The Essence of Sema and Its Effect on the Heart
In Islamic spirituality, music and sema (whirling) serve as a powerful means to stir the emotions hidden within the heart. Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless his secret) stated that listening to sema brings forth a state already present in the individual’s heart. For one who possesses love for Allah and longing (shawq) for union with Him, music is like a wind fanning the flames of this divine love; they hear every sound as coming from Allah and perceive His power within it. Indeed, sema acts as a purifying agent, facilitating the reception of Divine inspiration through that purity. However, for someone whose heart is filled with worldly desires and egoistic ambitions, music functions merely as a dark smoke fueling those negative inclinations.
The Difference Between Divine Love and Metaphorical Love
Beauty naturally affects the human soul. The Most High Allah is absolutely beautiful in His essence, attributes, and actions, and He loves beauty. The love felt by those of spiritual insight (irfan) is not for forms or transient bodies, but for this unique and unparalleled Divine Beauty (Jamal). His beauty cannot be compared to any form within the realm of existence or possibility. Therefore, attributing the term “love” to excessive affection for anything other than Allah is, in truth, merely a metaphor. Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (may peace be upon him) emphasizes that sema, for dervishes, aims to induce spiritual ecstasy (wajd), increase longing for Allah, and uproot the love of the world from their hearts.
Etiquette of Sema and Ecstasy
There are very subtle rules of etiquette to be observed in sema gatherings. Listening with a tranquil heart, controlling one’s ego, and avoiding ostentation are essential. Loud crying or feigning ecstasy during sema purely for show is hypocrisy (riya’). True wajd is the overflowing of the heart through the unveiling of spiritual veils and the revelation of secrets. If a person is moved by sincere joy and divine delight (sürur) while listening to sema, this is permissible; however, everything must be in accordance with the etiquette of servitude and sincerity. Sema gatherings are a spiritual training method established by eminent Shaykhs and successors of the prophets to revive hearts.