18 August 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

I hope you are having a splendid summer. If you are dealing with difficulties, I wish you ease, and relief soon.

Sartaj, Ravan, and I were in Turkiye for two weeks and were overwhelmed by the hospitality of our Inayatiyya family there. The beautiful retreat we experienced together was followed by a visit to the sacred sites of Bursa and Iznik, cities of fascinating historical significance.

Afterward we traveled to the Zenith Camp in the Swiss Alps and spent two weeks in suhbat, retreat, and zikr with friends from many parts of the world. During the first week we were blessed by the presence of Dr. Scherto Gill, an eminent philosopher whose method is Socratic Dialogue, with an emphasis on posing just the right questions. Meanwhile, and afterward, we were uplifted by the music of Ravan, Sinan, Fereshta, and Ruhiya, and by the mystique of the mountain and its many moods. It was a hot and dry time, but on the last day, during zikr, the sky quenched us with a thorough drenching punctuated by booming peals of thunder.

During a Universal Worship at the Camp, Hayat Buus and Latif Brinck were given the blessing to serve as joint Peshkars (Vice Presidents) of the Kinship Activity in Europe. Hayat hails from Denmark and Latif is from Chile. Hayat and Latif will be succeeding Halim Knobel, who has served with distinction as European Peshkar over a number of years. One of Halim’s many meaningful accomplishments was the recent publication of Murshid’s Social Gathekas. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Halim and a warm welcome to Hayat and Latif.

Ravan has now returned to the U.S. and Sartaj and I are in Suresnes, France, at Fazal Manzil, Murshid’s home. The Ṭūbā class of the Suluk Academy has just had its final session, culminating in a moving graduation ceremony in the Oriental Room. Ṭūbā was supposed to be an entirely in-person class, but lockdowns compelled us instead to meet online for a stretch. It was a great pleasure being back together with the group for this concluding session, breathing the same air.

Fazal Manzil is currently under renovation. Major repairs are needed so that gatherings can take place again in compliance with city codes. Many ashiqs and murids have generously contributed to the effort, and there is a team here — including Latifa, Qahira, Sahar-un-Nisa, and Majid — that has been working hard to bring about the renewal that is now well underway. The expectation is that Fazal Manzil, with its renovated Khankah meeting space and its new museum and library, will be ready to receive visitors and host gatherings next summer, God willing. Being here now, and witnessing the revival of the building’s history and traditions, is inspiring. May Murshid’s home continue to flourish as our blessed “Heartquarters” for long years to come. I hope you will come and visit after the reopening.

As you know, another place of importance for our lineage, the Abode, is also in transition. More information about the current state of things can be expected from the Trustees before long. For now, let me simply observe that in times of change, when fears are high and rumors are swirling — when, as Kipling would say, all about you are losing their heads and blaming it on you — what glows most brightly is the faithfulness and consideration of one’s sincere, stalwart, and sober-minded friends.

Regarding communication in the midst of complex situations, and in life in general (which always seems to tend toward complexity, at least in our day and age), Confucius put it well when he advised, “Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes.”

Let me close with some good news. I am pleased to let you know that, following a period of reorganization, Suluk Press has strongly re-emerged under the leadership of Beatrice Upenieks. A handsome, updated edition of the definitive Biography of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan is now in print, and more titles are just around the corner. Suluk Press’ redesigned website definitely bears visiting and can be found here. Shams may have thrown Rumi’s books in the well, but he also inspired him to write a book that contains endless sacred truths. The right book at the right time can work wonders.

May a great blessing be inscribed for you in the Book of Life.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Whorl & The World
w/ Pir Zia Inayat Khan & friends
Seven Sundays, September 18th – October 30th

As a continuation of our spring Sophic Whorl series, we turn from inner exploration to outer realization. How do the Seven Stations of the Whorl apply to the World? While the Spring Series set the stage, focusing on teachings and practices, the Fall Series will be more experimental, featuring various special guests and more discussion.

Creating a Beautiful Mind
A Six-Week Daily Practice w/ Amida Cary & Jacob Miraj Ellenberg
September 26th – November 4th

We invite you to this unique six week series to explore the Sufi perspective on the nature of the mind. A beautiful mind makes a wonderful servant. A troubled, confused mind makes a terrible master. How, then, might we create a beautiful mind? Join us to explore aspects of mind, including sensation, memory, imagination, will and identity through breath work, concentration, sacred sound, and contemplation. This six-week series is led by Jacob Miraj and Amida Cary, new Vice Presidents (North America) of the Inner School of the Inayatiyya.

