This is Sufism and the true spirit of Sufis at its best: A group of devoted Sufi Muslims performing devotional Qawwali music at a Hindu Temple. An unequivocal demonstration of religious tolerance and interfaith reaching by the Farid Ayaz Qawwali Ensemble. If you're a Qawwali fan, the two vocalists of Farid Ayaz Ensemble are the great Sufi Qawwali singer, late Munshi Raziuddin's sons. What made this performance even more remarkable was the fact that the Qawwali performers are Pakistanis and the Hindu Temple's audience are Hindus. How ironic that while politicians, on both side of the borders, are trying to spread hate and bigotry between these two great nations, it's the Sufis who preach love, tolerance, and unity through their devotional music.
Bhajan Song(Bhajan or Kirtan is a Hindu Devotional Song)
Farid Ayaz Qawwali Ensemble at Hindu Temple in Montreal, Canada
Courtesy of Tasawwuf on Vimeo.
Courtesy of Sufi Music
The South Asian community in Montreal made history by organizing a Qawali performance at the local Hindu Mandir[Temple] . The performance received overwhelming response, and the audience was moved both emotionally and spiritually.
Qawwali is traditional Muslim Sufi music performed mainly in Pakistan and India. The tradition of this art form in India & Pakistan dates back to the time of the revered Indian Sufi saint, Amir Khusrau Dehelvi who wrote verses for Qawwali and composed musical renditions that are still very popular to this day. However, the roots of the art of Qawwali reach back to 8th century Persia where its early forms were performed as part of the Sufi "Sema" ritual. The Sema is a pivotal ritual of devotional prayer and meditation, common to all Sufi schools. This is performed in a variety of way; whirling, chanting, singing and playing music on special musical instruments like the "Ney" (reed flute), are all parts of the Sufi's efforts to search for, and forge, direct connections with the Divine, and reach a state of spiritual ecstasy. Qawwali is one such medium of the this quest. The emphasis is on the verses and their hidden meanings, rather than the musical artistry..