Sirat-i Inayat: Interfaith Sufi Path Board of Directors
President and Permanent Member: Sára Rain
Secretary and Treasurer: Rahima Joahn Rain
Board Member: Khabir Christian Mayer-Glauninger
Glossary
We use a lot of Arabic or Urdu words and phrases to describe our focus, intentions and activities. Almost all of these language choices are based on Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan’s instructions and word usage. Most of these have roots in traditional use of the words, and some of them were chosen by Sirat-i Inayat founding members as the most accurate language to express our purpose.
Baraka – (Arabic) – spiritual blessing, a charged and powerful, abiding energy
Bayat – (Arabic) – initiation, a ceremony of welcome, connection between teacher and student, and conveyance of blessing, an oath
Cherag – (Arabic) – ”Lamp” – title indicating an ordained minister, someone with the spiritual authority to perform Universal Worship Services, weddings, funerals, etc.
Fikr – (Urdu) – mindfulness, concentration – silent practice of keeping a specific word, Name of God, zikr phrase or other concentration, on the natural rhythm of the breath
Jamiat Khas – (Arabic) – “special gathering” – the leadership collective, includes all shaikhs, mu’alims, board of directors, cherags
Kefayat – (Urdu) – “sufficiency” – title of the Pir, the spiritual leader of Sirat-i Inayat, who functions as the head of the Healing Collective – the highest initiation level that can empower Healing Collective leaders to be able to train and initiate others to lead healing services
Inayat – (Arabic) – kindness, blessing of God, dedication, friendliness
Mu’alim – (Arabic) – “teacher” – roots of the word indicate integrated knowledge – as a title in the Sirat-i Inayat, it is the leader of a Ray, someone who teaches a particular skill
Pir – (Persian) – ”Elder” – a Sufi spiritual guide – a title used to indicate the spiritual leader of a Sufi order
Qasab – (Arabic) – breath practices that control and shape the rhythm and quality of the breath according to one’s will
Shaikh – (Arabic) – “respected elder” – initiator, guide, someone who is empowered to initiate mureeds
Shaghal – (Arabic) – an advanced breath practice focused on turning the attention away from sensory experience, with the aim of perceiving the reality of the inner life
Shajara – (Arabic) – “tree” – spiritual lineage, family tree, documented history of generations
Silsila – (Arabic) – “chain” – the spiritual chain of transmission, the list of the spiritual heads of a Sufi order, link, lineage
Mureed – (Arabic) – “one who seeks” – dedicated student, initiate
Murshid – (Arabic) – teacher, the roots of the word indicate an integrated embodiment of guidance
Nafs – (Arabic) – “ego” or “self” – ego identification, ties and attachments to worldly associations, the sense of self
Nimaz – (Arabic) – “worship” or “formal prayer” – in Sirat-i Inayat, it refers to the “Confraternity Prayers” of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan: three times daily prayers including: Saum, Salat, Khatum, Pir, Nabi, Rasul, Prayer for the Universal and a repeated affirmation
Pir-o-Murshid – “eldest teacher” – a title used to indicate the spiritual leader and also the founder of a Sufi order
Shafayat – (Arabic) – “Advocacy” – The title for the leader of the Healing Collective in the Sirat-i Inayat, initiated by the Kefayat/Pir, empowered to train people in healing practices and healing service and to initiate people to lead healing services in the community
Siraj – (Arabic) – ”Lamp” – Title indicating a senior minister, someone who is entrusted to train and ordain cherags
Siraj-un-Munir – (Arabic) – “shining, illuminated lamp” – title of the Pir, the spiritual leader of Sirat-i Inayat, who functions as the head of the Universal Worship Ray. It means, the embodied light of the lamp. The highest ordination level, the most senior of the senior ministers
Sirat – (Arabic) – path, way, bridge
Sufi – (Arabic) – wisdom, purity, wool. A person who practices “sufism” a mystical philosophy and spirituality focused on purification of the heart and cultivation of wisdom
Tariqa – (Arabic) – Sufi school of spiritual training
Wazifa – (Arabic) – Beautiful Names of God or other words that are repeated as spiritual tool
Zikr – (Arabic) – ”rembembrance” or “reminder” – a phrase or practice that focuses on remembering the all-pervading ”God-reality”
Ziraat – (Arabic) – ”Agriculture” a descriptive word that refers to the aspects of relationship with the earth as metaphor for the spiritual life