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Essays on sufism
The contribution of sufism
The contribution of sufism
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The juncture of Islamic and American cultural movements has found a home in the various Sufi traditions that prevalent in the Western world. These subsequent artistic cultural traditions and rituals make Sufism the most culturally dominant and pervasive form of Islam in modern day Western culture – beating out the two largest internationally prevailing sects of orthodox Islam (Sunnism) and Shia’ism. In the following paper, I will assert that there are two primary spheres of Sufi tradition that transcend American society. The first being the sphere of culture, which includes but is not limited to, dance, music, poetry, arts, education, psychology and philosophical paradigms. The second sphere encompasses the influence of religious sites: mosques and tomb shrines.
The principal vehicle for the spread of Sufism around the world, and more relevantly its emergence in America, is the religion’s artistic traditions – the sphere of culture. Early Sufi scholars and teachers situated their respective teachings and outlooks of Sufism in poetry, musical traditions and dance. Additionally, different orders of Sufism have outlined that these artistic traditions find their roots in dhikr, the “remembrance of God ” and any mindful deviation from these niyahs (religious intentions) is in fact detrimental to the cause of attaining spirituality. With the following traditionalistic intentions in mind, one can further delve into three specific practices: (1) Sufi poets like Rumi, (2) Qawaali music, and (3) the dance culture of the Whirling Dervishes.
Vernacular poetry plays an interesting role in Sufism primarily because the mystic religion, which aims to reaching salvation with the divine creator, is inherently poetic. The Sufi world view, which ...
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In conclusion, Sufism has had an influential role in America primarily because there are very American characteristics to the core traditions of Sufism – the keenness for dancing, public performance and utilization of television, film and media. American culture in many ways has turned a shoulder to highly polarizing views of orthodox Islam, citing the large hegemonic and ethical disparities between the two religious cultures of Islam and modern Judeo-Christian philosophies. Another reason for why Sufism has hybridized so well in America is because of the constant participation and assimilation of Sufi commoners into the Western culture. Sufism can be considered to have played a “positive force” into American society by acclimatizing to the local communities and providing an alternative to orthodoxy Islam – which rejects the core precepts of American culture.
The spiritual development of a community is a component absent in western formulations of modernity. For Deeb’s interlocutors the process of spiritual modernity is manifested in public piety and “authenticated Islam.” Deeb argues that women are essential participants in the construction of piety and “authenticated Islam” within the enchanted modern. Forms of public piety and social participation, including veiling, community service, and hosting Ashura majlis are necessary components in shaping this enchanted modern. Deeb further examines women’s roles in shifting away from a perceived religious backwardness towards a modern society throughout the second part of her book. Her discussion of the Ashura festival commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Husayn illustrates the shift from a traditional (taqlidi) form of religious worship to “authenticated Islam.” Deeb discusses how latam- self-flagellation- is considered backwards and according to pious Shi’i women the authenticated practice involves learning the lessons from Ashura and applying them to everyday life. The differences in traditional verses authenticated Islamic practices of Ashura reflect the increased participation and roles of women in the commemoration, and in the process of developing public piety and “authenticated
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
Race and religion are two concepts in American culture that can really tie people together, or clearly separate them apart. A group forged by strong common roots in both race and religion can be a powerful societal force, if it wants to be. The Nation of Islam is a small but growing religion in America that has become somewhat of a social movement because of its strong and radical ideas on race. In this paper, I will try to explore the beliefs of the Nation of Islam, and the ramifications it could and has had on racial relations in America. The Nation of Islam, or NOI, is a relatively new religion. The first temple of Islam was established in Detroit by Master Fard Muhammed in 1930. Much of the theology was based on the simple facts that: "Allah is god, the white man is the devil, and the so-called Negroes are the Asiatic black people, the cream of the earth."(1) And, in accordance with their bizarre view of creation, involving a mad scientist creating the white race from the black race, the twentieth century represents the time for black people to regain their rightful position as god¹s chosen people. (1) The Nation of Islam was spawned from Orthodox Islam, an age-old religion. However, Orthodox Islam has openly denounced the NOI as a heretic sect for three main reasons: the NOI¹s rejection of the belief in an afterlife, its tendency to view human leaders as deified figures, and its strong racist attitudes. (2) For a brief time, during the seventies, Wallace Deen Muhammed became the leader of the NOI and tried to take it in a new direction, more conforming to "true Islamic beliefs." This group is now called the American Muslim Mission and still exists in small numbers today. (1) ...
