Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
INEDIT
Maison des Cultures du Monde
LA CONFRRIE QDIRIYA
N en 1077 dans une petite ville proche de la nage encore trs frquent de nos jours. Ses
Mer Caspienne, Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni deux fils perptuent son enseignement et lui
s'tablit Bagdad l'ge de dix-huit ans dans donnent la mesure d'un vritable mouve-
l'intention d'tudier le droit musulman. ment. Au XVe sicle, cette confrrie est
Quand il a termin ses tudes, il disparat prsente en Irak, en Syrie, en gypte et dans
pendant trente-trois ans. La lgende dit qu'il toute l'Afrique du nord. La qdiriya est
passe toutes ces annes mditer, retir dans aujourd'hui la plus grande confrrie du
le dsert. Il rapparat Bagdad vers 1127 monde musulman. Elle se subdivise en de
pour occuper la chaire de son dernier matre, multiples branches portant chacune le nom
Abu Saad al-Mubrak. Ses lves lui construi- de son fondateur.
sent une habitation l'endroit o il enseigne Celle qui nous intresse ici est la khlwatiya,
et ce lieu devient le premier ribt (couvent) fonde par al-Khlwat (mort en 1397). Elle
et donc le premier centre qdiri de Bagdad. se rpandit en Syrie et eut une grande
Ses sermons attirent aussi bien des juifs et renomme au XVIIe sicle. Plus connue sous
des chrtiens que des musulmans. Ils ont t son nom turc de Halvti, elle se distingue par
consigns dans un livre intitul La Conqute une retraite (khlwa) de quarante jours afin
du Divin, qui demeure le principal ouvrage de favoriser et de faciliter lintrospection,
tudi au sein de la confrrie. lamour de Dieu, mais aussi lducation des
Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni meurt en 1166 l'ge mes des murdin ou apprentis mystiques.
de quatre-vingt neuf ans et il est enterr dans Cette retraite est encore rgulirement pra-
son ribt qui devient alors un lieu de pleri- tique chaque hiver.
4
LE DHIKR DE LA ZWIYA HILALIYA
Jalloum, quartier populaire de la vieille Tout au long des diffrentes phases qui con-
ville dAlep, le vendredi aprs-midi, avant la stituent la crmonie, les formules scandes
prire du couchant, les marchands et cha- forment un socle sonore impressionnant sur
lands du bazar se retrouvent pour un lequel viennent se superposer les chants d'in-
moment unique : le dhikr. L, dans la salle de vocation et de louanges du munshd, le
prire de la zwiya hilaliya, ils clbrent chantre Muhammad Hakim. Ici et l, celui-ci
ensemble le divin. marque le rythme en frappant de sa main
Tout comme les medersas, coles religieuses droite le dos de sa main gauche. Son chant
destines abriter diffrents spcialistes des obit aux rgles de la tradition des modes, des
sciences religieuses, la zwiya est un lieu rat- rythmes et des formes musicales du Proche-
tach une confrrie dtermine et rserv la Orient : mwashshah, qad, shghul sfi
prire et la mditation. Fonde en 1680 par Muhammad Hakim, lev depuis sa plus ten-
le shaykh Hilal Rami Hamdani, cette zwiya a dre enfance dans un milieu mystique, a fait
toujours t dirige par ses descendants qui des tudes de thologie et appris les
sont enterrs dans la cour. Aujourdhui, elle est mwashshahat (pomes chants de tradition
dirige par le shaykh Jamal Eddine al-Hilali. savante) ainsi que le rpertoire religieux avec
Toujours fidle aux prceptes du fondateur, les plus grands matres alpins. Il est devenu
lenseignement de la thologie, des doctrines lun des principaux chantres de la zwiya
religieuses et de la pense mystique y est hilaliya.
encore assur aujourdhui. Arwad Esber
LES ENREGISTREMENTS
Les prires et les chants prsents dans ce dhikr en dehors du cadre habituel de sa
disque ont t enregistrs au cours d'un con- zwiya Alep. En revanche, ce disque
cert donn la Maison des Cultures du reprend fidlement le droulement de la
Monde le 22 mars 2001 dans le cadre du cin- crmonie, le chantre Muhammad Hakim
quime Festival de l'Imaginaire. Il ne s'agit ayant souhait conserver l'esprit du dhikr en
pas de la captation d'une crmonie pro- respectant le rpertoire, la dure et l'ordre
prement parler, le matre spirituel de la con- dans lequel il est chant habituellement.
frrie n'ayant pas souhait venir diriger un
5
1. Glorification du Sublime : ouverture Pars et vagabonde, grise-toi d'amour,
Cette premire partie constitue la mise en place Et contemple le pouvoir et la gloire du Sublime.
du cadre religieux du rituel. Aprs une litanie
sur la profession de foi : Il n'y a de dieu que Dieu, colombes, des dunes striles la verte valle
les adeptes chantent des louanges Dieu, au de Aqiq,
prophte et aux fondateurs dordres soufis. Vos roucoulements se changent en lamentations.
tes-vous comme moi abandonnes par l'ami
Sache qu'il n'y a de dieu que Dieu. sincre ?
