The whole purpose and meaning of creation is to discover the meaning of love.
~ The Knowing Heart

We welcome your reflections on this theme.

Ebook Now Available

Surahs 16-19 Surah an-Nahl (the Bee), al-Isra’ (the Night Journey), al-Kahf (the Cave) and Maryam (Mary)

In the Name of God, the Infinitely Compassionate and Continually Merciful 

All praise is towards God, who has sent down to His/Her servant the Book, and has allowed no distortion within it,
firmly aligned, that He/She may warn you from His/Her Presence, that you might avert intense affliction, 
and so that He/She may give good tidings to the faithful, 
who do the deeds of wholeness and reconciliation, that with them is a beautiful recompense,
in which they shall abide, everlastingly. . . .
[Remember] when those courageous youths took refuge in the cave, they prayed: 
“O our Sustainer! Bestow upon us your Compassion from Your Presence, 
and open for us, out of whatever may be our condition, consciousness of what is right.” 
[Rabbana aatina mil Ladunka Rahmatan wa haiyyi’ lana min amrina rashada.]

[Excerpt from Surah al-Kahf: 1-3;10]

"I can wholeheartedly recommend this film, which reveals so much about the heart--medically, electromagnetically, esoterically, and builds upon our work with The Knowing Heart. This film convinced me that beginning a "heart revolution" is what is needed in our time.”
~Kabir Helminski

We return for our annual UK retreat at The Vedanta in Lincolnshire. Join us for a contemporary experience of sacred space, beauty, friendship, whirling, music, poetry, and prayer in beautiful countryside with precious community!

Registrations open Aug 1st.

~ Sabina Pačariz [London UK]

One of the great gifts of motherhood for me was to spend more time with my own mum. I watch her joyfully playing with my son, singing him new rhymes, or teaching him complicated words. In the most random of moments, I get to hear important family stories for the first time. Part of me is wondering why it took me more than forty years to meet this side of her. The other part is laughing inside, thinking “I don’t remember her this patient when we were growing up”. This little bundle of joy God sent our way heals us in so many ways, alhamdulillah…

I’ve read somewhere that God’s love is greater than mother’s love. As I could not remember the exact source, I did a little research and found its roots in Christianity and Islam. In the Scripture the profundity and consistence of God’s love is compared to that of a good mother (Isaiah 66:13; Isaiah 49:15; Hosea 11:3-4; Deuteronomy 32:18), and explained as much stronger, as God never forgets. In Islam, a hadith noted by Sahih Bukhari mentions that Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that some prisoners of war were brought to the Prophet (pbuh), and a nursing woman was among them. Whenever she found a child among the prisoners, she would take it to her chest and nurse it. The Prophet said to us, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?” We said, “No, not if she was able to stop it.” The Prophet said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than this mother is to her child.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5999, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2754)

Knowing how vast God’s love is has been such a medicine over the past years. On some days I find myself too tired to even speak. Balancing a full-time job with the challenges of parenthood can get rough at times. And yet, thanks to that sustenance from the One Source, I still manage to find energy to put a smile on my face and do a quick batch of home-made cookies. There is still little bit of force left for my son’s bedtime stories (voice acting included). If this is how mothers love, what is God’s measure!? 

And while I smoothly channel that tiny fraction of God’s Rahma towards my son, I catch myself getting impatient with my mom. I do not mind repeating the same thing many times, only to watch him mess up a minute later, but I do get nervous when she has not registered something I have probably said in rush anyway. It does not take much to reveal the limitations of my capacity to love. 

Yet, without that connection to another heart, mine would not have known any better. As a hadith reported by Abu Huraira suggests:

Allah divided Mercy into one hundred parts, and He/She kept ninety nine parts with Him/Her, and sent one part down on earth. Because of that one part, His/Her creations are Merciful to each other.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2752]

Though I am not proud of those moments of contraction, I find such comfort in knowing the spaciousness of Allah’s Love. It comes as sweet balm, making me feel like that little baby who knows that it will be wrapped in its mother’s arms and nursed. It also brings much closer Rumi’s verse on us being a drop of the Ocean, knowing that each heart carries it inside.  

It is impossible to comprehend God’s Love without reflecting on His/Her other qualities, beginning with all beginnings, Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem – "In the Name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful." Muslims are supposed to start every action with these words, seeking for a sip of those Divine attributes before dealing with the world. Spiritual actions should equally begin with the same reminder of the presence of Allah. All chapters in the Qur’an begin so, apart from Surah At-Tawbah. 

I must admit that my mind sometimes wanders off at questioning why we start with Mercy and Compassion, not Love? Do they precede love? The Qur’an suggests that Allah’s Mercy encompasses all things (7:156)… Seems like I have some questions for our wise teachers.

There are so many Divine attributes closely related to Al-Wadud, "The Most Loving, The Affectionate." This piece could easily turn into a list of those reflections. For some reason, I am very strongly driven to As-Samad when trying to comprehend God’s love as not being other, nor separate from, the love between two hearts. Allah As-Samad from Surat Al-Ikhlas - the unchanging reality, the solid rock to run towards in midst of a flood. May we always be reminded of Divine Love as an eternal refuge, unlike any other. May our faith in it never waver. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem…

~ Sabina Pačariz is a seeker on the Sufi-path.

Spiritual conversation (sohbet) with Shaikh Kabir Helminski on 'The Healing Wisdom of al-Hakim.'

