With an arm raised to the sky -- the right palm reaching upward, as the left was turned down towards the earth -- Aziz Abatiello prepared himself to reach a state of ecstasy through prayer.

As the solemn rhythms of a drum told the story of Sufism, an inner, mystical dimension of Islam, Abatiello began to twirl from right to left, mimicking the motion of blood circulating through the heart. Even though his eyes were closed, the young man has reached an acute state of self-awareness that he said brings him closer to God.

In a collaborative effort of the Middle East and Islamic studies and the world music and dance programs, audience members were enchanted by 90 minutes of music, dance and poetry in "Sufism: A Muslim's Mystic Journey" on Nov. 10.

Abatiello performed the whirling dervish dance known as "Sema" alongside Sufi musicians Shirzad Sharif and Pezhham Akhavass in Knuth Hall of the Creative Arts Buildin. Shirzad created mesmerizing melodies by sliding his fingers along a fretted lute called a Tanbur, while Akhavass played the Daf, a framed drum.

"Sufism is a mystical facet of Islam," said Hafez Modirzadeh, associate professor of music and co-director of jazz and world music studies at SF State, who helped organize the event along with Prof. Mehdi Rajabzadeh of the Middle East and Islamic studies program. "It's a path to personal enlightenment through music and movement."

According to Modirzadeh, while Sufism derives from the Islamic faith, it is a philosophy that is universal -- crossing over to all religions.

"Someone can have a Sufi heart without being a Muslim," Modirzadeh said. "It's a renouncement of worldly things and going back to your spiritual self."

The performance commenced with several students reading poetry by Persian poet and philosopher Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, a revered Sufi.

"It's awesome that they got the musicians to come here and take part in this," said senior Oliver Hunt, a philosophy major who attended the event. "I am a Middle East study devotee -- I wanted to learn more about Islam and its beautiful traditions."

A crowd of about 50 students and faculty members watched in awe as Abatiello embarked on a journey to spiritual enlightenment, his white, billowing skirt flowing gently with every spin.

Sharif and Akhavass started the evening with an instrumental improvisation. A slow drumbeat filled the auditorium, evolving into a simple and soft melody when joined by the three-stringed lute.

While all three performers were dressed in white, Abatiello and Sharif's costumes had traditional Sufi elements. Both were wearing a conical hat that Sufis believe helps them connect with God and block the ego.

Even after twirling on stage for 15 minutes, the dance still seemed effortless, and Abatiello only slowed down when the rhythm of Akhavass' drum dictated a subtle pace.

"The goal of Sufi music is to transport listeners to a place where they lose themselves and can step away from earthly realms and troubles of life," said Shirzad Sharif, a renowned Sufi musician who plays the Tanbur -- the pear-shaped lute associated with the Kurdish Sufi music of Western Iran, considered to be the most sacred instrument of the country. "The people who actually play the instrument lead a very spiritual life."

Growing up in Iran, Sharif, who is the founder and musical director of Som'ma, a San Francisco based electro-acoustic sacred music trio, recounts a time when practicing Sufism through music was not embraced. Electro-acoustic music explores the interaction of natural and electronically generated sounds.

"When I was learning Sufi music in Iran, it was forbidden to perform," Sharif said. "Right now you can get arrested for attending a Sufi ceremony in Iran. It's probably the biggest threat to the current regime."

"But there's music in our hearts, life and in everything around us," Sharif added. "It's only natural to have music in spirituality."

Abatiello exited the stage after about 30 minutes, but Sharif and Akhavass continued to enchant the crowd with mystical tunes. At the end of the performance, Prof. Rajabzadeh concluded with a short discussion about Sufism.

Despite its cultural significance and complex history, the lesson on Sufism was not targeted solely at Muslims or Arabic speakers.

"The Sufi path takes you way beyond Islam -- it's human," Modirzadeh said. "Its exclusivity is marked by its inclusivity."