Sufi Technical Terms

THE DERVISHES

The Persian word dervish is generally considered to be derived

from the verb der-vekhtan, to wait at a door. The reference is to waiting

before the door of enlightenment.

It is one of the few Persian terms to be accepted into Arabic (plural

daravish), in which language it has the connotation of a good man, one

who patiently endures hardship.

In Western languages and literature, Dervish has had a less easy

passage. The Sudanese dervishes, members of a messianic cult, the

performing fakirs of the Rifai (Howling), the semi-theatrical Mevleyi

(Whirling), and the fighting Janissaries are among the most familiar in

this cultural area.

In Central Asia the dervishes were, and to a great extent still are,

respected as men of science, literature, culture and philosophy.

The communities and groupings whose activities and beliefs are

collected here follow the traditional patterns of dervishism. It was from

their ranks that men like Rumi the poet, Ghazzali the philosopher,

Khayyam the scientist, and numerous emperors, mystics, artists and

musicians sprang.

Dervish ideas, as much recent historical research has shown, have

for centuries exercised an influence upon communities and individuals

far beyond the confines of their Eastern homeland.

In Western countries, in addition to several imitative groups following

imported dervish ceremonial and practice, attempts are being made here

and there to apply dervish ideas to institutions and situations which

belong to the present day.

The purpose of this collection of contemporary first-hand reportages

on dervishes is to show, through the eyes of travellers, newspapermen

and others, something of the existence and scope of dervishism in

countries of the East and West.

Aabshar, Aubshaur:

Persian, 'Waterfall'.

Akhund:

Wise man, cleric.

Ali:

son-in-law of Mohammed and one of his successors in the leadership of the Moslem community.

Ami:

see Ilm.

Ashrafi:

gold coin.

Baba:

Father, head of the family or community, teacher—term of respect.

Badakhshan:

geographical area of Afghanistan.

Baraka(t):

'blessing, inner power of a thing, transmitted force of a

teacher'.

Chuff:

Breathing.

Chungari:

'Herb of enlightenment' Literally 'Howness'. An aromatic

but non-narcotic herb consumed by dervishes at special times.

Dargah (Dargauh &c.):

Court.

Daur

(Turkish usage = Devr); from Arabic: 'Turn', a movement made by

dervishes. One form of it is in the whirling of Maulavi dervishes.

Dervish:

Persian, 'one who waits at the door'.

Dhikr:

see Zikr.

Durbar:

assembly.

Ghazzali, al-:


Great Sufi teacher of the llth and 12 centuries A.D.

Hadi, Haadi:

'Guide'.

Hal

(state): The special condition of mind into which dervishes may

throw themselves.

Hakim:

Sage, wise man, physician. Hakim Sanai of Khorasan is often

meant by Central Asian dervishes when they use this term He

wrote the Garden of Reality.

Halka, Halqa:

'circle', basic unit of Sufi operation.

Hoo:

see Hu.

Haq:

Truth, objective reality, God.

Haykal:

Temple.

Hu:

(In Arabic = 'He!'; Dervish liturgical word.

Hukk:

see Haq.

Ilm:

knowledge, information, as distinct from ami (work) and Man =

inner, immediate knowledge, 'gnosis'.

Imam:

Arabic, 'leader'. Varied uses, from prayer-leader in a mosque

to chief of the Moslem community and successor of Mohammed.

Insan-i-Kamil:

'Perfected Man', the result of Sufi development.

Irfan:

see Ilm.

Ishk, Ishq:

Love. Technical term of the Sufis; as in the dictum "Ordinary

love is a variety of Special Love".

Islam:

('submission to the will of God'), religion identified with the

followers of Mohammed.

Kafiristan:

('land of the Unbelievers') area in Afghanistan, renamed in

the 19th century Nuristan ('land of light').

Kalima:

'The Word'; Persian/Urdu/Pushtu usage of the Arabic term

Shahada = the Negative and Positive affirmation of Divinity.

Karacul, Karakul:

central Asian sheep.

Khab, Khaub, Khaab (&c.):

Sleep.

Khan:

chief of a clan or a locality; Turkic title.

Khanqa, Khanka:

Lodge, Dervish centre, place of hospitality and refreshment.

Koh-i-Daman:

foothills.

Kunj-i-Zagh:

'Raven's Corner'.

Mashaf:


'The Book'; the Koran (Qur'an).

Mevlana:

Turkish pronounciation of Maulana ('Our Master') applied

to all Sufi teachers. Best known in the West by its application

to Jalaluddin Rumi, q.v.

Mevlevi:

(lit. 'of the Master'), 'whirling' dervishes.

Mir:

Persian form of Emir (Amir), 'commander'. In some usages =

Prince.

Mirza:

Nobly Born.

Mishla:

Arab Beduin cloak.

Muhadira:

Arabic, 'an assembly; being present'.

Murshid:

Arabic, teacher, guide (of the Sufis).

Musa Kazim:

(Musa the Patient) one of the descendants of Mohammed,

Ali and Hussein.

Nu-Kunja (No-koonja, &c):

'Nine-sided: Enneagon'.

Naqsch (Naqsh):

Impress, diagram, design.

Naqshbandi, Nakshbandi:

Sometimes incorrectly and in Turkish usage styled

Nakshibendi: Order of Dervishes associated with the name of Bahauddin Naqshband ('The Designer') of Bokhara, surnamed El-Shah.

Paghman:

locality in Afghanistan.

Pathan:

(Pukhtun, Pashtun and variants) member of the Afghan tribeswho speak Pushtu.

Pilao, pilau:

spiced rice served with meat.

Pir:

'Elder'. In Sufi usage the mentor of a Sufi.

Quiff (Qif(f)-'

Pause, halt, stop. Name of a Sufi exercise.

Rifai:

'howling' dervishes.

Rumi:

Afghan-born poet and Sufi teacher (A.D. 1205-1273) who taught in Konia, Asiatic Turkey.

Sardar:

chief, 'he who holds heads'.

Sarkar:

Persian, 'Work-Chief.

Sarmoun(i):

Community named after the bees.

Shaikh, Sheikh, Sheik (&c.):

Elder, chief of a village; chief of a tribe.

In Sufi usage the head of a community or Order.

Shalwar:

baggy trousers

Sirdar:

(1) Turkish usage for Sardar, sometimes military chief; (2) From Sirr-dar, 'he who holds secrets').

Sunnat:

traditions of the Prophet.

Surkaur:

see Sarkar.

Sunni:

traditionalist, one of the chief legal schools of Islam.

Tariqa:

The Path'; either a special 'order' in Sufism, or sometimes

Sufism itself, as distinct from following a general religion.

Tekkie, Takia, Takiya (&c.):

Dervish centre, generally a building, sometimes

with special characteristics in its building or arrangement

inside.

Wazifa:

(lit. 'Duty') the observances given to Sufi students to perform.

Ya:

Invocatory O . . . .

Yabou:

pony.

Yakina:

'Certitude'. The state which develops through the application

or action of the baraka, q.v.

Zarf:

lit. 'container': a platter.

Zawiya, Zavia (&c.):

Literally 'corner'. Used for Dervish centres and

'monasteries'.

Zikr (zikker, dhikr &c.): a litany. Lit. 'Repetition'.