- Sheikh Ahmad Dede
Ahmed Dede (b.1960) is an
Islamic sheikh , and a follower of theSufi order of Islam, who helps spread Sufism and the art of htyyyySufi Whirling in theUnited Kingdom . He has appeared onBritish television several times.Biography
His parents, the Pattisahusiwas, came from
Kampong on the island ofSaparoea inIndonesia . In the 1950s they emigrated toThe Netherlands . On2 July 1960 , Ahmad was born in the village ofBalk . He was the seventh of nine children. In 1966, they moved toRidderkerk . In 1976 his father died. Shortly afterward, Ahmad announced 'on my 22nd birthday, I shall die'. He never really knew why he said this. In 1981, leading up to his 22nd birthday he began to talk about his strange statement. Others suggested it symbolised the death of the old Ahmad, and he would have a spiritual 'rebirth'. Shortly after this, he dedicated his life toAllah (God ). He claimed to have had strange dreams, and went on a retreat to an oldmosque for two months. When he turned 22, during the Islamic holy month ofRamadan , he read his first book about Sufism called 'Whirling to Allah'. In 1985 he met the Sufi saint Grandsheikh Sultan Muhammad Nazim al Haqqani an-Naqshbandi . He became a follower of the saint and swore an oath to follow the SufiMevlevi order. While both of them were together inEngland , in 1986, the Grand Sheikh gave Ahmed his personal blessings. He then worked at Sufi camps and classes and in 1994 began to believe that the Holy Opening, the firstsurah (chapter) of theQu'ran could be used as a gateway to spread Sufism. Then, in 1995, his brother, Djailani died, and this saddened him significantly. He then claimed to receive visions of his Grand Sheikh helping him through this difficult time, and teaching him to spread the message. Since then he has travelled aroundEurope teachingSufi Whirling through classes, courses, and his music.Music
He has released an album with songs on it called "Forever Haqqani". Despite the fact that many Muslims regard music as a diversion from Allah, Dede has said that if a song is about Allah it cannot be a diversion but a tool to get to feel Allah.
Television Appearances
Ahmad has appeared on the popular
BBC Sunday morning religion and spirituality based program, Heaven and Earth. He also appeared onChannel 4 's program,Spirituality Shopper . He then appeared on Japanese NTC TV's Cooking with Pete (奋斗终), giving Pete a lesson on how to properly cook an omelette.External links
* [http://www.haqqani-mevlevi.nl/ The Official site of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani-Mevlevi Tariqat in English and Dutch] ]
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