Why this preparation.
The lab is a facilitated majlis (مَجْلِس): a gathering in which you reflect honestly, learn from one another and begin to articulate the responsibilities you carry. It is not an academic seminar or a presentation exercise. Arrive prepared to examine assumptions and listen, not with polished answers.
Bayān al-Niyyah
بَيَانُ النِّيَّةِ. Clarify intention and examine the inner life.
Bayān al-Ṣuḥbah
بَيَانُ الصُّحْبَةِ. Understand companionship, formation and collective accountability.
Fiqh al-Waqt
فِقْهُ الْوَقْتِ. Develop judgement about the realities and responsibilities of the present moment.
Your seven-day pathway.
About 5–7 hours in total, designed to sit alongside normal responsibilities.
- 1Orientation
30 minRead the introduction. Consider what Srebrenica has raised about leadership and responsibility. - 2Intention
60–75 minRead Part I and complete your intention audit. - 3Companionship
60 minRead Part II and complete your circle-of-formation reflection. - 4The present moment
60 minRead Part III and map a real leadership challenge. - 5Historical lives
30–45 minExplore one figure or supplementary source that resonates with you. - 6Integration
60–90 minPrepare your two-minute leadership narrative and review your reflections. - 7Manifesto and review
30 minDraft your personal manifesto and identify questions to bring to the lab.
Bring four outputs to the lab
Examine the link between stated intentions, actual behaviour and underlying motivations in one responsibility you carry.
Reflect on who has shaped your character, and the kind of companion you are becoming.
Map a real challenge: symptoms, root causes, affected people, assumptions and leverage.
An honest, unpolished account of an experience that changed your understanding of leadership.
Work through each output on the canvases near the end, and begin your personal manifesto. You may keep details private or anonymise people and organisations. The aim is reflection, not disclosure.
What to expect.
A four-hour facilitated majlis that follows Immersive I in Srebrenica. It moves from shared experience into personal reflection, peer dialogue and the articulation of your leadership responsibilities. It is a space of mutual learning, not a lecture: silence, uncertainty and differing perspectives are part of the process, and you are not expected to present a finished theory of leadership.
You will work in small groups, pairs and triads, using your four preparation outputs and your manifesto. Individual conversations and cohort feedback calls follow the lab. The full 240-minute agenda is in the bar above.
Part I · Bayān al-Niyyah
بَيَانُ النِّيَّةِEvery visible act of leadership is driven by an invisible intention. We can sincerely wish to serve and still seek recognition. The work is not to pretend ambition or fear do not exist, but to become aware enough that they do not quietly determine our conduct.
Primary texts
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ
“O you who believe, be mindful of Allah, and let every soul look to what it has sent ahead for tomorrow.”
Qur’an 59:18
What are we sending forward through the way we lead, the institutions we build and the relationships we sustain?
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
“Actions are only by intentions, and each person will have only what they intended.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1907
Good intentions do not guarantee wise action. They need competence, accountability and a willingness to face consequences.
Al-Ghazālī (1058–1111) explored sincerity in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, inviting readers to examine the distance between outward conduct and inward motivation. Suggested reading.
Three questions to consider
- What do I say motivates me? The values you consciously associate with your work.
- What else motivates me? Ambition, fear, status, security, belonging, recognition.
- What does my behaviour reveal? How you handle criticism, credit, authority and people who cannot advance your interests.
The objective is not to condemn ambition or demand impossible purity. It is to understand our motivations well enough to act with greater honesty.
A life of transformation: al-Ghazālī
A celebrated scholar in Baghdad, al-Ghazālī describes in al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl a crisis of certainty and purpose. In 1095 he left his post, travelled and withdrew for years, then returned to teaching. His life is not a formula to abandon your role. It asks: what happens when the life we built no longer answers the questions we carry?
Further reading: IEP · Encyclopaedia Iranica · Fordham sourcebook
A spiritual practice: Munajat of the Repenters
To support your inner reflection, read the Munajat of the Repenters (Ta'ibeen) by Imam Zayn al-Abidin. When auditing your intentions, this prayer helps confront mixed motives, vanity, and ego without falling into despair.
My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness,
separation from You has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery!
