system and the practices of the order, some of them are known to have been there since their beginning. Saʿdiyya members were known for their healing ‘’powers’’; it was believed that the Saʿdi masters could cure the insanity of people possessed by a jinn and as such, masters were thought to have been friends of God, who has given them permission and power to do so. For that reason, many believers paid visits to them in order to profit from their company. They were also known to have regularly practiced dhikr and sama and not only in their order’s quarters but also in the Umayyad mosque. Saʿdiyya praying formulas The small praying formula: an action of reciting in the morning and in the evening in a specific order and a certain number of times. It includes reading (Al-Fatiha, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Mu'awwidhatayn, the beginning and the end of surah Al-Baqarah with ayah Tawhid and ayah Al-Kursi), praying to Muhammad, seeking forgiveness, remembrance of God, and supplication. The middle praying formula: an action of reciting in the morning and in the evening in a specific order and a certain number of times. It includes what is said in the small praying formula, only a different number of times. The big praying formula: an action of reciting daily in a specific order and a certain number of times. It includes remembrance of God with seven of His most beautiful names, each one separately. Switch from one name to another happens only after sheikh’s signal and the number of repetitions ranges between 10,000 and 100,000. These names are: “There is no god but Allah” (لا أله إلا الله), Allah (الله), He (هو), Living (حي), Unique/Single (واحد), Subsisting/Independent (قيوم), and Subduer/Conqueror (قهار). These three praying formulas are special, but there are many others. Saʿdiyya and Samadiyya Samadiyya is alongside Saʿdiyya one of the two main Sufi orders in Damascus. While the Saʿdiyya grew out of Rifaʿiyya, the Samadiyya originated from Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders in Islam. Both Qadiriyya and Rifaʿiyya tariqas came from Iraq in the 6th/12th century. Once during a procession, Saʿdi Sufis were beating the drums (tubul) and their people insisted that the instrument is their symbol and must not be usurped. Samadiyya usually used the drums during their dhikr, so the two orders almost fought because of it. Taghlibiyya Taghlibiyya is a sub-order of Saʿdiyya and it is traced either