South Asian Sufis Devotion, Deviation, and Destiny

by Bennett, Clinton; Ramsey, Charles M.

• ISBN13: 9781441151278
• ISBN10: 1441151273
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-05-03
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

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 Iran, 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.

Author Biography

Clinton Bennett teaches Religious Studies at the State University of Now York at New Paltz and at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. Charles M. Ramsey is Director of University Institute Center for Islamic Studies, New Delhi, India.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction: South Asian Sufis, Continuity, Complexity, and Change	p. 1
Iran's Role in Stimulating South Asian Islam	p. 15
A Model of Sufi Training in the Twenty-First Century: A Case Study of the Qadiriyya in Hyderabad	p. 31
Understanding the Philosophy of Spirituality at Shrines in Pakistan	p. 43
Spiritual Power and 'Threshold' Identities: The Mazars of Sayyid Pir Waris Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai	p. 61
Du'a: Popular Culture and Powerful Blessing at the 'Urs	p. 83
The Sufi Center of Jhok Sharif in Sindh (Pakistan): Questioning the Ziyarat as a Social Process	p. 95
When Sufi Tradition Reinvents Islamic Modernity. The Minhaj-ul Qur'an, a Neo-Sufi order in Pakistan	p. 111
Making the Case for Sainthood in Modern Bangladesh: Narrative Strategies and the Presentation of Holiness in the Life of Zia ul-Haqq Maizbhandari	p. 123
Ahmad Sirhindi: Nationalist Hero, Good Sufi, or Bad Sufi?	p. 141
Encountering the Unholy: The Establishment of Political Parties by Sufi Masters in Modern Bangladesh	p. 163
The Transformation and Development of South Asian Sufis in Britain	p. 181
Rishiwaer: Kashmir, the Garden of the Saints	p. 197
Bangladeshi Sufism - An Interfaith Bridge	p. 211
A Garden Amidst the Flames: The Categorical Imperative of Sufi Wisdom	p. 233
South Asian Sufism in America	p. 247
Sufis and Social Activism: A Chishti Response to Communal Strife in India Today	p. 269
Conclusion: South Asian Sufis, Devotion, Deviation, and Destiny	p. 285
Bibliography	p. 293
Index	p. 313
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