Ya Hazrati Inayat - Winged Heart Tughra

Sufi orders frequently have a tughra (an Arabic word meaning finely ornamented writing), which is emblematic calligraphy formed using the name of the founding patron saint of the order, often in a unique shape related to the traditions of that order. The dervish Hafizullah created this beautiful winged-heart calligraphy in honor of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan. The winged heart is an old Sufi symbol, and was chosen by Inayat Khan as the seal of the Sufi Order of the West at its founding in 1910. The original rendering of this winged heart calligraphy was presented to Pir Vilayat on the occasion of his 73rd birthday.

The Arabic script of the wings (in mirror image of each other) reads: "ya hazrati Inayat", with ya meaning "O" (an invocation, an invitation), and hazrati meaning "presence, majesty; a respectful title similar to your majesty". It may also be interesting to note that the word 'Inayat means "guarding, preserving, taking care of; concern, care; a gift, a present". Thus, this phrase is an invocation, a heart-felt beseeching and inner welcoming of the presence of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan.

The Arabic script of the heart reads: "qaddasa Allahu sirrahu", which is a traditional phrase used when mentioning the name of a deceased Sufi saint. The word qaddas means: "sanctify, hallow, glorify, venerate, revere". The word sirr means: "secret, mystery, something concealed; secret thought, innermost thought", or, as the masterful lexicon of E. W. Lane says, "private knowledge; something inserted in the interior; a pleasure, or delight, and dilation of the heart, of which there is no external sign". The Sufis often use the word sirr to describe the divine wonder discovered in the depths of the heart.

The customary translation of "qaddasa Allahu sirrahu" as "may Allah sanctify his secret" seems rather unsatisfactory to me. Hafizullah, the creator of this tughra, interprets the phrase as metaphorically meaning "may his message spread", while my own interpretation of this phrase is more along the lines of: "whose inner thought Allah made holy", or "whose heart Allah has made pure".

with love,
    wahiduddin

Note:
 - For more information about this calligraphy, you may contact Hafizullah via email at: hafizullah@aol.com

last updated: 14-Oct-2007