Universe: Music that feeds the soul

There is an old Sufi saying about the Divine Beloved and the seeker, who is the lover. “Lovers do not reach the height of true love until one says to the other, ‘O Thou, who art I.’”

Qawwali, the powerful spiritual musical genre of the Indian sub-continent, is known to bring about this mystic trance where the listener may lose himself in the love of the Divine Beloved. The devotional music of the Sufis has entranced seekers for centuries and easily surpasses other genres in terms of global popularity. The rhythmic beats of the dholki, tabla and other percussion instruments, the handclaps keeping pace with it, the resounding kalaam of the qawwal and the robust chorus — all come together to rekindle a spiritual sensation that elevates listeners to a higher state of consciousness.

‘Qawwali’ is derived from the Arabic word qawl, meaning utterance. Like many other Arabic words, this has spiritual layers and conveys the divine message. Qawwals — the performers of qawwali — are not just practitioners of Sufi divine music. They are held in high esteem as musicians who lead us on the spiritual journey. Qawwals are feted globally, and with reason. Most of them have remained sincere to the soul and spirit of the powerful Sufi qalaam that they sing, pining for the Divine Beloved and celebrating devotion for the Almighty — verses of spiritual longing and divine love. Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who was lovingly called Shahenshah-e-Qawwali (the king of kings of qawwali), once said, “The job of a qawwal is to ensure that his listeners feel closer to the Creator. Qawwali is about reducing the distance between the Creator and created.”

This musical art form was created by Hazrat Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the legendary poet, composer, inventor, linguist, historian and scholar, and the most loved disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), a famous Sufi saint of the sub-continent.

Hazrat Nizamuddin cherished this musical art form for its ability to evoke a state of divine ecstasy among seekers, and fostering a sense of unity and spiritual connection.

It is believed that the practice of Sufi whirling dervishes originated in the 13th century in Konya, Turkey, as a form of spiritual practice. It stemmed from the teachings of the Persian Sufi mystic, the globally loved poet Hazrat Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi (1207-1273) of Konya, known to his followers as Mevlana. The Mevlevi Order, also known as the “whirling dervishes”, was founded by the followers of Hazrat Rumi.

Interestingly, there is also an Indian account of the practice among Sufi saints of the Chishtiyya Order and some other Sufi seekers to sing and dance, raising their arms and twirling while stamping their feet on the ground.

For the Sufis, the spiritual path of love and truth cannot be traversed without the guiding light of an enlightened master. It is said during the sama mehfils (spiritual music sessions) at the khanqah (abode) of Hazrat Nizamuddin, dancing was not allowed. One evening, during the performance of the qawwali, Hazrat Khusrau was so imbued with ecstasy that he started to dance. Hazrat Nizamuddin smiled to see his beloved mureed (Arabic for ‘one who seeks’, guided by a spiritual guide) swaying in divine bliss. Hazrat Khusrau was overcome with love for the Divine so Hazrat Nizamuddin gently told him, “Dance in such a way that your hands are raised to the sky as if calling out to God, and your feet should hit the earth as if denouncing it.”

Hazrat Rumi wrote often of the beauty of music in the realm of love and spirituality. “In the house of lovers, the music never stops, the walls are made of songs and the floor dances.” Qawwali is music to feed the soul.

Let the seekers keep rejoicing on the divine journey to seek the Almighty. Let the music play on.

— The writer is a Sufi scholar