Contents

1. Introduction

1. Sacred Expression in Quran

2. Movement as Worship of the One

3. Openings from Rumi

4. Music as a Sacred Practice

5. Sufi Walking Meditation

6. Nature is God’s Language

7. The Big Bang and its Gifts

8. Inspired Talismans and Sacred Objects

9. Sacred Orientations - Facets of Unity

10. Gender, Spirituality, Justice

11. Poetry Recitals

12. The Sacred Knot

13. Sacred Stones

14. Photo Gallery

Prof Iqbal Jhazbhay

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri

Shaykh Kabir Helminski

Camille Helminski

Shaykh Saadi Douglas Klotz

Natalia Douglas-Klotz

Haji Mustafa Sterling

Shaykh Hosam Raouf

Aliya B Haeri

Dr. Adnan Adnani

Sadiyya Shaikh

Ebrahim Ravat

Majida Ravat

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Introduction

The 13th century sage, Ibn ‘Ata’llah, correctly advises us in his classic text, The Hikam, to avoid trying to break through the ‘walls of destiny’ and to shun the over-management of your day-to-day events (isqaat al-tadbir).

It is this wisdom which flashed through my heart, as I reflected on 13th annual gathering of the Academy of Self Knowledge (ASK). I am ever-grateful for the opportunity of attending the past 12 ASK annual gath-erings of hearts, minds and souls. I yearned, year-after-year, for the next gathering. In this context, I was saddened by the possibility earlier in the year that I may not be availed such an opportunity, to attend the 2012 annual gathering under the title, Celebrating Life.

Destiny prevailed. The angels conspired! This year’s annual gathering was another feast of lights and de-lights. Poetry recitals, zikrs, musical ensembles, Sufi kataak dancers, and the African drum echoed over the 5-day substantive programme. Shaykh Fadhalla weaved his storytelling narrative representing geography, history, music, cosmology and the norms of the Qur’an. The age-old storytelling genre is returning to a number of circles. May this beautiful return (al-rad al-jameel), continue. Aluta continua storytelling!Guests speakers from Finland, the USA, Scotland, provided insights and connected time and space. Every year this gathering inspires and connects hearts. There seems to be no letting up of the quality of presen-tations and that graceful frontier of hearts. This event remains a highly-credible gem. I now wonder what will emerge in 2013 and await the next annual ASK gathering, in sha Allah!

Prof Iqbal Jhazbhay

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Sacred Expression in Quran

1. Earthly Struggles

The Qur’an is a sacred deliberation combining descriptions of realities as well as prescriptions, which when followed bring about radical transformation and joyful liberation.

Ever since Adam’s exile from eternal paradise we human beings long to return back to that original state. All of our efforts physically, mentally and spiritually are directed towards experiencing the field of paradise.

We prefer hope to despair and we want to believe that a time may come when we celebrate, uncondition-ally, the universal perfection irrespective of one’s personal feelings. To live happily for a while is the begin-ning of the path where we desire happiness at all times irrespective of our physical, mental or spiritual conditions.

It has been a human habit from pre-historic times to live with hope and good expectations and to celebrate goodness in numerous occasions and for numerous reasons, such as a new home, a birthday, a good har-vest, success and victory, as well as other causes. We follow tradition, culture, religion and many other situ-ations to enable us, individually and collectively, to share in celebrations. The inner drive in human beings to be hopeful and optimistic regarding sacred experience is relentless. I share with you the following story:

After harrowing days of bombardment of Salzburg there was a day of calmness. Half of all the buildings in the city and many thousands of homes were reduced to rubble. The American and allied parties caused mayhem. The ‘friendly’ allies were supposed to arrive at the destroyed city soon. The early morning sun sprayed its rays of hope upon the devastated city. Max the musician was making his way cautiously to the centre of Residence Platz with this elaborate baroque fountain and surrounding buildings most of which were now in ruins. He walked towards a broken bench adjusting his sitting position for his cello in prepara-tion for his musical improvisation celebrating cycles of life and death on earth’s eternal life’s source. Max was already a well known figure in the musical circles and festivals, especially in celebrations of Mozart and Haydn. A gentle breeze blew some of the dust off the piles of rubble and Max produced his red silk hand-kerchief and placed it firmly on his mouth. The stench of dead domestic animals and birds had become more intense with the rise of the sun.

He was playing the changes of seasons of the human dramas on earth within an eternal truth. He looked around the empty square and thought to himself that he can represent all of creation – he continued play-ing. After a while, he felt a passing figure on the other end of the square. A mother and her young daugh-ter were clambering over the rubble making their way out of the square. The young girl began to pull her mother towards Max. She was wearing a long grey frock, obviously a hand me down. Max greeted his un-expected audience with a gesture and carried on playing. Beautiful Isabelle was looking at Max attentively and as he felt her glance, he stopped playing and looked at her sad face tinged with fear and tiredness. It was her birthday and her mother was taking her to the outskirts of the city to her cousin’s house which was not bombed. She smiled at him and said, ‘I am Isabel and I am twelve years today. Do you think music will

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri

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come back to our city,’ her anxious face was mixed with hope. ‘I am playing ‘requiem for the dead,’ Max spoke softly, ‘and celebrating life at the same time, do you like it’. Isabel’s eyes welled up with tears and her mother gave her a little hug trying to resume their arduous journey. Max held Isabel’s hand softly and promised she will have an enjoyable birthday. Mother and daughter began walking amongst the piles of stones and debris and the smouldering stench. A little grey kitten emerged meowing to Isabel; she kneeled down and asked her mother permission to pick it up and take it with them.

Within three years Isabel was a promising student at the music academy and played in a concert celebrat-ing Max’s 80th birthday. On that occasion Max gave her a red silk handkerchief and told her whenever she is sad and depressed to put this on her face and fly into perfect harmony and bliss.