Islam is the second biggest faith in the world. It is a monotheistic, peaceful religion which believes that there is only one god in the whole universe and his name is Allah. In his book, “Islam the Straight Path”, L.Esposito (1998) writes that the main ambition of Islam is to spread into the entire world and every act is based on the words of Qur’an and Muhammad says and deeds. But throughout the years of spreading 12 new orders were created in Islam. They were deviations from the classical Islam. One of these orders was The Bektashi Order of Dervishes. Their religion was also known as the popular Islam or (non-canonical) (L.Esposito, 1998). The aim was to reach Allah in a different way. Dervishes could be driven in the history of Islam in the same role that monks stay in Christianity. Their main difference is that dervishes to don’t stay closed in cloisters but they are close to the people in the everyday life. Now the most significant order that took place in the Balkans and it is still present now days the Bektashi order of Dervishes is very famous in Albania. In order to understand clearly the role of this Sufi order (Tariqat) we need to explain some questions raised. Who created it? When and where was the Bektashi order born? What were the circumstances that leaded to his creation? What are its main features? Why did it spread in the Balkans? What is its role now? What is the place of it in the Islamic world? The world center momentarily speaking is in Tirana, Albania. Bektashism has its own place in the Islamic world but the influence of it and the crucial role it played on Balkans especially in Albania is considerable.
Murata, Sachiko. "Sufi Teachings in Neo-Confucian Islam." Indiana University. N.p., 25 Apr. 2005. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. .
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
Religious discrimination is the biggest social issue in the USA. Since the 9/11 attacks Sikh’s have been tortured and treated really badly only because of their appearance. Arabs and Muslims are also tortured because of the religion they belong to. People should not insult other people without even knowing about their background. People should try to get to know about other person’s background before coming into any conclusion, he might be the best person they have ever met. The U.S. should abolish the practice of practice of profiling based on appearance at government office, schools, private offices etc.
“Culture belongs to the imagination; to judge it rationally is to misunderstand its function” (Wilson 79). In “The Butterfly Mosque” by G. Willow Wilson, she acknowledges culture and explains why cultures can differ so greatly. She emphasizes why its highly inconclusive to try to find a meaning behind ones culture. As a young American Muslim women she is faced with cross cultural ironies as she tries to find her identity and where she fits in. Her conversion to Islam brings into light her internalized prejudice and the different perspectives of Westerners towards the Middle East and vice versa. In her memoir, she depicts both positive and negative aspects of both cultures and, her struggle to find a common ground between the two.
However much Islam and Christianity would seem to share common ground, the discussion is not complete without noting the parallels between this two that have taken center stage. Some of the remarkable differences as they try to answer deep life complexities arise in the areas of religious practices by both their adherents and the clergy (Dorothy 13-28). “There is also a stark contrast to the belief system subscribed to, means of salvation, scriptures”. The most prominent difference present concerns the belief of life after death and practices of depicting the metaphysical
The Late Middle Ages saw great theological discrepancies through the progression of Christian mysticism. The exploration into spiritual practices and the unification of the soul during this period led to great philosophical works. The Cloud of Unknowing and The Imitation of Christ are two noteworthy texts that discuss one’s aspiration to attain union with God. The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymously authored spiritual exercise that accentuates movement toward the contemplative life by acknowledging what is unknown by man. In contrast, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is a spiritual guide which emphasizes that the way to be fully Christian is to live in the imitation of Jesus Christ. While many of the thoughts concerning human reason and withdrawal from the corporal world are similar in the texts, the two are inherently different as the account in The Imitation of Christ is more compelling due to its focus on a humanistic objective while acquiring union and salvation with God.
Jaoudi, Maria. Christian and Islamic spirituality: sharing a journey. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1993. Print.
Religion is a universal among human groups. In general, religion is defined as a symbolic system dealing with the relationship of human beings to the supernatural, to divine or spirit beings, or to matters that transcend mundane reality. (Womack)
F. Hasan, Asma Gull (2000). American Muslims; The New Generation. New York. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc.
Kenneth Jost. 2005. “Understanding Islam.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.