28 October 2025
Dear Friends,
There is a mountain that cannot be seen by the eyes of the world, but only by the gaze of the soul. Beyond the horizon of perception, rising through the veils of imagination and spiritual insight, there stands a mountain unlike any other – Qaf, the legendary mountain of mystics and poets. Said to encircle the world and mark the boundary between the seen and the unseen, it is composed not of rock or snow, but of pure emerald light. To approach it is to approach the edge of ordinary knowledge and the beginning of true vision.
It is to this mountain that the birds of the spirit, a band of seekers led by the hoopoe – each representing a facet of the human soul – fly in ʿAttar’s Conference of the Birds. After crossing deserts of longing and valleys of annihilation, they arrive – tattered but transformed – at the base of Mount Qaf. There they realize that what they sought as distant was always within: the Simurgh, the object of their quest, is none other than their own collective reflection.
The Mountain is not a destination. It is a revelation.
In our tradition, the Mountain is a symbol of the soul’s ascension. It is the axis of the world and the mirror of the human being – majestic, immovable, and silently towering above the storm-tossed plains of everyday life.
And yet every great mountain has its source. The ancient Sufis spoke of the Mother of Mountains, the primordial place from which all sacred peaks arise – a cosmic origin, hidden deep within the earth and within ourselves. It is the still point from which elevation begins.
Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us:
“The same spirit which is in us, is also in the mountain and rocks”
In the Inayatiyya, we take this sacred imagery not as metaphor only, but as a map. The inner journey often begins in the valleys – lowlands of uncertainty and seeking. But gradually, through practice, companionship, and grace, we begin to rise. Step by step, we scale the ridges of the self, pressing toward the summit that calls from within.
And so we ask: Who holds the mountain? Who tends its pathways, clears the fog, steadies the pilgrim?
The answer is: we do. Together.
This year, as part of our Fall Appeal and ongoing campaign honoring the sacred aspects of landscape, we turn our hearts toward the Mountain – not just the legendary Qaf, but the inner mountain rising quietly in each of us.
We invite you to support the Inayatiyya as we continue to cultivate the high path of spiritual development. Your contribution:
Our 2025 campaign goal is to raise $200,000 by December 31st. We have currently raised $70,499, leaving $129,501 to reach the summit.
May we echo the journey of the climber on Mount Qaf, whose every step is inward, and whose compass is the hidden light of the soul.
Will you take the next step with us?
Give today, and help us hold up the mountain – not only for ourselves, but for those whose journey has only just begun.
With gratitude on the path,
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.
