Hidayat Inayat-Khan offers us a highly symbolical childhood recollection. The previous Glimpse is here.

The Sufi Flag

One day Hazrat Inayat Khan decided to go to Paris without being accompanied by any of the secretaries or Sufi guests, as was usually the case, and I felt terribly uneasy at the thought of my Father going all alone through the crowds and the terrible traffic in that large city, where one would have to change from one bus to another, and from one metro stop to another before getting anywhere, besides the great handicap of not being able to speak French, other than just very few words. After lots of pleading – my argument being that I could protect my Father from getting lost – my Father finally agreed to take me with him, and of course I was jumping up and down with joy.

After a very long time, we arrived at last at the store called Galleries Lafayette, and then went straight up to the textiles department, where my Father purchased yards and yards of cloth, all of the same color. Naturally, I was very surprised, wondering why my Father would want my Mother to have so many saris made out of the same colored material, rather than various ones in different colors, but I did not dare ask such an impertinent question, especially after having obtained the permission of coming with my Father  to Paris on that very exceptional occasion.

My Father carried the huge, heavy parcel all the way home, where everyone was waiting with so much curiosity. We all gathered around our Father, and all said the three prayers, Saum, Salat and Khatum together in unison. Then, after a short silence, our Father lifted up the heavy parcel of yellow cloth, saying, “This is the Sufi Flag!”

On the following day, that same material was hung up all across the front wall of the Sufi Lecture Hall, and at that very special occasion, while coming up unto the stage from where our Father always gave his lectures, the mureeds were asked to stand up, all to say the prayers together. Then pointing to the newly hanging yellow curtains, our Father said, “This is the Sufi Flag…It is the yellow color, the color of the new impulse of the Message of today. The Message of Spiritual Liberty.”

That tremendously significant event in Sufi History left a very deep impression in the minds and in the hearts of all Sufis who had the privilege of being present that day, and ever since, it has become a habit among the older Sufis to always quote the words, “It is the Sufi color,” every time they see the yellow color.

To be continued…