Viladat means nativity or birth, and in the International Sufi Movement the 5th of July is called Viladat Day, the birthday of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan – he was born on this day in Baroda (now called Vadodra) in 1882.

When the human heart becomes conscious of God,
it becomes like the sea:
it extends its waves to friend and foe.
– Gayan Chalas –

During the Summer Schools held in Suresnes in the 1920’s Hazrat Inayat Khan gave a talk to his students about how to be a student of Sufism. One of the points he stressed was that mureeds should consider their duty toward other mureeds. He said : One might think, “I have received my initiation and my exercises, that is all I am concerned about; what do I care for the other mureeds?” But if we all thought so then nothing would exist, neither families nor communities nor nations – nothing would exist. The great teachers who have come from time to time and whose work was with individuals, their first and main aim was to unite; to unite relations, to unite friends. Their real principle as unity in the spiritual ideal, and in this principle they felt the message of God. Christ said, “Where there are three or four united in my name, there I am.” And so it is with the teaching of Krishna, who said, “I live among my devotees”. the power of joining together in one spiritual ideal is much greater than any other power conceivable. 

When Hazrat Inayat Khan was alive, mureeds sometimes offered him yellow roses for his birthday. Perhaps in consideration of his teaching about unity, we could this year show our sympathy for each other and all offer kindness and consideration to our fellow mureeds!