Sufi Festival 2025: Sufi Conference, Saturday 19th July

Ushering in a full afternoon and evening of lectures, we have British Sufi slam poetry queen Sukina Noor, an internationally renowned poet, spoken-word artist, playwright, workshop facilitator, educator and public speaker. Having amassed a loyal fanbase for her heartfelt, insightful poems, in 2023 Sukina released her debut poetry collection, Love & Longing: Yearning for the Face of God. She has played an intrinsic role within the British Muslim creative communities as a performer and events organiser. For Sufi Festival 2025 Sukina will be giving a talk on The Spiritually Therapeutic Journey of the Sufi Qasida, as well as a performance of her spoken word poetry on Sunday the 20th.

We are delighted to welcome back Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowy! This Syrian-born American Islamic scholar, theologian, and medical doctor has been listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims. Shaykh al-Ninowy began his study under his father, As-Sayyed Yahya ibn Muhammad, and many of the scholars in Aleppo, memorising the Qur’an and acquiring knowledge and certificates to teach in Islamic sciences, including theology, jurisprudence, Hadith and Sufism. He is the Founding Director of Madina Seminary, and Planet Mercy, with campuses from the US to Malaysia, and author of the sublime collection of aphorisms The Book of Love, Shaykh al-Ninowy’s lectures take us on an uplifting journey through the wisdom of Sufi poetry, and never fail to warm the heart.

Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikir is not only a respected Islamic scholar, teacher and public speaker, founder and director of Ulfa Aid and the much-loved London hub, Rumi’s Cave. Born in Sudan, he completed his studies of traditional Islamic Sciences under many great Scholars and Sheikhs of Africa and the Middle East, including Tafsir (exegesis), Aqida (theology), Hadith (prophetic tradition), Seerah (the life and way the Prophet ﷺ), and Tasawwuf (Sufism). As well as being initiated into the Sammaniya Sufi order, he has received Ijazas from spiritual luminaries such as Sheikh Salih al-Jaʿfari (رحمه الله) and Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani (رحمه الله). Loved by many for his warm manner and wise counsel, he continues to spread his message of compassion and mercy with an unmistakable charm across the UK and abroad.

Shaykha Noshin Gul is an expert in Qur’an, Tajwid, Theology, Jurisprudence, Hadith, and other Islamic sciences, having studied in Syria after completing her postgraduate studies in Applied Chemistry and Material Engineering. In the realm of Quran education, Shaykha Noshin Gul stands as a beacon of knowledge, with over two decades of devoted practice. She possesses prestigious authorisations from Shaykh Abu’l Hasan al-Kurdi and Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, bestowing upon her an elevated status as a licentiate in the practice and instruction of the sacred art of reciting the Majestic Qur’an.

The conference will include a Q&A with audience participation, and close with a timeless Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes, introduced by Ayşe Akyürek, is a French-Turkish researcher in religious studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, specializing in Turkish Sufi orders, particularly the Mevleviye, the world-renowned order of the Whirling Dervishes.

Ayşe will be introducing the mesmerising Sema ceremony, a ritual founded by Mevlana Rumi of breathtaking simplicity and ecstatic sobriety, performed by the Istanbul Sema Group, the premier independent whirling group in Türkiye.