Universal Kinship Convocation
The Roslyn Retreat Center, Richmond, VA & Online
September 29th – October 2nd

Over the course of four days, we will gather those who have committed part or all of their life’s work to the message of unity. Ministers in the Universal Worship, called Cherags (lamplighters), will gather worldwide online via Zoom, and also in-person at Roslyn Retreat Center in Richmond, Virginia. If you are not yet a Cherag and have an interest in learning more about the Universal Worship, please join us. All are welcome and encouraged to join.

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This month we hear from the Universal Worship Activity: 

“The Universal Worship is not another Church to be included among the variety of existing Churches. It is a Church, which gives an opportunity to those belonging to different religions… Read more

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more gatherings, please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022.

13 July 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

Peace be with you. I write to you from Bursa, Turkiye, where we are in the middle of a luminous retreat. It’s a joy to be back with the huge-hearted Turkish community after two years of lockdown. Bursa is a city of great charm.

As you know, there are many dedicated friends on the path who serve our caravan in various ways. Some serve as Vice Presidents of the Activities, a role that involves great responsibility, diligence and care. Vice Presidents serve from between three to six years. Rotation allows revered, long-serving officers to move on to other modes of work on behalf of our community, and creates circulation within the system, which in turn supports diversity and dynamic intergenerational collaboration.

After many years of indefatigable service to the Inner School, Naima Brown is now stepping back from her role as North American Madar-ul-Maham (Inner School Vice President). Naima leaves behind a legacy of excellence, a legacy that is notably reflected in, among other things, the leader’s training program she has meticulously built. Happily, Naima will continue to be a light to our community as a teacher and guide.

Succeeding Naima, we welcome now a partnership of co-Madar-ul-Mahams: Amida Cary and Miraj Jacob Ellenberg. Amida has led the North American Retreat Concentration for several years, Miraj is a long-standing teacher within our school, and they both have my deep confidence.

These are not the only current transitions. As you may know, Hassan Suhrawardi Gebel has served as North American Chancellor (Vice President) of the Knighthood of Purity since its revival in 2010. Hassan Suhrawardi’s painstaking stewardship, together with that of Alia Sura in Norway, has enabled the Knighthood to become what it is today, a solidly-established chivalric fellowship with active members all over the world. Hassan Suhrawardi has served our community in several other capacities meanwhile, and thankfully we can continue to count on his sword even as he steps down as Chancellor. Hassan Suhrawardi’s successor is Sarfaraz Jessica Berger. Sarfaraz was initiated in the Inayatiyya in 2004 and received the accolade of Knight of Purity in 2016.

Finally, I should let you know of a transition that will take place at the end of the year. After long years of wholehearted service to our shared cause as North American Bayt-ul-Haram (Vice President of Healing), Devi Tide is now passing on the torch. She will be succeeded by Raqib Kogan MD and Nur Alima Smith, who will serve as joint Bayt-ul-Harams. In addition, Raqib will be Kefayat of North America. Devi has poured enormous energy and care into Healing over the years. Fortunately for us all, Devi will remain a guiding light in our community, and her legacy is in excellent hands with Raqib and Nur Alima, who bring deep knowledge and heartfulness to their work.

I hope you will join me in expressing sincere appreciation to Naima, Hassan Suhrawardi, and Devi, and a warm welcome to Amida, Miraj, Sarfaraz, Raqib, and Nur Alima.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all of you who have been sending your good energy and support to the North American Board of the Inayatiyya, the Astana, and the Abode Board at this time of transition at the Abode. Finding a sustainable outcome is a challenge that requires great care, and every bit of goodwill, patience, and understanding on the part of our community helps. The Trustees are volunteers who are devoting immense amounts of time. Their sole interest – our sole interest – is the flourishing of the work of the Message and its worldwide community, together with the health of the hallowed land and historical buildings at the Abode.

May the Message of God reach far, wide, near, and deep.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

Zenith Camp 2022
Switzerland, July 24th – August 20th

Zenith Camp returns to the Swiss Alps this year with four weeks planned, July 24th to August 20th, 2022. The theme of this year’s Camp is The Call of the Earth.