Some years later, Isabel was on holiday in Salzburg ad was showing her kids the city and its beautiful sur-rounding mountains. Upon visiting the old market square, they went into a new museum and amongst the main exhibits, there lay the beautiful cello that belonged to Max. She could not stop her tears from flowing. She sat down, hugged her children and told them of the story.

2. Quest for truth

Ten years after Isabel’s parents emigrated to Canada and had enjoyed their new life, news of the death of their favourite uncle Ignacio had emerged. He was a Jesuit monk, who was the last to be in the monastery when it was sold to a hotel group. Ignacio had decided to join Albert Schweitzer in the Belgian Congo in his leper’s colony. After a few months he was disappointed in many ways and died broken hearted.

Isabelle married Zeki, a successful tax consultant whose father was a Turk and his mother, a German. Soon they had two children and Zeki was enjoying his material success and the family holidays to the Caribbean as well as the occasional skiing. When the Children were in their teens, Isabel was feeling the emptiness in her life and often remembered Ignacio’s last words to her before leaving for Africa. Be patient for it will take you 40 years before you begin to have lasting fulfilment beyond pleasures and disasters. She thought to herself that she still has a few more years to attain this prophecy. She was a frustrated housewife with a husband, who was pursuing his worldly obsession and pleasures.

A Turkish Sufi group was visiting Toronto and Isabel was thrilled by the singing of the communal dhikr and Shaykh Muzaffar’s booming voice. Zeki was not interested; he was a rational sensible worldly materialist. A year later changed, she changed her religion again and joined a Rifa’i Sufi group in Toronto. On her birthday, Zeki had arranged a special party for her but she became ill and locked herself up in her room. She even thought of suicide a couple of times. The local Rifa’i Shaykh, Shaykh Salim was her new spiritual connec-tion and she was fully absorbed into the new teachings. She loved the Qur’an and began to pronounce the Arabic with some fluency.

Zeki was quite understanding but the emotional and spiritual distance grew wider between them. Isabel goes for Hajj and was trampled over, near the position of the stoning of Satan. She possibly passed out, but vaguely recalls angels lifting her up out of the torrent of human congestion. She recovered soon and decided there was a direct divine intervention. Shaykh Salim referred to this instance in a few of his talks as his repertoire of spiritual miracles was growing in number and intensity. Isabel unpacked her Hajj suitcase, which was full of scarves, prayer beads, prayer mats, eastern perfumes and other bricker-bracs. She put aside a few of the items for herself and distributed the rest. A few months later, she decided not to keep

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any of these souvenirs as she began, more and more, to feel the presence of the light of the Ka’bah beam-ing out from within her heart. A while later, she remembered the wisdom that when you have a diamond mine, you have no interest in pebbles.

3. Arrivals

Isabelle outgrew the spiritual state of the Sufi’s in Toronto and Shaykh Salim recommended her to visit Istanbul and the Grand Shaykh Aminullah. After much physical, mental and spiritual preparation, she was on her way with two other Sufi ladies towards Istanbul. It took them a week to settle down after the nu-merous mishaps, stomach bugs, bed bugs and also other adjustments. And then, the three ladies from Canada plunged into the arduous life of the tekkia. After two weeks they were enjoying the hospitality and the epiphanies in day to day life. Isabel was beginning to become more secure in here spiritual journey and more convinced that the purpose of life is to refer to the light within the heart at all times. Several times during the end of dhikr, she nearly passed out and was revived by rose water. One evening after dhikr, Shaykh Aminullah asked her about her stay in the tekkia, and she gave a glowing account of how happy she is. He invited her for coffee the next morning. She trembled with joy and anticipation. Her eyes and heart were focused upon the Shaykh as she sipped the thick coffee. She was in ecstasy and her heart overflowed. The Shaykh asked her about her stay. ‘This place is heavenly and I feel I am already in paradise’. The Shaykh laughed and quietly murmured ‘that I hope your mood becomes a mode for what we want is constancy not the comings and goings.

Paradise appears as glimpses to begin with and so does Allah’s light until you realise that this is the only true purpose of life. Happiness on earth is short lived and is always tinged with sorrow and fear and the human quest is to return to the eternal garden. If you say that Adam was exiled from paradise then the only drive for his offspring is to return back’. Isabel sighed deeply with an expression acknowledging all of this and her weakness. The Shaykh nodded sympathetically, ‘I pray that you will be whisked away on the flying carpet of your religion and that you realise that whatever you loved and wanted is already within you.’ He touched her shoulder gently and said, ‘in this world we are like kids playing with pebbles, sharing, caring, buying , selling, giving, taking and all other human activities until the experience of the presence of the sacred treasure in your heart becomes constant. Once you know that the biggest mine of diamonds is within you, you won’t care anymore for the inferior gemstones. Celebrating joy is good but better than that is beyond all your experiences and pleasure or joys, earthly dualities remain our battlefield until we experi-ence life through the perfect lens of unity. The world of suffering can be the springboard to the ever-pre-sent divine offering. Human intentions and actions can be sublime or ridiculous and when sacred presence is realized, we will experience infinite blissful moments. The purpose of life is through dedicated intention and attention to experience and celebrate sacred oneness that envelops and permeates all. Don’t ever be distracted by anything else’.

As she was fastening her seatbelt on the return journey to Toronto, Isabel thought that she is now enter-ing a new stage of her life and was longing to communicate with her long dead uncle, Ignacio. She also felt much compassion and understanding for Zeki and the rest of humanity. Upon her return Shaykh Salim realised the transformation of Isabel and asked her if she could begin teaching and play her role in defend-ing Islam and spirituality. She smiled to herself and agreed to look into his request but deep down she was so content with Allah’s prefect creations that she was still basking in the joy of witnessing his perfections. There was no personal drive to do anything good or bad. She felt truly gripped totally by the divine pres-ence and was in ecstatic celebration timelessly, and in time.

