Shabda Kahn serves as Pir (spiritual director) of the Sufi Ruhaniat International, a branch within the spiritual lineage of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat

Inayat Khan Inayat Khan Rehmat Khan ( ur, ) (5 July 1882 – 5 February 1927) was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the saraswati vina, poet, philosopher, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. At the urging of his ...

. He is also a teacher and performer of Hindustani classical vocal music, Raga, in the

Kirana Gharana Kirana gharana is one of the Indian classical khyal gharanas, and is concerned foremost with perfect intonation of notes (swara). Singing style The central concern of the Kirana style is swara, or individual notes, in particular precise tunin ...

style, serving as director of the Chisti Sabri School of Music, within the lineage of his teacher Pandit Pran Nath, at whose direction this school was formed and placed in Shabda Kahn's care.

Early life

Peter Kahn "was born to German Jewish refugees in New York. His parents were not particularly religious in the traditional sense, but he remembers his father standing by the window and praying."

Spiritual biography

Shabda Kahn received bayat (initiation) from his teacher Murshid Samuel L. Lewis (Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti, "Murshid Sam"), a disciple of Pir-o-Murshid

, in 1969. He served as his personal assistant during the fall of 1970, shortly before Murshid Sam's death. He then served as an assistant to Murshid Sam's successor, Pir Moineddin Jablonski, throughout the 1970s. He was given responsibility for leading dance and practice meetings in the San Francisco Bay Area, when Pir Moineddin's health left him unable to do so himself. At the request of Pir Moineddin, Shabda Kahn was initiated as a Sheikh (spiritual guide) in 1977 by Pir

Vilayat Khan Ustad Vilayat Khan (28 August 1928 – 13 March 2004) was an Indian classical sitar player.Inayat Khan Inayat Khan Rehmat Khan ( ur, ) (5 July 1882 – 5 February 1927) was an Indian professor of musicology, singer, exponent of the saraswati vina, poet, philosopher, and pioneer of the transmission of Sufism to the West. At the urging of his ...

, at the tomb of Pir-o-Murshid

in Delhi, on the occasion of Inayat Khan's 50th Urs (death anniversary). He was initiated as a Murshid (senior spiritual guide) in 1997 by Pir

Hidayat Inayat Khan Hidayat Inayat Khan ( ur, ; 6 August 1917 – 12 September 2016) was a British-French classical composer, conductor and Representative-General of the Inayati Order. Biography Hidayat was born in London to Sufi Master Inayat Khan and Pirani Am ...

, son of

. In 2001, at the death of Pir Moineddin Jablonski, Shabda Kahn succeeded him as Pir of the Sufi Ruhaniat International, by Pir Moineddin's appointment. Shabda Kahn is also a disciple of the illustrious Tibetan master, the 12th

Tai Situ Rinpoche Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film ''Clueless'' *Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses and organisations ...

, and was deeply influenced by his twenty-two year relationship with the great American mysti
Joe Miller
As Pir, Shabda Kahn directs the leadership circle of the Sufi Ruhaniat International as well as its board of trustees, and serves as spiritual director for the Dances of Universal Peace, worldwide.

Publications

Along with Imam Bilal Hyde, Faisal Muqaddam, and Murshid Wali Ali Meyer, Shabda Kahn is co-author of ''Physicians of the Heart, A Sufi View of the 99 Names of Allah''. Shabda Kahn has released over 9 digital recordings of his musical work and teaching.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn, Shabda American Sufis Western Sufis