Shah Nazar Seyed Ali Kianfar, Ph. D., is the co-founder and co-director of the International Association of Sufism and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Sufism: An Inquiry. The spiritual son of Uwaiysi Sufi Master Moulana Shah Maghsoud, Seyed Dr. Kianfar began his study and devotion to the discipline of Sufism in his twenties. Moulana Shah Maghsoud appointed Seyed Dr. Kianfar to teach in his Uwaiysi tariqat. Seyed Dr. Kianfar was among the first of Moulana Shah Maghsoud’s students (numbering in the thousands) to be given this honor. To commemorate the significance, Moulana Shah Maghsoud gave Seyed Dr. Kianfar the honorary title Shah Nazar (The Sight of the King).

Seyed Dr. Kianfar has taught Sufism and Islamic Philosophy for over forty years. He holds traditional Sufi gatherings regularly throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East. In addition, Seyed Dr. Kianfar has given lectures and taught classes nationally as well as internationally. This includes speaking engagements at the United Nations, UNESCO, the University of California, Berkeley, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and the United Religions Initiative.

The International Association of Sufism, co-founded by Seyed Dr. Kianfar, is an association established through the effort and participation of many Sufi Masters, educators, scholars, and translators throughout the world to introduce and educate people about Sufism and to open the lines of communication and expression between the different schools of Sufism. Seyed Dr. Kianfar is actively involved in the interfaith community, helping to raise awareness about the peaceful dimensions of Islam and spirituality and to open the lines of communication for a better understanding of humanity.

Among his books are: The Zekr; History of the Robe; and An Introduction to Religion. In addition, Seyed Dr. Kianfar publishes regularly in Sufism: An Inquiry. The most recent, An Introduction to Religion, delves into the heart of the spiritual quest.