An Iranian 👳🏾‍♂️dervish walks into a Berkeley restaurant...

Greetings!

This comic is part of a new book our team is working on — a graphic anthology that illustrates selected stories from Journey in Grace by David L. Sterling.

One fall morning in Berkeley, as David opened his modest restaurant, a man appeared in the doorway and called out:

“Who will feed a man of Allah?”

It was the kind of moment that could have gone unnoticed. Another homeless traveler. Another voice in the street.

But David welcomed him in.

What followed was no ordinary encounter. The man was a wandering dervish from Iran — a being who seemed to have stepped out of another world. No money. No possessions. Just a staff, a bowl, a heart full of prayer, and eyes that carried light.

He stayed in David’s life for almost a year.
And when he left, he gave David three gifts — each simple, but charged with spiritual meaning.

These gifts became a turning point in David’s life.
But that part of the story... we’ll explore in the chapters to come.

Hear David speak about this story and read the comic below.

🌿 A Note on the Dervish’s Path

Sayed Jamarani came from a respected and well-off religious family in Iran, surrounded by scholars and immersed in Islamic teachings. At one point in his life, he chose to set aside worldly comfort and travel — not permanently, but as a spiritual discipline.

His journey was about cultivating deep trust: to walk without knowing where he would sleep or how he would eat. To rely entirely on God. To sharpen his awareness and surrender to Divine guidance.

This practice is not a path for everyone, but for some, it is a calling.

This story is not a prescription, but a reflection — a glimpse into the mystery of how the Divine can reach us in the most unexpected ways.

And it echoes a reminder from the Qur’an:

As we will see in future chapters, his presence left behind more than memories.

If you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share, reply to this email or post a comment here.

With gratitude,
Mohammed Ali

📢 Announcements & Updates

👥 Sufi Comics Vol 3 now available on Amazon!

If you missed the preorder campaign and/or couldn’t get a copy during our booths at the previous Comic Cons, you can now order a copy on Amazon here.

👀 Looking for volunteers
Sufi Comics is growing and we're looking for a dedicated volunteer to help manage our social media channels.

What you'd be doing:

• Posting our comics on social media in different languages

• Responding to comments and messages

• Sharing updates in our WhatsApp community

• Helping more people discover Sufi Comics

Time needed: 4 hours weekly, flexible timing

If you enjoy sharing meaningful content and want to join our journey, we'd love to hear from you! Simply fill up this form and tell us more about yourself!

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