Toi Celui qui ouvre 1, Toi l'Omniscient, nous Donnez libre cours votre ramage et chantez,
implorons ton secours. Seigneur.
messager de Dieu, nous avons confiance en toi. Saluez de ma part la matresse qui, sur le
messager de Dieu, intercde en notre faveur. chameau, trne dans son palanquin.
Par Dieu, toi le mdiateur dont les prires ne Seigneur,
peuvent qu'tre exauces, Au secours, messager de Dieu,
matre des lumires, Au secours, bien-aim de Dieu,
toi qui brandis l'tendard sacr, Au secours, toi qui es la porte de Dieu,
L'lu auquel s'adresse le Tout-Puissant, Au secours, seigneur, pre de Yahya,
Tu es pit et gnrosit. Au secours, seigneur Yahya,
Sans toi, le plus digne, le voyageur ne prendrait vous, de la maison du prophte, le messager de
pas la route. Dieu, au secours !
tre suprme, Donateur gracieux vers qui nous compagnons du messager de Dieu, au secours !
tendons, Sidi Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni, Sidi Ahmad al-
Bienfaiteur ador de l'univers, Rif 2, Sidi Ahmad al-Badawi 3, protgez-nous !
Le Sublime vers qui montent les louanges. Sidi shaykh Ibrahim al-Desuqi 4, protgez-nous !
Et toi, l'insouciant qui nglige son Seigneur, Sidi Saad al-Din al-Jibawi 5, protgez-nous !
proclame : Il n'y a de dieu que Dieu. Vous tous, amis de Dieu, protgez-nous !
Les Jlni m'apportent le rconfort Vous tous dont la prsence et la protection nous
Dans la misre et l'affliction. comblent, protgez-nous ! Seigneur.
1. Al-Fattah : un des 99 noms de Dieu, traduisible par Celui qui donne la victoire ou Celui qui ouvre aux secrets du
monde et de la religion.
2. Fondateur de la confrrie Rifya, mort en 1182.
3. Saint musulman qui vcut au XIIIe sicle.
4. N Disuq en Egypte au XIIe sicle, fondateur de la confrrie Burhanya Disuqya Shadhlya.
5. Saint de la famille du prophte dont le tombeau est situ dans le quartier de Midan, Damas.
6
Lorsque pendant l'assemble, l'chanson me Toi et personne d'autre, lumire qui nous guide
donna boire, je me rjouis. dans nos preuves.
Il n'tait autre que le protecteur des Jlni, Matre de la vrit, tu mnes les hommes Dieu,
Nous n'avions donc rien redouter. Tu es, par ta nature mme, louange l'Unique,
toi Abd al-Qdir, le faucon magnifique qui L'Absolu, celui qui n'a ni na t engendr.
nous viens en aide, toi dont les fleuves ont jailli des doigts,
toi, ocan de bienfaits, sauve-nous, seigneur, Et qui a abreuv une arme.
De la dtresse en ces temps difficiles.
Petit frre, petit frre, accours vers la chaleur de Mwashshah
la boisson, pome de Abu al-Ala al-Maari (973-1057)
Rends-moi visite, verse-moi encore de ton vin, musique de Majdi Akili
car je ne vis plus. demeure [difie] sur une terre aride,
Mon amour, seigneur. Ce lieu n'est pas si lointain,
Sois bienveillant et gnreux, toi qui resplendit Mais des obstacles terrifiants m'en dtournent.
comme la pleine lune. la tombe de la nuit, mon dsir devient insens,
seigneur, porte ton regard sur moi, Plus fbrile chaque battement de cur.
Pour l'amour de celui qui est la meilleure des L'eau de mon pays est la plus pure,
cratures. Mais il est vrai quil est aussi des liqueurs bien
seigneur, prie l'Omniprsent, pour le prophte douces.
de la Mecque dans sa puret,
Pour sa famille, ses compagnons vertueux et Sidi Mwashshah andalusi
Abd al-Qdir. pome de Ahmad Hilal Zein al-Din
musique de Bahjat Hassan
2. Glorification du Sublime : Rakza Au sommet de la colline, les fleurs sourient
La premire partie se poursuit par un inter- Telles un diadme tincelant.
mde musical avec tambours sur cadre daf qui Aux flancs de la colline, se rpand le parfum
a pour fonction de consolider la construction D'une herbe soyeuse, enlumine
du dhikr. Une qasda, des mwashshahat et des Par les narcisses en fleurs.
louanges (mada'eh) sont chants pour prpa- Chaque fois qu'il nous apparat, rayonnant de
rer les officiants l'extase. lumire,
Nos cils, sur son image blouissante, s'abaissent
Qasda comme un voile
Seigneur, messager de Dieu, prends ma main car Puis s'ouvrent nouveau
je n'ai que toi. Clignant comme l'il du veilleur insomniaque.
