Sufi whirling - Wikipedia Sufi whirling Mevlevi Sema Ceremony UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul, Turkey Country Turkey Reference 100 Region Europe and North America Inscription history Inscription 2008 ( 3rd session ) Whirling Dervishes, at Rumi Fest 2007 Sufi whirling ( or Sufi turning ) ( Turkish : Semazen ) is a form of Sama or physically active meditation which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and other orders such as the Rifa'i - Marufi. It is a customary meditation practice performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes ( also called semazens, from Persian سماعزن ) aim to reach the source of all perfection, or kemal. This is sought through abandoning one 's nafs, egos or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one 's body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the sun. The Mevlevi practice gave rise to an Egyptian form, tanoura, distinguished by the use of a multicolored skirt. This has also developed into a performance dance by non-Sufis, including dancers outside the Islamic world. Contents 1 Origin 2 Practice 3 Today 4 Regional and secular forms 4.1 Egyptian tanoura 4.2 Pakistan 4.3 In the West 5 Physiology 6 Records 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Origin Mevlevi dervishes whirling in Pera by Jean - Baptiste van Mour `` In the 12th century, Sufi fraternities ( طرائق ṭarāʾiq ) were first organized as an established leadership in which a member followed a prescribed discipline in service to a sheikh or master in order to establish rapport with him. '' A member of such a fraternity is referred to as a Persian darwish. These turuk ( plural of tariqa ) were responsible for organizing an Islamic expression of religious life, often founded by independent saints or resulted from the division of existing orders. Each Sufi tariqa stems from a unique silsila, or `` chain of order '' in which a member must learn, as the silsila binds each member to Allah through one 's chain of order. One 's silsila extends through the member 's individual teacher, to their teacher and so on, through time until one is connected to the Prophet and thus Allah. The Prophet himself is revered as the originator of Sufism, which has in turn been traced down through a series of saints. Practice Part of a series on Islam Sufism Ideas Abdal Al - Insān al - Kāmil Baqaa Dervish Dhawq Fakir Fanaa Haal Haqiqa Ihsan Irfan Ishq Keramat Kashf Lataif Manzil Marifa Nafs Nūr Qalandar Qutb Silsila Sufi cosmology Sufi metaphysics Sufi philosophy Sufi poetry Sufi psychology Salik Tazkiah Wali Yaqeen Practices Anasheed Dhikr Haḍra Muraqaba Qawwali Sama Whirling Ziyarat Sufi orders Akbari Alians Ashrafia Azeemia Ba ' Alawi Bayrami Bektashi Burhaniyya Chishti Galibi Gulshani Haqqani Anjuman Hurufi Idrisi Issawiyya Jelveti Jerrahi Khalidi İskenderpaşa İsmailağa Khalwati Kubrawi Madari Meivazhi Malamati Mevlevi Mouridi Noorbakshia Naqshbandi Naqshbandi Haqqani Nasuhi Ni'matullāhī Nuqtavi Qadiri Qalandari Rifa'i Safavi Saifia Shadhili Shattari Suhrawardi Sunbuli Sülaymaniyya Tijani Ussaki Uwaisi Zahedi Zikris List of sufis Notable early Notable modern Singers Topics in Sufism Tawhid Sharia Tariqa Haqiqa Ma'rifa Art History Music Shrines Texts Portal A dervish practices multiple rituals, the primary of which is the dhikr, a remembering of Allah. The dhikr involves recitation of devotional Islamic prayer. This dhikr is coupled with physical exertions of movement, specifically dancing and whirling, in order to reach a state assumed by outsiders to be one of `` ecstatic trances ''. As explained by Sufis : 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 ( tennure ) represents the ego 's shroud. By removing his black cloak ( hırka ), 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 ! '' Among the Mevlevi order, the practice of dhikr is performed in a traditional dress : a tennure, a sleeveless white frock, the destegul, a long sleeved jacket, a belt, and a black overcoat or khirqa to be removed before the whirling begins. As the ritual dance begins, the dervish dons a felt cap, a sikke, in addition to a turban wrapped around the head, a trademark of the Mevlevi order. The sheikh leads the ritual with strict regulations. To begin, The sheikh stands in the most honored corner of the dancing place, and the dervishes pass by him three times, each time exchanging greetings, until the circling movement starts. The rotation