The Sufi Heart Symbol is a heart with wings. The heart is our connection between body and mind or heart and spirit. The heart is considered the sacred temple to be worshiped.
The heart represents the ideal, the beloved, the Spirit of guidance, the One Heart that unites us all. Unity is a common theme in Sufism.
Sufism believes that man is an instrument for the Divine. Sufism is not a religion. It is a spiritual path that is compatible with and lies at the heart of all the great religions.
Hazrat Inayat Khan is credited with bringing Sufi teachings (and also Indian music) to the west in the early 1900s. He traveled widely in the US and Europe speaking and teaching and perfoming music.
Sufism can be traced back to the mystery schools of Egypt. It also is connected to something known as quietism which was an early form of meditation practice. Inayat Khan’s works were recorded and published and there is a wealth of books published with his teachings. See my meditation book collection here for several links to books by Hazrat Inayat Khan and other great Sufi leaders.
Inayat Khan spoke and taught often about The Unity of Religious Ideals. The Heart can be seen as the gateway to all Sufi teachings and to Divinity.
In the book The Heart of Sufism, Essential Writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, summarizes life this way: Love is the nature of life, beauty is the outcome of life, harmony is the means by which life accomplishes its purpose, and the lack of it results in destruction.
February 5th is called the Urs of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan. This is the date of his passing from earth. This day is celebrated. It’s also a day to inquire within for the purpose that we have come on earth.
Message of the Sufi Heart
The Divine message is that we are life and light. Sufis touch the inner and outer worlds and realize that our human form connects earth to heaven.
Where ever you turn, there is God’s face.
Sufism is the religion of the heart. The Sufi seeks God in her own heart and believes anyone can have access to this experience.
During your personal meditations you may consider what is the next step toward your purpose, that you can take in the coming year?
There is a saying in the Bible:
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Sufi Heart with Wings shows that the heart reaches upward towards heaven. But the heart is also drawn to earth by its treasures. So seek the wisdom of the heart and explore its depth and also its height.
The Way of the Heart a New Film
There is a movie about Hazrat Inayat Khan (2011).
The Way of the Heart is a luminous chronicle of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s journey to the West and the wisdom of Sufism he transmitted.
There is a great need in the world today for harmony and this movie shines a bright light on the message of Sufism and how it can help us today with the path we are on.
Return from Sufi Heart to What is Sufi?