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Mevlevi Terms and Definitions

By Ibrahim Gamard (12/02)

The following are not "officially sanctioned" definitions of
Mevlevi terms, but are offered as the results of this particular
scholar's research over the years.

Although one would normally expect Mevlevi terms to be spelled
in the modern Turkish way (since the Mevlevi tradition has been
passed on for many centuries in the Turkish language), in this
glossary the preference has been given to Persian (which also
contains a large vocabulary of Arabic words). This is because most
of the key terms in the Mevlevi tradition are derived from Persian
-- the original language of the Mevlevi's. Therefore, Persian words
are transliterated first in a Persian way, then spelled in the
modern Turkish way; Arabic words are transliterated first in a
mixture of Persian and Arabic ways, then spelled in the modern
Turkish way. By this method, it is hoped that there will be greater
understanding about the meaning of the terms used in the Mevlevi
tradition.

Suggestions for corrections of these definitions, additional
information about them, or requests for additions to the list
(undoubtedly, many could be added) are most welcome.

yak muHibb, bir mühip,

Ibrahim

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ABBREVIATIONS

A = Arabic
P = Persian
T = Turkish

Arabic-Persian transliterated letters: H = the letter he-jîmî (he-
HuTTî], as in "Hâl"; S = Sâ, as in "maSnavî'; S = Sâd, as in "Sûfî";
T = Tâ, as in "Tarîqat"; Z = Zâl, as in "Zikr"; Z = Zâd, as in
"HaZrat"; Z = Zâ, as in "manZûr."

Turkish letters: C = ch, as in "Cille"; c = j, as in "icazet"; S = sh
[this Turkish letter is a small or capital "s" with a cedilla
underneath, as in the letter C (= ch): thus "Washington" is spelled
"VaSington" in Turkish]; G = the Arabic letter ghayn (not
pronounced in Turkish), as in "estaGfurullâh"; k = both Arabic
letters q and k, as in tarikat [from Tarîqat]; p = often a
transformation of "b," as in "edep" [from adab]; t = often a
transformation of "d," as in "aptes" [from âb-dast]; I = the Turkish
"undotted i" (tendes to have a "uh" sound), as in "hIrka" [for A,
khirqa]. Typically, the "a" vowels in Arabic and Persian are often
changed to "e" vowels in Turkish, as in "sema" [from samâ`].
There is no "w" consonant in Turkish, so such consonants in
Arabic and classical Persian are all spelled as "v's."

It should be noted that there were no spelling differences at all in
Turkish compared to Arabic and Persian until about 80 years ago
when Turkey adopted the Western Roman alphabet and
abandoned the traditional Arabo-Persian script.

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abdas (spelling in T; from P): see âb-dast.

âb-dast (P [lit., "water (in) hand"]; spelling in T: abdas, aptes; A,
wuDû; pronunciation: in P: wuZû): washing the hands, face, arms,
and feet with water, according to the Islamic requirement for ritual
purification before the five daily prayers.

`âbid Chalabî: Mawlânâ's grandson. Son of Sultân Walad (by his
wife NuSrat Khâtûn), died 1338

abrizci (P-T; [derived from P, âb, "water"; derived from P, rêz,
"pouring"]): in the Mevlevi tradition, the person whose job it was
to clean the latrines.

adab (A [derivation: 'aDuBa, to be well-mannered]; spelling in T:
edeb, edep): refined manners, proper conduct, courtesy and
respect, self-discipline. Meaning in sufism: the modes of conduct
and discipline of the dervishes toward their spiritual guide
[shaykh], toward each other, and toward other people in general.
See the article, "Adab in the Mevlevi Tradition," on this website.
Affandî (pronunciation in P; derived from T; derived from Greek):
see efendi.

Aflâkî (A-P [derivation: FaLaK, orbit, circle; heavenly]): Shamsu
'd-dîn AHmad-é Aflâkî-yé `ârifî, the author of "Manâqibu
'l-`ârifîn" (The Glorious Talents and Abilities of the Knowers of
God; spelling in T, Menakibülarifin). Aflâkî was a disciple of
Mawlânâ's grandson, Chalabî Amîr `ârif, who requested he collect
information and stories about the lives and miracles about the
major figures in the Mevlevi tradition up to that time (Bahâ'u
'ddîn-é Walad, Sayyid Burhânu 'd-dîn MuHaqqiq Termezî,
Mawlânâ Jalâlu 'd-dîn, Shamsu 'd-dîn-é Tabrîzî; Shaykh SalâHu
'd-dîn-é Zarkûb, Chalabî Husâmu 'd-dîn, Bahâ'u 'd-dîn SulTân
Walad, Chalabî Amîr `ârif, and Chalabî Amîr `âbid). He began
writing his book in 1318 (45 years after the death of Mawlânâ). He
died in 1360.

âgâh bâsh (P; lit., "Be aware!"): a Mevlevi term meaning, "Be
aware, be awake, come to yourself, arrive to the Truth, wake from
sleep and get up (for the pre-dawn prayer)."

ahl-é del (A-P; lit., "people of heart"; spelling in T, ehl-i dil; also in
T, ehl-i gönül): in sufism, it means those who have a true heart and
follow the way of the heart; men, or people, of heart.

`Alâ'u 'd-dîn MuHammad: Mawlânâ's older brother, died 1229,
when Mawlânâ was about 22 years old.

`Alâ'u 'd-dîn MuHammad: Mawlânâ's older son (ca. 1225 - 1262),
whom he named after his brother.

al-FâtiHa (A): see FâtiHa.

al-Hamdu li-llâh (A [derivation: HaMiDa, to give praise]; spelling
in T: elhamdülillâh): lit., "(All) praise be to God!"

alifî-yé namad (A-P [derived from A, the long thin letter "alif"
(equivalent to the letter "a"); derived from P, felt]; spelling in T,
elifinemed; also called alîf-é lâmad [from the Arabic ligature,
lâm-alif, which signifies "no [lâ] god but God"-- see shaHâda]): In
the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], a wide belt made of
felt which is worn by the semazen's. When stretched out, it looks
like the first letter of the Arabic alphabet [alif], and if the string
tied to it is stretched out at an angle, it appears as the Arabic word
"lâ." It is also called kamar-band (P; spelling in T, kemerbend;
spelled in English, cummerbund).

Allâh (A; related to Hebrew, elôha; related to Aramaic, alâha): The
One God; the Creator of all the worlds; the One Divinity has no
equal, partner, sons, or daughters; the Lord of all beings, who sent
messengers, known and unknown, to all peoples.

Allâhu akbar (A); spelling in T, Allahuekber): lit., "God is Most
Great!" A phrase repeated in the call to prayer [aZân], and on other
occasions by Muslims.

Allahuekber (spelling in T; derived from A): see Allâhu akbar.

Anqaravi: Ismâ`îl b. AHmad Rusûkhu 'd-dîn Bayrâmî, Mevlevî,
Anqaravî (known also as "Rusûkhî," the pen name he used in his
poetry), died 1631, was the author of the most famous Ottoman
Turkish commentary on the Masnavî. He named his commentary
"majmû`atu 'l-laTâ'if wa maTmûrâtu 'l-mu`ârif" (Collected
Subtleties and Stored Mystic Knowledge). It is published in six
volumes (15 in Persian translation). See the article, "About
Anqaravi," in the "Masnavi" section of this website.

aptes (spelling in T; from P): see âb-dast.

arakiyye (spelling in T; derived from A): see `araqiyya.

`araqiyya (A; lit., "used for sweat"; spelling in T, arakiyye,
arakiye; also called, A-P `araq-chîn [lit., "folded sweat (cap)"
[spelling in T, arakCin]): a flattish skull cap, worn initially by
Mevlevi novices, also worn as a night cap by Mevlevi's. Also worn
under a turban (in the Mevlevi tradition, the tall conical hat
[sikke]).

aSCibaSI (T, pronounced: "aash-chee-baashuh"; [derived from P,
âsh, "soup"; derived from T, baSI, "chief"]; also called in T,
aSCidede; also called in P, sar-Tabbâkh, "chief cook"; in T,
sertabbah): in the Mevlevi tradition, the "chief cook"
[P, âsh-paz] was the chief trainer of dervishes.

aSCidede (T, pronounced: "aash-chee-dede"; from P: âsh [soup]; T,
dede [elder, shaykh]: see aSCibaSI.

`âshiq (A; spelling in T, aSik; lit., "passionate lover"): in the
Mevlevi tradition, this refers to a Mevlevi dervish, who is a
passionate and ecstatic lover of God.

aSik (spelling in T; derived from A): see `âshiq.

aSk (spelling in T; derived from A): see `ishq.

aSk olsun (A-T; derived from A, `ishq, "love"; also pronounced
"`ashq" in Persian; lit., "May there be love for you"). A common
saying between Mevlevi's. Also said as permission to resume
eating.

asmâ'u 'l-Husnà (A; lit., "beautiful names"; spelling in T, esma-yi
hûsna): In Islam there is a tradition that God has ninety-nine
beautiful Names and Attributes. "To Him belong the Most
Beautiful Names" (Qur'ân 20:8; see also 7: 180). These names are
often chanted by sufi Muslims. Most of these are in the Qur'ân;
others are derived from verbs and nouns in the Qur'ân.

As-salâmu `alaykum (A [derived from SaLiMa, to be safe];
spelling in T, selâmünaleyküm): lit., "(May) the peace (of God) be
upon you (all)." The reply is: "Wa `alaykuma 's-salâm" ["And may
the peace (of God) be upon you (also)"; or with a further wish of
blessing, "Wa `alaykuma 's-salâm wa raHmatu 'llâh ["And may the
peace (of God) be upon you (also), and the Mercy of God"]; or
with a further wish of blessing, "Wa `alaykuma 's-salâm wa
barakatu-h(u)" ["And may the peace (of God) be upon you (also),
and the Mercy of God and His blessing"]. "And when those who
believe in Our signs come to you, say, "Peace be upon you"
[salâm-un `alaykum]" (Qur'ân 6: 54; see also 28:55; 7:46; 13:24;
16:32; 39:73).

astaghfiru 'llâh (A; spelling in T, estaGfurullâh [pronounced:
"esta'furullah"-- the Turkish letter for the letter "ghayn" is not
pronounced]: lit., "I seek the forgiveness of God." (See Qur'ân
9:114; 4: 106; 47:19, 40:55, 110:3, 14:42; 3: 147; 23:109; 66:8,
2:286.)

âtesh-Bâz (P [lit., "fire-risker"]; spelling in T: AteS Bas):
Mawlânâ's cook, who, in Mevlevi tradition, "sealed" (muhur) his
(burned) left big toe (to keep the fire burning to finish cooking
something for Mawlânâ) by covering it with his right. When
Mawlânâ found out about this, he called his cook (P, âsh-paz, lit.,
"soup-cooker"; T, ashchi) "fire-risker" (âtesh-bâz). (Golpinarli was
of the opinion that this name was a corruption of the Persian word
for cook, "âsh-paz").This man (whose tombstone states that his
name was Shamsuddîn Yûsuf bin `Izzu 'd-dîn), and died in 1285),
has been known since as "Ateshbas Veli" (from A, waliyy: "friend
(of God)," "saint"). His humble sacrifice was so exceptional that
Mevlevi's ever since stand in this position during a variety of ritual
occasions. "Ateshbas" is also a title for the second highest ranking
level in a Mevlevi center (after the shaykh), usually called (in T)
the aSCIbaSI o aSCI dede, the Chief of the Cooks.

ayak mühürlemek (T-A; lit., "sealing the feet"): see muhur.

ayin (spelling in T; from P): see âyîn.

ayin-i cem (spelling in T; from P-A): see âyîn-é jam`.

âyîn (P [lit., "custom," "ceremony"]; spelling in T, ayin): the ritual
of the sufi Tarîqat [tarikat], performed on certain days. In the
Mevlevi tradition, it is also the name for a musical composition
(plural in T: ayinler) which is played and sung for the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema]. In the Mevlevi tradition there are
66 extant compositions (and more are said to have been found), the
oldest (from the 15-16th century) of which are called bast-é qadîm
(P; spelling in T, best-i kadim): Panj-gâh (P; lit., "five-time";
spelling in T, Pencügeh), Dô-gâh (P; lit., "two-time"; spelling in T,
Dögah), and Husaynî (A-P; spelling in T, Hüseyni). Other
compositions: from the 17th century, one; from the 18th century,
twelve; from the 19th century, forty-two; from the 20th century,
eight. Some other modes [maqâm]: râst (P; lit., "right," the name of
a musical note; spelling in T, rast), chahar-gâh (P; lit., "four-time";
spelling in T, Cargah), `ushshaq (A; lit., "lovers," the plural of
`âshiq; spelling in T, uSSak), Hijâz (A; spelling in T, Hicaz), Irâq
(A; spelling in T, Irak), se-gâh (P; lit., "three-time"; spelling in T,
segah).

âyîn-é jam` (P-A; spelling in T, ayin-i cem): means, "Ceremony of
Gathering Together." Originally, an informal all-night Mevlevi
ritual, when dervishes in Konya would gather around a hexagonal
pool on the anniversary of Mawlânâ's death [`urs, shab-é `arûs],
share a banquet, and do the Whirling Prayer [samâ`, sema].

