Travels of Ibn Baṭṭūṭa

13. Ritual chants and dances of the Rifāʿiyya Sufi brotherhood

Wasit (Wāsiṭ)
Title
Ritual chants and dances of the Rifāʿiyya Sufi brotherhood
Short description
The author witnesses ritual chants and dances of the Rifāʿiyya Sufi Order including some fakir acts with fire.
Text on source
ولما انقضت صلاة العصرضُرِبَت الطبول والدفوف وأَخَذَ الفقراء في الرقص، ثم صَلَّوا المغرب وقدموا السماط وهو خبز الأرز والسمك واللبن والتمر فأكّلُوا الناس، ثم صلوا العشاء الآخرة وأخذوا في الذكر والشيخ أحمد قاعد على سجادة جَدّه المذكور، ثم أخذوا في السماع وقد أعدوا أحمالًا من الحطب فأججوها نارًا ودخلوا في وسطها يرقصون، ومنهم من يتمرّغ فيها، ومنهم من يأكلها بفمه حتى أطفئوها جميعها وهذا دأبهم، وهذه الطائفة الأحمدية مخصوصون بهذا، وفيهم من أخذ الحية العظيمة فيعض بأسنانه على رأسها حتى يقطعه [ص. ١٣٠]
English translation
When the afternoon prayers had been said, drums [ṭubūl] and frame drums [dufūf] were beaten and the poor brethren began to dance. After this they prayed the sunset prayer and brought in the repast, consisting of rice-bread, fish, milk and dates. When all had eaten and prayed the first night prayer, they began to recite their dhikr, with the shaikh Aḥmad sitting on the prayer-carpet of his ancestor above-mentioned, then they began the musical recital [samāʿ, lit. 'audition']. They had prepared loads of firewood which they kindled into a flame, and went into the midst of it dancing; some of them rolled in the fire, and others ate it in their mouths, until finally they extinguished it entirely. This is their regular custom and it is the peculiar characteristic of this corporation of Aḥmadi brethren. Some of them will take a large snake and bite its head with their teeth until they bite it clean through.
Folios/Pages
273-274
Date
1326 circa
Observations on the events description
Here is the only occurrence of dufūf (frame drums) in the book instead of the most recurring ṭubūl (drums). The term "samāʿ", literally "audition", is a common one for Sufi practices involving music, dances and dhikr [ḏikr] (Cf. Samāʿ, EI-2, Brill, 2012).
The dots on the map indicate the places where sound and music events were described. They don't represent travel stages.

Participants
No other participants in this event description.


How to quote
Pintimalli A., "Ritual chants and dances of the Rifāʿiyya Sufi brotherhood" (Event description), Echos. Sound Ecosystems in Travelogues. Published 2024 05 17.

doi: 10.25430/echos.travels.130

This work is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0