ABSTRACT
The aim of Sufism is union with a saint, with Muhammed, or, especially, with Allah. Sufi worshippers seek to merge with the divine through various ritual practices, including dhikr, chanting the names of Allah. Sufi texts depict piloerection – body hair standing up – as the key sign of achieving ḥāl, union with divinity. For Shia, Muharram celebrations evoke kama muta, especially majlis, the mourning gatherings of Muharram where people beat their chests and weep. Matam rituals of bloody self-injury also evoke intense kama muta. For all Muslims, hearing adhān, the call to prayer, may evoke kama muta.
