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History
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi traces its roots through a lineage of successive Sufi masters extending back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Ali and Oveys Gharani (Arabic: أويس القرني Uwais al-Qarni), who lived in Yemen at the time of Muhammad. Ali represents the essence of the teachings of the School of Islamic Sufism. He was not only the closest companion of Muhammad, but had also received and cognized the teachings of Muhammad inwardly. Oveys on the other hand, had received the teachings of Islam inwardly through his heart, and lived by the principles taught by him although he had never physically met Muhammad. At times Muhammad would say of him. "I feel the breath of the Merciful, coming to me from Yemen." Shortly before Muhammad died, he directed Omar (second Caliph) and Ali (the first Imam of the Shi'a) to take his cloak for Oveys. In so doing, Muhammad confirmed the method of heart to heart communication through which Oveys had received the essence of Islam. The method of the passing of the Cloak represents two significant elements in the teachings of Muhammad which constitute the method of instruction of the School of Islamic Sufism--cognition must take place inwardly, and cognition must be confirmed--as it was in the case of Oveys, and Ali.
Since that time, the cloak and the method of receiving knowledge through the heart, symbolizing the highest level of divine illumination, and conferring honor, recognition and respect on the recipient, has been handed down through an unbroken succession of Sufi masters. This significant act creates the only hierarchy within the School of Islamic Sufism. The designated Sufi Master, called the Pir, is the essence of the Sufi Way. The present Pir, Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha, was officially appointed as the forty-second Sufi Master in the unbroken chain of transmission on September 4, 1970, when the cloak of Muhammad was bestowed upon him by his father. The son, grandson, and great-grandson of previous Pirs, Pir's spiritual training naturally began at birth. The Pir has written more than fifty works in prose and poetry. He continues his great-grandfather's tradition of presenting the ancient truth of Sufism into scientific language.
M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi, School of Islamic Sufism, traces its lineage back Muhammad, Ali, and Oveys Gharani (Uways al- Qarani), Muhammad’s devoted follower from Yemen, in whose honor the school is named. A succession of 42 Masters from Gharani to the present master, Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, are listed in the genealogy of the Oveyssi School below. Persia was the base for the masters of the school, who traditionally taught a handful of carefully selected students, for most of its 1,500 years of history. However, Pir Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha determined to open the doors of Sufism, for the first time in history, to all who sincerely wished to learn, and began to do so.
The Oveyssi School began as a force in the US in 1979, when the Pir, Molana al-Moazam Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha and his son and successor, Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, moved from Sufi-Abad, outside Tehran, Iran, to California. At first, small sessions were held in private homes. In 1981, Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha passed on, and Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, designated in writing and at a public ceremony on September 4, 1970 as the next Pir, became head of the School. Pir Nader Angha had attended high school, college and graduate school in the U.S., studying mathematics and physics. He has continued the work, begun by his great-grandfather, of translating the traditional terminology of Sufism into the language of science. Under his leadership the school has grown rapidly, and he now supervises more than 500,000 students worldwide. Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) is incorporated in the U.S. and Europe as a non-profit educational and religious organization. Each year new centers are opened all around the world. Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) Centers now exist in more than 20 countries. In the USA, 16 states have a center and most major U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, St. Louis, Sacramento, Denver, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Albuquerque, Plainsboro, San Diego, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, Portland, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., plus 9 centers in the San Francisco Bay area and 8 centers in Los Angeles and suburbs. The newest and largest Sufi Centers are located in Falls Church, Virginia and Frisco, Texas. The Falls Church center, outside Washington, DC., seats 1,100 people under the central dome. Designed by the Pir, the magnificent design is based on the traditional science of letters and numbers (Jafr), representing metaphysical truths in physical form. The beautiful Memorial Building for Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, constructed in 1982 in Novato, California, whose design is also based on the science of letters and numbers, is a gem of Sufi architecture, incorporating many traditional arts and crafts rarely seen. It is visited by thousands annually.
Many Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) students are of Persian descent, but students come also from diverse religious, ethnic, geographical and cultural backgrounds, and the proportion of non-Persian students is steadily increasing. In fact, Sufism fills a spiritual need , most dramatically epitomized in the popularity of Rumi’s poetry. Students, particularly new students, tend to be young and well-educated. The vast majority of students have or are attaining college degrees, and a substantial number have graduate degrees as well.
Activities
Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha emphasizes self-study, but also supervises the numerous ongoing activities of the School and its students.
Sufi services
Each Khaneghah (Center), has always at least one traditional session. These are open to the public and taught in Persian, with simultaneous translation provided. The Pir’s teaching is based on the Qur'an. The session includes a lecture or question and answer period, poetry reading, a reading from the Qur'an, prayers, and the Sufi Zekr. In larger cities, there is also a session taught in the language of the country: English, French and so on including all the above elements.Students wear white to symbolize the state they wish to attain --- purity. Following the Quranic injunction:
Conversion to Islam is neither suggested nor required. On special occasions, special services are held. During the Gulf War, a special peace service was held near Edwards Air Force Base in California and beamed by satellite to Europe. Five thousand people attended. An extraordinary invitational session marked the Opening of the Washington Khaneghah.
