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Why Travel is One of the Greatest Spiritual Teachers
Published 5 months ago • 6 min read
Issue #30
Hello & Salaam!
I’ve been trying to work on my travelogue for the past few years. I don’t think I quite realise how much I’ve been reading that has to do with travel. I started drafting this for an Instagram carousel (that has been shared so widely!) and realised I had a lot to share. Anyhow, the first part of this email are some of my favourite quotes so far about travel being a spiritual teacher.
How are you doing? Is it as wild to you as it is to me that 4 months of 2026 are almost over??
May the coming days always be better than those that have passed.
Sincerely,
Ameera
There is a reason we get the itch to pack a bag when we feel stuck. ​ We often think of travel as a luxury or an escape, but historically and philosophically, it has always been viewed as a profound spiritual teacher. ​ When we stay in one place too long, we run on autopilot. We stop seeing the beauty of our own neighbourhoods, we stop asking deep questions, and we let our inner narratives stagnate. Travel forces us into the beautiful and vulnerable position of being the outsider. If we do it right, it strips away our ego, demands that we pay attention, and brings us face to face with awe. ​ ​With the right intentions, when we travel outwardly, we grow inwardly. Here are some du’as and intentions I make for travel.​
Stagnant Water
Photo by Wenzy Wong on Unsplash
Imam al-Shafi’i wrote a poem about travel and in it, he mentions the spiritual necessity of travelling and leaving our comfort zones:
“I have seen that standing water stagnates and goes bad. If it flows, it becomes sweet...”
Travel disrupts the stillness and monotony of our daily routines and forces us to flow again.
Travelling outwardly can help to untie the inward knots, and break the unhelpful negative spirals that seem to sound so rational and so common-sense when everything in your current circumstances point to only one conclusion.
Travelling shows you other lives, other possibilities. When you see different people in different countries do things a different way, you can come unstuck. Even if you may not figure out a solution to your problems straight away, suddenly you don’t feel as cornered. What you initially thought was the “only way forward” that you absolutely hated become just one of several options.
Stripping Away the Attachments
Long before modern psychology, Imam al-Ghazali wrote extensively about travel (Safar) as a profound spiritual exercise.
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In the Ihya, he emphasizes that staying at home keeps us comfortable, masking our true character. Travel is a disruption. It strips away our routines, our familiar comforts, and our worldly attachments, acting as a mirror to show us who we really are when we are out of our element.
You cannot hide from yourself when you are on the road.
For me personally, my level of tawakkul skyrockets when I’m on the road. It’s not of my own doing either. I’ve seen how quickly and fully I am provided for when I’m on the road. Yes, I make some bookings. I plan a few things. But when I travel, I meet people I could never have planned. And I am at the receiving end of so much generosity and beauty and spiritual experiences that I cannot deny, and which I cannot replicate when I am back home.
Whenever I start to fret and worry about provision, I remind myself of my travels and that the same Allah Who was providing for me then is providing for me still. Right now.
The "Small Self" Effect
Dr. Dacher Keltner, a leading psychologist who studies the science of awe, found that experiencing vast, novel environments literally rewires our brains.
When we stand before a mountain range or walk through an unfamiliar city, our brain deactivates the “default mode network” (the part responsible for ego, rumination, and anxiety). In psychology, this is called the “small self” effect.
Photo by Markus Henze on Unsplash
Travel shrinks our ego so we can finally feel connected to something much larger than our daily worries.
For this, we don’t need to travel far. When I used to live in Singapore, I only needed to get myself to East Coast Park and sit by the beach to see the Singapore Strait, which serves as the connecting channel between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. There was entire oceans and worlds out there, and no matter how alone I felt then, I knew that I was connected to all of creation, that I hadn’t been abandoned. That there was a purpose for every cloud, every tree and every ant, and every version of me.
Remembering Death, Choosing Life - Spiritual Retreat to Kashmir - July 2026
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What would change if you lived as though this were your last year on earth? ​ Imam al-Ghazali's Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife completely altered the trajectory of my life when I first read it as a carefree 18-year-old. ​ I have gone back to this book multiple times since then, and have a new appreciation for it each time. I am so honoured to announce that registration is officially open for our upcoming Kashmir retreat: Remembering Death, Choosing Life. ​ Inspired by Imam Al-Ghazali’s work and Stephen Levine’s book A Year to Live, this retreat invites us to contemplate our mortality—not with fear, but with tenderness and clarity. ​ Through my own journey as a participant and Teaching Assistant in the A Year to Live course, alongside my ongoing training as a death doula, I have learned that in remembering death, we learn how to sit with impermanence and return to gratitude for every single breath. ​ For 9 days in the majestic stillness of Kashmir, we will journey together through writing, reflections, prayers, and sacred companionship. We will bridge Islamic spirituality with compassionate end-of-life practices, exploring: ​ ​The Art of Letting Go: Morning & evening dhikr, and confronting our discomfort around death. ​ ​Living with Intention: Life reviews, exploring grief and transformation, and the practical steps of crafting a living will. ​ ​A Celebration of Life: Joyful communal meals, storytelling circles, and leaving with a personal "second-chance-at-life" plan. ​ Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "Remember often the destroyer of pleasures: death."​ ​ This retreat is not about destroying pleasures per se, but about birthing presence. It is an invitation to look at your life through the eyes of a soul that knows it is on its way Home. ​ If you are ready to take this journey, Ustazah Diyanah Yanti and I would be so humbled to share this sacred space with you. ​ Visit www.muslimtravelclub.sg/ameeraaslam to see the full itinerary and to secure your spot.
Reflect & Reset: 6 Months - Digital Reflection Guide
I first created this guide to welcome Muharram 1447H. I led 4 separate gatherings with this guide and many of them found it a meaningful and grounding way to reset intentions and reconnect with purpose.
​ Now, I’ve updated it for us to use at any time of the year as needed. While most people use end-of-year to reflect on what has shaped us, and step into the new year with renewed clarity and intention, we can do this at anytime. Perhaps we had a major change in our life that happened in March. Or we just decided we needed to take stock of where we are in August. That’s fine too. This guide will help you do so. ​
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Welcome 🌷 Expect heartfelt letters blending Islamic spirituality, social justice advocacy, and the writing life. Join a community of seekers craving honest essays, poetry, and early access to my upcoming spiritual retreats.
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