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{{Short description|Sufi meditation, practiced by Dervish orders, involving spinning in circles to music}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
[[File:Whirlingdervishes.JPG|thumb|[[Whirling Dervishes]] in [[Istanbul]], Turkey]]
[[File:Whirling dervishes, Rumi Fest 2007.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Whirling Dervishes]], at Rumi Fest 2007]]

'''Sufi whirling''' (or '''Sufi turning''') ({{langx|tr|Semazen}} borrowed from Persian Sama-zan, Sama, meaning ''listening'', from Arabic, and zan, meaning doer, from Persian) is a form of physically active [[meditation]] which originated among certain [[Sufism|Sufi]] groups, and which is still practiced by the Sufi [[Dervish]]es of the [[Mevlevi Order|Mevlevi order]] and other orders such as the Rifa'i-Marufi. It is a customary meditation practice performed within the [[Sama (Sufism)|sema]], or worship ceremony, through which dervishes (from the persian Darvish [[Persian language|Persian]] {{lang|fa|درویش}} also called ''semazens'', from [[Persian language|Persian]] {{lang|fa|سماعزن}}) aim to reach greater connection with [[Allah]]. This is sought through abandoning one's [[nafs]], [[Ego (Freudian)|ego]] 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.<ref name="MOA sema">{{cite web|url=http://www.hayatidede.org/popups/about_sema.htm|title=The Sema of the Mevlevi|publisher=Mevlevi Order of America|access-date=2009-03-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121221021339/http://www.hayatidede.org/popups/about_sema.htm|archive-date=21 December 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

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]].

== Origin ==
[[Image:Dansende derwisjen Rijksmuseum SK-A-4081.jpeg|thumb|''Mevlevi dervishes whirling in Pera'' by [[Jean-Baptiste van Mour]] ]]

As an order, the whirling Dervishes were founded by mystic poet [[Rumi]] in the 13th century.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Whirling Dervishes |url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/whirling-dervishes |magazine=[[History Today]]}}</ref> Initially, Sufi fraternities ({{langx|ar|طرائق|ṭarāʾiq}}) were organized as leaderships where members followed prescribed disciplines in service to a sheikh or master to establish trust with him.<ref name="Dervish EBO">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Dervish |year=2009 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica Online]] |url=http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9030024 |url-access=subscription |access-date= 21 September 2009}}</ref> A member of such a fraternity is referred to as a Persian ''darwish''. These turuk were responsible for organizing an Islamic expression of religious life, often founded by independent saints or resulted from the division of existing orders.<ref name="Darwesh EoI">{{cite encyclopedia |author= MacDonald, D.B. |title=Darwish (Darwesh) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition |editor1=P.B. Bearman |editor2=Th. Bianquis |editor3=C.E. Bosworth |editor4=E. van Donzel |editor5=W.P. Heinrichs |publisher=Brill |via=Brill Online |year=2009 |url=http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_SIM-1731 |url-access=subscription |access-date= 21 September 2009}}{{dead link|date=May 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> The Prophet himself is revered as the originator of Sufism, which has in turn been traced down through a series of saints.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/>

== Practice ==
{{Sufism}}
A dervish practices multiple rituals, the primary of which is the ''[[dhikr]]'', a remembering of Allah.<ref name="Dervish EBO"/> 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".<ref name="Dervish EBO"/> As explained by Sufis:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160306104925/http://whirlingdervishes.org/whirlingdervishes.htm The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi]</ref>

<blockquote>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!"</blockquote>

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.<ref name="Schimmel1975"/> 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.<ref name="Schimmel1975"/> The sheikh leads the ritual with strict regulations. To begin,

<blockquote>
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.<ref name="Schimmel1975">Schimmel, Annemarie. ''Mystical Dimensions of Islam''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina press, 1975. Print. Page 325.</ref>
</blockquote>

[[File:Turkish whirling dervishes of Mevlevi Order, bowing in unison during the Sema ceremony.jpg|thumb|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."<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> 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."<ref name="Sama BO">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 [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-0992 Sama]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> The dervish practice can be performed by community residents or lay members, members have typically been those of lower classes.<ref name="Dervish EBO"/> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/>

