American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) 2023

A Sufi must therefore do a lot of meditations and certain methods to maintain a bond with God in order to reach these phases. Sama is one method for getting to God through getting through all of these stages. One such form of devotion, according to Rouget, was the traditional sama (listening, audition), a spiritual performance led by a master (sheikh), where enlightened Sufi devotees gathered to take in mystical poetry sung by a soloist (qawwal) or chorus with an instrumental element of varying significance. The emotional force of the music frequently caused a social trance that might be expressed through dance as the dervishes sat in great concentration" ( (Rouget 1985:265-66, 1985:285, 316).

Another musical tradition used by the Sufi school of thinking is qawwali. As with other religious music, this also aims to engage our minds in God's memory and is not produced for the sake of the human soul's worldly pleasure. Nasser (Nassr 1972:66) notes that one of the goals of Sufism has been to lead man from the world of form to the world of the spirit, and ultimately to total union of the spirit with the divine. Accordingly, Qawwali is considered in the Sufi tradition as a method of worship, a way to reach to the ultimate spiritual elevation, and it's a celebration for our soul. Sufis use music as part of their practice to reach their ultimate goal of union with God. According to their tradition, in order to approach God, a Sufi must pass through a series of hierarchical points (maqamath) and attain spiritual status (ahwbl). After passing through these two stages, a Sufi arrives at the final stage of his mystical journey annihilation to God, the supreme being.

Sama of the Middle East and several African nations share significant similarities with qawwali, which is typically practiced on the Indian subcontinent, in terms of structure, context, and logic. A group of singers actively tries to evoke a sense of religious and spiritual awakening in the listeners' minds through qawwali. The group typically wears Sufi garb, maintains a spiritual attitude, and gradually transports the audience into a state of mystic intoxication using the musical idiom Qawwali form. The artists make their musical selections in accordance with the idiom of the situation as well as those that are strongly tied to Sufi doctrine, social conventions, and economic issues.

The main goal of qawwali is to lead the audience to the shore of the spiritual sea. The artists always reply promptly and successfully to the audience's various and shifting spiritual desires, which they express in various ways. The main performer is given additional responsibility for answering questions from the audience and strives to address both their spiritual and secular condition. Their prompt reactions guarantee that performance benefits from kind offers. Sama and Qawwali are both types of ecstatic music that are primarily practiced by Sufis around the world. This instrument-based religious music is distinctive to Islamic culture. According to several clerics, Islam often advocates the use of just vocal performance, which is typically used in Quran recitation and the call to prayer. But, to achieve ecstasy in Sama or Qawwali, rhythmic music, breath control, and more importantly physical activity must be coordinated. Sufis practice sama and qawwali in the hopes that by doing so, God's memory will be kept there forever

IV. CONCLUSION

According to the Sufi school of thinking, music is nourishing for the soul. They are typically done in front of a head or other significant member of the Sufi hierarchy who is meant to have easy access to the performance that is being planned in a particular shrine of a well-known Sufi. It is commonly referred to as "the royal court of saints" and represents in miniature the greater Sufi movement and its revered figuresheads, with others serving as listeners. Members of that particular group may experience varied levels of euphoria as a result of this music, ranging from mild to intense arousal. Sufi music differs from other musical performances in a few key ways. Although there is a concentration on poetry, there are some simply melodic elements throughout the entire performance. Basic instrumental support is provided to hold up the vocalists' melody line and maintain the rhythm. Traditionally, only a brief introduction has been played on an instrument, with a group of vocalists performing the other portions of the Sufi music performance. The essence of this poetry, most crucially, is Sama. A fascinating aspect of the reward is that a performer is often compensated when the leader of the Sufi group is pleased with the performance and the level of pleasure that was attained by all participants. The prize is a symbolic representation of the spiritual connection between a Sufi [devotee] and his spiritual head, and it is thus an indirect material outcome of what is ultimately a non-material contract. Although though the backwards are supplied in reaction to the music's interaction, they serve simply as a reward for the singer. The following diagram illustrates the relationship between the performer and his reward.

(Image Courtesy of Burckhardt, 1986, Pages 137–138)

American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) 2023

In order to get closer to God, Sufi practitioners frequently listen to sama music and Sufi poetry. The music is a tool for spiritual development since it stirs up in the listener a deep state of religious fervor and conviction through song. Similar to euphoric religious experiences, music can be both transcendent and fleeting, giving listeners a sense of spirituality. Yet, listening to music does not necessitate active engagement in a religious group, unlike ecstatic religious experiences. A study of the historical connections between religiousecstatic musical genres and the religious traditions from which they emerged reveals that although music only offers a superficial connection to spiritual experience, for some people it is nonetheless profound, transcendent, and enduring. This makes music an important factor in religious development.

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