Beyond Vacations: Why Every Parent Should Experience MNB Trailblazer with Their Children

By: Fouzia Usman

There's this delusion we have as parents that taking our children to historical places and showing them monuments will somehow connect them to their heritage. It won't. Not when those places remain just beautiful backdrops for family photos.

As immigrant parents, we travel back to our home countries, where we were born or where our parents were born, so our children have that connection with our roots. This is fine, and Alhamdulillah, these experiences have helped our children stay connected to our language and culture. With our three children, we also traveled to India every 2 or 3 years so they could build bonds with our families living there.

But what about the roots of Islam? We take them to Umrah and visit historical sites, but we still lack over a thousand years of Islamic history. That connection is still missing, and we don't even realize it.

We've reduced our children's understanding of Islamic heritage to a few cities in Arabia, completely overlooking the vast expanse of Islamic civilization that transformed the world from Spain to China. We're giving them fragments when they deserve the full story.

I learned this the hard way.

The Difference Between Touring and Experiencing

My family's first trip to Turkiye was what most would consider perfect. We meticulously planned a three-week adventure, commencing with flights to Trabzon, then embarked on an extensive road trip that winded through Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, Konya's spiritual heritage, Antalya's breathtaking coastline, Fethiye's blue waters, Pamukkale's white terraces, vibrant Izmir, historic Istanbul, and finally, Bursa. We hired professional guides who recited facts and dates at each landmark. We collected beautiful photos and enjoyed quality family time.

So even if we had visited Rome or Greece, it might have been the same sort of vacation. I agree Turkiye was different because we got to pray in masjids throughout our trip and eat halal food, yet I felt something significant was still missing.

Istanbul, with its rich Islamic history, remained just another beautiful city to my children. The dates and facts our guides shared evaporated from their minds almost instantly. The monuments were impressive, but they were just monuments—stones without stories.

What I didn't realize then was that we weren't experiencing history—we were just looking at it. We were tourists, not participants in the legacy.

The Transformation: When History Comes Alive

"Verily, you shall conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will her leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be." - Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Musnad Ahmad 23461)

Everything changed when we returned to Istanbul the following year with a different approach. Instead of focusing on dates and monuments, we traced the narrative of this profound prophecy and its miraculous fulfillment.

We walked the same streets where Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (RA), an elderly Companion of the Prophet ﷺ, traveled from beautiful Madinah in his old age simply to plant the seeds for this prophecy's manifestation. We followed the footsteps of the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed who finally conquered what was thought unconquerable.

We stood in masjids built by Mimar Sinan, one of the greatest architects in Islamic history – a man who discovered his extraordinary gift after the age of 50 and went on to design over 300 magnificent structures throughout the Ottoman Empire. We heard his story, not just his accomplishments and titles.

Through his journey, my children learned how vital it is for Muslims to fulfill their potential regardless of age – that living with ihsan means excellence at any stage of life.

Suddenly, the same landmarks we had photographed the previous year transformed before my children's eyes. Each pillar, each wall, each dome now had a story to tell – stories of sacrifice, determination, and unwavering faith.

And for my children, this wasn't just "Islamic history" anymore. This was our history. Their inheritance. Their identity.

The same landmarks we had once captured from every angle on our first trip – we returned to them again, but this time with deeper appreciation. We took pictures again – but with a different lens, and with hearts full of respect for the stories behind each structure.

That's when I realized why our children struggle to connect with their Islamic heritage.

It's not because they don't care. It's because we've reduced 1400 years of triumphant history to boring textbooks and occasional TV shows. We educate them about the golden age, yet we never allow them to explore the places where history unfolded and prophecy came to pass.

Moving Beyond Words: The Power of Service

We constantly tell our children about serving the Ummah but rarely give them the chance to actually serve. Living in the West, such opportunities are scarce.

It had always been my dream to participate in a humanitarian deployment and have my children join me in serving the needy firsthand. But I quickly discovered that most large nonprofit organizations require participants to raise substantial amounts—often thousands of dollars—just to be part of these deployment teams. This puts these transformative experiences out of reach for many families, especially those with multiple children.