[[File:Dervishes Avanos.JPG|thumb|Semâ ceremony at the Dervishes Culture Center at Avanos, Turkey]]

The custom of ''[[sama (Sufism)|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.<ref name="Sama BO"/> 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.<ref name="Sama BO"/> 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."<ref name="Sama BO"/> Sama can also refer to considerate listening to an honest temporal leader who ensures social justice and makes word of God mainstream. The spread of ''sama'' among Sufi orders began some time around the mid third/ninth century C.E. in Baghdad, eventually finding acceptance and favor in Persian, Turkish and Indian Islam.<ref name="Sama BO"/> The custom of ''sama'' evolved in practice over time as it complemented Sufi ''dhkir'', whirling and among some orders dancing and a meal.<ref name="Sama BO"/> 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.<ref name="Sama BO"/> 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.<ref name="Sama BO"/> 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."<ref name="Sama BO"/>

In 2005, [[UNESCO]] proclaimed the "[[Mevlevi Order|Mevlevi]] [[Sema|Sema Ceremony]]" of Turkey as one of the [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/39eur_uk.htm The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony] [[UNESCO]].</ref>

== Today ==
[[File:Whirling Dervishes 2.JPG|thumb|[[Sema]] ceremony at Sirkeci Railway Station, [[Istanbul]]]]
Dervish communities, in the Middle Ages, served a central role in social, religious and political life throughout "central Islamic lands."<ref name="Dervish EBO"/> 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.<ref name="Darwesh EoI"/> In 1925, Turkey ordered the dissolution of all Sufi fraternities by decree, the Mevlevi managed to survive among small villages throughout the Middle East.<ref name="Mawlawiyah EBO"/> In 1954, the Turkish government granted the [[Mevlevi Order|Mevlevi order]] a special permission to perform ritual whirling practices for tourists during two weeks each year.<ref name="Mawlawiyah EBO"/> Outside of tourist entertainment, Orthodox theologians have now vocally discounted the Dervish practice resulting in ''faqirs'', or wandering, mendicant dervishes throughout central Islamic regions.<ref name="Dervish EBO"/> Despite strict government control over Dervish practices, the Mevleviyah order continued its existence in Turkey to this day.<ref name="Mawlawiyah EBO">"Mawlawiyah." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 21 Sept. 2009. [http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9051529 Mawlawiyah]</ref>

While only men have historically been permitted to take part in the ceremony, some communities now allow women to participate.<ref name="changeafoot">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/12/16/turkey.whirling.dervishes/ |title=Change is afoot for 800-year-old whirling dance |first=Mohammed |last=Jamjoom |work=CNN |publisher=Turner Broadcasting System |date=16 December 2010}}</ref>

==Regional and secular forms==
==={{anchor|Tanoura}}Egyptian tanoura===
[[File:Tanoura Dance, Egypt.jpg|thumb|Egyptian tanoura dancers]]
[[File:PXL 20250503 160001229.PORTRAIT.jpg|thumb|Tanoura dancer]]
In [[Egypt]], the practice of whirling has been adapted as '''tanoura''' ({{langx|ar|التنورة|el-tanoura}}). The word ''tanoura'' or ''tannoura'' refers to the [[tanoura (skirt)|colorful skirt]] worn by the whirler, with a color representing each [[Sufi order]].<ref name=feedfury>{{cite web |title=Egyptian Folk Dance Tanoura |url=http://entertainment.feedfury.com/content/34279531-egyptian-folk-dance-tanoura.html |website=entertainment.feedfury.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708150102/http://entertainment.feedfury.com/content/34279531-egyptian-folk-dance-tanoura.html |archive-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> The word may also refer to the dancer, traditionally a Sufi man.<ref name=feedfury/> 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.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

