THE SUFI CULTURE...Submited by- Zia on 30 May, 2013.....Sita Gita

Sufi mystical poetry, performed as a part of prayers and devotions is conducive to mystical ecstasy. Sufi music accompanied by musical instruments can arouse passions either sensual or spiritual, which is the goal of Sufi music anyway. Hence, musical concerts are a regular feature of Sufi orders.

Sufi music has a universal appeal as it speaks of pain, poverty, emotions, joys, sorrows, and way of the lives of common people in the context of their ties with the supreme power. The new generation of Sufi singers are promoting their genre of music as a sound of connectivity, peace and friendship, transcending all borders of class, creed race and nation.

The modern day Sufi singers are a curious clutch of contemporary rockers from India and Pakistanwith their guitars and drum sets and a handful of traditionalists. Most of their lyrics are old Sufi poetry.

Sufi music peaked when legendary dervishes like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Aamir Khusro refined it into an elite genre of its own. It is a genre as much at home in a rocking party as in a dargah.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan spread Sufi music beyond the borders of Pakistan. Zila khan, has been trained in songs since her childhood, and is one of the best –known female Sufi and ghazal singers in India. Joining the fray are Shubha Mudgal, Rekha Bharadwaj and Chanchal Bharti.
Sufi singers like….Hans Raj Hans, Nizami Bandhu and Chisti Brothers feature an elaborate chorus on their call and response qawwali with rugged and heartfelt selections.

Sufi song resembles a path of devotion and love which leads to none other than God himself. A person can strive towards intimate knowledge or communion with God by listening to Sufi Songs. But, in the present day circumstances, Sufi music seems to have got Bollywood into its whirl.

Bollywood has been using Sufi Music since time immemorial. The lyrics of the songs like “ Chhap tilak”, “ mere piya ghar aye ooo Ramji” from the movie YAARANA or be it “Dum mast ka lander” are all directly connected to God.

Songs like…. “Maula Mere Maula” from ANWAR ,A.R Rehman’s “Tere Bina” from the movie GURU, or be “Yaa Ali” from the movie GANGSTER, have touched us as these songs find favor with audiences because it connects them instantly with God. This genre of music has become successful to reach to the audience of all ages and classes. However, Sufi music has become the formula for a box office hit and its elements find their way into every sound track. It is coming out of stereos and mobile phones. Music director, Anu Malik, the man behind “Rabbi” in ZINDAGGI ROCKS used his “Mehboob Mere” track in the film FIZA in 2000, to experiment with sufi music.

If we talk about packaging and purity of Sufi songs, not everybody applauds what seems to pass off as Sufi music today. This is music that should reach out to God. But, Sufi music today is out of key. Songs like “laaga chunri main daag”, originally a sufi song has been depicted on a prostitute in the movie, LAAGA CHUNRI MAIN DAAG. In the name of commercialization the bollywood industry has exploited Sufism to the extreme limit.

Today, anything with a Sufi touch seems to ensure success in Hindi film music. Songs like “Chaand Sifarish” from FANNA, “Allah Ke Bande” in WAISA BHI HOTA HAIN became overnight successful because of the Sufi influence in it. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan struck a chord with listeners with “Maan Ki Lagan” in PAAP, and his “Jiya Dhadak Dhadak” from KALYUG was among the top 10 for a long time. Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy too have joined the fray. Their composition “Mitwa”, in KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA has a mix of Sufi, Indian classical and rock influences and has been getting positive reviews.

The Hindi film industry has been credited with popularizing Sufi music. But, the hard core Sufi singers have expressed their disappointment towards commercialization of Sufi music. Sufism is the mystical and ancient branch of Islam that emphasizes the seeker’s path towards ecstatic unity with God.

However, there should be a balance between the purest and commercial approaches. No art can remain static, and therefore a change is always necessary. The jury maybe out on that one, but the music is still winning everybody’s heart.

