Peace in the Whirlwind—A Gathering of Sufi Teachings & Friendship
With Pir Zia Inayat Khan & Friends
Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
Sunday, June 21 to Friday, June 26, 2026
Those who walk the path of Sufism are lovers of Reality, ever longing for intimate connection—Communion—with the Divine.
At this annual gathering of the Inayatiyya, a Sufi lineage rooted in the teachings of the Indian mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan, we come together to nurture deepening levels of Communion—with one another, and with that which lies beyond time and space: the Oneness of all being.
We will explore states of Communion through meditative practice, spiritual discourse, friendship, sacred music, whirling, and zikr—the remembrance of the Divine.
Our guides on this journey will be Pir Zia Inayat Khan, along with our dear friends Omid Safi, Nizam un Nisa Ayeda Husain, Nilufar Maryam Hasnaa, Tarana Jobin, and Shams al Haqq.
Whether you are new to Sufism or have long walked this path, you are warmly invited to join us.
Space is limited. Register early to secure your place in this year’s gathering and choose from the full range of lodging options. Please visit Omega Institute online for registration and housing details.
BIOGRAPHIES
Pir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, carries the Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. He is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, and author of a variety of books on Sufi traditions and wisdom.inayatiyya.org
Nizam un Nisa Ayeda Husainis a senior teacher and guide in the Inayatiyya, teaches Sufi meditation, chanting, and philosophy with an emphasis on Rumi’s poetry as a means of healing and evolving. thesufitarot.com
Omid Safi, founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours, is a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. illuminatedcourses.com
Nilufar Maryam Hasnaais the creator of New Earth Mystery School and Resonance Apothecary, as well as a student on the Sufi path. maryamhasnaa.com
Shams al Haqq is classically trained in the practice of sama—inner listening. A graduate of Sulūk Academy, he serves Sufi communities in Canada through Rumi Canada. rumicanada.ca
Tarana Jobin is a trained opera conductor and musician dedicated to the musical legacy of Hazrat Inayat Khan. She has served as the Astana Music Director and is Emeritus Vice President of the Inayatiyya Music Activity.
Speakers
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Pir Zia Inayat KhanPir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice.
He is author of Tears from the Mother of the Sun with visual artist Amruta Patil, Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France. -
Nilufar Maryam HasnaaNilufar Maryam Hasnaa is an intuitive, channel, energy healer and a lover of all things that create a feeling of being connected to something bigger than ourselves. Nilufar is the founder of New Earth Mystery School where she trains students in the work of energy healing, plant spirit medicine, earth stewardship and the intuitive arts. In her free time, she loves to garden, commune with nature spirits and lead ceremonies. Nilufar uses her own highly sensitive gifts to remind others of the subtle energetic nature of this universe. Through her work of returning to nature she has learned the importance of living in alignment with one’s most authentic self. Nilufar was born in the Sufi tradition and initiated into the Inayatiyya in 2022. She is a graduate of the Suluk class of Lulu Wa Marjan (2025).
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Tarana JobinTarana Jobin is one of the founding vice presidents of the Inayatiyya’s Music Activity. She has a long career as an opera conductor and continues to freelance professionally. As a student of Sufism since 2010 and graduate of Sulūk Academy, Tarana is dedicated to reviving the musical legacy of Hazrat Inayat Khan and sharing it with all who find a home in his teachings.
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Shams al Haqq FarzadShams al Haqq Farzad is classically trained in the practice of sama. He has extensively studied Sufi whirling, sama meditation, as well as mysticism and Persian mystical poetry of Sufism. He curated and has taken part in many spiritual music ceremonies and sama presentations with organizations such as the Aga Khan Museum. Farzad serves the Sufi communities in Canada, presenting some of their work through Rumi Canada. He is also a student within the Inayatiyya and a graduate of Sulūk Academy.
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Nizam un Nisa Ayeda HusainNizam un Nisa Ayeda Husain is a senior teacher and guide in the Inayatiyya. A long-time journalist specializing in Sufism with a double masters in journalism and Near Eastern studies from NYU, she teaches Sufi meditation, chanting, and philosophy with a special emphasis on Rumi’s poetry as a means of healing and evolving. Ayeda has run Sufi centers in her hometown of Lahore, Pakistan; in Dubai, where she once lived; and in Oakville, Ontario where she lives and works. She has led spiritual retreats worldwide, taught Sufi meditation to Buddhist monks in Tokyo, and has been invited to the United Nations as part of an international delegation of spiritual leaders.
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Omid SafiOmid Safi is a teacher in the Sufi tradition of radical love and founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours. His online, video-based courses range from Sufi approaches to the Qur’an to Rumi. He is a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. His Memories of Muhammad is an award-winning biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His most recent book is Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. Omid is also deeply committed to liberationist prophetic traditions in the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Malcolm X.
