Nimatullahi Sufi Center Houston
All your restlessness comes from
your seeking the state of rest.
Become a restless seeker until
you find rest.
The Nimatullahi Sufi Order
The Nimatullahi Sufi Order is a spiritual discipline dedicated to the selfless service and love of all human beings.
The foundation of our spiritual endeavors rests upon the practice of ceaselessly remembering God in thought, word and deed. The guiding principles of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order are firmly rooted in the tradition of chivalry (futuwwa in Arabic and javanmardi in Persian) in the Middle East. In these traditions, relations among members of society were based on selfless service and consideration of others first and foremost.
What is Sufism
“The practice of Sufism is the intention to go towards the Truth by means of love and devotion. This is called the tariqat, the spiritual path or way towards God.
“Only by the light of the spiritual path and the mystic way can the Truth be discovered. In order for one to truly witness the perfection of the Absolute, one must see with one’s inner being, which perceives the whole of Reality. This witnessing happens only when one loses one’s (partial) existence in the whole.” (Excerpted from The Path by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh)
Divine Love
“The first time I read Rumi’s story of Moses and the Shepherd, I was struck by the fact that the shepherd was much closer to God than Moses even though the shepherd’s conception of God was not even remotely plausible.
“Years later, when I revisited this story, it appeared to me that Rumi had unravelled a deep mystery of divine love: in order to love God, one does not need to have a correct conception or description of God; what is required is a burning heart. “(Excerpted from a discourse by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh)
Caring for Others
“Altruism, as developed by early Khorasanian Sufis and practiced by Persian Sufis for centuries down to the present day, advocates that Sufis—indeed all human beings—should serve God by remaining in society and helping and serving others. It stands in stark contrast with the Sufi tradition that was developed in Baghdad by Junaid (d. 910) and his followers, which advocated the practice of renunciation and withdrawal from society as the central tenet of Sufism.” (Excerpted from a discourse by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh)
Master (Pir) of Nimatullahi Sufi Order
Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh
Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh is the Master (Pir) of the Nimatullahi Order. With the passing of his father, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, he assumed the position of leadership of the Nimatullahi Order on October 10, 2008, according to the wishes and written request of his father. His Sufi sobriquet is Reza Ali Shah.
News and Updates
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Thanksgiving Food Drive
This year the Sufi Service community in Houston began support Cy-Fair Helping Hands’s annual Thanksgiving food drive. The Houston Sufi Service community — along with family, friends, and neighbors — donated over 700 pounds of non-perishable food to support disadvantaged families in Greater Houston for the Thanksgiving season. We hope to make this an annual…
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Join us for our monthly Open House
Our next Houston Sufi Center event is scheduled for November 30, 2025. Contact us today to get an invitation.
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Update for October 19-25
Meditation Sessions The Sunday discourse was from Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (translated by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh) about the Sufi expression “Breath is the Truth”. The Thursday discourse was also from Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (translated by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh) about the relationship between the Master and disciple. Community Service Our quarterly Houston Sufi Service newsletter was published on October 21st and emailed to…
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Rābe‘a – Lover of God
by Caroline McCutcheon On the Sufi Path men and women are considered to be equal in their capacity for spiritual endeavor. Those drowned in the Ocean of Love lose all trappings of individual identity and transcend the distinction between ‘he’ and ‘she’. Since all aspirants on the Path are essentially one in spirit, the outer…
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Autumn 2025 Sufi Service
In Autumn, the Houston Sufi Service community continued our long-term partnership with Cy-Fair Helping Hands (CFHH) food pantry. We helped provide nourishing food to more than 120 underprivileged and unhoused families each month. This quarter, we also started a new project with CFHH where we help collect non-perishable food for their annual Thanksgiving Food Box…
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Update for October 12-18
Meditation Sessions The Sunday discourse was from Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (translated by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh) about the “Program of Sufism” so everyone knows objective of the Sufi Path. The Thursday discourse was also from Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (translated by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh) about God’s Grace. Community Service The Nimatullahi community in Houston is conducting a month-long food donation program to benefit…
Meditation (majlis) Sessions
We meet in the Houston, Texas metro area twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays) for meditation to remember God through zekr.
Charity Service
Community Service is a cornerstone of our spiritual path. We volunteer at Cy-Fair Helping Hands in Houston, Texas to assist them in their mission to help provide nutritious meals to underprivileged and unhoused families.
Contact Us
If you are in the Greater Houston area or any of the nearby cities of College Station, Austin, Galveston, San Antonio, or even elsewhere in Texas, contact us setup a private appointment:
Phone / Text: (832) 819-1476
Learn more about the history of the Nimatullahi Order in Texas