Description
Often described as the soul of Islam, Sufism is one of the most interesting yet least known facet of this global religion. Sufism is the softer more inclusive and mystical form of Islam. Although militant Islamists dominate the headlines, the Sufi ideal has captured the imagination of many. Nowhere in the world is the handprint of Sufism more observable than South Asia, which has the largest Muslim population of the world, but also the greatest concentration of Sufis. This book examines active Sufi communities in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh that shed light on the devotion, and deviation, and destiny of Sufism in South Asia. Drawn from extensive work by indigenous and international scholars, this ethnographical study explores the impact of Iran on the development of Sufi thought and practice further east, and also discusses Sufism in diaspora in such contexts as the UK and North America and Irans influence on South Asian Sufism.Table of ContentNotes on Contributors / Acknowledgments / Introduction: South Asian Sufis, continuity, complexity and change Clinton Bennett / 1. Iran's Role in Stimulating South Asian Islam Clinton Bennett / 2. A model of Sufi training in the 21st century: a Case Study of the Qadiriyya in Hyderabad Mauro Valdinoci / 3. Understanding the Philosophy of Spirituality at Shrines inPakistan Hafeez-ur-Rehman Chaudhry / 4. Spiritual Power and 'Threshold' Identities: The Mazars of Sayyid Pir Waris Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Uzma Rehman / 5. Du'a: popular culture and powerful blessing at the 'urs Pnina Werbner / 6. Guthe sufi centre of Jhok Sharif in Sindh (Pakistan):questioning the ziyarat as a social process Michel Boivin / 7. When Sufi tradition reinvents Islamic modernity - The Minhaj-ul Qur'an, a neo-Sufi order in Pakistan Alix Philippon / 8. Making the Case for Sainthood in Modern Bangladesh: Narrative Strategies and the Presentation of Holiness in the Life of Zia ul-Haqq Maizbhandari Sarwar Alam / 9. Ahmad Sirhindi: Nationalist hero, good Sufi, or bad Sufi Arthur Buehler / 10. Encountering the Unholy: the Establishment of Political Parties by Sufi Masters in Modern Bangladesh Sarwar Alam / 11. The Transformation and Development of South Asian Sufis in Britain Ron Geaves / 12. Rishiwaer: Kashmir, the Garden of the Saints Charles M. Ramsey / 13. Bangladeshi Sufism - an interfaith bridge Clinton Bennett / 14. A Garden amidst the Flames: The Categorical Imperative of Sufi Wisdom Hugh van Skyhawk / 15. South Asian Sufism in America Marcia Hermansen / 16. Sufis and Social Activism: a Chishti Response to Communal Strife in India Today Kelly Pemberton / Conclusion: South Asian Sufis, devotion, deviation, and destiny Charles M. Ramsey / Bibliography / IndexBiographical NoteCharles M. Ramsey is Director of University Institute Center for Islamic Studies, New Delhi, India. Clinton Bennett teaches Religious Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz, and at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA.In-depth ethnographical study of contemporary Sufi orders in Iran, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, as well as in the UK and US.Explores contemporary practice of Sufism in South Asia and diaspora.Shifts the focus back to what may be regarded as a positive Islamic phenomenon.Challenges popular distortions that focus on a limited, narrow aspect of the Muslim reality.Draws from extensive research by indigenous and international scholars in the field.