âyîn-È sharîf (P-A; spelling in T, ayin-i Serif): means, "Noble
Ceremony,¾ and is part of the title of the musical compositions (in
four sections) for the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`]. See âyîn.

ay wa 'llâh (P-A; spelling in T, eyvallah, iyvallah, iyi vallah); lit.,
"Oh, by God!" In the Mevlevi tradition this has an affirmative
meaning, expressing agreeable consent, and grateful acceptance of
the current situation. In common usage it means "all right,"
"thanks," "good-bye." According to Aflâkî (Manâqibu 'l-`ârifîn,
Chapter 7, section 15), Mawlânâ said (in Persian), "Oh, by God,
(this) city of Konya of ours is a great and fortunate city." This term
has been interpreted in Turkey as if the first term is the Turkish
word, "iyi" (good-- as if the phrase means, "By God it is good."
However, the first term (ay) is Persian and the phrase is the
opposite of another Perso-Arabic phrase, "nê wa 'llâh" ("No, by
God!"-- Aflâkî, Chapt. 7, section 28). This term also occurs in the
Maqâlât-i Shams-i Tabrîzî (p. 88), translated by Prof. William
Chittick as "Yes, by God" ("Me and Rumi: The Autobiography of
Shams-i Tabrizi," 2004, p. 98).

aZân (A; pronounced in A, adhân [derivation: âDHiNa, to inform];
spelling in T, ezan): the Islamic call to prayer, an announcement
made in a loud voice from a mosque [masjid] five times daily by
the muezzin (A, mu'adhdhin). It begins, "God is Most Great!"
(allâhu akbar) and ends with, "There is no divinity except (the
One) God!" (lâ ilâha illâ 'llâh). In the middle is, "Come to the
prayer!" (Hayya `alà 'S-SalâH).

Bahaüddin Veled: see Bahâ'u 'd-dîn Walad.

Bahâ'u 'd-dîn Walad, (A) known as Bahâ'u d-dîn MuHammad-é
Walad (A-P [lit., "the Son (called) the Brightness of the Religion"];
pronounced in Iran, "Bahâ'oddîn Valad; spelling in T, Bahaüddin
Veled, in T; known also as Mawlânâ Bahâ'u 'd-dîn-é Bozorg [A-P,
lit., "our master the great Bahâ'uddîn"): Mawlânâ's father,
presumably born in Balkh about 1152. According to Aflâkî, he
died on 18 Râbi` II 628 on the Islamic lunar calendar ( = February
23, 1231). However, as Professor Franklin Lewis pointed out
("Rumi: Past and Present," p. 81), Aflâki said this day was
"Friday" (the Muslim holy day of the week), but the date actually
occurred on a Sunday.

Balkh (spelling in T, Belk): the city (located in present-day
Afghanistan, just west of Mazâr-é Sharîf) where Mawlânâ's family
came from. An ancient city in what was called Khorâsân (present-
day eastern Iran stretching through Afghanistan). The language of
the people was (and remains) Persian. It was a city famous for
Islamic scholarship for centuries prior to Mawlânâ's time, and
scholars were learned in reading, writing, and speaking Arabic.
Mawlânâ himself was probably born and spent his first years in
Wakhsh, the town where his father was employed as a teacher and
scholar, about 155 miles to the north of Balkh, across the Amû-
Daryâ River (located in present-day Tajikistan). (See Franklin
Lewis, "Rumi: Past and Present," p. 47-49.)

basta-yé qadîm (P-A [derived from P, basta, "bound"; derived from
A, qadîm, "ancient"]; spelling in T, beste-i kadim): means an
ancient composition. In the Mevlevi tradition there are three
ancient compositions (in T, beste-i kadimler) of unknown date,
which were composed before the 17th century.

baqâ (A [lit., "continuance," "permanence"]; spelling in T, bekâ): a
sufi term which refers to the essential subsistence following the
experience of "mystical death," or the passing away or
"annihilation" of ego [fanâ]. See fanâ.

barakat (A [derivation: BaRRaKa, to make to kneel down, to
bless], may also be spelled barakah, baraka); spelling in Turkish:
bereket): blessing, Divine gift, abundance.

baS halife (T-A): see khalîfa.

baSI (T; lit., "head"; pronounciation: "baashuh," pronounced by
Westerners as "baashee"): a Turkish suffix, indicating leadership
positions, such as semazenbaSI (head of the semazen's).

baSkesmek (T; lit., "to cut off the head"): A term used in the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema] for a ritual bowing (in
an attitude of respect and reverence for the spirit and spiritual
light) toward another semazen, and when entering the semahane or
maydân as a greeting toward the sacred space.

bay`at (A [lit., "pledge of allegiance"], also spelled bay`a; spelling
in T, bey'a, bey'at): A term in sufism meaning to "take hand" with
a spiritual teacher. There are different kinds of pledging and
initiation ceremonies in sufism, depending on the intention of the
aspirant and the agreement of the spiritual teacher: either
permanently to join a particular sufi order (under the direction of a
spiritual guide [shaykh, murshid]; or to receive blessing (baraka)
only. During a sufi "initiation," the shaykh or murshid usually
reads the verse, "Truly those who pledge their allegiance to you (O
Muhammad) , certainly they pledge allegiance to God, (and) the
Hand of God is over their hands" (Qur'ân 48:10).

bekâ (spelling in T; derived from A): see baqâ.

bereket (spelling in T; from A): see barakat.

beste-i kadim (spelling in T; derived from P-A): see basta-yé qadîm.

bey (T; spelled formerly: beG, bek): originally lord or prince of a
dominion. Later, an honorific added to someone's name, such as,
"Hasan-Bey."

bey'a (spelling in T; derived from A): see bay`at.

bey'at (spelling in T; drived from A): see bay`at.

bîdâr bâsh, darwêsh (P): a Mevlevi term meaning, "Be awake
(alert, attentive), dervish!" See âgâh bâsh.

bihodluk (T; derived from P, bê-khwod, "without self"): the
mysticalstate of being selfless. Also means selflessness.

birinci selâm (T-A): the first salâm in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], usually in a rhythm of 14 (or sometimes
8) beats, called dawr-é rawân (A-P., lit., "flowing cycle"; spelling
in T, devr-i revan).

bismillâhirrahmanirrahim (spelling in T: derived from A): see
bi-smi 'llâhi r-raHmâni 'r-raHîm.

bi-smi 'llâhi r-raHmâni 'r-raHîm (A [derived from: RaHiMa, to be
merciful toward]; spelling in T, bismillâhirrahmanirrahim): In the
Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. The most used
phrase of blessing in Islam. It is often said at the beginning of any
important action. It precedes all the chapters (but one) in the
Qur'ân. It is also referred to as the basmallâh (in T, besmele).

CamaSIr (T): in the Mevlevi tradition, the person whose job it was
to do the laundry.

can (spelling in T; derived from P): see jân.

canlar (T, from P: jân-ân [lit., "(dear) souls"]): name of Mevlevi
dervishes (plural form).

Carh (spelling in T; derives from P): see charkh.

Celâleddin (spelling in T; derived from A): see Jalâlu 'd-dîn.

Celâleddin M. Bâkir Celebi: 21st generation descendent of
Mawlânâ, the 32nd holder of the rank of Celebi [Makam-i Celebi]
which is the hereditary leader of the Mevlevi order. He was the
grandson of the last "Grand Chelebi" of the Mevlevi order during
the last years of the Ottoman Empire, `Abdu 'l-Halîm Chelebi II
(died, 1925) and the son of the 31st Celebi, Muhammad Bâqir
Chelebi (died, 1944). He lived from 1926-1996, and was the
founder of the International Hazret-i Mevlânâ Foundation. He was
succeeded by his son, Faruk Hemdem Celebi (for which, see
listing).

Celalettin (spelling in T; derived from A): see Jalâlu 'd-dîn.

Celebi (T, pronounced: "chelebee"; in P: pronounced chalabî): an
honorific term for an educated man, a nobleman. A title given to
Mawlânâ's disciple and successor, Husâmu 'd-dîn Chelebi. It is
also the name of the family which has descended from Mawlânâ:
the Chelebi family. In the Mevlevi tradition, in its capitalized form,
it is the title of the hereditary leader of the Mevlevi Order -- "the
Chelebi," the holder of the rank of Celebi (in T, makam-i Celebi)
Hazret-i Celebi.

cezbe (spelling in T; derived from A): see jaZba.

chalabî (pronunciation in P; from T, Celebi): see Celebi.

charkh (P; lit., "wheel," also an idiom meaning the "wheeling
heavens"; spelling in T, Carh; verbal form in T, Carh atmak): the
(counter-clockwise) whirling motion of the semazens as well as
the circular movements of all the participants in the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

chella (P, from chehel, "forty"; spelling in T, Cille, Cile): a period
of solitary spiritual retreat (A, khalwat; spelling in T: helvet). In
sufism it was traditionally for a period of forty days. In the
Mevlevi tradition, it was not a solitary retreat, but a period of 1001
days of uninterrupted service, primarily in the Mevlevi kitchen.
Whoever completed this and then elected to live in a cell [hujra;
spelling in T, hücre] of a Mevlevi center became a "dede" {T, for
"grandfather"] who could then be promoted to the various ranks of
leadership within the Order.

chella-khâna (P; lit., "retreat house"): another name for the
Mevlevi kitchen, since novices would spend their 1001 day retreat
working in the kitchen and learning to become dervishes-- humble
servants of God.

Cile (spelling in T; derived from P): see chella.

Cille (spelling in T; derived from P): see chella.

Cillehane (spelling in T; derived from P): see chella-khâna.

CIraGcI (P-T; derived from P, cher’gh, "lamp"): in the Mevlevi
tradition, the person responsible for lighting, extinguishing, and
maintaining the lamps in the darg’h or tekke.

daf (P; spelling in T, def, tef): a round thin hand drum with a single
skin, held in one hand and tapped with the fingers of the other
hand. Some versions have a thumb hold for the holding hand,
which allows the fingers of both to play. Can also be a tambourine
with cymbals attached.

dâ'ira (A; lit., "circle"; spelling in T, daire): a circular tambourine,
also called daf.

daire (spelling in T; derived from A): see dâ'ira.

darb-i celali (spelling in T): see Zarb-é jalâlî.

dargâh (P, also spelled dargah [lit., "door-place," "gate-place"];
spelling in T, dergâh, dergeh: This word originally referred to the
king's court. In sufism, it means the sufi teacher's "court," a place
where dervishes would meet and do prayer-chanting [Zikr] and to
receive spiritual instruction from the teacher. These were usually
humble buildings, though some which were well-funded were
large enough to contain separate cells for the dervishes to live in, a
kitchen, and an attached mosque.

Dâru 'l-Mathnawî (A, lit., "house of the Mathnawi"; spelling in T,
darülmesnevi; other spellings, Dar al-Masnavi, Daru 'l-Masnavi,
Daaru 'l-MaSnavi, Daar ul-Masnavi): a building dedicated to the
study of Mawlânâ Jalâlu 'd-dîn Rûmî's masterpiece, the Mathnawi
(other spellings: Masnavi, Masnawi, Mathnavi, Mesnevi, Masnevi,
Mesnavi).

darülmesnevi (spelling in T): see dâru 'l-Mathnawî.

darwêsh (P [lit., "beggar at the door" (dar)]; pronounced in Iran:
"darvîsh"; spelling in T, derviS; other spellings: dervish, darvish):
a translation of the Arabic word for a sufi-- "faqîr," or "poor one."
The terms "darwêsh," "faqîr," and "Sûfî" are all synonyms for
"Muslim mystic." This meaning is in the Holy Qur'ân: "O men,
you are poor [fuqarâ] in relation to God, and God is the Rich
[al-Ghanî], the Praiseworthy" (35:15).

dasta-gol (P [lit., "handful of roses," "rose-bouquet"]; spelling in T,
destegül): a long-sleeved dervish garment. In the Mevlevi tradition,
a short jacket with normal sleeves, which extends to the wrists and
is worn over the "whirling skirt" [tanûra, tennure].

dastâr (P; spelling in T, destar): the sash which is wrapped around
a turban. In the Mevlevi tradition, only the shaykhs are permitted
to wear the dastâr around their sikkes (called in T, destar-i Serif).

dastûr (P; spelling in T, destur): permission, such as given by
Mevlevi leaders to those at a lower hierarchical level. This occurs
in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema] when the
semazen's bow (from the waist) in request of permission from the
shaykh to whirl.

dawr (A; pronunciation in Iran: davr; spelling in T, devir, devr;
synonym in P, charkh): circling, revolving, spinning. The sufi
practice of doing Zikr while whirling. In a number of Islamic
cultures and sufi orders there have been dervishes who felt so
moved by their love of God, that they began to whirl. The well-
known verse of the Qur'ân, "Whichever way you turn, there is the
Face of God (2:115) may have inspired the whirling prayer in
sufism.

dawr-é kabîr (A-P; lit., "grand cycle"; spelling in T, devr-i kebir): a
musical term in Mevlevi music for the Whirling Prayer Ceremony.
See dawr-é Waladî.

