Sama

Also known as Samaa, Sama', Samae, Sama (Sufism)

Sufi ceremony performed as dhikr

Key facts

Medium: Singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers
Originating culture: Sufi

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Image: Sufis Performing Sama before Shaykh Nizam al-Din Awliya (CBL Per 163.6).jpg

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Commons category: Samaa

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Article

Sama, literally Listening, is a Sufi ritual performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice known as Dhikr (in English, Remembrance [of God]). It is discussed by al-Ghazali in his The Alchemy of Happiness.

It is sometimes associated with Rumi, who is said to have fallen into an ecstatic trance after wandering through a city and hearing the name of God in the rhythmic hammering of a goldbeater (hence the name Sama, i.e. hearing/listening). As an imitation of this, Sama invites the practitioner to reflect on the all-encompassing presence of God, a concept known as tawhid.