The Baraka Center is dedicated to the study and practice of contemporary Sufism. It is a center of The Inayati Order: A Sufi Path of Spiritual Liberty. Regular classes are offered as well as special events such as retreats, guest teachers, community outreach, and musical events.
In Islam, Barakah or Baraka (Arabic: بركة “blessing”) is a blessing power, a kind of continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God. Baraka can be found within physical objects, places, and people, as chosen by God.
Baraka Center is led by Raqib Misha Kogan and Rafia Angela Gabriel. They continue service of Zarifah Kadian and Nur Azar Mangold, their teachers and Baraka Center founder who retired in 2020.
Raqib and Rafia are life long students of Sufism. They were initiated in Inayatiyya Sufi Order in 2000. Raqib serves as a Representative of the Inayatiyya, and Rafia serves as a Coordinator and a Representative-in-training. Raqib is a leader in the Healing Order, one of the activities of the Inayatiyya. Raqib and Rafia are graduates of the first class of Suluk Academy, Emergent Leaders Training and many other trainings, and participants of numerous retreats and events in the Order. They are both interested in the alchemy of human spirit and psychology, relationship between science and spirituality. Raqib is a medical doctor and professor at GW University. Rafia is a licensed acupuncturist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner-in-training.
Many are drawn to Sufism through the great Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz and ask, “What is Sufism”? The answers are as varied as the people who answer that question. At the Baraka Center, we believe that Sufism is that essence which unites person to person and eventually person to God. We believe that all beings have within them what they need to find their purpose in life while maintaining their connection to Oneness amidst the complexity of living on earth. Sufism makes it possible to relax the tension that constricts the heart and to dispel the clouds of doubt and fear. This is accomplished through the science of breath, the practice of concentration and meditation, the opening of the heart through purification and devotion, and the dedication to the sacred service of a suffering humanity.
Zarifah Kadian and Nur Azad Mangold, Baraka Center Founders, have retired from leading the Center in 2020 after over 30 years of service. They continue to support Center’s activity in many ways and participate in some classes.
Baraka Center 