"Majma-ul-Bahrain" is a Sufi text from the 16th century by Dara Shukoh, exploring the connection between Sufi and Vedanta mysticism. The term is also associated with the union of Jalaluddin Rumi and Shams-e-Tabrizi. This paper considers whether it can apply to Hazrat Inayat Khan's interaction with Western audiences.
Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), a distinguished Indian musician and Sufi mystic, initially intended to introduce Indian classical music to the West. However, upon his arrival, he encountered Western elites seeking spiritual enlightenment from the East, largely influenced by Orientalism. This fascination often revolved around hidden knowledge and occult practices, creating a preconceived notion of mysticism. Theosophy, in particular, sought spiritual guidance from India, focusing on Brahminical-Vedanta ideas. Inayat Khan's audiences were often part of this Theosophical interest in Indian spirituality.
A key point of difference in the Western perception of Inayat Khan is his Muslim background. Although Sufism transcends strict religious boundaries, Inayat Khan, raised in a Muslim family and initiated by a Sufi shaykh in Hyderabad, was seen as a Muslim. Yet, from the outset of his activities in the West, his Muslim identity was downplayed or silently rejected. A similar phenomenon can be seen today in the Western embrace of Rumi's poetry, often detached from his Islamic context.
This paper discusses Inayat Khan's Sufi teachings within the broader framework of Islam in the Indian cultural context. Rather than a true blending of mystic traditions or "Majma-ul-Bahrain", it was a case of Sufi esoteric teachings encountering Western notions of mysticism, where external practices and ceremonies held as much importance as the inner essence of Sufism. Examples of these practices among Inayat Khan's Western followers are also explored in the paper.