A major part of my child hood was spent in the Pakistani province of Sindh. This land is famous for its Sufi scholars and their teachings. The area also possesses a legacy of Sufi music that I grew up listening to. Upon my first encounter with the western world ten years ago, when I landed in New York, I was surprised to see a devout following and a fan base for the music. Since then, I was intrigued by the fact that why is this message of Sufi music so popular, that it is even recognized by people who don’t even share and understand the basics of the culture it represents? This question was of prime interest to me when I decided to write this report

A closer look at the birth of the Sufi music would reveal that its purpose was to preach and spread the message of Islam through a medium that’s universally liked and acceptable, Music and poetry. Thus the significance of the Sufi Music is pretty much apparent as it was, and is, the sole media through which the Sufi culture spread its message.

Sufis emphasize a personal and direct experience of God, which they believe is possible through disciplined renunciation, humility and love toward God, and a yearning for paradise. Scholars claim that the Qura’an's call for ihsan, or “doing what is beautiful,” is ritually translated for Sufis into dhikr, honoring God through the methodical repetition of phrases from the Qura’an and through various ways of saying God's name. Ibn al-Arabi, the great theoretician of Sufism, asserted that the ultimate goal of these rituals is “assuming the character traits of God.” By imagining the face of God, a Sufi attempts to “unveil” this image and perceive God's unifying presence in the world and within the self. In this state, a Sufi can mediate between the divine and material worlds, allowing Sufi Sheikhs (masters) to perform magic and miracles.

Its role within the culture is also of great importance. The philosophy of the Sufi culture defines Allah (God) as a loved being, and to gain His love and to show and express one’s emotions for the divine, the Sufis write poems and songs that are sung upon the rhythms of the music. Therefore, this music is of a certain importance to the followers of the Sufi sect, because it acts like a bridge between human and the divine.

Some topics in this essay:
Allah God, Sufi Music, Sufi Sheikhs, Robert Layton*, AD Beginning, Robert Layton, Ali Khan, West Africa, Huichol*** Sufism, Province Sindh, sufi music, qawwali music, sufi culture, art form, fateh ali, ali khan, fateh ali khan, nusrat fateh ali, nusrat fateh, pakistan north india, north india, art forms, robert layton, cultures robert layton, sufi music remains,