 

 

If you have gone through my earlier blogs on Sufism, you might have got an idea about how the supreme music form has been manipulated by modern musicians to amuse people in public functions and in Hindi movies. But, today, in this blog I would like to talk about the spiritual element of the music form and how it is reciprocated across the world.

Sufism as the spiritual Path:

There is no doubt, that the role of music has been debated and condemned by Muslim scholars in the past as well as in the present, but for the Sufi saints, it is the ultimate solace for human soul to reach divinity. Whether accompanied by musical instruments and rhythms or not, Sufism is the path to spiritual development for the human soul.

The verses from the Sufi Literature written in praise of the Prophet Mohammad (may peace be upon Him) have also found a place in the sacred book of Islam, the holy Quran. These verses were originally written with a view to preach Islam and to introduce the goodness of the religion. Hence, the believers of Sufism used these verses as a medium to spread the message of Islam .It was their daily practice to recite and contemplate on these verses so that they can focus on the supreme power, the God, and unite themselves with the divine soul. It is believed that in such state, a Sufi can act as a bridge between the celestial power and the material world by performing miracles.

However, with the transition of time, the Sufi verses have undergone a change. Today, it is sung in dargahs and other religious and public gatherings accompanied by enchanting music and rhythms. The core of the music form mesmerizes the entire ambience, transcending the heart and soul of the listeners to a spiritual world. Today, it has emerged as one of the powerful tool to spread the message of Sufi culture. Sufi culture is not only confined to signing in praise of the Prophet or the Creator (Allah). It also unfolds the pain and suffering of a devotee in being separated from his Master. This forms the core of Sufi poetry and music.

Whether you spend your Thursday and Friday evening inside the Nizzamuddin Dargah in Delhi, or in a public gathering listening to and immersing yourself into the rhythm and music of Sufi, even without understanding the message that it is trying to propagate, the music form by no way fails to establish the fact that it is the music of ‘the soul, by the soul and for the soul.’

The Global stand of the Art Form:

As we all know that Sufi music is the heart of Muslim mystics and aims at spreading the teachings of Islam, hence Muslim dominated regions of the world like, Asia: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Anatolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Syria, Israel, Indonesia; Africa: Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia; America: Brazil, Cuba and Haiti, and others are not left untouched by the impact of the music form.

Sufi thoughts, which were basically composed in Arabic, traversed through different languages and culture from Persian to Turkish and are enriched by multiple cultures of the world. Today, it finds expression through diverse musical genres and untold musical forms. Contemporary musicians and musical troupes across the world like, Sohrab Fakir from Sindhi, Pakistan; Musa Dieng Kala from Senegal; Ahl-Al-Haqq of Kurdistan; The Gnaouas and the Issawas of Morocco; Hamza Shakkur and Al-Kindi of Syria, etc. have contributed towards the expansion and embellishment of traditional Sufi music, thus giving it a new and unique flavor and style.

Sufi Music accompanied by Sufi instruments:

No doubt the real beauty of music comes alive when accompanied by right instrument. One can witness the majesty of Sufi Music which is also known as the ‘Music of Brotherhood’, when the music lovers of Morocco chants and dance together in a circle by holding each other’s hand; or in Turkey and Syria, when Dervish twirl themselves to the melancholic tune of the Sufi accompanied by subtle instruments, such as, Zukra, Rabab, Oud, Ney, Qanun, etc. along with the passionate music played onDarbuka and Bendir. The musical ecstasy created by the sounds of these instruments is enough to transform your soul to a spiritual world, where you can establish a contact with the Divine power.

As music forms an indispensable part of Sufism, hence the brothers of Morocco celebrates trance night before the holy month of Ramadan begins, by chanting mystic accompanying Gnawa. Even the African community residing in American continents follows this tradition. While the Mourides residing in Senegal wants to be nearer to God by chanting Njang,; the Quwals of India seeks to reunite with the supreme power by reciting and singing Zikr, Quwwali, Sufiana Kalam, Ghazal and other musical genres in Farsi Hindi and Urdu.

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