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30:19 He brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. He revives the earth afteritsdeath.22:66 He it is who gave you life and will cause you to die and then revive you [to a new life].29:57 Every soul shall taste death and then to Us You shall revert.67:2 He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is most righteous in deed. He is the Almighty, the All-forgiving.31:34 No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die.3:109 ToGodbelongsallthatistheHeavensandEarthandallmattersshallreverttoGod.4:97 Was not the land of God wide enough for you to emigrate.20:53 He who made the earth for you a cradle and marked in it paths for you.19:33 Peace be upon me the day I was I was born, the day I die, the day I am resurrected, alive.2:212 Forthosewhodisbelievethepresentlifehasbeenmadetoappearattractive,theymock those who believe and those who fear God.14:3 Theyembracefondlythislifeinpreferencetothehereafter.13:15 And to God prostrates all who are in the Heavens and Earth, willingly or unwillingly.2:218 Those who believed and those who emigrated and exerted themselves in the way of God. These can indeed expect the mercy of God. God is the All-forgiving, compassionate to each.5:35 O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah and seek the means of recourse to Him... 29:56 My earth is wide and it is Me that you must worship.10:99 Had your Lord willed all people on earth who would have believed…16:97 Whoever does good, male or female, while having faith, we shall make him live a good life.8:24 O believers, respond to God and His Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life. 27:75 Thereisnohiddenmatterinheavenoronearthexceptinamanifestbook.10:62 Theywhobelievedandwerepious–tothemgladtidingsinthispresentworld,andinthe hereafter.14:48 A day shall come when the earth is recast into other than earth and heavens, when they shall all rise from the dead before God.7:49 Enter the garden, there is no fear upon you nor will you grieve.79:41 Those who feared standing before their Lord and curbed the self from its whims, the garden shall be their abode. 57:4 And He is with you wherever you may be.29:43 And We present these parables for mankind; but no one grasps them except the wise.33:3 PutyourtrustinGodandGodsufficesastrustee.47:6 Heshallguidethemandsettheiraffairsinorderandadmitthemintothegarden, which he made known to them.

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Movement as Worship of the One

Shaykh Kabir Helminski is a translator of the works of Rumi and others, a Shaykh of the Mevlevi Order which traces back to Jalaluddin Rumi, His books on spirituality: Living Presence and the Knowing Heart, have been published in at least eight languages. Among his most recent books are The Book of Language, Exploring the Spiritual Vocabulary of the Qur’an and Love’s Ripening, Rumi on the Heart’s Journey, and The Rumi Daybook.

In 2009 Kabir was named as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world. He has toured as Shaykh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. He speaks widely on Sufism and Islam, often in an inter-spiritual context.

‘Why We Whirl’ – Shaykh Kabir explained how this practice helps sustain our connection to the One. ‘Whirl-ing’ is an integrated mind body soul practice that can help us to understand Divine energies. Above all, it is a form of ‘ibada’.

We were given a description of Rumi’s meeting and connection with Shams. Rumi, already a mystic met Shams who was an extraordinarily evolved being, and looking for one to whom he could impart the knowl-edge he had. Rumi was taught the practice of whirling by Shams.

Whirling has healed people who were physically and mentally challenged and had the exposure to this practice. It has been known for ‘Sema’ to be practised for as long as forty days.

Shaykh Kabir went on to describe the stages and formalities of the ceremony which is accompanied by mu-sic. – ‘Sema’ which is a form of ‘ibada’ and a mode of transformation has four parts to it. It consists of four ‘salaams’. The third ‘salaam’ is where the devotee transcends to higher levels and in the fourth ‘salaam’ comes back to the world and is grounded. During the practice one hand is stretched upwards to receive energy and the other hand is pointing downwards to transfer it to the earth. Participants wear a black robe which is removed before they start and a special long hat, which represents the tombstone. Before they begin they bow and acknowledge the Shaykh/Master and look at him by concentrating on the point be-tween his eyes.

The practice of whirling should empty one of thought and neutralize time and space. It is supposed to dis-solve the ‘nafs’. Shaykh Kabir described the process as ‘sobriety that contains ecstacy’. It builds awareness and develops the importance of servant hood and service in everyday life.

Shaykh Kabir concluded by saying that the essence of whirling is…… that ’wherever you turn you see the Face of Allah’….

Shaykh Kabir Helminski

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Camille Adams Helminski is Co-Director (and co-founder) of The Threshold Society (www.sufism.org), a non-profit organization established in 1988 that is rooted within the traditions of Sufism and dedicated to facilitating the direct personal experience of the Divine.

She has been working within the Mevlevi tradition of Sufism for over thirty-five years and has helped to in-crease awareness of the integral contribution of women to the spiritual path of Islam with her book, Wom-en of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure. She was also the co-founder and co-director of Threshold Books which helped to bring into English many classic texts of the Sufi tradition and assisted in introducing the tradi-tional whirling ceremony of the Mevlevis to over 100,000 people in performing arts centres and universities around the USA. She is a mentor of the Snowmass Interspiritual Dialogue established by Father Thomas Keating and has also been designated as one of the spiritual leaders of WISE (Women’s Initiative in Islamic Spirituality and Equality. www.wisemuslimwomen.org).

Camille described her childhood as a time when she learnt to appreciate beauty in nature, and paid tribute to her parents who helped develop and encourage her strong sense of beauty and devotion.

Her talk was interspersed with readings from Rumi’s poetry and musical accompaniment. She encouraged us to develop our awareness of beauty and One-ness….To illustrate this, Camille held up a glass of water – ‘See and be seen by water – and your awareness of the Honourable Presence.’ Our connection with the Divine can be developed with use of the breath. Camille also spoke of enhancing our sense of appreciating beauty, by developing our ability to ‘see through the third eye.’

