Since its founding in 1983, the International Association of Sufism has provided a global forum for a dialogue among faith leaders, academia, poets and artists from diverse cultures and nations – and continues to grow today.

Our humanitarian works include:

• Providing classes, public events and retreats, and educational scholarships.
• Offering grants and micro-loans to women-led groups in rural villages to ensure access to clean water, equity and education.
• Partnering with global humanitarian organizations to provide medical services, clean water and education, and promote peace, equity and human rights.
• Investing in warm coat and food distribution in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Hosting the Songs of the Soul Sacred Poetry and Music Festival.
• Publishing books and translations, as well as Sufism: An Inquiry, the world’s longest running journal on Sufism.
• Nurturing human development through our 40 Days Alchemy of Tranquility Program, Beyond Identification series, and Community Healing Centers.
• Honoring local leaders for their service and inspiration for over 20 years.
• Creating a new center in order to sustain and expand the many programs of IAS.

New Institute for Sufi Studies
website and spring course offerings

Iqra: Read in the Name of the Most Merciful
by Shah Nazar Dr. Seyyed Ali Kianfar

Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr) is one of the foundational traditions in Islamic intellectual disciplines. It is devoted to the interpretation of the verses of the Qur’an by scholars deeply grounded in linguistic, theological, and spiritual sciences. Over centuries, tafsīr has given rise to diverse schools of thought, contributing richly to Islamic philosophy, jurisprudence, theology, and literature. This present work is devoted to the mystical interpretation of several key chapters of the Qur’an, beginning with the foundational revelation of Iqraʾ. These commentaries are authored by Shah Nazar Seyyed Ali Kianfar, a distinguished scholar and a Sufi master of the Uwaiysi Sufi tradition. [Order a Copy]

The Breath of the Merciful: Biographies of Uwaiys-i Qaran and Selected Sufi Masters 
Introduction by Nahid Angha

The year was 622. Prophet Muhammad and his followers left Mecca for Medina, undertaking a migration (hijra) that marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. It was in Medina where the first Islamic Mosque was built. It included a raised platform, where some of the Prophet’s followers would congregate; they were called Ahle Suffah, the People of the Platform. It is from this platform that the seeds of Tasawwuf, one of the most celebrated mystical movements in the history of human spirituality, were cultivated; the school, whose foundational principles emphasized knowledge of the heart. The focus of this book is on a few of the Sufis who walked that path. [Order a Copy]

Sufism: An Inquiry, the world’s longest running journal on Sufism, was first published in 1987 with over 60 print volumes and currently available in online and print formats. Since its inception, the journal has included articles on human rights, scientific inquiries, new translations of classic works of Sufi literature and poetry, the stories of Sufi saints previously unavailable in English, and articles and essays by leading Sufi masters, poets, psychologists, and scientists on human development and the spiritual path.