March: Joyous Disciplines
March newsletter: The Joyous Disciplines of Dervishood, visiting Chishti saints in India, and upcoming events in London...
Nov 2015
Reflection on October’s theme: Begin with contentment (Rida); then follow the Heart. As-Sadiq relates that the Messenger said, 'The world is a series of changes in fortune: such benefit you may draw from it comes to you despite your frailty, and what is to your disadvantage will afflict you without you being able to ward [...]
Oct 2015
Reflection on September’s theme: The false self (nafs) will never be satisfied; so strive with God to be near to Him. For most of our lives we live with our self (nafs) in charge, calling out to God whenever the nafs gets a bit shaken. It is when we fall and get broken that we [...]
Aug 2015
Reflection on July’s theme: Be cleansed of shallow idolatries; affirm the Real. Ya Haqq. Alhaqqah, Mal-haqqah, Wa Maa adraka mal haqqaqah. Oh the Laying-bare of the Truth. How awesome that laying-bare of the Truth. And what could make thee conceive what the laying bare of the truth will be? [Surah 69: Al Haqqah] As we [...]
May 2015
Reflection on April’s theme: The natural state of the human being is worship. The human needs God as the garden needs spring. Whilst growing up I was told: ‘Worship Allah, for if you worship you will be rewarded entry into the gardens of heaven.’ So I worshipped for an end result and for a better [...]
Apr 2015
Reflection on March’s theme: This is the work of the heart, not the work of the head. ~Shams What is the work of the heart? Wouldn’t I know, if I knew myself better? So I wrote down some of my qualities. As I wrote I saw so many positive things! I was filling pages with [...]
Mar 2015
Reflection on February’s theme: Character is the spiritually infused balance of Love and Intelligence. A thing’s character is its essence, its true nature. Yet we talk about building human character, as if character were something that could develop over time. If our character is our true nature, isn’t it something we were born with? Why [...]
Feb 2015
Reflection on January’s theme: Awakened Being is attention guided by the Heart in everyday life. Surely we are immersed in everyday life for a reason? But reason often appears when we stop searching for it. Rumi says, ‘If you are too careful, Love will not find you.’ Looking aside from the bright star we see [...]
Dec 2014
Reflection on November’s theme: Wash your hands of the cheap metals of existence like the mature, so that you may find the philosopher’s Stone of love and become gold yourself. Reflecting on this month’s theme is quite a painful experience for this one. Though it is my deep longing and aspiration to be in this [...]
Nov 2014
Reflection on October’s theme: The interpretation of a sacred text is true if it stirs you to hope, activity, and awe. ~ Mevlana On a recent trip to Urfa in Turkey, we visited the cave where Job, Hazrati Ayyub, prayed while he was undergoing his trials. The cave was tiny, barely able to contain the [...]