My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart,
so bring it to life by a repentance from You! O my hope and my aim!
O my wish and my want!
By Your might, I find no one but You to forgive my sins
and I see none but You to mend my brokenness!
I have subjected myself to You in repeated turning,
I have humbled myself to You in abasement.
If You cast me out from Your door, in whom shall I take shelter?
If You repell me from Your side, in whom shall I seek refuge?
O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace!
O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed!
I ask You, O Forgiver of great sins,
O Mender of broken bones,
to overlook my ruinous misdeeds
and cover my disgraceful secret thoughts!
At the witnessing place of the Resurrection, empty me not of the coolness of Your pardon and forgiveness,
and strip me not of Your beautiful forbearance and covering!
My God, let the cloud of Your mercy cast its shadow upon my sins
and send the billow of Your clemency flowing over my faults!
My God, does the fugitive servant return to anyone other than his Master?
Or does anyone grant him sanctuary from his Master’s wrath other than his Master Himself?
My God, if remorse for sins is a repentance,
I - by Your might - am one of the remorseful!
If praying forgiveness for offenses is an alleviation,
I am one of those who pray forgiveness!
To You I return that You may be well pleased!
My God, through Your power over me, turn toward me,
through Your clemency toward me, pardon me,
and through Your knowledge of me, be gentle toward me!
My God, You are He who has opened a door to Your pardon and named it 'repentance',
for You said, Repent to God with unswerving repentance.
What is the excuse of him who remains heedless of entering the door after its opening?
My God, though the sins of Your servant are ugly,
Your pardon is beautiful.
My God, I am not the first to have disobeyed You, and You turned toward him,
or to have sought to attain Your favour, and You were munificent toward him.
O Responder to the distressed!
O Remover of injury!
O Great in goodness!
O Knower of everything secret!
O Beautiful through covering over!
I seek Your munificence and Your generosity to intercede with You,
I seek Your side and Your showing mercy to mediate with You,
so grant my supplication,
disappoint not my hope in You,
accept my repentance,
and hide my offense,
through Your kindness and mercy,
O Most Merciful of the merciful
Your preparation: the intention audit
Choose one responsibility you carry (a role, initiative, family obligation or commitment) and answer briefly:
- Why did I take this responsibility on?
- What do I hope it will make possible for others?
- What do I hope it will make possible for me?
- What recognition, influence, security or identity do I receive from it?
- When do I feel most defensive, impatient or reluctant to share control?
- Where might my stated intentions and actual behaviour diverge?
- What is one practice that could keep me more accountable to my values?
Part II · Bayān al-Ṣuḥbah
بَيَانُ الصُّحْبَةِWe do not become ourselves alone. Ṣuḥbah (الصُّحْبَة) is more than networking: it concerns how people shape one another’s character and conduct. Companionship can expand our moral imagination, but it can also reinforce our assumptions until disagreement begins to feel like betrayal. Who is shaping my character, and what kind of companion am I becoming for others?
Primary texts
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
“Cooperate with one another in goodness and mindfulness of God, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
Qur’an 5:2
Working together is not automatically virtuous. Judge cooperation by what it serves.
وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ
“And consult them in the matter.”
Qur’an 3:159
Create conditions where others can speak honestly, even when their views are inconvenient.
وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
“And made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another.”
Qur’an 49:13
Difference need not be erased. It asks us to meet others without stereotypes or treating disagreement as a threat.
Futuwwah: spiritual chivalry (الفُتُوَّة)
A tradition, associated with al-Sulamī (937–1021), of noble conduct, generosity, courage, humility and service. It places ethical responsibility above ego. It is not passivity: healthy companionship joins care with honesty, boundaries and accountability.
- Do I use influence to protect my status or to enable others?
- Can I serve without making others indebted to me?
- Do I treat those with less power with the same dignity as those with more?
- Can I be generous while keeping appropriate boundaries?
A life of transformation: Rūmī and Shams
Rūmī (1207–1273), already an established scholar, met Shams al-Dīn Tabrīzī around 1244, a relationship remembered as a turning point in his spiritual life. Details were shaped by later biographical traditions, but the question endures: can a relationship change not only what we know, but how we understand ourselves?
