Introductory talk · Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Light & Darkness - Nature Meditations with Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Part of a nature meditation series; reflection on light and darkness as symbolic and spiritual polarities.
Overview
What does sufism point to?
Sufism is the mystical current within Islam, oriented toward the purification and remembrance of the heart. It is expressed through poetry, music, ethical formation and companionship within a lineage, or tariqa.
Practices such as dhikr (remembrance) and sama (sacred listening) are shared across many orders, though language, ritual and emphasis vary considerably between them.
The beloved is not found by searching, but by the heart that has stopped looking elsewhere.A central question within Sufism
Teachers
Voices within this tradition.
Compare background, approach and format before choosing a teacher to follow.
Interfaith scholarship
Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Spiritual head of the Inayatiyya Sufi order and founder of the Suluk Academy, combining scholarly training with universal Sufi teaching.
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Mevlevi Sufism
Kabir Helminski
American Mevlevi Sufi sheikh and co-director of the Threshold Society, teaching classical Sufi practice rooted in the Mevlevi order of Rumi.
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Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi Sufism
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
British Sufi sheikh of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi order and founder of the Golden Sufi Center, now retired from public teaching.
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Sufi scholarship & pilgrimage
Omid Safi
Duke University scholar of Islamic studies and Sufi teacher, leading Illuminated Courses & Tours to sacred sites across the Islamic world.
View profile →Upcoming events
Upcoming sufism events.
Retreats, dialogues and online gatherings connected to this tradition.
Talks & videos
Selected talks.
Talks and conversations from teachers within this tradition.
Talk · Pir Zia Inayat Khan
One Through Love: Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Discussion of Rumi's poetry and the relevance of his teaching on love as a unifying force for today's world.
Talk · Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Spiritual Ecology — Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
A talk connecting Sufi mysticism to the ecological crisis, from Vaughan-Lee's later archive.
Talk · Omid Safi
Introduction to Islamic Meditation Practices: Dhikr and Breathwork
An introduction to dhikr and breath-based practice within the Islamic and Sufi contemplative tradition.
Talk · Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
The Journey of the Soul - Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
A talk on the soul's journey from within the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition.
Talk · Omid Safi
Omid Safi talk at Ebenezer Baptist Church, on annual MLK national holiday
A Martin Luther King Day talk connecting Sufi and interfaith perspectives on justice.
Talk · Kabir Helminski
Sufism & Awakening the Human Heart
A Mevlevi Sufi teaching on the heart as the seat of spiritual awakening.
Talk · Kabir Helminski
How Do We Live from the Heart? | Sunday Meditation with Kabir Helminski - Jul 6th 2025
A Sunday meditation session on living from the heart in daily life.
Discernment
Clarity should include the human context.
Devotional language of surrender and love is central to this tradition, but should never be used to justify the abuse of spiritual authority.
Ask about contextIs a statement philosophical, meditative, relational or practical?
Notice powerHow are authority, money, intimacy and complaints handled?
Include embodimentDoes the teaching make room for emotion, the body and nervous-system limits?
Keep agencyA useful teacher supports clear choice rather than demanding surrender of judgement.