Sufis do not make noise! Yet there are more than 350 million of them around the world, driven by the same calling: to draw closer to the Divine through their inner experience.
This path is one of gentle, patient inner transformation. It does not impose itself, it reveals itself. It shines through in their gaze, their gestures, their way of inhabiting the world. It is rooted in Good Deeds: a humble and sincere quest, where one moves forward with feet on the ground and head raised to the sky, hands committed to doing something useful. Altruism and generosity are its foundations.
In a turbulent world where human values are slipping away from us, Sufis remain confident. Being at peace with oneself, with others, and with the environment becomes a daily commitment.
It is a whole programme that comes from the invisible: gradually taming one's ego in order to serve better, polishing one's heart in order to love better, recognising - behind every face - a sacred letter of the divine alphabet.
This universal heritage, passed down for fourteen centuries since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, is also spiritual nourishment, offered to every soul in search of light. It is not a journey of pleasure but an inner struggle against everything within us that remains hard, proud or separate. Sufism is above all a living heart in a living body.
And at the centre of it all remains this essential question:
«What good do we have within us to offer in service to others? »
Through these few images, may you perceive, beyond the forms, the subtle fragrance of this inner peace.
If your thoughts are roses, you become a rose garden.
− Rûmî
More information on my website Sagesses Soufies : www.sagesses.org
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Calligraphy Lâ ilâha illâ-l-lâh in the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, Syria.
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Hafez is one of the most illustrious Persian Sufi poets. Although he died more than six centuries ago, his mausoleum welcomes hundreds of pilgrims every day, who come to draw on the inexhaustible source of his eloquent poetry and eternal wisdom.
Shiraz, Iran – 3 may 2019
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The dome of the Hafez shrine is a masterpiece of Persian architecture. Its turquoise ceramics capture the light of Shiraz, as if to reflect the infinite blue sky to which the poet aspired
Shiraz, Iran – 3 may 2019
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The dome of the shrine of Rūmī, founder of the Order of Whirling Dervishes. Its shape rises towards the sky, a silent echo of the sacred dance that unites the earth with the divine.
Konya, Türkiye
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Bahar, during the ceremony on 27 March 2011.
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Sema ceremony on 19 December 2010 in St. Jakob Church in Zurich.
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In 2010, Geneva hosted a historic gathering: that of a spiritual, free and responsible Islam. For the first time in Europe, Muslim diversity – religious, spiritual, secular and political – came together to make its voice heard.
Evening event at Palexpo, Geneva – 9 October 2010
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The « Parole aux Femmes » (Women's Voices) conference brought together speakers and delegates from around the world in Oran and Mostaganem. Together, they explored feminine energy as a force for peace, taking a fresh look at how to bring about profound change in society – a society of equal dignity, shared responsibility and renewed creativity.
Spiritual vigil on 31 October in Mostaganem.
Oran & Mostaganem, Algeria – 27 October to 2 November 2014
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Concert by Dr. Orüç Güvenç, Sufi master, ethnomusicologist and pioneer of Eastern music therapy. A moment when music, carried by international renown, offered an experience of healing and deep peace.
Martigny, Switzerland – 27 June 2013
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In the tranquillity of the Al-Tawba Mosque, the prayers recited by Sufis create an atmosphere of collective devotion. A fragment of preserved serenity.
Damascus, Syria - 2008
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This painting is the transcription of a dream. Mrs Kargi, whose husband was a descendant of the Sufi lineage of Ümmi Sinan, painted the assembly that was revealed to her in her dream.
Istanbul, 1 July 2019
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UNESCO paid tribute to Sheikh al-'Alâwī, a leading figure in 20th-century Sufism.
On this occasion, more than 1,600 people gathered for the symposium "Spiritual Islam and Contemporary Challenges", seeking solutions to fundamentalism and working towards a society of "Better Living Together". The evening ended with a spiritual vigil in the institution's largest hall.
Paris – 29 September 2015 Paris
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Filtered light from a stained glass window in the Ibn Arabî Mosque. Here, in the tranquillity of the space dedicated to them, women perform their prayers.
Damascus, Syria — 31 October 2008
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The wisdom of Haci Bektaş-i Veli: A thinker, mystic and founder of Bektashism in the 13th century, Haci Bektaş-i Veli left behind teachings that are astonishingly modern. Here is a selection of his words that resonate with the challenges of our time.
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A flute player at the Baba Taher shrine. In Hamadan, music becomes prayer, and the air vibrates with the ancient poetry of the place.
Hamadan, Iran – 10 May 2019
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In the sanctuary of Imam al-Shâdhilî, a jug of fresh water has just been placed. A simple gesture by the guardian, a silent offering that refreshes the body and soothes the pilgrim's journey.
17 April 2009, Humaytharâ, Egypt
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The guardian opens the door to the sanctuary of Sidi Hadi. This simple gesture marks the transition from the outside world to a place of peace.
Jabal La’lâm, Morocco, 15 October 2012
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The guardian opens the door to the sanctuary of Sidi Hadi. This simple gesture marks the transition from the outside world to a place of peace.
Jabal La’lâm, Morocco, 15 October 2012
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Women of the Mevleviyya brotherhood, just after the ceremony. Their presence, and the drum that accompanies them, testify to the essential and vibrant role of women in the Sufi tradition.
Istanbul, 20 May 2012
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In the Saints' Cemetery in Fez, Halim watches the sunset in contemplation, uniting the sacredness of the earth with the beauty of the sky.
Fez, Morocco - 9 April 2007
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Mrs. H. Nur Artiran, spiritual master of the Mevlevi Order in Turkey, in conversation with Pir Zia Inayat Khan, spiritual guide of the Inayatiyya Order, during the Zenith Institute Sufi Camp. Two spiritual lineages meet in the Swiss Alps.
Ticino, Switzerland — 7 August 2015
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On the vast carpet of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, devotion meets the sacred in the simplest of dialogues.
Eyüp Sultan Mosque, Istanbul – 18 May 2012
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« Desire for Peace ». These badges in different languages carry a centuries-old message. For centuries, Sufis have been translating this aspiration for world harmony into concrete actions.
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At the United Nations in Geneva, Emir Abd el-Kader posthumously receives the Tolerance Award. An international tribute to the life and work of a humanist and defender of peace.
Palais des Nations, Geneva – 4 November 2010
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Sheikh Khaled Bentounes, spiritual leader of the Alâwiyya Sufi order, presents his wishes for 2017 on Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS). A message of peace and brotherhood broadcast in the heart of the public sphere.
During the recording on 5 December 2016
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"There are military academies; why not create peace academies, where peace would be taught to our children? "
This question, posed by Sheikh Khaled Bentounes, sums up the ambition behind his work. As the initiator of the International Day of Living Together in Peace, he calls here for peace to be placed at the heart of education.
Geneva – 28 May 2014
Photos © Catherine Touaibi