INAYATIYYA FALL APPEAL 2024—THE CAT

Dear Friends,

This time every year, we appeal for financial contributions to support the Inayatiyya in spreading Murshid’s message far and wide. As we were planning our appeal, those of us on the Inayatiyya Fall Appeal 2024 Campaign Committee found ourselves casting around for inspiration for a theme, and it arrived in the form of a cat.

We were reminded of an anecdote Pir Zia shared about Abu ‘l-Husan al-Nûrî, who once was asked “From whom did you learn such deep meditation?” Nûrî replied, “I learned it from a cat waiting by a mouse hole. The cat was much stiller than I.” And like Nûrî, we found ourselves turning to the wisdom of animals for spiritual instruction.

This anecdote was offered as an opening reflection to a meditation practice Pir Zia calls the “Forest of Memory,” which uses the same method of going through the lataif and stations as the Sophic Whorl. However, at each station, we meet an animal, and the animals we meet represent divine qualities and possibilities within ourselves.

As we consider our non-human friends, one cannot help but marvel at their wonderful diversity: from swimming, crawling, hopping, walking, soaring, and gliding, to scales, feathers, fur, and hair, each has its own particular way of witnessing, experiencing, and participating in life.

And so it is with us.

We all come from different backgrounds, with our own identities, perspectives, and experiences, but the Inayatiyya is our spiritual home. We travel together toward the One and the perfection of love, harmony, and beauty in a spirit of mutual compassion, curiosity, and friendship.

Amid the collective currents of this moment, your support allows us to continue the vital work of creating pathways for renewal and transformation—work that helps us all anchor and embody a brighter way forward together.

We invite you to support a forward-looking, community-oriented vision, grounded and embodied to meet our times, by supporting the Inayatiyya today. Our goal is to raise $160,000 by the end of the year. So far, we have raised $62,108 with $97,892 left to raise by Friday, December 27, 2024.

Over the coming weeks, we will share updates about our progress toward our fundraising goal and offer some insights about what your contribution supports. Each email will feature a contemplation related to one of the animals encountered in the “Forest of Memory” practice. As a special gift, we will be including short audio clips of Pir Zia leading us through this meditation, culminating in the full audio being sent to all those who give by the end of the year.

Most appreciatively,
Josh & Tajalli on behalf of the Inayatiyya Fall Appeal 2024 Campaign Committee:
Noor Amina Peterson, Board Chair, Ambreen Coombs, Treasurer, Nilufar Hasnaa, Board Member, Jennifer Alia Wittman, Executive Director, Tajalli Roselli, Astana Staff, & Josh Octaviani, Astana Staff 

PS—As part of our contemplation on the qualities of “the cat,” this week we invite you to post an image of your favorite cat(s) to Facebook.com/Inayatiyya (under the post titled “The Cat”) and/or Instagram.com/Inayatiyya (tagging Inayatiyya, #catsoftheinayatiyya). 🐱