Our Vision
“By Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s light, the closest to God is one with three attributes: Magnanimity of the River. Kindness of the Sun. Humility of the Earth”.
ACNA, an organization consisting of like-minded individuals with a common goal in mind, has been working to advance the legacy of the spiritual, cultural and social richness bequeathed by the Muslim Auliya, the (Sufi teachers) of the Indian Subcontinent. With the aim of creating an atmosphere of lived Sufism, inspired by the idea of a personal and communal connection with God. The organization has worked to establish sama’a (qawwali), and has arranged events to celebrate the lives of Sufi saints, their contribution to society, and the role they played in the history of South Asia to encourage cultural syncretism. These and other related activities will inculcate the cultural traditions of Islamic spirituality in keeping with modern times in a way that will keep our coming generations in contact with their roots and enrich their life experiences. We have recently acquired a space in Mahopac, New York where Auliya Council Center has been established housing Azakhana Hussaniya Sajjadiya and Khanqah e Chishtiya Faridiya, langar khana kitchen, sam’aa halls, gathering spaces and offices. The building is well-equipped for large gatherings where all our activities are conducted. With the over-arching aspirations of the Sufi saints in mind, ACNA hopes to nurture diversity, inter-faith exchanges, and follows the path shown by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
ACNA celebrates venerates and draw manifest inspiration from the Sufi saints of the Indian subcontinent and their spiritual legacies and mystical traditions. These spiritual masters lived the attributes of magnanimity in charity and kindness without discrimination, and practiced an earth-like humility that allowed their message to seep into the cultural soil of which they were part, cultivating a richness of brotherhood that lives on. This lived encounter with the Divine, while remaining tethered to a reverence for mankind, is honored thus: “Behold! Verily, on the friends of God there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Quran 10:62) These traditions of lived and enlivened Sufism have historically transcended ideas of identity based on race, caste, religion or creed, enveloping instead all who aspire to its unifying principles of harmony. ACNA aims to illuminate these principles by forging a platform that informs, and is in turn informed by, this heritage that is universal to us all. With this in mind, a space has been created to allow for a diverse, multi-faith and multi-cultural syncretism, a place where discussion, dialogue, sama’a (devotional singing or Qawwali) and other multi-faceted cultural events will be held. A special attempt is being made to encourage and cultivate these ideas in the younger generation by offering them a sense of belonging and rootedness within the community. ACNA is an organization that derives inspiration form the mystical traditions with a common goal in mind, has been working to advance the legacy of the spiritual, cultural and social richness bequeathed by the Muslim Auliya, the (Sufi teachers) of the Indian Subcontinent. With the aim of creating an atmosphere of lived Sufism, inspired by the idea of a personal and communal connection with God, ACNA has worked to establish particularly sama’a (qawwali), and arranges events celebrating the lives of Sufi saints, their contribution to society, and the role they played in the history of South Asia to encourage cultural syncretism. It is hoped that these and other related activities will inculcate the cultural traditions of Islamic spirituality in keeping with modern times in a way that will keep our coming generations in contact with their roots and enrich their life experiences. With the over-arching aspirations of the Sufi saints in mind, ACNA hopes to nurture diversity, inter-faith exchanges, and follows the path shown by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
