But I must first of all do honour to an
Indian S??ufi.
INAYAT KHAN
The message of this noble company has been lately brought to the West.
[Footnote: _Message Soufi de la Libert?© Spirituelle_ (Paris,
1913).] The bearer, who is in the fulness of youthful strength, is
Inayat Khan, a member of the S??ufi Order, a practised speaker, and
also devoted to the traditional sacred music of India. His own teacher
on his death-bed gave him this affecting charge: 'Goest thou abroad
into the world, harmonize the East and the West with thy music; spread
the knowledge of S??ufism, for thou art gifted by Allah, the Most
Merciful and Compassionate.' So, then, Vivekananda, Abdu'l Baha, and
Inayat Khan, not to mention here several Buddhist monks, are all
missionaries of Eastern religious culture to Western, and two of these
specially represent Persia. We cannot do otherwise than thank God for
the concordant voice of Bahaite and S??ufite. Both announce the
Evangel of the essential oneness of humanity which will one day--and
sooner than non-religious politicians expect--be translated into fact,
and, as the first step towards this 'desire of all nations,' they
embrace every opportunity of teaching the essential unity of
religions:
Pagodas, just as mosques, are homes of prayer,
'Tis prayer that church-bells chime unto the air;
Yea, Church and Ka'ba, Rosary and Cross,
Are all but divers tongues of world-wide prayer.
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