Ep 136 - From Morocco To Senegal: How Spiritual Travel Transforms Your Faith With Filmmaker Zoheb

What does it mean to travel for Allah and not just for content or vibes In this episode of Boys In The Cave, Tanzim sits down with filmmaker and Revival Retreats founder Zoheb to unpack how spiritual travel reshapes the heart.

From his first work trip to Morocco, to documenting floods in Pakistan, to walking in the streets of Istanbul and the zawiyas of West Africa, Zoheb shares how travel became a mirror that showed him who he really was before Allah.

They discuss the ethics of charity media, not romanticising poverty, how to hold Palestinian and global suffering in your heart, and why sohbah and righteous companions may be the most important part of any journey.

Along the way, you will hear stories of hidden Moroccan homes, bustling Senegalese streets, and the teachers and scholars who quietly keep the light of the ummah alive.

If you have ever felt the urge to pack a suitcase for Umrah, retreats, or a trip that is more than tourism, this conversation will help you make your journeys intentional and rooted in love of Allah, His Messenger and His awliya.

What we talk about in this episode

• Why "your suitcase is a mirror" is the perfect metaphor for spiritual travel

• How filmmaking and faith came together in Zoheb's life

• Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestine and the ethics of charity campaigns

• How Revival Retreats began and what makes a retreat truly transformative

• Istanbul, Morocco and Senegal as lived expressions of Islamic civilisation

• Colonisation, travel etiquette and leaving your privilege at the door

• Sohbah, righteous companions and making every journey a journey to Allah

https://www.humanappeal.org.au/

Zoheb is a UK born filmmaker now based between Cairo and the UK, with a an Hons in Digital Media and Film Production.

He has filmed faith centred travel and cultural projects and humanitarian relief projects across the Muslim world, as well as events and music videos.

He now leads Revival Retreats, a platform hosting Islamic heritage travel and spiritual retreats.

Timestamps

00:11 Salaam intro, Gaza and global suffering

00:49 Who is Zoheb, filmmaker and Revival Retreats founder

01:39 "Your suitcase is a mirror" travel quote

03:52 Zoheb's background and discovering filmmaking

04:54 Why filmmaking became a path of service for the ummah

06:09 First work trip to Morocco and first time in a Muslim country

07:12 Humanitarian travel in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey

08:25 The birth of Revival Retreats and reconnecting Muslims to heritage

09:52 Pakistan trip in depth and what impacted him most

12:12 Listening to Syrian and Palestinian struggles on the ground

18:14 Not romanticising poverty and witnessing tragedy up close

20:29 The ummah as one body and what that really means

27:38 Living in Istanbul and walking in the footsteps of the sahaba

30:25 Zawiyas, scholars and why you must see Islamic civilisation for yourself

35:29 Senegal, West Africa and a lived experience of Islam

43:31 Countries that deepened his faith and the highlights of his travels

44:26 Why Morocco feels like home and a spiritual sanctuary

48:21 Hidden Moroccan homes and the lesson of inner beauty

52:34 Outward aesthetics, barakah and how we have been shaped by modernity

53:06 Teachers and scholars who shaped him on the road

59:57 Why traveling with like hearted people matters

1:02:30 Sohbah and the friendships that form on retreat

1:06:38 Quranic reminders about righteous companions

1:12:19 Fun Boys In The Cave question, three people to share a cave with

1:15:44 Where to find Revival Retreats and how to join

1:16:03 Where to follow Zoheb and his work online

1:16:48 Final reminder about Revival Retreats and Gaza projects

1:17:09 Outro, how to support Boys In The Cave