Dawr-é Waladî (A-P [derived from A, dawr, "circle"]; spelling in
T, devir-i Veledi, devr-i Velediyye: in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], a ritual circumambulation of three
rounds, said to be in honor of Mawlânâ's son, SuTân Walad. It
precedes the whirling prayer. Musically, it involves a grand cycle
(spelling in T, devr-i kebir) of 56 rhythmic beats. The shaykh,
semazenbaSI, and semazen's make three slow and dignified
circlings, each wearing a black cloak [khirqa]. These three
circumabulations may be interpreted variously: such as according
to the traditional sufi understanding of three terms: `ilmu 'l-yaqîn
(Qur'ân 102: 5), "knowledge of Certainty" (or, knowing something
about Divine Reality); `aynu 'l-yaqîn (Qur'ân 102:7) "vision of
Certainty" (or, having a glimpse of Divine Reality); Haqqu 'l-yaqîn
[spelling in T, hak el-yakin] (Qur'ân 69: 51), "truth of Certainty"
(or realization of the Truth of Divine Reality).

dede (T; lit., "old man," "elder"): equivalent to A, shaykh, and P,
pîr. In the Mevlevi tradition is a spiritual rank given to a dervish
who has completed the 1001 day retreat [chelle] and has accepted
to live in a Mevlevi lodge [dargâh, tekke] in a dervish cell [hujra].
Once having become a dede, a Mevlevi might then be elevated to
become a shaykh, and then perhaps to the rank of a khalîfa.

def (spelling in T; derived from P): see daf.

dergâh (spelling in T; derived from P): see dargâh.

dergeh (spelling in T; derived from P): see dargâh.

derviS (spelling in T; derived from P): see darvêsh.

destar (spelling in T; derived from P): see dastâr.

destegül (spelling in T; derived from P): see dasta-gol.

destur (spelling in T; derived from P): see dastûr.

devir (spelling in T: derived from A): see dawr.

Devir-i Veledi (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see Dawr-é
Waladî.

Devr-i Velediyye (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see Dawr-é
Waladî.

devr (spelling in T: derived from A): see dawr.

devrani zikri (A-T): see Zikr-é dawrânî.

devr-i kebir (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see dawr-é kabîr.

dîdâr (P; lit., "seeing," "meeting"; spelling in T, didar; equivalent
to T, görüSme): in the Mevlevi tradition, when two members of the
brotherhood meet, they hold each other's right hand in their own
right hand, pull the other's hand to their mouths, bend their
postures forward for a moment, and then kiss the backs of each
other's hands at the same time. Other objects, such as sacred
garments such as the sikke, are also to be kissed by Mevlevis
when being put on or taken off.

didar (spelling in T; derived from P): see dîdâr.

direk tutmak (T; lit., "pillar-maintaining"): in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony (samâ`, sama), when the semazen's whirl in place, using
their left leg as an axis -- especially during the fourth selam.

diSarI meydancIsI (T-P): in the Mevlevi tradition, the person who
was sent by the chief cook [aSCidede] to go outside of the kitchen
to relay messages.

divan (spelling in T; derived from A): see dîwân.

divân (spelling in T; derived from A): see dîwân.

dîwân (A [pronounced in Iran: "dîvân"]; spelling in T, divan,
divân; also spelled Divan, Diwan): the collected works of a poet,
arranged alphabetically, and usually includes ghazaliyyât (odes)
and rubâ`iyyât (quatrains). Mawlânâ's collected works are called
Dîvân-ê Kabîr, Dîvân-é Shams-é Tabrîzî, Kulliyât-é Shams,
Kulliyât-é Shams-é Tabrîzî (also spelled Divan-i Kabir, Divan-i
Shams, Kolliyat-i Shams-i Tabriz, Divan-i Shems, Külliyet-i
Shems. See the article, "About the Divan," in the "Divan" section of
this website.

dördüncü selâm (T-A): the fourth salâm in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], usually in a (slow) rhythm of 9 beats,
called evfer (spelling in T; derived from A, awfar, lit., "more
abundant").

dost (spelling in T; derived from P): see dôst.

dôst (P; lit., "friend"; pronounced in Iran, "dûst"; spelled in T, dost.
In sufism this term means "spiritual friend," as when Mawlânâ is
referred to as the "friend of God" {Haqq-dôst]. Otherwise, it refers
to God as the Only Friend and Beloved. Another word in P which
means the same is yâr.

dua (spelling in T; derived from A): see du`â.

du`â (A, lit., "prayer," "supplication" [derived from Da`Wah, to
call]; spelling in T, dua): a prayer which may be said in any
language, silently or aloud (often verses in Arabic from the Qur'ân
or prayers of the Prophet Muhammad), usually with the hands
raised up facing the heavens. Often, at the conclusion, the fingers
of both hands are gently wiped over the forehead or face of the
person praying (in hopes of receiving blessing from the prayer).

du`â-yé du`â-gô (A-P; lit., "prayer-reciter's prayer"; in T: duagû
duasI): in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], following
the recitation of verses from the Qur'ân and a silent praying by all
participants of the FâtiHa, the semazenbaSI (or in Konya, the
tarikatCIdede; or in other lodges, the aSCIdede) would stand in
front of the shaykh (and also facing the qibla toward Mecca), raise
his hands, and offer aloud a prayer praising God and asking
blessings upon the Prophet and his companions, Mawlânâ and his
holy companions and descendants down to the current Chelebi, and
the current Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

duagû duasI (T; derived from A-P): see du`â-yé du`â-gô.

du`â-yé pôst (A-P; in T, post duasI): in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema), following the Islamic ritual prayers
[namâz, Salât], and sometimes a Masnavi lesson, the shaykh would
sit on the pôst, kiss the floor (as would all other participants), raise
his hands, and offer aloud a prayer praising God and asking
blessings upon the Prophet and his companions, Mawlânâ and his
holy companions and descendants down to the current Chelebi, and
the current Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

dukhânî (A; lit., "smokey"; spelling in T, duhani): a very dark
purple turban which Mawlânâ wore for the rest of his life after the
final disappearance of Shams-é Tabrîzî.

edeb (spelling in T; from A): see adab.

edep (spelling in T; from P): see adab.

efendi (T; derived from Greek, aphentês, "master"):

Eflaki (spelling in T; from A): see Aflâkî.

ehl-i dil (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see ahl-é del.

ehl-i gönül (A-T): see ahl-é del.

elhamdülillâh (spelling in T; from A): see al-Hamdu li-llâh.

elifinemed (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see alifî-yé--namad.

esma-yi hûsna (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see asmâ'u 'l-Husnà.

estaGfurullâh (A; spelling in T [pronounced: "esta'furullah"): see
astaghfiru 'llâh.

ezan (spelling in T; derived from A): see aZân.

fakir (selling in T; derived from A): see faqîr.

fanâ (A [lit., "perishing"]; spelling in T, fena): In Sufism, it means
"mystical death." The term derives from the sufi interpretation of a
verse in the Qur'ân: "All that is upon (the earth) will pass away
[fân-in), but the Face of your Lord will abide [yabqâ], full of
Majesty and Glory" (55:26-27). See also "baqâ."

fanâ fî 'llâh (A [lit., "perishing in God"] spelling in T, fenafillâh,
fenafillah): a term in sufism, meaning annihilation of the selfhood
of the disciple in the Presence of God.

fanâ fî pîr (A-P [lit., "perishing in" (A) "the elder" (P)]; spelling in
T, fenafipir): a term in sufism, meaning annihilation of the
selfhood of the disciple in the spiritual state and presence of the
founder of a particular sufi order.

fanâ fî 'r-rasûl (A [lit., "perishing in the Messenger"] spelling in T,
fenafiresûl): a term in sufism, meaning annihilation of the selfhood
of the disciple in the spiritual state and presence of the Prophet
Muhammad.

fanâ fî 'sh-shaykh (A [lit., "perishing in the elder"] spelling in T,
fenafi'S-Seyh): a term in sufism, meaning annihilation of the
selfhood of the disciple in the spiritual state and presence of the
shaykh, or spiritual master.

faqîr (A; lit., "poor person," "beggar"; spelling in T, fakir): the
most common Arabic word meaning a Sûfî. It was translated into
Persian as "darwêsh." It has the inward meaning of spiritual
poverty [faqr] in sufism, as in the Qur'ânic verse, "O men, you are
poor [fuqarâ] in relation to God, and God is the Rich" (Qur'ân
35:15). In Persian, it also came to mean "free from vanity,"
"self-effacing," and "retiring." In the Mevlevi tradition, it is used as
part of the observance of spiritual courtesy [adab] to avoid using
the word "I" or "me"-- by saying, instead, "this faqîr" or "this
humble beggar who has nothing."

farajî (A; lit., "wide," "open" [derived from FaRaJ, happiness (after
suffering); spelling in T, ferace): an open, collarless robe, with
wide sleeves (similar to the current Mevlevi khirqa) which was
worn by those who became Mawlânâ's disciples-- the first
Mevlevi's. It was originally a robe worn by the learned Islamic
scholars [`ulamâ] on ceremonial occasions.

Faruk Hemdem Celebi (A-P-T [derived from A, farûq,
discriminating (between right and wrong); derived from P,
ham-dam, lit., "breathing together," meaning "intimate
companion"]): the 22nd generation descendent of Mawlânâ, son of
Celâleddin M. Bâkir Celebi, and the present holder of the rank of
Celebi [Makam-i Celebi), the 33 member of the Celebi family to
hold this position, and therefore the current hereditary leader of
Mevlevi's world-wide. He was born in 1950.

FâtiHa (A [derived from FaTaHa, to open]; spelling in T, Fatiha):
the first (or "opening") chapter in the Qur'ân: "In the Name of God
the Most Merciful, the All-Compassionate [bi-smi 'llâhi r-raHmâni
'r-raHîm]. The praise is to God, the Sustaining Lord of (all) the
worlds, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, Owner of the
Day of Judgment. (Only) You do we serve and (only) You do we
ask for help. Guide us on the path (most) straight, the path of those
upon whom You have given blessing; other than (the path) of those
upon whom is (Your) condemnation, and not (the path of) those
who go astray" (Qur'ân 1:1-7). Ameen (= "amen").

FâTima Khâtûn: Mawlânâ's sister, who married and remained in
Khorâsân (Afghanistan) while the rest of Mawlânâ's family
emigrated west.

FâTima Khâtûn, the daughter of SalâHu 'd-dîn Zarkûb, the wife of
SulTân Walad.

FâtiHa (A [lit., "opening"]; spelling in T, Fatiha): The first chapter
of the Qur'ân, containing seven short lines. The most often recited
prayer in Islam, said many times daily (especially during the
standing position of the ritual prayer, prior to bowing and
prostrating). Said (silently) a number of times during the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

fena (spelling in T; derived from A): see fanâ.

fenafillâh (spelling in T; derived from A): see fanâ fî 'llâh.

fenafillah (spelling in T; derived from A): see fanâ fî 'llâh.

fenafipir (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see fanâ fî pîr.

fenafiresûl (spelling in T; derived from A): see fanâ fî 'r-rasûl.

fena fi'S-Seyh (spelling in T; derived from A): see fanâ fî 'sh-
shaykh.

ferace (spelling in T; derived from A): see farajî.

Fihi Mafih (spelling in T; derived from A): see Fî-hi Mâ Fî-hi.

Fî-hi Mâ Fî-hi (A; lit., "what is in it (is) in it"; spelling in T, Fihi
Mafih): a prose work in Persian (with two discourses in Arabic),
consisting of excerpts from Mawlânâ's disciples, written down
from memory. See the article, "The Discourses," in the "Prose
Works" section of this website.

fikir (spelling in T; derived from A): see fikr.

fikr (A [lit., "thought," "thinking"]; spelling in T, fikir): In sufism,
it means spiritual thinking, meditation, contemplation.

gazel (spelling in T; derived from A): see ghazal.

gazelhan (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see ghazal-khwân.

gazeliyat (spelling in T; derived from A): see ghazaliyyât.

Gawhar Khâtûn; spelling in T, Gevher Hatun: Mawlânâ's wife,
whom he married at age 17. Her mother was a prominent disciple
of Mawlânâ's father. She died about 1242-43, when Mawlânâ was
about 35-36 years old.

ghazal (spelling in T, gazel): a type of lyric poetry (sometimes
called an ode), involving words of love, longing for the beloved,
praises of the beauty of the beloved. In sufi ghazal, the ecstatic
love for God is often expressed symbolically via descriptions of
the beauty of the human beloved. Mawlânâ composed 3,229
ghazals. See the article, "About the Odes/Ghazaliyat," in
the "Divan" section of this website.

ghazal-khwân (A-P [derived from A, ghazal "lyric poem"; derived
from P, khwân, "reciter"]; spelling in T, gazelhan): in the Mevlevi
tradition, this was the person who recited the ghazal's from
Mawlânâ's Dîvân. The Mevlevi's had a special edition of the Divan
which was divided into 21 meters (instead of ordered
alphabetically in the usual manner), so that the ghazal-khwân could
recite at length numerous ghazal's in the same meter.

ghazaliyyât (spelling in T, gazeliyat): the plural of ghazal.

gol-bâng (P [lit., "rose-sound" -- refers, poetically, to the
passionate singing of the nightingale for his beloved, the beautiful
rose]; spelling in T, gülbang, gülbank, gülbeng): In the Mevlevi
tradition (and in other Turkish sufi orders), a short prayer blessing
holy personages of the past who are part of the Mevlevi lineage,
intoned in solemn Persian by a leader following a meal, the Samâ
[sema], and on other occasions.

GölpInarlI (P-T [lit., "rose with fountain"; pronounced in P:
Golpînârlî): a prominent Mevlevi scholar (and shaykh), who
translated many of Mawlânâ's works into modern Turkish. He died
in 1982.

görüSme, görüSmek (T): see dîdâr.

hadis (spelling in T; derived from A): see hadîS.

