[jyotirmoy]

What started in dargahs and mazaars years ago has today metamorphosed into a singing culture. Hundreds of years after being relegated to the background, the mystical Sufi music of the 14th century is staging a resounding comeback. A unique style of singing that transports listeners into spiritual ecstasy. Not bound by any particular religious belief, Sufism is a philosophy that glorifies every religion as the path to righteousness. It gives precedence to love for humanity above everything else. Hazrat Moinnudin Chishti, Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid and Amir Khusrau have all been great Sufi poets who spread their message through hymns and qawwalis.  Sufi music varies from region to region. Its spread is attributed to Fakirs who travelled to different parts of the country and picked up regional nuances and styles. The oldest and the most widely admired is the qawwali developed by the Chishti clan and later popularised by Amir Khusro.  According to some scholars Sufism was meant to spread Islam and its true tenets, others are of the view that it is not associated with any particular religion. It is divine communication and for this it just takes the help of any religion.
Many believe that Sufi music is about union with the Beloved, with God.   Music is the vehicle to reach the heart and attain a state of grace or enlightenment, a ‘stateless state’ or ‘Ma’rifat’ – the inner knowledge. So a religious angle does exist.
Today the great Iranian Sufi saint and poet Roomi is among the largest selling authors in America. I also learnt that Sufi schools of thought have sprung-up in places like Amsterdam and Boston, there is the Sufi way of dressing, Sufi food and even Sufi lifestyle. Pop groups like Junoon from Pakistan are a huge hit the world over for their lyrics and presentation. But many scholars are not happy with the way Sufism is being treated. Renowned Indian Sufi followers like artist Manjeet Bawa, Sufi scholar Madangopal Singh and even Hasan Nizami feel that people are demeaning the real essence of Sufism by associating it with materialism. Says Bawa, "Commercialisation of such a revered art form is permissible if the intention is good, but most of the time people use Sufism and its high values to foster their own interest, that is why you see fashion shows, dance programmes and many other purely commercial ventures exploiting Sufism. It is just one more way of making money."
" Many of those who claim to be the greatest exponents of Sufi music don’t even understand the basic parameters of this religious music. Some of them are just using it to earn money, any song which does not follow the basic tenets of Sufi singing is not real Sufi music," claims Nizami.
In Delhi at the Nizamuddin are there are regular Sufi gathering & music. Often great musicians visit & the stains of pure Sufi music fills the heart of listeners who throng this place in droves & I have noticed a rising popularity.

[cyberhippie]

Jyoti what does the title "Hazrat" mean, at least I think it's a title, as many of the masters have this preceding their name, any thought/translations??

[jyotirmoy]

cyberhippie, on Jun 19 2006, 09:38 AM, said:

Jyoti what does the title "Hazrat" mean, at least I think it's a title, as many of the masters have this preceding their name, any thought/translations??

Hazrat" is an honorific; "Pir-o-Murshid" is an esoteric title, signifying the head of the Inner School of the Sufi Movement.
With regard to the Sufi path, Hazrat Nizamuddin Awlia taught the following: "For a dervish, three things are necessary. They all begin with an 'ain' (an Arabic letter), i.e., Ishq (love), Aql (intelligence) and Ilm (knowledge). Let us discuss these three qualities one by one.

Sufism is, in its essence, the way of love. Love is considered to be a spiritual alchemy by means of which the baser qualities of a human being are transformed into higher ones. In this respect it suffices to say that Hazrat Nizamuddin Awlia is known as Mehboob-e-Elahi, the beloved of Allah. Of course the spiritual status of a beloved is much higher than that of a lover.

'Intelligence' changed in the hands of Hazrat Nizamuddin Awlia into wisdom. His wisdom manifested itself in the shape of service to humanity. About him it has been said: "He was not a miracle-monger of the ordinary sort. He never flew in the air or walked on water with dry and motionless feet. His greatness was the greatness of a loving heart; his miracles were the miracles of a deeply sympathetic soul. He could read a man's inner heart by a glance at his face and spoke the words that brought consolation to a tortured heart

"In Allah's garden you gather roses,
Being drunk with divine mysteries:
Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -- the beloved of Allah,
O, how I long for the attar of your company….

“come running to the end of Your street,
Tears are washing and washing my cheek.
Union with You -- what else can I seek?
My soul I surrender as Your name I repeat…..

[captmahajan]

sufi-ism has always mesmerised many including me because it seeks union with god through love alone.
and secondly, because it took people from all religious backgrounds into its fold... and grew across religions and countries and cultures.

unfortunately, sufi-ism sells as romantic poetry and music now, which is missing the point. also, it has become a fad in many parts of the world, including India, and is commercialised. that automatically puts me off the modern interpretations and modern music.