“It has never been as clear as it is today that what is needed is happiness, positivity, and a clear heart. We cannot afford to be negative because negativity literally feeds the dark forces that seek to enslave our souls—fear, hatred, prejudice.  On the one hand we are more aware than ever of the lies, hypocrisies, and injustices that make up official reality.  On the other hand, it is essential that we commit ourselves to increasing the happiness of all at the same time that we’re compassionate toward ourselves, free of undue attachments and content that our basic needs are met. This will add to our resilience and allow us to be more of service.  Then, it is for us to lend to humanity our intention for realization, to help humanity move forward into the joy and ecstasy of embodying the Divine. It’s also about Hakim (Healing Wisdom), isn’t it?”

July 6th

Join us for a monthly online meditation and sohbet with Shaikh Kabir and special guests from the Threshold community. Held on the 1st Sunday of every month at 12pm Eastern Time (5pm UK).

Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/435138208
Zoom passcode: threshold

Watch last month's meeting below and see all our videos here.

~ Shakira Shatoff

The St. Louis Threshold Sohbet Circle was the answer to a long-held prayer for in-person spiritual companionship. It came into being in December 2018 after years of being on the Path of Love. What came to fruition was far beyond what could have been imagined! Allah is so abundantly generous! Call upon Me and I will answer (Quran 40:60).

Several local Muslim sisters, mostly Turkish and relative newcomers to the U.S., learned through friends that I was a devotee of Mevlana. Some were learning English and wanted to have a sohbet in their new language and asked me to lead. It had been my deep yearning to be a member of a local Threshold circle, not a leader, but remembered the sacred principle taught to us by our beloved Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), “do not turn someone away who asks something of you.”  So, with prayer and guidance from Kabir Dede and Camille Ana and Mevlana and Suleyman Dede, the St. Louis Threshold community came into being.
 
Before Covid, we met in my home every Friday evening for a two-hour sohbet, followed by a potluck dinner. Several families with young children, a high schooler, and several college students and adults transformed this home into a tekkye, a “spiritual home away from home.”  The little ones played on the second floor with my son’s toys and then joined the adults at the end of the sohbet for a special lesson, using Daniel Thomas Dyer’s lovely book for children (and grown-ups), The 99 Names of God.
 
Over time, the meals became more lavish as everyone wanted to share their favorite foods from their childhood homes. They were homesick, and our gatherings became a safe haven. So, since its inception, our circle has been very open to the newcomer to the U.S. and to folks from different religious and ethnic backgrounds inspired by Mevlana. We aim to make everyone feel welcome, “at home,” loved, and accepted.  Like Sufi circles worldwide, we are a small yet powerful spiritual family under the guidance of Kabir Dede and Camille Ana.
 
With Covid, we migrated to a Zoom format almost immediately and now meet from 6 - 8 pm CST on Zoom every Thursday evening. We have readings from the Wird, the Holy Qur'an, and Mevlana, using texts by Kabir and Camille. We also do the Mevlevi zhikr, silent meditation, and end with shared prayers for loved ones and those most in need.
 
Our final 15 minutes together is always devoted to “social time,” allowing us to connect personally.  Once a month, we also have an in-person sohbet at one of our homes with Zoom, followed by our popular potluck dinner for everyone, including our partners, children, and loved ones who arrive after sohbet.  We always leave, walking out into the beautiful night, spiritually uplifted by the shared worship, prayers, conversations, and delicious food. It is a joy to be called Shakira Abla (big sister) by the younger ones! Our former “little ones” are now teens, getting ready for college, and now asking for our recipes! Alhamdulillah!
 
Our tekkye door is always open to local and out-of-town seekers who can attend regularly. If interested, just reach out to me (dshatoff@me.com) and we can schedule a call to arrange for you to join us! Sohbet members and their loved ones will be invited to our in-person weekend gathering in St. Louis each Spring, which feels like both a retreat and a family reunion. Together as a small branch of our wider Threshold community, we resonate with all of you in the sacred vibration of Alhamdulillah!

The Threshold Society, rooted within the traditions of Sufism and inspired by the life and work of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi, is a non-profit educational foundation with the purpose of facilitating the experience of Divine Unity, Love, and Truth in the world. Sufism is a living tradition of human transformation through love and higher consciousness. Our fundamental framework is classical Sufism and the Qur’an as it has been understood over the centuries by the great Sufis. The Society is affiliated with the Mevlevi Order, and offers training programs, seminars and retreats around the world.

Each month we intend to highlight an article about our lineage and its principles. You can find our core articles here. We encourage our community to read and reread these regularly.

Each month we intend to highlight an article about our lineage and its principles. 

Each month we intend to highlight an article about our lineage and its principles. This month we offer: Love in Islam.

***

Love in Islam
by Mahmoud Mostafa

Dear brothers and sisters, the guidance of Islam is the guidance of love. The innate, natural and ancient religion that is Islam is the religion of love. The Prophet (puh) came to guide us to love and to make clear the love that is at the core of all religion. Our purpose as human beings is to consciously manifest Allah’s love in our lives. This is the most significant meaning of Khilafa and Ibada that can bring purpose to us and transform our lives. When we reflect upon the history of the Prophet (puh) and the spread of his message we will realize that Islam could not have taken root in the world without the love that filled the heart of the Prophet and was clearly manifest in his way of relating and interacting with people that brought out their own deep and profound love for him. Without this mutual and abiding love, none of us would be here today. Without this love Islam would not have been possible.

[Read more...]

Sep 26-29: UK Annual Retreat at The Vedanta, Lincolnshire, more details

We’d love to hear from you: eyeoftheheart@sufism.org
Find out how to support the work of Threshold Society
You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at sufism.org