Knowra Sufi music Sufi music Sufi music comprises musical practices used in Islamic mystical traditions for devotion, remembrance of God, poetry, and communal ritual. Its forms vary across regions and Sufi orders.
Qawwali : A devotional music tradition of South Asia, often performed by ensembles using poetry, handclaps, and harmonium. Qawwali gives Sufi poetry and rhythmic repetition a prominent South Asian concert and devotional form.
Dhikr : The Islamic practice of remembering God through repeated phrases, prayers, or other devotional acts. Repeated names and phrases in Sufi music can enact dhikr through sound.
Chishti Order : A Sufi order that arose in South Asia and became known for its emphasis on love, service, and devotional practice. Chishti networks helped establish musical devotion, including qawwali, in South Asia.
Islamic views on music : A range of Muslim legal, theological, and cultural positions on music and musical instruments. Sufi musical practice exists within broader Islamic debates about permissible music.
Jalal al-Din Rumi : A 13th-century Persian-language poet and Sufi teacher whose works became central to the Mevlevi tradition. Rumi's poetry and teachings inspire music and ceremony in Mevlevi communities.
Sama : A Sufi practice of listening to music or poetry as a form of spiritual attention. Sama names the listening practice through which music can become a devotional act.
Sufi poetry : Poetry expressing themes of divine love, spiritual longing, and the journey toward God in Sufi traditions. Its imagery and language supply much of the text sung in Sufi devotional settings.
Amir Khusrow : A 13th- and 14th-century Indo-Persian poet, musician, and court intellectual associated with the Chishti milieu. His poetry and later musical reputation connect Persianate literary culture with South Asian Sufi music.
Aniconism in Islam : The avoidance or restriction of figurative images in Islamic religious and cultural settings. The prominence of devotional sound is sometimes discussed alongside Islam's visual conventions, though they are distinct issues.
Amadou Bamba : A Senegalese Sufi teacher and poet who founded the Mouride order. His writings are sung in Mouride devotional practice and shape Senegalese Sufi music.
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