Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, or simply Rumi, was a 13th-century poet, Hanafi faqih, Islamic scholar, Maturidi theologian and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran.
Sama is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance". These performances often include singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic attire, and other rituals. Sama is a particularly popular form of worship in Sufism.
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (tariqah), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage is found particularly in Persian and Turkish (derviş) as well as in Amazigh (Aderwish), corresponding to the Arabic term faqīr. Their focus is on the universal values of love and service, deserting the illusions of ego (nafs) to reach God. In most Sufi orders, a dervish is known to practice dhikr through physical exertions or religious practices to attain the ecstatic trance to reach God. Their most popular practice is Sama, which is associated with the 13th-century mystic Rumi. In folklore and with adherents of Sufism, dervishes are often credited with the ability to perform miracles and ascribed supernatural powers. Historically, the term Dervish has also been used more loosely, as the designation of various Islamic political movements or military entities.
Sufi whirling is a form of physically active meditation which originated among certain Sufi groups, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and other orders such as the Rifa'i-Marufi. It is a customary meditation practice performed within the sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach greater connection with Allah. This is sought through abandoning one's nafs, ego or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one's body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the Sun.
Darvish is a given name and a surname. It is an alternate transliteration of the Persian word "dervish", referring to a Sufi aspirant.
Aylar Dianati Lie is an Iranian-Norwegian actress, model, singer and former pornographic actress. She has worked as a music video actress and singer, appearing in several of Swedish musician Basshunter's music videos. She became famous after participating in the Norwegian Big Brother.
Dances in Iran or Iranian dances are dance styles indigenous to Iran. Genres of dance in Iran vary depending on the area, culture, and language of the local people, and can range from sophisticated reconstructions of refined court dances to energetic folk dances. The population of Iran includes many ethnicities, such as Kurds, Azerbaijanis, Arabs, Baluchis, Turkmen, Jews, Armenian, Georgian peoples, in addition to numerous Iranian tribal groups which can be found within the borders of modern-day Iran. Each group, region, and historical epoch has specific dance styles associated with it. Raghs is the Arabic word for dance, and is almost exclusively the word used for dance in Persian, as the Persian word for dance, paykubi, is no longer in common usage. It is also the word in Azerbaijani for dance (Reqs). The Kurdish word for dance is Halperke, and the Lurs from Lorestan use the word Bākhten for dance.
Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism.
Sufi music refers to the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrow, and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.
Sussan Deyhim is an Iranian-American composer, vocalist, performance artist, and activist. She is internationally known for her invention of a unique sonic/vocal language. LA Times quotes her as "One of Iran's most potent voices in exile".
Farzaneh Kaboli is an Iranian dancer, choreographer, and actress. She is a leader in the Iranian Folkloric and National Dance Art, and a master of choreography in Iranian theaters.
Shokufeh Kavani is an Iranian-born Australian contemporary nurse, artist, painter, and translator. She is primarily known as a translator and as an abstract painter. She is fluent in Australian English in addition to her native language Persian. She is currently living in Sydney.
Iranian jazz refers to jazz music composed by Iranian musicians, sometimes combined with traditional Iranian elements.
Tahmoures Pournazeri is an Iranian multi-instrumentalist and Iranian traditional musician. He is a member of Shamss Ensemble since 1989, along with his father Kaykhosro Pournazeri and his brother Sohrab pournazeri.
Persecution of Sufis over the course of centuries has included acts of religious discrimination, persecution, and violence both by Sunni and Shia Muslims, such as destruction of Sufi shrines, tombs and mosques, suppression of Sufi orders, murder, and terrorism against adherents of Sufism in a number of Muslim-majority countries. The Republic of Turkey banned all Sufi orders and abolished their institutions in 1925, after Sufis opposed the new secular order. The Islamic Republic of Iran has harassed Sufis, reportedly for their lack of support for the government doctrine of "governance of the jurist".
The 2018 Dervish protests, which occurred in February and March 2018 in Tehran, led to clashes between security forces, and Dervishes, an Iranian Sufi group, protesting against the government, resulting in the bloody repression of protestors. Tensions between Police, the IRGC, and the Basij with a number of Gonabadi Dervishes eventually led to the deaths of six people, the execution of Dervishes, and the arrest of hundreds of wounded Dervishes on March.
Noor-Ali Tabandeh was the spiritual leader or Qutb of the Ni'matullah Gonabadi Order in Iran, which is the largest Sufi order in Iran. He was born in Beydokht, Gonabad, Iran and died in Mehr Hospital in Tehran on 24 December 2019 after two years of house arrest.
Jean During is a French musician and ethnomusicologist specialising in music from the nations of the East especially Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan. A commentator on the Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures, he is the Research Director at the French National Center for Scientific Research and a professor at the University of Strasbourg.
Shervin Haji Aghapour is an Iranian singer-songwriter. Born in Babol, he began posting covers to his social media in late 2018. After auditioning in New Era on 22 March 2019 with "Maybe Paradise", he released the song as his debut single on all platforms and gained recognition among the younger Iranian generation. Hajipour rose to fame after the release of his single "Baraye" which has been described as "the anthem" of the Mahsa Amini protests. In 2023, he won the first Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for "Baraye".
