The Beginning
The Land in Pope Valley was originally purchased as requested by our guide Sidi, on December 31st 1997. It included 118 acres, and the remains of what was Walters Springs resort, an old resort that promoted the healing waters of the natural mineral springs which was in operation through the first half of the 20th century.
The buildings were in much need of repair and beloveds from all over came to help. Over time, the buildings were cleaned up and repaired, people started coming for retreat, and the Mother Center was established. Sidi envisioned many homes there and beloveds working the land and creating a community.
In November of 1997, Shadhiliyya Sufi Center formed as a non-profit to oversee the Mother Center and the needs of the national community.
The New Land
In April 2001, the New Land, a 400-acre parcel very close to the Mother Center, was purchased. This parcel was subdivided into four lots. The largest lot was held for the future and three others were put up for sale to beloveds. One sold, another contracted under a lease to own agreement and one lot remained unsold.
The Mother Center
Over the years, Sidi would come and go at the Mother Center. Each year he would travel from Jerusalem to spend 4-6 months teaching in America, making the Mother Center his home base.
For 18 years there was a thriving community of beloveds dedicated to making the Mother Center a refuge and a place of regular, large gatherings for our community. There were many annual retreats held there. Often 60-100 beloveds would come to be with Sidi. We held Ramadan retreats, Hajj retreats, Sufi School retreats, Healing Intensive retreats, Sufi University classes, and other events. At one time, the Mother Center employed 10 beloveds to keep the Center running all year.
It Was the Jamal and the Jalal
Most of the people who visited, lived, or worked at the Land can attest to the incredible beauty and holy energy of the land itself. Like many holy places (such as Jerusalem, Sedona, etc.), the holiness of the Land initiated a purification process, and at times that process was uncomfortable. For those spending extended amounts of time there, the strength of the spiritual cleaning the Land initiated could become a trigger in itself. The Land was always beautiful and always holy…but it wasn’t always easy.
After Sidi’s Passing
Sidi passed into the Next Life on November of 2015. May Allah be pleased with him and give him proximity to His Beautiful Face until the end of time.
The Mother Center struggled to stay open after Sidi passed. The retreat center rentals dropped off and the SSC Board of Directors assumed full responsibility for the Mother Center and the Land.
The 2020 Wildfires
In August 2020, all of the buildings at the Mother Center were destroyed by the wildfires that ravaged the whole area that year. We thank Allah that no one was hurt.
Later that year, SSC received an insurance settlement allowing SSC to pay off the principle of the mortgage. We cleaned up the site, and placed what remained in a secure, halal investment account.
SSC Today
Today SSC is focusing on the wider needs of our community. This website is a response to those diverse needs. We care about all of our communities and every beloved. We will continue to support the local community in Pope Valley, CA, and care for the future of the Land as well as care for the needs of all of the North American communities as best we can.
Share Your Stories
We would love to hear and share your stories about visiting, living, or working at the Land.
Photos & Videos
If you have pictures you would like to add to our photo galleries, please contact us. We would love to enrich the site with your memories.
