The Tale of Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervishes
Spiritual Art by Shafique Farooqi

– No Of Pages: 265 | Hard Cover

– Art paper | Color Printing | Coffee Table Book

Sufi whirling (or Sufi spinning) is a form of SEMA or physically active meditation which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. It is a customary dance performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach the source of all perfection. This is sought through abandoning one’s Nafs, ego or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one’s body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the sun, As explained by Sufis Heart-Centered Sufi Dancing is a beautiful Spiritual Practice, a meditation of Divine Light and Bliss.

Mr. Shafique Farooqi is an international fame artist for his solo and group exhibitions, art studio and galleries work, calligraphy, paintings, seminars and actual art contribution. He has been expressing his impressions, observations and experiences in more than 10,000 art pieces and 105 Solo shows. He has mastered the art of Calligraphy, Landscape, Watercolor, Journey of Line and cabalistic paintings, which reveals his personality in a novel creation, “The Tale of Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervishes”, already launched in Pakistan.

About the Book:

The present book, an artistic endeavour of Shafique Farooqi, is truly reflective of Sufism as seen and depicted through the intellect of Mevlana Rumi. This kind of work in the past, was carried out by different artists in different forms such as Chughtai’s illustrations of Asadullah Ghalib’s poetry, but no one was dexterous enough in interpreting this demonstrative spiritualism in art form. Each page of Shafique Farooqi’s book illustrates the feelings as described by many scholars in their perceptions of Sufism. Farooqi’s personality is revealed in this effort of writing and painting, “The Tale of Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervishes”. I am confident the reader will enjoy the script and the whirling paintings.
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Justice (Retired) Dr. Javid Iqbal
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In this book we will have opportunity to stroll on the hillside of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Rumi’s thought with glorious comment and research of Shafique Farooqi. Mevlana’s poetries have been calligraphed and painted in Turkey and eastern countries by different painters and calligraphers. But this is through pen and dancing brush on canvas in the Rumi’s compassionate climatic form. Farooqi has reflected the light of (the inner self) Rumi on canvas in colorful glittering paints. This colorful impression and imagination of Farooqi fascinates, beholds the eyes of Rumi lovers. Farooqi has tried to pay homage to Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi through his spiritual intuition and marvellous work of art.
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Mesut Kacmaz
Chairman Rumi Forum,Pakistan

Chairman, Rumi Forum and Anatolian Turkish Language & Cultural Center
Like all other mystic and Sufi poets the theme of Rumi’s poetry is based on concept of Tawheed, but he passionately adopted the paths of music, poetry and dance for preaching “Tawheed”, as he believes that the man is cut off from his creator and has become lonely, aloof and the desire to restore back to the origin is his destiny. He believes all these three forms as a cry and desire to rejoin to the origin.
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Orya Maqbool Jan

The representation of Islamic art on such an established and out reaching level enables a mass audience to learn more about such a beautiful mysticism, linked to our religion and culture. This is surely a worthy read and not only interesting and enjoyable but more importantly, educating and informative, making it an excellent piece of work which should be highlighted and supported in order to reach out to many who will indeed benefit from and be touched by, its beautiful content.
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Prof. Dr. Murtaza Jafri – Principal NCA