Sufi Collective RitualCollective or group rituals, in which Sufis tried through ecstatic experiences to come closer to God, have always fascinated outsiders, including non-Sufi Muslims. Here the sixteenth-century Persian painter Sultan Muhammad illustrates the writing of the fourteenth-century lyric poet Hafiz. Notice the various musical instruments and the delicate floral patterns so characteristic of Persian art. (Or. Ms. 104, from The Kulliyyati-I Sa’di [ The Collected Works of Sa’di], 1556, vellum/Edinburgh University Library, Scotland/With kind permission of the University of Edinburgh/The Bridgeman Art Library)> PICTURING THE PASTANALYZING THE IMAGE: What sort of architectural space is depicted here? What distinctions do you see among the people in terms of how they dress and what they are doing?CONNECTIONS: How common are music and dance in religion? What do they provide?