Attending a dhikr session in France
The meditation and dhikr sessions offered by the Qadiriya Boutchichiya path are open to all, with no prerequisites and no commitment. They are held weekly or monthly depending on the city, on weekday evenings, in premises hired by the local associations. Here is what to expect, and how to come.
How a session unfolds
A session generally lasts between an hour and an hour and a half. It begins with a period of guided meditation: you sit down, close your eyes if you wish, and the leader offers simple pointers for gathering your attention. Then comes the dhikr proper: the group repetition of formulas drawn from the Qur’an, among them the profession of faith ‘La ilaha illa Allah’. The invocations are in Arabic; nobody is required to pronounce them, and their translation is read or commented on at some point in the session. In some cities the session also includes spiritual songs (qasa’id) with a reading of their French translation.
The session most often ends with a friendly moment over refreshments, where you can put questions to the regulars. That is the right time to ask how the path works locally, who leads, and what the next dates are.
Who may come
Everyone. The sessions call for neither previous religious practice, nor knowledge of Arabic, nor registration in most cities. The participants range from the long-standing spiritual seeker to the casual drop-in. It is perfectly possible to come once, simply to listen, without being chased up afterwards.
The financial contribution is modest: a few euros to cover the hire of the room, a voluntary contribution in several cities. No session is a commercial product.
In which cities
- Paris: Forum 104, rue de Vaugirard, Friday evenings at 8 pm; registration requested.
- Lyon: Les Arches, rue Bossuet; 10 euros, concessions 7 euros.
- Marseille: regular sessions, dates on the calendar.
- Montpellier: Villa Lise, route de Mende.
- Nice and Antibes: sessions on the Côte d’Azur.
- Avignon: monthly sessions, voluntary contribution.
- Yvelines: Versailles, rue du Général Leclerc.
The exact dates, and any retreats or special meetings, are published on the calendar. The contact details appear on each city’s page.
Before you come
Simply check the time on the calendar or on the city’s page: dates can shift, and some cities alternate between a dhikr session and another format (teaching, reading). In Paris, registration is requested via the Paris page. Elsewhere you can generally come straight along, or drop the local contact a line the day before.
No particular dress is required: the rooms are hired premises, not mosques. Shoes off or not depending on the place; the local welcome point will tell you. Arriving five minutes before the start is enough.
What a session is not
A session is neither a class, nor a concert, nor group therapy. It is a practice: first-time visitors are not expected to ‘do’ anything, but to taste an atmosphere of shared recollection. Sufism likes to describe itself as a flavour that can only be known by tasting: the session is precisely the place where that taste is experienced, before any question of vocabulary or commitment.
Those who wish to understand what is involved for the person who goes further will find the answer in our page Finding a Sufi master in France and in the article on the state of the disciple.