A turning point in Camille’s own spiritual journey was the sudden tragic death of both of her parents in an accident. But with difficulty comes ease. Everything is perfect – the Divine is always calling us.

Openings from RumiCamille Helminski

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Music as a Sacred Practice

Shaykh Saadi Shakur Chishti, is the student of Pir Moineddin Jablonski Chishti, who was the student of Pir Sufi Ahmed Murad Chishti, who was the student of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan Chishti. He is also an initiate of the Mevlevi tradition, through Shaykh Jelaluddin Loras, and has benefitted from the blessings and teachings of Murshid Shamcher Beorse, Murshida Fatima Jablonski, Murshid Wali Ali Meyer, Pir Hidayat Inayat Khan, Pir Barkat Ali and Shaykh Suleiman Hayati Dede. The Chish-tia lineage, one of the oldest Sufi tariqas, uses music, art, poetry and sacred movement as practices to help surrender the false self and re-member our original relationship to the Source and Ground of all Being. He is the author of several books of translation on the Aramaic words of Jesus, including “Prayers of the Cosmos,” “The Hidden Gospel,” and “Blessings of the Cosmos.” His most recent books include “The Sufi Book of Life,” a commentary on the Asma ul Husna and “Desert Wis-dom,” a collection of translation and wisdom from the sacred texts of the Middle East. He co-authored the book “The Tent of Abraham” with a Christian nun and a Jewish rabbi as part of his interfaith peace work. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland and directs the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning. He also directs an annual Sufi Summer School in Europe (www.sufiruhaniat.eu). For more information, see the website www.eial.org.

Shaykh Saadi Douglas Klotz

Music as a Spiritual Practice of Effacement Practices of experiencing fana through listening, chanting and music are historically shared by the Chishti lineage.These essentially begin with prayer, dhikr and fikr, then hearing the sound “Hu” within, only gradu-ally beginning to express oneself as the “self” was effaced. This is almost the opposite of usual Western mu-sical expression, which begins with the ego. This presentation contained some preliminary teachings in this from Sufi Ahmed Murad Chishti and then proceeded to some chanted practice and music. Following up on the presentation from last year, some of the chants will focus on the Aramaic words of Prophet Isa (PBUH). Others will include prayers of Pir Barkat Ali and other Sufis.

Sacred Expression and Voices of the Native Middle East The One Being is constantly expressing itself through the Prophets and wise ones of all times, as they seek to answer the question: “What is the greatest expectation asked of us in life?” The talk will feature some poetic renderings of native voices of the Middle East from original Semitic languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic, ancient Egyptian and Arabic.

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Sufi Walking MeditationNatalia Douglas-Klotz

Natalia Douglas-Klotz was born in Moscow, Russia. She studied phi-losophy and psychology in Moscow State University. In later years her main interests changed to psychotherapy, life coaching and healing. Natalia has been following Sufi path for the last 12 years, mainly with-in the Chishti lineage in the Sufi Ruhaniat International and Dervish Healing Order. She currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, doing psy-chotherapeutic and healing work and co-leading a Sufi healing group together with her husband, Shaikh Saadi.

In order to truly celebrate life, we need to learn about our potential and to master the fullness of our energies, not to live while being stuck in the same aspect of our being for most of the time. A very sim-

ple, yet powerful tool was developed for this very purpose by Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti, a disciple of Hazrat Inayat Khan Chishti. This exercise in “Spiritual Walks” combines concentration, attunement and breath and includes our physical body in its natural state – in movement, the simplest of which is walking. This practice allows us to move from state to state by choice, by the power of our intention, breath and atmosphere. Through these walks devotees are able to discover their own natural and most helpful rhythms, as well as to develop flexibility in choosing and changing their energies according to the needs of life. There are walks of body centres, ele-ments, planets, symbols, as well as moving practices with Asma-ul-Husna and tasawwuri walks in attune-ment to the Prophets, Saints and Masters. In this workshop we acquainted ourselves with the walks through moving with one of the basic groups of energies that we all have – the four elements. To facilitate with learning about our own elemental rhythms, we will also use a simple breathing practice of the Chishti line.

Nature is God’s LanguageHaji Mustafa Sterling

And it is He who has created the heavens and the earth in accord-ance,withtruthandonthedayofresurrection,hewillsay“Be”and it is... He is the knower of the seen and the unseen, All Wise, All Aware. [6:73]

In another ayat:And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.And Allah says, speaking on the tongue of the Prophet: “Iwasatreasurehidden,wanting/lovingtobeknown.Icreatedtobeknownandloved.”All of creation is predicated on the Divine intention to be loved and known. Each one of us is designed to “read”, discover and comprehend the message of the Divine Singularity, expressed uniquely through every

living thing.

This is the meaning of the saying “there are as many paths to Allah as there are people”.Everything is in a relationship, and communication with each and every other thing. This forms that perfect reflection of the evident One in multiplicity.

In the etymology of the word, to “relate” is Latin to “return to the original state”.The ultimate purpose of creation is to come to realize the One in multiplicity and yielding to its Light. Be-coming intimate with the Light within, transforms your everyday experience. In this way everything that engages your consciousness becomes an opportunity to witness the unique message being reflected to you.

Yielding to Light within requires turning your attention to remembrance of Allah in ones daily life.There are three dynamics that need to be in place for the alchemy of the self to take place. These are Dhikr, Fikr and Himma.

Dhikr is to remember, Fikr is to reflect and Himma is to be encouraged by the later two to move with hope and optimism.

The first is to remembrance of the One Truth. Allah has described the Light within each human being as the “Ruh” which is by His words “bill Ammeri Rabi” or by the order of Allah. His Light the Ruh is seamlessly connected to the inner core of the heart. It is not the flesh heart that we are talking about, but the essence heart that is at the centre of every living thing.