7
Mwashshah Seigneur, j'implore ton aide.
musique de Omar Batsh Qui est l'origine de toute chose, sinon
toi, lune radieuse et splendide, Muhammad ?
Je suis captif de ton amour. Combien de pleines lunes lui ont emprunt son
toi qui es perfection, combien d'amoureux clat et sa lumire ?
transis Oui, il est l'astre polaire qui brille au firmament
Se sont perdus, gars par la passion. du devoir,
Et moi, comme eux, j'attends ta grce. L'toile qui contient toutes les cratures.
Sois gnreux, accorde-moi la faveur d'une
rencontre. Par Dieu, toi le caravanier dont le chant encourage
Les chameaux porteurs de palanquins,
Mada'eh Piti pour l'amoureux transi.
Seigneur, Ma nostalgie s'est nourrie du chagrin
Je le dis : il n'est point de louange digne du Caus par l'amour de Taha le bienheureux 6,
prophte. La meilleure des cratures de Dieu.
Les vers innombrables composs par les hommes L'lu, que Dieu le Misricordieux le bnisse.
Ne sauraient numrer toutes les vertus Si mon bien-aim apparat sans voile, au grand
d'Ahmad [Muhammad], jour,
Et quand bien mme ils verseraient dans la Et qu'il fait circuler la coupe,
surenchre et l'exagration, Et que cette coupe porte le signe :
Seules les loges prononcs par Dieu toi le disciple du Tant-Dsir, te voici
Apporteront par leur marque divine contente- Alors, flattez mes oreilles
ment et orgueil. Et criez votre admiration : Allah, Huwa
6. Le prophte Muhammad.
8
Elle m'a tourment. La prire de Dieu soit sur toi et t'accorde la paix,
vous qui vivez pieusement dans la crainte de messager de Dieu, bien-aim de Dieu.
Dieu, Vous et moi, tous ensemble, prions pour le
Priez pour celui qui s'leva vers le Tout-Proche prophte lu,
Celui qui rpond aux invocations, Muhammad, parfait dans la plnitude de sa
seigneur. lumire,
Piti pour le captif prouv par la sparation. qui nous demandons d'intercder auprs du
seigneur. Tout-Puissant, messager de Dieu.
9
Vient le camarade de lit, le compagnon ins- Rfugie-toi dans leurs zwiya.
parable, Le chemin des hommes est le mme,
Le premier des califes, le vieil Abdallah, l'ami de Tout revient Dieu.
la grotte, Ne discute pas, ne t'entte pas,
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, le complice de l'lu, Sinon tu tomberas dans le plus abrupt des
Et Umar Ibn al-Khattab, le champion de la prcipices.
justice,
Rput pour la justesse de son jugement, Le Donateur gracieux l'a bni pour sa prire
Celui qui a fait fuir le dmon. Et lui a accord la conscience de la clart.
Il lui attribua exclusivement le Coran
lune resplendissante, verse-moi une coupe de Et le combla de Sa gnrosit.
ce nectar, Il lui assura une descendance vertueuse, des
Car la boisson manque au malheureux. compagnons illustres.
mon Dieu, Yusef 9 a got aux joies de l'ivresse
Quand bien mme je possderais En buvant l'ambroisie que les bons lui ont
Le tapis du roi Salomon et l'empire des servie.
Khusrau 8,
Cela ne vaudrait pas plus pour moi qu'une aile toi la meilleure crature de Dieu,
de moustique toi la lumire du trne de Dieu,
Si mon il ne pouvait contempler Ton visage. Tu es pour moi un trsor de bienfaits,
Protge-moi, Seigneur. Tu as acquis toute la splendeur,
Ma passion pour toi est une doctrine,
Quand la lune s'est leve toi l'lu, mon amour.
Notre nuit s'est illumine d'une douce et intime Seigneur, mon Dieu,
prsence. Pardonne mes pchs [commis] jour aprs jour
Voici le chemin d'al-Qdiri et d'al-Rif le saint Et accorde ta bndiction au prophte purifi,
homme, Muhammad,
Des imams al-Badawi et al-Desuqi, galit. Le plus glorieux des messagers.
Al-Jlni, al-Rif, al-Desuqi et al-Tantwi, Seigneur, je l'ai vu et le l'ai appel,
Sont les hommes de l'univers, joins-toi eux. L'implorant au nom de ton regard.
8. Empereurs sassanides qui rgnrent sur la Perse aux VIe et VIIe sicles et dont le luxe et le faste sont entrs dans
la lgende.
