Sama
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
Sama' means "audition", or listening. It is the sufi practice of mystical music, sung or played to bring a feeling of God's presence. It was central to the Chishti order in India. It also shows how sufis mixed with local Indian devotional traditions. Orthodox ulama (Muslim scholars of religious law) often disapproved of music in worship, so sama' was sometimes a point of argument.
Example
At Nizamuddin Auliya's shrine in Delhi, sama' takes the form of qawwali. It opens with the qaul, a hymn introduced by Amir Khusrau (1253–1325).
Don't confuse with
- Zikr: This means remembering God by repeating the Divine Names. Sama' means listening to mystical music.
Related concepts
- Chishti silsila
- Muinuddin Chishti
- Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
- Nizamuddin Auliya
- Nasiruddin Chiragh-i Dehli
- Baba Farid
- Shaikh Salim Chishti
- Gesu Daraz
- Langar
- Zikr