View source for Ahmad Dede

{{BLP sources|date=September 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
'''Ahmed Dede''' (born 1960) is an [[Islamic]] [[sheikh]], and a follower of the [[Sufi]] order of Islam, who helps spread Sufism and the art of [[Sufi Whirling]]<ref name="Valkenberg2006">{{cite book|last=Valkenberg|first=Pim|title=Sharing lights on the way to God: Muslim-Christian dialogue and theology in the context of Abrahamic partnership|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rP0HLWZmU0MC&pg=PA40|year=2006|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=978-90-420-1799-3|page=40}}</ref> in the [[United Kingdom]]. He has appeared on [[British television]] several times.

==Biography==
[[File:Sheijk Ahmed Dede in Madrid, Spain.JPG|thumb|right|270px|Sheikh Ahmad Dede in a dervish whirling workshop in Madrid, Spain (02/2012)]]
His parents, the Pattisahusiwas, came from <!--[[Kampong, Indonesia|Kampong]] that just means "village" in Malay/Indonesian-->the [[Maluku Islands|Maluku]] island of [[Saparua]] in [[Indonesia]]. In the 1950s they emigrated to [[The Netherlands]]. On 2 July 1960, Ahmad was born in the village of [[Balk, Netherlands|Balk]]. He was the seventh of nine children. In 1966, they moved to [[Ridderkerk]]. In 1976 his father died. Shortly afterward, Ahmad announced 'on my 22nd birthday, I shall die'. He never really knew why he said this. In 1981, leading up to his 22nd birthday he began to talk about his strange statement. Others suggested it symbolised the death of the old Ahmad, and he would have a spiritual 'rebirth'. Shortly after this, he dedicated his life to [[Allah]] ([[God]]). He claimed to have had strange dreams, and went on a retreat to an old [[mosque]] for two months. When he turned 22, during the Islamic holy month of [[Ramadan]], he read his first book about Sufism called 'Whirling to Allah'. In 1985 he met the Sufi saint [[Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi|Grandsheikh Sultan Muhammad Nazim al Haqqani an-Naqshbandi]]. He became a follower of the saint and swore an oath to follow the Sufi [[Mevlevi Order]]. While both of them were together in [[England]], in 1986, the Grand Sheikh gave Ahmed his personal blessings. He then worked at Sufi camps and classes and in 1994 began to believe that the Holy Opening, the first [[sura]]h (chapter) of the [[Qur'an]] could be used as a gateway to spread Sufism. Then, in 1995, his brother, Djailani died, and this saddened him significantly. He then claimed to receive visions of his Grand Sheikh helping him through this difficult time, and teaching him to spread the message. Since then he has travelled around [[Europe]] teaching [[Sufi Whirling]] through classes, courses, and his music.

==Music==
He has released an album with songs on it called ''Forever Haqqani''. Despite the fact that many Muslims regard music as a diversion from Allah, Dede has said that if a song is about Allah it cannot be a diversion but a tool to get to feel Allah.

==Television appearances==
Ahmad has appeared on the popular [[BBC]] Sunday morning religion and spirituality based program, ''[[The Heaven and Earth Show]]''. He also appeared on [[Channel 4]]'s program, [[Spirituality Shopper]]. He then appeared on Japanese NTC TV's Cooking with Pete (奋斗终), giving Pete a lesson on how to properly cook an omelette.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080918214502/http://www.haqqani-mevlevi.nl/ The Official site of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani-Mevlevi Tariqat in English and Dutch]
* [http://oceanoceleste.com/ Official site of  Naqshbandi-Haqqani Tariqat in Spain]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dede, Ahmad}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British Sufis]]
[[Category:Dutch emigrants to England]]
[[Category:English people of Indonesian descent]]
[[Category:People from Gaasterlân-Sleat]]
[[Category:Dutch people of Indonesian descent]]