Text taken from Hidayat Inayat-Khan’s ‘Early Days stories about my Beloved Father and Mother.’ The introduction to the series is here.

Murshid’s Children

Each time that one of us children was born, our Father’s first tender approach to the new-born baby was to call the boys, either Pir-Zade or Murshid-Zade, meaning son of Pir or son of Murshid. The daughters were called Pir-Zadi or Murshid-Zadi, meaning daughter of Pir or daughter of Murshid.

Later, when we were older, our Father often asked us, “Have you really behaved today as a Pir-Zade or as a Murshid-Zade? Have you really thought of the responsibility which you have as a son or daughter of Murshid?

When we were naughty, our Father reminded us of that responsibility which we had, rather than scolding us, and on hearing those words, we immediately stopped all naughtiness, with sincerest feelings of shame.

I must admit that I was called Murshid-Zade in a scolding more often than the other children, because I was always naughty. However, it did happen sometimes that I was good, and on those occasions, my Father called me “Murshid-zade-Guru, Mera Beta*”. Naturally, these loving words always touched me most deeply, and were for me the most precious reward that could ever have been received.

*Mera Beta = My Son