In the great mehfils of Sufi masters — from the khanqahs of medieval Persia to the dargahs of Punjab — qawwali has never been regarded merely as entertainment. It has always been understood as medicine: a precise, time-tested technology for the healing of the human soul. At Dera Baba Murad Shah Ji in Nakodar, where the all-night qawwali mehfil has been a central feature of the annual uras for generations, this healing tradition is as alive today as it has ever been.
Sama — The Sufi Science of Spiritual Listening
The formal practice of listening to devotional music in a Sufi context is called "sama" — literally "listening" or "audition." Sama is not passive entertainment but an active spiritual practice, a form of worship in which the practitioner opens themselves to the transformative power of sound. In classical Sufi thought, sama operates on multiple levels simultaneously: it stimulates the emotions, bypasses the analytical mind, and creates a direct channel to what the mystics call the heart — the innermost spiritual centre of the human being.
Hazrat Inayat Khan, the great Sufi musician and teacher, described music as "the bridge between the material and the spiritual world." In his understanding, sound — particularly sound produced with devotional intention — carries a vibrational quality that resonates with the deepest structures of consciousness. This is why Sufi masters throughout history have used sama in their spiritual training: not because it is pleasant, but because it works.
What Happens in the Body During Qawwali
The physical experience of a qawwali mehfil is unmistakable: a gradual deepening of breath, a loosening of physical tension, a warming of the chest, and — in those deeply engaged — an altered state of consciousness characterised by tears, gentle swaying, and profound inner stillness. These experiences have been reported across cultures and centuries; what is newer is our scientific understanding of why they occur.
Modern neuroscience confirms that music with a strong rhythmic pulse and emotionally resonant content activates the brain's reward pathways, stimulating the release of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. The rhythmic repetition of devotional phrases — central to the structure of qawwali — produces effects similar to meditation: reducing activity in the prefrontal cortex (the seat of analytical thought and ego-consciousness) and increasing activity in areas associated with emotional processing, self-transcendence, and states of flow.
The call-and-response structure of traditional qawwali — in which the lead singer makes a statement and the group or audience responds — creates a dynamic of communal resonance that amplifies these effects. When thousands of devotees breathe and sway in collective response to the same musical phrase, something emerges that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Grief, Longing, and the Healing of the Heart
At the emotional core of much qawwali is the experience of viraha — the spiritual longing for union with the divine, expressed as a kind of beautiful grief. This longing, so poignantly evoked in the poetry of Rumi, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, and Sultan Bahu, is not considered pathological in the Sufi tradition. Rather, it is seen as the most authentic human emotion: the natural response of a soul that knows it is separated from its source.
The cathartic expression of this longing through music — singing it, hearing it, feeling it move through the body — is in itself a form of healing. Grief that is expressed does not fester. Longing that is honoured rather than suppressed becomes a compass pointing toward the divine. Many devotees describe leaving a powerful qawwali mehfil feeling lighter, clearer, and strangely at peace — as if something heavy has been lifted and something genuine has been allowed to breathe.
Karamat Ali and the Healing Tradition at Nakodar
The qawwali performances at the Annual Uras Mela at Dera Baba Murad Shah Ji are led by Karamat Ali & Party of Malerkotla — one of Punjab's most respected qawwali ensembles. Their repertoire draws on centuries of Sufi poetry in Punjabi, Urdu, Persian, and Hindi, and their style combines classical rigour with the immediacy and emotional power needed to move a crowd of tens of thousands.
Attending their all-night mehfil at Nakodar is widely described by devotees as the most spiritually powerful musical experience available in Punjab today. The combination of the mazaar's sacred atmosphere, the vast communal gathering, and the skill and devotion of the performers creates conditions in which extraordinary states of spiritual opening can occur.
How to Receive the Full Benefit of Qawwali
The Sufi masters recommend approaching sama in a state of inner readiness: not coming with a crowded, distracted mind but having settled oneself through some period of quiet beforehand. Sit comfortably, close your eyes if it helps, and allow the music to move through you without analysis or resistance. Let the poetry land in the heart rather than merely in the mind. If emotion arises, welcome it. If silence arises, welcome that too. The music is a gift — receive it as such.