At a lecture during his first visit to America, Hazrat Inayat met the young woman destined to be his wife, Ora Ray Baker, later Pirani Ameena Begum. Ora Ray was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1892, and counted among her relations Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science movement.
Although the couple were attracted to each other, Ora Ray’s brother, who was her guardian, objected, and did everything possible to keep them apart. When Inayat and his brothers left for England, therefore, they could not say good bye, and spent several months in miserable separation. It was only when she was tidying up her brother’s desk that Ora Ray found the address of Inayat’s family in India, and was able at last to re-establish contact. They were married in London in 1912. Pirani Ameena Begum (to whom Inayat also gave the name Sharda) bore four children: two girls, Noorunnisa, born January 1st, 1914; and Khairunnisa, born June 3rd, 1919; and two boys, Vilayat, born June 19, 1916; and Hidayat, born August 6th, 1917.
In his Autobiography, Hazrat Inayat wrote:
In spite of the vast difference of race and nationality and custom she proved to be a friend through joy and sorrow, proving the idea, which I always believed, that outer differences do not matter when the spirit is in at-one-ment. The tests that my life was destined to go through were not of a usual character, and were not a small trial for her. A life such as mine, which was wholly devoted to the Cause, and which was more and more involved in the ever growing activities of the Sufi Movement, naturally kept me back from that thought and attention which was due to my home and family. Most of the time of my life I was obliged to spend out of home, and when at home, I have always been full of activities, and it naturally fell upon her always to welcome guests with a smile under all circumstances. If I had not been helped by her, my life, laden with a heavy responsibility, would have never enabled me to devote myself entirely to the Order as I have. It is by this continual sacrifice that she has shown her devotion to the Cause. After the passing of her beloved husband, Pirani Ameena Begum expressed her deep-felt emotions in many poems, some of which have been published in the book of memoirs, “Once Upon a Time…” Pirani Ameena Begum passed away in Paris May 1, 1949.
Although the couple were attracted to each other, Ora Ray’s brother, who was her guardian, objected, and did everything possible to keep them apart. When Inayat and his brothers left for England, therefore, they could not say good bye, and spent several months in miserable separation. It was only when she was tidying up her brother’s desk that Ora Ray found the address of Inayat’s family in India, and was able at last to re-establish contact. They were married in London in 1912. Pirani Ameena Begum (to whom Inayat also gave the name Sharda) bore four children: two girls, Noorunnisa, born January 1st, 1914; and Khairunnisa, born June 3rd, 1919; and two boys, Vilayat, born June 19, 1916; and Hidayat, born August 6th, 1917.
In his Autobiography, Hazrat Inayat wrote:
In spite of the vast difference of race and nationality and custom she proved to be a friend through joy and sorrow, proving the idea, which I always believed, that outer differences do not matter when the spirit is in at-one-ment. The tests that my life was destined to go through were not of a usual character, and were not a small trial for her. A life such as mine, which was wholly devoted to the Cause, and which was more and more involved in the ever growing activities of the Sufi Movement, naturally kept me back from that thought and attention which was due to my home and family. Most of the time of my life I was obliged to spend out of home, and when at home, I have always been full of activities, and it naturally fell upon her always to welcome guests with a smile under all circumstances. If I had not been helped by her, my life, laden with a heavy responsibility, would have never enabled me to devote myself entirely to the Order as I have. It is by this continual sacrifice that she has shown her devotion to the Cause. After the passing of her beloved husband, Pirani Ameena Begum expressed her deep-felt emotions in many poems, some of which have been published in the book of memoirs, “Once Upon a Time…” Pirani Ameena Begum passed away in Paris May 1, 1949.
From a letter of 1st June 1949, where Nekbakht writes to Azmat Faber about the last stay in hospital of Begum, after an operation: (my translation from Dutch) Until the last moment Begum has been lucid, realising everything so clearly, each little change in her own situation and what happened around her… As for myself, never ever was she other than kind to me. In 1948 I have spoken different times with her, in my house; also with Claire. And when I wanted to say something or to bring her something she always asked me in, and sometimes we had a long talk. My impression then was that of a sacrificing Mother who was absolutely forgetting herself, living only for the welfare of her children, Vilayat and Claire, with whom she has been during the whole period of war – at least as far as their work allowed her to see them. The depth of their sorrow, certainly with Claire, proves what their Mother has been for them.