Who are the Whirling Dervishes?
The whirling dervishes are a sect within the Sufi branch of Islam. They perform a distinctive dance called the sema to honor Allah as part of their religious practices. The sect is well known for this dance, which is performed in flowing robes which create a whirling effect across the performance space. Technically, whirling dervishes are actually members of the Mevlevi Order of Sufis, but most Westerners are more familiar with the colloquial “whirling dervish.” The Mevlevi order was founded in the 13th century by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. Rumi was a famous Sufi mystic and poet, and much of his work is still widely read around the world. Along with other Sufists, Rumi believed that self-discipline, love, and responsibility were an important part of the worship of Allah. Rumi developed the sema dance as a dhikr, or remembrance of Allah. The dance follows a set ritual of steps and motions which are intended to represent the spiritual journey of the dancers. The term “dervish” comes fro
The Whirling Dervishes are a part of the Sufi branch of Islam, known for its mysticism and asceticism. Scholars of Sufism have defined it in many different ways throughout the times, but they all agree on its fundamental character as being the inner, esoteric, mystical, or purely spiritual dimension of Islam. To become a Dervish, one must take a vow of poverty and live in monastic conditions, similar to Christian monks. For these Dervishes, spinning is their way of worshipping God. What is this festival about? The festival commemorates the death of a great philosopher and mystic of Islam, Mevlana (also known as Rumi) whose doctrine advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love. His philosophy is encapsulated in one of his poems: Come come whoever you are Whether you are a non-believer, Whether you worship fire or an idol, Whether you have repented a hundred times, Whether you have broken a vow of repentance a hundred times, This is not
