Tag: interfaith

Posted in Arts, Events, Interfaith, London

*Rescheduled* First Shoreditch Zikr is 21st of July 2016

Posted on by ansariuk

Dear all,

We have rescheduled our first Shoreditch Zikr to the 21st of July. Apologies for any inconvenience caused and we hope to see you there.

Here is a re-post of the event details:

We will be starting a new Zikr (Sufi Meditation) group in Shoreditch from the 21st July 2016. Initially the Zikr will run monthly and then hopefully weekly.

Briefly, Zikr is “Remembrance of God” and we do this through chanting the Most Beautiful Names of the Beloved, singing hymns and performing simple sacred movements – all accompanied with frame drumming.

Sufi Zikr (Shoreditch, London):
Thursday 21st July
7:15 PM – 9:00 PM
Kobi Nazrul Centre
30 Hanbury St, E1 6QR, London
(Meetup Link)

This is an open group for spiritual exploration in the widest sense with no prior knowledge required. We welcome everyone who comes in peace regardless of their faith/non-faith background.

zikrpic.jpeg

For this first monthly event (21st July 2016) there will be a short workshop of Sufi chants and movements, and perhaps practising a Sufi song, before starting the zikr ceremony.

We can share tea and something nice to eat at the end. So if we each bring fruit or fresh bread and humous or cheese, what better way to taste the Divine.

Kobi Nazrul Centre is a pleasant walk from Liverpool St station down Brushfield St and Spitalfields market. Aldgate East and Shoreditch Overground are just as near.

Zikr is free to attend, and we suggest a small donation for those who are able (£4) to contribute towards the rent.

Our Zikr at Notting Hill Gate will continue every Monday as usual (Meetup Link) – we hope to see you in Notting Hill and/or in Shoreditch!

Posted in Events, Interfaith, London

‘The Mirage of Angels’: Special performance, Sufi poetry, and meditation (2nd April, 7 PM – 9:45 PM, The Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden)

Posted on by ansariuk

“An exploding horizon of Wings.

We cascade down sheering radiance, our faces burnt from the limitless sun, to receive a boy of ten in oversized Rambo T-shirt playing with other hazel-eyed children outside a white-walled house, and together dance with him to death.”

From ‘The Book of Naseeb’

RECORDING ANGELS, 1280. Manuscript illumination from The Wonders of Creation ('Aja'ib al Makhluqat) of al-Qazwini, Iraq, 1280.
RECORDING ANGELS, 1280. Manuscript illumination from The Wonders of Creation (‘Aja’ib al Makhluqat) of al-Qazwini, Iraq, 1280.

This event features a specially curated performance from ‘The Book of Naseeb’. Musicians and reader, Michael McLellan and Khaled Hakim (electric violin and loops, frame-drums and voice) weave excerpts from a poetic text which imagines the life of a petty criminal as written by his Recording Angels. This work-in-progress which draws on both modernist and Quranic language forms the centre of our evening.

We have two more guest readings of spiritual writing-in-progress: Jane Silk’s open meditations draw on initial studies in Islamic and Sufi thought and then spiritual awakening in Isfahan; Michael McLellan has been distilling spiritual experience and practice into a writing seeking its own form.

As always we keep our floor open to contributions of original poetry or music from our audience.

Ending with a Sufi zikr- a traditional meditation of remembrance with chanting, movement, breathing, and music, which closes with prayers for humanity and the planet.

Event details

Saturday, 2nd April 2016
Poetry Cafe
22 Betterton St, Covent Garden, London, WCH2 9BX
7pm to 9:45pm

Please note: the Sufi zikr at approximately 8.45pm is FREE and you are welcome to come only for the zikr.

£8 on the door (includes copy of opening chapter of ‘The Book of Naseeb’)

 

Posted in Events, Interfaith, London

Zikr notice – Bank holiday Monday (28 March), 7 PM start

Posted on by ansariuk

Peace upon all of you,

It is bank holiday today (28 March) so today’s Zikr will start earlier at 7 PM (instead of 7:30 PM). Please join us if you can. The session will begin as usual, with a talk, and then Zikr, and ending with dinner for everyone.

QRT Logo

The venue is as always at Essex Unitarian Church, 112 Palace Gardens Terrace, Notting Hill Gate, London, W8 4RT.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused due to the time change this time.

We hope you are having / have had a wonderful Easter weekend.

Posted in Words of Wisdom

Choosing Allah consciously

Posted on by ansariuk

Shaykh Taner Ansari

Excerpt from a talk by Shaykh Taner Ansari:

All humans have nafs (ego), brain and a line to God. We have to find the correct way. Allah is Rahman (The Most Merciful) and Rahim (The Most Compassionate), so He helps us find the right course by logic, by contemplating, deduction and induction.

The first thing is this: you have to accept it – there is a God, but it’s not you. Our job is to find our essence through contemplation. Islam is acknowledgment of the fact that there is a God, and don’t try to be God yourself. You have to accept that there are rules and regulations. You have to be in sync with this.

Do we have any will power? Yes, if we didn’t have any will power, Allah wouldn’t have created us. Why? Because Allah wants to be chosen scientifically with our own free will, with no force. If Allah wanted to force (people to believe), everybody would believe.

Making the choice of choosing Allah has to be the beginning of your life. Everything has to be based on this. This is the truth and this is what we have to make peace with. Islam is making peace with Allah’s decrees and Allah’s systems. This is physics. If you think you have power too, show it to me. I am not going to ask you to make a galaxy. I am going to ask you not to eat, and don’t go to the bathroom. If you think you have power, do this.

One of the rules of being a Sufi is that you have to be on the lookout for Allah’s signs. Listen to my advice. Surrender and learn the easy way. My students have to be conscious of what they are doing. Each action has to be willing (voluntary and conscious). I don’t want you to do habitual actions – habitual actions is the killer of all faiths. Mean what you say each time.

Posted in Events, London

October 2015 UK Visit by Heads of Ansari Sufi Order, Shaykh Taner and Shaykha Muzeyyen Ansari

Posted on by ansariuk

Dear all,

Shaykh Taner and his wife, Shaykha Muzeyyen Ansari, who are the Heads of our Sufi Order, will be visiting London from 16th – 29th October 2015.

We warmly welcome you to three events where they will be leading / giving talks – below is a summary of events, and we will also detail these events in subsequent posts.

In addition to the events, you can also contact us for private consultation and/or Sufi Healing. These are by appointment only. Please contact Shaykha Rita (07941 653337) or Shaykh Reeyaaz (07875569921)

UK Events (click the title of the event for more details)

  1. Living from the Heart (Interfaith Dialogues) – a Sufi perspective of spirituality in the 21st century
    18th October, 11 AM, Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church, TW10 6TH
  2. Sufi Zikr (Meditation), Monday 19th October, 7:30 PM, Kensington Unitarian Church, W8 4RT (Dinner provided)
  3. Sufi Zikr (Meditation), Monday 26th October, 7:30 PM, Kensington Unitarian Church, W8 4RT (Dinner provided)

It would be excellent to see you at the events. Please contact Shaykha Rita (07941 653337) or Shaykh Reeyaaz (07875569921) for any queries on the events or private/healing appointments.