What is Chechen zikr?

This is a zikr, the mystical Sufi dance of the Caucasus, and a ritual near the center of Chechen Islam. Here inside Chechnya, where Russia has spent six years trying to contain the second Chechen war since the Soviet Union collapsed, traditional forms of religious expression are returning topublic life.

Are Chechen Sufi?

The Shafi’i school of jurisprudence has a long tradition among the Chechens, and thus it remains the most practiced. Some adhere to the mystical Sufi tradition of muridism, while about half of Chechens belong to Sufi brotherhoods, or tariqah.

Why do Sufis dance in a circle?

It is a customary meditation practice performed within the sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes (also called semazens, from Persian سماعزن) aim to reach the source of all perfection, or karma.

What nationality is a Chechen?

The Chechens are one of the oldest indigenous ethnic groups of the Caucasus. They belong to the Caucasian-Balkan type of the Europeoid race. Their language is Chechen, which together with the related language of the neighbouring Ingush people forms the so-called Vaynakh branch of the Ibero-Caucasian language group.

Are there female whirling dervishes?

Traditionally, only men can dance as Whirling Dervishes, although that is beginning to change. In Istanbul, men and women can now take part in the dance together.

What should I recite in Zikr?

After salah, you should always recite the following du’as 33 times: subhanallah (glory be to Allah), alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest).

Who spread Islam in Chechnya?

Islamization of Chechnya The religion of the Muslims started to spread in the region in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was promoted by missionaries from the neighboring Dagestan (especially Kumyks), as well as through contacts of lowland Chechens with neighboring Kabardinians, Nogays, and Crimean Tatars.

Who brought Islam to Russia?

Origin: “Islam came to Russia in the seventh century. Followers of our Prophet Muhammad came to Russia 22 years after he left earthly life.” “They came to a city that is currently known as Derbent, it is in Southern Dagestan.