Dancing for the Beloved

Whirling dervishes performing the samaa’ or Sufi dancing, as introduced by Rumi, are becoming increasingly popular. It is the dance of those who have succeeded in abandoning their egos.

September 30, 2008

The night grew long. On Sunday two weeks ago, on the grounds of a zawiyah or retreat located on a street running from Prapanca to Kemang, South Jakarta, two groups of people from a tarekat (Sufi order) of the Naqsabandiyah Haqqani group sat in circles inside a darkly-lit room. Out of the silence came the sound of tahlil, the reciting of the words la ilaha illallah. It was recited slowly at first, but then grew louder. Then the drumming of the mar

...

More Articles