A spiritual practice: Munajat of the Seekers of Refuge
As you reflect on companionship and trust, read the Munajat of the Seekers of Refuge (Mu'tasimeen). It emphasizes reliance on the Divine over reliance on human power—a vital prerequisite before building collaborative trust.
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.
O Allah, O Shelter of the shelter-seekers!
O Refuge of the refuge-seekers!
O Deliverer of the perishing!
O Preserver of the pitiful!
O Merciful toward the miserable!
O Responder to the distressed!
O Treasure of the utterly poor!
O Mender of the broken!
O Haven of the cut off!
O Helper of the abased!
O Granter of sanctuary to the fearful!
O Aide of the troubled!
O Fortress of the refugees!
If I seek not refuge in Your might, in whom shall I seek refuge?
If I seek not shelter in Your power, in whom shall I seek shelter?
Sins have made me seek asylum in laying hold on the skirts of Your pardon,
offenses have compelled me to beg the opening of the doors of Your forgiveness,
evildoing has summoned me to dismount in the courtyard of Your might,
and fear of Your vengeance has prompted me to cling to the handhold of Your tenderness!
It is not right for him who holds fast to Your cord to be abandoned,
nor proper for him who seeks the sanctuary of Your might to be surrendered or disregarded.
My God, empty us not of Your defending,
strip us not of Your guarding,
and protect us from the roads of destruction,
for we are in Your eye and under Your wing!
I ask You by those whom You have singled out,
Your angels and the righteous among Your creatures,
to assign over us a protector
through which You will deliver us from destructions,
turn aside from us blights,
and hide us from the striking of great afflictions,
to send down upon us some of Your tranquility,
to wrap our faces in the lights of love for You,
to give us haven in Your strong pillar,
and to gather us under the wings of Your preservation!
By Your clemency and Your mercy!
O Most Merciful of the merciful!
Your preparation: the circle of formation
- Who has challenged an assumption I once held strongly?
- Who can tell me an uncomfortable truth?
- Whose approval matters to me, and how does that affect my decisions?
- Whose experiences are missing from my circle?
- Where do I experience genuine mutual accountability?
- What kind of companion do I want to be for the Jaariyah cohort?
- What do I need from others to remain true to my values?
Also bring one practice the cohort could adopt to strengthen collective trust.
Part III · Fiqh al-Waqt
فِقْهُ الْوَقْتِGood intentions and strong relationships can still lead to poor decisions if we misread reality. Here fiqh al-waqt is a practical leadership lens: the disciplined effort to understand the present moment and respond appropriately. It is an interpretive framework, not a single classical doctrine.
Primary texts
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
Qur’an 13:11
A reflection on agency, without suggesting effort alone overcomes every structural constraint.
كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
“Stand firmly for justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it is against yourselves.”
Qur’an 4:135
Responsibility is tested when truth carries a cost.
Time, faith, righteous action, urging one another towards truth and towards patience.
Qur’an 103:1–3
Leadership is not relentless activity. Action must be tied to what is right, with patience and mutual counsel.
A practical diagnostic
The aim is not perfect knowledge, but humility, evidence and willingness to revise.
A life of transformation: Ibn Khaldūn
Ibn Khaldūn (1332–1406), author of the Muqaddimah, examined how social organisation, authority and economic conditions shape collective life. The lesson is methodological: investigate reality before prescribing. What looks like low motivation may come from how a programme or system was designed.
A spiritual practice: Munajat of the Willingly Submissive
To ground your response to the present moment, read the Munajat of the Willingly Submissive (Mutee'een). It cultivates the resolve to step into urgent action not out of panic, but out of spiritual obedience to what the moment requires.
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
O Allah, inspire us to obey You,
turn us aside from disobeying You,
make it easy for us to reach that which we wish
from the seeking of Your good pleasure,
set us down in the midst of Your Gardens,
dispel from our insights the clouds of misgiving,
uncover from our hearts the wrappings of doubt and the veil,
make falsehood vanish from our innermost minds,
and fix the truth in our secret thoughts,
for doubts and opinions fertilize temptations
and muddle the purity of gifts and kindnesses!
