Sufism and the Whirling Dervishes
Among some of the more unusual Middle Eastern religious groups are the Islamic sect of the Sufis and the order of the Whirling Dervishes.
First we should start with the sect of Sufism, which is a mystical movement that emerged throughout the Islamic world sometime in the 12th century. It stresses the need to relate to God in a personal way. The word Sufi comes from “suf” meaning “wool”, because the early storytellers from whom Sufism descended wore clothes made of wool. 1 The Sufi mystics, described as pilgrims on a journey, follow a path of seven stages: repentance, self-discipline, renunciation, poverty, patience, trust in God, and submission to the will of God. Then, with the grace of God, a higher level of consciousness is attained, in which knowledge, the knower, and the known are realized as one.2
According to historians, a Persian man named Calaleddin ar-Rumi first began developing the sect of the Sufis in the 13th century. As a child, Ar-Rumi moved together with his father, a famous theologian, to the city of Konya in central Anatolia, because they had been invited by the Turkish sultan. Calaleddin lived in Konya the rest of his life. Because of this, Konya has been the holy city for Sufis since the time of Ar-Rumi.3
For his influence to Sufism and for his writing of the Mathanawi (a poetical work), Ar-Rumi was later given the prestigious title of Mevlana. Now he is remembered by people as the “Mevlana of Konya”.4
The Mevlana preached the need for a universal and nonsectarian form of divine love. He criticized slavery and the practice of polygamy, and urged a more unrestricted role for women in many aspects of life. Humility was valued as a way of reaching truth. The Mevlana never really abandoned the basic code of Islam, but he made a dramatic departure from traditional Islam when he promoted dance and music as a means to see beauty and achieve union with God.5
In the 8th century Sufi monastic communities were founded where devotees practiced mystical exercises. In the Middle Ages the great Sufi orders, which had several million followers, were established. About 100 of these orders still exist, many of them in Iran. One of the most influential founders of orders was the Persian poet Jalal al-Din Mohammad Rumi, who, in addition to composing poetry and other works, instituted devotional dances.6
As for the dervishes, various Moslem mystics founded many different orders at different times. The members of the Mevlevi Order (named for their founder Mevlana) are among the most of famous the many dervish orders.7 The Mevlevi order is known to the west as that of the whirling dervishes, known so because they whirl and dance to the music of a reed pipe, as part of their worship. Other orders give special prayers or practice unusual forms of devotion, such as wearing rough clothing, fasting, and keeping vigils.8
The word “dervish” comes from the Persian language and means “beggar”, or “religious mendicont”. Dervishes are also sometimes called “fakirs”.9 Many Islamic people think that the dervishes are holy-men with great powers. Many dervishes live in monasteries, called “tekkes” or “khanagahs”, where they observe special rites or devote themselves to meditation and penance.10
The sect of the whirling dervishes is strange because, as a form of worship, people dance and twirl themselves into a trance. But the worshippers don’t simply twirl. The dance has its own gestures with important meanings. For example, during the dance, the right arm is held up to the sky, while the left arm is pointing downward. The significance of this is that it represents the way in which grace comes from God above and is passed down to earth.11 Also during the dance worshippers tilt their head to one side to represent a cut off head and death.12
As for their costumes, the white cone-shaped hat represents a tombstone, and hence, death, while the white jacket represents a tomb. During the dance, the dancer takes off his jacket and throws it aside. This symbolizes the casting away of mere earthly resistance.13
Many famous people such as the philosopher Gurdjieff have studied the mystical meaning of the dervish dance, and it has been the basis for many philosophical musings. But no matter how hard a person tries studying the whirling dervishes, they will always remain cloaked in mystery…14