Doing Dhikr, establishing regular worship and practice, especially Salat, is the prescribed way to intimacy with that which is already within.

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Fikr is to reflect with referencing to the Light within to witness the signs and meaning at the core of every existent thing. It is here through the Light of the heart that you see, hear, and read the unique message of living guidance that is the purpose of life.Himma is born out of Dhikr and Fikr in that the self becomes inspired by its realizations and gifts that are evident everywhere.

We are designed to “read” the creation; it is a mirror for us to arrive at wholesomeness. …AndAllahsetsforthmetaphorsformankindsothattheymayreflect.[14:25]And indeed we have given in this Quran every kind of similitude… [17:89]The metaphor of those who take other than God as protectors is like the spider which makes a house for itself,theflimsiestofallhousesisthespider’shouse...[29:41]

Grasp this image. See the spider’s house blown away.And so we propound these metaphors to man, but none grasp their inner meaning except those who are aware (of truth). [29:43]There is no creature on earth...That is not part of our book... [6:38]50:22“LaqadkuntafeeghaflatinminhathafakashafnaAAankaghitaakafabasarukaalyawmahadeed”

[Itwillbesaid],“Youwerecertainlyinunmindfulnessofthis,andWehaveremovedfromyouyourcover,soyoursight,thisDay,issharp.”

17:14“Iqra/kitabakakafabinafsikaalyawmaAAalaykahaseeba”

[Itwillbesaid],“Readyourrecord.SufficientisyourselfagainstyouthisDayasaccountant.”

17:13“Wakullainsaninalzamnahuta-irahufeeAAunuqihiwanukhrijulahuyawmaalqiyamatikitabanyalqa-humanshoora”

And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day ofResurrectionarecordwhichhewillencounterspreadopen.

Indeedyouwereheedlessofthisbutnowwehaveliftedfromyouyourveilandsharpisyoursighttoday!The command: “read” and the lesson for all mankindThis is clearly evident and exemplified in the experience of the Prophet Muhammad as the first command revealed to him was “Iqra”.

BismillaherRahmanerRaheem1.Iqra/bi-ismirabbikaallatheekhalaqa2.Khalaqaal-insanaminAAalaqin

Read!inthenameofyourLord,Whocreated-Createdman,outofa(mere)clotofcongealedblood[‘alaq]:Note: One of the root meanings of the root of alaq is to be “hanging on”, “attached”.

When the Prophet Muhammad was asked about this event he once described the appearance of Jabril, that his countenance spanned from one horizon to the other.Jabril’s job is that of the medium of revelation. The command to read “iqra” is a command to each and every one of us. We must read our book and be guided by the living guidance. Do we not know that on that day when there is no place to hide, our book will be presented to us. We want to receive it in our right hand, not our left. It means that besides the Quran there is another book. That book which each and every one of us creates throughout our lives. The world is a book. It is His language, telling us not only His story, His nature, names and attributes, but also our story and how we reconcile both into a synthesis, unifying the story into one harmonious symphony. When Jabril appeared to the Prophet, he later described the experience that Jabril’s continence was spanned from one horizon to the other. This means that the meaning of all things was revealed in one sin-gle act to the Prophets heart. All things were unveiled to him and from then on he saw things as they were. This is what we must strive for to bring true happiness and peace in our lives. True happiness, peace and joy can only come through reading the signs of Allah, intimately hearting His voice in all things and yielding our agenda to His.

The Sign of the Black Stone and it message

1. It came from beyond this world.The Black Stone was believed to me a meteor that came to earth at the time of Adam. It was re-vered by people throughout time and was the cornerstone of the Kaba. Iin metaphor it represents the transcendent, “in this world, but not of it”!

2. It was chosen as a unifying symbol. The metaphor being that which is from the spiritual or other worldliness is what bonds us.

It was widely used by the Prophet as a means to unify the differences of the tribes in making it pos-sible for all to take part in placing it as the cornerstone of the Kaba. This metaphor clearly reads that the inner reality the transcendent is the real unifying factor for all. Outwardly there will always be differences, but the Light, the Ruh which is the order of Allah will always we the connecting factor.

3. It is the cornerstone of the Kaaba. Its symbolism is the essence of the Kaaba. The Black Stone is the cornerstone of the Kaba because it represents the essence of God’s house. It is the point where phenomena and outer geometry ends, and the infinite portal of the innermost heart begins.

4. The Prophet kissed the Black Stone. Infers intimacy. Our Prophet kissed the Black Stone. Kissing is a sign of intimacy. It implies surrender and disappear-ance in the love of the beloved. It is beyond description and only those whom have placed their lips with love where our Prophets lips touched know the full meaning of this.

5. The Prophet never made it mandatory. It is for those who choose to enter into the essence. Our Prophet never made it mandatory. How can one make love’s surrender mandatory? It can only come from the movement of a heart, the awakening of God’s love and yearning, surrendering to it and fading what you claim is yours into what is and has always been His.

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Everything in creation is a sign

Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged. —Rumi

In a garden stones communicate and instil a feeling of rest, repose and induce reflection of spiritual thought.

Fountains in which stone is use reflect in nature polar opposites. Witnessing a fountain like this bring one to recognize and sense the singular harmony that is beyond the opposites.

They are the means for Tawheed.We find the echo of permanence in “writing things in stone” they communicate in gravestones, statues, and other monuments the perpetuity or the transcendent nature of time.

Gemstones Overview

Gemstones represent something deep and constant joy opposed to what is transient.Gemstones have had an important place in many religions for centuries. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Bible refers to twelve stones set in the breastplate of the high priest, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. In Hinduism, nine gemstones are identified as corresponding to the nine planetary Gods in Vedic astrology.

In Islam, a practice of wearing gemstones developed from legends associated with Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad. There is a tradition that Imam Ali wore four rings on his hand with four different gemstones, they are, Aqiq, Yaqut, Feruz and Hadid Theen.

