 A
few years ago, when I was actively involved as a Board member on
IMAGE - Islamic Media Awareness Group - we produced a 13 parts
series on Vision Television called SALAAM. Salaam was generally
very well received because our mandate was broad and the idea
was to reflect Islam in it's glory and diversity.
During this time, the Whirling Dervishes visited Toronto
for their annual performance and our producer did a small piece
on the Dervishes, mentioning the fact that they are part of the
Sufi Tradition in Islam.
We
received both positive and some negative feedback and since that
time, it was my desire to see for myself what this experience is
all about.
So,
when the Whirling Dervishes from Konya in Turkey, performed at
Massey Hall in Toronto, I went to see them.
To say that it was an experience would be an
understatement. I am not an active follower of the Sufi
tradition, a way of life whereby religion is conceived at a
singular level, each individual soul seeking and
finding
salvation.
But
I keep an open mind to the fact that as long as the path leads
to Allah and is within the Shariah, I am willing to follow it.
What
impressed me was not so much the performance by the group
because they are Muslims and for them, it is a way of life
Massey Hall has seating for approximately 2800 people and
it was full - the attendees were not all Muslims. My guess is
that 90% of them were non-Muslims. The program started with
Surah Fateha recited by the Shaikh in a serene resonating voice.
Not once did the ensemble compromise their principles by
reverting to Western practices - they said Salaam Alaikum and
gave a brief history of their tradition.
The first half of the performance was by an orchestra
that played unusual instruments like the Ney flute.
The vocals were a mixture of naats and hamds recited in
an amazingly striking tone by Kani Karaca,
who is blind. In between they recited durood on the
Prophet.
This
was followed by recitation from the Quran - all this in a
language that the average audience does not understand.
There
was pin drop silence in the hall and you could hardly hear
anyone breathe. I saw a couple of people around me wipe tears,
they were so overwhelmed.
I was too.
The chanting came from the heart and went straight to the
heart. At intermission the ensemble got a standing ovation.
During
intermission, literature on Islam and Sufism was distributed so
people knew what to expect. The literature contained
translations from the Quran plus lists of books and CD's on
mainstream Islam. The books and tapes were sold out in the first
15 minutes.
Second half of
the evening was devoted to the experience of Whirling. The Shaikh explained that
this tradition dates back seven centuries.
Followers of the 13th century movement founder Jelaluddin Rumi,
known as Mevlana, the Dervishes contribute to powerfully haunting episodes that
describe the saga of a
journey from
life to death.
The ritual
involves a seven-segment procedure in which seven Dervishes launch into a series
of whirls, each rotating on his own axis perhaps 1,500 times in 30 minutes,
without a break.
The Dervishes eyes
are closed, and they move with grace and fluidity, right hand slightly elevated
in search of Allah's love and self discovery.
To the uninitiated, this could be extremely monotonous, but the audience
was mesmerized. At the close of the performance they did not applaud but cried
Bravo.
I'm
not in a position to stand on judgment about what is right or
wrong with the performance of the Whirling Dervishes; all I can
say is that it has been a long time since I saw such a positive
event and response to Islam.
At this time in history, when Muslims are fighting
negative images, Dervishes were like a breath of fresh air,
specially in terms of reaching a non-Muslim crowd.
We were all touched by the spirituality, I felt tears in
my eyes and I saw the look on faces of people around me.
A
Toronto Star critic who covered the event, was rather skeptical
in his review, but he ended his piece with these words
"If
the churches of the West had such distinctive ambassadors, then
perhaps their pews would be full again".
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