Muslims do not come in only two traditions: Sunni and Shiite. No. The God-inspired Sufis were once celebrated, but now ignored. The hallmarks of the mystic Islamic Sufis: multi-level passion, intuition oriented, introspection — and all with an ecstatic, direct link to God. The ecstatic expressions comes in two flavors: the high-energy Whirling Dervish (dancers) and Howling Dervish (chanters). The Persian based Sufi sect was founded by the 13th century romantic poet, Rumi.
Suggestion: SKIP THE FIRST THREE INTRO PARAGRAPHS. GO STRAIGHT TO THE SECTION ON THE SUFI DANCERS WITH GREAT PHOTOS.
Please pass the next three paragaraphs IF you do want to read all my chatty, email message to friends. This early article started out its life as an email written by travelogue author Zephyr Carlyle and sent to his friends and family. Thus, the first three paragraphs have a chatty, gossip tone.
October, 2020. Allan (“Hello”) or As-salamu alaykum (“Peace be upon you.”) I [Zephyr Carlyle] hope and know all continues to be well with you and in the United States — okay, I don’t know much so I mostly hope and pray for continuity. In contrast, I am on the move. I made a big splash arrival in Egypt in September, 2020. I have been here in Cairo for one month now and it has been a doozy. The last month has been a BIG transition; but so far, so good. I have a temporary Resident Visa now. I just moved into permanent digs with a one year lease. [Post script note from ZVC: I published an article and photos about this new Cairo apartment (my new “digs”) and the surrounding neighborhood (Maadi). Readers can see learn more about living large in Cairo in, “Cairo City View” in the Travelogue-Egypt section of this website, templesandtribes.net.]
However, I plan to go to beautiful Alexandria, a coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea, for the night of November 3. Alexandria is a well known fabulous city only two hours by train from Cairo. I just want to be as far away as I can from the November 3 Nightmare on Elm Street, also known as the American election. Cairo is not far enough away. I plan to just enjoy the tranquility of Alexandria and not even check the election news until the morning of November 4th. By then, anything could happen: a blow-out victory for one of the two talking-suit candidates; some long, drawn-out, painful, American courtroom election saga; the rumbling of the new Civil War V.2 about to burst apart our country; or perhaps something in between. I will read about my beloved country with great interest, put down my computer, and go out onto the terrace which faces the promenade overlooking the Mediterranean. Then, I will order some breakfast falafel. There will be no mimosas as I am in a Muslim country and I stopped drinking totally. Sigh. Yet, no matter what happens in the election: I will forever consider the Trump era a hideous kink in our arc of progress.
By the way, I did register to get an absentee California ballot, from here in Cairo. Some states will accept email ballots from overseas, but not California — ballots must be sent in by fax or regular mail only. I have to use what is called locally, an “International Fax.” Such Fax is not available to the Cairo public. I could, as an alternative, send the ballot by US Embassy “diplomatic pouch.”However, the embassy needs up to one month to deliver a letter (or ballot) Stateside — not enough time! The US Defense Department saved me. I used the US Department of Defense Voter Assistance Project fax service. I scanned and emailed my application for absentee ballot to the DoD, who forwarded it to the SD Registrar. The Registrar confirmed they received my request. I am waiting for the SD Registrar of Voters to send me a ballot by email. I will send it back courtesy of the Defense Department. I cannot wait to vote!
And Now the Section You Have Been Waiting for: Bring on the Whirling Dervishes — the Sufi Dancers!
This week’s photo op included going with a friend to Whirling Dervishes — a real Wow! experience. Just in case: Sufi is an Islamic sect of mystics, poets and God worshipers who have direct ecstatic connections with the Divine, through dance, meditation, chanting and the celebration of love. The Sufi order was founded by Rumi, a famous 13th century Persian poet. By the way, the still photos below do not do justice to even the whirling part of the whirling dervishes. And then add in the background Sufi music and chanting; all with the incredible acoustics of this performance space in an 800 year old, medieval fortress. Incredible.
The Lowdown on Rumi 13th C Sufi Poet: And We Still Read this Guy? Yes!
Why is the Rumi depicted below so hunched over? Why is he wearing what looks like the dome of a miniature mosque? The picture and quote on the right is much more appealing. Unfortunately, probably neither picture is historically accurate for this 13th Century mystic.
Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and mystic is is not some ivory tower pinhead. Rumi is a passionate romantic who writes about human love as a Divine experience. He is ecstatic about passion and that makes him eminently quotable. Below is the beginning of the poem, “Love is a Madman”:
Love is a madman, working his wild schemes, tearing off his clothes, running through the mountains, drinking poison, and then quietly choosing annihilation. Love is like the musk. It attracts attention. Love is a tree, and the lovers are its shade. Love has nothing to do with the five senses and the six directions. Love's goal is only to experience the attraction exerted by the Beloved. Love is the diamond, Beloved is the mine. Love and Beloved are like body and soul. They've been together since the beginning of time, side by side, step by step. Love is the purest wine. Kings would give away their thrones for just the smell of that special wine of love which lovers drink at the assembly of heart. Love is a cloud that scatters pearls. Love is a shining light, illuminating and exalted.Love is a secret river, purified and ever-flowing. Love is a burning fire that never gets extinguished. Love is not the work of the tender and the gentle; Love is the work of the seasoned wrestlers. The lover who becomes a servant of love, is in reality a fortunate sovereign.“
Putting aside the crazy-love stuff, Rumi has many poems that cry to the heart about love and devotion (Divine) — but these other poems do not need to hyper-ventilate. According to Rumi: Romantic passion here on earth is divine love. Rumi is passion’s main spokesman across the centuries, and he is Persian to boot. But he speaks of an universal experience that is not diminished by centuries or ancient cultures. Here is an excerpt of two love poems, each reduced to a short quote:
Can you possibly grasp what love means without becoming a lover first? Love cannot be explained. Love can only be experienced. Love cannot be explained, yet love explains everything. The quest for love changes you. There is no seeker of love who has not matured on the way of love. The moment you start looking for love, you start to change within and without. Love is from the infinite, and will remain so until eternity. The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death.
They way of love is not a subtle argument. The door there is devastation. Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. How do they learn it? They fall, and falling, they're given wings."
Rumi is most famous for his poems about love. Yet, Rumi has a lot of great quotes on beauty; the nature of reality; and the very nuance of our existence. Once again, these little snippets all come from his longer poems:
See how the unknown merges into the known. Why are you so busy with this or that, or good or bad? Pay attention to how things blend. Be like sugarcane, sweet yet silent. Don't get entangled with bitter words.”
That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty, He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more beautiful.”
Most, if not all, of the above Rumi quotes and poems come from: http://sologak1.blogspot.com/2009/02/100-selected-rumi-poems English.html
Take care, Zephyr
Bonus Photo — For those who have not seen this picture yet of my recent visit to the Giza Pyramids:
Oh how fun!