9. Auteur de ces vers.
10
5. At-taraqq tion des chameaux dans le dsert) afin de
(lvation, ascension) mener les officiants vers la source.
Les officiants rptent un vers sur l'ternit de
Dieu, prexistant toute chose et ternel, et Seigneur,
une prire : Toi qui rponds celui qui t'im- Toi qu'on supplie le jour de la rsurrection,
plore, nous te supplions d'exaucer notre prire. Quand on ne peut supplier ni mre ni pre,
Toi qui dissipe les craintes,
Toi, l'Ancien, l'ternel, Celui qui fait don d'extraordinaires bienfaits,
Celui qui reste et ne disparat jamais, Si nous Te fuyons, Tu es notre seul refuge,
Toi qui rponds celui qui t'implore, Accorde-nous, Seigneur, Ton pardon,
Nous Te supplions d'exaucer notre prire. Un bonheur qu'on ne puisse nous reprendre,
Notre Dieu, notre Dieu, Une grce qu'on ne puisse nous retirer,
Pardonne nos pchs, jette un voile sur nos dfauts. Seigneur,
Toi dont la seule vocation du nom, Protge-nous, gloire Toi, l'ternel,
Aide franchir les preuves, Gloire Toi qui possdes la science des choses
Surmonter les obstacles. caches, de l'invisible,
Toi vers qui montent les lamentations, Gloire Toi qui rsoud les preuves, protge-nous
Et qui a en main les destines de la Cration, Seigneur.
Le Vivant, l'Immuable,
Toi l'Absolu, l'Impntrable, Toi, Taha, le messager,
Celui qui ignore toute contradiction, Celui qui dtient le suprme privilge d'avoir t
Tu es source de toute chose, choisi,
Celui qui nous aide et nous soutient, Toutes mes craintes se dissipent lorsque je m'ap-
Nous Te supplions de ne pas t'loigner, puie sur toi.
Car j'ai perdu tout espoir en mes proches et dans En toi, livre de l'invisible, nous trouvons
les trangers. refuge,
Que Ta puissance dissipe nos craintes, Tu es la gurison des curs,
Toi vers qui reviennent les bonnes actions. Que la bndiction et la paix soient sur toi
Tant que les curs affols murmureront ton nom
6. As-saw dans leurs prires,
(d'aprs le nom d'un des shaykh de la tarqa) Toi le messager auprs des hommes.
Rptition du nom d'Allah avec accompag-
nement des tambours daf. Le soliste impro- Le jour o Tu Te manifesteras moi sera celui de
vise dans le style du hadi (chant de stimula- ma fte.
11
Tu seras mon soutien, Puis dont le sens m'a t rvl :
La fte sera pour moi la ngation ternelle Rien de ce que tu fais dans ta vie n'a de valeur,
De l'existence d'un autre que Toi. sinon Lui, Huwa.
Prouver l'existence d'un autre que Toi est une
apostasie, Que de temps pass, oui, que de temps pass.
Contraire notre foi. Voici longtemps qu'on n'a pas vu se lever la
Effacer l'ide de l'existence d'un autre, c'est lune,
notre religion, Tu me manques,
Toi, ma consolation. Mais que peut faire celui qui est pris de nostalgie ?
Sans ta prsence mon regard,
Mon il ignorerait le sens de la vue Ils ont fait les comptes et ils ont t prcis,
Et ma vision serait assombrie. Puis, dans leur grande largesse, ils ont tout
effac.
Regarde autour de toi, C'est l'habitude des seigneurs
Tu verras qu'il n'y a d'autre dieu que Dieu. D'tre aussi bienveillant.
Va, erre et les preuves te rvleront la beaut de
Dieu. Mon cur me dit et ma langue le croit :
S'Il manifeste Sa beaut et en laisse apparatre le Tout homme qui meurt dans la foi
sens, chappe l'enfer.
Alors va, erre, et invoque Son nom dans les cer-
cles et les assembles. 7. Khummar
(envahi par la fivre, bouillonnant)
De belles Arabes sont venues camper dans mon Les officiants rptent : mon Dieu, nous
cur, implorons ta clmence dans nos preuves. Ta
Elles se sont installes au fin fond de mes bienveillance dissipera les malheurs. C'est
entrailles, dans cette tape que les officiants atteignent
Elles ont pris ma raison et ma patience, elles en principe le summum de la puret spi-
m'ont tout vol, rituelle, le wajd.
Elles m'ont mme dpossd de mon existence.
mon Dieu, nous implorons ta clmence dans
Un secret magnifique dont le symbole est nos preuves,
mystrieux, Ta bienveillance dissipera les malheurs.
