Safvat al-Safa’
Shaykh Safi’s Sama’
Shaykh Safi’s Sama’
Fol. 264r from a manuscript of Safvat al-Safa'
Iran, Shiraz, 1582
Opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper
AKM264
The mystical traditions of Islam, known collectively as Sufism, follow various lineages traced to individual masters. These figures developed rituals to help bring the devotee into closer union with the Divine, including dhikr (repeating sacred phrases) and sama’ (ecstatic dances, often accompanied by music). This illustration appears in the sixth chapter of the Safvat al-Safa', focusing on the dhikr and sama’ that Shaykh Safi developed as founder of the Safaviyeh order. It depicts a moment when the Shaykh, attending a sermon at a local mosque, suddenly understands the preacher’s hidden messages and bursts into an ecstatic dance. Reimagined in this animation, the Shaykh’s sama’ was admired and later emulated by others in attendance.