Rahim comes to us from upstate New York, where he's lived with his wife Maryam and daughter Sa'ida (age 11), 3 horses, 5 dogs, 2 cats and Benjamin-the-bunny since 2006. Rahim has a very successful healing and coaching practice.
He came to the Sufi path "by accident," like so many of us -- he grew up in West Los Angeles in a Jewish family, felt like something was missing in his life, went to several alternative healing schools, then experienced severe debt and the healing power of God in his finances and heart. He met Dr. Ibrahim Jaffe and was invited to live at the newly formed Sufi community in Pope Valley, California, where he took the Promise and became a student of Sidi al-Jamal. That was 1998.
He lived and worked at "the Land," as it's often called, met and married his beloved Maryam there, became a faculty member at the Jaffe Institute (now the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism) and has taught workshops nationwide for the past 12 years, including the popular "Money in the Holy Way." We feel very blessed to have him at the Farm
Something many people do not know about me is I am a writer, have been all my life. I've written 7 feature films (none sold yet, very close on 2). I'm currently working on a novel and hope to have it published in the next year or two.
How do you explain the Sufi path to newcomers? What do you feel is important for people to know about Sufism?
I think I might be a little bit unique in the way I present Sufism to newcomers. I was so resistant to Sufism, coming from a Jewish family, I really try to open the doors to as many people as possible. I tell people to keep their faith. If they are Jewish, stay Jewish; if they're Christian, stay Christian. Converting to Islam is a huge thing and not to be taken lightly.
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Rahim and daughter Sa'ida having fun.
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But for everyone - whether you are a Jew, a Christian, an atheist, a Buddhist - everyone can benefit from the sacred healing practices of Shadhiliyya Sufism. Learn the prayers. Say them for your heart and your soul. Say them for your family and the people you love. So many people throw out the baby with the bath water, as in "I don't want to be a Muslim, so therefore I won't or can't say these prayers." If I had done that, I don't know where I would be today!
My whole life has changed because of my experience with Sufism. I met my wife, we had our beautiful daughter, I now have a good career and get to help many, many people all because of this beautiful path. So my general advice to people is to slow down a bit, don't get ahead of yourself, and just learn the prayers and begin to write Sidi's books. I usually encourage people to start with Music of the Soul because that's the one I started with and that's the one that spoke most deeply to my heart. This path and these teachings can change everything for you if you'll give it a chance.
Tell us about a weird or funny or profound experience that involves God working in your life.
Too many to tell! God has been very generous with me. I'll tell one quick story. We were living in Austin, Texas, and my wife and I had purchased a country home about fifteen minutes outside of Austin. Now in Texas, if you're not in Austin, things can change [from liberal to conservative] quickly. Well, my poor neighbor just hated us: hated our openness, hated the fact that one of my best friends was African-American, HATED that we wore funny things on our heads.
This one night we were having zhikr at our house and about fifty of our closest friends came over in jalabas, kufis and veils. He was about to lose it! I saw him pacing back and forth on his front porch. We started our prayers and I actually forgot all about him, until we were in the middle of the zhikr circle and a loud pounding came on our front door.
I went outside and we had quite an exchange. He was demanding that we stop the circle immediately, and I don't know where this calm or strength came from, but I said to him, "No, we are in the privacy of our home, we are not going to stop. We'll be done in ten minutes. Now I need you to leave." I could actually see a red fire coming out of his eyes. I held my ground, and to myself and to God, I said, "You are going to have to kill me in order to stop this zhikr."
A little back story is I'd been wanting to have zhikr at my house for years and this was our first one! And to have 50 people at a zhikr is quite a large gathering and there was no way I was stopping it for my poor, miserable neighbor. He continued to yell and insist that I stop, and as I held my ground, I saw the red fire leave his eyes and he literally shook his head and apologized. He left our property and we were able to finish our zhikr in peace.
I love this story because our country is based on religious freedom, and if a bunch of us crazy Sufis want to have a rocking, rollicking zhikr, it is our God-given and country-given right to do so.
What are the gifts and qualities you bring to your work at the Farm of Peace?
I have a tremendous excitement and gratitude to now be a part of the Farm of Peace. I love Salima and what she and the team have built here, and I am so honored to get to be a part of it.
I think a gift I bring is the ability to open doors and invite new people in. I love opening new cities, new areas, building relationships so new people can come. I think if all of us team together and open our hearts and invite people to experience this amazing path, the sky is the limit for our community.
What is your vision for the Farm of Peace?
It's a big vision. I'd love to see the Farm be a beacon of light for the entire East Coast. I see the beloveds and the team here supporting communities up and down the eastern seaboard. I'd specifically like to see us grow the corridor between Warfordsburg and Baltimore/ Washington D.C./ Northern Virgina, helping as many people as possible experience the beauty and joy of Shadhiliyya Sufism! This path can heal everything inside you and your family, and I'd like to see the Farm do its part in spreading this message far and wide.
So many people today have lost hope, lost a sense of direction, are not sure where to turn.
What I love about Sufism is that it puts you face-to-face with God and gives you real tools to re-connect your heart when you do get lost. I'd like to see everybody happy and healthy and able to get support when they need it. It's a big job, and I think our team is up to the task.