Un secret sublime, Dieu qu'il est beau ! Accorde-nous une fin heureuse,
Un secret qui s'est d'abord manifest moi, Nous sommes Tes esclaves
12
Et n'attendons que Ton approbation, Entre dans le jardin, compagnon,
Car les bienfaits et les mfaits T'appartiennent. Prs de la chaire du prdicateur.
Et puis, accorde Ta bndiction au prophte lu, Ecoute ces mlodies merveilleuses comme de
Tant que se lveront l'astre du jour et la lune l'ambre, ces paroles loquentes,
radieuse. Nous nous tournmes vers le guide, celui qui
dissipe l'obscurit.
Sans Toi, ornement de l'existence, habitants de cette oasis, je n'en peux plus de
Je n'aurais pas aim ma vie. l'impatience
Seigneur, accorde Ta bndiction au bien-aim De vous revoir.
Muhammad, Soyez gnreux, accordez votre grce
Que la bndiction et la paix soient sur lui. l'amoureux transi.
13
Sufi chanting from Syria
DHIKR QDIR KHLWAT
Sufism is the mystical side of Islam and the achieve annihilation in God (fan). One
main path of spiritual realization (tahqq) in joins a tarqa through a shaykh, a master in
this religion. The Arabic term tasawwuf charge of spiritual direction. Such a master
comes from the word sf, wool, referring to must have gone through all of the steps
the wool robes worn by the first Sufis. Sufism (maqmat) of the perilous interior voyage so
is based on the Koran, the divine word mate- that he can then guide his dervishes after
rialized in a sacred book, as well as on the having initiated them and given them bara-
sunna or practice of the prophet Muhammad, ka, divine grace.
the ultimate model for all Muslims and the Practically, the main technique in any con-
Perfect Man for the mystics. templative approach is invocation and prayer,
Sufism has sometimes been seen in opposi- and this is true for Sufism as well. Its method
tion to the formal religion, which focuses on is based on the dhikr or mentioning, remem-
the written word, to the exterior aspect of bering, recalling understood to be of God
the revelation that constitutes the shell of in accordance with the Koranic injunctions:
Islam. In fact, it is complementary, as the "Remember your Lord, when you forget" (XVIII,
religion of the heart and the spirit and the 24), "O you who believe, remember God in an
interior dimension of Islam. Sufism is the abundant invocation" (XXXIII, 41).
path which leads from the shell to the core, The term dhikr comes from the Syriac
i.e. from religious law common to all belie- dhukrana, which indicates that the principle
vers (shara) to reality, to transcendent predates Islam. The Sufis, however, have
truth, the goal of the mystical quest. Sufism turned it into an original method, the sys-
is thus a path of initiation which is only for tematic practice of which is attested as of the
those who are ready to renounce the objec- 9th century with Abu Yazid Bastmi (died in
tive world and which implies death followed 874) and especially Sahl Tostari (died in
by rebirth, a stripping away of the self in 896). The recitation of dhikr formulae uses
order to isolate and expose the divine Self (in various techniques involving the breath and
Arabic: Huwa, "Him"). movements of the torso and the head. This
This way of the dervishes is called tarqa, a leads to hyperventilation, which induces a
word which means both the way and the state of stupor or trance, which promotes
brotherhood, and which offers the means to mental concentration.
17
The dhikr consists of the incessant repetition repetition of the divine name, the dervish is
of the supreme Name, Allah, generally assimilated with Him in such a way that the
accompanied by the recitation of other invoker (dhkir), the Invoked (madhkr) and
names designating the divine qualities, such the invocation (dhikr) become one. The
as Hayy (the Ever-Living) and Qayym (the supreme identity is thus realized, transcen-
Self-Existing). The dhikr summarizes the ding all duality, all limits, and reintegrating
entire path: by immersing himself totally in the primordial and perfect nature of being.
Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni was born in 1077 in a has remained so to this day. His two sons car-
small city near the Caspian Sea and came to ried on his teaching and turned it into a real
Baghdad at the age of eighteen to study movement.
Muslim law. After he finished his studies, he In the 15th century, this brotherhood was
disappeared for thirty-three years. Legend present in Iraq, Syria, Egypt and throughout
has it that he spent all of these years in North Africa. The qdiriya is now the largest
meditation in the desert. He reappeared in brotherhood in the Muslim world. It is sub-
Baghdad around 1127 to take the place of his divided into various branches, each of which
last master, Abu Saad al-Mubrak. His pupils bears the name of its founder.
built him a house at the place where he The one that interests us here is the khl-
taught, which became the first ribt (con- watiya, founded by al-Khlwat (died in
vent) and the first qdiri center of Baghdad. 1397). It spread in Syria and was very well
His sermons attracted Jews and Christians as known in the 17th century. It is better known
well as Muslims. They were recorded in a by its Turkish name Halveti, and is distin-
book entitled The Conquest of the Divine, guished by a retreat (khlwa) of forty days in
which remains the main work studied with- order to promote and facilitate introspec-
in the brotherhood. tion, love of God, but also the education of
Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni died in 1166 at the age the souls of the murdin or apprentice mys-
of 89 and was buried in his ribt, which tics. This retreat is still practiced regularly
became a popular site for pilgrimages and each winter.
