‘A Whirling Dervish’ 2022 – Multi-coloured & gold acrylic paints on canvas 12” circle $500 USD
A dervish (darvish, in Persian/Farsi) refers to a member of a Muslim Sufi religious order, some of whom have taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century; they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as dancing, whirling, or howling dervishes according to the practice of their order.
Sufi whirling is a form of physically active meditation which originated among certain Sufi groups, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. Rumi was known as a “drunken Sufi” because he found ecstasy in dancing, poetry and music. According to the BBC: “It is believed that Rumi would turn round and round while reciting his poetry, and it is this dance which formed the basis for the Mevlevi Order, or Whirling Dervishes, after his death. Dervish means doorway, and the dance is believed to be a mystical portal between the earthly and cosmic worlds.” This is sought through abandoning one's nafs (ego or personal desires), by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one's body in repetitive circles.