Aqiq (sometimes spelled Aqeeq) is believed to refer to the gemstone Carnelian. This is generally regarded as the most important gemstone in Islam. The Prophet was said to have worn a silver ring on his right hand with an Abyssinian stone (probably a type of agate, such as carnelian), with the stone facing toward the palm. Imam Ali was said to wear a similar carnelian and attributed to protect himself from enemies and misfortune.

The term Yaqut is less clear. It is often translated as Opal, and it is said that Ali wore Yaqut for “beauty and dignity.” But many scholars believe the term Yaqut refers to Ruby, and this view seems more widely ac-cepted.

Feruz (or Feroza), on the other hand, unambiguously refers to the gemstone Turquoise. It is said that Ali wore turquoise “for obtaining divine help and victory.” There is an Islamic tradition that if a person prays to Allah while wearing rings set with Feruz and Aqiq, Allah does not turn the prayers down unanswered.Hadid Theen is believed to refer to the gemstone Hematite. It is said that Ali wore this gem for strength. The Islamic lore cautions against wearing hematite constantly; instead it should be worn for protection when confronting a tyrant or oppressor.

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Finally, the fifth stone of significance in know as Dur-e-Najaf. This is generally thought to be a type of quartz or rock crystal from the Najaf al-Ashraf area of Iraq. The legend is that Allah had made this stone easily available so that both the rich and the poor could wear and benefit from it.

Story of reconciliation with father

One day a regular customer of mine came into my shop. She appeared to be stressed or distressed. I felt moved to do something and there was a crystal that I was fond of at my desk. I felt compelled to give it to her as a gift. She was moved and accepted it. Some months later she returned to my shop and embraced me in tears. She explained that her father died some months back and that she had not addressed some outstanding issues between them. She went on to tell me that last night she had a dream, her father came to her in tears, asking for forgiveness. She reached out to him and they embraced. She awoke felling re-leased from her burden. She was holding the crystal I had given here over her heart. She came to thank me for the gift and felt that somehow it was useful in channelling the experience.Spirit Quartz cutting across his palmOnce while attending a gem show a man was walking towards my table clearly with his eyes transfixed upon one of my prized crystals. He was covered in demonic tattoos and wore piercings in his face. I prayed that my crystal would not be bought by him. I feared that he would do something disagreeable with it. He reached from it and it exploded in his hand, cutting his palm open. He dropped the crystal and cursed as he ran to seek help for his wound. Mashallah!

ConclusionThere is no doubt that Allah has placed signs in the self and on the horizon for those whom are awake and reflect their divinely encoded meaning. Whether it be stones or leaves, water or tress all things are speak-ing His language and generously guiding us with His living wisdom. It is our job to awaken our hearts to His signs. Clean and polish our inner so that our hearts become a mirror to His wisdom filled creation.

May Allah bless our Prophet, our Shaykh and us.

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The Big Bang and its GiftsShaykh Hosam Raouf

When I want to express myself, I stand humbly among you, and I talk to you, sharing my experience and my thoughts with you. When the Mon-arch or the President of a country wants to express himself, he gets the media, the paraphernalia, and all the officials around him. Before he starts the music of the national anthem plays, then he makes his dec-larations, and finishes with a similar ceremony. The next day the press make the necessary announcements for all the people to know about the declarations. The books of history will mention the event with few lines, and that would be the end of the story.

But when Allah, The King of Kings, The All Mighty, The Supreme, The Creator, The Inventor, The Compeller, The Eternal, wants to express Himself, the picture is entirely different. When Allah (S) wants to ex-press Himself. He will do it by exercising His Divine Attributes, in a man-ner befitting His Might; it is “The Ultimate Sacred Expression”.

Present day scientific knowledge shows that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy, which we now call the “Big Bang”. This was the singular start of everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of “Space and Time”. Prior to this event, there was NOTHING. After it, there was EVERY-THING, the whole universe, and with it came the miracle of intelligent life and consciousness. This was “The Ultimate Sacred Expression”.

The seed of everything that has happened in the universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet, every galaxy, and every living creature in the universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the first moment of that cosmic explosion.

But with all the knowledge that the scientists have today, it is still not known to them what caused that ex-plosion, or from where came that immense flow of energy and how it has continued to expand for the last 13.7 billion years, creating a vast unimaginable space, and start the arrow of time. This universe is so vast that it stretches 93 billion light years across, and filled with over 100 billion galaxies containing hundreds of billions of stars. How is it that this vast creation is so perfectly designed, so intricate and so precise? Every-thing in it is interdependent, nothing, nothing is independent. Any event anywhere in the universe causes a reaction; the reaction may be seen, may be unseen, and may be subtle, so subtle or gross, very gross.

Considering this vast, intricate beautiful creation with humanity at its centre, the scientists must ask the simple question: who initiated it, and for what purpose?? The Creator must have all the attributes needed for such a grand achievement, also He must be eternal.

Scientists have established that the same laws of physics and chemistry apply all over the universe, on every star and every planet. This can only mean that it is ONE Creator who designed and brought every-

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thing into being… Halleluiah.

To know the answers to these questions, we need to have access to another realm, another dimension of knowledge. This can only be obtained by faith in the unseen, by acknowledging and submitting to the divine message of the Quran. Allah says in a Hadeeth Qudsi that “He was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known, and He created so that He will be known.” In the Quran He said “I only created the Ins and Jinn to worship ” (Al Thariat 51/56). So to worship is to know Him and His ways. Imam Ali (A) said “I do not wor-ship Allah because I am afraid of His fire, or that I seek the pleasures of His garden, but I do so because He is worthy of it.” Allah was, and nothing was with Him, as He is now. He was and nothing before Him or after Him. “Nothing is like Him, He is the All-Seeing and All-Hearing”(Shura42/11)Then He says, “Inni Jailun Fi Al Ardhi “Khalifa”.

