This is a simple recap with some pictures of the event. The event itself was the “Prayer Vigil for the Earth”. Shaykh Effendi was invited to share our Zikr with people of all different faiths.

After staying the Friday Dhikr in New York City, Shaykh and the mureeds stay overnight until Fajr before they head back upstate. This was a special day as some mureeds who rarely leave upstate were given an opportunity to travel with Shaykh down to Washington D.C. We headed out to Washington D.C. after Fajr. I left seperately in order to take my wife and gather some things.

I bought a new microphone stand, something I sorely needed, before leaving. It was intended to help with recordings in the future, whereas right now I usually put the microphone on the ground and I was keen on using it during this weekend.

My arrival in Washington D.C. was right on time. I knew this event had many Native American participants and sponsors, so the large Teepee’s along the Washington Monument park made clear where I needed to go. Alhamdulillah we found excellent parking both times.

Shaykh Effendi had just arrived as well and I began working on setting up.

Although, SubhanAllah only later did I discover that although I did have a nice shiny new stand, I was missing a key cable which prevented me from using the external microphone.

In the end the stand had a very good use, alhamdulillah, to hold the flag with the Osmanli Naksibendi symbol.

Here Bilaal and I figure out some way to hang the flag on it:

Later the flag caught air and began spinning, MashaAllah a whirling dervish of its own kind

Shaykh gave a short talk before Zikr, explaining it in very good ways that made it clear to those of different faiths watching.

Here is a picture of me with the monument.

Shaykh Effendi, Luqman Khwaja and myself

After Saturday night we went to stay as guests at a mureeds house. There Shaykh led Maghrib and gave a Sohobet, and we had dinner afterwards.

After that there was an amazing session of Illahyi’s (traditional Islamic music)

I’ll continue the strange events of Sunday in a seperate post.