“[…] every rock is longing for the day when it will burst out as a volcano, and when all that is valuable in it will come out” – Hazrat Inayat Khan
16 December 2025
Dear Friends,
There are mountains that do not rest. Mountains that carry their own heartbeat, hidden beneath layers of stone. These are the volcanoes – sacred vessels of fire, where earth remembers its origins in light and heat.
To stand near a volcano is to feel something ancient awakening. It is the earth dreaming aloud. The fire that burns beneath it is neither good nor bad – it is creative, destructive, and transformative. It is the fire of becoming.
In the Sufi path, fire is the element of yearning, of purification, and of the inner will that propels the soul toward union. Fire strips away what no longer serves. It does not ask permission – it remakes. The volcano is the outer symbol of the inner burning that every sincere seeker must endure: the slow pressure of longing, the cracking open of the self, the eruption of Divine Love through every hardened layer.
Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us:
“Love is like the fire; its glow is devotion, its flame is wisdom, its smoke is attachment, and its ashes detachment. Flame rises from glow, so it is with wisdom, which rises from devotion.”
As part of our Fall Appeal and our larger campaign reflecting on sacred landscapes, we now turn toward the volcano – a paradox of stillness and eruption, destruction and renewal.
The volcanic landscape may seem barren at first, but from its cooled flows arise new worlds. Fertile soil. Strange beauty. Life emerging from fire.
In the Inayatiyya, we walk alongside those who are passing through their own inner volcanic transformations. Those whose hearts are aflame with longing. Those whose lives are breaking open to something deeper. We strive to be a sacred container for this fire – so that it may not destroy, but refine.
As we enter the final days of the year, this work depends on the shared commitment of our community. Already, many companions have added their warmth to this year’s campaign, bringing us to $129,745 toward our $200,000 goal. With $70,255 still to raise by December 31st, we are in the homestretch and every gift truly matters now.
If those who feel called to this work step forward in these final weeks – whether through a modest offering or a larger one – we can close this gap togetherand carry this sacred fire into the year ahead with strength and stability.
If your heart, too, carries a quiet flame or a roaring one know that you are not alone. Let us tend this fire together, so that it may light the way for all who come after.
With devotion and deep warmth,
Josh & Tajalli
on behalf of the Inayatiyya Fall Appeal 2025 Committee
Nazish Riaz, Board Chair | Ambreen Coombs, Treasurer | Nilufar Maryam Hasnaa, Board Member | Mika’il Petin, Executive Director | Tajalli Roselli, Astana Staff | Josh Octaviani, Astana Staff
The Inayatiyya is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization (Tax ID #23-7159641). Your donation may be fully deductible for tax purposes per United States IRS guidelines. Please note that donations made by check must be received by Friday, December 26th to be considered as within 2025. If you would like to make a donation by mail, please send it to Inayatiyya, 112 E Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219.
