Sufi Heart with Omid Safi
Be Here Now Network
The Sufi Heart podcast with Omid Safi features teachings and stories about a sacred tradition of love, one that manifests outwardly as justice and inwardly as tenderness. Drawing primarily on the wisdom of the Islamic tradition as well as the legacies of the Civil Rights movements and other wisdom teachings, Omid invites you to a meditation on the transformative power of love and recalling the necessity of linking healing our own hearts with healing the world. Omid Safi is a teacher in the Islamic mystical tradition of Radical Love, and serves as a professor of Islamic studies at Duke University. Omid’s passion for teaching has been recognized by his ten nominations for Professor of the Year awards.Omid has published extensively on the foundational sources of Islam and Sufism. His Memories of Muhammad is an award-winning biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His most recent book is Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. He teaches online courses through Illuminated Courses on topics ranging from Rumi to the mystical dimension of the Qur’an. Lastly, he offers for the general public Illuminated Tours , spiritually oriented contemplative journeys and retreats which have brought more than 2,500 friends from over twenty countries to Turkey, Morocco, Andalusia, and now Umrah since 2002.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 23, 2024 • 1h 13min
Ep. 30 – The Lover and The Beloved with Kelly Deutsch
Exploring mystical love in Sufism with Omid Safi and Kelly Deutsch. Topics include pure hearts, sacred eroticism, radical love, and the trinity of love, lover, and beloved. The discussion touches on Islamic mystics, the mystery of God, heartbreak, and the intertwining of love and justice.
10 snips
Sep 5, 2023 • 1h 7min
Ep. 29 – "Islam, Iman, Ihsan", Love's Journey in Islamic Spirituality
Omid Safi discusses deepening faith into ecstatic adoration of God, the unity of Allah, virtue in Islam, and experiencing Allah through beauty. He emphasizes worshiping God for more than salvation, unwavering divine presence, the eternal now, and individual spiritual journeys.
Aug 7, 2023 • 57min
Ep. 28 – Rumi and the Path of Radical Love with Taya Mâ
Omid Safi, a Sufi teacher and Islamic studies professor, reflects on Rumi as a living sage whose legacy goes beyond poetry. He outlines the Path of Radical Love, grounding practices for oneness, and how to taste spiritual truth through embodied practices and presence. Short, practical invitations and surprising contextual readings of Rumi’s poems round out the conversation.
May 12, 2023 • 57min
Ep. 27 – The Rhythm of Expansion and Contraction
Andres Gonzalez, interviewer and Holistic Life Foundation rep behind the Living an Authentic Life Summit, chats with Omid Safi, a scholar of Sufism and spiritual teacher. They explore the rhythm of expansion and contraction in the heart. They discuss anger as a fuel for justice. They evoke ocean metaphors, the inner child’s wonder, and a guided breath practice.
Oct 27, 2022 • 56min
Ep. 26 – Spirituality and Conflict Transformation
A flowing conversation about how spirituality intersects with conflict transformation and why crises feel urgent and personal. Topics include religion as a mirror of the heart, Islam’s layers from law to higher ethics, and moving from possession to selfless love. Practical somatic tools for anger management and the ethic of responding to harm with beauty are also explored.
Apr 13, 2022 • 1h 9min
Ep. 25 – Spirituality of Seasons
A poetic exploration of seasonal spirituality and how spring renews heart and ritual. Reflections on modern life erasing natural rhythms and the need for Sabbath-like repose. Traditions like Nowruz and the Haft-Seen surface as practices of renewal and mirror-work for the soul. Calls to see God in the needy and to live with deep relational compassion.
Dec 18, 2021 • 59min
Ep. 24 – Mary and Jesus: A Sufi Perspective on the Christmas Story
A Sufi reading of the Christmas story through Quranic passages and classical poetry. The episode highlights Mary’s exalted status in the Quran and the Quranic titles and miracles of Jesus. It explores the annunciation, the virgin birth as an ayah, and Rumi’s poetic imagining of the encounter. Themes include spiritual birth, retreat and sustenance, and parallels between Mary and prophetic revelation.
Nov 17, 2021 • 51min
Ep. 23 – Lessons for the Heart: Remembering the Events of 9/11
A personal recollection of the morning of 9/11 and the long, uncertain search that followed. Reflections on grief, resilience, and a mother's tireless determination. Exploration of how classrooms became sacred spaces for hard conversations. A call to recognize shared humanity, reduce hostile rhetoric, and carry compassion into public life.
May 1, 2021 • 44min
Ep. 22 – Spirituality and the Marketplace with Abdul-Rehman Malik
Abdul-Rehman Malik, an award-winning journalist and educator, dives into the commercialization of spirituality and its impact on practices today. He discusses Rumi's teachings, emphasizing radical love and emotional hospitality as pathways to deeper connections. The conversation also highlights the importance of maintaining spiritual integrity amidst market pressures. Malik urges listeners to draw inspiration from historical activists like Martin Luther King Jr. to engage in compassionate activism, affirming the transformative power of love and justice.
Mar 25, 2021 • 49min
Ep. 21 – Anti-Racism As A Spiritual Practice with Simran Jeet Singh
In this special episode, Sikh Activist, Simran Jeet Singh, joins Omid Safi for conversation exploring anti-racism as a spiritual practice.Recognized among TIME Magazine’s 16 people fighting for a more equal America, Simran Jeet Singh is Senior Adviser for Equity and Inclusion at YSC Consulting and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. He is a 2020 Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, a Racial Equity Media Fellow with Interfaith Youth Core, and a Senior Fellow for the Sikh Coalition. Simran holds a PhD, MPhil, and MA from Columbia University, an MTS from Harvard University, and a BA from Trinity University. He is the author of a best-selling children's book, Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon, and is in the process of writing a non-fiction book for adults, titled, More of This Please: Sikh Wisdom for the Soul. For more information, please visit SimranJeetSingh.orgOriginally recorded for Religion News ServiceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
