Zikr
Dervish
The Sufi Dervishes are a mystical sect that use music and dance to achieve an altered state of consciousness in a tradition called zikr. The drumming sessions of the women’s Zikr sect are a prominent part of Dervish music.[1] The Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies. Each order or lineage within an order has one or more forms for group dhikr, the liturgy of which may include recitation, singing, instrumental music, dance, costumes, incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.[2] Dhikr in a group is most often done on Thursday and/or Sunday nights as part of the institutional practice of the orders.