HadîS (A; pronounced in A, Hadîth [derived from HaDDaTHa, to
narrate (about)]; spelling in T, hadis; plural in A, aHâdîS): a saying
or doing of the Prophet Muhammad as related by his companions
down though a "chain" of narrators until written down.

Hak dost (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see Haqq-dôst.

hak el-yakin (spelling in T; derived from A): see Dawr-é Waladî.

hakikat (spelling in T; derived from A): see salâm.

hal (spelling in T; derived from A): see Hâl.

Hâl (A; lit., "state," "condition"; spelling in T, hal): in sufism, a
spiritual state, a transient spiritual or mystical experience such as
peace, love, or awe of God's Majesty. Considered brief, compared
to a "spiritual station" [maqâm].

halife (spelling in T; derived from A): see khalîfa.

halife dede (A-T): see khalÓfa.

halka (spelling in T; derived from A): see Halqa.

halka-i zikir (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see Halqa.

Halqa (A; spelling in T, halka; lit., "circle"): in sufism, this term
means the circle of dervishes who associate and follow a sufi
teacher [shaykh, murshid]. It also means a circle of dervishes who
chant the praises of God [Zikru 'llâh] together while sitting [A-P,
Halqa-yé Zikr; spelling in T, halka-i zikir].

ham (spelling in T; derived from P): see khâm.

hanegâh (spelling in T): see khânaqâh.

hanekah (spelling in T): see khânaqâh.

hanekâh (spelling in T): see khânaqâh.

Haqq-dôst (A-P [derived from P, dôst (friend); derived from Haqq,
lit., "Truth" but used in sufism to mean God]; lit., "friend of God."
In the Na`t-é Sharîf by `ITrî, this is one of the phrases praising
Mawlânâ, added to the ghazal of six verses praising the Prophet
Muhammad. In plural form [Haqq-dôst-ân; spelling in T, Hak
dostlar], it means friends of God, friends of Truth.

HaZrat (A; pronounced in A, HaDrat [derived from HaDaRa, to be
present]; lit., "presence"; spelling in T, hazret): an honorific which
precedes holy personages, with a Persian connector [-i], as in
HaZrat-é Mawlânâ [spelling in T, Hazret-i Mevlâna]. It means,
"the venerable (so-and-so), his excellency (so-and-so)."

Hazret (spelling in T; derived from A): see HaZrat.

helvet (spelling in T; derived from A): see khalwat.

hIrka (spelling in T; derived from A): see khirqa.

hizmet tennuresi (T; derived from A, khidmat, "service"; derived
from P, tanûra, "(dervish) dress"): a service shift, given to a
Mevlevi novice to wear while working in the kitchen. See tanûra.

hû (A; lit., "He"): a Qur'ânic term [as in "There is no god but He
("lâ ilâha illâ huwa," Qur'ân 2: 163)], interpreted by sufis to refer
to the Essence [huwiyya] of God (and therefore far transcending
human concepts of male or female).

Hu (spelling in T; derived from A): see hû.

hücre (spelling in T; derived from A): see hujra.

hucreniSin (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see hujra-neshîn.

hujra (A, lit., "cell"; spelling in T, hücre): a dervish cell in a
dargâh, or tekke.

hujra-neshîn (A-P [derived from A, hujra, "cell" and P, neshîn,
"sitter"; spelling in T, hücreniSin): a cell given to a Mevlevi who
has completed the 1001 day chella and who elects to become a
resident in a Mevlevi lodge [dargâh, tekke].

Husâmu 'd-dîn Chelebi (spelling in T, Hüsameddin Celebi):
Mawlânâ's favorite disciple, who became his closest spiritual
companion after SalâHu 'd-dîn Zarkôb died (in 1258). He was
appointed to teach and train the disciples. Husâmuddîn was the one
who asked Mawlânâ to compose a mathnawî (book of rhymed
couplets), and the one who wrote down the verses of the Mathnawi
as they were dictated by Mawlânâ. He was first successor after
Mawlânâ died in 1273, until he died in 1284.

Husayn Khâtibî: Mawlânâ's grandfather, the father of his father,
who was a Muslim preacher and scholar, who according to
Mevlevi tradition lived in Balkh.

HuZûr (A; lit., "presence"; spelling in T, huzur): in sufism, this
means "spiritual presence," such as the spiritual atmosphere of a
sufi shaykh as experienced by someone sitting nearby. It also
means "presence of mind."

huzur (spelling in T; derived from A): see HuZûr.

iCeri meydancIsI (T-P): in the Mevlevi tradition, the person whose
job was to prepare coffee, which was then ground by the tahmisCi.

ijâzat (A; lit., "permission," "license"; spelling in T, icazet): A
written document in which a teacher gives a student permission to
teach something which has been mastered. In sufism, it is a written
permit from a shaykh authorizing a disciple to teach in the same
spiritual lineage or sufi order. There may be several given, ranging
from one with restrictions or conditions to one which is
unconditional.

ihvan (spelling in T; derived from A): see ikhwân.

ikame (spelling in T; derived from A): see iqâmat.

ikhwân (A; lit., "brothers"; pronunciation in Iran: ekhvân; spelling
in T, ihvan): all Mevlevi's address each other as brethren.

ikinci selâm (T-A): the second salâm in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], usually in a rhythm of 9 beats called
evfer (spelling in T; derived from A, awfar, lit., "more abundant").

ilâhî (P; lit., "having to do with the Divine"; derived from A: ilâh,
"divinity"; spelling in T, ilâhi, ilahi): hymns or sacred songs (based
on sufi poems) in praise of God, the Prophet, and the sufi saints.

imâm (A [derivation: aMAMa, in front of]; spelling in T, imam):
means leader, Islamic spiritual leader, equivalent to a rabbi in
Judaism. In regards to the Islamic prayers, it is the one chosen by
the participants to lead the ritual Islamic prayer (for having
memorized the most verses from Qur'ân, being more learned in
Islam, age and experience, and other criteria).

inSaallah (spelling in T; derived from A): see inshâ' 'llâh.

inSallah (spelling in T; derived from A): see inshâ' 'llâh.

inshâ' 'llâh [A; lit., "(if) God Wills"); spelling in T, inSaallah,
inSallah): It is traditional for Muslims to add this phrase when
speaking about the future (see Qur'ân 18: 23-24).

iqâmat (A [derivation: QAMa, to stand up]; spelling in T, ikame):
the commencement of the Islamic ritual prayer, when participants
stand up to begin praying.

`ishq (A; means passionate love; pronounced in P, `eshq, `ashq;
spelling in T, aSk): in sufism, it means passionate, yearning,
ecstatic love for God.

islâm (A [derivation SaLaMa, to be secure]; spelling in T, islam):
means surrender, submission to the Will of God. It is the Qur'ânic
term for the religious way of all the Prophets, from Adam and
Noah to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad-- the way of
submission to the Will of God. Since the word "salaam" means
"peace and security," the word "islaam" can be understood to mean
the way to peace and tranquility by submission to the Will of God.
According to the Qur'ân, a "muslim" is "one whose heart God has
opened to (the way of) submission [islâm] so that he is illumined
by a light from his Sustaining Lord" (39:22). "God bears witness,
and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, that there
is no divinity except Him [lâ ilâha illâ hû].... Truly, the only
religion in the sight of God is (the way of) submission [islam"
(3:18-19).

ism el-celale (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see ismu 'l-jalâlî.

ism ez-zat (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see ismu 'Z-Zât.

ism-i celal zikri (A-P-T): a Zikr done while sitting on the knees
and chanting the name, "Allâh, Allâh." This is the primary Zikr of
the Mevlevi tradition.

ism-i zat (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see ismu 'Z-Zât.

ismu 'l-jalâlî (A-P [derived from A, ism, "name"; derived from
A-P, jalâlî, "glorious"]; spelling in T, ism el-celale): the glorious
Name of God, "Allâh." The repetition of this Name is the primary
Zikr of the Mevlevi's.

ismu 'Z-Zât (A [derived from A, ism, "name"; derived from A, Zât,
"essence"]; in P, ism-é Zât (spelling in T, ism-i zat); spellilng in T,
ism ez-zat): lit., "name of the essence." In sufism the Name of God
which indicates the Divine Essence of God is understood to be Hû.

istighfâr (A; lit., "seeking forgiveness"; spelling in T, istiGfar):
refers to the Islamic sufi practice of seeking the forgiveness of
God. See the article, "Asking Forgiveness in the Qur'an and the
Mathnawi" on this website.

istiGfar (spelling in T; derived from A): see istighfâr.

iyvallah (T-A): see evallah.

Jalâlu 'd-dîn (A; lit., "the glory of the Religion"; spelling in T,
Celaladdin, Celaluddin, Celalattin; other spellings: Jalaluddin, Jalal
al-Din, Jalaladdin, Jalalu 'ddin, Jalaloddin, Jalalo 'ddin, Jelaluddin,
Djal al-Din, Djaluddin, Djaloddin): the nickname given to
Mawlânâ Jalâlu 'd-dîn Rûmî (Jalaluddin Rumi) as a child by his
father, Bahâ'u 'd-dîn Walad. His birth name was MuHammad, and
"Jalâlu 'd-dîn" was the "nickname" [laqab] given to him by his
father. Thus he was named Jalâlu 'd-dîn MuHammad.

Jâlâlu 'd-dîn Husayn: Mawlânâ's paternal grandfather.

jân (P; it., "(dear) soul"; spelling in T, can): it is an old Persian
custom to attach this name to someone's name, such as "Hamîd-
jân:-- "dear Hameed"; "Maryam-jân"-- "Maryam dear." This was
also adopted by the Mevlevi's as a way to greet each other.

jaZba (A; pronounced in A: jadhba; lit., "attraction"; spelling in T,
cezbe): means ecstatic attraction to God, in a way which may cause
a person to appear momentarily or continuously crazy .

Jelaluddin: see Jâlu 'd-dîn.

Jelaleddin Chelebi: see Celâleddin M. Bâkir Celebi

Ka`ba (A; lit., "cube"; spelling in T, Kâbe). The cube-shaped
temple in Mecca, toward which all Muslims pray toward. It is not
worshipped, but is an empty building (except for some lanterns and
a ladder) which stands on the place where the Prophet Abraham is
believed to have built the first temple to worship the One True
God. A small sacred black stone is attached to one of the outside
corners of the building. Worship at the site later degenerated into
polytheism, and 360 idols were removed by the order of the
Prophet Muhammad when he returned victoriously to Mecca. In
Mecca, there are always pilgrims engaged in a ritual walking
prayer around the Ka'ba, day and night, every day of the year.
They walk in a counter-clockwise direction in sets of seven
circlings.

Kâbe (spelling in T; derived from A): see Ka`ba.

kamâncha (P; lit., "little bow"; spelling in T, kemanCe): a type of
violin.

hamuSan (spelling in T; derived from P: see khamûsh-ân.

kanun (spelling in T; derived from A): see qânûn.

kazancI dede (T; lit., "elder kettle-maker"): this is the title (lit.,
"chief of the kettle or cauldron") of the Master of Service in a
Mevlevi lodge [tekke], who assists the aSCibaSI (also spelled, aSCi
dede) in the training of dervishes, especially the novices.

kelime-i tevhit zikri (A-P-T): a type of Zikr done while sitting on
the knees and chanting in Arabic, "There is no divinity except (the
One) God" [lâ ilâha illâ 'llâh].

kemanCe (spelling in T; derived from P): see kamâncha.

Kerrâ Khâtûn, (spelling in T, Kerra Hatun) the second wife of
Mawlânâ, whom he married after his first wife (Gawhar Khâtûn)
died. She died in 1292.

khalwat (A, also khalwa; lit., "solitude"; pronounced in Iran,
"khalvat"; spelling in T, helvet): in sufism, a solitary retreat,
traditionally for 40 days (see "chella"), during which a disciple
does extensive spiritual exercises under the direction of s sufi
master.

khalîfa (A [derivation: KHaLaFa, to succeed, follow after];
spelling in T, halife): in sufism, it means a disciple who has been
appointed by his spiritual master [shaykh, murshid] to be his
spiritual successor. There may be a single successor or a small
number of them, but usually there is one primary successor, the
chief successor [in T, baS halife, halife dede]. Those appointed are
then entrusted to carry on the sufi lineage in their appointed cities
or countries, usually under the continued authority of the shaykh.
A khalifa who lives in the same town as the shaykh may be asked
to do some or most of the training of disciples.

khâm (P; lit., "unripe," "uncooked" "immature," "inexperienced";
spelling in T, ham): A term in sufism which refers to someone who
is immature on the spiritual path, equivalent to the term (in P),
nâ-pokhta" (not cooked).

khamûsh-ân (P; lit., "silent ones") spelling in T, hamuSan): an
idiom used for a Mevlevi cemetery.

khânaqâh (P; [derived from khâna-gâh]; lit,. "house-place];
spelling in T, hanekâh, hanekah, hanegâh):

khaTT-é istiwâ (A-P; lit., "line (which is) straight"; pronounced in
Iran: khaTT-é estevâ; spelling in T, hat-i istiva, hat-i üstüva): In
the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the invisible straight
line conceived as extending from the shaykh's sheepskin [pôst],
which was traditionally placed in front of the miHrâb. Therefore,
the invisible "straight line" is the line of qibla (the direction
pointing toward Mecca), as well as the line pointing to the
sheepskin representing Mawlânâ, the shaykh standing or sitting
there who is the representative of Mawlânâ. The semazen's are to
avoid stepping on this straight line, out of respect, and they bow
(quickly from the waist) before stepping over it, during the Sultân
Walad Walk, both in front of the pôst and on the opposite side of
the circle. The shaykh (or pôst-neshîn), however, walks directly on
the the invisible line during the ceremony (as well as when
entering and exiting the samâ`-khâna, or sema hall), which means
that he is the guide [murshid] who understands the straight path
[SirâTu 'l-mustaqîm] to Divine Reality for the dervishes. The left
half of the circle is called the "arc of descent" and symbolizes
going down to the material world; the right half is called the "arc
of ascent" and symbolizes elevation into the spiritual world.

khâtûn (P; spelling in T, hatun

khirqa (A [derived from KHaRaQa, to tear]; lit., "rag," " tattered
piece of cloth"]; spelling in T, hIrka [pronounced, "hurka," an
approximation of the Turkish "undotted i"): a dervish's cloak. In
the Mevlevi Whirling Prayer Ceremony, it is a long cloak with
very long sleeves. The semazen's keep their arms out of the sleeves
(except when doing the Islamic ritual prayer [namâz, Salât]. In
addition to the ceremonial khirqa, Mevlevi's wore khirqa's for use
outdoors, which was always worn together with their sikka's.
Traditionally, the patched frock of the dervishes. In early sufism,
the khirqa was bestowed upon a disciple by a sufi master, as part of
initiation, as recognition of the attainment of a certain spiritual
station [maqâm], at the completion of the master's sufi training, or
as proof of being selected as the successor after the master's death.

kible (spelling in T; derived from A): see qibla.

kIyamI zikri (A-T): see Zikr-é qiyâmî.

kolâh (P; spelling in T, külâh): a conical hat worn by dervishes; in
the Mevlevi tradition, it is a tall conical hat made of felt.

