What is the Jami’ Initiative?
The Jami’ Initiative is a Shadhiliyya Sufi Communities program which facilitates healing and reconciliation for the entire community of students of Sidi Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifa’i ash-Shadhili, may God preserve his secret. The overall goals of the initiative are to teach vital heart-centered communication skills. to facilitate difficult conversations, and to enable all community members to have a voice and be heard. Toward these ends, we offer free ongoing classes, mediation services, and facilitated community dialogues (sohbets).
Before it began, this Initiative was presented to the entire community on three different occasions, as well as to the leadership of each region. Support for the Initiative was overwhelmingly positive, as reflected by the SSC Board’s approval of the initiative. Review the presentations given to the entire community.
Our Classes
The teachings we offer are focused on helping people restore heart-centered connection within relationships. The first series of classes are considered the cornerstones of heart-centered communication and will be repeated over time to help us absorb the wisdom and understanding of how to put them into practice. As we integrate the cornerstones, we refine ways of being with one another, and our practice deepens over time. Insha’allah, we begin to discover the quality of our relationships improve and life becomes more fulfilling.
Cornerstones of the Heart: July – Nov 2024
The 6 topics in the Cornerstones of Heart Centered Communication series include:
- Listening with Empathy
- The Power of Observation
- Emotions as a Doorway to Deeper Connection
- Nourishing Life-Affirming Needs
- Compassionate Self-Empathy
- Making Clear Requests
These classes will take place during the fourth week of every month, with the exception of the winter holidays. The first two classes during the week are educational and will cover the same topic in both classes. The third class on Saturday is a practice and integration session. You are encouraged to attend as many classes as you can on each topic, insha’allah. Repetition is purposefully built into the program to support your complete integration of the material.
To attend classes and receive the Zoom Access information, please join our mailing list. General programming emails will be sent out periodically and reminder emails will be sent out 1 hour before each class, insha’allah. All classes will be recorded and are available to stream on this page.
Class Schedule
The Power of Observation
with Nura Lora Laird
We human beings have many veils, 70,000 of them according to the Qur’an. Sidi says in the first station of the nafs in Music of the Soul (p 47), “This word (nafs) contains all the things that come from your self – your perception, your hearing, your feeling, the voices in your mind, and the desires of your heart.” In other words, our nafs is influenced by many veils, leading to distorted perceptions of what’s happening to us and misunderstandings in our conversations. These distortions are called “interpretations.”
In this class we discover the crucial difference between observations, which are objective perceptions of what happened, and our interpretations or our stories about what happened. These are often vastly different, leading to misunderstandings and breakdowns in relationships. Shifting from interpretations to observations helps all parties to clarify what happened and to get on the same page, re-establishing their connection and love, insha’allah.
- Tue, Aug 27, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET - Thu, Aug 29, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm PT / 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET - Practice & Integration
Sat, Aug 31, 2024
8:00 am – 9:30 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Emotions as a Doorway to Deeper Connection
with Ruhayyah Andrea Ferrante
Emotions are an aspect of our humanity created by Allah, and they have purpose and meaning as does all of creation. Join us as we explore the gifts and responsibilities of our capacity to feel. We will identify the range and literacy of emotion, as well as how to discern thinking from feeling. As we become conscious and aware of our emotional nature, we are more able to know and understand our inner experience, and from there help others to know and understand us. Uncovering how emotions serve connection, as well as understanding how they operate in human relationships is powerful, especially when we link our emotions to our deeper, life-serving needs and values. Join us in celebration as we explore the beauty and depth Allah creates in our lives through the stream of emotion, and what can shift as we establish our ability to witness and respond to life consciously.
- Tue, Sep 24, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET - Thu, Sep 26, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm PT / 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET - Practice & Integration
Sat, Sep 28, 2024
8:00 am – 9:30 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Nourishing Life Affirming Needs
with Mahabbah Young
- Tue, Oct 22, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET - Thu, Oct 24, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm PT / 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET - Practice & Integration
Sat, Oct 26, 2024
8:00 am – 9:30 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Integration and Practice of Empathy, Observation, Emotions, and Needs
with Mahabbah Young, Ruhayyah Ferrante, and Nura Laird
- Tue, Nov 26, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET
Compassionate Self-Empathy
with Ruhayyah Ferrante
- Tue, Dec 10, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET - Thu, Dec 12, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm PT / 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET - Practice & Integration
Sat, Dec 14, 2024
8:00 am – 9:30 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Making Requests
with Nura Laird
- Tue, Jan 28, 2025
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm PT / 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET - Thu, Jan 30, 2025
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm PT / 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET - Practice & Integration
Sat, Feb 1, 2025
8:00 am – 9:30 am PT / 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Class Access Info
All classes take place online using Zoom.
Meeting ID: 854 4491 2072
Passcode: 111111
One Tap Mobile: +13052241968,,85444912072#,,,,*111111# US
Dial in: +1 305 224 1968
Find your local number
Class Recordings
Listening with Empathy
with Mahabbah Young
The Power of Observation
with Nura Laird
Emotions as a Doorway to Deeper Connection
with Ruhayyah Ferrante
How You Can Help
This Initiative is being funded by beloveds in the tariqa. All classes and services are being offered without charge. Donations are gratefully accepted for the teachings and the mediation services offered. Donations will be used to fund future Jami’ Initiative teachings, organization and mediations. Please consider donating.
Donations to help SSC cover its infrastructure and operating costs are also appreciated.
Questions? Ideas? Want to Volunteer?
Email us at jami-initiative@sscboard.org with any questions, comments, ideas, to volunteer.
We will be looking for 1 regional coordinator to oversee outreach for sohbets in each region and to help assemble a small group of volunteers in that region to do the outreach calls. SSC will provide coordination and training for the volunteers.
We need volunteers who are willing to do outreach calls to beloveds in their area. We also need volunteers trained in facilitation and/or mediation.
If you would like to help, please email us.
Help Us Choose a Logo
We would like to find a logo that reflects the qualities of the Jami’ Initiative for Peace, Love and Reconciliation. If you have a suggestion please email it to us.
To Receive Mediation or Other Services
Email us at jami-initiative@sscboard.org to request mediation or other services, insha’allah.