Beloved Family,
The rainy season has arrived in Northern California, a blessing for the land and the end of fire season! Thanksgiving Blessings of profound gratitude to all, even our out of country family.
Last week we had a beautiful gathering of 140 Ruhaniat leaders from around the world at IONS, about 20 minutes north of my home, as well as a successful Murshid Circle Retreat and Ruhaniat Board of Trustees.
Please send love and blessing to Uwais Bernard who was initiated as a sheikh at the Jamiat Khas leaders retreat.
Through the inspiration and help of Rachel Maize, in 2018 we will once again have a Mureed’s Retreat. Before the last one in 2010, we had the Mureed’s Retreat for 13 years in a row! Please block out the dates: Dinner Friday, Oct 5 – Lunch Monday, Oct 8, 2018 at the same residential Marin Headlands location, right by the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean!
The work season on Murshid Sam’s Dargah will end in a week and begin again May 7th. Deep gratitude to our beloved Project Manager Malik Braun.
Come join us in two weeks for our Maui Sufi Retreat.
We are still accepting registrations for the Hazrat Inayat Khan URS India Pilgrimage guided by Murshida Leilah and myself.
And please note that this year's Sufi Sesshin has new dates, Feb 23 - March 2, 2018.
This month’s wazifa practice offers the perfect balance of strength and generosity, of jelal and jemal.
Much love, Shabda
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Wazifa Practice - Recite 101x YA DHAL JALALI WAL 'IKRAM
84. Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram (yaa DHAL ja-LAA-li WAL 'ik-RAAM)
All manifestation of power (al-Jalal) as well as all manifestation of beauty (al-Jamal) come from God’s absolute essence. The first word, “Dhal” of this Name, is the same as dhat (or zat), which means the absolute essence. Dhal is the utterly transcendent source of the ceaseless flowing of divine manifestations. It is the source of the flow of divine strength, al-Jalal, into everything everywhere, without distinction. In accord with Arabic grammar, when using “Ya” we say Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram; without the “Ya” the name is slightly different: we say Dhul Jalali wal ‘Ikram.
The 'Ikram in this Name is a most beautiful or jamali quality. It means the unconditional and loving generosity of God that fully manifests into everything. It is an intensive form of al-Karim (42). 'Ikram adds emphasis, making it incomparably kind and generous, noble and giving. Paired, as they are in this Name, al-Jalal and al-'Ikram express the omnipotent strength and incomparable divine generosity that are present in the absolute essence of all, and harmonize them. The balanced combination of qualities in this great Name produces balance.
Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram is recommended as a useful practice for all who are out of balance in relation to strength and its proper use. It is similarly effective when people may not be able to set appropriate personal boundaries, as a result of being out of balance in the sphere of generosity.
To hear the pronunciation: Ya Dhal Jalali wal 'Ikram
TEXT and COMMENTARY to STUDY
This month we finish reading Series 2 of the Githa Murakkabah: Concentration of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan with commentary by Murshid Samuel Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti). Read Githa Series 2, Numbers 7 - 10, pages 24 - 41. Click here to download the document.
The Murshid Circle in my backyard
Selfie with my first music teacher and Sufi Choir Director, Maestro Allaudin Mathieu at the JK
Uwais and his lovely wife Asha at the JK
Murshid Sam's Dargah
New benches at Lama for Dargah pilgrims
Completed canale copper gutters
Anasazi stone façade on the side of Murshid Sam's Dargah
Anasazi stone close up
2 of our Masons, Kritter and Beau, with gift carved for Malik from Dargah scraps
Local Pelican
Local Pelican in flight
Local Kestral
Spotted Towhee on our backyard fountain
Northern Flicker in our backyard
Local Northern Harrier
Local Black Crowned Night Heron
Local Green Heron
For upcoming Events and Teachings, see Shabda's calendar for more information.