Living Water: Symbolism of Water in Literature

Living Water: Symbolism of Water in Literature
Fridays, November 6 & 20, 2026
10:00 – 11:30 am ET

Join us for the Ziraat series Living Water: Symbolism of Water in Literature.

“That living thing in the heart is love. It may come forth as kindness, as friendship, as sympathy, as tolerance, as forgiveness, but in whatever form this living water rises from the heart, it proves the heart to be a divine spring.”
— Hazrat Inayat Khan [Vol. IX]

In this series, our presenters explore the sacred symbolism of water in literature as a metaphor for the evolution of the soul and the divine purpose. Symbolism helps us understand and navigate through life. To learn more about Ziraat, visit https://inayatiyyaziraat.org/.

Dates & Themes

• Friday, November 6 — Water as a Sufi Symbol in the Writings of Hamzah Fansuri. Presenter: Murshida Arniya (Lahore, Pakistan).
  In the works of the 16th-century Malay mystic Hamzah Fansuri, water symbolizes the relationship between the human soul and the Divine (Allah). Fansuri equates Allah — the Divine Essence — to a bottomless, limitless ocean. Because water is tasteless, colorless, and formless, it represents the incomprehensible, pure nature of the Divine. Just as the ocean remains singular and undivided, so is God. He likens the entire universe — all creatures and humanity — to waves, ripples, or bubbles that emerge from the water. Though a wave or bubble appears to have a distinct identity, it is not fundamentally separate from the water. It is made entirely of water, and its ultimate fate is to crash back down and lose its temporary, individual form in the sea.

• Friday, November 20 — Symbolism of Water in Myths and Legends. Presenter: Raqib Gerhard Kittel (Nuremberg, Germany).
  Zen saying: Water takes on the color of its vessel. Nothing resembles the soul more than the element of water. The stages of the soul's descent into earthly existence are reflected in religion, myths, legends, fairy tales, and symbols. By studying them, we bring them to life within ourselves, and through lucid dreaming we can draw closer to them and "speak" with them. These stories help us to navigate through life and find our way back to "source." Raqib presents selected examples from various spiritual traditions and draws a connection to Ziraat and the Inayatiyya Sufi Path.

Details

Sessions are Fridays, 10:00 – 11:30 am ET (New York) / 4:00 – 5:30 pm CET (Paris). To see the start time in your own location, check your local time here. All are welcome to attend. This program is open to the public. Oceania: A time will be arranged for those who have registered to view the recording together, at a suitable time later on Saturday morning.

Tuition

We offer three tuition levels so that cost need not stand between you and this program.

• Supporter — $60 for the series ($30 per class). If you're able to give a little more, this helps sustain the program and the wider work of the Inayatiyya.

• Standard — $40 for the series ($20 per class). Our suggested level.

• Limited Income — $20 for the series ($10 per class). If the standard level is a stretch.

These rates are set to keep this teaching within reach rather than to reflect what it costs to offer. Gifts at the Supporter level help make the lower levels possible and support the Inayatiyya's work beyond this course.

Please choose the level that best reflects your circumstances. We ask that you choose in good conscience rather than by any outward measure — no explanation is needed, and no one is asked to justify their choice.

If even the Limited Income level is out of reach, scholarships are available. Please contact astana@inayatiyya.org before registering so we can process your request.

Video recordings of each class will be available to those who have registered and will be added to the Ziraat website on the Recordings of Past Programs page.

If you have questions about Ziraat or about this series, please email us at ziraat@inayatiyya.org. Questions about registration can be sent to astana@inayatiyya.org.