“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place on the earth a Khalifa, they said: What! Will you place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Your praise and extol Your holiness? He said: Surely I know what you do not know (2Baqara /30).

And We said: “O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight, of things therein as wherever you will (Baqara 2/35).

These were some of the gifts and advantages that Allah Has bestowed upon us. If we want to celebrate anything in this creation, in this life, surely we must celebrate having these honors and privileges. The crowning honour and glory is to be His Khalifa. It is the “Ultimate Honour”, and the “Ultimate Gift” that came with the “Ultimate Sacred Expression”. The Big Bang.

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Inspired Talismans and Sacred ObjectsAliya B Haeri

Why do we love sacred objects?

Our love of sacred objects connects us with the Divine. It focuses our thoughts and energy to the One source beyond all created things. Every religion and culture venerate certain objects and give them holy status. In Islam, the most sacred objects are the Kabah and the Black Stone, and the Qurán. Aliya explored the significance and use of the Hand of Fatima, an ancient symbol of protection to ward of negative energies, called after the beloved daughter of the Prophet. A stylized form of the palm of the hand, this talisman was also used in Judaism known as the Hand of Miriam, older sister of Moses and Aaron, and can be found in even older cultures of the Middle East, as well as in the east.

Verses of the Qurán and other esoteric symbols (called taweez) written on paper and covered in pieces of fabric or encased in silver were worn around the neck or pinned to one’s clothing as amulets of healing. A cure for any illness can be found in the Qurán however, the Quránic ayahis not the cause of the healing, but rather a dhikr or meditation to focus oneself in deep silence to that state where healing can occur. As one evolves in consciousness, one no longer needs a taweez but relies only on using the surah al Fatiha as a focus for the healing of anyillness.

Aliya held up an amber tasbih(string of prayer beads) and took us on a journey to show us how when we use the tasbih to perform dhikr, we are connecting ourselves back to the source of all created things - starting 14.5 billion years ago where the universe began out of the Unseen. I was a hidden treasure and I longed to be known, therefore I created so that I could be known. All life was created from the dust of dying stars, creating our solar system, the planet earth and eventually the mountains, oceans and plant life on earth. Somewhere in eastern Europe, a tree fell and over the next 30-90 million years, its resin fossilized into amber. Earth upheavals and a child playing on the shore of the Baltic ocean picks up the rough golden orbs of amber floating on the water. An artisan fashions them into beads, and they are strung into strands of prayer beads. I am invited to Islamabad to treat a diplomatic client, and on a day’s outing, we walk into a backstreet shop in Islamabad where I see this string of amber prayer beads. It is bought as a gift for me. And this is how, through the amber tasbih, I connect back to the source.The sacred is the in amber – the Oneis in every single object, every particle and space in this universe.

We as human beings are made of the same stardust, the same stuff of which the whole universe is made. We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return.And we can, because the cosmos is also within us.We’re made of stars. We are made of light. We are light.

Who then is the sacred object?

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Dr. Adnan Adnani

Sacred Orientations - Facets of Unity

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Professor Thomas McElwain

Thomas McElwain was born in Ashtabula, Ohio in 1949, but made his first home in Elkins, West Virginia where most of his father’s family lived and had grown up. McElwain published his first two volumes of poetry while working in the academy press: Grains of Sand and The Sapling.

Thomas studied at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan dur-ing the summer of 1974. During the autumn of that year he began field work on the Allegany Reservation in western New York. He studied Gen-eral and Comparative Ethnography at Uppsala University the following year, before transferring to the University of Stockholm

He became a docent or associate professor in the same university in 1981. At the same time he lectured at the University of Turku in Fin-land, first in Comparative Religion and later in Social Polity. He produced a number of books and articles of academic study mostly on Eastern Woodland Native American culture and religion.

Thomas McElwain began studies in Biblical Hebrew and Greek under James Zachary at Monterey Bay Acad-emy in 1965. He has maintained a life-long interest in reading Scripture in its original languages.

During the 1990s McElwain engaged in presentations of Hebrew Bible cantillation using the Susanne Haïk-Vantoura key to decipher the Masoretic signs. He made such presentations in many places around the world. At the same time he made Bible presentations in many mosques and Islamic centres. He served as director of interfaith dialogue at the Islamic Centre of England, London during 2001-2002. At the end of 2005 he was able to join the pilgrimage to Mecca.McElwain now lives with his family in a cabin on the edge of Puijo Hill in Kuopio, Finland and near his daughter and grandson Adam. He spends his time now in study and writing as well as traversing the many trails of Puijo forest.

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Sadiyya Shaikh

Gender, Spirituality, Justice

Sufis do not share a single understanding of gender nor is Sufism a historical panacea of all things good and wonderful for women. Sufism has been historically characterised by tensions between on the one hand, gender egalitarian impulses and on the other hand, exclusionary and gender biased impulses. Nonetheless Dr. Sadiyya Shaikh argues, the egalitarian possibilities within Sufism reflect a deeper consistency within its own foundational assumptions and ultimately within Quranic teachings.A deepening of a foundational and fairly simple Quranic teaching she believes is essential of all our understanding of gender – the notion that a human being’s inner state is ultimately the measure of value in this life...and the same inner work is required of every soul. It is this closer attention to the process of internal purification that makes Sufism a particularly rich area of explanation for gender debate.Many Sufi men and women are so absorbed by the inner life that they become dismissive of the micro poli-tics of social power. They often dismiss gender hierarchy as merely the illusions of the dunya, and want to focus on the real work or the refinement of character. However, social and interpersonal justice is nothing but the work of the spirit. And in fact, gender and social justice are the work of the spiritual path.Sufis are particularly vigilant at the state of the self that the Quran describes as Nafs al-Ammara bi’su (the self that commands to evil) which is responsible for creating disunity between men and women. This is ultimately responsible for gender inequality. Sufi masters have taught us to be very careful and vigilant with the lower commanding self. This essential critique of egotism or the machinery of Nafs al-Ammara of the Sufi psychology presents in Dr. Shaikh’s view, an important challenge to gender imbalance of male superior-ity.13th century Sufi master Ibn Arabi had the same insight into the clearest articulation of foundational Sufi understanding particularly as they relate to gender.He tells us that humanity can know and reflect the Divine One. On the one hand we have the names of maj-esty or “jalali’ names and on the other hand we have the names of ‘beauty’ or ‘jamali’ names.