18
THE DHIKR OF THE ZWIYA HILALIYA
THE RECORDINGS
The prayers and chants on this CD were Muhammad Hakim wished to maintain the
recorded during a concert given at the spirit of the dhikr by keeping the repertoire,
Maison des Cultures du Monde on March 22, the duration and the order in which it is usu-
2001 as part of the 5th Festival de l'Imaginaire. ally sung.
This is not a recording of a ceremony in the
strict sense because the spiritual master of 1. Glorification of the Most-High: opening
the brotherhood didn't want to lead a dhikr This first part sets the religious context for
outside of the usual context of his zwiya in the ritual. After a litany on the profession of
Aleppo. faith: There is no god but God, the adepts sing
However, this CD faithfully reproduces the praise to God, to the prophet, Sufi saints and
progression of the ceremony, as the cantor founders of brotherhoods.
19
Know that there is no god but God. Are you like me abandoned by the sincere friend?
O You the Opener 1, You the All-Knowing, we ask Give free rein to your warbling and sing, o Lord.
your help. Greet for me the mistress who, on her camel, sits
O messenger of God, we put our trust in you. enthroned in her palanquin.
O messenger of God, intercede on our behalf. Lord,
By God, you the mediator whose requests cannot Help me, O messenger of God,
be rejected, Help me, beloved of God,
O master of light, Help me, you who are the door of God,
O you who brandish the holy standard, Help me, lord, father of Yahya,
The chosen one to whom the Almighty speaks, Help me, lord Yahya,
You are piety and generosity. O you, of the house of the prophet, the messen-
Without you o most worthy, the traveler would ger of God, help me!
not start on his way. O companions of the messenger of God, help me!
Supreme Being, the Bestower, toward whom we Sidi Abd al-Qdir al-Jlni, Sidi Ahmad al-
aim, Rif 2, Sidi Ahmad al-Badawi 3 , protect us!
Adored Benefactor of the universe, Sidi shaykh Ibrahim al-Desuqi 4, protect us!
The Most-High toward whom praise rises. Sidi Saad al-Din al-Jibawi 5, protect us!
And you, the heedless one who neglects his Lord, All of you, friends of God, protect us!
proclaim: You whose presence and protection fill us, protect
There is no god but God. us!
The Jlnis bring me comfort O Lord.
In misery and affliction.
Go and wander, be carried away by love, When we are together, the cup bearer pours me a
In that way you will see the power and the glory drink, I rejoice.
of the Most-High. He was none other that the protector of the
Jlni,
O doves, from the sterile dunes to the green valley We therefore had nothing to fear.
of Aqiq, O you Abd al-Qdir, magnificent falcon, who
Your cooing has become lamentation. come to us in aid,
1. One of the 99 names of God, Al-Fattah : the Opener of the secrets of the world.
2. Founder of the Rifya brotherhood, died in 1182.
3. Muslim saint who lived in the 13th century.
4. Born in Disuq in the 12th century, he founded the Burhanya Disuqya Shadhlya brotherhood.
5. A saint from the family of the prophet whose tomb is located in the Midan district, Damascus.
20
O you, ocean of blessings, save us, lord, O you from whose fingers rivers sprang,
From distress in these difficult times. And who drenched an army.
Little brother, little brother, hasten to the heat of
the drink, Mwashshah
Come see me, pour me more of your wine, poem by Abu al-Ala al-Maari (973-1057)
because I am no longer alive. music by Majdi Akili
My love, o lord. O dwelling [built] on arid ground,
Be benevolent and generous, you who are This place is not so far off,
resplendent like the full moon. But terrifying obstacles throw me off course.
O lord, look at me, At nightfall, my desire becomes demented,
For the love of he who is the best among creatures. More feverish with each heartbeat.
O lord, pray to the Omnipresent, for the prophet The water of my country is the most pure,
of Mecca, But it is true that there are also sweet liquors.
In his purity,
For his family, his virtuous companions and Sidi Mwashshah andalusi
Abd al-Qdir. poem by Ahmad Hilal Zein al-Din
music by Bahjat Hassan
2. Glorification of the Most-High: Rakza At the top of the hill, the flowers smile
The first part of the ritual continues with a Like a sparkling diadem.
musical interlude accompanied by frame On the sides of the hill, there is a perfume
drums daf; this consolidates the construction Of silky grass, illuminated
of the dhikr. A qasda, muwashshahat and a By the narcissa in bloom.
praise (mada'eh) are sung to prepare the offi- Each time that he appears before us, shining
ciants for ecstasy. with light,
Our eyelashes, on his dazzling image, lower like
Qasda a veil
Lord, messenger of God, take my hand because I Then open again
have only you. Blinking like the eye of the insomniac watch-
You and no one else, o light which guides us man.
through our trials.
