guide Sulayman at info@fitrahoutdoors.com with information about this possibility.

What happens in case of a medical emergency?

In case of a medical emergency, Fitrah Outdoors staff, all of whom are CPR-certified, will provide immediate assistance and coordinate with local medical services and family, if necessary. Participants are responsible for any medical expenses incurred, which is why travel insurance is highly recommended. 

What is Fitrah Outdoors’ Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy mean?

Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy: The first and final afternoon of the program, participants are free to utilize electronic devices to arrive at and depart from the program location. For the remainder of the program, Fitrah Outdoors staff will store all electronic devices in a secure and weather-proof location.  Fitrah Outdoors program staff will have access to mobile phones at all times and at least one staff member will be reachable in the event of an emergency.  *please note that accommodations can be made for extenuating circumstance such as medical emergencies and other requirements (e.g. blood sugar monitoring etc). 

Fitrah Outdoors’ Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy applies to all programs, and is offered as a unique opportunity to build connection, both inwardly and outwardly, with other people, other creations, and to regenerate one’s own fitrah. Throughout the trip, Fitrah Outdoors program staff will be taking a plethora of high quality individual, group, and scenery photos (and a few short videos), and will share with the group. This allows participants to center their attention on each moment.

We understand that this can seem strange or even scary for participants. In our experience, it is often those who are initially the most skeptical of the Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect policy who end up being the most appreciative for their experience at the end of the program. Nisa, a participant from the Fitrah Farm Stay Program in Pescadero, California, recently commented: "Fitrah Outdoors’ carefully curated experience allowed us to unplug from the noise of daily life and truly connect to our primordial self. We were fueled by nutrient dense meals, mindful practices, and the reset to my system was felt for months afterwards."

Friday, October 10 

• 3 PM Arrival for Jummuah Khootbah and Program Activities at  Sweet Run State Park, 11661 Harpers Ferry Rd, Hillsboro, VA 20132*

Saturday, October 11

• HANDS-ON Program instruction and reflection activities at nearby state parks 

Sunday, October 12

• HANDS-ON Program instruction and reflection activities at nearby state parks

• 3 PM Closing and Departure
  
  

*Additional location details will be sent to participants upon signing up