itself is on the left foot, the center of the rotation being the ball of the left foot and the whole surface of the foot staying in contact with the floor. The impetus for the rotation is provided by the right foot, in a full 360 - degree step. If a dervish should become too enraptured, another Sufi, who is in charge of the orderly performance, will gently touch his frock in order to curb his movement, The dance of the dervishes is one of the most impressive features of the mystical life in Islam, and the music accompanying it is of exquisite beauty, beginning with the great hymn in honor of the Prophet ( na 't - i sharif, written by Jalaluddin himself ) and ending with short, enthusiastic songs, some things sung in Turkish. Turkish whirling dervishes of Mevlevi Order, bowing in unison during the Sema ceremony The Western world, having witnessed Sufi whirling through tourism, have described the various forms of dhikr as `` barking, howling, dancing, etc. '' The practice of each tariqa is unique to its individual order, specific traditions and customs may differ across countries. The same tariqa in one country will not mirror that of another country as each order 's ritual stresses `` emotional religious life '' in various forms. The Mevleviyah order, like many others, practice the dhikr by performing a whirling meditation. Accompanying the dhikr practices of whirling and prayer, the custom of sama serves to further one 's `` nourishment of the soul '' through devotional `` hearing '' of the `` ' subtle ' sounds of the hidden world or of the cosmos. '' In contrast to the use of sama, whirling and devotional prayer in the practice of dhikr, the tariqa orders perform Sufi whirling in addition to playing musical instruments, consuming glowing embers, live scorpions and glass, puncturing body parts with needles and spikes, or practicing clairvoyance and levitation. The dervish practice can be performed by community residents or lay members, members have typically been those of lower classes. Within Islamic faith, unlike Middle Eastern law, women have equal status to men, allowing women to participate in dhikr as dervishes themselves. Women were received into a tariqa order by a male sheikh, but traditionally were instructed to practice the dhikr alone or with an established branch of females within a specific order. Sufi whirling, a worship of dhikr, became a gender and class neutral practice throughout the Central Islamic region. The custom of sama among Sufi orders has a history of controversy within the Islamic faith. In one argument, the use of the term sama is considered to suggest physically `` listening '' in a spiritual context. A differing opinion argues that sama is in fact `` hearing '', as `` to hear '' can pertain to any sound in addition to any `` subtle '' sounds of the spiritual realm. Those in support of sama further claim that the term is actually synonymous with `` understanding '' and therefore recognition and application of the Revelation as well as the act of `` attaining higher knowledge. '' The spread of sama among Sufi orders began some time around the mid 3rd / 9th century C.E. in Baghdad, eventually finding acceptance and favor in Persian, Turkish and Indian Islam. The custom of sama evolved in practice over time as it complimented Sufi dhkir, whirling and among some orders dancing and a meal. Rules of propriety and conditions were adopted upon the widespread concern surrounding the necessity of sama with the dhikr ; in order to distinguish between entertainment and valuable spiritual practice, the sama was distinguished as heard from the ego, heart or spirit. Despite the application of rules, some sheikhs continued to limit or disapprove the practice of sama. While controversy continuously questioned the place of sama in Sufi orders, the music itself was not affected. More recently, the custom of sama is most commonly performed within a dhikr ceremony. Those in support of sama continue to argue that `` according to that which it is not sama and dance which induce ecstasy, but ecstasy which arouses dance, or furthermore, that sama is only a revealing instrument and that it only supplies that which is brought to it by the hearer. '' In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the `` Mevlevi Sema Ceremony '' of Turkey as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Today Dervish communities, in the Middle Ages, served a central role