Sema;
Sema aramı canı zindeganest,
Kesi danet ki ura canı canest.
“Sema brings peace and tranquility to the souls of the living. Those who possess the essence of their being understand this. A person lying asleep in the garden wishes for someone to awaken them. However, the awakening of those asleep in prison is a loss. Where there is a wedding or gathering, there, let one perform Sema, not in a place of mourning. A place of mourning is where cries and wails are heard. To one who cannot see their own essence, what need is there for Sema or the drum? Sema is for reaching the beloved.
Those whose faces are turned toward the qibla perform Sema both in this world and in the next. Especially those who have entered Sema and are spinning in the middle, having taken the Kaaba within themselves, if you desire the sugar mine, it is right there. Indeed, for such people, the sugar mine is worthless. It is practically free; if you have eyes, look— the face of the beloved is manifest everywhere.” Mevlana Rumi
Exalted Mevlana states that Sema is an act of worship, a remembrance, and it was first performed during the time of Exalted Muhammad. When Exalted Muhammad had to go to Medina due to the polytheists, he established a community there. The polytheists were preparing for war. At that time, his cousin and the brother of Exalted Ali, Ja’far al-Tayyar, came from India to Medina and entered the presence of the Prophet. The Prophet asked, “O Ja’far al-Tayyar! What brings you here?”
“I heard that the polytheists have begun preparations for war to eliminate you. I have come to help you and to give my life for you,” he said.
Exalted Muhammad replied, “O Ja’far! My heart loves you so much that I cannot express it.” As soon as he said this, Ja’far al-Tayyar entered a state of ecstasy and began to perform Sema, exclaiming “Allah!” Exalted Muhammad then turned to his adopted son Zayd and said, “O Zayd! If you were my biological son, I could not love you this much; know that I hold you dearer than my own son, and I love you very much.” Upon hearing this, Zayd also rose to Sema, calling out “Allah!” When Exalted Muhammad turned to Exalted Ali and said, “O Ali! You are one of mine,” Exalted Ali, along with Exalted Muhammad, began to perform Sema together.
When Mevlana and Shams-i Tabrizi arrived at a mill, as the flowing water turned the millwheel, Shams looked at it and, calling out “Allah!”, began to perform Sema. Then, Mevlana joined him, and they performed Sema together for the first time at the mill. Exalted Mevlana has embraced the Sema that was performed during the time of Exalted Muhammad.
Mevlana says, “The moon and stars all revolve around the sun; they are in the heavens. If Sema stops, the order of the universe is disrupted.”
A rocket aimed at the moon cannot reach its destination without performing Sema. Likewise, engines, machines, wheels, electrons, and even the blood in our bodies circulate and move; in short, everything is in Sema, and many things attain perfection through it. The greatest form of remembrance (dhikr) is Sema. While performing Sema, the Mevlevis strike their right foot on the ground, repeatedly reciting “Allah, Allah, Allah…” with their hearts.
One day, someone asked Mevlana, “All the speakers say ‘music is forbidden in Islam.’” Mevlana, who played the rebab, smiled and said, “The sound of my rebab is the sound of the opening of Paradise’s gates for the lovers of the Truth; for the coarse dervishes, it is the sound of the gates closing. For the one who is not a lover is deaf.”
During Exalted Mevlana’s time, Sema had no specific rules. When a semazen (whirling dervish) was in a state of ecstasy, they could spin as much as they wanted. The current Sema Ceremony was organized by his son, Sultan Veled; if Sema had not been organized, it would have remained as it was during Exalted Mevlana’s time, and no one would understand its significance.
The sections of the Sema Ceremony, which narrates how the “light of the Truth” created the universe to express itself and how humans attain the Truth, are as follows:
In front of the entrance to the Sema hall, there is a red “meydan postu” (prayer rug). The line between the post and the entrance is referred to as the ‘Hatt-ı İstiva.’ This line represents the shortest path to unity for those who reach this truth. No one but the Sheikh can step on this line during the ceremony. The Sheikh represents Mevlana.
The post is the highest spiritual position, symbolizing birth and existence with its red color. After the mutrip (musicians), the semazens (whirling dervishes), and the Sheikh take their places on the post, the ‘Naat-ı Şerif,’ composed by Itri Dede and praising Exalted Muhammad, is recited by the naathan (reciter). Following the Naat, the sound of the kudüm (drum) is heard, representing the command ‘Kün!’ (Be). Then, the ney (reed flute) solo begins, symbolizing the giving of spirit to the universe. Once the solo is finished, the Devr-i Veled (rotation of the hall) begins with the peşrev (introduction). The Sheikh and the semazens revolve three times in the Sema hall to the rhythm of the music.