That's why I was determined to create this opportunity when we visited Türkiye the second time.  Working with a local nonprofit organization, we arranged for our children to distribute groceries to families affected by the earthquake in Turkey. While it was just one day of service, the transformation I witnessed in my children was profound.

Seeing my children make an effort to raise even $100 and then witnessing firsthand the impact of that contribution changed them fundamentally. Meeting families in need, hearing their stories, and being part of the solution—in a small way—led to gratitude and compassion that no lecture or documentary ever could.

Living in the West, no matter how many documentaries we watch or fundraising dinners we attend, nothing compares to our children actually making an effort to help and seeing the direct impact of their actions. The emotional spending that happens when children serve others directly creates a feeling they want to keep, not just experience once.

Building Connections: Beyond the Headlines

We hear about the struggles of the Uyghur Muslims through forwarded videos and fundraising dinners. But what happens when our children actually meet them, cook with them, eat with them, and learn their art?

During our trip, we spent a day at the Uyghur center in Istanbul. By the end of that day, my children had formed authentic relationships with people they previously only knew as statistics or news headlines. These weren't just "Uyghurs" anymore—they were friends with names, stories, and shared laughter.

The mind learns through difference, not similarity. The stark contrast between the media portrayal and the real human connection created a lasting impact that no amount of videos could achieve.

Prophetic Parenting in Practice

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ advised, "Teach your children swimming, archery, and horse riding." While many of us manage the swimming part, the other skills remain elusive in our modern lives.

In our second trip to Turkey, I made it a priority to arrange these prophetic activities for my children. After researching and connecting with local instructors, I found places where my children could practice archery with traditional bows and experience horseback riding in beautiful natural settings.

The joy and confidence that bloomed on my children's faces when they first hit a target with an arrow or successfully guided a horse cannot be replicated through any other activity. These weren't just fun experiences—they were connections to our heritage, to a prophetic vision of balanced development that encompasses physical skills alongside spiritual and intellectual growth.

What struck me most was how these activities seamlessly connected my children to a tradition that spans over 1400 years. As they pulled back the bowstring or adjusted themselves in the saddle, they were participating in the same activities the Prophet ﷺ had specifically recommended. This wasn't just following a Sunnah in theory—it was embodying it in practice.

The Choice: Vacation or Transformation?

After our trip, many parents reached out asking if they could give their children the same experience. That's how MNB Trailblazers was born.

I carefully designed MNB Trailblazers to include all the elements that transformed my own children's understanding of their heritage. The program includes a walking tour of Istanbul where families learn how the prophecy of conquering Constantinople manifested through centuries of dedication. We spend a day with needy families, distributing aid and sharing their stories. Another powerful day is devoted to visiting the Uyghur community, where we cook, create art, and build lasting connections.

The program also includes visits to Topkapi and Dolmabahçe Palaces – not just as tourist sites, but as living testimonies to Islamic governance and civilization. And of course, we dedicate time for children to experience horseback riding and archery, fulfilling the prophetic recommendation in ways that build confidence and create joyful memories.

We go on vacations to many places, but this is different – because it has purpose behind it. This isn't about collecting photos or checking countries off a list. It's about transformation.

When you choose MNB Trailblazer, you're not buying a tour package. You're investing in an experience that will reshape how your children see themselves, their heritage, and their role in the world.

The comparison is clear: You can take another standard vacation, or you can give your children an experience that connects them to 1400 years of history, allows them to serve the Ummah directly, builds relationships with Muslims from different backgrounds, and develops skills recommended by our Prophet ﷺ.

The feeling your children will get from this experience is one they'll want to keep forever. This is what truly sets this experience apart.

Dates: July-4 to July 12 2025 (8 nights)

For more information about MNB Trailblazers, please visit https://www.muslimnationbuilders.com/trailblazers 

Please fill in this interest form if you are interested.

For further questions, reach us at [email protected]