A Note on the Psychology of Dhikr. The Halveti-Jerrahi Order of Dervishes in Istanbul

Ritual prayer (salat), performed five times a day, belongs to the fundamental obligations of all Muslims. In addition to this fact, there is another type of prayer, associated with mystical orders in all Islamic countries. Repetitive prayer (dhikr) in mystical Islam (Sufism) belongs to the most cent...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Antoon Geels
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Donner Institute 1993-01-01
Series:Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67206
Description
Summary:Ritual prayer (salat), performed five times a day, belongs to the fundamental obligations of all Muslims. In addition to this fact, there is another type of prayer, associated with mystical orders in all Islamic countries. Repetitive prayer (dhikr) in mystical Islam (Sufism) belongs to the most central activities of the orders. Despite the geographic spread of the Sufi orders (turuq), accounts of the dhikr in the literature are rare. Psychological commentaries are even more scarce. The aim of this paper is to describe this ritual as it exists today within the Halveti-Jerrahi order of dervishes in Istanbul, Turkey, and to present a preliminary psychological analysis of the ritual.
ISSN:0582-3226
2343-4937