Konya (spelling in T; derived from Greek, "Iconium." See Qûniyâ.

kudüm (spelling in T; derived from A): see qudûm.

kudümzenbaSI (P-T): the chief drum player who, during the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], decides the tempo of
the various musical sections.

kubbe-i hadra (spelling in T; derived from A-P: see qubba-yé
khaZrâ.

kulhüvallahü ahad Allahüssamad

Kur'an (spelling in T; derived from A): see Qur'ân.

külâh (spelling in T; derived from P): see kolâh.

kutup noktasi (A-T; derived from A, "quTb," pole, pivot, axis;
derived from A, nuqTa, poiont; this term has the Turkish
possessive article, "-si," and means "the point belonging to the
axis"): In the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the axis
point is the place where the shaykh whirls in a slow and profound
manner, holding his black cloak [khirqa] open a bit at the chest,
while the other semazen's whirl in place in a circle around him.
Here, he represents Mawlânâ as the "Pole of the saints."

küud zikri (A-T; also spelled ku'ud zikri): see Zikr-é qu`ûdî.

lâ ilâha illâ 'llâh (A; lit., "There is no divinity except God");
spelling in T, lailaheillallah: The basic creed in Islam. This phrase
is often chanted (silently or aloud, individually or in a group) by
the sufis in remembrance [Zikr] of God. For them it has an endless
depth of profound meanings. For example, that there is no power
but the Power of God, no love but God's Love, no beat but the
Beauty of God, no true reality but God's Reality, no true existence
but the Existence of God, etc.

Majâlis-é Sab`a (A; lit., "seven sessions"; spelling in T, Mecalis-i
Seb'a): a collection of sermons by Mawlânâ, in Persian with
introductory prayers in Arabic in each sermon. See the article,
"The Sermons," in the "Prose Works" section of this website.

majZûb (A; pronounced in A, majdhûb; spelling in T, meczub): a
sufi term meaning someone who is so attracted by Divine grace
and enraptured by Divine love that he appears to be crazy.

makam (spelling in T; derived from A): see maqâm.

Maktûbât (A: lit., "writings"; spelling in T, Mektubat): a collection
of 147 letters written by Mawlânâ. See the article, "The Letters," in
the "Prose Works" section of this website.

Malika Khâtûn (A-P; spelling in T, Melika Hatun): Mawlânâ's
daughter (by his second wife, Kerrâ Khâtûn), died between 1303-
06. According to Aflâkî, she was known as Affandî-bûla [derived
from Greek, "aphentês", master, and the ending "pula," daughter],
Daughter of the Master.

Mâmî: the name of Mawlânâ's paternal grandmother.

ma`nà (A; lit., "meaning," "significance"; spelling in T, manâ,
ma'na): in sufism, it means spiritual meaning, spiritual reality. This
word is in the title of Mawlânâ's mathnawî: Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî
(rhymed couplets of spiritual meaning).

ma'na (spelling in T; derived from A): see ma`nà.

manâ (spelling in T; derived from A): see ma`nà.

"manZûr-am (A-P; lit., "my object of vision"): a term used in the
Mevlevi way of spiritual courtesy [adab] to avoid using the word
"you" for the person addressed.

maqâm (A [derivation: QAMa, to stand up]; lit., "resting place,"
"dwelling place"; spelling in T, makam): in sufism, a term meaning
a spiritual "station" which is considered enduring (in contrast to a
"Hâl," or spiritual state). It usually means a spiritual awareness that
is lasting and which continues until the sufi is more fully purified,
more deeply surrendered to God's Will, and is led to another
spiritual station. It is also a term in music, meaning primary,
secondary, or mixed musical modes in Middle Eastern music.

mard-ân (P; lit., "men"; in T: erenler): in sufism, it means the
manly men of God [mard-ân-é khodâ] who are true dervishes with
spiritual powers to intercede, as well as holy men of heart [mard-
ân-é del]. It means the fulfilmlment of what man was intended to
be in regard to spiritual awreness, courage, self-sacrifice, and
harmony with the Divine Will. The gol-bâng prayers often invoke
God's grace manifested through the spiritual aspiration or
determination of true men [`inâyat-é mard-ân].

marifet (spelling in T; derived from A): see ma`rifat.

ma`rifat (A; lit., "knowledge"; spelling in T, ma'rifet, marifet): in
sufism, it means spiritual knowledge, intuitive knowing of higher
meanings.

marji`u 'l-baHrayn (A; lit., "the returning place of the two seas";
selling in T, merc' al bahreyn): the site in Konya where it is
believed that Mawlânâ met Shams-é Tabrîzî. It became a
pilgrimage place for Mevlevi's. The term is related to a phrase in
the Qur'ân: majma`a 'l-baHrayn (A; "the junction of the two
oceans," Qur'ân 18:60; spelling in T, mecmaülbahreyn).

maSaallah (spelling in T; derived from A): see mâ shâ' 'llâh.

maSallah (spelling in T; derived from A): see mâ shâ' 'llâh.

mâ shâ' 'llâh (A; lit., "what God has willed"; spelling in T,
maSaallah, maSallah): usually said out of gladness, referring to
what has occurred: "What (a wonderful thing) God willed to
happen! Praise be to God!"

masjid (A; spelling in T, mescid, mescit; pronunciation in Egypt,
masgid-- the origin of the French, "mosque"; lit., "place of (prayer)
prostration"): an Islamic building dedicated to the performance of
the five daily prayers, the weekly Friday congregational sermon
and prayer, and other religious obligations and gatherings.

MaSnavî (pronunciation in Iran; derived from A): see Mathnawî.

MaSnavî-khwân (A-P [derived from A, mathnawi, "rhymed
couplets"; derived from P, khwân, "reciter"]; spelling in T,
Mesnevihan): a Mevlevi dervish who has become an expert on the
recitation and interpretation of Mawlânâ's Mathnawi. In each
Mevlevi lodge there used to be a MaSnavî-khwân who would
recite passages in the original Persian, as requested by the shaykh,
who would then translate the passage into Turkish and explain its
meaning.

matbah (spelling in T; derived from A): see maTbakh.

maTbakh (A; spelling in T, matbah): in the Mevlevi tradition, this
is the kitchen where food was cooked and prepared, in a
ceremonious way with much spiritual concentration and
remembrance [Zikru 'llâh].

Mathnawî (A [lit., "couplets"]; pronunciation in Iran: Masnavi,
Mathnavi; spellings in T, Mesnevî, Mesnevi, Mesnavi, Masnevi;
other spellings: Masnawi, MaSnawi, MaSnavi, Mathnawi,
Matnawi): the name of the poetic masterpiece of Mawlânâ's last
years, composed in six books, consisting of 25,700 rhymed
couplets. It is a compendium of sufi and ethical teachings, and is
deeply permeated with Qur'ânic meanings and references, and
many sayings [aHâdîth] of the Prophet Muhammad are mentioned
and referred to as well. See the article, "About the Masnavi," in
the "Masnavi" section of this website.

Mawlânâ (A; lit., "our master" [Mawlâ-nâ]; Turkish spelling,
Mevlâna; other spellings, Maulana, Molana, Molânâ, Mawlana,
Mowlana, Mavlana [he is called Molavi, Maulavi, Mowlavi in
Iran]): Jalâlu 'd-dîn MuHammad al-Balkhî (known as "Rûmî), the
author of the MaSnavi or Mathnawi, and many beautiful odes
[ghazaliyyât] and quatrains [rubâ`iyyât], who lived from 1207 C.E.
to 1273.

Mawlawî [A; lit, "having to do with the Master (Mawlâ"); spelling
in T, Mevlevi; pronunciation in Iran, Mavlavî, Mavlavi, or more
commonly, Môlavî, Maulavi, Mowlavi, Molavi; other spellings:
Mewlewi, Mewlevi, Mawlawi, Mawlawiyya): the Islamic sufi
order which derives from the teachings and traditions of Mawlânâ
(Mevlâna) Jalâlu 'd-dîn al-Balkhî, known as "Rûmî." It was first
organized by Mawlânâ's son (SulTân Walad) and grandson [`Arif
Chelebi] to carry on his teachings in the Seljuq Turkish Empire
and for many centuries throughout the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
As an organization, it has been illegal in secular Turkey, together
with most sufi orders, since 1925. The tradition has long been
famous in the West as the "Whirling Dervishes."

maydân (P; lit., "open field," "open area," "arena"; spelling in T,
meydan): in the Mevlevi tradition, this is the room where
devotional ceremonies occur, and where new dervishes were
given lessons in such things as whirling for the samâ`, singing
na`t-i sharîf, practice of singing hymns [A, mashq; spelling in T,
meSk], and reciting Mawlânâ's poetry.

maydân-é sharîf (A-P; spelling in T, meydan-i Serif): see maydân.

Mecalis-i Seb'a (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see Majâlis-é
Sab`a.

meczub (spelling in T; derived from A): see majZûb.

Mektubat (spelling in T; derived from A): see Maktûbât.

merc' al bahreyn (spelling in T; derived from A): see marji`u '
l-baHrayn.

mescid (spelling in T; derived from A): see masjid.

mescit (spelling in T; derived from A): see masjid.

Mesnevi (spelling in T; derived from A): see Mathnawî.

Mesnevihan (spelling in T; derived from A-P; not to be confused
with the Mongolian word, "khân" (king, lord), spelling in modern
Turkish, han): see Masnavi-khwân.

Mevlâna (spelling in T; derived from A): see Mawlânâ.

Mevlevi (spelling in T; from A): see Mawlawî.:

Mevlevihane (spelling in T; from A-P, Mawlawî-khâna; lit.,
"Mevlevi house"): a building where Mevlevi's engage in activities
involving this sufi order.

Mevlevilik (A-T; equivalent to A, Mawlawiyyat): the state of
being a Mevlevi.

meydan (spelling in T; derived from P): see maydân.

meydancI dede (P-T; derived from P, maydân, "field, open area,
arena"): the Master of Ceremonies, responsible for the general
organization of a Mevlevi lodge [tekke].

mihrab (spelling in T; derived from A) see MiHrâb.

miHrâb (A [originally a prayer chamber, Qur'ân 3:37]; spelling in
T, mihrab, mihrap): the niche indented in a wall or pillar of a
mosque [masjid] which indicates the direction of prayer toward
Mecca, in Arabia. In the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema]
it was traditional for the pôst, or red sheepskin upon which the
shaykh sits, to be placed in front of the miHrâb.

mihrap (spelling in T; derived from A): see MiHrâb.

minbar (A; spelling in T, minber): the pulpit in a mosque [masjid],
with steps leading up to a seat, placed to the side of the miHrâb, or
niche indicating the prayer-direction to Mecca. There were
minbars in Mevlevi tekke's.

minber (spelling in T; derived from A): see minbar.

mu'aZZin (A; spelling in T, müezzin): the one who calls Muslims
to pray, by saying the Call to Prayer [aZân, ezan] in a loud voice,
usually from the minaret of a mosque [masjid].

müezzinbaSI (A-T): the chief caller to prayer.

müezzin (spelling in T; derived from A): see mu'aZZin.

MuHammad (A; literally, "the praised one"); spelling in T,
Muhammed (in Turkey, this name is only applied to the Prophet,
and everyone else with this name is called Mehmet): the messenger
of God, who received the Revelation called the "Qur'ân" via the
angel Gabriel. He was born in Mecca, according to tradition in the
year 570, and died in Medina (another city in Arabia) in 632. The
Holy Qur'an states clearly that "Muhammad is no more than a
messenger"-- as were the Prophets who passed away before him
(Qur'ân 3:144), that he is the "Messenger of God" [rasûlu 'llâh--
Qur'ân 48:29; 33:21, 40], that he is "His servant" [`abdu-Hu-- lit.,
"His slave," Qur'ân 17:1; 18:1; 25:1; 53:10; 57:9), that he is the
final Messenger of God to be sent-- "the Seal of the Prophets."
[Qur'ân 33:40], and that he is "a beautiful example for everyone
who looks forward to God and the Last Day and remembers God
often" (Qur'ân 33:21). The Qur'an also states that this final
Revelation is essentially the same message to mankind as was sent
down to the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and
Jesus (Qur'ân 2:136).

