Ziggurat, Iraq
Intimate Dialogues with Reality
Saturday April 22nd, 2023
14:00 – 17:00 BST
The October Gallery, London, UK
A seminar on the writings of al-Niffari
Booking
Cost
£8 + £1.54 registration fee
Entry by ticket from Eventbrite
Description
Little is known of the life of the 10th century mystic Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdi-‘l Jabbar al-Niffari. He was born in the marshlands of the Euphrates and remained a solitary wanderer all his life, shunning the company of others. His visionary insights, which he wrote down on scraps of paper, were only collected into book form after his death. In his “Spiritual Addresses” and “Stayings” can be found essential intuitions about the spiritual quest, expressed in extraordinarily direct yet subtle language. Compared with other mystical writings there are few time-bound cultural references in his work and this gives to the writings of Niffari a very contemporary feel.
In this seminar we shall be reading and contemplating some of Niffari’s “Spiritual Addresses” in English translation, and exploring their relevance to us in the present moment.
You can find some extracts from Niffari’s writings here
Venue
The October Gallery,
24 Old Gloucester Street
London
WC1N 3AL
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Monday 13th April, 2026
From 17:30 GMT
An ongoing open, creative discussion space and e-gathering for sharing thoughts and contributing to the development of Beshara. Please join us in exchanging ideas, having meaningful discussions, the chance to be heard and the chance to listen and for understanding to develop and flourish.
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Saturday 7th March 2026
14:00–17:00 GMT
The October Gallery, London
Contemplative reading of the spiritual poems of one of the greatest Ottoman Sufi masters, Mehmed Muhyīddīn Üftade (1490-1580).
Contact: Michael Cohen london@beshara.org
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13th January – 3rd March, 2026
Tuesdays at 19:00 – 21:00 GMT (8 sessions)
Exploring Ibn ‘Arabi’s great metaphysical vision and its many implications for our conduct in everyday life. No previous knowledge is required, all texts provided.
This course is now fully booked. To join a reserve list or to receive notification of a future possible iteration of the course, email besharacourses3@beshara.org
Interweavings: Christian and Sufi Threads in a Divine Tapestry
Poetry and meditation workshops
Fortnightly from 11th October – 21st February
Saturdays: 10:00am – 11:30pm (UK time)
or
Fortnightly from 1st November – 14th March
Saturdays: 5:00pm-6:30pm (UK time)
Workshop series following a format of reading lines of poetry with contemplative meditation and shared reflections.
Daily Meditation
From 6th January 2025
07:30–08:00 GMT
Daily 30-minute silent meditation beginning with a dedication of intent and ending. All welcome.
Contact: John Brown at besharacourses@beshara.org for a Zoom invite
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