Pir Zia will lead programs for Week I: July 24^th-July 30^th, and for Week II: July 31^st-August 6^th.
Additional Inayatiyya teachers and guides offering programs include Malik Hirschberg & Batin Hermes, Robin Becker, Fatimabi Grieger, Deepa Gulrukh Patel, Saki Lee, Latif Brinck, Zuleikha, Ophiel van Leer, HuDost, Jacob Ellenberg, and Aziz Dikeulias.

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This month we hear from the Healing Activity:

“Through relationship with the Divine Spirit, humanity and the environment are realizing themselves as One living whole. When we breathe with thoughts of healing… Read more

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more gatherings, please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022.

15 June 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

I hope these lines find you in the best of health and spirits. With your prayers, I am well. Two weeks ago my whole family caught Covid, including our little grandson Kara Suleyman, but it wasn’t severe – thanks be to the One – and we are all now back to the fullness of our powers. My prayers continue to go out daily to all of you who are struggling with Covid and other ailments and challenges.

Last week we celebrated the graduation of the Na-Koja-Abad Suluk class. It was sweetly moving to mark the completion of two years of diligent study, practice, and friendship with this dynamic, devoted and diverse group of saliks hailing from Turkey, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, US, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Norway, Scotland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. During the session our beloved friend and pillar of strength Gulrukh became seriously ill, as some of you may have heard, but by God’s grace she has recovered and we are all profoundly relieved and thankful.

These have been difficult times. In the United States, a string of mass shootings has left multiple communities heartbroken. In Nigeria, a shooting in a church took dozens of innocent lives. In Ukraine, the devastating war continues. We never know how and when our prayers will be answered, but we do know that every prayer is heard. Let’s continue to pray individually and collectively, and at the same time do all we can to build a more compassionate, connected, and humane world. Every little action, inward or outward, makes a difference.

In a month’s time my summer travels will begin. Although Covid is still with us, the world is opening up again. We have met mostly online over the last two years; I hope to see you in person before long. It’s time to find a new balance between virtual community and embodied community. And there is work to be done, the ongoing work of living and sharing the good news that the Divine Light, Life, and Love reside in every being, that we are all intimately related and mutually dependent, that our bodies and souls exist in a bond of reciprocal mirroring, and that the Earth itself is alive.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

Inayatiyya Labor Day Retreat 2022
Charles Town, WV, Sept 2nd – 5th
Registration Now Open!
Details & Registration

After two years away, we are happy to announce the return of the Inayatiyya’s Labor Day Retreat w/ Pir Zia Inayat Khan, Friday, September 2nd through Monday, September 5th, 2022, at Claymont Retreat Center. This will be a smaller retreat, with room for 80 people. Please register today if you hope to join us!

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This month we hear from the Kinship Activity:

“This ideal of kinship develops, taking different forms. In the first stage the mystic becomes respectful to all beings… Read more

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more gatherings, please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022.

13 April 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

Here in Richmond, spring is in the air and the dogwoods are in bloom. Their roots deep in the soil and branches thrust up dervish-style, these trees know exactly when to unfurl their buds. They have their instructions from the Opener of the Seed.

We children of Adam and Eve likewise have our sacred instructions, though history shows we are less apt to honor them. How many senseless massacres could have been prevented, how many infernal smokestacks left unraised, if we wayward ones would have only listened to the still silent voice that whispers in the depths of our chests?

The news from Ukraine and Ethiopia is heart-wrenching. The voice of spirit whispers admonitions and supplications. All of humanity is killed with each killing. May not another life be lost! 

And the overheating of the Earth continues on our watch. Last month, Antarctica reported temperatures 70 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The IPCC warns that if carbon emissions do not start to come down within three years it will be too late to avert the worst effects of climate change, which include rising seas, dying forests, and catastrophic droughts, floods, and heat waves. The spirit-voice whispers: Take heed. Respect your mother, the Earth!

Murshid’s words go to the essence: “We always have a counsel within, but the one who ignores the existence of such a thing as the Spirit of Guidance is left alone for some time by the Spirit of Guidance to look out for himself … The mother allows the child to have its own way to some extent, and feels sorry when the child falls and hurts itself.”

Haven’t we now gone our own way long enough? Isn’t it time for humility? Our instructions await us. To listen to the whispered message within is to join the serried ranks of the contentedly furred and scaled and feathered and leaved – the devout Earth-family. The blossoms of the dogwoods show the way.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan.
This month we hear from the Ziraat Activity:

The meaning of the name of our order offers guidance in addressing the Call of the Earth. Inayat means loving kindness… Read more

Purity of Heart
A Springtime Retreat w/ Pir Zia
In Person in Gersfeld (Germany) & Via Zoom
April 14th – 18th, 2022
Details & Registration

If you have yet to register for Springtime Retreat, it is not too late! You can register anytime through Thursday, April 14th, 12pm EDT. We hope to see you!