Muhammed (spelling in T; derived from A): see MuHammad.

muHibb (A: lit., "lover"; spelling in T, mühib, mühip): in sufism, a
lover or patron of a particular sufi master or sufi order, as well as
someone looslely affiliated. In the Mevlevi tradition, it is the entry
level of a beginner who has had the first initiation.

mühib (spelling in T; derived from A): see MuHibb.

mühip (spelling in T [plural: mühipler]; derived from A): see
muHibb.

muhur (A; lit., "sealed"; spelling in T, mühür): in the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], part of the humble standing
position in which the right toe is on top of the left toe (and thereby
"seals" it; this sealing is called in T, ayak mühürlemek). The other
parts are crossing the right arm over the left with hands on
shoulders, head held downwards to the left, and eyes looking
downward.

mühürm mühürlemek (spelling in T; derived from A): see muhur.

mukabale (spelling in T; derived from A): see muqâbala.

Mû'mina Khâtûn: mother of Mawlânâ, called (in P-A) "Mâdar-é
SulTân" (Mother of the King) by the Mevlevi's. She died and was
buried in Lârenda (now called Karaman) between 1222-29, when
Mawlânâ was 15-22 years old.

muqâbala (A; lit., "facing another"; spelling in T, mukabale):
another name for the Mevlevi Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`,
because the participants face and bow (from the waist) to each
other during the first part of the ceremony ( the Devir-i Veledi or
"SulTân Walad" Walk), and face God the Only Beloved during the
whirling prayer.

murîd (A; lit., "desirous," "willing"; feminine form, murîda;
spelling in T, mürid, mürit): In sufism, the disciple of a sufi master
or guide.

mürid (spelling in T; derived from A): see murîd.

mûrit (spelling in T; derived from A): see murîd.

murshid (A; lit., "one who guides"; spelling in T, mürSid, mürSit):
A term in sufism, the sufi master and spiritual guide of a sufi
disciple [murîd]. The sufi spiritual guide. Also called a sufi "(wise)
elder": shaykh (A), pîr (P), or dede (T).

mürSid (spelling in T; derived from A): see murshid.

mürSit (spelling in T; derived from A): see murshid.

Muslim (A; [derivation SaLaMa, to be secure] lit., "submitter";
spelling in T, Müslim): One who submits to the Will of God is a
"muslim." More particularly, it means one who submits to the
Divine Will by following the purified religious way that was
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Qur'ân.

Müslim (spelling in T; derived from A): see Muslim.

MuSTafà (A; lit., "the Chosen"; spelling in T, Mustafa): an
honorific name referring to the Prophet Muhammad because he
was chosen to receive and teach the revelation of the Qur'ân, and
was the Seal of the Prophets (Qur'ân 33:40-- the last prophet or
messenger to be sent by God to mankind prior to the Day of
Judgment, and because he was a model of saintly piety and
virtuous action for those who followed in his way thereafter

MuSTafà `ITrî (1640-1712): the Mevlevi composer who composed
the most often sung Na`t-é Sharîf, which occurs at the beginning of
the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

Müsülman (spelling in T; derived from A; also Müslüman): a
Muslim

mutasavvIf (spelling in T; derived from A, mutaSawwif): one who
becomes a sufi.

mutrib (spelling in T; derived from A): see MuTrib.

muTrib (A; spelling in T, mutrib, mutrip [plural, mutribler,
mutripler]): in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], one
of the musicians or singer.

mutribhane (spelling in T; derived from A-P, muTrib-khâna; lit.,
"musician house"); in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`,
sema], the balcony room in which the musicians play their
instruments and sing. It was traditional for the musician's room to
be opposite the miHrâb, where the shaykh stands and sits on his
sheepskin [pôst].

mutrip (spelling in T; derived from A): see muTrib.

MuZaffaru 'd-dîn Amîr `âlim, Mawlânâ's third son (by his second
wife, Kerrâ Khâtûn), born in the 1240's.

na'at (spelling in T; derived from A): see na`t.

nabî (A; spelling in T, nebi): a human messenger (in contrast to an
angel) who is sent by God with a message of guidance to a nation.
According to the Qur'ân, God has sent messengers to all the
nations of the world throughout human history and most of them
are unknown. Those who are known are mentioned in previous
scriptures, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (who preceded
Muhammad).

nafs (A; lit., "breath," "self"; spelling in T, nefs): In sufism this
refers to the sensual or bodily self, or ego. A major part of the
spiritual work of sufism is in combatting and training the base self
until it submits to the Divine Will and is pleasing to God.

namâz (P; equivalent to A, Salât; spelling in T, namaz): The
Islamic ritual prayer, done by Muslims five times a day: (prior to
sunrise [A, Salâtu 'l-fajr; P, namâz-é bâmdâd; T, sabah namazI],
just past noon [A, Salâtu 'Z-Zuhr; P, namâz-é pêshîn, or namâz-é
Zuhr; spelling in T, namaz-I piSin; T, öGle namazI], late afternoon
[A, Salâtu 'l-`aSr; P, namâz-é dîgar; T, ikindi namazI], just after
sunset [A, Salâtu 'l-maghrib; P, namâz-é shâm; spelling in T,
namaz-i Sam], and following the end of twilight [A, Salâtu 'l-`ishâ;
P, namâz-é khoftan; T, yatsI namazI]). According to the Islamic
tradition, the ritual prayer is based on the prayers of the angels, and
includes the postures of standing, bowing, and prostrating. It is
also one of the "five Pillars of Islam"-- together with the
"witnessing" [shaHâda] or affirmation of the Oneness of God and
the Prophethood of Muhammad); fasting [sawm; spelling in T,
savm] during the daylight hours of the lunar month of RamaZân);
charity [zakât] given to the poor annually); and pilgrimage [Hajj]
to Mecca once in a lifetime for those who can afford it).

na`t (A; spelling in T, na'at, naat; lit., "praise"): a eulogy, usually in
the form of a poem (often sung), especially in honor of the Prophet
Muhammad.

na`t-é sharîf (A-P; lit., "the noble eulogy"): The Whirling Prayer
Ceremony begins with the singing of the praises of the Prophet
Muhammad. Traditionally a ghazal of six verses, attributed to
Mawlânâ (but not in the earliest manuscripts of his Dîvân), which
begins, "O beloved of God, you are the Messenger of the Sole
Creator" [yâ Habîbu 'llâh, rasûl-é khâliq-é yak-tâ tô'yî] and also
contains the line, "O Prophet of God, you know that your
community are weak. . ." In the traditional musical composition
(by MuSTafà `Itrî, died 1712), praise of Rumi is intermixed with
this ghazal and begins (prior to the first line in praise of the
Prophet Muhammad), "O our sublime master, friend of God!" [yâ
HaZrat-é mawlânâ], friend of God. The added lines addressed to
Mawlânâ (following the end of the eulogy of the Prophet) are: O
doctor of hearts [yâ Tabîbu 'l-qulûb], O saint of God [yâ waliyu
'llâh], O friend! " [dôst]. See the article, "The Na`t-i Sharif," in
the "Divan" section of this website.

na`t-khwân (A-P [derived from A, na`t, "eulogy"; drived from P,
khwân, "reciter"]; lit., "eulogy-reciter"; spelling in T, na'than,
naathan [not to be confused with the Mongolian word, khân,
"king," spelled in modern Turkish han]): in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the musician who sings the Na`t-é
Sharîf, in praise of the Prophet Muhammad.

naw-neyâz (P; lit., "new supplicant"; spelling in T, nevniyaz): the
name given to a Mevlevi novice during his 1001-day training.

nay (P; also spelled nây; lit., "reed"; spelling in T, ney): a reed
flute, with nine holes. In Turkey and some former countries which
were part of the Ottoman Empire, it has a mouthpiece, called "head
piece" [bâsh-pâra, T-P; spelling in T, baSpare]. It is played
especially in Mevlevi ceremonies and gatherings, and is the main
symbol in the first eighteen lines of the Mathnawi (Masnavi).

nay-zan (P [derived from P, nay, "reed-flute"; derived from P,
-zan, a suffix lit. meaning "beater" (here, (finger) beater, or
musical instrument player]; spelling in T, neyzen): a musician who
plays the reed-flute.

naZar (A; lit., "look," "glance"; spelling in T, nazar): originally an
idiom meaning the favor of a prominent person. In sufism, it
means the "glance of grace" [naZar-é `inâyat] bestowed upon the
disciple by the spiritual master.

nefs (spelling in T; derived from A): see nafs.

nevniyaz (spelling in T; derived from P): see naw-neyâz.

ney (spelling in T; derived from P): see nay.

neyâz (P; lit., "neediness," "supplication," spelling in T, niyaz):
means the neediness of a dervish before God. This is a major
teaching of Mawlânâ's: that since Divine Mercy responds to true
neediness, the dervish must increase his or her neediness in order
to receive Divine blessings and greater nearness to God. See
Masnavi II: 3274. In sufi orders, the word also is used to mean the
humble physical postition called muhur, as well as the humble
manner in which a dervish greets his superior.

neyzen (spelling in T; derived from P): see nay-zan.

neyzenbaSI (P-T [derived from P, nay-zan "reed-flute player";
derived from T, bâSI, "head"]): in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony
[samâ`, sema], the chief nay player, who is also the chief of all the
musicians.

Nicholson: Reynold Alleyne Nicholson (1868-1945), was the
greatest Rumi scholar in the English language. His monumental
achievement was his work on Rumi's Masnavi (done in eight
volumes, published between 1925-1940). He produced the first
critical Persian edition of Rumi's Masnavi, the first full translation
of it into English, and the first commentary on the entire work in
English. See the article, "About Nicholson," in the "Masnavi"
section of this website.

niyaz (spelling in T; derived from P): see neyâz.

pêsh-raw (P; lit., "fore-going"; spelling in T, peSrev): a prelude, or
first section in classical Turkish music. In the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], it is the music composed for the SulTân
Walad "circling" [dawr, devir]. It is in a long rhythm of 56/4.

peSrev (spelling in T; derived from P): see pêsh-raw

pîr (P; lit., "old man," "elder"; spelling in T, pir): a translation into
Persian of the Arabic word, "shaykh," which has the same literal
meaning, but means a sufi elder-- a spiritual guide, teacher, master.
This word is also used to mean the founder of a sufi order. For
Mevlevi's, their "pîr" in this sense is Mawlânâ Jalâlu 'd-dîn Rûmî.
In the Mevlevi order the word pîr also means the current holder of
rank of Makam-i Celebi, the highest ranking member of the Celebi
family -- a direct (patrilineal) descendant of Mawlânâ's. Thus the
pîr of the Mevlevi's has been the chief Celebi, who traditionally
was in charge of the lodge [dargâh, dergah] in Konya, where
Mawlânâ is buried.

post (spelling in T; derived from P): see pôst.

pôst (P; lit., "skin," "husk"; spelling in T, post, pösteki): In the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], it is a red sheep skin
upon which the shaykh stands and sits. It symbolizes his authority.
It can be interpreted symbolically in a number of other ways: as the
sacrifice of the lower self or ego (nafs). In this respect, the blood-
colored skin of a sacrificed sheep is a very humble "throne" upon
which the dervish "king" (the shaykh) sits in his simple dervish
"court" [dargâh]. The red color symbolizes the manifestation of
God [tajallî] to the prophets and saints. And it also symbolizes the
sunset (at the time of Mawlânâ's death, also as a symbol of Shams
(the Sun) of Tabriz. It is traditionally placed in front of the miHrâb,
indicating the direction of Mecca. Therefore, when the shaykh,
semazen's and musicians bow (from the waist) toward the pôst at
the beginning and end of the Ceremony, they are bowing (from the
waist) in respect (obeisance) to Mawlânâ, as well as toward Mecca.

post duasI (P-A-T): see du`â-ye pôst.

pôst-nâkIb (P-A; in T, postnakib, lit., "skin-bower"): in the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [sam’`, sema], the dervish who carries
and spreads the sheepskins, especially the red sheepskin for the
pÙstneshÓn, which he kisses and bows toward after laying it down.

pôst-neshîn (P; lit., "skin-sitter" spelling in T, postneSin): in the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the Mevlevi shaykh
who stands and sits on the red sheep skin [pôst] and who is the
leader of the Ceremony. The term is also used for the Mevlevi
shaykh who is the head of a lodge [dergah, tekke]. In the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ, sema], the pôst-neshîn symbolizes the
presence of Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî.

postneSin (spelling in T; derived from P): see pôst-neshîn.

qânûn (A; spelling in T, kanun): a zither-like stringed instrument,
played horizontally with the fingers.

qibla (A; spelling in T, kible): the direction, toward the Ka`ba in
Mecca, that all Muslims face while doing the ritual prayers five
times a day.

qubba-yé khaZrâ (A-P [derived from A, qubba, "dome; derived
from A, khaDrâ, "green"]; spelling in T, kubbe-i hadra): the
famous green dome built over Mawlânâ's tomb in the mausoleum
part of the Konya Mevlevi lodge [dargâh, dergah].

qudûm (A; lit., "arrival"; spelling in T, kudüm): refers to a drum,
since drums were beaten to signal the arrival of the king. In the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], it is a small double
drum played with small sticks named zahme (spelling in T; derived
from P, zakhma (lit., "something used to beat or wound").

qudûm-zan (A-P; lit., "drum beater"; spelling in T, kudümzen): a
drum player in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

Qûniya (Arabo-Persian spelling; spelling in T, Konya [prior
forms: in Greek, Iconium; earlier in Phrygian, Kowania; earliest in
Hittite, Kuwanna]:the city in central Anatolia (called "Rûm"--
the former Eastern Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire,
in present-day Turkey) which was the capital of the Seljuq Empire,
where Mawlânâ's father was invited to come to live and teach. At
the time, Islamic scholars were very prized and many arrived from
Central Asia to escape the Mongol invasion. Their native literary
language was Persian, and many were also fluent in Arabic as well.

