17 February 2020
Dear Companions on the Path,
I hope this finds you very well. I am delighted to tell you of some recent happenings.
In Épernon, France, the newly formed Ṭūbā class of the Suluk Academy gathered for the first time. It’s a lovely, thoughtful group hailing from many countries, and we delved immediately into concentration and the purification of the body and breath. While walking in the priory garden, I was moved to discover a patch of winter-
blooming snowdrops, or perce-neiges, immediately calling to mind Pirzadi-Shahida Noor’s poignant story of that title.
Following the Suluk session, I proceeded to Fazal Manzil for a weekend with the leadership of the Esoteric School of the Inayatiyya in Europe. Each morning I introduced contemplative practices derived from the alchemical tradition of Sufism, and in the afternoon the masterful Nigel Huzur Hamilton elaborated the lore of alchemy. As I’ve mentioned, alchemy will form a central focus throughout the coming year.
The weekend came to a culmination with a special ceremony at the end of the day Sunday in which my revered uncle Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Mahmood Khan conferred on me two trusts: the chieftaincy of my paternal family, and the spiritual transmission of the Silsila-yi Inayatiyya-Mahbubiyya.
The Inayatiyya-Mahbubiyya lineage descends from Hazrat Inayat Khan via Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Maheboob Khan, Pir-o-Murshid Mohammed Ali Khan, Pir-o-Murshid Musharaff Khan, and the present incumbent, Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Mahmood Khan. It thus parallels the Inayatiyya-Nuriyya lineage I received from my father, traced from Murshid through Pirzadi-Shahida Noor. The auspicious meaning of this is that the two lines of spiritual transmission carried within Murshid’s family have now been rejoined.
The Coordinators and Representatives who were present, and who so wished, received bay‘at (initiation) in the Inayatiyya-Mahbubiyya, as an adjunct to their existing bay‘at. Those who were not present but wish to receive this additional transmission are welcome to receive it from me in the future. Going forward, the Inayatiyya-Mahbubiyya will be bundled with the initiatic pedigrees previously transmitted by the Esoteric School, so that new murids will receive this blessing as well.
Back in Richmond, we celebrated the Murshid’s ‘Urs at the Astana in a shower of roses and melodies. Prince of Qawwali Dhruv Sangari—a protégé of the late great Meraj Ahmed Qawwal, who used to sing weekly at Murshid’s Dargah—dazzled us with his sweet and resounding voice. We found ourselves at the nocturnal tryst (shab-gah) of which Amir Khusraw sings, where the glowing candle is the Prophetic Light.
Yours ever,
Pir Zia
We are launching a new Suluk class in Virginia this coming fall. Suluk offers two years of intensive study in the core teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, with Pir Zia and other Inayati teachers as faculty. If you are a lover of Sufi teachings, and have been initiated into the Inayati Order’s Esoteric School, this is the program for you! inayatiorder.org/suluk
Music of the Spheres: Gamaka Commentaries, Nirtan“The rapidity of my walk imagination cannot follow.”
The sleepwalking soul hurries here and there, and goes nowhere. The wakeful soul sits still, and travels beyond the stars. Read More
See the full commentary on the Inayati Order website.
Heart Ocean w/ Zuleikha (West Coast)
San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, California
03-05 April 2020
Registration now open!
Healing & the Mind World Four-Part Web Series
Wednesday Nights in May, 7-8 pm EDT
Watch online or at the Astana in RVA!
Suluk Reunion 2020
Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, New York
25-26 June 2020
Registration now open!
Season of the Rose 2020
Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, New York
26 June – 01 July 2020
Registration now open!
Resurrection: A Silent Retreat
The Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, New York
4-7 September 2020
Details forthcoming!
Suluk New Two-Year Class Launch
The Astana, Richmond, Virginia
29 September – 04 October 2020
Apply today!
Healing & the Mind World Four-Part Web Series
Wednesday Nights in October, 7-8:15 pm EDT
Watch online or at the Astana in RVA!
Suluk Graduate 18-Month Course Launch
The Astana, Richmond, Virginia, Fazal Manzil, Suresnes, France, and Online
November 3-8, 2020
Details forthcoming!
Heart Ocean w/ Zuleikha (East Coast)
The Astana, Richmond, Virginia
20-22 November 2020
Registration now open!
94th Urs of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan in Delhi, India
Delhi, India
03-09 February 2021
For a worldwide calendar featuring many Inayati Order teachers and programs, please visit our Inayati Worldwide Programs Calendar.
Inayatiyya
Inayatiyya
112 E. Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-447-1898
astana@inayatiyya.org
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