A Lesson from Pir Vilayat
Part One
I had the privilege of knowing Sufi teacher Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan (1916–2004) a few years before his death.
It is only now, twenty years after his passing, that I am coming to realize the value of his personal teaching, which involved saying very simple things or telling small parables, which resonate — in my case, sometimes much later.
This year, marking the twentieth-anniversary of Pir Vilayat’s death, I will share a few. (They appear gratis.)
Pir, or guide, as friends and I knew him, sometimes attracted the ire of orthodox authorities within Islam due to his perceived liberality.
Pir told this story. He once attended a Sufi conference in post-revolutionary Iran. The conference was sponsored by a government-aligned organization.
An “official” imam approached him and said sardonically, “Why, Pir Vilayat, how nice to see you. Tell me, are you still a Muslim?”
Knowing that the man could issue a fatwa against him, Pir said, he replied, “I’m a bad Muslim.”
Mohammed, Pir explained, taught that Allah holds a special place in His heart for “bad Muslims.”
He was off the hook.
