Melami Sufi Hadra in Kosovo, 1969 (Mostly Translated) – Sufi Dhikr – Albanian Sufi Poetry

Don’t forget to enable captions/CCs for the translation and change the quality to 1080p. As promised after passing 1000 subscribers... one of the most time-consuming videos I’ve done in a while. This rare footage was filmed by a German team in 1969 for a documentary that was released in 1971, of a Sufi hadra by Kosovo Albanian disciples of the Melami tariqah (Sufi order) in the tekke of Shaykh Hilmi Maliqi in Rahovec, Kosovo (then still known as Yugoslavia). ¹ Known as the ta’awwudh, this is always read prior to reciting the Qur’an ² Known as the basmalah, this verse begins almost every surah (chapter) of the Qur’an, and is also encouraged to be uttered by Muslims before beginning anything ³ This prayer is traditionally recited to indicate having finished reciting the Qur’an ⁴ Known as the tahlil or kalimah, this is the most central dhikr (litany for the remembrance of God) in Islam. It is considered to be an affirmation of absolute monotheism, and therefore the first half of the declaration of faith required to convert to Islam (the shahadah). ⁵ Haqq is typically translated as “truth“ or “reality“, but here it is likely referring to Allah, as al-Haqq (“The Reality“) is considered to be one of the 99 Qur’anic names for God ⁶ The poet addresses himself ⁷ The second half of the shahadah ⁸ Traditionally Sufis from Ottoman regions would wear robes and coats, which the Melami Sufis did not wear ⁹ A lodge belonging to a particular Sufi order; originally from Turkish, in former regions of the Ottoman Empire it refers to what’s known as a “zaawiyah“ in the Middle East and Africa, and a “khanqah“ in Iran and South Asia. ¹⁰ Jerusalem, here being used metaphorically ¹¹ Referring to the simple white sheets of cloth that pilgrims must wear throughout the rites of the Hajj, which involve circumambulation of the Ka’bah ¹² i.e. in the everyday and mundane ¹³ A word originating in Turkish, meaning someone who places the dots (nuktas) in a piece of writing or calligraphy. The Arabic script contains many of these, so this would have been a laborious task. ¹⁴ Ali ibn Abi Talib, the paternal cousin and later son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and last of the four Rashidun caliphs. Ali is a central figure to the vast majority of Sufi orders, with the overwhelming majority tracing their spiritual lineage through him to the Prophet Muhammad. ¹⁵ Meaning “People of the Household“, this term refers to the close family of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni and Shi’a Muslims disagree on who exactly makes up the Ahl al-Bayt, but both agree that it includes the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah, her husband Ali ibn Abi Talib, and their sons Hassan and Hussain. ¹⁶ Muhammed Nûrul Arabi, the founder of the tariqah ¹⁷ In Islam Ilm al-Ghayb (“Knowledge of the Unseen“) is considered to be knowledge that is only known by God. Sufi Muslims additionally believe in the concept of Ilm al-Ladun (“Knowledge through inspiration“), a subset of Ilm al-Ghayb that Allah allows to be discovered by those closest to Him through inspiration. Robbing this knowledge, therefore, probably refers to knowing it without truly experiencing it. ––––– Both Albanian poems recited are written by Shaykh Hilmi Maliqi (1856-1928), known to Albanians as Sheh Mala or Sheh Maliqi. Thanks to Arlinda and Ali for their initial translations, and thanks to Ervina Bajrami, Ervina Halili and Artan Sadiku for their extensive translating and editing free of charge. Thanks to Mohamed Hassan Osman, Angela Lytle and Gagah Ghifari Prasetyo for funding the Albanian translations with their donations (when I was still accepting them). 6:55 Po kan zemra 11:46 Neve na thon melâmi The Melami tariqah featured in this video was founded in 19th-century Kosovo – then ruled by the Ottomans – by Muhammed Nûrul Arabi (1813-1887), who was born in Cairo. The tariqah also has some influence from the teachings of 12th-century polymath Ibn Arabi, who as well as being a renowned Sufi master, was one of Islamic history’s most prolific scholars, earning him the title of Muhyi al-Din (“Reviver of the Religion“) throughout the Islamic world, and Dr. Maximus in Dark Ages Europe. A comment from Michael Dauer, whose father Dr. A. M. Dauer was responsible for filming the footage: “I’m deeply moved seeing this film which my father did over 40 years ago. He went through great troubles getting this film done, as the yugoslavian authorities tried hard to prohibit the making of this film. Despite, my father visited the dervish communities serveral times and was able to publish the films. Thank you.“ Thanks to d55 for uploading the original video, which can be found here: Currently there are only a handful of lines in this video untranslated – if you can make them out please let me know so I can update them and credit you in this description. #Hadra #Kosovo #Dhikr #Melami #Sufi