The first rotation expresses that Allah created the sun, moon, stars, and all inanimate beings, but none could articulate the essence of Allah. The second rotation indicates that Allah created the plants, which also cannot express Allah. The third rotation narrates that Allah created the animals in the sea and on land, as well as the birds, which again cannot articulate Allah. After the three rotations, the semazens return to their posts, remove their cloaks, and cross their arms over their shoulders. This signifies the testimony to the oneness of Allah. Then, the semazens consult with the Sheikh and enter the Sema. This represents the birth into existence; Allah created man and manifested Himself through humanity and the entire universe. Once the semazen begins to whirl, he opens his arms wide, with the right hand raised and the left hand lowered. This symbolizes, “We take from the Creator and scatter it to the community; we claim nothing for ourselves.”
In the first salute, the traveler learns the rules of the sharia by believing in the oneness of the Truth. In the second salute, he discovers the shortest path to the Truth, which is the path of love. In the third salute, he becomes acquainted with the essence of the Truth and adorns himself with those beauties. In the fourth salute, he begins to serve the people with those beauties. In this salute, the Sheikh also enters the Sema. In the Hatt-ı İstiva, the Sheikh, who is whirling among the semazens, opens the collar of his cloak with his right hand while holding the two ends of the cloak with his left hand. This gesture expresses that he opens his heart to everyone. At the end of the ceremony, with the ney solo performed, the Sheikh withdraws to his post. The ceremony concludes with the recitation of the Quran upon his arrival at the post.
As for the meanings of the posts; the earth-colored posts where the semazens sit represent humility. The red post, where the postnişin (the Sheikh) sits, symbolizes the rising and setting of the sun. When the sun shines, the Sema square is illuminated; when it conceals itself, Sema square is covered. Thus, this red color embodies both the sunrise and sunset.
The green post is the post of guidance, where those who possess knowledge of spiritual meaning sit. The murid (disciple) learns from the Sheikh, receives guidance, and develops his personality. The white post is where the scholars of outward knowledge and mesnevihans (reciters of the Mesnevi) sit.
THE WHIRL OF UNITY (THE WHIRL OF FORTIES)
Our Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, wants to test the thirty-nine individuals who are extremely devoted to each other, bonded by love and affection that inspires everyone, including Exalted Ali.
The Prophet addresses Exalted Ali: “O Ali! For a person to attain their true identity, they must purify themselves of all worldly attachments. Now, we will perform a service together. When I knock on your door after the morning prayer, you will ask from inside, ‘Who is it?’ When I say, ‘I am the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad,’ you will respond, ‘No, thank you!’ and you will not let me in. Even if it is difficult for you, you must do this so that this community can learn and reach their true identity.
The next day, at the same time, I will knock on your door again, and when you ask, ‘Who is it?’ I will say, ‘I am the beloved of Allah!’ and you will still refuse to let me in. On the third day, I will knock on your door again after the morning prayer, and when you ask, ‘Who is it?’ I will say, ‘El fakr-u fahri âlem! (I am the humblest among all beings, yet all beings are above me)’ and then you will open the door!”
These words are spoken by the Leader of both worlds!
Exalted Mevlana says, “I opened a shop and named it ‘The Shop of Unity.’ If you enter my shop and find more than one thing, it is considered duality.” We hold onto that one; we live with the one and we speak of the one while striving to be ‘one.’
Exalted Muhammad teaches us by taking on the form of nothingness. If you do not embrace this nothingness, no matter how much knowledge you have, the existence of the Divine will never reveal itself to you.
Mevlana states that wise individuals set out on the path with intellect, but since they do not embrace nothingness, they may bear fruit, yet their teeth only pierce the shell, and they cannot taste it. If they had embraced nothingness, they would have appeared to society as beings without ego. Their gaze, speech, and mannerisms would be different; because they would be nothing but manifestations of the Divine…
Exalted Ali thus opened the door for the Prophet and welcomed him. When the Prophet entered and saw that everyone was kneeling and engaging in a question-and-answer session with master Ali, he asked, “O Ali! Who are you?” Ali replied, “O Messenger of Allah! We are forty, and we are one.” However, he then informed that among them was Salman al-Farsi, the oldest of the assembly was outside getting supplies. Upon this, the Prophet said to Exalted Ali, “A command from Allah has come; I will now put you to a test, O Ali!” To which Ali replied, “Very well, O Messenger of Allah, we are ready!”
The Prophet ordered them to bring a grape. He instructed Ali to offer this grape to the forty individuals present. After bringing the grape, Exalted Ali touched it with his lips, asking the others to follow his example, and he served it to each of them in turn. After they all did the same, Exalted Muhammad said, “Now I have another test!” Exalted Ali asked, “What is it, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Everyone will pierce their little finger with a pin!” They all complied with the instruction. At that moment, when Salman al-Farsi returned home with supplies, they saw blood dripping from his little finger as well. This incident revealed how truthful Exalted Ali was and Exalted Muhammad began to enter a state of ecstasy, starting the Turna Sema. Only Exalted Muhammad performed this Sema in Ali’s square, which was later embraced by the Alevi and Bektaşi communities. The Alevi Sema originated from this event.
In both Semas, there is the Messenger of Allah, and both are forms of worship. Inspired by this knowledge, Mevlevi Hasan Rıza Dede combined these two forms of love, thus giving appearance to the Unity Sema.