Master of the truth, you lead men to God, Mwashshah
You are, by your very nature, praise to the One, music by Omar Batsh
The Eternally-Besought, he who has not neither O you, radiant and splendid moon,
has been begotten. I am a captive of your love.
21
O you who are perfection, how many bashful Yes, he is the North Star which shines in the
lovers firmament of duty,
Were lost, led astray by their passion. The star that contains all creatures.
And I, like them, I await your grace. By God, you the caravaneer whose song encourages
Be generous, grant me the favor of a meeting. The camels who carry the palanquins,
Take pity on the bashful lover.
Mada'eh My nostalgia was fed with sorrow
Lord, Caused by the love of Taha the blessed 6,
I say: there is no praise worthy of the prophet. The best among God's creatures.
The innumerable verses composed by men The chosen, may God the Merciful bless him.
Cannot enumerate all of the virtues of Ahmad If my beloved appears without a veil, in broad
[Muhammad], daylight,
Even when they resort to overstatement and And he passes around the cup,
exaggeration, And this cup bears the sign:
Only the praise spoken by God O you the disciple of the So-Desired, here you are,
Will bring, with its divine mark, contentment Well then, flatter my ears
and pride. And shout your admiration: "Allah, Huwa"
22
4. Maqsm I see, between the trees of the field, a heart on fire.
The officiants repeat Allahumma (O my The gazelles, at this oasis, made me cry blood.
God), an expression which, in itself, includes They inflicted on me an unjust and tyrannical
the 99 names of God. The torso movements separation,
of the officiants are from right to left, Abandoning me to my illness up to the banks of
expressing the idea of sharing contained in death.
the term maqsm. Ah! If my fate could bring me salvation!
But of my tasting of the burning of passion there
Lord, be kind. remains only suffering.
Of all eternity, the Most-High was drawn to this
symbol of beauty O my God
And designated him as the first of the messen-
gers. O you who inhabit my heart,
In His wisdom, God deprived the messenger of Would that life never be able to deprive me of the
his father, sweet feeling which I have for you,
But cherished him generously. Which has taken possession of me and have
The Generous gave his father and his mother the invaded my blood!
attributes of authority, The camels suddenly quicken their pace 7,
Thanks to his good star, Hastening to return to your open spaces,
And the moon bowed down before his perfection. And, in the confusion, we no longer know
I will sacrifice my soul to this unique being. Who these songs are for.
Because he was an orphan
The angel Gabriel was at his service. After the prophets, second among the best
Pray for his blessing and that peace be with him. Comes the bed-mate, the inseparable companion,
May the prayer of God bless you and grant you The first of the caliphs, the old Abdallah, the
peace, friend of the cave,
O messenger of God, O beloved of God. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the friend of the chosen one,
You and I, all together, let us pray for the chosen And Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the champion of jus-
prophet, tice,
Muhammad, perfect in the fullness of his light, Renowned for the soundness of his judgment,
To whom we ask intercession with the Almighty, He who made the demon flee.
O messenger of God.
23
Shining moon, pour me a glass of this nectar, Yusef 9 tasted the joys of drunkenness
Because the unhappy need to drink. Thanks to the ambrosia that the good ones
O my God, served him.
If throughout time I possessed
The carpet of King Solomon and the empire of O you the greatest creature of God,
the Khusraws 8, O you the light of the throne of God
It wouldn't be worth more for me than a You are for me a treasure of kindness,
mosquito's wing You have acquired all the splendor,
If my eye could not contemplate Your face, My passion for you is a doctrine,
Protect me, o Lord. O you the chosen, my love.
Lord, my God,
Our night was illuminated by a soft and inti- Pardon my sins [committed] day after day
mate presence And grant your blessing to the purified prophet,
When the moon rose. Muhammad,
Here is the path of al-Qdiri and al-Rif the The most glorious of messengers.
holy man, Lord, I saw him and called to him,
Of the imams al-Badawi and al-Desuqi, equally. Imploring him in the name of your glance.
Al-Jlni, al-Rif, al-Desuqi and al-Tantwi,
They are men of the universe, be with them. 5. At-taraqq
Take refuge in their zwiya. (elevation, ascension)
The path of men is the same, The officiants repeat a verse about the eter-
All comes back to God. nity of God, existing before all things and
Don't argue, don't persist, eternal, and a prayer: "O You who answer he
Or you will fall in the sharpest precipice. who implores you, we beg you to answer our
prayer".
