Description
Sufi: A Quarterly Magazine 1915–1920
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan (1882-1927) was an Indian mystic, philosopher, poet-musician. He was a disciple of Shaykh al-Mashaikh Sayyid Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani. In 1910 a long held desire to travel to the West was fulfilled and with his brother and cousin he travelled to America, then to England, Russia and France. During World War I he lived in London and from February 1915 to October 1920 a quarterly magazine – Sufi – was published. This book reproduces all fourteen editions. Within it one can follow the development of the Ten Sufi Thoughts, the Objects of the Sufi Order, and the development of the Sufi Order (later Sufi Movement).
From the Introduction of the first issue “Today we have undertaken to launch the ship of Sufism upon the great waters of Western thought. It is heavily laden with a cargo of beauties unknown and strange to European thinkers. It contains riches long unsought and a key to the door of the Great Mystery, which has long been lost. We hope that you will respond to our call and help us to hoist our silken sails of truth.”
From the third issue: “THE Fourth Anniversary of the Sufi Order was celebrated on Monday, July 5th. A Bhandara or Dervish dinner took place in the evening. This Bhandara was the first of its kind to be given in London. The next meeting was held in the Rooms of the Royal Asiatic Society, when a Report of the work of the Society during the past year was read by Miss Williams, while the Pir-O-Murshid gave a lecture on the Sufi Music demonstrated by the Royal Musicians of Hindustan. Mr. Cuthbert, the Chairman, spoke in appreciation of the Order and its work, making special reference to its Founder. “Inayat Khan,” he said, “has now been in the West for several years, both in Europe and America, and has stood our test as very few teachers have been able to do. What especially appeals to me about the Murshid is, that he, like a true teacher, loses himself in the welfare of his pupils and always hopes that they might become even greater than he himself. “Sufism, as far as I can understand, teaches that the Revelation of the inner self must be taken for a guide, rather than following another.”
