Women Called to the Path of Rumi: The Way of the Whirling Dervish [Paperback]

Shakina Reinhertz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2001

This is the first English-language book to share the experience of Turning by women practitioners of the Mevlevi Order of Whirling Dervishes. The beauty and mystery of the Whirling Dervishes have captured the mythic imagination of the Western world for centuries. Rumi, the great Sufi saint of 13th-century Turkey, taught both male and female students this whirling dance, but in the centuries after his death women were excluded from participation. Not until the late 1970s, when Shaikh Suleyman Dede brought the Turn ritual to North America, was this practice again opened to women. This book outlines the history of the women who have followed this way since Rumi's time. The heart of the book is the personal experience of contemporary women -- interviews with over two dozen American initiates (from adolescents to wise elders), many of whom have practised on this path for twenty years or more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time author Reinhertz offers not only a history of the Mevlevi Sufi order but also a distinctly personal journal of her life and the lives of other women initiates. Although Reinhertz, a self-described "American housewife/part-time graduate student," attempts to explain how the early participation of women in Sufi tradition was later forbidden for political reasons, she fails to establish that women were ever truly embraced by the Sufism of Rumi's time. Nonetheless, historical explanations and translations of Sufi poetry are quite effectively juxtaposed against transcribed interviews of contemporary women in the author's religious community. As expressed in their words, religious insights are not only illustrative of Sufism, but are also poignant moments of triumph in lives filled with searching and hardship. Mary, a victim of childhood polio, could not endure the hours of sitting still that she says most spiritual practices require. In the practice of Sufism, she discovered an interaction with the divine in the sema (turning). "When I found the turn, it met both of my requirements: to move and to embody what I was experiencing, the devotional and the relational sense of it." In describing their experiences, the women of Rumi's path frequently combine the language of Sufism and Islam with the language of other religions. Not only do these interviews constitute valuable records of the development of Sufism, but they also form a compelling argument for the syncretic and inclusive character of contemporary Sufism.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Shakina Reinhertz began training in the practice of whirling in January of 1982 under Jelaluddin Loras, the son of Suleyman Dede, who brought this work to the Western world. In 1993 she was initiated as a Shaikha of the Mevlevi Order of America, and began teaching the way of Rumi in 1996. She began research on this book in 1994 and participated in the ceremonies of Sema and Zikr at Rumi's tomb in Konya, Turkey. Shakina travels extensively in her teaching work. She lives in New Lebanon, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Hohm Press; 1 edition (May 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890772046
• ISBN-13: 978-1890772048
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book!, August 17, 2001

By 

Salim Chishti (New Lebanon, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Called to the Path of Rumi: The Way of the Whirling Dervish (Paperback)

The reason I titled this review the way I did is because the book is so physically beautiful that you may become entranced by the pictures and graphics and forget to read the stories!

When I first picked up this book I was happily guilty of that. But when I started to read I was even more moved than I had expected.

Shakina has succeeded in reminding all of us of the importance of women in the Mevlevi order both historicaly and in modern times. She does this through telling us the stories of individual women who have come to that path and have dedicated their lives to it. She has crafted these stories very well. Reading the book is like sitting with a new found friend and having your first heart to heart discussion. And that discussion opens up your eyes and your heart.

These are not dry documentary or biographical sketches of the women involved but rather they are intimate discussions of their deep hopes, dreams, dissapointments, good times and bad times on the path. And they speak lovingly of the commitment and dedication both of Reinhertz and of the women portrayed.

It is my deep hope that true Islam finds a new home in the US. A home that can bring back the deen that was alive during the life of Muhammad (phuh) and which dissapeared so soon after his death. If this is to happen, the role of women in Islam needs to be acknowledged strongly. As well as the role of Sufism, as expressed in the Mevlevi order and in the many other orders which have begun to grow in the US. I believe that this book is a good example of the kind of information that men and women, muslim and non-muslim alike need to know in order for that home to begin being built!

Alhamdil'illah! David-Iman

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Women's Spiritual Stories - Ancient and Modern, July 31, 2003

By 

Iris J. Stewart (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Called to the Path of Rumi: The Way of the Whirling Dervish (Paperback)

Here is a scholarly, well researched book that documents the history of women in the early days of Mevlevi Sufism, in the time of Jelallusin Rumi. That in itself is a gift for us. We get to know about the lives of Mu'mine, Rumi's mother, and several other women at that time.

Shakina also tells the story of how Mevlevi Sufism came to the shores of America, the young Jelaluddin Loras sent here from Turkey by his father Mevlevi Shaikh Suleman Hayati Dede in the 1970's with the declared intent to once again honor and include women in worship, after an absence of over 200 years. Another gift.

Additionally, we read of the influence of Feriste Hanum, "Mother of the Dervishes" and of Loras. We are able to read the stories of several American women - you probably know some of them - sharing with us how they were called to the path - their personal journies of inward conflicts and illuminations - in their own words. How precious. But wait 'til you see all the illustrations, calligraphy and photographs - dating from the 15th century to the present. What stories they tell, what insights they provide!

Shakina carefully documents her research. She is ever mindful to translate to the reader the meaning of the symbols and Turkish words, explains the deeper meanings of the rituals, and translates their meanings in the lives of today's murid (student or disciple who is under the guidance of a teacher on the path of Sufism).

Thank you, Shakina.

Iris J. Stewart , author, "Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TREMENDOUS!!, March 1, 2009

By 

Queenabbess - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women Called to the Path of Rumi: The Way of the Whirling Dervish (Paperback)

Shakina Reinhertz has given us a rare and much appreciated look into the feminine world of the Whirling Dervishes. Those of us who are of different religious persuations cannot help but appreciate and resonate with the holiness and discipline that she relates. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone who seeks to discover another expression of the God who has created all people upon this earth.