Ishaq Jud was a Sheikh in both the Sufi Ruhaniat International and the Mevlevi Order of America. He had been following the Sufi path for over 30 years. He also brought the Dances of Universal Peace to Eugene, Oregon in 1973.

Ishaq at Rock Creek, the Tuesday before his passing

On July 28, Ishaq went on a rafting trip with co-workers from the American Red Cross. His last minutes were joyous ones, as he so loved being out in nature, and especially being in the rivers and lakes of Oregon. I was told that he was swimming in the water, laughing and smiling, and then the next second he was gone. His heart stopped, due to complications from the diabetes he had dealt with since he was nine years old. Though the people there did excellent CPR and the paramedics and doctors worked tirelessly to save him, he never regained consciousness. But the last thing he saw were the trees, the beautiful blue waters of the McKenzie river and all of Allah's glory before him.

His friend, Tony, says he felt Ishaq's spirit leave his body, and then two wild geese flew over, honking, and one looked down. I heard from many people how Moineddin has sung a song - "Wild goose, wild goose, which is best...a wandering foot or a heart at rest". It seemed clear...Moin had come to take Ishaq home. At Northwest Sufi Camp, Latifa Cordi brought a beautiful painting she had done of the two geese...it hangs on the western wall of our bedroom, over the ancestor altar which holds Ishaq's pictures and ashes.

The beautiful painting by Latifa Cordi Bradburn

Please keep all of Ishaq's family in your thoughts and prayers: his three children Shems, Dan and Amira; his sisters Carol and Ginger; Carol's husband, Chris; Ishaq's father Jerry and Jerry's wife Georgeanne; Ishaq's stepmother Elizabeth, and aunt Virginia; Ishaq's two closest male friends, Khalil and Saladin; all of Ishaq's mureeds; and myself, his life partner, half-side, and companion in music, merriment and mayhem now and forever, Anna Armaiti Alekner.