Qur'ân (A; lit., "recitation"; spelling in T, Kur'an): The holy
scripture revealed in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad from God,
through the archangel Gabriel [Jibrîl]. The Qur'ân presents itself
not as a completely new message, but as a fresh expression of the
essential message given by God to all the previous prophets-- from
Noah and Abraham to Moses and Jesus.

rabâb (P, also robâb; spelling in T, rebab, rebap; sometimes
translated as "rebec" in English) a short-necked lute with two
strings made of horse hair, played like a Chinese violin or spike
fiddle.

râbiTa (A; lit., "connecting"; spelling in T, rabIta): in sufism, this
involves cultivating a loving spiritual connection with one's
spiritual master or guide [shaykh, murshid], such as by visualizing
his face in one's heart or visualizing one as sitting in front of him.

rabIta (spelling in T; derived from A): see râbiTa.

RamaZân (A; pronounced in A: ramaDân; spelling in T,
Ramazan): The Islamic month of fasting (from food, water, sex,
tobacco, and anger). One of the Five Pillars of Islam, it lasts for a
lunar month (of 29 or 30 days) each year. The morning meal must
end by the first sign of dawn, and the daily fast lasts until sunset.
The Prophet Muhammad first began to receive the Revelation of
the Qur'ân during this month.

rasûl (A; lit., "messenger"; spelling in T, resûl): means a prophet of
God who is given a message for mankind. According to the Qur'ân,
God has sent messengers to all the nations of the world throughout
human history and most of them are unknown. Those who are
known are mentioned in previous scriptures, such as Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus (the predecessors of Muhammad).
rubâ'î

rebab (spelling in T; derived from P): see rabâb.

rebap (spelling in T; derived from P): see rabâb.

resûl (spelling in T; derived from A): see rasûl.

rubâ`iyyât (A; spelling in T, rubaiyat [singular, rubâ`î; spelling in
T, rubai, plural: rubailer]; other spellings: ruba'iyat, roba'iyat,
rob'ai). See the article, "About the Quatrains," in the "Divan"
section of this website.

ruhaniyet (spelling in T; derived from A): see rûHâniyyat.

rûHâniyyat (A; lit., "spirituality"; spelling in T, ruhaniyet): in
sufism, the spirit or being of a sufi master (alive or departed), in
contrast to his physical body.

Rumi (spelling in T): see Rûmî.

Rûmî (A; derived from Latin, Rome; lit, "Roman" or one who
dwells in the Eastern Roman Byzantine land of Anatolia; spelling
in T, Rumi; other spellings, Roumi): the name by which Mawlânâ
Jalâlu 'd-dîn al-Balkhî is most often called in Europe and America.
He is not called "Rumi" in Muslim countries where he is referred
to much more respectfully (in Turkey, Mevlâna; in Iran, Molavi; in
Afghanistan, Mawlânâ or Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn-é Balkhî; in India
and Pakistan, Mawlânâ-yé Rûm, Mawlânâ Rûm, Maulana Rum,
Mawlana Rum, Molana Roum). He spent most of his life in
Anatolia (now known as Turkey) and died on December 17, 1273,
according to the Western solar calendar.

SalâHu 'd-dîn-é Zar-kûb [derived from A, SalâHu' d-dîn, "the
virtue of the (Islamic) Religion; derived from P, zar-kûb, "the
gold-beater" or goldsmith); spelling in T, Selâhaddin): a fellow
sufi disciple [murîd] of Mawlânâ's first sufi shaykh, Sayyid
Burhânu 'd-dîn MuHaqqiq Termezî-- the chief disciple of
Mawlânâ's father. After the death of Sayyid Burhânuddîn,
SalâHuddîn became Mawlânâ's disciple. After the final
disappearance of Shams-é Tabrîzî, he became Mawlânâ's closest
spiritual companion. He was put in charge of teaching and training
all the disciples, and died in 1254.

salâm (A [derivation SaLaMa, to be secure]; lit., "peace"; spelling
in T; selam): in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema] this
word refers to the four separate vocal musical sections, each of
which has different music composed for it, as well as a different
spiritual characteristic. The symbolism of these four "mystical
journeys" may be interpreted variously: such as according to the
traditional sufi understanding of four terms: sharî`at, the Law
(established by God), Tarîqat , the Way (to God), Haqîqat [spelling
in T, hakikat], the Truth (of God), ma`rifat, the Knowing (of God).

salâm `alaykum (A): a contraction of "salâm-un `alaykum" (Peace
be upon you). See as-salâmu `alaykum.

Salât (A): see namâz.

salavat (spelling in T; derived from A): see Salawât.

Salawât (A; lit., "blessings," "benedictions"; spelling in T, salavat):
the Islamic practice of praying that God pour blessings upon the
soul of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, "O God, pour
blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family and followers of
Muhammad" [allâhumma Sallî `alà muHammad-in wa `alà ahli
muHammad-in wa sallim]. Such prayers are done by all Muslims
during each of the five daily prayers, but are also done separately
as a silent or group chant by Muslim sufis.

salik (spelling in T; derived from A): see sâlik.

sâlik (A; lit., "seeker"; spelling in T, salik): in sufism, it means a
seeker of the way to God.

samâ` (A; lit., "hearing," "audition" [not related to the Arabic
word, samâ, meaning "sky"]; spelling in T, sema, semâ): In sufism,
it was originally a spiritual exercise done in sufi gatherings
(beginning in Baghdad, several centuries before Mawlânâ's time),
involving spontaneous physical movement and dance-like motions
inspired by listening to recitations from the Qur'ân, sufi poetry, or
sufi music and songs. The dervishes would listen as if hearing the
voice of God, the "music" of the spheres, or the "sound" from the
primordial state of Unity before the creation-- and they would enter
ecstatic spiritual states of consciousness. In the Mevlevi tradition,
this became formalized into a ritual of disciplined whirling called
the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], accompanied by
music composed by Mevlevi musicians over the centuries, during
which Persian and Turkish poetry is sung (composed mainly by
Rumi, his son, and grandson).

samâ`-khâna (A-P; lit., "house of audition"): in the Mevlevi
tradition, this is a building or hall designed for the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

samâ`-zan (A-P [derived from A, samâ`, "audition"; derived from
P, -zan, a suffix meaning "beater," (here = (foot) beater, or
"dancer"]; spelling in T, semazen; plural, semazenler): someone
trained to be a "whirler" in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`,
sema]. The samâ`-zan whirls with the left foot solidly on the floor;
the right foot touches the floor after a complete circle, pointing
toward the center of the circle, and stepping according to the beat
of the music; the arms are outstretched and held upward; the right
hand is opened to the sky to receive Divine Grace, and the right
hand turned downward to transmit and give it all away; the eyelids
are narrowed and the gaze is upon the left thumb; the head is
turned leftward (the direction of the heart), and bent toward the
upheld right arm; the inward concentration has a spiritual focus on
the heart, the mental repetition of the zikr, "Al-lâh, Al-lâh" with
each step and rotation of the whirling, and an awareness that God
is All-Present within the "Ka`ba of the heart" and in all directions:
"Whichever way you turn, there is the Face of God" (Qur'ân 2:
115). During the Ceremony, the semazen's also move around the
hall in a circle while whirling and then whirl in place during the
fourth section [salâm].

samâ`-yé samâwî (A-P [derived from A, samâ`, "audition"; derived
from A, samâwî, "heavenly" (pronounced in Iran: samâvî)];
spelling in T, sema-i semavi): means "heavenly dance" and refers
to the Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema].

sakka postu (A-P-T [derived from A, saqqâ, "water carrier";
derived from P, pôst, "animal skin"]): the sheepskin (seat) for the
"water-carrier." Means the place where a Mevlevi novice would sit
for an initial three days at the kitchen entrance.

Sayyid Burhânu 'ddîn MuHaqiq Tirmizî, died 1240 or 1241, in the
town of Kayseri; spelling in T, Seyyid Burhaneddin): Mawlânâ's
first sufi master, who was the chief disciple of Mawlânâ's father.
Following the death of his father, Mawlânâ studied with him for a
period of nine years, prior to meeting Shams-é Tabrîzî. Sayyid
Burhânuddîn sent him to Syria (in the cities of Allepo and
Damascus) to study traditional Islamic learning (where Mawlânâ
also lived with other former disciples of his father), and later
ordered him to do a number of austere spiritual retreats.

selam (spelling in T; from A): see salâm.

selâmünaleyküm (spelling in T; from A): see as-salâmu `alaykum.

sema (spelling in T; derived from A): see samâ`.

semahane (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see samâ`-khâna.

sema meydanI (T; derived from A, samâ`, "concert"; derived from
P, maydân, "open area"): the ceremonial hall, where the Whirling
Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema] took place in a Mevlevi lodge
[tekke].

semazen (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see samâ`-zan.

semazenbaSI (A-P-T [derived from A, samâ`, "audition"; P, -zan,
"(foot) beater," meaning "dancer"; T, baSI, "head" or "chief"]): the
leader of the semazen's, who, after receiving permission from the
shaykh, silently guides the semazen's during the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], in order to maintain a particular
harmonious pattern and spacing in the Ceremony.

semazen tahtasI (A-P-T; derived from A, takhta-yé samâ`-zan; lit.,
"platform for concert dancers"): an octagonal platform used by the
semazen's in the Whirling Prayer Ceremony. There were as many
as 365 such octagonal platforms throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Seriat (spelling in T; derived from A): see sharî`at.

shab-é `arûs (P; properly, shab-é `arûsî, but this term is not known
or used in Iran; lit., "wedding night"; spelling in T, sheb-i arus):
refers to the night when Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî died (and
became "wedded" to God, the Beloved). A special Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema] is observed on the anniversary of this
night (December 17 on the Western solar calendar, (since 1953,
when the Turkish government gave permission for the first time
since organized sufism was made illegal in 1925). However, the
event was celebrated in previous centuries according to the Islamic
lunar calendar-- occurring next on August 3, 2003, then July 23,
2004). It is traditional in sufism to celebrate the "wedding" [`urs]
of a great sufi, on the (lunar calendar) anniversary of death. See the
article, "Rumi's Wedding Night," on this website.

shaHâda (A; lit., "witnessing"; spelling in T, Sehadet): one of the
Five Pillars of Islam, and means declaring the unity of God and
that Muhammad was an authentic Prophet sent by God. It is also
said as a ritual act by someone who make the intention to become
a Muslim.

Shams-é Tabrîzî (A-P [derivation from A, shams, "sun"; derived
from P, Tabrîz; derived from P, -é suffix connector meaning "of"];
spelling in T, Shems-i Tebriz, Shemseddin Mehmet-i Tebriz):
Rumi's second spiritual teacher (after studying for nine years under
Sayyid Burhânuddîn). His full name was Shamsu 'd-dîn (lit., "the
Sun of the Religion") MuHammad-é Tabrîz (spelling in T,
Shemseddin Mehmet-i Tebriz) originally from the city of Tabriz in
Persia. He came to Konya in search of someone worthy of sharing
his mystical wisdom. He met Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî there in
1244 (but may have encountered him briefly in Damascus when
Mawlânâ was a student there). He disappeared in 1248. According
to Aflaki, he was murdered and thrown down a well by jealous
disciples of Rumi (but there is no evidence of this, and there are
problems with this story). His sayings (mostly in Persian, some in
Arabic) were written down by his disciples and are known as the
"Discourses" [Maqâlât-é Shams-é Tabrîzî]. A portion of this
material was incorporated by Aflâkî (for which see his name).

sharî`at (A; lit., "road"; spelling in T, Seriat, Ser'iyat, Ser'iyet): an
Islamic term referring to the religious law, which is intended to
guide people to act in ways which will harmonize them with the
Will of God. The religious law is based upon traditional
interpretations of the Qur'ân and the behavior and practices
(sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, it includes the
daily worship and the guidelines and boundaries of conduct in
Islam [sharî`ah). In sufism, the later spiritual stages are based upon
the foundation of Sharî`ah: the path of spiritual purification and
training in mystical disciplines [Tarâqah], mystical knowledge
[ma`rîfah], and ultimate truth [Haqîqah].

shaikh: see shaykh.

shaykh (A; lit., "old man," "elder"; feminine form, shaykha; plural:
mashâ'ikh, mashâyikh, shuyûkh; other spellings: shaikh, sheikh;
spelling in T, Seyh): In sufism, it generally means a spiritual
leader, teacher, guide, master (equivalent to P, pîr; T, dede). In the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ, sema], the shaykh symbolizes
the presence of Mawlânâ Jalâluddîn Rûmî.

sheikh: see shaykh.

