Reviving Islamic Spirit (RIS Canada) is an annual Islamic conference held in Toronto, Canada. RIS began in 2003 as a gathering of approximately 3,500 people and has grown into Canada’s largest Islamic conference, now hosting over 25,000 delegates. Among its stated aims are to “promote stronger ties within North American society through reviving the Islamic tradition of education, tolerance and introspection”. Its speakers’ list has featured prominent personalities including Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Professor Tariq Ramadan, Yusuf Islam, Imran Khan and Robert Fisk. Maliha Zaman attended RIS Canada 2011 which took place in the last week of December. We asked her to describe what it felt like to be a delegate:

I remember waking up on the morning of December 23rd, paranoid that I had slept in and missed the conference. The walk to the Rogers Centre was one of nervous excitement. As I entered the large foyer with my friends, we stood in awe of the sheer mass of humanity. Little details of the crowd struck me - families and friends rushing to find seats together, the curious faces of non-Muslim delegates who had come to learn more about Islam - but mostly it was the excitement in the eyes of the attendees.

Muslims from different walks of life were present. The diversity of the people reminded me of Malcolm X’s famous letter about Hajj in which he wrote, “there were tens of thousands of pilgrims…all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans…displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.” Of course, RIS is not Hajj – it’s a conference in snowy Canada. But from a spiritual perspective and having flown across the country to get there, I felt like RIS was kind of like a mini-pilgrimage. 

The next three days were filled with thought-provoking discussions, encouragement and love. Important messages connecting versus of the Quran to causes like animal welfare and the environment were a refreshing change from the typical Friday khuthba. The scholars reaffirmed the relevance and importance of Islam in modern life. One of my personal takeaways came from Professor Tariq Ramadan’s talk. He advised delegates to respect the gift of our bodies by taking the time to nurture them both physically and spiritually. His simple message to “take care of yourself and tell the people you love, you love them” is one I can take into the New Year.

Several weeks after the conference, it’s starting to feel like the demands of regular life are taking over again. Breaking old habits and making positive improvements can be difficult. But when I reflect on the experience of sitting with thousands of people and feeling the connection of our common beliefs, my resolve is revived and my spirit soars…