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Bushra Winter

Bushra started her career in the Health and Personal Development industry and her work progressed and developed naturally into speciali-zation in coaching and experiential training.

She developed her practice further by training with CTI (Coaches Train-ing Institute) the foremost coaching training program in the world over 6 years ago. She has 1,000 + coaching hours, is a member of the ICF (International Coaching Federation), and is certified by both CTI and the ICF. Bushra specializes in using training and coaching skills to develop clarity, creativity and confidence in individuals and organizations for the sake of optimizing the impact they have in the world.Bushra conducted a Coaching Skills Workshop to help people gain skills to optimize their personal and professional development process.

Abdullah Hüsnü Feyyaz Yalçın

Feyyaz Yalçın was born in 1957 in Istanbul. In 1978, he was admitted to Photography Department at Istanbul Fine Arts Academy, as the top performer in entry exams. After his initial year at the Academy, he went to France where he studied in École des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg. Following his graduation, he has continued to work in France as a photographer. In 1985, he returned to Istanbul and established Nucleus Creative Photo Design. Nucleus has been a pioneering player to realize large-scale projects and production ideas for 27 years.Feyyaz Yalçın founded Istanbul Art Centre, where leading Turkish artists’ workshops have been brought together for the first time under one roof, and several national and international artists have been hosted for arts activities, events and expositions held in the 3600 m2 venue. He has been involved in Sufism, western philosophy and literature since

1986. He has made remarkable contributions in restructuring Mevlevi (Rumi) culture in Istanbul, in terms of establishing a Rumi foundation, organizing tours in Turkey and abroad and enabling participation of women in Sema (whirling) ceremonies.Alongside directing commercials, short films and documentaries, Yalçın also works as a director of photog-raphy. His debut book of Sufi poems, “Birden-bire Bir Yolculuk” (A journey from the One to the One) was published in 2007.

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Selçuk Gürez

Selçuk was born in 1973 and at the age of 15 he started playing the reed flute. At the same time he started his whirling lessons. Years fol-lowing he learnt the art of making a ney (reed flute). He attended the tekkes (Sufi houses) in Istanbul for many years and got to learn the traditional tekke music and rhythms (bendir and kudüm).Since 1994 he has been working with the Galata Mevlevi Music and Sema Ensemble as a singer, ney and kudüm player as well as a head whirling dervish. He has attended many concerts, ceremonies and workshops all around the world.

Moriam Grillo

Moriam studied ceramics at the University of Westminster in London and has been working with clay for over ten years. Her first degree in photography and film led to an initial career as a free-lance photogra-pher. After the birth of her second child, she began studying ceramics part-time. She now works as a ceramic artist from her home in the UK.

She was awarded an Arts Council grant to develop her work in 2009 and 2010 and is a member of The Society of Designer Craftsmen.Moriam spoke about how a creative activity such as pottery relates to a spiritual process. Her talk also touched on the many references in sacred texts that liken mankind to clay and how clay has the ability to record the mark of its maker for posterity.

Poetry Recitals

Zaheer Karolia chaired this session. He reminded us of our own ‘inner poet’: we are often inspired to write poetry when we experience feelings of joy, nature, loss, etc. and we find that words are the only means to express ourselves.

This was reflected in the selection of poems compiled by Zaheer and Yaseen Khan had compiled a book of poetry Celebrating Life with contributions from members of our community world wide. A selection of po-ems were read out, These included contributions from the late Mohammad Nur (Sweden), Sara Hadi (UK), Hajj Mustapha (USA) and Muna Bilgrami (Pakistan). Zaheer read a poem he had written when he had first met Shaykh Fadhlalla – and had found himself drawn to Shaykh – not knowing why!Leyya Kalla read another poem dedicated to Shaykh Fadhlalla. Leyya is compiling a book of poetry – and encouraged everyone to contribute.

The Sacred Knot

Sacred Stones

Ebrahim Ravat

Majida Ravat

Ebrahim Ravat’s interest in carpets started during the aphartheid years when he worked in a carpet factory as a dispatch clerk. During the 60’s he visited Europe and the Middle East. In Iran he was impressed by the carpets made by Nomadic tribes. Children were given spiritual education by their parents as they knot-ted the carpets. The powerful spiritual transmission affected the carpets – and attracted people to ‘fall in love’ with them without realizing why. Children these days do not make carpets in the same way – this has made the tribal carpets increasingly rare. We were shown a range of carpets spanning over several decades. He described how carpets made for commercial purposes lack the spiritual transmission which makes the original carpets so attractive.Ebrahim gave recommendations on how to purchase a carpet – do I like it? Have I got space for it? Can I afford it?Carpets and prayer mats Ebrahim retain a quality of ‘humility’ – we sit and eat, converse – and especially enjoy prayer and contemplation on a special prayer mat

Majida showed us a display of different tasbis‘ – ‘tasbis’, she told us, ‘speak their own language’. Majida described her own ‘love affair’ with stones. The Quran, Shaykh Fadhlalla’s and Shaykh Saadi’s books on Allah’s Names have given Majida a source of comfort and inspiration both for herself and others. She also uses the colours of the chakra system for guidance on what colour to choose for her clients’ needs.

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Photo Gallery