The Jami Initiative Practice Circles
New Offerings
No matter how far one has walked on a spiritual path such as ours, the heart welcomes being held in love, and compassion when our walking gets tough or when we fall out of alignment. Our relationships with each other touch our wounds and triggers in ways we’re often not fully conscious of. Our nafs get activated, and our nervous system typically fires up its survival engine. Sometimes the result can feel anything but loving or spiritual. It can show up in our relationship with ourselves, a parent, child, partner, friend; at work or home. And yet, Sidi used to say that it was really important to be together in community, and to be with others who share a sincere intention to walk straight in the name of Allah.
The Jami Initiative was created to help spread opportunities for both learning and support with walking in community, especially when the walking gets challenging, when we most need each other. Being in Sidi’s presence was so often an opportunity to receive profound transmissions of love. The more deeply we walk, the more we can learn to give in similar ways. To open to love and be the love. To learn and grow alongside brothers and sisters that long for peace, who want to return home, and want to Remember the deeper truths that we can rely on. To look within, invite mercy and healing into our wounds, and allow our hearts to return to the witnessing of love, the receiving of love and the transmission of love.
The Shahid Empathy Circle intends to support you in deepening your relationship with yourself and deepening your witnessing of how Allah moves through you.
In the al-Isqh Relationship Circle, we will use what arises in our relationships with other people in our lives as an opportunity for deeper walking and for practicing what we learn in the teachings.
Please join us in practicing heart centered communication, receiving support for our walking, and learning how to witness what arises in ourselves and one another with empathy with an intention to spread peace, love, mercy, justice and compassion for all.
Shahid Empathy Circle
A monthly support group with Ruhayyah Ferrante & Friends
This new ongoing JI offer is a wonderful opportunity to deepen our witnessing of what Allah moves within our being without distraction or pressure to be or do anything except to be present.
The Shahid empathy circle is an ongoing monthly offer to practice silent presence, to take time and space to connect with oneself, to speak what wants to be known or understood, or hear another person… knowing that everything mirrors and reflects Allah.
As brothers and sisters of the way, we create this container together and anchor our hearts into the safety of Allah as our Guide and Witness knowing Allah is with us in our thinking, emotions, needs. And when we listen deeply Allah moves us to speak or to be still, to hear and to understand.
Rather than believing there is something we have to fix, analyze , or evaluate we learn to just be with whatever arises, trusting Allah, following Allah’s lead. We let go of judgment, blame and shame enough to be fully here, now.
Whether we encounter difficulty or ease, the shahid of your heart witnesses, listens and when it’s prompted to speak, may be able to share from a more conscious awake place of connection. And when we share from a place of presence, it allows the healing balm of our deep presence in Allah to become fertile soil for the soul to flourish.
This Shahid circle offers many opportunities to learn and grow the quality of our relationship with ourselves, and potentially with others and with Allah. To learn more about the intentions and potential learnings for the Ash-Shahid Empathy Circle click here.
Dates: Second Wednesdays – May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug 12, Sep 9, Oct 14, Nov 11, Dec 9, 2026
Time: 8:00 am – 9:00 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
Preparatory Reading: Please read the Format and Group Guidelines before attending your first Empathy Circle.
Al-`Ishq Relationship Circle
A monthly support group with Hassan Roy Martin, Latifa Kay Lieberman, & Friends
The al-Ishq Relationship Circle will offer a safe space to explore the possibility for beloveds to walk into the unity by walking with another in relationship (partner, family member, friend, community member, etc.). As Sufis and students of Sidi, we learn that anytime we’re triggered, our nafs are implicated in some way. Sidi would say that everything is a mirror. In walking together, there’s an opportunity to annihilate nafs as we locate deeper truths of our hearts, our souls and ultimately the secret.
But how? Particularly when sometimes the walking is so exhausting, the best we can do in the moment is to retreat. What do we do when our skills are not enough to get us there? This is where the JI al-Ishq Circle seeks to help. Our focus is on helping beloveds to hone specific skills that can walk us deeply, both within ourselves and with each other.
We will apply teachings offered by the Jami’ Initiative as well as wisdom from the Sufi path and various peacemaking traditions. We will learn to speak our truth in ways others can receive and also listen deeply and receive the truths of others. Our focus will be on walking with others in ways that are grounded and authentic – not bypassing pain but using it as a doorway to reveal our blind spots and to invite mercy and healing into our wounds and traumas so that our hearts can return to the witnessing of love.
Dates: May 28, June 25, July 30, Aug 27, Sep 24, Oct 22, Nov 17, Dec 15
Time: 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm PT / 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm ET