Kinship Circles – Explorations for Our Time
Radical Hospitality w/ Stephen Hitchcock & Kenneth Sparks
April 15th, 3pm EDT / 8pm CET
Details & Zoom Link

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more gatherings, please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022.

15 March 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

As missiles explode, buildings collapse, and people flee in the millions, what can one say? What fitting words can be found in the face of the tragedies that have unfolded over the last decade in Syria, Darfur, Iraq, Yemen, Congo, Palestine, Lebanon, Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, East Turkestan, and now Ukraine?

We may be confident that the souls of the slain will find peace in the hereafter, and callous warmongers will meet with a reckoning – and, ultimately, an awakening. But here and now, lives are being torn apart.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees delivers essential relief to refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and other nations in crisis. Supporting their work goes a long way in times like these.

Prayer is also vital. As we know, prayer is a door that opens out to the love and power of the One to Whom we belong. I encourage you to join in one or more of the prayer meetings convened by members of our worldwide community.

Ya Mu’min, Ya Muhaimin
O Faithful, O Protector
By Your Hand of Protection
May bodies and minds be saved from harm
May every danger be averted
May hardened hearts be softened
May hostilities cease
May the spirit of kinship flower
May enmity be abandoned
And may peace and freedom prevail in every land
Amin

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Sophic Whorl
A Seven-Part Series: Sundays, January 27th – April 10th, 2022
Details & Zoom Link

If you have yet to register for The Sophic Whorl, it is not too late! You can register anytime through Wednesday, April 6th and receive video from past classes. We hope to see you!

Kinship Circles – Explorations for Our Time
Living with Relevance w/ Joanna Macy
March 18th, 3pm EDT / 8pm CET
Details & Zoom Link

For this week’s Kinship Circle we have a very special guest, the scholar and conservationist Joanna Macy, to talk about how we can live our lives with relevance. Highly recommended for all of us!

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

This month we hear from the Knighthood of Purity:

Sublime nature, my ears did not hear your music.
Your heart has heard it, your soul has danced to it.
– Nirtan, Tanas

Indigenous wisdom addresses nature as “all my relations.” What is our moral responsibility toward “all my relations?”

Murshid offers us a pathway for examining our morality in relation to another.

For those searching after truth, journeying through the spiritual path, this is the first thing to learn, to find out for themselves under all conditions in life what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, not from what they are taught or told, but from their own feeling, which can be perceived by a delicate sense of realizing through life what really gives comfort and what causes discomfort. – Gathas II, Everyday Life

What feels right and what feels wrong is determined by our conscience. The artificiality of our lives hides from us what truly gives comfort and ease of conscience. When we walk in nature, we can rise above artificiality by giving appreciative attention to what is around us. When we give “all my relations” our appreciative attention, we see its beauty and we feel a kinship. Our soul begins to dance. Then we can apply what Murshid next recommends for our journey on the moral path.

That which we seek in life we must give to another; if it is kindness, give it; if goodness, give it; if service, give it. The whole secret of happiness in life lies in this… as long as we look to another to make us happy, we keep expecting that which we ought ourselves to have given. Not till then do we know what justice is. – The Sufi Message, Vol VII, Mind, Human and Divine

Submitted by Suhrawardi Gebel, Chancellor, The Knighthood of Purity

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. We will soon share our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022. Please stay tuned for details.

16 February 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

I hope this finds you well.

I have always valued winter as a season of inwardness, a time to turn within, meditate, and focus entirely on work that is quiet. Over the last few weeks I’ve been blessed with the chance to do just that.

I am happy to let you know that my little book Immortality is now near completion. It consists of a series of contemplative exercises based on the teachings contained in Murshid’s The Soul, Whence and Whither. Delving into these indispensable teachings once again has been a tremendous joy. Every time I return to Murshid’s words I discover something new and revelatory.

My seclusion will soon be coming to an end. I look forward to being back in touch. Beginning on the last Sunday of the month, weekly classes will resume for a seven-week stretch, this time on the subject of the seven stations of the soul that constellate the “Sophic Whorl,” a pattern that leads to the center of the human being. The spring Sophic Whorl series will focus on the inner life of the individual. The plan is to return to the subject in the fall, turning then to the collective implications of the process.

