The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi

This 5-minute documentary about whirling dervishes was created by Zain Dada and Jacob McDowell as a final project for a Learning Community (LCRM 200-LC-J) at Augustana College - Rock Island, IL. The Learning Community consisted of two classes taught side-by-side. Dr. Cyrus Ali Zargar taught a course on “Sufi Literature“ (RELG 378-LC) and Dr. Sarah Skrainka taught a course on “The Complete Works“ by Michel de Montaigne (WLIT 326-LC2). The aim of this short video is to provide a basic explanation behind the origin of Sufi whirling and how the ritual (known as a “Sema“) is structured.