The Huma bird is a fabled Sufi mythical creature. It is reported that it never lands and spends its entire existence in the air. It flies invisibly high above the ground, undetectable to the naked eye. The Huma bird, also known as the fortune bird, is a caring creature who represents happiness. According to Sufi legend, catching a glimpse of Huma, or even its shadow, will bring you bliss for the rest of your life. The spiritual essence of this bird is depicted by famed Sufi speaker Inayat Khan. It reflects, in his opinion, the progression of a thought to its pinnacle, where it transcends all constraints. The Persian word “Huma” refers to a magnificent bird. In ancient times, it was thought that if this mythological monster sat on a person’s head, it was an omen that the person would become a king. The term “hu” in the name Huma refers to the spirit, while “mah” is an Arabic word that means “water.” According to legend, Zoroaster was born of the Huma tree, which represents the bible scripture “Except a man is born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”
In some changed renditions, the Huma bird resembles the Phoenix. After a few hundred years, it consumes itself in the fire and rises from the ashes. The Bird of Paradise is another name for this bird. It combines male and female physical characteristics into a single body. One wing and one leg make up each nature. As the legends go, catching a Huma bird is impossible. The Sufi faith claims that the Huma bird cannot be caught alive, and that anyone who kills it will die in forty days.