
Sufi Heart with Omid Safi
The Sufi Heart podcast with Omid Safi features teachings and stories about a sacred tradition of love, one that manifests outwardly as justice and inwardly as tenderness. Drawing primarily on the wisdom of the Islamic tradition as well as the legacies of the Civil Rights movements and other wisdom teachings, Omid invites you to a meditation on the transformative power of love and recalling the necessity of linking healing our own hearts with healing the world. Omid Safi is director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center. He specializes in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam and frequently writes on liberationist traditions of Dr. King, Malcolm X, and is committed to traditions that link together love and justice.Omid is the past chair for the Study of Islam at the American Academy of Religion. He has written many books, including Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism; Cambridge Companion to American Islam; Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam; and Memories of Muhammad. His forthcoming books include Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Traditions and a book on the famed mystic Rumi.Omid is among the most frequently sought out speakers on Islam in popular media, appearing in The New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, PBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, and other international media. He leads spiritual tours every year to Turkey, Morocco, or other countries, to study the rich multiple religious traditions there. The trips are open to everyone, from every country. More information is available at Illuminated Tours.
Latest episodes

Feb 9, 2019 • 47min
Ep. 8 – Kharaqani, the Saint Who Breathed with God
In this episode of the Sufi Heart Podcast, Omid explores the life and teachings of the early Sufi mystic Abu al-Hassan al-Kharaqani.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan 15, 2019 • 48min
Ep. 7 - Rekindling Our Tenderness
Omid is invited by Taniya Hussain from the Beat Burnout Summit to talk about the practices that allow us to rekindle the love and tenderness that exists in each of us.Taniya Hussain is a Trauma Recovery & Stress Management Coach & Consultant and the host of the Beat Burnout Summit. Beat Burnout Summit is designed to help social workers and healthcare professionals de-stress, set healthy boundaries and reconnect with their purpose and passion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dec 27, 2018 • 51min
Ep. 6 – Practice of Compassion
Leslie Langbert joins Omid for a conversation about opening our heart to radical love with the practice of compassion.A licensed clinical social worker, Leslie Langbert has a background as a psychotherapist working with children, youth and adults, and has held leadership roles in the non-profit sector. Leslie is also a certified yoga instructor and is a mindfulness meditation facilitator. In this episode, Leslie interviews Omid about the translated poetry found in Omid’s most recent book, Radical Love, and the two talk about the practices of the heart shared through its poetry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 30, 2018 • 52min
Ep. 5 – A Practice of Love
How can we develop a practice of love that starts with ourselves and extends into the world?This time on the Sufi Heart Podcast, Omid looks at love as an action that is cultivated from the inside out and shares the sequence of practice necessary for extending our love equally into the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 23, 2018 • 42min
Ep. 4 - Welcoming the Tranquil Soul Back to the Divine
This week, Omid looks at how mystics of the Sufi tradition understood the path of love as something that brings us together into fellowship with one another, into communion with nature and unites us with the Divine.Find show notes and resources: https://beherenownetwork.com/sufi-heart-ep-4-back-to-the-divine/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 3, 2018 • 52min
Ep. 3 – The Flame of Justice
This week on the Sufi Heart Podcast, Omid reflects on the teachings of social activist Vincent Harding and examines the way that love sparks the flame of justice within us.Fins show notes and resources here: https://beherenownetwork.com/sufi-heart-ep-3-flame-of-justice/Vincent Harding, a historian, author and activist who wrote one of the most polarizing speeches ever given by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in which Dr. King expressed ardent but compassionate opposition to the Vietnam War. In this episode, we look at Harding’s teachings around the intersection of social action and the heart.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 14, 2018 • 37min
Ep. 2 – Sacredness of Love
On this episode of the Sufi Heart Podcast, Omid explores teachings from the Sufi tradition about the sacredness of love, transcending the ego and finding God’s presence in every moment.Find show notes and links: https://beherenownetwork.com/sufi-heart-ep-2-sacredness-of-love/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 2, 2018 • 47min
Ep. 1 - The Path of Radical Love
Omid reflects on the aspect of all encompassing love that distinguishes the Sufi tradition. He looks at exchange of love between ourselves and the divine that is celebrated in the beautiful teachings, stories and poems from the Sufi tradition and how this path can awaken us to the abundance of love that exists all around us. Find show notes and links: https://beherenownetwork.com/sufi-heart-ep-1-path-of-radical-love/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.