Annual Sufism Symposium

A gathering of Sufi Orders from around the world

The Annual Sufism Symposium is a weekend of unity and self discovery presented by the International Association of Sufism. It is an international gathering of delegates from Sufi Orders of many cultures and backgrounds. In the past, representative from Bangladesh, Canada, England, Ghana, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Persia, the Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and many more participated.

The Symposium is an opportunity for all to learn about the ancient school of Islamic Mysticism. Music, poems, and Sufi practices help in celebrating a weekend of spiritual empowerment. In addition to lectures and workshops, the Sufism Symposium exhibits books, audio tapes, video tapes, Sufi publications, informational materials and art from Sufi Orders and international publishers.

New! Photo gallery from 9th Annual Symposium. Capturing speakers, participants, workshops, zekr, and other memorable images.

Brief summary of annual celebration, this year focused on Practicing Harmony in Bellevue, Washington. Full report will be coming soon.

Now Available! Audio cassettes (box set) from the 2002 Symposium, including lectures, poetry readings, music, zekr, prayer, and more.

Each symposium focuses on a particular theme to address the immediate and universal needs of humanity. Each symposium is a historical event where speakers and participants from around the world are enraptured in camaraderie as their longing to unite with the Divine transcended cultural and philosophical barriers. A comprehensive report, audio tapes, and video tapes are available from each gathering.

A History of Sufism
Sufism Symposium 1994
Throughout the weekend, the history and growth of Sufism was presented, in its earliest origin through the evolution of many orders in different parts of the world, to the message of Sufism for the world today ... [more]

Principles and Practices of Sufism
Sufism Symposium 1995
The hard work of the Association flourished by bringing the masters of turuq of tasawuf from far away and close by lands to share their knowledge, experience, teachings and words of wisdom with a wide variety of attendees. Some of which were familiar with the school of Sufism and some were not, but these teachers and organizers made everyone feel at home ... [more]

Expressions of Beauty
Sufism Symposium 1996
In March of 1996, participants came from many cultures and backgrounds including: Bangladesh, Canada, England, Ghana, Kuwait, Persia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, and many more offering a weekend of Unity and an opportunity for all to learn about The Expressions of Beauty and Sufism ... [more]

An Old Tradition for a New World
Sufism Symposium 1997
Wisdom that is genuine has a beneficial effect on everything it guides; it is not limited to one realm of activity or another, but rather is universally applicable. It is this universal applicability which lies behind the ancient science practiced by Sufi masters known as alchemy. At this year's Symposium, the entire field of inquiry assembled for the enrichment of the attendees was turned to gold, purified and unified in the alchemy of spiritual seeking ... [more]

Global Ethics
Sufism Symposium 1998
The caravan of Sufis gathered together once again at the fifth annual Sufism Symposium. Individual Sufis came to the symposium from all parts of the world, people of many differing backgrounds and cultures, representing diversity in the depth of most honorable unity, sharing their wisdom on the topic of ethics and humanity, the theme of this year's symposium ... [more]

Sufism and Self-Discovery
Sufism Symposium 1999
The Sixth Annual Sufism Symposium, the unifying topic of Sufism and Self Discovery created an atmosphere of special intimacy, affording the participants the opportunity to look within and share their own experiences on the path of self discovery. Self Discovery is integral to the Sufi path, but also, as Shah Nazar Seyed Dr. Ali Kianfar observed in his keynote address, plays a basic role in each of the world's monotheistic traditions ... [more]

Millennium Conference
Sufism Symposium 2000
A gathering of the speakers and presenters became a procession of well-loved leaders of the international Sufi community arriving one by one to warm and enthusiastic greetings from their friends and colleagues. We were graced by the presence of honored women and men from Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Indiana, New York, and California and from Senegal, Scotland, Egypt, Bangladesh, Nigeria, India and Turkey, among other places ... [more]

The Soul's Longing
Sufism Symposium 2001
From the dawn of existence, human beings have longed to understand. They have spent millenniums in the universe of the heart with hopes of seeing the unseen. This primordial yearning was cultivated by the earliest Sufi mystics at the advent of Islam. These mystics expressed their desires to celebrate the glory of Unity in complex and revolutionary ways. The IAS honored these expressions of our Divine desire to know at the 2001 Sufism Symposium, themed: The Soul’s Longing: A Language of Spirit ... [more]

Practicing Harmony
Sufism Symposium 2002
The Ninth Annual Sufism Symposium, held on Memorial Day Weekend 2002 in Bellevue, Washington, was themed Sufism: Practicing Harmony. A photo gallery from 9th Annual Symposium is now available online. Capturing speakers, participants, workshops, zekr, and other memorable images. Also available, audio cassettes (box set), including lectures, poetry readings, music, zekr, prayer, and more. A full report will be coming soon ... [more]