===Pakistan===
In Sufi shrines in Pakistan, such as the [[Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar|Lal shrine]] in [[Sehwan]], [[Sindh]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.outlookpakistan.com/deadliest-sehwan-attack-fails-to-bar-devotees-from-holding-dhamaal-at-shrine/6231/ |title=Deadliest Sehwan attack fails to bar devotees from holding Dhamaal at shrine |first=Atique |last=Sherwan |work=Outlook Pakistan |date=February 17, 2017 |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703104013/https://www.outlookpakistan.com/deadliest-sehwan-attack-fails-to-bar-devotees-from-holding-dhamaal-at-shrine/6231/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dawn">{{cite news|last1=Akhtar|first1=Suleman|title=Damadam mast Qalandar is a cry of rebellion against established orders|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1315839/damadam-mast-qalandar-is-a-cry-of-rebellion-against-established-orders|access-date=22 February 2017|publisher=Dawn|date=22 February 2017}}</ref> the practice of Sufi whirling is called ''Dhamaal'' and is performed to honor Sufi saints, or [[Qalandar (title)|qalandar]]s.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} 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 (Islamic term)|''Kun Fyakun'']].{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

===In the West===
[[File:Whirling Dancer.jpg|thumb|Whirling dancer, performing in a modern costume]]
The tanoura tradition has attracted some interest from [[Western world|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2013/01/11/whirling-tanoura-nicole/#axzz42cy63H97 |title=Whirling: Meditation in Motion or Spectacular Show? |first=Nicole |last=McLaren |date=11 January 2013 |work=Gilded Serpent}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=March 2016}}
The techniques used in Egyptian Tanoura can also be adopted by belly dancers to help with their balance and control dizziness.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

Sufi whirling has also been promoted by actor and memoirist [[Annabelle Gurwitch]] as a form of stress relief.<ref>{{Cite video |url=http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/14-days-shut-down-your-sugar-cravings?video_id=3825535920001 |title=How to Tell if You're a Member of the 4 A.M. Club |website=Doctor Oz |time=3:12 |quote=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. |access-date=2016-03-18 |archive-date=27 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327192842/http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/14-days-shut-down-your-sugar-cravings?video_id=3825535920001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Physiology==
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.{{such as?|date=December 2018}}

==Records==
[[Guinness World Record]]s 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.<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYrazfB3uE |title=World Record for Sufi Whirling |work=Afaq |publisher=[[BBC Arabic Television]] |year=2012 |language=ar}}</ref> These records were surpassed in Zurich in 2015 by Nicole McLaren, with 3,552 rotations.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lukhi |first=Angela |url=http://newsivity.com/news/dancer-nicole-mclaren-puts-her-fans-in-a-record-breaking-spin-in-switzerland |date=23 March 2015 |title=Dancer Nicole McLaren puts her fans in a record-breaking spin in Switzerland |work=Newsivity |publisher=Guavo Media}}</ref>

The longest continuous whirling performance has been recorded at more than four hours.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} The record for the most people simultaneously whirling is 755, set in Taiwan in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-people-sufi-whirling |access-date=2016-03-21 |title=Most people sufi whirling |publisher=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dhikr]]
* [[Islamic culture]]
* [[Nasheed]]
* [[Qawwali]]
* [[Religious experience]]
* [[Sogdian Whirl dance]]
* [[Sama (Sufism)]]
* [[Circle dance]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Dervishes|Tanoura (dance)}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjt5FgFuyVs Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul (video on YouTube)]
*[http://www.egyptiancastle.com/cafe/belly/tanoura/tanoura01.htm Egyptian Castle: Tanoura dance]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndO2IA8sL-A "Egyptian El Tanoura Dancer - Dreams Beach Resort, Sharm" on YouTube]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/defense-of-sema.html |title=In Defense of the Whirling Prayer Ceremony (Sema) |first=Ibrahim |last=Gamard |date=October 2012 |website=Dar-Al-Masnavi}}
* {{cite web |url=http://veryethnic.com/2012/06/29/13-things-the-whirling-dervishes-can-teach-you-about-spinning-until-youre-dizzy-enough-to-puke/ |title=13 Things The Whirling Dervishes Can Teach You About Spinning Until You're Dizzy Enough To Puke |work=Very Ethnic |date=29 June 2012 |access-date=20 March 2016 |archive-date=3 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503123902/https://veryethnic.com/2012/06/29/13-things-the-whirling-dervishes-can-teach-you-about-spinning-until-youre-dizzy-enough-to-puke/ |url-status=dead }}
* {{youTube|BZ7ztgnrotg|Whirling dance performance}}

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