Sifât (A; lit., "qualities," "attributes"; spelling in T, sIfat): In
sufism, this refers to the Attributes of God, such as Mercy,
Wisdom, Guidance, Love, Peace, etc. These qualities are often
invoked in Arabic by Sufis as ways to praise and glorify God
[Zikru 'llâh]. See asmâ'u 'l-Husnà.

sIfat (spelling in T; derived from A): see Sifât.

sikka (A; lit., "stamped," "coined"; spelling in T, sikke): in the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the tall conical or
cylindrical hat worn by the semazen's. It is usually made from
camel's hair and colored brown, honey, or white-- about 40-45
centimeters in length. It is worn by the "whirlers" [samâ`-zan-ân,
semazenler] and symbolizes the dervish's tombstone. The Mevlevi
sikke was not supposed to be worn in public places such as theaters
and cafes. Mevlevi's were buried with their sikka's.

silsilah (A; lit., "chain"; spelling in T, silsile): in sufism, a
particular lineage of spiritual transmission from initiating sufi to
disciple through the generations going back to the Prophet
Muhammad. Generally these lineages are through particular sufi
"orders" [Turuq, the plural of "Tarîqa"], their predecessors and
their later branches.

somatCI (A-T, derived from A, simâT, a table cloth filled with
food); In the Mevlevi tradition, the person whose job it was to set
and clear the table.

son peSrev (T-P; lit., "final prelude"): in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema] it is in a rhythmic pattern of 4 beats and
is the instrumental musical section which follows the end of the
fourth selam (the singing of Mawlânâ's verse, "You are my king"
[sulTân-é man-î . . . "]). It is followed by a section called "son
yuruk semâî" just prior to the final ney solo and the recitation of
the Holy Qur'ân.

subHânu 'llâh (A; lit., "Glory be to God"; spelling in T,
subhanullâh): a much used Islamic phrase of praise of God.
Secondarily, in the Qur'ân it also means "God transcends any
association of partners."

suHbat (A; lit., "companionship," "conversation"; spelling in T,
sobhet): In sufism, it is the company, speech, and conversation of a
spiritual master as experienced by disciples, followers, or guests.
In sufism, such contact is believed to be a primary means of
transmission of the grace [barakat] of the spiritual master.

Süleyman Hayati Loras Dede: (A-T, lit., "Grandfather Solomon"):
was appointed by Celâleddin Celebi to be the Mevlevi Shaykh of
Konya, in Turkey, about 1947. He was instrumental in spreading
the Mevlevi tradition to the West, and first came to America in
1976. He lived from 1904-1985.

Sûfî (A; lit., "wollen one"); spelling in T, sofi, sofu: the term for
practitioners of the mystical dimension of Islam, who apparently
adopted (scratchy) woolen garments very early in, as did Christian
ascetics (the word is not related to "purity" [Safw], which is a
different Arabic word). The word covers a wide range of types of
mystics engaged in a variety of spiritual practices and attitudes.

SulTân Walad (A; lit., "king (who is the) son"; pronunciation in
Iran: Soltân Valad; spelling in T, Sultan Veled): Mawlânâ's son,
named after his father: Bahâ'u 'd-dîn MuHammad SulTân Walad.
After Mawlânâ's death, his first successor was his closest disciple,
Husâmuddîn Chelebî. Sultan Walad was the second successor after
Husamuddin's death. Sultan Walad may have been the first to
begin organizing the whirling prayer [samâ`, sema]) into a
structured ceremony, based on the essentials of his father's
practice. See the article, "About Sultan Walad's Poetry," on this
website.

sulûk (A; lit., "travelling"; spelling in T, süluk): in sufism, it means
travelling on the Islamic mystical path to God, especially under the
guidance of a guide [shaykh, murshid]. It also means following
certain (spiritual) conduct and rules.

süluk (spelling in T; derived from A): see sulûk.

sunnat (A; spelling in T, sünnet): the practices of the Prophet
Muhammad, which if done repeatedly are considered binding for
Muslims to follow.

sünnet (spelling in T; derived from A): see sunnat.

Sûratu 'l-FâtiHa (A): see FâtiHa.

Sûratu 't-TawHîd: begins, qul howa 'llâhu aHad; spelling in T, kul
hüvallahü ahad

takya (A; lit., "place of repose"; spelling in T, tekke; other
spellings: tekyê, tekiyê, takiyya): a sufi gathering place, usually
separate from mosques. A place (also called a "dargâh") where
dervishes would meet and do prayer-chanting [Zikr] and to receive
spiritual instruction from the teacher. These were usually humble
buildings, though some which were well-funded were large enough
to contain separate cells for the dervishes to live in, a kitchen, and
an attached mosque.

tambur (spelling in T; derived from A): see Tanbûr.

tanbur (spelling in T; derived from A): see Tanbûr.

Tanbûr (A; pronounced in A: "tamboor"; spelling in T, tanbur,
tambur): a long-necked lute.

TanrI erler (T; lit., "men of God"): see mard-ân.

tanûra (P [derived from tanûr (oven); derived from ancient Persian:
tanûra, "oven"; occurs in Qur'ân 11:40 and 23:27, tannûr]; spelling
in T, tennure: a dervish garment, perhaps derived from a type of
kitchen garment which gave protection to the lower body from
oven heat and sparks. In the Mevlevi tradition, the tanûra-yé samâ`
is a white dress-like garment worn by semazen's during the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], which hangs from the
shoulders and which floats upwards in a circle as the dervishes
spin faster. The white color of this garment is the same color as the
burial cloth for all Muslims. Historically, another garment called a
service skirt [tanûra-yé khidmat; spelling in T, hizmet tennuresi]
was shorter (ankle length), black or dark brown in color, and was
worn by novices who were completing their 1001 day retreat
[chella] in the kitchen. It was also the tanûra worn by all Mevlevis
every day.

taqsîm (A; lit., "section"; spelling in T, taksim): a musical solo
improvised on a particular musical instrument. During the
Whirling Prayer Ceremony [samâ`, sema], a reed-flute [nay, ney]
solo always precedes the Sultan Veled Walk. Then, following the
Fourth Selam, or vocal musical section, two instrumental sections
are played (son peSrev and yürük semâî), followed by the final
reed-flute solo. During this solo, the shaykh, or pôst-neshîn, slowly
begins to return to the pôst-- at which time a passage from the
Qur'ân is recited and the semazen's stop whirling.

tarikat (spelling in T; derived from A): see Tarîqat.

tarikatCI dede (T; derived from A, Tarîqat, "path way"): the chief
spiritual guide of the Mevlevi's, who assisted the Celebi or pîr of
the Order, the chief authority of the order. Also called sertarik
(spelling in T; derived from P-A, sar-é Tarîq [derived from P, sar,
"head" and A, Tarîqa, "path"; with P, -é, suffix connector, meaning
"of"]).

tarikat dede (A-T): see tarikatCI dede.

Tarîqat (A; also, Tarîqa; lit., "road," "path," "way"; spelling in T,
tarikat): the sufi path of spiritual purification and training in
mystical disciplines. Its foundation is the daily worship and the
guidelines and boundaries of conduct in Islam [sharî`ah).
Generally, the more advanced levels are mystical knowledge
[ma`rîfah], and ultimate truth [Haqîqah]. the word also means one
of the traditional lineages of sufism [taSawwuf] which is the
mystical dimension of Islam. Well-known orders are the Mevlevi,
Qadiri (spelling in T, Kadri), Naqshbandi (spelling in T,
NakSbendi), Rifai (also spelled Rufai), Khalwati (spelling in T,
Helveti), and Shadhili (spelling in T, Sazeli).

tarji`-band (A-P [derived from A, tarji` ("returning") and P, -band
(bound); plural in A, "tarji`ât]; spelling in T, tercibend): a long
poem with a repeating couplet at the end of each stanza. See the
article, "About the Tarji-bands," in the "Divan" section of this
website.

taSarruf (A; lit., "power," "control," "influence"; spelling in T,
tasarruf): in sufism this term means the spiritual power or ability of
the shaykh to use his spiritual concentration to effect spiritual
changes in the consciousness of a disciple.

tasarruf (spelling in T; derived from A): see taSarruf.

tasavvuf (spelling in T; derived from A): see taSawwuf.

taSawwuf (A; derived from Sûf, "woolen"; pronounced in Iran and
spelling in T, tasavvuf): The mystical dimension of Islam. It is the
mystical science of spiritual purification and seeking nearness to
God. Its foundation is the daily worship and the guidelines and
boundaries of conduct in Islam [sharî`ah), and its branches are the
path tarîqah], mystical knowledge [ma`rîfah], and ultimate truth
[Haqîqah].

tasbîH (A; lit., "glorification"; spelling in T, tesbih): a circular
string of prayer beads, usually thirty-three or ninety-nine in
number. It is used to chant (usually privately and silently) the
praises of God, using sacred Arabic words and phrases derived
from the Qur'ân. A common tasbîH following each of the five
daily prayers is "glory be to God" [subHânu 'llâh], "(all) praise is
to God" [al-Hamdu li-llâh], "God is Most Great " [Allâhu Akbar]--
33 times each.

tavaf (spelling in T; derived from A): see Tawâf.

Tawâf (A; spelling in T, tavaf): the circumambulation around the
Ka`ba during the Hajj, or Pilgrimage to Mecca. The
circumambilation ritual involves seven circlings, and there is a
Tradition [HadîS] according to which the first three
circumambulations are to be done more rapidly, with the dignified
attitude of a warrior who fears only God. In the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony, the dervishes circumambulate three times with dignity;
this is followed by four salâm's which involve more circlings.

TawHîd (A; lit., "making one"; spelling in T, tevhid, tevhit): the
Unity of God. In sufism, this also refers to the practice of reciting
the Islamic creed in Arabic, "There is no divinity but (the One)
God" [lâ ilâha illâ 'llâh].

tef (spelling in T; derived from P): see daf.

tekke (spelling in T; derived from A; pronounced "tek-kye"): see
takya.

tennure (spelling in T; derived from P): see tanûra.

tercibend (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see tarji`-band.

tesbih (spelling in T; derived from A): see tasbîH.

türbedar (spelling in T; derived from A-P [A, turba, "tomb"; P, dâr,
"keeper]): in the Mevlevi order, an important rank for the tomb-
keeper at the Konya lodge [dargâh, dergah], since he was
responsible for the upkeep of Mawlânâ's tomb, as well as all the
other 64 tombs in the same mausoleum.

türbehane (spelling in T; derived from A-P): see turba-khâna.

turba-khâna (A-P; lit., "tomb house"): in regard to Mawlânâ, this is
the name of his mausoleum at the Mevlevi lodge [tekke] in Konya.
It was made into a national museum in 1927, after organized
sufism was made illegal (in 1925).

üCüncü selâm (T-A): the third salâm in the Whirling Prayer
Ceremony [samâ`, sema], the longest of the four: it begins with a
rhythmic pattern of 28 beats, called dawr-é kabîr (A-P, lit., "grand
cycle"; spelling in T, devr-i kebir); then a transitional pattern
of 10 beats, called aksak semaî (T-A, lit., "limping audition"); then
a pattern of 6 beats, called yÝürük semaî (T-A, lit., "fast audition").

Ulu `Arif Chelebi: Mawlânâ's grandson, the son of SulTân Walad
(by his wife FâTima Khâtûn), died 1320.

`urs (A, `urs; lit., "wedding"; spelling in T, urs): the anniversary of
a sufi master's death, normally according to the Islamic lunar
calendar. Mawlânâ's `urs, however, has been celebrated according
to the solar calendar (on December 17) ever since the Turkish
government began allowing the Whirling Prayer Ceremony to be
performed again in Turkey in the 1950's. See "Shab-ê `Arûs."

vasIl (spelling in T): see waSl.

vasl (spelling in T): see waSl.

vecd (spelling in T; derived from A): see wajd.

wajd (A; spelling in T, vecd): in sufism, it means a state of
spiritual ecstasy.

Wakhsh (pronounced in Iran: Vakhsh): the town where Mawlânâ's
father was employed as a teacher and scholar at the time when
Mawlânâ may have been born, about 155 miles to the north of
Balkh, across the Amû-Daryâ River (located in present-day
Tajikistan). (See Franklin Lewis, "Rumi: Past and Present," p.
47-49.)

walî (A [derived from WaLiYa, "to be near to"]; lit., "protector,"
guardian"; spelling in T, veli) (of God); plural, awliyâ (spelling in
T, evliya): in sufism, this means means a friend of God, a sufi
saint. "Truly, for the friends of God [awliyâ'u 'llâh] there is no fear
(in this world or the next), nor shall they grieve." (Qur'ân 10:62).

waSl (A [derived from WaSaLa, to arrive at, to attain]; lit.,
connection, joining; spelling in T, vasIl, vasl; often translated into
English as "union"): although the belief of unification [ittiHâd]
with God is not accepted in Islam, some sufis have spoken of
"union with the beloved" to symbolize a kind of spiritual union
with the soul of s sufi master and to mean a spiritual state of
nearness to God [in A, qurbatu bi-llâh; in P, nazdîkî-yé Haqq],
which is likened to union.

waZîfa (A; lit., "duty," "obligation," "task" [plural: waZâ'if];
spelling in T, vazife): in sufism, a spiritual practice (usually done