The Bestower blessed him with his prayer
And granted him awareness of the clarity. O You, the Ancient One, the Eternal, He who
He gave him exclusively the Koran remains and never disappears,
And filled him with His generosity. O You who answer he who implores,
He granted him virtuous descendants, and illus- We beg You to answer our prayer.
trious companions. Our God, o our God,
8. Sassanid emperors who ruled Persia in the 6th and 7th centuries and whose wealth and splendor were legendary.
9. The author of these lines.
24
Forgive our sins, cast a veil over our faults, A happiness that no one can take from us,
O You thanks to whom, by the mere evoking of A favor that no one can take from us,
Your name, Lord,
Hardships are overcome, obstacles are avoided. Protect us, glory to You, Eternal one,
O You toward whom the lamentations rise, Glory to You who possesses the science of hidden
And who has in his hand the fate of Creation, things, of the invisible,
The Ever-Living, the Self-Existing, Glory to You who resolve the hardships, protect us
O You the Eternally-Besought, the Hidden, O Lord.
He who knows no contradiction,
You are That source of all things, You, Taha, the messenger,
The one who makes it easy, who supports us, He who has the supreme privilege of having been
We beg You not to leave us, chosen,
Because I have lost all hope in my close ones, as All my fears dissipate when I count on you.
in strangers. O you, book of the invisible, we find refuge in you,
May Your power dissipate our fears, You are the remedy for our hearts,
You to whom all good actions return. May blessings and peace be with you
As long as tortured hearts murmur your name in
6. As-saw their prayers,
(from the name of one of the shaykh of the You the messenger to men.
tarqa)
Repetition of the name of Allah with drum The day when You will manifest Yourself to me,
daf accompaniment. The soloist improvises this will be my feast.
in the style of the hadi (to encourage the You will be my support,
camels in the desert) in order to lead the offi- The feast will be for me the eternal negation
ciants toward the source. Of the existence of someone other than You.
Proving the existence of someone other than You
Lord, is an apostasy,
O You whom we implore on the day of the resur- Contrary to our faith.
rection, Erasing the idea of the existence of another, that
When we can implore neither mother nor father, is our religion,
O You who dissipate the fears, O You, my consolation.
He who grants extraordinary kindness, Without your presence in my sight,
If we flee from You, You are our only refuge, My eye would not know what it means to see
Grant us, Lord, Your forgiveness, And my vision would be darkened.
25
Look around you, My heart says to me and my tongue believes it:
You will see that there is no other god but God. Any man who dies in faith
Go, wander and the proof will reveal to you the Will escape hell.
beauty of God.
If He manifests His beauty and lets the meaning 7. Khummar
appear, (filled with fever, seething)
Then go, wander, and invoke His name in the The officiants repeat: O Lord, take us in Your
circles and the assemblies. kindness, a kindness which dissipates the mis-
fortunes. It is in principle at this stage that
Beautiful Arab women came into my heart, the officiants reach the height of spiritual
They settled into the very depths of my entrails, purity, wajd.
They took my reason and my patience, they
robbed me of everything, O Lord, take us in Your kindness,
They even robbed me of my existence. A kindness which dissipates the misfortunes.
Grant us a happy end,
A magnificent secret of which the symbol is mys- We are Your slaves
terious, And we hope for nothing but Your approval,
A sublime secret, how beautiful it is, o God! Because kindness and wrongdoing are Yours.
A secret which was first manifested to me, And then, grant Your blessing to the chosen
Then the meaning of which was revealed to me: prophet,
Nothing that you do in your life has value, if not As long as the morning star and the radiant
Him, Huwa. moon shall rise.
Time has gone by, yes, time has gone by. Without You, ornament of existence,
It's been a long time since I saw the moon rise, I would not have loved my life.
I miss you, Lord, grant Your blessing to the beloved
But what can the person in the grip of nostalgia Muhammad,
do? My God, may blessings and peace be upon him.
INEDIT
Maison des Cultures du Monde
INEDIT W 260109
Sufi chanting from Syria
Maison des Cultures du Monde
DHIKR QDIR KHLWAT
SYRIE DHIKR QDIR KHLWAT
1. Ouverture/Opening ...................................1152
2. Rakza............................................................1019
3. Musaddar .......................................................929
4. Maqsm .......................................................1755
5. At-taraqq .........................713
6. As-saw...............................836
Collection fonde par 7. Khummar .........................257
enregistr / recorded at
Maison des Cultures
du Monde
Paris, 03/2002
W 260109 AD 090
distribution AUVIDIS
O
P 2002
INEDIT W 260109
INEDIT / MCM
Muhammad Hakim (premier chantre / lead cantor), Abdullah Rihawi,
Made in France Abdulrahman Halak, Ahmad Machal, Muhannad Alwan, Ahmad Moslemani,
Bakri Basal, Abdulhadi Kasara, Omar Shaban Hosayn, Ibrahim Karman.