Biography

Pir Zia Inayat Khan is the first son of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Taj Inayat. Raised in the United States, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Persian Literature from the University of London and his doctorate in Religion from Duke University.

Pir Zia’s father trained him in Sufism, and in 2000 confirmed him as his spiritual successor.

Since Pir Vilayat’s passing in 2004 (God keep him), Pir Zia has served as Pir-o-Murshid and President of the Inayatiyya, guiding Sufi communities around the world. To provide opportunities for focused spiritual study, Pir Zia founded the Suluk Academy, which offers in-person courses in North America and Europe, as well as a Suluk Global Online Course.

The two central lodges from which Pir Zia works are Fazal Manzil in Suresnes, France, and the Astana in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.

Pir Zia’s writings include Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan with a Critical Commentary by Pir Zia Inayat Khan; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. He is editor of Caravan of Souls: An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat Khan and A Pearl in Wine: Essays in the Life, Music and Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Pir Zia and his wife, Sartaj, divide their time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.