in social, religious and political life throughout `` central Islamic lands. '' Dervish orders were at one time much larger in size than they are today, as the government has taken control over most Dervish monasteries throughout this area. In 1925, Turkey ordered the dissolution of all Sufi fraternities by decree, the Mevlevi managed to survive among small villages throughout the Middle East. In 1954, the Turkish government granted the Mevlevi order a special permission to perform ritual whirling practices for tourists during two weeks each year. Outside of tourist entertainment, Orthodox theologians have now vocally discounted the Dervish practice resulting in faqirs, or wandering, mendicant dervishes throughout central Islamic regions. Despite strict government control over Dervish practices, the Mevleviyah order continued its existence in Turkey to this day. While only men have historically been permitted to take part in the ceremony, some communities now allow women to participate. Sema ceremony at Sirkeci Railway Station, Istanbul Regional and secular forms Egyptian tanoura This article is part of a series on Life in Egypt Culture Architecture Egyptian revival Art Contemporary Cinema Cuisine Dance Raqs sharqi Baladi Tahtib Tanoura Fashion Folklore History Holidays Language Literature Music Mythology Radio Sculpture Sport Symbols Flag Anthem Television Theater Society People Identity Education Demographics Health Media Human rights Religion World Heritage Sites Politics Presidency Government Parliament Political parties Military Corruption Law enforcement Foreign relations Law Economy Communications Tourism Telecommunications Transportation Energy Egypt portal Egyptian tanoura dancers In Egypt, the practice of whirling has been adapted as tanoura ( Arabic : التنورة ‎ el - tanoura ). The word tanoura or tannoura refers to the colorful skirt worn by the whirler, with a color representing each Sufi order. The word may also refer to the dancer, traditionally a Sufi man. Tanoura is associated with Sufism and is performed at Sufi festivals, but it is also performed by non-Sufis as a folk dance or concert dance. Although it is mainly used for visual effects, the dancers also augment their balance with the tanoura, through a dynamic centrifugal effect. Pakistan In Sufi shrines in Pakistan, such as the Lal shrine in Sehwan, Sindh, the practice of Sufi whirling is called Dhamaal and is performed to honor Sufi saints, or qalandars. Unlike the Turkish practice, Dhamaal may be practiced by any devotee -- priests as well as pilgrims. Dhamaal is usually preceded by the beating of a drum ( naghara ) and ringing of bells, as pilgrims raise their hands, start to skip steps standing at one place and gradually work into a trance as the beats get faster. As the beats get faster, rhythms change and the drum beats are accompanies by the playing of shehnai. Practitioners associate the dance with Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and with protests following the Battle of Karbala. They regard the rhythm of the drum to evoke the rhythm of the creation of the universe, as illustrated in the concept of Kun Fyakun. In the west Whirling dancer, performing in a modern costume The tanoura tradition has attracted some interest from Westerners in the belly dancing community. These performers include both men and women, solo and in groups. Such performances may be augmented with pyrotechnics or props, such as veils, wings and ribbons. The techniques used in Egyptian Tanoura can also be adopted by belly dancers to help with their balance and control dizziness. Sufi whirling has also been promoted by actor and memoirist Annabelle Gurwitch as a form of stress relief. Physiology This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2016 ) A defining feature of whirling is continuous rotation ( clockwise or counterclockwise ) around a central radical axis while avoiding vertigo. In untrained dancers, this sustained rotation causes dizziness or motion - induced vertigo. Training for whirling targets the inner ear, which is responsible for balance functions in humans. To counteract this effect, whirling dance performers practice various balancing and psychological techniques. Records Guinness World Records for `` most Sufi whirls in one hour '' were awarded in London in 2012, to Shafik Ibrahim Abd El Hamed in the male category with 2,905 rotations, and Tara Lee Oakley in the female category with 2,191. These records were surpassed in Zurich in 2015 by Nicole McLaren, with 3,552 rotations. The longest continuous whirling performance has been recorded at more than four hours. The most people simultaneously whirling is 755, set in Taiwan in 2011. See also Dhikr Nasheed Religious experience Qawwali Islamic culture References Jump up ^ `` The Sema of the Mevlevi ''. Mevlevi Order of America. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Dervish. '' Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 21 Sept. 2009 Dervish ^ Jump up to : MacDonald, D.B. `` Darwish ( Darwesh ). '' Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by : P.B. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2009. Brill Online. Augustana. 21 September 2009. Darwish ( Darwesh ) Jump up ^ The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi ^ Jump up to : Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina press, 1975. Print. Page 325. ^ Jump up to : During, J. ; Sellheim, R. `` Sama ''. Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by : P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2009. BRill Online. Augustana. 21 Sept. 2009 Sama Jump up ^ The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony UNESCO. ^ Jump up to : `` Mawlawiyah. '' Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 21 Sept. 2009. Mawlawiyah Jump up ^ Jamjoom, Mohammed ( 16 December 2010 ). `` Change is afoot for 800 - year - old whirling dance ''. CNN. Turner Broadcasting System. ^ Jump up to : Egyptian Folk Dance Tanoura at entertainment.feedfury.com Jump up ^ Sherwan, Atique ( February 17, 2017 ). `` Deadliest Sehwan attack fails to bar devotees from holding Dhamaal at shrine ''. Outlook Pakistan. Jump up ^ Akhtar, Suleman ( 22 February 2017 ). `` Damadam mast Qalandar is a cry of rebellion against established orders ''. Dawn. Retrieved 22 February 2017. ^ Jump up to : Shaheer Ellahi Khan ( 2015 ). `` Sufi Dance in Pakistan : Anthropological Insights on the Concept and Origin of Dhamal '' ( PDF ). Science International. 27 ( 2 ) : 1641 -- 1643. Jump up ^ McLaren, Nicole ( 11 January 2013 ). `` Whirling : Meditation in Motion or Spectacular Show ? ''. Gilded Serpent. Jump up ^ How to Tell if You 're a Member of the 4 A.M. Club. Doctor Oz. Event occurs at 3 : 12. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 18. Meditation has been shown to be relaxing for the brain, and I like a moving meditation, so I thought of Dervish whirling. Dervish whirling is an ancient technique. It 's from the 13th century in Turkey. Jump up ^ World Record for Sufi Whirling. Afaq ( in Arabic ). BBC Arabic Television. 2012. Jump up ^ Lukhi, Angela ( 23 March 2015 ). `` Dancer Nicole McLaren puts her fans in a record - breaking spin in Switzerland ''. Newsivity. Guavo Media. Jump up ^ `` Most people sufi whirling ''. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 21. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tanoura ( dance ). Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul ( video on YouTube ) Egyptian Castle : Tanoura dance Egyptian El Tanoura Dancer - Dreams Beach Resort, Sharm on youtube.com Gamard, Ibrahim ( October 2012 ). `` In Defense of the Whirling Prayer Ceremony ( Sema ) ''. Dar - Al - Masnavi. `` 13 Things The Whirling Dervishes Can Teach You About Spinning Until You 're Dizzy Enough To Puke ''. Very Ethnic. 29 June 2012. Whirling dance performance on YouTube Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sufi_whirling&oldid=831016930 '' Categories : Sacred dance Spiritual practice Sufism Meditation Hidden categories : CS1 Arabic - language sources ( ar ) Articles containing Turkish - language text Articles containing Persian - language text Articles containing Arabic - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016 All pages needing factual verification Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from March 2016 Articles needing additional references from March 2016 All articles needing additional references All Wikipedia articles needing clarification Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2016 Use dmy dates from October 2016 Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Bahasa Indonesia Русский اردو Edit links This page was last edited on 18 March 2018, at 07 : 09. About Wikipedia

Question: the muslim sect of sufism use extended periods of whirling as a means to
Answer: reach the source of all perfection, or kemal