Of course, the individual and the collective cannot be separated. As we know, every choice we make affects the whole. This is poignantly apparent in our time as we watch our planet’s living systems shudder under the impact of climate change, pollution, and loss of species diversity. The Earth is sending out a cry as well as a call: a howl of distress and a message of sacred instruction. If those who walk the path of spirit cannot hear it and respond, who will?

Over the next seven months, in these Zephyr letters we will be hearing from each of the Activities in turn – Inner School, Universal Worship, Kinship, Ziraat, Healing, Knighthood, and Music – as they reflect on the ecological challenge of our time and the path forward. Below you will find a message from our dear Devi Tide and Wali Via, introducing the series.

May we be among the khidric chevaliers who defend the holy groves and springs.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Sophic Whorl
A Seven-Part Series: Sundays, January 27th – April 10th, 2022
Details & Zoom Link

The Divine Names
Thursdays, Feb 17, March 24, April 28 & June 2, 2022
Details & Registration

This month we launch the Inayatiyya’s new Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, uniting us all in spirit and action. As our first project, throughout 2022, members of the World Wide Message Council and various Affinity groups will share related teachings from Hazrat Inayat Khan. Then, in spring 2023, all will be invited to a gathering on the Earth, its possiblity and need. Read more…

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. We will soon share our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022. Please stay tuned for details.

19 January 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

I was so happy to see so many of you on New Year’s Day. May the coming year be an easeful and illuminating one for all creatures under the Sun. Thank you for your kind messages of congratulation on the birth of my grandson Mir Kara-Suleyman Yüzkhan.

I write to you from amidst an interval of wintery semi-solitude. This week the European Suluk class has its penultimate session, and soon afterward the Worldwide Message Council will convene for two days, followed by three days of International Leadership Training. Otherwise, I am in seclusion, working on my book Immortality, a contemplative commentary on The Soul, Whence and Whither.

Over the last month we’ve said farewell to two treasured friends of our movement: Shaikh Jelaluddin Loras of the Mevlevi Order of America and Murshida Asha Greer of the Sufi Ruhaniat. Both of these great-hearted teachers were guiding beacons for many seekers, and their legacies are sure to endure. Journey well, blessed souls.

There is some news to share from the Inner School. After serving with immense dedication for many years as the European Madar al-Maham (Vice President) of the Inner School, Nigel Huzur Hamilton is stepping down. Many of you know Nigel Huzur as a consummate adept in the alchemical transformation of consciousness. He will remain a strong presence in our movement, even as his work shifts in focus.

Zumurrud Butta will now serve as the European Madar al-Maham. Zumurrud brings to the role decades of experience as a teacher and guide. Known for her refined attunement and gentle heart, she lives and breathes what she teaches.

I hope you will join me in expressing deep appreciation to Nigel Huzur for his long years of service as the European Madar al-Maham, and in warmly welcoming Zumurrud.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Music of the Gayan Shala
The 95^th Urs of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
February 5th 2022 | 11am EST, 5pm CET, 9:30pm IST

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. We will soon share our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022. Please stay tuned for details.

21 December 2021

Dear Companions on the Path,
These lines will reach you on the day of the Solstice. In the northern hemisphere, as we know, this is the darkest day of the year. It is also the beginning of light’s ascendancy. Light emerges from darkness and returns to it, just as the visible manifests from the invisible only to eventually return home to the unseen. And the cycle continues.

For some, the last days of the solar year will be a festive time, a time to briefly put aside work and spend some happy moments with friends, neighbors, and family. For others, it’s a time for quietude, inwardness, and communion with the holy mystery that is discovered in silence. For many, the birth of the Christ Child will be a central theme of remembrance.

Here in Richmond, the Astana will be closed for a few days. I look forward to seeing you this afternoon, and again on New Year’s Day.

If you find yourself lonely this holiday season, please remember that you are dearly loved. Let’s all find ways to remind each other of that Divine truth, with words and wordlessly.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

Solstice Season of Light
Meditation & Zikr w/ Pir Zia
December 21st, 3pm EST / 9pm CET

New Year’s Day Attunement w/ Pir Zia
January 1st, 12pm EST / 6pm CET

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. Please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar  for  upcoming events
and inayatiyya.org to learn more.