O Allah, carry us in the ships of Your deliverance,
give us to enjoy the pleasure of whispered prayer to You,
make us drink at the pools of Your love,
let us taste the sweetness of Your affection and nearness,
allow us to struggle in You,
preoccupy us with obeying You,
and purify our intentions in devoting works to You,
for we exist through You and belong to You,
and we have no one to mediate with You but You!
My God, place me among the chosen, the good,
join me to the righteous, the pious,
the first to reach generous gifts,
the swift to come upon good things,
the workers of the enduring acts of righteousness,
the strivers after elevated degrees!
You are powerful over everything
and disposed to respond!
By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!
Your preparation: map a real challenge
You will discuss it in a group of four. Anonymised or fictionalised cases are fine.
- The challenge: What is happening, and why does it matter?
- Current interpretation: What do you believe is causing it?
- Evidence: What do you know, and what are you assuming?
- Root causes: What might lie beneath the visible symptoms?
- Affected people: Who is most affected, and whose view is missing?
- Leverage: What could you realistically influence?
- Timing: What if you act now? What if you delay?
- Open question: Which assumption would you most value having challenged?
No solution is required. Peers stress-test your thinking; they are not consultants.
Part IV · Your two-minute narrative.
Not a polished biography, project pitch or list of achievements: an honest account of an experience that changed how you understand leadership. Choose a moment such as:
- A failure that exposed the limits of your approach.
- A relationship that challenged an assumption.
- An encounter with a community whose experience differed from your expectations.
- A decision in which competing responsibilities could not all be satisfied.
- A moment when you recognised the work required something different from what you originally intended.
- 1What happened?Describe it without turning it into a success story.
- 2What did it reveal?About myself, other people, the institution or the wider situation.
- 3What changed?How did it alter your understanding of leadership?
- 4What do you carry now?What responsibility does the experience ask of you today?
In triads, peers listen for the intention beneath the story, the relationships involved and the responsibility that emerges. You do not need to resolve every tension.
Part V · The ongoing trust.
Jaariyah evokes continuity: benefit that continues beyond the immediate act, as in ṣadaqah jāriyah (صَدَقَة جَارِيَة). What are we building that can serve people beyond our involvement? Draft your personal manifesto now; you will revisit it at the close.
Keep these specific and honest. They are a starting point, not a declaration that you have arrived.
Your preparation canvases.
One canvas for each output. Type straight into the cells, then bring them to the lab. Your notes are saved only in this browser, on this device; nothing is sent anywhere. Clear them on a shared device.
1. Intention audit
Examine the link between stated intentions, actual behaviour and underlying motivations in one responsibility you carry.
2. Circle of formation
Reflect on who has shaped your character and leadership, and the companion you are becoming.
3. Leadership challenge
Map a real challenge. An anonymised or fictionalised case is fine. No solution is required.
4. Two-minute narrative
An honest, unpolished account of an experience that changed your understanding of leadership. About two minutes spoken.
Before you arrive.
What might change in the way I lead if I paid closer attention to the condition of my own heart, the people with whom I walk, and the demands of the moment I have been given?
You are not assessed on how much you know, how polished your writing is, or how closely your views match other Fellows’.
Reference guide.
Primary texts
The Qur’an
- 59:18 Self-examination and what one sends forward for tomorrow.
- 5:2 Cooperation in righteousness.
- 3:159 Consultation and leadership.
- 49:13 Human difference and knowing one another.
- 13:11 Inner change and collective conditions.
- 4:135 Standing for justice.
- 103:1–3 Time, action, truth and patience.
Hadith on intention: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1907.
Classical works for further study
- Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn
- Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl
- Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, writings on futuwwah
- Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, Mathnawī and Fīhi mā fīhi
- Ibn Khaldūn, al-Muqaddimah
- Imam ʿAlī Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn, The 15 Whispered Prayers (Al-Munājāt al-Khams Ashar)
Biographical and scholarly reading
Al-Ghazālī
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Encyclopaedia Iranica: biography
- On Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness
- Fordham sourcebook
Rūmī and Shams Tabrīzī
Futuwwah
Ibn Khaldūn
The Whispered Prayers (Munājāt)
- The 15 Munajat of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (English & Arabic texts are integrated above in the preparation guide.)