Pir-o-Murshid Hidayat was born in London, England in 1917, the son of Hazrat Inayat and Pirani Ameena Begum. In his youth he studied music and composition at L'Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, and later enjoyed a distinguished career as a violinist, conductor and professor of music. He has composed numerous works, among them La Monotonia Op. 13 for strings, Ghandi Symphony Op. 25, Zikar Symphony with organ Op. 26, Message Symphony with organ Op. 30, Virginia Symphonic Poem Op. 44, Concerto for strings Op 38, Quartet for Strings Op. 45, and a number of choral pieces including Chanson Exotique, Awake for Morning, and a collection of Sufi hymns. He is a founding member of the European Composers' Union, and his music has frequently been broadcast internationally. Many of his compositions are now available on CD.

In 1988 Hidayat Inayat-Khan assumed the role of Representative-General of the International Sufi Movement and Pir-o-Murshid of its Inner School. He divides his time between Holland and the family home in Suresnes, but travels extensively, giving classes and lectures on Sufism.