About Shemsu Ahmed
The historian El Eflaki was a disciple of Chelebi Emir 'Arif, a grandson of the author of the Mesnevi. 'Arif died in a.d. 1320; but as the dates of 'Arif's successors are carried down to a.h. 754 (a.d. 1353), when Eflaki's collection of anecdotes was completed, the historian must have outlived this last date. Asa disciple of the Emir 'Arif, he was a dervish of the order named Mevlevi, as being followers of the rule and practices of Mevlana Jelalu-'d-Dln, er-Euml, commonly known in English literature as " the dancing dervishes," expressed by Americans: "whirling dervishes." The dervishes of the order do not all dance or"whirl."Some are musicians, and some singers or chanters, who may, however, be occasional dancers also.
