HISTORY
A Short Historical Note About Sufi Healing Activities
Pir‑o‑Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan founded the Sufi Movement in 1923 and one of the five activities of this Movement is Spiritual Healing.
From our guidebook p18 I quote:
3.1.The essential idea of Sufi Spiritual Healing may be rendered as follows:
‘The soul, being divine breath, purifies, revivifies and heals the instruments of body and mind through which it functions.’
Source
Hazrat Inayat Khan ‑ Volume XI ‑ Philosophy,
Psychology and Mysticism Part III: Mysticism, APHORISMS
3.2.The essential purpose of Sufi Spiritual Healing may be rendered as follows:
‘To awaken humanity to a greater realisation of the healing power of the divine Spirit, thus to bring about a better state of physical and mental health, moral and spiritual well‑being, the inner peace, and so to fulfil the law of God.’3.3.The mystical essence of Sufi Spiritual Healing has been expressed by Hazrat Inayat Khan in the following words:
‘The meditative process is a treatment for all illnesses. The reason is that the manifested life comes from the unmanifested. The unmanifested life is void of all activity and is full of repose; it is peace in itself. Therefore the name of God has been known by the ancients as Salaam, which means peace. No remedy, therefore, is greater than peace. Medicines can help, but up to a certain limit. For instance, medicine can help the body, but not the mind; the psychological treatment may help the mind, but not the soul. All these things such as medicine and psychological treatment come from the outside, and the patient is dependent on them, but in the meditative process the patient creates his remedy for himself.'
Source
Hazrat Inayat Khan ‑ Sangatha I, Tasawwuf, Metaphysics, God
From the guidebook p19 I quote:
3.4.Participation in the Spiritual Healing Activity as well as initiations and appointments to its functions are open to qualified initiates of the Sufi Order, the Esoteric School of Inner Culture of the Sufi Movement, as defined under the articles of incorporation, art IVa.
Since 1923 circles of spiritual healing called Healing Service (under the guidance of a conductor, Shefayat or Kefayat) have been held regularly.
Although Murshid was the perfect healer, during his life‑time Kefayat LLoyd was the internationally appointed leading Kefayat of the healing activity.
After Murshid passed away, Murshid’s brothers successively led the healing activities as they were all healers. A particularly great healer, Murshid’s cousin Murshid Ali Khan was a perfect embodiment of the Sufi spiritual healer and also a very powerful giver of massage. His ‘treatments’, as they were called, gave a total healing to many a patient physically, mentally and spiritually. Since the passing away in 1967 of Murshid’s youngest brother Murshid Musharaff Khan (40 years after Murshid passed away in 1927) the glorious first period of Sufi Healers ended.
Since then Fazal Inayat Khan’s great interest was psychotherapy and the continuation of the healing ‘seances’.
Since 1982 the Sufi Movement very actively reorganised and developed spiritual healing as the principal source of healing Murshid gave, based on becoming a pure channel of divine healing power through daily training focused on wiping out the lower self so that the all‑sufficient divine Healer, hidden in man, may arise and affirm Himself.
Under the guidance of Pir o Murshid Hidayat Inayat Khan, the Inayat‑e‑safa, great attention is being given to all Murshid’s teachings on healing, particularly on the development of breath. In many countries overseas and in Europe the healing activity is progressing beautifully and in Holland training courses for conductors are being given two to four times a year.
The above mentioned guide‑book for spiritual healing has been made recently, containing guidelines, the order of service and bylaws. Its latest version is nearly finished. It is meant for conductors, Shefayats and Kefayats so as to train all participants in the healing service created by Pir o Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Ratan Witteveen
April 1994
Pir‑o‑Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan founded the Sufi Movement in 1923 and one of the five activities of this Movement is Spiritual Healing.
From our guidebook p18 I quote:
3.1.The essential idea of Sufi Spiritual Healing may be rendered as follows:
‘The soul, being divine breath, purifies, revivifies and heals the instruments of body and mind through which it functions.’
Source
Hazrat Inayat Khan ‑ Volume XI ‑ Philosophy,
Psychology and Mysticism Part III: Mysticism, APHORISMS
3.2.The essential purpose of Sufi Spiritual Healing may be rendered as follows:
‘To awaken humanity to a greater realisation of the healing power of the divine Spirit, thus to bring about a better state of physical and mental health, moral and spiritual well‑being, the inner peace, and so to fulfil the law of God.’3.3.The mystical essence of Sufi Spiritual Healing has been expressed by Hazrat Inayat Khan in the following words:
‘The meditative process is a treatment for all illnesses. The reason is that the manifested life comes from the unmanifested. The unmanifested life is void of all activity and is full of repose; it is peace in itself. Therefore the name of God has been known by the ancients as Salaam, which means peace. No remedy, therefore, is greater than peace. Medicines can help, but up to a certain limit. For instance, medicine can help the body, but not the mind; the psychological treatment may help the mind, but not the soul. All these things such as medicine and psychological treatment come from the outside, and the patient is dependent on them, but in the meditative process the patient creates his remedy for himself.'
Source
Hazrat Inayat Khan ‑ Sangatha I, Tasawwuf, Metaphysics, God
From the guidebook p19 I quote:
3.4.Participation in the Spiritual Healing Activity as well as initiations and appointments to its functions are open to qualified initiates of the Sufi Order, the Esoteric School of Inner Culture of the Sufi Movement, as defined under the articles of incorporation, art IVa.
Since 1923 circles of spiritual healing called Healing Service (under the guidance of a conductor, Shefayat or Kefayat) have been held regularly.
Although Murshid was the perfect healer, during his life‑time Kefayat LLoyd was the internationally appointed leading Kefayat of the healing activity.
After Murshid passed away, Murshid’s brothers successively led the healing activities as they were all healers. A particularly great healer, Murshid’s cousin Murshid Ali Khan was a perfect embodiment of the Sufi spiritual healer and also a very powerful giver of massage. His ‘treatments’, as they were called, gave a total healing to many a patient physically, mentally and spiritually. Since the passing away in 1967 of Murshid’s youngest brother Murshid Musharaff Khan (40 years after Murshid passed away in 1927) the glorious first period of Sufi Healers ended.
Since then Fazal Inayat Khan’s great interest was psychotherapy and the continuation of the healing ‘seances’.
Since 1982 the Sufi Movement very actively reorganised and developed spiritual healing as the principal source of healing Murshid gave, based on becoming a pure channel of divine healing power through daily training focused on wiping out the lower self so that the all‑sufficient divine Healer, hidden in man, may arise and affirm Himself.
Under the guidance of Pir o Murshid Hidayat Inayat Khan, the Inayat‑e‑safa, great attention is being given to all Murshid’s teachings on healing, particularly on the development of breath. In many countries overseas and in Europe the healing activity is progressing beautifully and in Holland training courses for conductors are being given two to four times a year.
The above mentioned guide‑book for spiritual healing has been made recently, containing guidelines, the order of service and bylaws. Its latest version is nearly finished. It is meant for conductors, Shefayats and Kefayats so as to train all participants in the healing service created by Pir o Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Ratan Witteveen
April 1994
