17 June 2026
As I thought about the Zephyr for this month, my heart and mind were focused on Pir Vilayat, and so I thought I would write to you by sharing what I would like to share with him.
Dear Pir Vilayat,
On this auspicious occasion of your 22nd Urs, it feels appropriate to take the time to tell you what is going on within the community of the Message of Love, Harmony and Beauty.
In front of me is a majestic image of you and one of your eagles. Beside this image is my computer, so your love of the future takes me to a search engine that plants trees, where I find an interview with you about fear, courage and awakening.
All of these help me attune to your being, and I remember your sayings in the alchemical wisdom deck produced in your time. The first words I see are: “Cherish others, uphold them…”
This brings to mind a beautiful seed that is being cultivated in the UK. Thanks to the creativity of the Inayatiyya UK trustees, there are several groups studying the teachings of our lineage. I am in a group that has been studying death and dying, held with openness and compassion by three volunteers. With their support and the rest of the members’ willingness to share our experiences with the teachings, our skills and expertise in the world, we have become an intimate group of spiritual companions on this journey of our souls. Covering everything from our own mortality, to funerals, to how prisoners in Scotland are involved in the processing of grief.
The inspiration of this group is an antidote. Your words, “what if?”–oft repeated by you with that sparkle of joy and humour–are another antidote. For me, your dedication to awakened justice, which was a cornerstone of your life’s work, is emblazoned in these words: “Let your peace be materialised in your actions.” This dedication is also embodied in the work of the Hope Project in Delhi, which continues to thrive and is celebrating your Urs at your dargah.
You are present as we discern what the work is for our time. We are, as ever, at the crossroads of bringing our inner transformation into our outer world, because of what you named: the desire of consciousness to evolve continuously while resting in the Eternal Now in our journey “Towards the One.”
I would be remiss if I did not mention how music acts as the healer of the soul. This month we saw the publication of a new CD by Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Maheboob Khan, also known as the composer Archshaik Maheboob Khan, who was the younger brother of Hazrat Inayat Khan. It is wonderful to hear his compositions set to Hazrat Inayat Khan’s words.
In these compositions, we feel the light of the illuminated souls. As you constantly reminded us, ours is the way of the light.
In fact, you said: “How would the world be different if, for example, all of us were to reclaim our inheritance as members in a ‘tribe of light’ who vow to bring enlightenment to all creation.”
This is where we enter the world of imagination and “The Pull of the Future”, which has me asking for your prayers, as we call on this “tribe of light” to help us mold and shape the future.
I have included the invitation below and ask that you bless our work with your light.
As I come to the end of this Zephyr, all that remains dear Pir Vilayat is to say: I am bathed in your presence, uplifted by your words and grateful beyond words for the flame you lit in our hearts.
I end with your words on courage: “Have the courage to face the light of your own being.”
Humbly yours,
Gulrukh Deepa Patel
Invitation to join us in exploring the living Message
For those of you reading this, we are exploring how you might be living the Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan in your working life — how each of us embodies and expresses our spiritual path and its teachings.
To begin this vast and beautiful undertaking, we needed a point of entry. We have chosen the three themes that Pir Zia used to describe the era we have entered, in his November Zephyr newsletter: our relationship with technology, and artificial intelligence in particular; our relationship with nature, in the face of the sixth mass extinction; and our relationship with one another, in the unfinished work of human reconciliation.
We are therefore looking for members of our community who are working–professionally or as volunteers–in one of these three areas:
We would like to bring people together for two conversations whose broad outlines will help shape our sacred mission. The first conversation will take place this summer on the following dates:
To participate, please fill out the following form by July 1st. If you can’t join on these dates but would like to be involved and be kept up to date, please also fill out the form. The second conversation will follow in the fall.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions: iib@inayatiyya.org
Please join us for this special event, the 22nd anniversary of Pir Vilayat’s passing from this world. Our theme is Illumination & Everyday Life. How does the light glimpsed in meditation find its way into our daily lives? During this gathering, members of the Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan Archive Team will share newly digitized video recordings and images from the archive, illustrating Pir Vilayat’s lifelong emphasis on bringing the fruits of spiritual realization into ordinary, lived experience. Saki Lee and Amida Cary will offer personal reflections and memories. Pir Zia will then guide us in a teaching and meditation on this theme. As a global community, we will gather in the luminous presence that Pir Vilayat continues to radiate. More details and Zoom link.
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. More details and registration.
Please join us in-person or online, for this year’s Sufi Summer School with Shaikh-al-Mashaik Mahmood Khan, Pir Zia Inayat Khan Maulabakhsh, and many friends. Our 10-day hybrid programme on experiencing beauty and mystical attainmentincludes lectures, music, meditation and zikr. All sessions are in English. 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.
