Sufism
Tags
Humanities
Cegep/1
Word count
106 words
Reading time
1 minute
Islamic mysticism and mode of religious life
Shows a personalized path to "lose oneself to merge with God," or "to be dead to oneself and alive in God"
Emphasizes simplicity and equality => popular with the socially marginalized, e.g. women and lower castes
Controversial for mixing music with prayer
Concepts
Dervish
Member of a Sufi order
Sama
Spiritual practice that involves music, chanting, poetry, and sometimes dance, with the purpose of connecting with the Divine
Qawwali
Muslim devotional music unique to South Asia
Can be long or short
Often performed in Sufi gatherings to create atmosphere