The Audio Biography of the early years of Hazrat Inayat Khan

When Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882 - 1927) came out of Henry Ford's Dearborn Michigan estate, a reporter was waiting. He knew he only had one chance to ask a question of this Mystic from India. 

"What is the meaning of life?" asked the reporter.

Inayat knew that the newspaper editors only ran sensational stories, so he answered the reporter in a personal way.

"Ultimately," he said, "it has no purpose."

Puzzled, the reporter then asked, "Then why did you travel here, halfway around the world?"

"Well," the mystic said," When you have something you love, you want to share it."

“The nature of life is such that it easily excites the mind and makes one unhappy in an instant. It makes one so confused that one does not know where to take the next step. In contrast with this, the mystic stands still and inquires of life its secret; and from every experience, from every failure or success, the mystic learns a lesson. Thus, both failure and success are profitable to him.” — Inayat 

The early life of most mystics and masters, the maturing of their souls on the earth, have been hidden from our view due to time and circumstance. 

But  Hazrat Inayat Khan has shared with us his. We have a glimpse into the early years of a man who was given the dharma or life’s work to make God real for so many.  We have created this project to share them with you. We researched reports of those who knew him personally, his family, and those who took up his cause to help humanity on its way to a higher evolution. Several biographies and his own memoirs or confessions were consulted. No one book captured the story completely. Some of his stories are conveyed in the 12 volumes of public talks spoken in the third person, where he used himself as an example thus sharing further bits and pieces of his life’s experiences. 

Hazrat Inayat Khan did not philosophize or conjecture about the world unseen, nor did he give his opinions. He tells his audience only of his experience of the world as he had come to know it. In great detail and with a loving kindness and humility that accompanied his lifelong search he unfolds the truths he found. It is a hint of what life could be like for us if we dug deep into the source that is in each of us. 

Inayat Khan tells us in his own words (spoken by Tom Alter) about his earliest memories —that of singing coming from a distant room—of his heartbreaking loss of a younger brother, and his best childhood friend and other losses. The life experiences that drove him to search for something more permanent, more real.  Something that could be trusted. A faith that is certain, that passes all normal understanding, his search for a teacher for six months that culminated in a meeting with a remarkable man. 

Inayat's Song Audiobook Special is Six Episodes of approximately 20minutes each. It tells Inayat’s story. It traces a journey that is familiar to all of us—that of growing into adulthood— all of the anxiety and revelation that comes with this journey to hopefully realize the purpose of our life.  Download the episodes HERE.

THE TEAM 

AMIN DAWDY 

PRODUCER - DIRECTOR - WRITER 

Amin Dawdy has had a distinguished career as a motion picture producer, journalist, andbusinessman. As a student of the Sufi Inayat Khan, he is now the Writer-Director-Producer of My Heart’s Song, a documentary motion picture about the early days of the poet and influential musician who has helped shape 21st century culture. 

“My desire for this movie to spark new interest in Inayat Khan by showing how his times and experiences as a youth shaped his remarkable spiritual philosophy,” says Mr. Dawdy. 

Mr. Dawdy began his career as a reporter-photographer for the Lewiston, Idaho, Morning Tribune with a Wall Street Journal Newspaper Fund Grant. After attending college at University of California campuses, he edited the UCSB college newspaper and the off-campus literary review. He graduated with a B.A. in History from U.C. Riverside. 

He then was managing editor of the famed Los Angeles Free Press alternative weekly newspaper. Upon acceptance to the UCLA Theatre Arts Department Graduate School, Motion Picture Division, he studied documentary filmmaking under Oscar winner Professor Louis Clyde Stoumen. While still a graduate student, Mr. Dawdy produced two feature-length theatrical films with his fellow film students, a documentary short and studied screenwriting. 

He became interested in the Sufi path espoused by Inayat Khan while in the travel industry. After years of spiritual growth, this eventually led to Mr. Dawdy’s four-month research trip to India in 2014 in preparation for his greatest and most heartfelt project yet, Inayat's Song

Editor Julie R. Rackow is a graduate of the University of Arizona in Fine Arts (Studio Arts, photography, art history and 2-D digital design). 

Since 2008, she has been a digital media artist consulting productions needs ranging from content, concept, script development, photography, graphic design, shot charts, production schedules, DVD authoring, print and web distribution, website builds, music, cinematography, PhotoShop, and audio/video sweetening. 

Her work includes award-winning music videos and educational videos, trailers. and promos. She has served as a production assistant for numerous production companies, and production assistant, technical expert, and media specialist (art direction, production coordinator, senior videographer and editor, designer) for the University of Arizona. 
 

DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING  

SHARECROPPERS MEDIA 

OMAR KACZMARCZYK 

Sharecroppers Media Founder, Intellectual Property Asset Manager, and Chief Relationship Officer is a legend in media content marketing. After 50 years in the global motion picture business, rather than retire, he is unfolding in many new directions in the twenty-first century. He now applying industry-changing concepts of intellectual property management to the emerging digital media industries. Omar’s movie distribution career began with Alexander Salkind’s Superman. Omar originated the concept of segmented rights sales for movies, the industry standard, and helped create the first collection account management system for independent productions. He has consulted over 140 international co-productions and independent movies worldwide and managed several movie libraries. He produced his first movie in 1968 and is still going strong. His LongTale, LLC (2005-2015) was named “Film Company of the Year” at the 2010 NSWCWFF, recognizing LongTale's Intellectual Property Asset Management in the New Millennium. One of India's leading movie industry magazines has designated him “Omar Thought Leader.” 
 

HILARY CLAY HICKS 

SHARECROPPERS MEDIA 

Mr. Hicks is an all-round communicator, publicist, writer-editor, marketing consultant, and creative executive. He has dozens of years experience in media of all kinds, including print, audio, video, film, digital, and online. He served a total of six years as editorial director of slick national periodical magazines and the balance of his career in public relations/publicity, marketing, and audio and video production. 

As a marketer, he has always been in the forefront of trends, ranging from mainstreaming of independent films and Black popular music to the ascension of FM radio, rock public service media, motor-cycle motocross, bicycle motocross, Gospel music, Black TV programming, and most recently, modernization of music marketing and promotion practices and the resurgence of classic rock entertainment. 

Over the years, he has served literally dozens of clients from leading music companies, major entertainment firms, magazine publishers, and celebrities as well the U.S. government and small businesses. He has served as a copywriter for BBDO Advertising, vice president of the EWW Corporation (a Hollywood public relations and promotion firm), editorial director for Challenge Publications (magazine publisher), Account Executive of Joy Productions (public relations firm), National secretary of the American Gospel Arts Fund, and editorial director of American Gospel magazine, a national subscriber and advertiser supported periodical.