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Sufism and Dervishes
The origin and roots of Sufism lie in the life and practices
of the Prophet of Islam and the Qur’an. Sufism espouses a
well-founded and thoroughgoing interpretation of Islam, which
focuses on love, tolerance, worship of God, community
development, and personal development through self-discipline
and responsibility. A Sufi’s way of life is to love and be of
service to people, deserting the ego or false self and all
illusion so that one can reach maturity and perfection, and
finally reach Allah, the True, the Real.
Through the Whirling Dervishes program we hope to bring to you a
hint of one of the remarkable ways of achieving this: the way of
Rumi, the great Muslim mystic and poet.
The Order of the Whirling Dervishes is one branch of the vast
Sufi tradition of Islam. The universal values of love and
service shared by all Sufis are very much relevant to the social
and political realities of today, and this ritual, which is only
performed by the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, has come to
symbolize these values in the hearts and minds of millions
throughout the world.
The Fundamental Meaning of Sema
THE SEMA RITUAL began with the inspiration of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn
Rumi (1207-1273) and was influenced by Turkish customs and
culture.
It is scientifically recognized that the fundamental condition
of our existence is to revolve. There is no being or object
which does not revolve, because all beings are comprised of
revolving electrons, protons, and neutrons in atoms. Everything
revolves, and the human being lives by means of the revolution
of these particles, by the revolution of the blood in his body,
and by the revolution of the stages of his life, by his coming
from the earth and his returning to it.
However, all of these revolutions are natural and unconscious.
But the human being possesses a mind and an intelligence which
distinguishes him from other beings. Thus the whirling dervish
or semazen, intentionally and consciously participates in the
shared revolution of other beings.
Contrary to popular belief, the semazen's goal is not to lose
consciousness or to fall into a state of ecstasy. Instead, by
revolving in harmony with all things in nature -- with the
smallest cells and with the stars in the firmament -- the
semazen testifies to the existence and the majesty of the
Creator, thinks of Him, gives thanks to Him, and prays to Him.
In so doing, the semazen confirms the words of the Qur'an
(64:1): Whatever is in the skies or on earth invokes God.
An important characteristic of this seven-centuries-old ritual
is that it unites the three fundamental components of human
nature: the mind (as knowledge and thought), the heart (through
the expression of feelings, poetry and music) and the body (by
activating life, by the turning). These three elements are
thoroughly joined both in theory and in practice as perhaps in
no other ritual or system of thought.
The Sema ceremony represents the human being's spiritual
journey, an ascent by means of intelligence and love to
Perfection (Kemal). Turning toward the truth, he grows through
love, transcends the ego, meets the truth, and arrives at
Perfection. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as one
who has reached maturity and completion, able to love and serve
the whole of creation and all creatures without discriminating
in regard to belief, class, or race.
In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen's camel's hair
hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white
skirt represents the ego's shroud. By removing his black cloak,
he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the
Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to
represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. While
whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the
sky, ready to receive God's beneficence; his left hand, upon
which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The
semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing
the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the
semazen embraces all humanity with love. The human being has
been created with love in order to love. Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi
says, "All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who
have not had a taste of it do not know!"
The Ritual Dance or Sema
The Mevlevi (also spelled as mawlawi) Ritual dance or sema
consists of several stages with different meanings:
The first stage, Naat-i Sherif, is a eulogy to the Messenger of
Islam and the all Prophets before him, who represent love. To
praise them is to acknowledge and praise God Almighty Who
created and sent them to humanity as a mercy. This eulogy is
followed by a drumbeat (on the kudum) symbolizing the divine
command ‘Be’ for the creation of the entire universe.
The Naat-i Sherif is followed by a Taksim, an improvisation on
the reed flute or ney. This expresses the divine breath, which
gives life to everything.
Then follows the Sultan Veled procession or Devr-i Veled,
accompanied by peshrev music; this is a circular, anticlockwise,
procession three times around the turning space. The greetings
of the semazen, or whirling dervishes, during the procession
represent the three stages of knowledge: ilm-al yaqin (received
knowledge, gained from others or through study), ayn-al yaqin
(knowing by seeing or observing for oneself) and haqq-al yakin
(knowledge gained through direct experience, gnosis).
During the Sema itself there are four selams, or musical
movements, each with a distinct rhythm. At the beginning, during
and close of each selam, the semazen testify to God's existence,
unity, majesty and power:
The First Selam represents the human being's birth to truth
through feeling and mind. It represents his complete acceptance
of his condition as a creature created by God. The Second Selam
expresses the rapture of the human being witnessing the splendor
of creation in the face of God's greatness and omnipotence.
The Third Selam is the rapture of dissolving into love and the
sacrifice of the mind to love. It is complete submission, unity,
and the annihilation of self in the Beloved. This is the state
that is known as nirvana in Buddhism and fana fillah in Islam.
The next stage in Islamic belief is the state of servanthood
represented by the Prophet, who is called God's servant foremost
and subsequently His ‘Messenger.’ The aim of Sema is not
uncontrolled ecstasy and loss of consciousness, but the
realization of submission to God.
In the Fourth Selam, just as the Prophet ascends to the
spiritual Throne of Allah and then returns to his task on earth,
the whirling dervish, after the ascent of his spiritual journey,
returns to his task, to his servanthood. He is a servant of God,
of His Books, of His Prophets, of His whole Creation.
This is followed by a recitation from the Qur’an, the Sura
(Chapter) Mary on the miracle birth of Jesus and his mission.
At the end, by the salute, the dervish demonstrates again the
number ‘1’ in his appearance, arms consciously and humbly
crossed, and, by this, the unity of God.
The ceremony ends with a prayer for the peace of the souls of
all the Prophets and believers.
After the completion of the Sema, all the dervishes retire
silently to their rooms for meditation and further remembrance
of God.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sema is a spiritual act, so please DO NOT
applaud while watching. You may kindly do so, if you wish, after
the dervishes have left the stage |
