A really musical soul is someone who has forgotten himself [herself] in music… The key to perfection is to be found in forgetting the self.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

A Really Musical Soul

Topic: Creativity, Culture, & the Arts

Man is drawn in two opposite directions by the power of harmony: towards the Infinite and towards manifestation. He is less conscious of the former than of the latter, and by facing towards one direction he loses sight of the other. The Infinite, being the essential spirit of all, finally attracts all to itself. The Sufi gives the greatest importance to harmony with the Infinite, which he realizes by resignation to the will of God, the Beloved.

A really musical soul is someone who has forgotten himself [herself] in music; just as a real poet is someone who forgets himself in poetry, and a worldly soul is someone who has lost himself in the world. And godly is the soul who has forgotten himself in God. All the great musicians, Beethoven, Wagner, and many others who have left to the world a work, which will always be treasured, would not have been able to do so if they had not forgotten themselves in their work. They altogether lost their idea of their own being, and in that way they deepened and became one with the thing they had come to give to the world. The key to perfection is to be found in forgetting the self.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) was a Sufi master who was born in India and later lived in Europe and the United States. He is considered one of the most important figures in the revival of Sufism in the West. Khan's teacher's dying words were: "Fare forth into the world, my child, and harmonize the East and the West with the harmony of thy music. Spread the word of Sufism abroad, for to this end art thou gifted by Allah, the most Merciful and Compassionate."

In 1910, Khan traveled to the United States, where he founded the Sufi Order International. He also traveled extensively throughout Europe, giving lectures and teaching workshops. Khan's message of universal love and understanding resonated with people from all walks of life, and he quickly became a respected figure in the spiritual community. Although Sufism is traditionally part of the mystical heritage of Islam, Khan developed a pattern of worship and spiritual practice that draws upon the major religious traditions. His teachings emphasize the importance of love, understanding, and compassion. He believed that all people are connected, and that we can achieve a higher state of consciousness by transcending our differences.

Khan died in 1927 in New Delhi, India. His legacy lives on through the Sufi Order International, which continues to spread his message of peace and understanding. Khan's work has had a significant impact on the spiritual landscape of the West. He is credited with helping to introduce Sufism to a new audience, and his teachings continue to inspire people around the world.

(1882-1927) Islam

Khan, Hazrat Inayat. [The Sufi Teachings of Hazrat Inayat Kahn, Volume II].

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Theme: The Musical Arts

About This Hazrat Inayat Khan Quotation [Commentary]

Hazrat Inayat Khan teaches that the true musical soul is not centered on self-expression but on self-forgetting. “A really musical soul,” he writes, “is someone who has forgotten himself [herself] in music… The key to perfection is to be found in forgetting the self.” For Hazrat Inayat Khan, music becomes a way to transcend the boundaries of the personal self and enter into something greater. It is not the self that perfects music, but the letting go of self that allows music to deepen and become meaningful.

In the context passage, Hazrat Inayat Khan speaks of two directions in which the soul is drawn by the power of harmony—toward manifestation and toward the Infinite. Most are more aware of the former, but the Sufi turns toward the latter by seeking “harmony with the Infinite,” realized through “resignation to the will of God, the Beloved.” He explains that great musicians like Beethoven and Wagner created lasting work because they “altogether lost their idea of their own being” and became one with what they had come to offer. Their depth came not from self-importance but from a loss of self in service to the music itself.

Within the musical arts, this teaching presents a quiet but powerful challenge. Music is more than performance; it can be a means of union. The one who forgets the self in music follows the same path as the poet in poetry or the devotee in prayer. “Godly is the soul who has forgotten himself in God,” Hazrat Inayat Khan writes, placing music alongside the most intimate forms of spiritual surrender. In this light, the artist becomes a servant of harmony, drawn by the Infinite more than by acclaim.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

Hazrat Inayat Khan was born in 1882 in Baroda, India, into a family where music and mysticism were integral to daily life. His maternal grandfather, Maula Bakhsh, a revered musician and founder of the Gayanshala music academy, played a significant role in his upbringing. This environment nurtured Hazrat Inayat Khan’s early development as a vina player and composer. His musical journey led him across India, where he performed and taught. A pivotal moment occurred in Hyderabad when he met his Sufi teacher, Sayyid Abu Hashim Madani. Under his guidance, Hazrat Inayat Khan’s spiritual awareness deepened. Before his teacher’s passing, he was entrusted with a mission: “Fare forth into the world, my child, and harmonize the East and the West with the harmony of thy music”. This directive propelled him to the West in 1910, where he shared both the musical traditions of India and the spiritual teachings of Sufism.

In his teachings, Hazrat Inayat Khan emphasized that “a really musical soul is someone who has forgotten himself [herself] in music”. He believed that true musical expression arises when the artist transcends the self, allowing the music to become a conduit for deeper truths. He observed that great musicians, such as Beethoven and Wagner, achieved their lasting impact by “altogether [losing] their idea of their own being,” thereby becoming one with their art. For Hazrat Inayat Khan, this self-effacement was not limited to music but was a path toward spiritual realization. He taught that harmony draws individuals both toward worldly manifestation and toward the Infinite. By “resignation to the will of God, the Beloved,” one aligns with the Infinite. Thus, music, when approached with humility and devotion, becomes a means of returning to the source.

A Really Musical Soul

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