15 July 2026
Dear Companions on the Path,
I am writing to you from Fazal Manzil, where the Summer School is in full swing. Last night, the Urs of Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Maheboob Khan, Murshid’s first younger brother, was celebrated with a vibrant concert featuring his entrancing compositions sung in various Indian languages as well as English.
Today, Karuna Güssregen presented Shaikh al-Mashaik Mahmood Khan and myself with a wooden sword she has been meticulously carving for the last several years. This exquisite instrument will be kept in the Oriental Room and used for chivalric dubbings.
The Summer School comes on the heels of a wonderful gathering that took place at Omega Institute (founded in upstate New York with the blessing of my father in 1977). My subject that week was the spiritual stations (maqamat) described by Khwaja ‘Abdullah Ansari, a subject to which I will be returning throughout the summer. Ansari’s work is a robust synopsis of generations of Sufi thought regarding the successive halting places that punctuate the trail of the mystic pilgrim journeying in search of the One. It must not be forgotten, however, that “the paths to God are as numerous as breaths” and can never be tidily reduced to a system.
Before Omega, I traveled to Washington D.C., New York, Boston, and Berkeley on a tour to introduce my new book, Tears from the Mother of the Sun (with art by Amruta Patil). My warm appreciation goes out to Corin Girard and Tajalli Roselli for arranging the tour, and to all of the friends who came out to hear the readings. A review and a photo album of the tour can be found here.
By the time you see this, the Summer School will be finished, and I will be on my way to Turkiye, God willing. I look forward to seeing some of you in Ephesus and Istanbul. After Turkiye there will be opportunities to be together in the Netherlands (Aug. 21-23) and France (Sept. 18-20). Let’s look for each other.
I have just learned of the passing of Hazrat Ayazuddin Faridi “Rais Miya,” the Sajjadanishin (lineage bearer) of the Dargah of Shaykh Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri. In February, Rais Miya Sahib graciously received a group of companions and myself at his historic home. His hospitality, his gentle presence, and the lore he shared were luminous. May God bless and keep him.
The world’s pain, and the struggles in our own lives, can be overwhelming at times. We need to remind ourselves that God’s compassionate wisdom engulfs everything, even that which seems most intractable. Our calling is to let the light in. Our healing and our deepening alignment toward grace and guidance are part and parcel of the world’s renewal in the light of God’s boundless love.
Yours ever,
Pir Zia
Photo of Hazrat Ayazuddin Faridi by Asif Khan Dehlvi
Suresnes group photo by Inas Kamran-Yılmaz
Photo of sword by Kadir Troelstra
The weekend opens on Friday evening in The Hague, where Pir Zia will introduce Tears from the Mother of the Sun, his new collaboration with visual artist Amruta Patil — an evening of story and image open to all.
On Saturday and Sunday, we gather at the Universel Murad Hassil for a two-day retreat: Akhlaq Allah: The Divine Manner and the Etiquette of the Path. The Sufis teach that the seeker’s task is to take on the manner of God — to let courtesy, in its deepest sense, shape every thought, word, and act. Together, we will explore the adab of the path: the refinement of character that turns daily conduct into worship and the company of others into a school of the heart. More details and registration.
Pir Zia in Türkiye
The Türkiye Inayatiyya Association is honored to host Pir Zia Inayat Khan in July for the 12th Sufi Gathering and Pilgrimage, “In the Footsteps of Mother Mary: The Sacred Path of Inner Surrender and Divine Grace,” taking place July 18–24 in Selçuk-İzmir, followed by a special gathering on July 25 in Beykoz-İstanbul. This event is in person only. To learn more or to register, please reach out to Zehra Müge Kasim.
News from the Caravan
This month, we have news to share from the Caravan. Read more…
The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of the Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more information, please visit us at inayatiyya.org.
