The mullah speaks directly to the assembled worshippers referencing Abdul Qadir Gaylani, the founder of the Qadiri Order, which the Talabani Tekiye follows.
Men and boys of all ages throw themselves into the worship. Though children are cherished in this tekiye, they are explicitly encouraged not to come to the worship too young. The path of a Sufi must be consciously chosen, not indoctrination. Sheikh Yusuf, the spiritual leader has said, “When we find children here, we say, ‘Go home! Read a book!’ But they sneak in…”
Sheikha Sunbul gives a smile as she leads the woman to sit and transition between types of worship. Two women help another who has become wrapped up in her worship to find her place sitting. The throes of ecstasy remain with her even as she sits. The murmured prayers all in Arabic, the casual chatting is in Kurdish.
The prayer for individual sheikhs continues. The female mullah is seen here in tight focus, moving her hands through the prayer. Several women, including the Sheikha, seem to be whispering or mouthing the words along with the mullah as well as giving the traditional response to the call.
The air conditioning ruffles the edges of her scarf as Sheikha Sunbul Umjunayd leads and participates in the prayer. This viewpoint is from inside the circle of worshipping women who spin around the Sheikha and other worshippers who are in an ecstatic mode. The prayer acknowledges the call from Baghdad, where Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gaylani founded the Qadiri Order, and where the mosque he founded remains in operation today. As well, as the women reach a subconscious or transcendent state, they often forsake the common prayer for exclamations, often, “Allah! Allah!”