Rumi... born in modern Afghanistan or Tajakistan, lived in Mecca and wrote and died in Turkey.... read this keeping in mind he is talking about god and not about his beloved....

-----

I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?

Look at your eyes. They are small,
but they see enormous things.
---
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion

or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up


from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,


am not an entity in this world or the next,
did not descend from Adam or Eve or any


origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.


I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,


first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.
--------

- Rumi

[jyotirmoy]

Captain you share my views...

[mmike56]

If you like

Original trance music, Sufi music is great, seen a couple of Whirling Dervish concerts that lasted a couple of hours, would love to see and hear a FULL dervish set.

mmike

peace

[jyotirmoy]

Similar music & philosophy are by the Bauls... pls read my earlier post on Baul music

[captmahajan]

Give me freedom to fly without a shadow,
Give me freedom to sing without an echo,
and to love without leaving traces.
(SUFI)

[Yashodhara]

Gone to the Unseen

At last you have departed and gone to the Unseen.
What marvelous route did you take from this world?

Beating your wings and feathers,
you broke free from this cage.
Rising up to the sky
you attained the world of the soul.
You were a prized falcon trapped by an Old Woman.
Then you heard the drummer's call
and flew beyond space and time.

As a lovesick nightingale, you flew among the owls.
Then came the scent of the rosegarden
and you flew off to meet the Rose.

The wine of this fleeting world
caused your head to ache.
Finally you joined the tavern of Eternity.
Like an arrow, you sped from the bow
and went straight for the bull's eye of bliss.

This phantom world gave you false signs
But you turned from the illusion
and journeyed to the land of truth.

You are now the Sun -
what need have you for a crown?
You have vanished from this world -
what need have you to tie your robe?

I've heard that you can barely see your soul.
But why look at all? -
yours is now the Soul of Souls!

O heart, what a wonderful bird you are.
Seeking divine heights,
Flapping your wings,
you smashed the pointed spears of your enemy.

The flowers flee from Autumn, but not you -
You are the fearless rose
that grows amidst the freezing wind.

Pouring down like the rain of heaven
you fell upon the rooftop of this world.
Then you ran in every direction
and escaped through the drain spout . . .

Now the words are over
and the pain they bring is gone.
Now you have gone to rest
in the arms of the Beloved.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (RUMI)

[jyotirmoy]

Thanks Yashodhara for this beautifule piece...

[rareadmiral]

captmahajan, on Jun 20 2006, 01:10 AM, said:

Give me freedom to fly without a shadow,
Give me freedom to sing without an echo,
and to love without leaving traces.
(SUFI)

Would not a stone weep if it could? Beautiful.

[cyberhippie]

Jyotie Da which night do you have the sufi performances at Nizamuddin, is it Wednesday?? Me and you will have to go and you can help me appreciate it all

[Shiver me Timbers]

For anyone heading across the border to Lahore, 'Sufi Night' is held every Thursday.  Malik, who runs the 'Regale Internet Inn' brings his guests every week.  Great stuff, which carries on for hours into the night.  The drums are played by two brothers, one of whom is deaf (Anyone know their names - they're pretty famous).  Malik also has some top quality quaawali musicians and singers play at the inn about once a week.

[mmike56]

cyberhippie, on Jun 20 2006, 05:21 PM, said:

Jyotie Da which night do you have the sufi performances at Nizamuddin, is it Wednesday?? Me and you will have to go and you can help me appreciate it all

Ive been on a Thursday eve.

Peace ~ mm56

Edited by mmike56, 21 June 2006 - 01:46 AM.

[captmahajan]

yep, it is thursday,

one of my must do things in delhi.

[jyotirmoy]

Wah Wah to all you guys...
Yes CH its on Thursdays & next time you are here we will go to Nizamuddin & after the music we will go for Biriyanis & Kababs there...

What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest.

I can explain this, but it would break
the glass cover on your heart,
and there's no fixing that.
...Rumi

[mmike56]

jyotirmoy, on Jun 21 2006, 11:45 AM, said:

Wah Wah to all you guys...
Yes CH its on Thursdays & next time you are here we will go to Nizamuddin & after the music we will go for Biriyanis & Kababs there...

What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest.

I can explain this, but it would break
the glass cover on your heart,
and there's no fixing that.
...Rumi

Nice one, so succintly put and apt ..... nice one

peace ~ mm