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Here is how Halima describes her start on the path. “When I met my first Sufi I had no idea what a “Sufi” was. What I did know was that whatever this Sufi teacher carried made me shut up and listen carefully. For the duration of the entire weekend seminar, I didn’t make one smart-alecky remark, a miracle for me. I knew I wanted in my own life all the love, light and peace that my teacher carried.”
Learning to trust Allah and His timing
It was easy for Halima to fall in love with Sufism. Everyone she met was filled with this beautiful light and love. In teacher after teacher and in every community leader she met, she noticed a deep integrity in how they lived their lives. They really did “walk their talk.” She wanted to live in integrity with whom she was created to be.
Her heart was certain that the Sufi University would be the fastest and most reliable way to gain the blessings she was seeking. So she enrolled with great expectations and hope.
“When I signed up I didn’t have all the money I needed. However, by the grace of Allah the money showed up for me to join the first year class. Each year it was the same way. Initially I didn’t have the money and then . . . it would arrive. I learned to trust in Allah. I know now that if the time is right, Allah will provide the way.”
Not ready to be a teacher…….yet
“When I first started on the path, before enrolling in the UOS, I called my guide Sidi to ask if I could teach remembrance to the GLBT clients at a local recovery treatment center. He asked me if I was a Sufi teacher. When I told him that I had not yet been made a teacher, he advised me not to start teaching. I was very disappointed!”
The next step was to start her studies at the Sufi University where she learned how to walk more deeply and how to hold hearts in the gentle and effective way. She learned the essential principles of the path and how to impart them. The more she learned, the more grateful she was that Sidi initially said, “No.”
“Before starting my University studies I would have been ill-prepared for teaching and guiding my clients because I hadn’t tasted the depths of the Sufi path myself.” Then just before graduation she asked Sidi again and received his permission to teach. She now goes out to the GLBT recovery center on a weekly basis and teaches her clients about the loving and generous qualities of Allah and they can find a deeper connection to their Higher Power.
Meeting the challenges of being gay
“Being gay is a hot button issue on so many levels these days. So it was an incredible experience for me to deal with the challenges head on once I enrolled. Of course, I doubt that everyone in the University community agreed with my “stance.” However, I never was made to feel “less than” or “unworthy” by any teacher. In fact, it was just the opposite. I felt we were all together in our love for Allah, our respect for each other and our desire to walk spiritually as deeply as possible. Furthermore, the student body elected me to be their representative on the University Board of Directors. Once I graduated, the Board asked me to continue serving and the faculty asked me to sign on as a Teaching Assistant. In this University, when people relate to me, they look to my heart and my deepest being, not to my orientation. It has been such a blessing to be in real community in this way.”
More from Halima
“One of the biggest gifts UOS gave me was teaching me how to trust and surrender more deeply to Allah’s timing. It is all in Allah’s timing. Truly.”
“Anyone seeking their true calling in life and anyone seeking to discover the depths of God’s love for them should attend the Sufi University. Anyone seeking healing, wholeness and the freedom to be their uniquely created self should take advantage of this unique opportunity.”
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