Jem

The central Alevi communal worship service is called a Jem, which is performed in special houses called as Cem Evi. Alevi Muslims believe that the Jem has its roots in an original worship and teaching meeting of forty spiritual individuals Kirklar Majlisi (Turkish: Kırklar Meclisi) led by Ali. It takes place in a Cem Evi Âyîn-i Cem (cem ceremony) The ceremony's supposed prototype is the narration about Muhammad's nocturnal ascent into heaven, where he beheld a gathering of forty saints (Kırklar Meclisi), and the Divine Reality made manifest in their leader, Ali. During the "Jem ceremony" the Âşık' plays the Bağlama whilst singing spiritual songs, some of which are centuries old and well known amongst Alevis. Every song, called a Nefes has spiritual meaning and aims to teach the participants important lessons. One such song goes thus: "Learn from your mistakes and be knowledgeable, Don't look for faults in others, Look at 73 different people in the same way, God loves and created them all, so don't say anything against them."