The role of women
In a departure from tradition, almost half of the instructors for Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) are women, and all Tamarkoz (Sufi Meditation) instructors except one are women. Under the supervision of the Pir, women instructors lead the zekr, recite the Qur'an, and teach at public sessions with numerous men in the audience. Many of the books recently published by Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) are written by women authors.Fine arts and crafts
Creativity is a hallmark of Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi). Students Work in the traditional arts and crafts, including calligraphy, embossment, enamel, miniature painting, carved stucco, mirror mosaics, metal-work, engraving, and pottery. Classes are offered at various locations. Music is also encouraged, and students learn how to play traditional instruments, including: tar, nay, dombak, and daf. Students also compose music or write poetry as often unexpected creative capacities and capabilities emerge.Other activities
Additional scheduled classes include traditional Qur'anic Classes, Hadith Studies, Persian classes, and courses in Islamic Studies. Tamarkoz (Sufi Meditation) classes are particularly emphasized. These weekly classes combine traditional practices and the language of modern science. Breathing, concentration, awareness, visualization, contemplation and Movazeneh (energy-balancing) exercises, are combined with traditional forms of Remembrance of God.Independent research within different fields is conducted under the supervision of Pir Nader Angha. Examples of current topics are: "Sufi Practices and the Rate of DNA Repair and Psychological and Physiological Effects of Fasting." These two examples illustrate the focus on melding of the mystical and the scientific.
Programmes for children and youngsters include Persian teaching and Tamarkoz Meditation, summer recreational retreats, and their own annual Celebrations.
Publishing
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) has its own printing and publications centers and publishes two to four Sufi books a year, as well as a semi-annual journal and numerous booklets and brochures. General printing services are also provided to the public.Community service
The concept of service is also highlighted. Several Sufi Meditation Classes were offered for years on a volunteer basis at the California Medical Facility, a state correctional institution. Fundraising concerts have been held for various community causes. Pastoral counseling is offered to those in need.Public events
The Pir has been an invited guest lecturer at major universities in the Western world, including the Sorbonne, the University of Hamburg, American University and the University of Wisconsin.Speakers from Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) frequently present lectures on Sufism and on Islam to public schools, community colleges and universities.
For four years, Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) has been holding Sufi Celebrations at a number of universities, including Southern Methodist University (SMU), Rice University, Stanford, UC, Davis and UC, Berkeley, with audiences of 350 to 3,000. Infused with sounds of both traditional and modern music, the Celebrations feature the Shahmaghsoudi Sufi Zekr Choir, singing in Persian, and also singing translations in English, Spanish, Hindi and Swahili, varying by location. Traditional musical instruments are showcased. Sufi philosophy, poetry readings, slides of arts and crafts, demonstrations of Movazeneh (Meditative Movement) and a Meditation are presented.
Associated programs
Students of Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) have developed substantial independent programs, all based on fundamental Sufi principles. The focus is on self-knowledge, self-development and healing of the body, mind and soul.Wayfinders, a non-profit educational organization, offers corporate and community Wellness as well as Management and Leadership classes, workshops and programs on the Eastern and Western coasts of the US. The meditation weekend retreats held each quarter in scenic natural settings are the most popular event.
Healthy Potentials, another non-profit organization, offers classes and workshops in health and healing in cities around the country, integrating the Schools heritage of physical and metaphysical knowledge.
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) Holistic Health Center offers traditional medical care in conjunction with alternative healing modalities, including physicians, accupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritionists, energy therapists, and psychotherapists.
The Sufi Psychology Association publishes a semi-annual journal entitled: “Science of the Soul: Sufism”. These conferences are approved to provide state-mandated Continuing Education Units to licensed Mental Health and Marriage and Family Therapists, Counselors and Clinical Social Workers.
Geneaology
Muhammad Ali
2- Salman Farsi
3- Habib-ibn Salim Ra'i
4- Soltan Ebrahim Adham
5- Abu Ali Shaqiq Balkhi
6- Sheikh Abu Torab Nakhshabi
7- Sheikh Abi Amro Istakhri
8- Abu Ja'far Hazza
9- Sheikh Kabir Abu Abdollah Mohammad-ibn Khafif Shirazi
10- Sheikh Hossein Akkar
11- Sheikh Morshed Abu-Isshaq Shahriar Kazerouni
12- Khatib Abolfath Abdolkarim
13- Ali-ibn Hassan Basri
14- Serajeddin Abolfath Mahmoud-ibn Mahmoudi Sabouni Beyzavi
15- Sheikh Abu Abdollah Rouzbehan Baghli Shirazi
16- Sheikh Najmeddin Tamat-al Kobra Khivaghi
17- Sheikh Ali Lala Ghaznavi
18- Sheikh Ahmad Zaker Jowzeghani
19- Noureddin Abdolrahman Esfarayeni
20- Sheikh Alaoddowleh Semnani
21- Mahmoud Mazdaghani
22- Amir Seyyed Ali Hamedani
23- Sheikh Ahmad Khatlani
24- Seyyed Mohammad Abdollah Ghatifi al-Hasavi Nourbakhsh
25- Shah Ghassem Feyzbakhsh
26- Hossein Abarghoui Janbakhsh
27- Darvish Malek Ali Joveyni
28- Darvish Ali Sodeyri
29- Darvish Kamaleddin Sodeyri
30- Darvish Mohammad Mozaheb Karandehi (Pir Palandouz) 31- Mir Mohammad Mo'men Sodeyri Sabzevari
32- Mir Mohammad Taghi Shahi Mashhadi 33- Mir Mozaffar Ali
34- Mir Mohammad Ali
35- Seyyed Shamseddin Mohammad
36- Seyyed Abdolvahab Naini
37- Haj Mohammad Hassan Kouzekanani 38- Agha Abdolghader Jahromi
39- Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha
40- Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad Angha 41- Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha
42- Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha
Links
"Oveyssi"