26 March 2026
Dear Companions on the path of Spiritual Liberty,
Greetings of Peace.
I imagine many of us have been turning to the presence and guidance of our dear Hazrat Inayat Khan as we try to discern what to do in these conflict-ridden, polarising times. For me, the guidance has come in many ways and forms, visible and invisible to the world.
This morning, thanks to the Rev. Lucy Winkett, it came in the form of a question as she shared her Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4: “In an interview… a former national security advisor was asked, ‘What about that old thing…. Wisdom’? It was in the contemporary context of the war between the US, Israel and Iran. It’s a modern question that echoes the question in the Book of Proverbs: Where can wisdom be found?”
That question has brought a sense of what my responsibility is as I stare at the facts about the level of destruction, injustice, and loss of life that we are witnessing. One that I struggle with is that nearly one in five children in the world is living in areas affected by conflict.
Where to find wisdom in all of this? Hazrat Inayat Khan says in the Gayan: “The bare truth alone is not sufficient; truth must be made into wisdom. And what is wisdom? Wisdom is the robe of truth.”
The good news about the mystical path is that it is not just about the mind making sense of this and developing a strategic plan, but the heart “holding aloft a light of truth” in the presence of opposing thoughts, forces, and the “darkness of human ignorance” (including my own). The heart, as he says, is the “throne of wisdom.”
The level of terror our human and earthling friends are facing right now is asking us to find our voice for those whose voices are not heard, to take action for freedom and justice, and to do all we can to better understand why we are in this situation. That, it seems, is how we will get to the robes of truth.
And as ever, sometimes music does it better. This remains, for me, the anthem of our time.
For now, I share one way I am holding this light in the inner planes with the prayer that it becomes a reflection on the outer plane. It was shown to me in my recent pilgrimage to India for the Urs.
I was waiting for a guest who had never been to Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Dargah. Due to mass crowds, beeping horns, and speed, it can feel like everything from the cows and rickshaws are obstacles to getting there, especially if you don’t know where you are going.
As I walked with her towards his tomb, she said, “I can’t believe how peaceful and beautiful it is in here. How can this one wall be such a strong barrier to the outside world?” This was a reminder of one of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings:
“It is true that one cannot attain wisdom without deriving a certain advantage from it, as it is more advantageous to be wise than ignorant. But it is not for this that the journey is entered upon. However, as one progresses on the spiritual path, the Sufi becomes aware of a wonderful peace, which inevitably comes from the constant presence of God.” – The Way of Illumination: The Sufi, Vol. 1.
Every day since this war started, I have been imagining all sentient beings—both those that are alive and those that have died due to conflict—going through the door and settling down in Hazrat Inayat Khan’s dargah in the presence of God. It’s quite crowded, but there is always room for each and every soul.
May our ignorance be rooted out by wisdom.
May our imaginations create Myriad Peace.
May our prayer provide sanctuary.
In friendship,
Gulrukh
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.
