From the Third Salaam to The Fourth Salaam
The Third Salam refers to the Nafs al-Mulhima (The Inspired Soul). If the Dervish acts in accordance with the knowledge of certainty he has attained, Allah will teach him what he does not know.
It refers to the verse of the Quran “And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness. (Al-Shams, 8).
The Dervish must be extremely cautious at this stage as it is a dangerous yet enciting stage. Through this state, the dervish acheives the joy of the Nafs al-Mulhima. The third salam emphasises the significance of the disciple-master relationship.
The long clothing of the whirling dervish is called “tenure.” When the Prophet Abraham was thrown into the fire, Allah provided him with a garment to protect him from the fire. The dervishes’ tenure refer to this robe and represents protection from evils like desire, anger, and greed. By wearing this, the Dervishes declares that he is a servant of Allah, and that he is burnt in the fire of devotion for Allah rather than the fire of worldly desires.
Placing the right foot on top of the left foot indicates being on the path to Truth and sealing the submissions. Sealing the submission is a sign of not seeking the Truth somewhere else, and acknowledging the body as the place of the sacred soul relic within it.
Unlike the previous salams, during the performance of this Salam, the dervishes do not move in the Semahane, instead, they continue whirling on the spot. This state of whirling in one spot is called “the holding pole.” The continuous whirling at a fixed point represents retaining the training and the knowledge they had attained at the stage of mulhime.