As a secretary and frequent travelling companion to Hazrat Inayat Khan, Sirkar van Stolk gained precious insights into the Master, which he passed on in his memoir, “Memories of a Sufi Sage.” Other recently posted glimpses from Sirkar are here, here and here.

Even the most practical and critical of men were impressed by Hazrat Inayat Khan, and I shall never forget his meeting with my own father. In the early years of my life, Father had hoped that I would succeed him in the family business, but after I met Murshid, I told him this was no longer possible. I wanted to follow a spiritual path. Although he was deeply disappointed, Father accepted my decision with a remarkably good grace. It was natural, however, that he should want to meet the man who had so profoundly influenced his son; and it was partly for this reason that I arranged, on our return from Germany in 1924, that Murshid should stay for a few days at our house in Holland.

Father was not at all a mystic, nor a religious person in the usual sense of the word, but he was a very keen student of men. He often sought contact with anyone of authority on philosophical or spiritual matters who might have something of value to impart; but since he had a brilliant mind of his own, he was not easily impressed by their ideas. On the first evening of Murshid’s stay, Father invited him into his study after dinner. For a long time they remained there together, deep in conversation, while I retired to bed. I started to read; and was still reading hours later, when the study door reopened. Father came upstairs to my room, and sat down slowly on the edge of the bed.

“My boy, my boy,” he said, emphasising the words with a beat of the forefinger, “this Master of yours is the greatest personality I have ever met. Do you know why? Because he is only one I know who lives what he teaches.”